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PDF (1.9 MB, 52 pp)

Number 13. Summer 2002. Magazine for members of the Solbank Prestige Club. Price: 3 €
Spain’s Rock Icon
An Interview with rock star Miguel Ríos
Your Money
The Right Advice
The Quality of Life
Girona
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
Summer 2002
02 Letter from the Deputy General Manager
D. Jaume Puig Balsells, 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 Quality of Life
Girona
12 Spain’s Rock Icon
An Interview with rock star Miguel Ríos
06
16 Complaining in Spain
David Searl looks at how to make official complaints in Spain
24
18 Your Money:
The right advice
20 More Than Just Paella
A look at Spanish Rice
24 Destination Golf: Golf Club Novo Sancti Petri
Checking out the links in Cádiz
27 A Day In The Life Of:
Language teacher Elena Esch Kupke
28 Spain’s Hidden Treasures
La Cartuja de Valldemossa
12
30 A Land of Fire and Lava
28
A walking tour of the island of Lanzarote
34 Food and Drink
Edward Owen’s restaurant and wine guide
36 Improve Your Game
Tips from the pro on how to Control the distance of your
bunker shots
38 Local News
What’s on and what’s up on 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
Skin care under the summer sun
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). 91 816 43 29. Editor: Guy Fiorita. Consultant: Edward Owen. Designed by: Estudio Garbayo.
Writers: Edward Owen, David Searl, Dee McMath, Janet Mendel, Francisco M. Martín, Gaetano Aly, Paul Aitken, Alex
Clayton, Steve Guest, Guy Fiorita. Photographers: Solbank Images, J.D. Dallet, Francisco M. Martín, John Wood,
Gaetano Aly, Jeronimo Alba, Edward Owen, Guy Fiorita, Robert Royal, 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 registered Trade Mark of Banco de Sabadell S.A.
20
46
Solbank News
Letter
from the Deputy General Manager
Dear Club Member,
There can be few greater pleasures than to watch with joy the increased presence of
Solbank in the places where you live. Being closer to you, our customers, and offering you
the services and products you need while living here in Spain are the cornerstones of our philosophy here at Solbank.
To this end, summer marks an increase in activity in our expansion programme, with 10
new branch openings due to take place in the next couple of months. I strongly recommend
you to go along to theses openings: recently, I was lucky enough to meet many of you at one
of these events. It was with great satisfaction I received your kind comments and suggestions.
Solbank Golf Tour
2002
The Solbank Golf tour teed off
on 6 April in La Cala Golf, La
Cala de Míjas. Solbank has
staged tournaments in La Cala
in recent years and it has even
figured as a Golf Destination in
Prestige. This year was to be yet
another successful tournament
in spite of the rain. 89 golfers
weathered the adverse conditions with the last participants
coming in at 5:45 in the afternoon. Prize giving took place at
6:30 together with a cocktail
and prize raffle. On hand were
the local Solbank branch managers who took part in handing
out the prizes and who had
been looking after guests all
day. Special thanks to Isidoro
Tarno (Solbank La Cala de
Míjas), Javier Aragüez (Solbank
Marbella), Javier Díaz (Solbank
Calahonda) and Andrew Gunson
(Solbank Puerto Banús).
For it is your suggestions that are crucial to the success of what we do. It is you, our customers, who have defined us as “The Bank you can talk to”, and that means precisely what
it says: let us know what you think; help us to help you!
I urge you to write in with your comments to the Readers’ Page here in Prestige: rest assured that no other bank in Spain offers such a forum to its customers!
It is only appropriate, in addressing you for the first time, to say what an honour it is to
be doing so in what marks the fourth year of Prestige. Prestige is your magazine and it is
your input that has made it what it is today. The future of Prestige is the same as that of
Solbank: both promising and exciting. Thank you all for your continued support!
With my kindest regards,
D. Jaume Puig Balsells
Deputy General Manager
Banco Sabadell
Scandinavian
Golf Club
On 15 April in The Golf Club La
Marquesa (Ciudad Quesada Torrevieja) a tournament took
place called “Manadspokalen”.
130 Scandinavian players took
part out of 550 club members.
Johan Svensson, manager of
Solbank Ciudad Quesada, was
on hand to look after players as
were the local branch team. A
great day out that once again
illustrates how Solbank constantly does its utmost to get
closer to its clients and potential customers through the
world of golf.
The Show must go on!!!
Nerja - March 8
The consolidation of the Solbank
branch network on the east side
of Málaga is now a reality and
was heralded by the opening of
Nerja on March 8. With branches
now open in Torre del Mar and
Almuñécar, Nerja is conveniently
located between the two. The
location of the branch is magnificent, situated right in the Plaza
del Balcón, undoubtedly the
heart and soul of Nerja.
Road News
The promotion team spent 2
weeks around and about the
vicinities of Nerja busily spreading the word of Solbank´s
Open Day and providing a first
point of reference for people
wanting to know more about the
bank. A large part of the time
was spent in Plaza Cavana, ideally situated next to the Balcón.
The promotion team even
ended up at the end of a local
treasure hunt. The weather was
in the main good apart from a
few spring showers.
1
The Open Day
A spectacular turnout. Over
650 people came to see
exactly what Solbank is all
about and joined in the festivities. The musicians were true
to form and provided excellent
entertainment. The local branch
representatives were on hand
to provide advice and information to interested parties and
2
the promotion team and were
kind enough to put in an appearance. Many thanks and good
luck! A final word of thanks
must go to the Nerja branch
manager, Jesús Bermejo, and
his team for all their hard
work, support and effort.
3
4
many accounts were opened.
An interesting anecdote was
the presence of the under-18
Spanish National football squad.
They had been contacted by
6
1. Inside at the Open Day.
2. The Solbank promotion team
out and about.
3. Solbank Balloon arrives
at Nerja.
4. The under 18 Spanish
national football team.
5. Nerja Open Day draws quite
a crowd.
5
6. Solbank Open Day cloaked
in style.
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SolbankPrestigeClub 03
Solbank News
Road News
Cala D’Or- March 26
The Balearics were the next stop. The trusty PT cruisers were
put on the ferry in Valencia and arrived via Transmediterránea at
the port in Palma. Being the Easter period, Cala D´Or was quite
busy with many people arriving for the break and others popping
home for a quick holiday.
The promotion team were out and about as usual, with the local
Caprabo supermarket being a useful meeting point. The Sunday
market in Felanitx provided a colourful backdrop to some of the
activity with people coming from far and wide to spend a relaxing Sunday morning among the stalls.
1
Open Day
Turnout was good with the weather fresh and breezy. There was
a constant stream of people throughout the day, meaning that
most present were able to personally meet the director,
Manuela Sánchez, and members of the branch team, Joan
Mulet and Antoni Rigó. The catering was superb, with typical
German delights being the order of the day and which all present agreed were utterly delicious. The opening of Cala D’Or
marks the continued expansion in Mallorca with branches opening shortly in Cala Ratjada (26 June), Sóller (27 June), Portals
Nous, Port Andratx and Port Pollensa.
2
3
4
1. Food is served!! • 2. Open Day in full swing • 3. Branch manager Manuela Sanchez Medina answers guests’ questions • 4. Flamenco
guitarist entertains guests
Road News: Island Hopping!
Santa Eulalia del Río
A fast pack up in Cala D’Or and the team quickly made its way
to Palma just in time to catch the ferry to Ibiza. This is the first
Solbank branch on the island with another due to be opened in
Ibiza capital this summer. The team took to the streets in Santa
Eulalia and indeed travelled the length and breadth of the island
to get the message across. The local branch team provided a
great deal of help: thanks to José F. García Romero, Juan
Antonio Ferrer and Sandra Prieto.
The biggest inconvenience was the weather: storms and bad
weather forced closure of the main Balearic ports and converted many people’s Easter holidays into an absolute nightmare.
Due to high winds and rain, promotional activity even had to be
called off on Good Friday; luckily just for a day. The last appearance of the Manolo Díaz band together with the well-known
1
North-American blues singer Muriel Fowler in the Biergarten at
Playa D’en Bossa provided a great setting for the road show
team to inform people of the imminent Open Day during the
intermissions.
Open Day
The weather changed for the better and on an island such as
Ibiza the party atmosphere was guaranteed. Turn out was
exceptional, and the Solbank hot-air balloon team were even on
hand first thing in the morning on the beach to announce the
beginning of the Open Day. A lot of staff from Solbank’s branches in Mallorca had come over especially to provide information and help with the organisation. At around three the first few
drops of rain started to fall, but by then could do little to
dampen the festive mood.
2
3
1. Another fine turnout • 2. Blues singer Muriel Fowler • 3. A Solbank encounter • 4. The branch office waiting area
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04 SolbankPrestigeClub
4
The time has come, to enter
into a world of Prestige
• Discounts in shops
and restaurants
• Discounts on green
fees
• Travel insurance
for 750,000 €
• Worldwide
acceptance
Banco Sabadell
Customer Help Line:
902 343 999
Solbank
Destination Girona
From a distance the great stone façade of the Cathedral, towering above the rooftops on the side of the
hill, serves as a promise to the visitor arriving from the north that Girona has beautiful things to offer. Like
most Spanish cities the outskirts, built mainly in the 60s and 70s, are an uninspiring mix of blocks of flats,
warehouses and the occasional factory, hedged around by green hills dotted with the leafy conurbations
where many wealthy Gironins - who, according to a recent survey, have the highest standard of living in the
whole of Spain - now live. By Justin Webster. Photography: J. D. Dallet.
Girona:
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
G
irona will not disappoint the visitor. In few Spanish
cities is the contrast between the scruffy suburbs
and the splendid heart so pronounced. The casc
antic – the old city – in which the Cathedral is
found is a wonderfully preserved medieval precinct
of steep cobbled alleys, arched tunnels, restored
palaces, hidden patios and small tranquil squares. You reach it
simply by crossing one of the four bridges over the shallow, sluggish river, from where you can see the chequered swathe of red
and ochre walls of the houses, which back onto the river. This is
one of Girona’s most photographed views, a surprisingly
colourful impression in a city that has been gradually laying to
rest a reputation for greyness.
“We Gironins are like we are because of the past we have
had, and that is why we first have to uncover the past, in order
to love it,” explained Assumpció Hosta, who, as director of the
Centre Bonastruc ça Porta has devoted the last two decades to
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restoring and investigating the Jewish quarter. Named after the
great cabalistic scholar, Nahmanides (his Catalan name was
Bonastruc), who lived and worked in Girona’s Call - or Jewish
quarter - the centre now serves as a guide to the jewel of the Old
City, and one of the emblems of Girona’s cultural renaissance.
Housed in a group of medieval buildings, which may have
been the site of a synagogue, the museum has so far opened two
rooms to the public, showing a series of Jewish tombstones
found in the cemetery of Montjuic, and by 2003 will be opened
completely, the culmination of years of work. So far it has functioned more as a focal point for Jewish studies, and, especially
in winter when there are few tourists, as a way of telling the
locals about their own history. With a small public library, it is
now the most important of centre of its type in Spain, co-ordinating the events and exhibitions about the now distant customs of Sephardic Spain with the other cities with an important
Jewish past such as Toledo, Cordoba, and Cáceres.
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Destination Girona
G
irona had a thriving and culturally vibrant Jewish
there is no present day Jewish community in Girona – the new
community up until the determining moment in
University of Girona, founded in 1991, helped bolster the trend
Sephardic history, when all Jews were forced to conby locating its Humanities faculty in the old city. One small, but
vert, or flee into exile in 1492. In the years of the
characteristic sign of the city’s passionate desire to escape its
Inquisition Jewish history was forgotten, the Call image of parochialism is the recent creation, at the University,
from Kahal, Hebrew for community - lived on only
of Europe’s first Professorship of Immigration. The first, courain the name. “People here are really surprised when they hear
geous young couples who ventured back into the district when
about it for the first time, in general they still don’t know much
it was just beginning to be cleaned up are now living in the most
about it,” said Hosta. A recent step, aimed first at locals, is to
desirable properties on the market, glorious stone palaces with
promote a series of walks, which take in features, such as the
huge doorways, or interior patios with ample staircases, leading
misnamed Arab Baths, which were used but not built by the
up to luxury flats.
Jews (they were built, as gironins will quickly
A virtuous circle has now brought in smart
tell you, centuries after Girona was “liberated”
shops, bars and boutiques. Walk down the
from the Moors in the 8th century). Walking,
Rambla de la Llibertat, the broad, tree-lined
…ACCORDING TO
especially along the old ramparts at the top of
avenue that runs alongside the river, espeA RECENT SURVEY,
the hill, looking out over the tiled roofs, and
cially at night, and you can see the characteGIRONA
HAS
THE
across the River Onyar, is the ideal pastime in
ristic Gironan mix of the ancient and the very
Girona, especially since in the Old City cars
HIGHEST STANDARD new meshed together harmoniously. The resare no longer allowed.
toration of the façades, the stone walls, the
OF LIVING IN THE
To understand Girona’s mood at the
wooden beams of the galleried pavements is
WHOLE
OF
SPAIN
moment, you have to go back to the low point
all still so new they seem to have just been
in its recent history. By the 1970s, like the rest
scrubbed. Green netting hangs from some
of the old city, the Call had fallen into neglect,
buildings indicates that the process is not
inhabited only by the people too poor to move out. Purposeentirely over, and the sound of picks and chisels can occasiobuilt flats were in fashion, not dark, unmodernised medieval
nally be heard, but the overall impression is that Old City has
dwellings. In 1975 a book “Girona, grey and black” was publisreclaimed its place as the sentimental as well as the geographihed, a stinging attack on the depressed, pessimistic state of a
cal heart of Girona.
dilapidated provincial town and its lugubrious, inward-looking
On the other side of the river, however, is where the modern city
inhabitants.
has grown up and although it cannot compete for beauty, or tranAfter the death of Franco, the first democratic mayor,
quillity – unlike in the Old City cars are allowed – it can offer other
Joaquim Nadal, began a long and impassioned struggle to revisensual pleasures. Here the resurgence has been gastronomic. For
talise Girona. After 23 years, he has just resigned amid general
a long time Girona was compared unfavourably with Figueres by
praise. As well as rediscovering the Call – despite the fact that
foodies. Now it boasts one of the finest restaurants in Spain - Celler
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THE CASC ANTIC - THE OLD
CITY - IN WHICH THE
CATHEDRAL IS FOUND IS A
WONDERFULLY PRESERVED
MEDIEVAL PRECINCT OF
STEEP COBBLED ALLEYS,
ARCHED TUNNELS,
RESTORED PALACES,
HIDDEN PATIOS AND
SMALL TRANQUIL
SQUARES
de Can Roca - a two Michelin starred venue
on the edge of the city, founded in 1986.
“Profound modernity” is how one Basque
critic described Joan Roca’s cuisine. The
style is perfectionist, sybaritic and mouldbreaking: truffle and thyme soup, or flambéed banana with white chocolate and
rum ice cream, for example.
But perhaps even more characteristic
is an apparently nondescript modern restaurant, La Llarga, because here there are
signs that Girona is still on the up, still
trying to prove itself, if only to itself. At
lunchtime it’s normal to see a small queue
piling up in the slightly garishly decorated
bar, waiting for seats in the large dining
room. The set menu is a high quality version of standard Catalan recipes. But
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Destination Girona
eating a la carte is a totally different experience. Alex Rodríguez, the young chef, is
winning a reputation locally with daring
and imaginative dishes: octopus carpaccio, cod with trout caviar and orange
foam, rack of lamb with a light mustard
sauce and a slice of grilled pineapple. To
accompany the food, the local wines of
the Costa Brava, a relatively small denomination with an increasingly good range of
bottles, are now justifiably in fashion.
Walking back through the Old City
for the last time, at night, I noted how
often I saw bookcases through the lighted windows of the residents, the dark,
warm colours of the interiors contrasting with the thick, cold grey stone, the
image of a quiet, serious city finally pleased with itself, and its erudite past.
RESTAURANTS
El Celler de Can Roca
Carretera Taialà 40
972 22 21 57
Tasting menu 45 €
La Llarga
Av. Sant Francesc, 11
972 201 018
Aprox. 35 € a la carte
Boira
Plaça de la Independencia, 17
972 203 096
(traditional locale recently renovated - cod with sweet sausage
and apple, for example - in the
liveliest square of the city, near
the Café Royale, a favourite
local spot for the last drink of
the evening. Excellent view,
across the River Onyar, of the
coloured houses of the casc
antic on the other side).
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Massana
Bonastruc de Porta, 10
972 213 820
Tasting menu 35 €
Els Caçadors
Ctra de Palol a Camós km 3.5
Palol de Revardit
972 599 239
(off road to Banyoles)
HOTELS
Hotel Carlemany
Plaça Miquel Santaló
972 211 212
Double 96 €
Hotel Peninsular
Carrer Nou, 13
972 203800
Double 46 €
Hotel Ultonia
Avda Jaume I, 22
972 203 850
Double 62 €
Museum of the Cathedral
(10:00 - 12:00, 16:00 - 18:00,
closed Mondays, Sunday pm)
Plaça de la Catedrale, 5
972 21 44 26
SHOP
Art Museum
(Housed in former bishop’s
palace, Romanesque to contemporary works)
10:00-18:00, Sunday closed at
12:00
Pujada de la Catedral, 12
972 20 95 36
Ambrosia
(in the Casa Heras Puig)
Monastery products, chocolate,
wines, jams
Carrer Carreras i Peralta, 4
MUSEUMS
Museum of Jewish History
(10:00 - 20:00,
Sundays 10:00 - 15:00)
Centre Bonastruc ça
Porta/Institut d’Estudis
Nahmànides
Carrer de la Força, 8
972 216 761
Museum of the History of
Girona
10:00-14:00, 17:00-19:00,
closed Sundays PM
Carrer de la Força, 27
972 22 22 29
TOURIST OFFICE
Rambla de la Llibertat, 1
17004 Girona
Tel. 34 972 22 65 75
Fax. 34 972 22 66 12
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
Banco Sabadell
902
343 999
You will receive immediate help
Solbank
and professional advice.
Interview Miguel Ríos
When you meet Miguel Rios, El Viejo Rockero, the Spanish world’s
most successful rock singer, you appreciate what a Mediterranean
diet could have done for Mick Jagger. Mick’s face looks like it would
crumble to dust on exposure to a spotlight, whereas Miguel appears
almost half his 57 years.
By Edward Owen. Photography: Robert Royal.
Spain’s
Rock Icon:
AN INTERVIEW WITH MIGUEL RÍOS
R
íos is medium height, lean, has a neat haircut and is the epitome of simpático - charming and courteous. He bounces into his company HQ in a chalet
in Madrid, signs letters typed by his busy secretary and flops into his office.
Surrounded by shelves of top music and TV awards and walls plastered with
his tour posters, this rocker from Granada is now big business. I even spot
an upper room crammed with stage costumes fit for a Chinese street opera. Miguel’s
biggest worldwide hit was Ode to Joy in 1970 which topped the charts in most countries and sold 1m records in the States and 2.5 m in Germany. He now has a huge following throughout Spain and Latin America, zapping a new generation with rock at
concerts he organises with sci-fi special effects, often sharing the billing with other top
Spanish artists and musicians.
“I was born near the Cartuja in Granada and lived there until I started making
records. It was a big family, I was the seventh child. My father ran a sawmill but died
when I was 15. When I left school I worked in one of the largest shops in Granada. I
eventually ran the new record section and in 1962 made a demo tape with friends. We
played rock and my hero was Elvis Presley. Phillips in Madrid signed me for 5 years.”
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Interview Miguel Ríos
D
uring the first four years I
was recording cover versions
of Elvis, Chuck Berry, a lot of
Italian rock music and
Johnny Halliday.” He became
expert at translating and
adapting lyrics so they sounded good in
Spanish. He also had to cope with
Franco’s regime which censored songs
and even castigated the smoking of joints
with spells in a prison hospital.
“My first big hit was in 1968 with
Vuelvo a Granada which was a song about
loneliness and emigration. Then people
in Spain, especially in Andalusia, were
going to work in Germany like South
Americans and Magrebís come here now.
“One day Rafael Trabuchelli, the A&R
of my record company told me that
Waldo de los Ríos had an idea using the
fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth
Symphony and I must admit I’d never
heard of it! When they called me for the
recording there was a whole symphony
orchestra. It was magnificent and sounded amazing. When I started singing, it
seemed really marvellous.” Miguel, a leading chorister at school, had sung in
school musicals and had “a certain talent
to show emotion”.
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“Ode to Joy was first recorded in
Spanish as Himno de Alegría and when
my English version was released The
Times music critic said my voice was very
accented. They compared me with Dean
Martin. I thought this was a bit unfair
since he was known as ‘Drink’ Martin but
I did not drink that much!”
Ode to Joy was a smash hit from Japan
to Sweden and during 1970 and 1971
Miguel toured the world. “It actually did
the vibrant music scene there. He recorded another Ode-style ballad, The Wind
of Change, using Rodriguez’s famous
Concierto de Aranjuez but the composer
had it banned.
“Actually I did not like the version
and probably if it had been another hit
like Himno de Alegría, I would have not
been able to cope with the easy life at the
top, more beautiful girls, more money
and living in the United States. Really, I
MIGUEL’S BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HIT WAS ODE TO JOY IN
1970 WHICH TOPPED THE CHARTS IN MOST COUNTRIES
AND SOLD 1M RECORDS IN THE STATES AND 2.5M IN
GERMANY.
more for me as a human being than as
an artist because there was the chance to
leave Spain and travel. I learned that
music was much more important than
we thought in Spain. With the money I
earned, I had a chance to learn my trade
properly, how to produce records and
improve my stage act.”
He went to live in Los Angeles for
about a year and immersed himself in
would have been someone else. I think
that the worst thing that could happen
to a human being would be to become
Julio Iglesias!.
“For me now it is fundamental that
I’ve been able to demonstrate that rock
is universal. It has no sell-by date. We
have united all people who like rock in
all the Spanish-speaking countries.
“Rock symphonies arrived and we star-
ted making more conceptual records.
This was the basis of Al Andaluz: Arab
music that had a melody similar to rock
married to guitar sounds. This was
Andalusia fighting for its autonomy and
identity.”
In 1978 the first of his now customary
mega-tours was organised around a
record, La Noche Roja. “For the first
time we had a sponsor and seven bands.
On this tour I found people went mad
about old rock and were discovering it
again.” This was followed by releases like
Los Viejos Rockeros Nunca Mueren,
Rock and Roll Boomerang, with the hit
Santa Lucia, and Rock and Ríos. He sold
700,000 tickets for the tour Rock de la
Noche De Verano.
“I had a series on television in 1987
with 26 episodes on the history of rock
and pop in Spain. It included interviews
with politicians and a humorous slot.”
His concert tour last winter sold out
at almost all 28 venues. Earlier this year
he performed in Mexico in halls with
about 3,000 capacity. Special effects at
his concerts include the ingenuous use
of holograms of other famous singers so
Miguel can sing duos with their prerecorded tracks and images without
having to pay for their presence. In May
at Madrid’s San Isidro fiestas he played
the Plaza Mayor.
“In the future, I want to go back to
living in Granada. It offers a quality of life
you can’t get in Madrid. My house in the
Alhambra used to belong to a British
consul. I had one daughter with my
English wife, Margaret. She’s 23 and is
called Lua which means moon in Gallego.
She studied in Farnham, England, and
Boston, and she sings well in English.”
Miguel is also proud of the Gold
Medals he has received from the city of
Granada, Bellos Artes, the Ministry of
Employment and the Junta de
Andalusia. What keeps him young must
be his zest for music. “I love live performing. When they’re with you, you know
you’re one of them.”
“I LOVE LIVE
PERFORMING. WHEN
THEY’RE WITH YOU,
YOU KNOW YOU’RE
ONE OF THEM.”
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Living In Spain
Complaining In Spain
Complaining about service or faulty goods in a foreign country can be intimidating. When we are ignorant
of our rights and don’t speak the language, the temptation is to pay up and pretend it never happened. You
don’t have to put up with it. Spanish consumer legislation has been catching up with the rest of Europe in
recent years and you will find a number of avenues open to you. By David Searl.
OMIC
Most towns maintain consumer information and complaint offices called
Oficina Municipal de Informacion al
Consumidor which can inform you about
prices, quality requirements for merchandise, and also process complaints.
These offices are sometimes located
at the Municipal Market and sometimes
they are in the Town Hall itself.
The OMIC offices are usually very
helpful and make an effort to see that
action is taken. The offices themselves
have no legal power to compel the
return of an item or punish offenders,
but they see that the proper authorities
are informed.
We recommend the OMIC as the
place to start almost every sort of complaint. Even if the problem does not
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come under their competence, they will
help you to find the most effective
method of dealing with it.
The OMIC is not limited to basic consumer problems such as defective goods
or abusive prices. They can process complaints about timeshare, rentals, mobile
phones and property purchase, too.
HOJA DE RECLAMACIÓN
In the case of a restaurant or bar overcharging you, the simplest way is to ask
for their hoja de reclamación, the complaint sheet.
Establishments are required by law to
keep this official complaint sheet. When
a customer complains, they must produce the sheet for him to register his
complaint. The sheet comes in three
copies. The establishment keeps one
copy and the customer takes the other
two, one to keep and the other to present
at the OMIC. If the establishment does
not provide the sheet, it can be fined.
Consumer laws vary somewhat from
region to region. In Andalusia, they
require absolutely all businesses to keep
such complaint sheets. They must res-
EUROPEAN CONSUMER DIRECTIVE COMING TO SPAIN:
When you buy a washing machine in Spain, present legislation prescribes a full guarantee for six months, plus another six months on defective parts. (Reminder: You
must fill in your guarantee form and have it stamped to assure this). As of January 1,
2002, Spain is required to apply European Union consumer directives which, among
other things, extend this obligatory full guarantee to two years.
CONSUMER ORGANISATIONS:
There are a number of national consumer organisations, as well as others which operate in the various provinces or autonomous regions. These organisations generally
require that you become a member and pay their yearly fees, which are not high, in
order to benefit from their services.
One of the largest and most effective of the national organisations, with a good record
of assistance to consumers, is the OCU, the Organizacion de Consumidores y Usuarios.
Their head office is in Madrid and their telephone number is 91 300 00 45, e-mail
www.ocu.org.
The OCU publishes a Which?-style magazine called Compra Maestra, which analyses
different products, and another called Dinero y Derechos, which concentrates on legal
and financial matters.
Other consumer organisations are found in your local telephone book. These locally
based consumer associations may be particularly effective in different areas.
OTHER DEFENDERS OF CONSUMERS’ AND CITIZENS’ RIGHTS INCLUDE:
OMBUDSMAN:
If your complaint to the Town Hall or the OMIC fails to bring the desired result, or if you
feel that you have been unjustly treated by any government agency, you may have
recourse to the Defensor del Pueblo, the regional or national ombudsman. You must
have exhausted all normal administrative channels before he will accept your case,
but this Defender of the People is the last resort when you are convinced that justice
has not been done.
pond to the client’s complaint within 10
days. If they do not, the client can take
his case to the OMIC, and the business
can face fines of up to 6,000 euros.
This includes automobile repairs,
sales of appliances and restaurant food
and service, to name three typical areas
of complaint.
You can also make a complaint to the
tourist office which most towns maintain.
Although these offices are primarily
there to give information, they will direct
you to the appropriate place for making
your particular complaint known.
If you have a complaint about a shop
regarding weight, quality, service or
prices, you can direct this to the Jefatura
Provincial de Comercio Interior, the
Provincial Department of Internal
Commerce, in your province.
This office is charged with seeing that
weights are honest, that prices are
within certain margins on controlled
items, and that merchandise is up to
standard. Although they probably will
not oblige a market stall to replace the
kilo of rotten oranges they sold you,
these offices maintain a staff of inspectors who will visit an offending establishment. If they find any violations, the
shopkeeper will be warned or fined.
BANKING COMPLAINTS:
Every Spanish bank has its own central Defensor del Cliente, the Defender of the
Customer, who will hear your complaint when you do not get satisfaction from the
branch office. If you are still unsatisfied, you have recourse to the complaints department of the Bank of Spain. Ausbanc, the association of bank customers, is a consumer defence group which will advise you if you are a member with dues paid up. You
can find your local Ausbanc affiliate by contacting their website at www.ausbanc.es
DOCTORS AND MEDICAL CARE:
If you have a complaint about the treatment given you by a private doctor, you can present this to the Colegio de Medicos, the College of Physicians, which is the professional body overseeing doctors. If you feel that you have a case for malpractice, you
can bring a civil suit against the doctor for damages and suffering. These cases are
now appearing with more frequency in Spain, and courts have made large awards.
There is also an association for the Defence of the Patient which has branches in
major cities.
LAWYERS:
The Law Society, the body which controls professional standards and fees, is called
the Colegio de Abogados. Your best bet is probably to consult another lawyer and
explain your case to him. The new lawyer will help you put your complaint in proper
form. Nevertheless, you can go directly to the Colegio office in your province if you feel
you have been over-charged or improperly treated.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS:
In some European countries, the responsibilities of real estate agents are very carefully regulated. Unfortunately, in practical terms, this is not the case in Spain. Anyone
may mediate in property transactions and “buyer beware” is the only advice we can
give. There are professional bodies for registered agents such as the API, the Agente
de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria, which enforces standards. However, many property
agencies are not registered and the law does not require this.
TAX CONSULTANT:
If your Spanish asesor fiscal, or tax consultant, has given you bad advice which has
cost you money, your only remedy is to bring a civil lawsuit against him. Although many
tax consultants have advanced training and are members of the various associations
which exist, there is no professional oversight body, and anyone at all can hang out
his sign and call himself a tax consultant.
Complaining is never easy, but remember that you are doing a service to all other consumers as well as yourself when you make it known to the authorities that someone
is taking advantage of the public.
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Your Money The Right Advice
Alex Clayton
Solbank Marketing Director
The Right Advice
Getting the right advice is probably the most important thing for organising your life here in Spain. Solbank
prides itself on being able to offer its customers just that: the Right Advice!!!. By Alex Clayton
YOUR BRANCH ASSESSOR
The branch is key to your relationship
with Solbank. For that reason Solbank is
undergoing a major expansion programme within Spain to ensure that wherever you live, it is never too far to get to
a Solbank. Our staff have been specially
chosen and trained to offer you the very
best service. A large number are, like you,
non-Spanish and so understand the difficulties of living as a foreigner in Spain.
Being called the “Bank you can talk to”, is
a matter of culture and not just language.
As one branch manager recently put it,
the list of possible enquiries, about anything from pet food to personal loans, is
endless and we are here to make sure
that whatever help our customers may
need, they get it.
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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
This point is crucial: our staff may not
be able to solve all of the problems that
may arise from living in Spain but they will
be able to put you in contact with someone
who can. They have the local knowledge to
solve your local problems. A recent letter
in the Readers’ Page thanked staff in the
Torrevieja branch for sorting out their problems with Telefónica, Spain’s national
telephone company. This local knowledge
can provide invaluable help when you are
buying a house, renting or indeed selling.
Local rates, taxes, and planning permissions: your branch can help you in all these
areas. From Almuñecar to Estepona, from
Torrevieja to Tenerife: wherever you
decide to make your home in Spain, we’ll
be there to help you.
BE GUIDED
Obviously it’s not always possible for
you to come to the branch and for that
reason Solbank has made available alternatives. Our phone banking service,
Solbank Direct, allows you to carry out
your transactions easily from the comfort
of your own home. Of special interest is
the Internet banking option: let’s say for
example you want to make a transfer: just
go to www.solbank.com and click on
SolbankNet. You are then asked for your
NIE or passport number and your personal access code. Choose the transfer
option, simply fill out the details: you will
be asked for a code from your Internet
banking card to effect the transfer (a
third level of security) and the transfer is
on its way. It couldn’t be easier!
HOME BUYING GUIDE
Everything you need to know about
home purchase in Spain. Whether you
need a mortgage or not, Solbank has
brought out the most complete guide to
make the purchase of your home as easy
and trouble-free as possible. We explore
local taxes and rates with clear-cut examples of payments you will have to make.
You will find an up to date glossary of
different terminology used by lawyers
and local authorities so you will have no
problem whatsoever in getting to grips
with the situation. We take you through
the processes and include practical
checklists of points to remember. It’s
definitely the most complete and thorough home buying guide in Spain. To
get it, just call in to your local branch.
TAX GUIDE
It is important you know your tax
position and understand the different
fiscal implications of your investments
here in Spain. To this end we have
brought out a tax guide for 2002. We
look at each product and examine the
ramifications for your tax position in
detail. From investment funds to fixed
term deposits, you can get a very clear
idea of what you have to pay and when.
You can find out about withholding tax
and income tax, discover the implications of European tax treaties and know
exactly where you stand. Once again at
Solbank everything we do is designed to
give you the full picture, the most complete advice.
So whether it is from your local branch, via the Internet, from our telephone helpline or through our marketing material and guides; you can rest assured that at
Solbank you will always receive the right advice and the best solutions!
To receive your copy of Solbank’s Home Buying Guide and/or Solbank’s Tax Guide stop in at your
local branch or send your request by email to: [email protected]
TRANSPARENCY
If anything, Solbank is about transparency. The very design of our branches is
the result of a long process of investigation and reflects our philosophy of
being as transparent and open as we can
in the way we do business. Large windows
allow people to look in and see exactly
what we do: there are no surprises, nothing hidden. The way we open our new
branches, the Open Days, are just that: it
is a chance for people to come along, see
for themselves and chat to our knowledgeable staff. Our unique account information system, with statements in your
own language, shows that at every level
we want you to know exactly what is
going on with your finances.
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Prestige Product Rice
Paella, one of the world’s great rice dishes, has its true roots in the
marshlands of the Albufera, near Valencia, where rice has been grown
for a millennium.
By Janet Mendel. Photography: J. D. Dallet. & John James Wood
Spanish
Rice:
M O R E
T H A N
P A E L L A
B
y early June in the Albufera rice fields, tender green rice shoots wave softly
against a backdrop of shimmering water. A few dirt tracks cut through the flat
paddies, which are threaded by canals. The waterways and marshy land provide nesting grounds for cranes, herons, terns, coots, grebes, egrets, plovers,
lapwings, reed warblers and more. It is a scene not greatly changed since the tenth
century, when the Arabs first introduced the cultivation of rice to this region.
The Albufera consists of a fresh-water lagoon separated from the sea by a spit of
land and surrounding wetlands where rice is grown. Much of the marshland is a protected national park. The lake itself is filling with silt deposited by the rivers, which
empty into it.
WHERE PAELLA IS COMING FROM
Paella, one of the world’s great rice dishes, originated right here. In bygone days it
was a very simple dish cooked over a wood fire in the rice fields with ingredients to
hand in the Albufera marshlands--wild duck, rabbit, snails, frogs’ legs, eel. Who ever
suspected it would one day be world-famous?
Another rice-growing region that also dates from Moorish times is Calasparra in
the province of Murcia, also in eastern Spain. Along the Segura River the Moors established an intricate system of canals, dikes, water wheels and terraced paddies, some
of which are still in use today.
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2O SolbankPrestigeClub
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Prestige Product Rice
The rice of Valencia and Calasparra-paella rice - each has its own denominación de origen, designated origin label,
which guarantees standards. Both regions
grow japonica, round, short-grain rice.
The varieties, which have been developed
to favour Spain’s growing conditions, are
Bahia, Senia, Balilla Sollana and Bomba.
Bomba is not an instrument of terror,
but a variety of rice prized because the
grain doesn’t “flower” and get mushy
when cooked in soup. (The word bomba
means a water pump, such as used in flooding rice fields.) Bomba rice is usually
marketed in sack bags.
regions are not the traditional ones, and the
variety of rice produced in them would never
be used in typical paella. These regions are surprise! - first, Andalusia (Marismas de
Guadalquivir in Seville, bordering the nature
reserve of Coto Doñana, and Huelva), followed by Catalonia (denominación específica
Delta del Ebro) and Extremadura. They
farm predominantly indica strains, the longgrain “patna,” “pilaf” or “American” rice
(Puntal and Thaibonet are the varieties).
European economic subsidies provided
the stimulus to expand production of longgrain rice, in order to compete against
American imports - not in paella-land, but
ques for producing new-fangled products such as quick-cooking parboiled
rice and pre-seasoned rice.
OUT OF THE RICE PADDIES
Once an exceedingly labour-intensive
crop, requiring manual transplanting
and weeding, now rice is high-tech, from
the research and development centre
(IVIA) at Sueca, Valencia, to the fields,
mills and packaging plants. The paddies
are empty of workers, save a few staking
out pheromone sticks, which use sexual
hormones to confuse the rice weevil.
BOMBA IS NOT AN INSTRUMENT OF TERROR, BUT A VARIETY OF RICE PRIZED BECAUSE
THE GRAIN DOESN’T “FLOWER” AND GET MUSHY WHEN COOKED IN SOUP
Any of these traditional short-grain rice
varieties are suitable for paella and other
Spanish rice dishes. The plump grains
with their perla, pearl, of starch, have a
wonderful capacity for absorbing the flavours with which they cook - olive oil, chicken, pork, seafood, saffron, and herbs.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
However, not all rice grown in Spain is
Spanish rice. In fact, the largest rice growing
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in the northern European market. Britain,
Germany and the Benelux countries,
which prefer long-grain rice, were importing it from America. Now it’s home-grown
in Europe. Spain produces 26 percent of
rice grown in Europe, making it the second
largest producer after Italy.
One leader in the rice sector, the
Herba Group (La Cigala and Brillante
brand names), has conquered the
European market (30 percent market
share in Europe) by developing techni-
While herbicides are necessary in modern
rice cultivation, pesticides are little used.
Prior to planting in early May, the rice
fields are drained, ploughed and levelled by
using a laser. Seed is sown broadcast (scattered freely) - in the Marismas de
Guadalquivir, by small planes. The fields are
again flooded, either by natural irrigation
channels, as in the Albufera, or by pumps,
as in the Guadalquivir, where the flow of
water is computer controlled. When ready
for harvest in September, the paddies are
drained again. Special combine harvesters
operate in the muddy fields. After the grain
is harvested, fields are inundated until the
next planting season.
After harvesting, the rice goes through
a two-step, temperature-controlled drying
process. Next it is cleaned, hulled and
polished before packaging.
IN THE KITCHEN WITH RICE
Traditional Spanish rice dishes fall in
three categories: seco or “dry;” meloso,
which is a “syrupy” consistency, and caldoso, soupy. Paella is a dry rice, meaning
all the liquid is absorbed. All are made
with short-grained Valencia or Calasparra
rice. The preferred variety for caldoso
dishes is Bomba.
The rice is not washed before cooking. The usual procedure is to start
with a sofrito, a slow sauté of meat, vegetables, tomato and garlic in olive oil.
Liquid is added, then the rice added to
boiling liquid. In the case of paella, the
pan is never covered. And, unlike Italian
risotto, the rice is not stirred while cooking, for stirring releases the starch.
Spanish rice dishes almost always are
coloured with saffron, paprika or artificial yellow colouring. It’s traditional. For
those who don’t live in Spain and are
searching for the right rice for paella,
the closest substitutes for Valencia and
Calasparra are Italian risotto rice varieties such as arborio.
Short-grain rice, minus the saffron
and steamed, produces a fluffy, slightly
sticky white rice such as might accompany Chinese or Japanese food, perfect
for eating with chopsticks.
Long-grain rice (grano largo) is the
sort to serve as a side dish with Middle
Eastern kebabs or Indian curries. It
cooks up with the grains loose and separate, rather than clinging to each other.
It often is cooked with herbs, mushrooms, asparagus tips or other garnish,
but, unlike short-grain rice, does not
soak up the flavours. Vaporizado is the
word for par-boiled, quick-cooking rice.
Spanish producers also market some of
the exotic rice varieties, such as Basmati.
Brown rice, arroz integral, is unpolished
rice containing the germ of the grain. It
can be short- or long-grain.
Janet Mendel’s newest book about Spanish food, My
Kitchen in Spain--225 Authentic Regional Recipes,
has just been published by HarperCollins-New York.
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Destination Golf Novo Sancti Petri
DESTINATION GOLF: NOVO SANCTI PETRI
Something
for everyone
A short time ago I had the often-thankless job of organising a three-day getaway for my brother Mark’s
family. Mark was coming to Spain for the very first time and I wanted everything to be perfect. He was
coming with his wife and two children. Mark is an avid golfer and earlier telephone conversation indicated
that his plan was to play as often as possible. His wife, by way of email, had asked for a bit of beach, some
shopping, a nice hotel and some quaint places to visit. Although they never said anything directly, I knew
the kids would basically be wanting a good swimming pool, good weather and little else. As they were
coming in early April I decided we would have to head south if we wanted to guarantee decent weather.
By Gaetano Aly. Photography: J. D. Dallet.
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A
fter a lot of thinking, the decision was made to
spend the time on the Atlantic Coast near the town
of Chiclana de la Frontera and the Novo Sancti
Petri Golf Club. The course and the area promised
something for everyone in our group. This region is
considered by many to be the “Authentic Spain”;
the image foreigners have of the country. It is the heart of
Andalusia with its sherry bodegas, its flamenco, bulls and horses
and its sleepy white villages.
The climate also corresponds to the preconceived ideas of
Spain. Lots of sunshine, very little rain and low humidity. This also
makes it the ideal destination for the type of trip I was to plan.
That, however, is enough about the beach and the villages.
We are here to talk about golf and fortunately I got my fill of it
on this three-day trip. Novo Sancti Petri after all is about golf.
36 holes of it which are divided into two - par 72 - 18 hole courses, called simply Round A and Round B. Round A is the older
of the two courses and offers a more difficult play on a slightly
more mature course.
Round A is also known as the Sea-Pines course for reasons
that become obvious once you have played here. The sea referred to, however, is not only the nearby Atlantic but also a series
of water hazards strategically placed around the front nine. The
signature hole here is the sixth where the green is built right on
ALTHOUGH THE CENTRE COURSE IS AWAY FROM THE OCEAN, WATER HAZARDS ARE THE
PLAYER’S MAIN CONCERN HERE WHERE A TOTAL OF SIX LAKES ADD WONDERFULLY TO
THE PLAY
To be honest, however, what really swayed my decision was
the fact that I had long wanted to play a Severiano Ballesteros
designed course. Nova Sancti Petri is not only the first course
Seve designed but also offers 36 holes of his work.
Once at our destination we split into two groups, the golfers
and the non-golfers. The women and children (non-golfers)
spent their time visiting the nearby towns of Cádiz, Jerez and
the charming El Puerto Santa María. They even had time for a
day trip to Seville (155 km.). They also spent a lot of their time
lazing on the magnificent beach of La Barrosa. Although I
didn’t spend any time on the beach myself, I can attest to its
magnificence both from my wife’s reports and because I saw it
all from the breathtaking sixth hole.
the beach. It’s a spectacular “picture perfect” hole and the one
most photographed at Sancti Petri.
On the back nine the pines come into play. To be honest
they came into play a lot more than I would have liked.
Although I was safe from the water, there are no water hazards
on the back nine, I seemed to spend an awful lot of time among
the trees.
Round B also known as the Centre Course is a slightly less
difficult, less mature 18-hole course. The first 9 holes are flat,
with a lake between hole 5, 8 and 9. From hole 10 to 13 the
terrain is undulating and offers magnificent views of the
Atlantic Ocean. Although the Centre course is away from the
ocean, water hazards are the player’s main concern here where
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Destination Golf Novo Santi Petri
a total of six lakes add wonderfully to the
play. The other problems I faced included the abundant vegetation growing
just off the fairways, strategically placed
bunkers and the seemingly constant
ocean breeze. After playing both courses
I would recommend the Centre course
for higher handicap players although it
is interesting for players of all levels.
The 18th hole of the Centre course
leaves the golfer with something by
which to remember Novo Sancti Petri
and especially its designer Severiano
Ballesteros. Along this last fairway
Severiano has literally left his signature.
A perfectly cut S-shaped bunker is the
last hazard you will have to surmount on
the course. However, even if your ball
ends up in this peculiar bunker, as mine
unfortunately did, you can’t help but
smile a little at the sight of Seve’s little
joke. Or maybe that smile comes naturally at the end of a fine day of golf.
Golf Novo Sancti Petri, S.A.
Urb. Novo Sancti Petri, s/n
11130 Chiclana (Cádiz)
Tel: +34 956 494 005, +34 956 494 450
Fax: +34 956 494 350
e-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.golf-novosancti.es
Facilities include:
Driving Range of 280 m for up to 70
players simultaneously (21 spaces
covered).
4 Putting and Pitching Greens.
9 holes Pitch & Putt.
A-la-carte restaurant
Bar-cafeteria
Pro-Shop
Golf Academy
Changing rooms with showers
Sauna
Children's club and babysitting service
Where to stay:
Novo Sancti Petri offers a bus service to
and from many of the area hotels. There is
no shortage of places to stay in the area.
The offer ranges from hostels to luxury
accommodation.
Meliá Sancti Petri
5-star Luxury
Urbanización Novo Sancti Petri
11139 Chiclana de la Frontera (Cadíz)
Tel.: +34 956 491 200
Web site: www.solmelia.es
Tryp Sancti Petri
Novo Sancti Petri
11130 Chiclana de la Frontera (Cadíz)
Tel.: +34 956 496 040
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.trypnet.com
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A Day in the life of:
Elena Esch Kupke
By Matthew Arribas
E
German to Spaniards, a business that has been booming in
lena Esch Kupke’s story is a little different from our
recent years. “Now, more and more I find it is Spanish I am teausual Day in The Life story. Most of these stories concern
ching to Germans - not only that, I also make sure they learn a
people who have come to Spain as adults and have changed
little about the culture, the history, the humour, politics and
their lives as a result. Elena, however, actually celebrated her
everything else that one should know when living in a place.”
first birthday under a fig tree on the island of Ibiza.
A day in Elena’s life is a busy one. She teaches daily for a
German born Elena Esch Kupke’s parents first came to
total of 20 class hours per week. For the rest of us this may
Spain on an extended holiday in 1954. They first stopped in
seem a light load but for each teaching hour add at least anotMallorca but even then they found the island had too many of
her one and a half for preparation and
their fellow countrymen for their likes.
you begin to get an idea of how busy she
It’s not that they held anything against
is. As if this were not enough, during the
them it was just that they were looking for
long Ibiza summers Elena also works for
what they considered a smaller, more
a company selling fashion jewellery at
romantic, setting. With the decision
any of one of the six stands the company
made to leave they hopped on the first
has set up in hotels throughout the
cargo boat to nearby Ibiza. Here appaisland. “Stressful but a lot of fun,” is how
rently they found what they were after for
she describes her day.
Elena’s mother still lives on the island.
The little time that she is not working
Elena first visited the island when she
she uses to enjoy the island and her
was only 11 months old - thus the rather
family. The two offspring from her first
unique birthday celebration, although it
marriage, Elena aged 25 and Manuel
was not until 1966 that she went to live
aged 27, both live on the island and the
there. But not for good - between mainthree have a very close relationship. One
land Spain, Ibiza and Germany, Elena
year ago Elena happily remarried. Her
changed schools 17 times. “As the Spanish
A D AY I N T H E
husband is a former Scottish biochemist
say, I was like a snail, always carrying my
LIFE OF:
who works the night shift in reception at
home on my back” says Elena of those
one of the island’s hotels. “Unfortunately
days.
LANGUAGE TEACHER
there just is not any work in his field here,
Once out of school the moving still
but we both love the island so much that
did not stop. At the ripe young age of 18
ELENA ESCH KUPKE
leaving is out of the question,” she says.
Elena met and soon married a Spanish
Knowing a lot about both Spanish and
professional scuba diver. The couple
German life, she is able to make a studied comparison of the
lived not only in Ibiza but in Málaga and Tarragona as well.
two. If she could take anything from Germany she says it would
All of this travelling around has left its mark on Elena and a
be how well things are organised. “Thankfully I learned organigood mark it is. Today you would be hard pressed to find a
sational skills in Germany. Some times the lack of it here is
more open, friendly person. “Being the new kid means you
annoying, everything is done at the last minute. But the positive
have to learn to make friends quickly,” she says. It has also,
aspects of life here greatly outweigh the negative and so I stay
however, left her always feeling just a bit out of place. “It’s funny
and am happy,” she says.
but when I am in Germany I do not feel German and when I am
She also likes the multicultural aspect of life on the island.
in Spain I am not totally Spanish. Although after all this time I
“At last count there were people of 42 different nationalities
have begun to feel more Spanish than German.”
living on Ibiza. When you consider that the population is only
Whatever her feelings, her contact with both cultures and
about 100,000 here it makes for quite a blend. No one here
languages has been a big plus in her life. Today Elena earns a
looks at you in a strange way because of what you wear or how
living by teaching both Spanish and German language classes.
you talk. Living in an open society is important to me and I feel
Her students are mainly adults and more and more of them are
comfortable here,” she concludes.
Germans who have come to Ibiza to live. Originally she taught
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Spain’s Hidden Treasures La Cartuja de Valldemossa
The Cartuja - a hidden treasure? We are well aware that those who live in Mallorca will be shaking their
heads at the idea of the La Cartuja de Valldemossa as a Hidden Treasure. While we are quite sure you will
not argue the fact that the Cartuja is an important treasure, you are sure to find it hard to agree with the
hidden part. The Cartuja is after all one of the most well known landmarks on the island.
By Patrick Aznar
O
ff the island, however, things
are different. Few people
have ever even heard of
Valldemossa, much less La
Cartuja. Many people still
believe that Mallorca is all
about sun and beaches and
little else. It is for these people that we
have chosen this lovely monastery as our
hidden treasure. We want to share this
admittedly well-known Mallorcan secret
with the rest of Prestige Club members.
La Cartuja is a Carthusian Monastery
dating back to the year 1399. Its original
inhabitants were Carthusian monks,
followers of a very strict religious order
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founded in Chartreuse, France, in 1084
by Saint Bruno. The monks lived and
studied in La Cartuja until the year 1835.
Only a few years after the monks left, La
Cartuja received the visit of its most important guests to date. In the winter of 1838 1839 the composer Frederic Chopin
accompanied by his partner, the female
writer George Sand, lived in one of the
monk’s cells. Chopin said of La Cartuja
that it was the most beautiful place in the
world and Sand added that the natural
beauty of the area offered everything a
poet or a painter could ever dream of.
The Cartuja stands at the centre of the
lovely town of Valldemossa just 19 kilometres north of Palma. Even though there
has been extensive building in the area,
Valldemossa retains the charm that so
attracted Chopin over 100 years ago. Even
if it were not for the Cartuja the town is
worth a visit for its narrow cobble stone
streets and flower-filled window boxes.
Fortunately, however, la Cartuja is
here and it is no longer reserved for
monks and piano geniuses. All of us can
visit the Cartuja and its lovely gardens.
A VISIT TO THE CARTUJA INCLUDES:
The Church
This monumental neoclassic church was
constructed in the year 1751. The green
tiled domes under the bell tower are
complimented with frescos by the painter
Bayeu, Francisco de Goya’s brother-in-law.
Pharmacy
In the 17th and 18th century this actually
was a pharmacy. Today, the walls are still
lined with over 135 Catalan ceramic bottles
originally used to store medicines.
Prior’s Cell
Here one finds an interesting collection of
documents, paintings, furniture and religious
objects left by the Carthusian monks.
Cell 2
Inside one finds original sheet music written
by Chopin as well as literary manuscripts by
George Sand. There are also a series of
letters the two wrote while staying here and
some of the couple’s original furniture. This
is also where the International Chopin
Festival has its headquarters.
Cell 4
This room is worth a visit to the island in
itself. Here is the star of the collection. Inside
is the actual piano that Chopin used to
compose his works while staying in Mallorca.
MUNICIPAL MUSEUM
King Sancho Palace
This was the first royal residence at the
Cartuja and the first to be used by the
Monks. A number of elements remain from
this time including the original stairway and
the defence tower. In the early part of the
20th century it hosted illustrious guests
such as the writers Ruben Dario, Miguel de
Unamuno and Eugeni d’Ors.
Music Hall
In the music hall there are piano recitals
every day of the week except Mondays and
Thursdays when a local dance group
performs.
Claustre de la Cartuja
07170 Valldemossa
Tel.: + 34 971 612 106
Every August La Cartuja is home of The
International Chopin Festival. Apart from the
daily performances there are special
concerts every Sunday evening throughout
the month. Advance ticket sales begin July 1,
and cost between 15 - 20 euros. Concerts
begin at 22.00 hrs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chopin Festival
Celda nº 3
07170 Valldemossa, Mallorca
Tel. & Fax: +34 971 612 351
Antique Guasp Printing Press
On show is one of the best conserved printing
presses of its kind in Europe dating back to
the 16th century. There is also a collection of
other tools used in the printing process.
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Walking Tours Lanzarote
The wrinkled skin of Lanzarote conceals one of the most striking stories in Spanish mountain formation.
Its surface was forged by the force of fire and water. Its volcanic entrails have belched forth the landscapes that we are going to discover in the course of the next three days: the colour of the soils, the arid mountains, the strange vegetation, unique in the world, and the ingenuity of the islanders who have managed to
turn the tough natural conditions to their benefit by taming the wild spirit that dwells in the bowels of the
island. By Francisco M. Martín
Lanzarote:
A LAND OF FIRE AND LAVA
T
he tenacity of these people has
shaped a unique landscape at the
service of farming and tourism.
The talent of Lanzarote’s emblematic artist, Cesar Manrique, succeeded in blending the harshness of these
lands with the luminosity of their skies and
waters. Thanks to him we may discover the
close relationship existing between the art
of nature and the art of man.
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Nevertheless, our route sets out to
avoid - as far as possible in such a small
island - the tourist centres and the classic
programmed visits. To this end we will
set off from the little village of Femés,
perched on the top of a ridge, which
offers a panoramic view over the
Rubicón plain at the so-called Balcón de
Femés. From here there runs a little
road that drops down towards the coas-
tline until reaching the resort town of
Playa Blanca. The way we chose, however, will take us into the lonely rocky
mass of Los Ajaches, before finally arriving at the destination mentioned above.
The path branches off the main road
and climbs up towards a few houses and
buildings belonging to goatherds, on its
way up to Pico de la Aceituna. In barely
300 metres of stiff climbing we reach the
Day 1:
Femés to Playa Blanca via Los Ajaches
Day 2:
Playa Blanca to Yaiza along the coast of
Los Hervideros
Day 3:
The interior of Timanfaya
base of the peak to get a view of the
steep sides of the lonely ravine known as
La Higuera. Here we have to turn off to
the right, bypassing the head of the
valley, to circle round over gently-sloping ground between the hilltops of
Pico de la Aceituna and Pico Redondo.
The track has disappeared, but the way is
clearly marked by rows of stones. The
scant tufts of vegetation appear here and
there amongst these yellow and ochre
tinted soils. Gorse, tobacco grass and daisies flourish amongst the low clumps, in
an environment that offers shelter to a
wide variety of animals, the most remarkable of which is the “hubara” or Canary
Island great bustard. Few in number and
extremely hard to see, this great bird
lives in the dry stony areas of Lanzarote.
As we move on, we can make out
Punta Papagayo cape, Playa Blanca
beach, and in the distance Roja mountain. We will soon start a sharp descent
down to a turn off to the right. The path
heads into the rocky mass of Los Ajaches
in the direction of the Hacha Grande
ridge, but finally skirts round the
summit and advances along the narrow
raidge separating the Dises y Parrado
gullies, dropping down into the Parrado
ravine before reaching the coast line at
Punta Gorda. We are now faced by a
lonely stretch, only frequented by goatherds, where an endless series of ups
and downs lead us across countless
gullies which end up in the Atlantic and
drain off the meagre rainfall in this part
of the island. Solitude is the dominant
feature of the landscape, until in about
three kilometres we come to a wide
track, along which we have to make a
detour to the left to visit Punta de
Papagayo. This attractive spot has a
number of beaches, the first of which,
Puerto Muelas, is provided with a car
park, so that we are returned to the
hustle and bustle of the island. Later on,
after passing by some fishermen's cottages, we come to Punta de Papagayo.
From here, to the south we can clearly
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Walking Tours Lanzarote
make out the nearby Fuerteventura and its
islet, Lobos; and to the north-east the coastline of Lanzarote with its capital Arrecife
and Puerto del Carmen. The colourful
waters of the Atlantic are an open invitation to relax in the nearby coves that
extend towards Playa Blanca. They are the
Papagayo, Pozo, Mujeres and Coloradas
beaches, all linked up by footpaths and
tracks. Farther to the west we reach the
colonial Castillo de las Coloradas, a squat
round tower that heralds the extensive
development of Playa Blanca. We will be
spending the night at this tourist resort,
after walking for around 22 km.
We will set off early on the next morning, as w have 26 kilometres ahead of us.
Once again we head towards the west
along the local road until we come to
Punta Pechiguera with its white lighthouse, and then we make our way along
the paths of lava of the Rubicón coast, a
lonely spot where the sea clashes violently
with the lava streams and has sculpted a
series of little barely accessible coves.
Hugging the coastline all the time, we will
pass through the Atlante development
and head on to a spot known as Las
Maretas, where the lava has formed some
little natural pools that are covered with
water at high tide. There are no beaches
here, but it is possible to relax and cool off
in these rock pools. The path zigzags its
way along the shore line, although if we
get tired and want to move on faster, we
can go inland a bit until we come upon a
better surfaced road. It is the same road
we have to take if the weather conditions
take a turn for the worse. In any case, we
will come to Salinas de Janubio, after passing by the beach of the same name and a
vantage point. These salt flats are a
reference point for ornithologists, as it is
the best place on the island for watching
migratory birds. After taking the CV local
road, which heads north-east, we will
reach Los Hervideros and later on El
Golfo lagoon. The first place shows us
how volcanic eruptions have formed
tubes and tunnels, known as "jameos" in
Lanzarote, which link the depths of the
ocean with the interior of the island. El
Golfo is a beautiful green lagoon, formed
in the basin of an old volcano which has
been exposed by marine erosion, with its
cone reduced to half its size. From here
we can go on to spend the night at the
village of Casas de El Golfo and savour
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the most authentic atmosphere of this
island, or else move on to the small town
of Yaiza, the administrative centre and
gateway to the Geria district.
We will be spending the last day in the
Timanfaya National Park. Visitors, who
are limited in number, are only allowed to
follow two possible routes in this impressive nature reserve. One traverses its
south-western sector in the course of a
visit that can be booked over the phone or
in person at the Mancha Blanca Visitor
Centre. With the aid of off-road vehicles
under the supervision of specialised
guides, we will drive into the Park and
later penetrate into the fields and streams
of lava on foot. This is a very short walk,
barely two kilometres, but the wealth of
information provided by the wardens
makes it a fascinating stroll, which lasts
around three hours. During the visit we
will be told about lichen colonisation, the
different types of volcanic phenomena
that have affected Lanzarote and, with a
bit of luck, we may catch a glimpse of the
occasional Egyptian vulture. A more flexible option, which can be done with or without guides, is to take the route that crosses the whole of the Park along the shore
line from Casas de El Golfo to La Madera
beach, with a connecting road to Mancha
Blanca. It is a nine-kilometre walk
amongst lava streams and malpais, which
represent the natural follow-on to our
previous day. Unlike the second day,
however, in this section we will be crossing
the island's youngest terrains. The most
recent volcanic action has created a
rugged landscape well worth viewing up
to the end of our route.
HOW TO GET THERE
Lanzarote is best reached by plane
to the island's airport, close to its
capital, Arrecife. From here to
Femés there is a bus service. By
the way, buses on the Canary
Islands are known as "guaguas".
WHERE TO SLEEP
There is a wide variety of
accommodation, ranging from
hotels to rural guesthouses.
Femés
Casa de la Caldera
+34 928 173 284.
Playa Blanca
Las Laderas + 34 928 517 575.
Hotel Corbeta + 34 928 517 000.
Hotel Lanzarote Princess
+ 34 928 517 108.
Yaiza
Finca de Las Salinas
+ 34 928 830 325.
WHERE TO EAT
Playa Blanca
Restaurante Almacen de la Sal
+ 34 928 517 885.
El Golfo
Restaurante El Golfo
+ 34 928 173 147.
Yaiza
Restaurante La Era
+ 34 928 830 016.
INFORMATION
Oficina de Turismo del Cabildo
Insular (Canary Island Tourist
Office), in Arrecife.
+ 34 928 813 792.
Mancha Blanca Visitor Centre.
Timanfaya National Park.
+ 34 928 840 839.
Cesar Manrique Foundation.
+ 34 928 843 138.
Lanzarote Rural Tourism Association
+ 34 928 811 654 / 800 456.
FESTIVITIES
Femés
Feast of San Marcial de Rubicón, the
patron saint of the island (7 July).
Playa Blanca
Feast of the Virgen del Carmen
(16 July).
Yaiza
Feast of the Virgen de los Remedios
(8 September).
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Food and Drink
Restaurante La Casa Portuguesa
Calle San Vicente, 39
03500 Benidorm
Tel.: + 34 96 585 89 58
Never Closes. Accepts MasterCard and Visa
Food and Drink
La Casa Portuguesa
Benidorm is Europe’s largest holiday resort and at the last count had 369 restaurants. Most of these cater
for the native whims of unadventurous tourists, with a quarter of a million wandering around at the peak of
the season, so seeking out a good, down-to-earth, Spanish restaurant with sensible prices is actually not
easy. By Edward Owen
S
ince Benidorm also happens to be by far the most
professionally run holiday
destination in Spain, I will
admit I took a short cut to
my goal by asking tourist
experts at the town hall
where they would go for a
nice lunch. I was led through the charming narrow alleyways of the old town, on
the hill between the Levante and
Poniente beaches, to La Casa Portuguesa.
The name is to put you off the scent:
it is mainly Spanish but was opened 22
years ago by a Spanish fisherman whose
Portuguese wife did the cooking. Now it
is run by his amiable son Juan Orquin
and his cheerful wife Lili. In good weather there are tables and chairs outside in
the pedestrian alley. Inside it is cosy with
big windows, a small bar, terracotta floor,
lots of woodwork, rare old photographs
of Benidorm and white on green table-
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cloths. Outside the door the day’s large
menu is prominently displayed.
Juan, who was also serving the PR
department of the Terra Mítica theme
park when I was there, is a genial host
and there’s a good relaxed atmosphere
to set you up for a long sobremesa over
the coffee and copas. He buys his fish
from the market everyday. For starters
we had a variation of his Escalivada (3.01
euros), sliced and chilled sweet red
peppers and aubergine drizzled with oil
and served with mojama de atun - sliced
dried tuna tasting like fishy ham, strips
of salt cod and maize bread.
Enjoying this with a bottle of white
Castillo de San Diego (10.22 euros, a
little pricey) from Barbadillo in Cádiz,
this gave him time to prepare one of his
specialities, Arroz a Banda (a bargain
8.26 euros for 2). This is a very popular
Spanish dish which looks deceptively like
a rice paella without all the bits. In fact,
the rice is cooked in a rich fumet or
stock made from an assortment of fresh
rock fish and vegetables. Juan’s stock is
first rate, helped by the addition of bony
Red Scorpion Fish, Cabracho, the rich
taste of which makes a great mousse or
savoury pudding. It seems a shame to
make a stock from all that expensive fish,
but the end result is a treat and easy to
eat. The secret of Valencia rice is its
enormous capacity to soak up and conserve the juices it is cooked in.
Here is was served in a large metal
cauldron with bowls of cold garlic
mayonnaise, possibly an acquired taste,
but certainly a Spanish tradition I personally enjoy. For sweet we were offered
huge servings of Molotoff (7.01 euros),
which looked a challenge but was light,
fluffy, sweet and melted in the mouth.
Tucked away from the beaches and the
hordes, La Casa Portuguesa is a great
escape.
Escalivada
Ingredients (4 persons)
2 Sweet Red Peppers ▪ 2 Aubergines ▪ salt ▪
virgin olive oil ▪ vinegar.
Preparation:
Put the pepper and aubergines (pricked) in an
ovenproof dish and drizzle lightly with oil.
Place under grill, turning when skin is charred, or bake in oven at 180º C for 20 mins or
until tender. Remove and skin and tear into
strips. Serve side by side on a dish, sprinkled
with a little vinegar, oil and some salt - according to your usual tastes for salad. Can be
served with cured or tinned tuna.
Arroz a Banda
2 kg. of mixed rock fish such as monkfish ▪
bass ▪ mullet ▪ cod ▪ conger eel ▪ heads and
bones (especially monkfish or sole) to make
stock ▪ 1 dried (or fresh) sweet pepper ▪ 0.25
kg. of squid rings ▪ 2 large tomatoes ▪ 1 onion
▪ 200 gr. cabbage ▪ parsley ▪ 4 cloves of garlic
▪ bay leaf ▪ virgin olive oil ▪ salt ▪ pepper ▪ 500
gr. round/short grain rice ▪ 2 teaspoons of La
Mancha saffron strands ▪ 2 lemons and garlic
mayonnaise.
Preparation:
To make the stock or fumet, fry the pepper
gently in oil and then crush in a mortar or blender with 2 cloves of garlic and some parsley.
Put this is in a large casserole or saucepan
along with the fish, large tomatoes halved,
bay leaf, cabbage, onion halved, pinch of salt
and pepper, and add 4 litres of water. Bring to
the boil and then simmer for about 45 mins. In
a large iron casserole, put in enough oil to fry
the squid with two diced cloves of garlic and
set aside. Mash the stock when ready and
then strain it, preferably through muslin to
catch all small bones, into a large container.
Discard the fish pieces etc. Put the rice into
the casserole with the squid and briefly stirfry. Now add 3 litres of stock and cook for
about 20 mins. or until the rice is sticky and
cooked. Five minutes before you take it from
the heat, grind the saffron strands into a
powder and stir it into the rice. Serve with
lemon wedges, a bowl of garlic mayonnaise
(alioli in Spanish) and warm crusty bread.
Molotoff
10 egg whites ▪ 200 gr. sugar ▪ grated chocolate.
Preparation:
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until they
are like whipped cream, beat in the sugar.
Place in an ovenproof bowl, put that bain
marie style (in another bowl with water) in the
oven and bake for about 25 minutes at 120º C
or until the top is lightly browned. Chill in the
refrigerator. Serve sprinkled with grated chocolate.
DEHESA LA GRANJA 1998
Thirty years ago Alejandro Fernández, who had been a carpenter, blacksmith and inventor of a sugar beet harvester, founded a bodega which
was to make his home town of Pesquera famous. These days a bottle of Pesquera is the benchmark with which good Ribera de Duero tintos
are compared. Vintage bottles of Pesquera go for a song and the wine guru Robert Parker considers it one of the top ten wines in the world.
Sr. Fernández seems like a modest, friendly
farmer but he has an amazing energy and
grasp of what is needed for good winemaking.
He and his daughters followed up the success of Pesquera by building a huge bodega
at nearby La Haza to produce Condado de
Haza and now he has opened new bodegas in
Toro, to the west, and Castilla -La Mancha,
south of Madrid. In Vadillo de la Guareña, his
Toro wine is Dehesa La Granja and in Campo
de Criptana, his La Mancha red is El Vínculo.
Although the latter is good, it is the Toro that
is even more promising.
Sr. Fernández is especially proud of his new
bodega just south of the River Duero and
Toro. It is basically an 800-hectare finca with
horses, cows, sheep and corn with 250 hectares now planted with vines. He eschewed
the autochthonous Tinto de Toro to plant
Tempranillo because, he says, it’s the
“Queen of Spanish varieties” - and no doubt
because he is most familiar with the grapes.
The bodega itself has huge underground
cellars carved out of the living rock 300 years
ago and the plan is to create above a large
area for public visits with a shop, bar and restaurant to sell the local products - a happy
trend on several Spanish wine routes.
Dehesa La Granja is aged for two years in
American oak barrels and the 1998 vintage is
already drinking very nicely and should be
even better after a few years in the cellar. It
has an intense, light red cherry colour and an
agreeable bouquet of dark wood fruits well
balanced with oakiness. In the mouth it is
lighter bodied than a Ribera but strong with a
lingering, elegant taste of fruits and oak with
mature tannins. Good to have with roast lamb
or grilled meats or cheese and with age, good
with feathered game.
Dehesa La Granja, 13.5% by volume. 11 €
Bodega y Viñedos Fernández Rivera S.L.
Vadillo de la Guareña, Zamora.
Tel: + 34 983 870 037. Fax: + 34 983 870 088
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Golf Lesson
Improve Your Game:
1
2
Control the Distance
A few issues ago I showed you the sure-out bunker shot, an alternative bunker method using
a wide stance and a very wide, stiff wristed technique. This was a method for people who have
great difficulty escaping from the sand.
By Paul Aitken DLGA Regional Director (Spain). Photography: Jerónimo Alba
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T
his issue finds us back in the
bunker this time though we’re not
going to content ourselves with
merely getting the ball out somewhere on the green, we’re actually
going to try and get the ball close to the
hole and down in one putt if possible.
One quick look at the photos will tell
you this is not the sure-out method but
the conventional bunker technique.
This method employs an open stance
with an open club face with much more
wrist cock in the backswing and then
Keep the backswing fairly complete and
then vary the amount of acceleration
and follow through that you use on the
shot. This will give you much more control over the flight and run of the ball.
Photo 1 shows the conventional bunker
shot set up - feet buried in the sand, club
face open (pointing right of the target)
and open stance (pointing left of the
target). The weight favours the left side and
the ball is situated opposite the left foot.
Photo 2 shows me making a backswing
with a full wrist cock. It’s also important
3
body has rotated through to face the
target and the club face is held open
(pointing to the sky).
Photo 4 illustrates that I have released
the club through and up to a more vertical position. Apart from that everything
looks about the same. This should get you
to the centre of an average sized green.
Photo 5 shows a full follow through
with the club having accelerated through
to behind my back. This will get you to
the back of most greens. Note how the
legs have stayed quiet and the knees
4
5
of Your Bunker Shots
taking a fine cut of sand using the
bounce on the sole of the sand wedge.
For the sake of convenience we will
assume that you are getting out of the
sand consistently but have trouble controlling the distance of your shots which
is really what this article is all about.
I have heard several theories from my
pupils as to how best control the distance
getting out of the sand. The most popular ones are opening the club face to different angles and striking the sand at
various distances behind the ball. These
ideas have a certain amount of credence
but there is a much simpler solution.
to keep the club face open, i.e. toe of the
club pointing down to the ground. Keep
the weight firmly planted on the left foot
for the duration of the backswing.
The most important key to getting your
ball out is to accelerate the club through
the sand. Now all you have to do is control
the length of your follow through to control the distance the ball travels.
Photo 3 shows a very short “cut-off”
follow through which will produce a shot
distance with a ball that pulls up
abruptly. This is ideal for a hole cut just a
few feet from the edge of the green notice how the feet stay quiet, the upper
remain flexed. This will prevent you from
“coming up” on the shot and taking too
much ball and not enough sand. The key
to success is to find a practice bunker and
to experiment so that you are confident
before you go on the course.
Whilst practising don’t worry if you
“blade” a few over the green - that’s what
practice is for and before long you’ll be
able to impress your friends by getting up
and down from the sand on a regular basis.
DLGA Barcelona
Golf Garraf. Urb. Garraf II
Les Botigues de Sitges
08860 Castelldefels. Barcelona
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Costa del Sol News
Compiled in cooperation with “Costa del Sol News”
Málaga powers up for summer
Málaga is having a major electricity
upgrade to avoid the risk of power
cuts during the high-demand
summer months. The supplier,
Sevillana-Endesa, is taking steps
to increase capacity and improve
distribution, and has guaranteed
that supplies will be maintained. A
large part of the high-tension network will be reconfigured to eliminate bottlenecks in order to avoid
power failures such as in Catalonia
last year when the system could
not cope with high demand.
Launching their "Plan Málaga"
last week, Endesa revealed its
investment, equivalent to 4,000
million pesetas over three years,
After the warmest summer for 40
years, Málaga has had one the
wettest springs in its history.
March weather records from the
airport showed 113.2 litres of
rainwater per square metre, which
is over twice the average for the
last 30 years. In Antequera and
Vélez-Málaga, rainfall in March
was three times the average.
Producers of cereals, citrus fruits,
which includes major work in the
capital to improve supplies
around the Guadalhorce Industrial
Estate. While demand throughout
Andalusia has risen by 2.9 per
cent in recent times, demand in
the province of Málaga has risen
by 4.1 per cent, reflecting the growing number of homes and support infrastructure on the coast,
with a total of 4,229 GwH supplied last year.
Telefónica hears Ronda’s Protests Free Land for
Basic Housing
Year-long protests by staff, parents
and pupils at the placing of a giant
mast housing mobile telephone
antennae close to an educational
complex have paid off. The telephone company, Telefónica, has
agreed to move its antennae from
El Fuerte after discussions with
Ronda Town Hall.
The new mast will be situated 10
kilometres outside the urban area.
In a stark contrast with the tower's
current position in the centre of
Ronda it will now be erected at
Puerto de Encinas Borrachas, a
barren wind-swept hillside, on the
Ronda to Algeciras road.
Ronda's Mayor, Juan Benítez,
expressed his satisfaction at the
outcome of the negotiations between his administration and the
telephone company. Sr Benítez said
that the Town Hall would collaborate
with Telefónica to ensure all the permissions necessary for relocating
the antennae were forthcoming.
Málaga Taxi Test
Taxi drivers in Málaga will be required to undergo a psychological
test to determine their suitability for the job. The Town Hall has
announced that the test will be required for all new applicants. The
president of the drivers' association in the city has also suggested
that they should be tested on their knowledge of Málaga's streets.
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From Hottest
to wettest
Mijas Town Hall has announced
that it is willing to make available
municipal land at no cost to construction companies for the building of homes for young couples
and people with limited financial
resources. The initial request will
be for 381 homes costing between 36,000 and 54,000 euros,
with between 60 and 90 square
metres each. The Town Hall will
consider bids from interested
companies within the next few
weeks.
olives, almonds and sub-tropical
crops are said to be delighted.
Ten per cent
boat increase
The Tourist Board has confirmed
the necessity to provide many
more moorings for boats at Costa
del Sol marinas. The increase is
made all the more urgent as the
authorities predict that demand will
increase by 10 per cent in the next
few years. The board was making
its point at the Exponáutica exhibition in Madrid, which the port of
Benalmádena and the Estepona
tourist office attended. The Madrid
market is a very important consumer of nautical related products.
Better Postal
New Aspandem Service
Centre
Aspandem, the parent's association of the mentally and physically
handicapped of the Marbella area,
is to build a new centre for
seriously infirm people in its care.
The urgently needed facility will be
built on land ceded to the association by Marbella Town Hall. It
covers an area of 6,000 square
metres between Calpe College
and El Ingenio. When operational,
the centre will provide 48 residential care places in 24 double
bedrooms.
The provincial director of the post
office, María José Ródenas, has
confirmed the service’s intention
to increase staffing levels by 10
per cent in Fuengirola. The objective is to improve services in
Fuengirola and Mijas, which now
total more than 100,000 inhabitants. The Fuengirola post office
will have 80 staff, of whom 56
are to be dedicated to delivery
services. For its part, Fuengirola
Town Hall has undertaken to
improve street signs, especially
in the Torreblanca area.
Costa Blanca News
Compiled in cooperation with “Costa Blanca News”
Passenger growth too fast for planned terminal extension
Alicante airport’s record passenger
movement growth has shattered
national airport authority AENA’S
schedule to extend the main terminal, forcing the construction of a
temporary departures building to
cope with extra flights. AENA approved an urgent scheme to demolish
the office building located alongside the control tower to the right of
the main terminal, and erect a temporary 'Meccano-style' terminal
with 14 checkout counters and two
luggage conveyor belts. Airport
management says the displaced
offices will be transferred to prefabricated modules on an adjoining
site. Due to the inconvenience
involved, including the relocation of
over 70 members of staff and
transferring air navigation systems,
work will not commence until after
summer. In the mid term, AENA
plans to build a new five-storey terminal with two boarding passages
and 14 new 'fingers' alongside the
current terminal building. A railway
terminal, a larger aircraft parking
area and a new 3.4 kilometre-long
runway are also planned.
Hopes high for Vega Baja Hospital Alicante and La Villa united
The new electric tramline link between Alicante and Villajoyosa will be in
operation by the end of summer. Public Works has announced that the
first phase of electrification of the existing railway line between La Finca
Adoc and Campello has just begun with the aim of completing the work
within five months. Once completed, passengers will be able to travel
by tram between Alicante's Plaza del Mar and Villajoyosa.
Valencia publishes rural hotel guide
The Valencia Tourism Agency (AVT) has published a new guide to inland
hotels and guesthouses. Over 400 rural guest houses, campsites and
bed and breakfast establishments have been listed in the 2002 guide
which also gives full details of locations, prices and telephone numbers.
The ongoing campaign for a
second public hospital in the Vega
Baja moved a stage closer to success when regional president
Eduardo Zaplana said plans are
now under consideration.
Speaking in Orihuela, Sr Zaplana
promised the new hospital would
be built in due course, although
the location has yet to be
decided. Torrevieja has long campaigned for a new public hospital
to be built in the town and a possible site has been earmarked.
President Zaplana stated the hospital would be situated between
Orihuela and Elche, leaving the
options open for locations in
Guardamar del Segura, Santa
Pola or one of the inland towns
such as Rojales or Jacarilla.
The inference is that the hospital
would not be specifically for
Torrevieja, but for the Vega Baja
as a whole. However, as Orihuela
already possesses a public hospital, it is hoped that Torrevieja will
be chosen.
Private Security on Patrol
Members of Alicante City's commercial federation
have announced plans to contract private security
companies to patrol areas that many shopkeepers
consider are unsafe. The move by the federation
follows an increase of crime against commercial
and retail establishments, which they claim the
police cannot prevent with their present manpower.
Ciudad de la Luz underway
The development company at the centre of Alicante's Ciudad de la
Luz project has submitted its application to begin building work to
the city council. Costing around 90 million euros, Ciudad de la Luz
ambitiously hopes to become a world leader in the audiovisual and
filmmaking sector. Development work is scheduled to begin in three
months with the first phase being completed in a year.
Altea finally gets on track
Altea's urban development councillor Jacinto Mulet announced that
work on removing the train level crossings on Costera de Las Narices
and Santa Clara has finally begun.
After years of discussion, the two level crossings within the municipality
will be eliminated. One will be replaced by a viaduct, the other by a
tunnel. The Ministry of Public Works has financed the project to the
tune of 6.3 million euros and the work is scheduled to be completed in
16 months. Council officials are liasing with construction companies
and other agencies to try and avoid chaos during the works as traffic
levels rise as summer approaches.
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Mallorca News
A 25 per cent drop in summer reservations
Tour operators are warning hotels
that reservations for the peak
summer months of July and August
are down by between 15 and 25
per cent as compared to this time
last year. The drop comes essentially from the German, French and
British markets.
The largest decrease is from the
German market where reservations are down by nearly 25 per
cent. French figures have shown
a 20 per cent decrease and the
UK predicts a 14 per cent drop.
Hoteliers are blaming the poor
figures on the newly imposed Eco
Tasa or tourist tax in the Balearic
Islands. The amount of tax paid
by tourists varies from .5 euros
per day to 2 euros per day depending on the category of the hotel
in which they stay. The higher the
category the more one must pay.
New bone
marrow
transplant unit
opened at
Son Dureta
A new bone marrow transplant
unit at Son Dureta hospital was
recently opened at a cost of over
390,000 euros with a further
119,000
euros
having
been
spent on equipment. The unit
includes an isolation area with
ten individual rooms. This unit is
equipped with a specific air conditioning system, which keeps out
virus and bacteria and therefore
cuts down the risk of infection.
The existing bone marrow transplant unit of Son Dureta, which
was set up ten years ago, has
performed
nearly
270
bone
marrow transplants to date. Son
Dureta
officials
have
also
announced that work will begin
soon on a new heart surgery unit
Council to help fight rising New Natural
crime rate in the Balearic Monument in
Mallorca
Islands
In an effort to quell the rising
crime rate in the Balearic Islands,
the government has announced
the opening of a new anti-crime
council. The government has also
made a call to Madrid for an increased police force including
National Police and Guardia Civil
to patrol the island’s major urban
areas. The moves come in response to the latest national crime
figures, which showed that crime
is increasing faster in the Balearic
Islands than any other region in
Spain. The crime rate rose by over
38 per cent in the islands last year
while the national average showed
only a ten per cent increase.
Meanwhile, Juan Cotino, director
general of the national police,
played down the importance of
the Balearics crime figures while
at a European crime conference in
the island of Ibiza. Cotino claimed
that the region's crime rate is the
lowest per capita in the whole of
the Mediterranean. He blames
the sharp increase on the new
system used for calculating crime
which he said is much more efficient and thus shows higher
numerical figures but does not
correspond to the reality of the
situation on the streets.
According to the ministry of the
environment, the Balearic government has finally decided to
declare Torrent de Pareis a natural monument. The moves makes
it only the second natural monument in Mallorca, the other being
Ses Fonts Ufanes.
Torrent de Pareis is one of the
most beautiful spots in the whole
of the island and a significant
refuge for much of the flora and
fauna of the Tramuntana Mountain
range on the north side of the
island. The move will help protect
this emblematic part of the island
and it is hoped will open the way
for other similar projects.
at the hospital.
Balearic car hire
reservations on
the skids
Balearic car hire companies are
understandably worried about the
upcoming summer season.
According to The Association of
Balearic Car Rental Companies
(AEVAB) advance rental reservations have dropped sharply for
the upcoming summer months.
The association’s vice president,
Andreu Artigues, said the drop is
due to the problems the hotel
sector is suffering. AEVAB has
over 200 member companies in
the region and is responsible for
nearly 40,000 vehicles. Due to
the grim bookings forecast car
rental prices are likely not to rise
this season and the unsure
Hostels too will charge tourist tax
Not only the major hotels in Mallorca will be charging the Eco Tasa or the so-called tourist tax. The island’s
hostels are also obligated to serve as tax collectors. Any tourist coming to the island no matter where they
stay will have to pay the tax and those refusing to do so will be denied entry to hotels.
summer has also meant that
many companies have postponed
upgrading their fleets. Rental
agencies have put a hold on all
new investments as they wait to
see how the season turns out.
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Costa Brava News
By Steven Guest
Quaint village says “no” to growth
Unspoilt Begur looks out from a privileged hilltop spot on one of the
most inspiring stretches of Costa
Brava coastline. Despite its beauty
it has managed to avoid the scare
of construction work that has blighted many of the one-time quaint
villages that dotted the coastline.
Yet the pressure to grow over the
last 10 - 15 years has been
immense. Only by setting rigid local
laws has the village retained its
uniqueness. And while 50 - or - so
urban developments have sprouted mushroom-like around the
town, the Begur skyline is pretty
much the same as that of 50 years
ago. Despite all this, the recent
construction of an apartment block
on the seafront has roused the ire
of locals so much that the council
has had to stop the work. With
space for new constructions severely limited, the only way to create
new flats in Begur has been to
divide up larger ones to create the
holiday studios that are so much in
demand. Now the council has put a
stop to this practice too, with a law
requiring all such divisions to
create flats that are at least 120
sq.m., so keeping the town’s population down to a minimum.
Second chance
for MadridGirona flight
When the direct flight between
Madrid and Girona was axed last
October many thought the service
would be lost for good. Yet since
last April two regional airlines,
Intermed and Air Catalunya, have
been flying to the capital with three
daily flights each. Notably though,
average plane fills have been
disappointing, standing at around
Cousteau to grace Costa seas
It’s final. The Fundació Jacques
Cousteau, which manages the
legacy of the great French marine
researcher, has decided to install
a centre for investigation into
Mediterranean marine life on the
Costa Brava. The final decision
seems to come down to a choice
between Santa Feliu de Guíxols
and Roses, both of whom have
made concrete proposals to the
foundation. Cadaqués and El Port
de la Selva are also interested,
but as yet haven’t come up with
projects. A decision is expected
over the next two months.
Hoteliers criticise
tourism policy
Hoteliers down the Costa Brava are
demanding new tourism policies
from the regional government, the
Generalitat. The move comes after
press statements from the economy minister, Fransesc Homs. He
told local authorities in coastal and
interior towns to turn themselves
into holiday towns for foreigners
and city dwellers in Barcelona. The
untimely call has left hoteliers
pulling their hair out in frustration,
especially with a slack summer
season forecast just round the
corner. They criticise the government for having no policy on tourism or sustainable growth in the
area. The message from Pere
Reixach, president of the Hoteliers
Guild of Girona, is that the move
would only create a new wave of
senseless building in an already
growth-devastated region. Hotels,
he claims, are the “only way forward” for sustainable development
along the Costa Brava and the
inland Girona boroughs.
40%. These poor results have
called into question the long-term
viability of the Girona-Madrid service yet again - at least with two
operators. And while the economics of the service provide the
number crunchers with plenty to
think about, there’s also a political
twist. Air Catalunya has lodged a
complaint with the European Union
claiming that the subsidies being
paid to Intemed by the regional
governments is a violation of EU
competition laws. The authorities
counter that Air Catalunya don’t
have the right authorisation to operate on this route, nor were its
planes apt for passengers since
they were originally freight carriers.
Prawns galore
Prawn fishermen are having their
best season for years. Catches in
the first few months of 2002 are
already doubling those of last
year. That’s good news for seafood lovers. With supply up, fresh
prawns are selling at 30% below
last year’s prices. Yet many fishermen claim the lower prices
Noise pollution leaves residents hopping mad
have left them no better off.
According to the head of the fish
market in Palamós, the only solu-
Residents living in the Girona region are suffering from unsupportable noise pollution, say mayors from
the area. The trouble: the whirring of light aircraft just 500 m. above. The Costa Brava airport is a favourite for learner pilots trying to get their hours up. The airport is particularly popular because of the area’s
great visibility and weather. Yet with commercial traffic mainly operating during the week, learners have
to do their time at weekends, leaving residents just hopping mad. Locals might take the state airline regulator, AENA, to court if the situation isn’t resolved soon. What’s more, they are claiming compensation
for lost rest time!
tion is to look for new markets
abroad to sell prawns at higher
rates. The problem is that the
local industry doesn’t have the
infrastructure to get their products into new markets. So, for
the time being consumers can
lick their lips.
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Canary Islands’ News
Compiled in cooperation with “Tenerife News”
After the deluge - Counting the
cost of the Santa Cruz calamity
The authorities, like the people,
are still trying to come to terms
with the events of March 31 and
are now counting the material
cost of the disaster.
Initial estimates put losses at
around 100 million euros, according to the president of the
Cabildo, Ricardo Melchior. But all
the time new structural damage is
coming to light in buildings throughout the city and it will be a long
time before the final sum is known.
Over 240 people in the capital
have been made homeless as a
result of flood damage and 500
other homes are in need of significant repairs.
The regional and state administrations will be compensating flood
victims to the tune of a maximum
of 27,500 euros for damage to
homes, 9,000 for cars and 3,600
euros for motorcycles. Human
lives are impossible to value but it
has been decided to award the
families of the eight dead with
60,000 euros each.
Businesses that sustained damage
will also be eligible for economic
aid. At a special meeting of the city
council which began with a minute's silence for the dead, mayor
Miguel Zerolo was warmly applauded by all present when he said:
“No family in this city will be left
without the necessary and sufficient financial relief to compensate them for the material losses
they may have incurred in this
catastrophe.” He added that over
7 million cubic metres of water fell
on Santa Cruz in just two hours on
March 31, the exact quantity normally consumed by the entire city
over a six-month period.
Underneath the arches - How can anyone
say yes to this?
Runway revelations
A shock-horror image of the likely
shape of things to come in northwest Tenerife, if the controversial
TF-5 autopista extension goes
ahead as planned, has been printed and distributed throughout the
island. The poster produced by
the protest group Coordinadora
Ciudadana No a la Autopista Los
runway has been hitting the head-
Realejos-Icod is a wake up call to
Tenerife's inhabitants to get involved, not only in this cause but in
the wider debate about the preservation of the island's remaining environmental integrity and
its protection from the devastating effects of the all-consuming
modern day culture of the car.
The photomontage picture shows
the village of Las Aguas in San
Juan de la Rambla as it will look if
the planners have their way. It is
based on the study compiled by
the regional ministry of public
works which embraces the concept
of high-level aqueduct-like structures with singular enthusiasm.
The continuing saga of TenerifeSur airport's projected second
lines again thanks to some dirty
digging on the part of one of
Tenerife's busiest representatives in Congress, José Segura.
Sr. Segura has informed the regional administration that he is certain the ministry of public works
has not the slightest intention of
constructing the preferred (by the
Big bad baskets! - Cost of Canary living soars above mainland Spain
Canary government) north runway
Living in the Canaries has a price
and unless you happen to be a
subsistence farmer, that price is
faithfully reflected in the weekly
shopping basket. And the latest
figures show that Canary Islands’
weekly shopping baskets are the
most expensive in the whole of
Spain.
The Spanish Consumers' and
Users' Organisation (OCU) has a
regular survey which gives an
option, but rather will press ahead,
overview of prices of selected products throughout the country and
it shows that Las Palmas, closely
followed by Santa Cruz, currently
tops the national consumer price
index rating.
In the case of Las Palmas, OCU's
basket number 2, which groups
together non-brand name items,
was a staggering 35 per cent more
costly than in Ciudad Real. A spokesman for the organisation said
the main cause of the huge price
differential is the lack of any discount stores here of the sort commonly found in mainland Spain.
In the meantime, consumers continue to suffer from euro inflation.
The latest big hike, sampled in
McDonalds, concerns their once
economically priced ice-cream
cones. They have now jumped
from 50 pesetas to 50 centimos
(83 pesetas). Nice one, Ronald!
if it has to, with the cheaper south
alternative. According to Segura
there is neither the available cash
nor the political willpower to
ensure the rapid processing of any
runway plan. He says his worst
suspicions are confirmed because
the document that is supposed to
approve the new runway does not
specify a date for either starting or
finishing the work.
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Readers’ Page
Readers’ Page
Dear Reader,
Remember, 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 at:
Readers’ Page
Dirección de Pomoción y Publicidad Solbank
Gabinete de Marketing y Publicidad
Banco Sabadell. Plaza Catalunya, 1. 08201 Sabadell
Tel.: 902 343 999
Email: [email protected]
In Answer to your Questions
Dear Mr. Maier,
We would like to
take this opportunity to thank
you for your letter
and support to Solbank. In the last
issue of Solbank Prestige Club you
kindly wrote in asking for a customer card to be issued by Solbank
with the account number on one
side and address, phone number
and opening hours of the specific
branch on the other. You will be pleased to know that Solbank does
offer this service. Just ask for your
Customer Card (shown here) at your
local branch office.
KIND REGARDS, SOLBANK
Dear Reader,
We have received a number of letters asking for some of the vocabulary used in bank statements to be
translated into your native language.
The following are a few of the terms
frequently used in bank correspondence. Remember if you would like
your statements sent to you in your
own language all you have to do is
ask any member of the Solbank
team at your local branch. The Bank
You Can Talk To not only speaks your
language, we write it too.
• Account: Cuenta • Balance: Saldo •
Date: Fecha • Credit Card: Tarjeta de
Credito • Cash Machine: Cajero
Automatico • Debit: Adeudo • Credit:
Abono • Statement: Extracto
Home Buyer
I have had a residence in the Costa Blanca for 14 years. I remember when I
bought our villa that I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Neither my
wife nor I spoke any Spanish at the time and the paper work, confusing even
for a Spaniard, had us terrified. I was sure that either we would never get
through it all or that when we did somehow the money would disappear and
the house along with it. Fortunately we got through it and have been living
happily in our villa ever since.
I have been reading David Searl’s column “Living in Spain” with great interest
and only wish it had been available when we bought our place. Thank you Mr.
Searl for your interesting articles. I am sure they are helping a lot of people
who are now in the situation I was so many years ago.
Keep up the good work!!
E.O. BRISTOL
Bridge Club
Can Anyone Help Me???
I am looking for a bridge club in or near Almeria. We are planning an extended holiday early next year and the thought of 3 months without my bridge
game is too much for me. If anyone can help please contact Mr. Alex
Clayton at Solbank who has kindly offered to forward all correspondence.
B.P. DUBLIN
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Open Day
Recently I had a chance to attend the Solbank
Open Day at Nerja. Both my wife and I had a
wonderful time: the music was great, the drinks
refreshing and the personnel both friendly and
informative.
I know that banking is a serious business but
hey a little fun now and then never hurt anyone’s bank balance.
Thank you Solbank for striking a fine balance
between business and pleasure.
M.K. NERJA
Time-Share
Every time I am in Spain I run into at least one
person trying to sell me a time-share flat. It usually
happens to me as I am out for a walk near my
apartment in the Costa del Sol. I have always been
a little wary of these fellows as the whole thing
seems a rather dodgy scheme. Recently I heard
from a neighbour who has bought into time-share
that he could not be happier. He goes to a different
part of Spain every year for two weeks. Last year
he was in the Canary Islands with his whole family
and had a wonderful time. Sometimes it makes
me feel a little regretful for buying the flat.
The reason I am writing is that I would like a bit
more information on time sharing and thought it
might make a nice article for Living in Spain. Or
maybe another Prestige Club reader could write in
and share their experience. I would be interested
to know how it works and how satisfied clients are
with time sharing in Spain.
M.F. MIJAS
Recycling
I am surprised by recycling in Spain. My husband
and I bought a holiday flat in Mallorca in the port
town of Portals two years ago and we still don’t
know what to do with all the plastic we use.
The water in Mallorca is not fit for drinking so
everyone on the island uses bottled water. We
go through at least two five litre bottles a week
and there is no recycling bin for plastic. It hurts
me so have to throw them away. When I think
about all the heavy plastic bottles that are going
in the rubbish every day it gives me the shivers.
Just up the street from us there is now a bin for
glass and another for paper but still there is no
place for plastic which in Mallorca should be a
priority. If any reader has a suggestion of what
we can do I would appreciate any advice. I hate
the thought of all that plastic going to waste and
either being burned up or buried on the island.
A.C. POR TALS. MALLORCA
Home Protection Plan
You´re better safe...
...than sorr y!
For further information please
call our helpline on:
902 153 851
or visit our website at:
www.solbank.com
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Banco Sabadell. Inscrita en el Registro Especial de Sociedades de Correduría
de Seguros con la clave J-724. Concertado seguro de Responsabilidad Civil
según artículo 15 de la Ley 9/1992. Socio único: Banco de Sabadell, S.A.
Health Care
We need sunshine. Without it we get S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), depressed, dysfunctional - even
suicidal. The sun helps our bodies produce Vitamin D, B3 and calcium. Holistically speaking the early morning sunlight has powerful energising properties which can boost the immune system. On the other hand
the incidence of skin cancer has doubled over the last 10 years. The Ozone layer is showing ever more
signs of wear and tear, increasing the dangers of ultraviolet radiation.
By Dee McMath. Photography: J. D. Dallet.
Safe Sun - Get Your Factors Right
A
glowing, sun-kissed skin is much
admired, but we need to find the
balance between the natural
desire to sun-seek and the dangers of over-exposure. In any
case, a dark tan on light skin is not only
ageing and dangerous, it’s not even fashionable. “Honey beige’ is the new ‘brown’.
For longer lasting sun colour and
healthier looking skin, it’s important to
exfoliate before you start applying layers
of sun cream and exposing yourself (so to
speak). Clinique’s Body Exfoliator costs
around 20 €. This gentle body scrub,
leaves you feeling fresh and tingling. Now
moisturise with your favourite cream or
oil. Nivea Soft with jojoba is cheap and
effective, as is pure, simple almond oil.
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SAVE FACE BY FAKING IT
There’s good news on the false tanning
front. This season’s products work faster
than before and the dreaded orange tone
of many brands has been improved, giving
way to a more natural golden skin colour.
The average time for the tan to appear is
now just two to three hours. Colour tends
to last around seven days and then fades
naturally. Why not splash out and have a
St. Tropez tan professionally applied in just
1 hour at a beauty salon for around 60 €
(including exfoliation).
Spain has many familiar brands in all
skin-care sun products, including instant
tanning creams:
Clinique, Biotherm, Lancôme, Helena
Rubenstein, Dior, Clarins, Juvena, Estée
Lauder and Lancaster all have auto-bronzers (“autobronceadores”) from between
20 and 25 € for 125ml.
Piz Buin does a cheaper self-tan foam
at 15,50 € for 125ml, which begins to
develop in 30 minutes.
The more luxurious names, such as
La Prairie, Sisley and Kanebo, are also
available in Spain. Although you will pay
up to four times more, these are top of
the range beauty treatments. For example, Sisley has a sumptuous Botanical
Facial Sun Cream, for around 100 €.
SAFE SUN - FIND YOUR FACTOR
Use the right Sun Protection Factor ‘SPF’ for your skin. The SPF number on
sunscreen products indicates the length
of time it protects you. For example
SPF60 indicates protection for one hour,
SPF30 half an hour, etc. (Some brands e.g. Estée Lauder, use a slightly different
(American) SPF system. Read the labels
carefully). Sunscreen acts as like a
mirror reflecting light away from the
skin. Your skin type will determine how
long you can be in the sun before you
burn and cause damage.
NOTE: The sun does not discriminate between male
and female, so the following information is equally
important for you guys too!
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE SO DON’T FORGET TO DRINK!
In hot weather it’s very important to
drink more water than usual. Three
litres a day is a good average. This will
help to keep your skin hydrated, clear
and youthful. Consider this part of your
essential skin care plan in summer (as
well as in winter). It’s simple, cheap, but
often forgotten. Bottled water is best.
AFTERSUN
This year most brands have improved
their aftersun products. Their creams
are more absorbent and richer in hydration and cooling agents. For example
the Lancôme ‘Cool Confort’, aftersun
PF
A GUIDE TO SKIN TYPES AND THE SPF RECOMMENDED:
and ‘tan-extender’ instantly melts into
the skin. It cools, hydrates and even adds
a bit of extra colour - all for the price of
around 25 € for 150 ml.
Skin Type 1:
Pale, freckled skin (blond or red hair, blue or green eyes). Celtic type. Burns
easily. Goes red rather than brown. Your skin will burn within ten minutes of exposure. SPF 30 or higher essential
Skin Type 2:
Quite pale skin (dark blond to light brown hair, blue or hazel eyes).
Germanic, Scandinavian and UK types. Can gradually go brown. Your skin will
burn in less than 20 minutes. SPF 25 or higher.
ALTERNATIVE AFTERSUN SKIN CALMER:
A diluted solution of vinegar and
water can bring some relief. Or beat the
white of an egg with 1 teaspoon of caster
oil. Smooth over the skin as a lotion. Or
cover the skin with the mashed pulp of a
cucumber. Cool and soothing on sunburnt skin.
Skin Type 3:
Fairly pale skin (light to dark brown hair, blue, green or brown eyes). Skin can
burn but will go brown. Most common skin type to UK and Northern Europe. Skin
will burn within 20 minutes. SPF factor 20 - 25.
Skin Type 4:
Olive skin with naturally high levels of protective melanin. (dark hair and eye
colour) People of Mediterranean, Central European and Middle Eastern origins
often have this skin type. SPF of 15 - 20 should be adequate here.
Skin Type 5:
Light brown skin (dark or black hair, brown eyes). Those of Asian or Far Eastern
origin tend to have this skin type. SPF 6 - 15.
Skin Type 6:
Very dark (black hair and brown eyes). African, African-Caribbean, native
Australians have this skin type. SPF 4 - 10.
***Children should always be protected against the sun’s Ultra Violet rays.
Their skin has not developed its protective properties yet. Never let young
children get sunburnt.
I liken over-exposure to over-eating - just never a good idea and always causes
discomfort. If you’re not used to the sun, build up the time you spend in it
gradually and make sure you never burn. You’ll avoid pain and peeling and
keep your sun-kissed look for far longer.
True or false?
1. Applying two layers of sunscreen at once
will protect you for twice as long.
2. Exposure to the midday summer sun will
damage your skin.
3. Sunbeds are ‘safer’ than real sun.
4. Taking certain medications can affect
your skin’s reaction to the sun. You must
always check with your doctor.
1. FALSE • 2. TRUE • 3. FALSE • 4. TRUE
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). Fax: +34 93 726 66 15. email: [email protected]
Solbank Prestige Club Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage suffered by readers.
Can I transfer my offshore
company apartment into
my own name?
I BOUGHT an apartment ten
years ago in the name of my
offshore company, registered in
Gibraltar. Now I would like to
transfer this company ownership into my own name as an
individual so that I own the property in the normal way.
Is this possible? I have been
told that this transfer from the
company to an individual must
be treated as a “sale”, which
means that I will have to pay all
the normal Spanish taxes. This
is a big expense, considering
that really I remain the same
owner of the apartment.
Is there any other way to go
about it?
S.B. (Mijas)
YES, there is another way to
go about it, but let’s clear up
one point first.
You are really not the same
owner of the apartment. At the
moment, it is owned by a
Gibraltar company. The name
of the company appears in the
Property Registry as the listed
owner. After the transfer, your
own name will be listed as the
owner. It is true that you are
the owner of the Gibraltar company, but nobody outside
Gibraltar knows this. These
offshore companies, particularly in Gibraltar, became a
popular means for owning
Spanish property during the
1980s precisely because they
allowed the owners to keep
their ownership confidential, as
well as avoiding, quite legally, a
number of Spanish taxes. In
the event of a sale, no
Spanish transfer taxes are
charged because only the
Gibraltar company has a new
owner. The same company
continues to own the Spanish
property, so no transfer takes
place in Spain. The same
applies to Spanish inheritance
tax. The inheritor takes posses-
If we let our Spanish property, do we need a special insurance?
WE OWN A TOWNHOUSE IN SPAIN and we let it out. Our letting agent has told us we must
take out a public liability insurance in case there is an accident in the house and the tenants
want to sue us for compensation. Do we need this insurance?
J.D. (Dublin)
IF YOU LET your property in Spain, your tenants are not covered by your normal homeowner’s
insurance policy. You need to take out a policy that specifically insures rented properties.
The normal homeowner’s comprehensive insurance covers damage to the home by fire or
other cause, and will pay any claims against the owners by third parties. This means that a
guest in your home who is injured by tripping on a loose tile will be covered.
However, the normal policy does not cover people who work for you, such as the cleaning
woman or a plumber. Neither does it cover claims from tenants who are paying you rent. If you
let your property, and a roof beam falls on your tenant, the normal policy will not pay.
So, your agent is right when he says that you need the policy covering tenants. The policy is
almost exactly the same as the normal policy, but its premiums are five to ten per cent higher.
You and your tenant should be advised that the policy does not cover the tenant’s furniture
and belongings. If they have their own furniture in the place, they themselves should take out
a separate policy covering the contents of the house.
l
sion of the Gibraltar company,
which continues to own the
Spanish property.
The Spanish authorities have
placed a yearly tax of three per
cent on the assessed value,
the valor catastral, of all “tax
haven” properties. We suppose that you are tired of
paying this tax and wish to
own the property in your own
name.
Such a transfer attracts the
normal Spanish taxes of
about 10 per cent of the price
declared on the sale contract
because the property changes
owners.
The other way to go about it is to
wind up your company in
Gibraltar and distribute its
assets - the house - among the
company shareholders - yourself. This distribution of assets
attracts a tax of only one per
cent, plus other charges and
fees in Gibraltar and in Spain
that bring the total expense to
three or four per cent.
You need a lawyer or accountant experienced in handling
these matters to advise you.
irage?"
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with the gr
BASF plays an active role in the development of cars
powered by fuel cells. The NECAR 5 prototype by
DaimlerChrysler incorporates a new BASF catalytic
converter which guarantees the supply of energy. The
BASF catalytic converter transforms methanol, liquid
fuel, into hydrogen for the fuel cells in a simple, safe
and environmentally-friendly manner.
In this way, BASF is committed to finding innovative
solutions for providing alternatives which permit the
long-term mobility and supply of energy.
Further information on: www.basf.es/innovacion
Companies in the BASF Group in Spain:
BASF Española S.A. - BASF Coatings S.A. - BASF IT Services S.A.
BASF Curtex S.A. - Elastogran S.A. - BASF Sistemas de Impresión S.A.
Norteña de Distribución S.L.
BASF Española S.A.
Ctra. N-340, km. 1.156
43006 Tarragona
www.basf.es
Ground-breaking solutions. A responsible approach.
Chemical, Plastic and Fibre Products, Finishes,
Products for Food and Agriculture, Petroleum and Gas.
Solbank is a registered trademark of Banco de Sabadell, S.A.
M-297604
Alicante
CORONATTI
Andorra
MERCAT DE L’OR
Barcelona
J. ROCA
Bilbao
PERODRI
Elche
JAVALOYES
Marbella
GÓMEZ Y MOLINA
Madrid
PERODRI
BROOKING
HEROCAT, S.L.
Teléfono: 93 272 05 41 • Fax: 93 272 05 42
e-mail: [email protected] • www.hysek.com
Oviedo
NICOL’S
Reus
SOLANES
Santander
PRESMANES
Zaragoza
GINES

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