Costa Life Magazine #30 Aug 07

contents

issue

30

costa culture

4

Cover story

The truth about Paella

by Mike Wilkinson

costa getaways

6

Rio Frio

by Harvey Mann

costa companies

10

Local Business Spotlight

costa lifestyle

16 18 19 20 22 24 26 30 34

Mens Stuff Male plastic surgery What Men Want What Women Want Hannah’s Beauty Tips Summer blitz Helen Johnson Midday power lunch Health news Laptops linked to back problems

Cover story Health article Take the sting out of summer allergies

Cover story Hog rally comes to Fuengirola Short story Gorillas by Harvey Mann

costa homes

36

The house doctor Looks at what´s selling what´s not

4 44 56 58 60 66

Interiors Bathroom Bliss Danger of Fire

by Peter Harrison

86 87

Spiritual Thought Charity PAD dog and cats home

Step by step guide to buying a property in Spain Surviving the summer in the inland garden

by Simon Hill Costa business advice Your quick guide to buying a bar... in Spain

costa stuff

68 70 72 74 76 76 78 80 82 84

Charity football match England versus Scotland A bloke, a bike and the road to Espana Part 3 Movie Review Music Review Book Review Costa Cuisine Showbiz Whispers Strange But True & Challenge Animal Health Bytes & Pieces

26 guide to the costa

89 90

Useful numbers, phrases and shopping tips that will aid your stay in Spain Where to go and What to do along the Coast

business directory

94

30

All your services and business needs in our comprehensive listings Sponsored by www.guidetothecosta.com

Hello and welcome... to issue 30 of Costa Life Magazine, yes, number 30 and that is a great achievement and milestone here on the Coast for any publication.

Doesn't time go fast when you're working really hard! Sharon has decided that over the next few issues the staff are going to be writing the introductions to the magazine and I think that's a good idea.

Coast and Country radio on 106 fm is going really well and we are gaining a loyal following of listeners just like the magazine readership and we are really pleased with its development. A big thank you goes to all our clients who have got involved with the competitions and if you fancy winning some fabulous prizes every week then tune into Coast and Country radio on 106fm.

Look out for some big changes in our business in the next couple of months, changes that we believe are going to take us forward in a stronger way as we head towards 2008. Can you believe where the year is going, going gone?

If you fancy a great night out in September then check out the ad in this months issue for our "Change a life ball "at the Tamisa golf hotel on September 1st. It's strictly black tie and will be a fantastic night out for all involved. It's our second ball and is sure to be a great event with live entertainment, fireworks, great food and a charity raffle.

Tickets are available to all our readers, clients and listeners, so if you want to enjoy a great night out call 952 471 091 or log on to www.costalifemagazine.com or www.ccfmradio.com to register your interest. It's not often you get a chance to really dress up here in Spain so we're sure it will be a great do.

Hurry though, there were only approx 100 tickets left out of 200 when we went to print so don't be disappointed, get in touch asap and book your seats.

That's it from me, time for me to get back out on the road. Spare a thought for all of us salesmen out plodding the beat in the sweltering heat, it's hard graft you know, but heh could be up to my knees in flood water. See you soon and have a great August

For Information on distribution points, sales or any other enquiries call 952 471 091 or email: info@costalifemagazine.com or visit our website www.costalifemedia.com

Editor Sharon Holdsworth Consulting Editor Harvey Mann Design and Production David Philliskirk Advertising Sales Ronan Holdsworth Accounts and Administration Lorraine Bonora IT Advisor Dave Howard of Alphashare Web Master Mike Wilkinson Contributors Bars In Spain Linda Christie Lydia Green Peter Harrison Hannah Henley Simon Hill Lee Jay Helen Johnson Jan Morley Dr J.S. Nicolas Numero Uno Cruella Parsons Annette Riggall Russell Vaughn Videonet Dave Wakelin Mike Wilkinson Company Director Ronan Holdsworth Partner Barrie Shearman Images courtesy of Costa del Sol Tourist Board Jump Photography Deposito Legal MA-0054-2004

Reproduction of this magazine in whole or part without the written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited. The views expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Although every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information and the advertisements contained within this magazine, the publishers can accept no liability.

Produced by and part of the HOLDSWORTH SHEARMAN MEDIA GROUP

952 471 091 info@costalifemagazine.com

Written By:

Mike Wilkinson

mike@costalifemagazine.com

W

ay back in the good old days, when I was a student, I used to eat like a student, which basically meant buying the cheapest food available - rice, pasta, potatoes etc - and adding the cheapest meat you could find, normally chicken or cheap fatty mince, to create a reasonably cheap meal. However, there was once a time when my local grocery store had a deal on some out-of-date instant meals, which, as a student, one wouldn’t normally buy because they’re too expensive for what they are. But, as I say, the shop was selling them cheap - a good word when you’re a student - and I came out with about ten packets of assorted Vesta ready meals - Beef Curry, Chow Mein with crispy noodles (that were often very difficult to get to go crispy) and Paella with rice and prawns (not that you often see paella without rice!).

They must have been well old too, because they originally had a shelf-life of about two years! But hey… what a truly international diet I had as a student - whilst stocks lasted. They were labelled ‘‘serves two persons’’ (I've often wondered, why persons and not people?) but they must have been for small persons because I found that there was barely enough just for myself from one box.

I mention this just to illustrate that I was very familiar with the traditional dish of paella even then - the true taste of Spain. In actual fact, Vesta paella is no closer to Spain than the Sydney Opera House or the Forth Bridge. Real paella does not come out of a box. Real paella has its origins going back over a thousand years. And real paella did not originally contain prawns, or any other seafood for that matter. So, 4 costa life

let’s take a closer look at this famed Spanish dish and learn the truth about paella.

Our story starts in Valencia in the 8th century when the Moors brought rice to this eastern Spanish region. It was cultivated in the wetlands of the Turia valley and is now a way of life for Valencians. Cooking rice in this region is a formidable art and is debated with as much passion as the latest football or bullfighting results. When the farmers and peasant farm labourers were out in the field, surrounded by rice, it was a natural step to go and cook some of it for their midday meal. They would light a fire of vine twigs and, in a big circular pan, throw in anything that was available - snails, eels, frogs, rabbit, wild duck, beans - and, of course, some rice.

The rice growing paddy fields were nowhere near the sea and so it’s safe to assume that seafood was not an original ingredient. When it was finally cooked, the labourers would gather round the pan with their own personal wooden spoons and dig in. And so was born the humble paella.

Paella (pronounced ‘‘pie-EH-yah’’ because, as we know, ‘‘LL’’ is pronounced like a ‘‘Y’’ in Spanish. Please do not say ‘‘pieella’’, especially in Spain, because it’s so cringe-worthy) is a golden yellow rice dish known throughout the world. It is cooked in a large shallow pan with ringed handles, also called a ‘‘paella’’ (which means ‘‘pan’’ in the local Valencian dialect) but

sometimes known as a ‘‘paellera’’, maybe to distinguish the pan from the dish that’s actually cooked in it. There are as many recipes for the dish as there are cooks, everyone claiming that theirs is the best. As it spread across the country each region added its own local ingredients but the essence of the dish remained and there are, even today, certain guidelines that one should comply with when cooking the dish to create a truly authentic tasting paella.

Paella is happy food, fiesta food, Sunday lunch in the garden with your family and friends food. This is the Valencian barbeque, so first and foremost, no women - this is a man’s domain. Sure, the girls can have some when it’s done but traditionally it was the men that cooked paella out in the open, over a large vine-branch fuelled fire - and we all know that men like burning things more than women. You cannot make it in a frying pan on top of a cooker, especially if it’s for a large number of guests. You need a proper paella, and the size used would depend on the number of mouths being fed - and some are large enough to cook for fifty people (or persons).

The next important issue is what should go into it. Just remember, you cannot make a good dish from bad ingredients (although it is possible to make a bad one from good ingredients) so do not cut corners. A good tasty stock is one of the key ingredients along with juicy meats that will end up flavouring the rice. Saffron is used to give the rice a rich golden colour, a distinctive smell and a tangy taste. You should have enough good quality saffron to make your lips tingle. Using yellow food colouring is a big no-no! And the rice to use is big fat juicy bomba rice, grown in the fields of Valencia. It is a starchy short-grain rice and should not be washed beforehand as that washes away the starch. The grains resemble a little accordion as they fan out to absorb those glorious juices oozing from the meats in the pan. If you don’t live in Spain and cannot find bomba rice, then Italian Arborio rice, normally used for risotto, is a good alternative. It is short-grain like Spanish rice and besides… the Italians got the risotto dishes from Spain in the first place. Andalucia is also a rice growing region but the rice grown here is long-grain rice, mostly for export to northern European countries, the Spanish rarely use it… and NEVER in paella! And don’t get taken in with all these pretty pictures of paella dishes piled up high with extravagant, swanky seafood.

The taste is mostly cooked into the rice so if the rice isn't tasty you will end up with an expensive plate of style with no content.

So, we’ve got our fire blazing underneath our paella pan with all our ingredients in it - olive oil, garlic, onions, beans (green and white), chicken, rabbit, slugs and snails, stock and saffron. There were no tomatoes or bell-peppers in the original dish as they did not exist in Spain at the time the dish was being cooked in the fields. The rice is the last thing to add, and once added it is given a quick stir and that’s it. From here on, all that is disturbed is the fire. It should have been hot whilst the meats were cooking but once the rice goes in, the fire is left to settle down and let the rice simmer and soak up the all flavours. Do not stir the rice. After about fifteen minutes the fire should be stoked up again to give the dish one last boiling frenzy. By turning up the heat and not stirring the rice, all the juices at the bottom get caramelized and burn to a thick, crunchy crust.

Any normal person may think that the cook’s gone and burnt it… but it’s supposed to be like that, it’s called the socarrat and is considered by most

Spaniards to be the quintessential element of paella. I even got that right as a student. The rice grains are not separate like long-grain rice; they cling to each other because of the starch but are never sticky or mushy.

Once cooked, the paella is taken from the fire and left to rest for ten minutes - being cooked is quite traumatic for food and it needs a rest before it gets eaten. Then it’s time to all gather around the paella pan and eat it, straight from the pan. Everyone seems to know where the borders of their portion are and it’s considered rather rude if you cross the line, even though there’s not actually a line there.

As I mentioned earlier, cooking paella is usually a man’s domain and, with men being men, it can sometimes turn into a bit of a competitive sport. In fact, paella cooking competitions are rife throughout Spain, the largest one being in a town just south of Valencia called Sueca (nothing to do with Swedish, mind). In the second week of September, right after the rice harvest, all the local restaurant chefs pile out onto the streets of Sueca to cook their own recipes in a bid to claim the paella king crown. But it’s all goodhumoured fun with plenty of wine flowing, and the only real winners are the spectators who get to feast on the chefs’ creations after the event.

And, finally, I was thinking I would include a paella recipe within this article but no real definitive recipe exists. Besides, cooking paella isn’t about following a recipe, it’s about responding to the ingredients with a passion and instinct. So pull out your paella pan, spark up your fire and have some fun, hombre.

costa life 5

>> costaGETAWAYS

RIO FRIO Written By:

Harvey Mann

T

he word 'tradition' is described in the English dictionary as meaning "a body of long established customs, practices and beliefs, viewed as a set of precedents that are valued by a particular culture". Tradition is a word most often used by many of the British type bars and restaurants that can be seen along the Costa del Sol. Blackboards garishly written in different coloured chalks tell you that you can have a traditional English breakfast, such as eggs, sausages, bacon, fried bread and beans. In some cases this stomach-cchurning fodder has been the cause of a descent into obesity and, adding insult to injury, the blackboards then read that this breakfast stodge can be consumed all day long.

Again, the word tradition is used to describe the British traditional Sunday lunch. This, as all us Brits know, mainly consists of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, a mound of crispy (if you're lucky) roast potatoes, swimming in a dubious gravy with a couple of soggy vegetables balanced on the edge of the plate, often washed down with copious amounts of beer and a large gooey sweet (pudding) to finish.

How could I ever forget those halcyon days sitting on the terrace of the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, firing up my gastric juices by sipping a pre-lunch pink gin and, like all the other Brits around me, waiting to consume the traditional 'roast beef and trimmings' Sunday lunch. Looking back it was a little bizarre, as black white-bow-tied dinner-jacketed waiters scurried from table to table occasionally dropping Yorkshire puddings off the edge of their serving platters, while in a swirl of dust the dead beef's offspring and relatives such as oxen and goats were herded past on the street by near-naked Masai tribesmen carrying spears.

My dear departed friend David Allen (whose life story was made into a 1953 film called Mogambo starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly) after he retired from being a white hunter became a pilot, and often used to fly me in his little Piper Apache down to the Masai Mara on safari. David's favourite saying was "Every day should be Sunday," and this he used regularly as large amounts of slightly undercooked beef and Tusker beers were rapidly dispensed with. Memories of Nairobi have now been consigned to history.

Here in Spain I'll relate to you yet another splendid Sunday. With my wife and friends we were sitting on a shaded terrace in the small village of Riofrío, just about 70k northeast from Málaga. We travelled in two cars, following our previous neighbours Lotte and Rene from Alhaurín towards Málaga, then onto the A-92m, Málaga's Autovia towards Granada. My wife and I travelled with our new neighbours Kirsten and Jurgen who also happen to be Danish. Jurgen drove, thank god, as the Danes are not as suicidal as the Spanish and our speed was comfortable enough to enjoy the rolling hills and valleys. In the distance, the mountains of Sierra De Tejeda, which protrude upwards like a cardboard cut-out against a brilliant blue sky only broken by cottonwool clouds. Along the way we passed places like Casabermeja, Colmenar and Riogordo on the right, then the villages of Villanueva de Cauche, Villanueva de Rosario to the left and the near-by Villanueva del Trabuco.

Alfarnate became a blur as Jurgen steered his trusty Audi round a bend. Sandra, my wife, and Kirsten were seated in the back chatting away. Jurgen touched the gas pedal as he negotiated yet another twisting bend in the road, and we crossed the Rio Guadalmedina yet again. I lost count of the times that we saw the Rio Guadalmedina sign. Lotte told me later that, owing to so many bends in the road, we crossed the sometimes dried-up Rio Guadalmedina 27 times!

Just about an hour after we'd left Lotte and Rene's new house at Alhaurín el Grande we turned off the A-92 at a sign

>>

>> costaGETAWAYS rapidly dispensed with. consigned to history.

Memories of Nairobi have now been

Here in Spain I'll relate to you yet another splendid Sunday. With my wife and friends we were sitting on a shaded terrace in the small village of Riofrío, just about 70k northeast from Málaga. We travelled in two cars, following our previous neighbours Lotte and Rene from Alhaurín towards Málaga, then onto the A-92m, Málaga's Autovia towards Granada. My wife and I travelled with our new neighbours Kirsten and Jurgen who also happen to be Danish. Jurgen drove, thank god, as the Danes are not as suicidal as the Spanish and our speed was comfortable enough to enjoy the rolling hills and valleys.

In the distance, the mountains of Sierra De Tejeda, which protrude upwards like a cardboard cut-out against a brilliant blue sky only broken by cottonwool clouds. Along the way we passed places like Casabermeja, Colmenar and Riogordo on the right, then the villages of Villanueva de Cauche, Villanueva de Rosario to the left and the near-by Villanueva del Trabuco.

Alfarnate became a blur as Jurgen steered his trusty Audi round a bend. Sandra, my wife, and Kirsten were seated in the back chatting away. Jurgen touched the gas pedal as he negotiated yet another twisting bend in the road, and we crossed the Rio Guadalmedina yet again. I lost count of the times that we saw the Rio Guadalmedina sign. Lotte told me later that, owing to so many bends in the road, we crossed the sometimes dried-up Rio Guadalmedina 27 times!

Just about an hour after we'd left Lotte and Rene's new house at Alhaurín el Grande we turned off the A-92 at a sign for Riofrío which is close by to the lovely town of Loja. Loja is situated on the western side of the province of Granada and, with a population of around 21,000, is just a few kilometres from Riofrío and stands like a bastion between the mountain ranges of the Sierras de Loja and the Sierra Gorda with a peak that reaches up to 1,671 above sea level.

Loja was once known as the doorway to the kingdom of Granada that

is around 40 kilometres away, and its picturesque terrain is a wonderful area for hunters, archaeologists and potholers.

Loja was an old Muslim town originally called Medina Lawsa after being recaptured by the Christian armies in 1486. It was then renamed Loja "Flower among the thorns" by Queen Isabella. Today it is easy to see the Moorish influence while walking round the crooked streets by the Alcazaba and the Caserón de los Alcaides Cristianos, a ruined Moorish fortress built in the 10th century that rises above the old town. This was built as a strategic point above the Rio Genil.

The Templo de San Gabriel with its dominant belfry and striking façade designed by Diego de Siloé was built in 1566. Another lovely example of 16th century architecture is the Antigua Casa de Cabildos situated in the Plaza de la Constitution, which is currently the public library. Loja is known as the 'city of water' and one of its main features is a stunning fountain with 25 spouts given the name of Fuente de la Mora or fountain of the Moorish maidens.

Around Loja is the fast flowing Rio Genil that slices its way through the Los Infiernos gorge. In the 19th century, the Narváez family changed some of the way Loja looked when they built a palace and gardens.

To the west of Loja is the tiny village of Riofrío that is famous for its fresh fish meals, and that is why we came here, for our version of a Danish/English Sunday lunch. The village of Riofrío is just a little more than a street, alongside a charming picturesque river inhabited by swans, ducks, and fish, with a charming stone bridge surrounded by many more trees than the 200 people that live in

costaGETAWAYS >> Alfredo our waiter is a cousin of the owner Paco, whose knowledge of English is equal to his knowledge of salmon and trout. "Rama means bend in the river," says Alfredo, and then tells me that "the Paco Rama Restaurant and Pension started in 1993 and is classed as a two star, with a rate of 33 euros per room per night". I think the Paco Rama could be described as comfortable but basic. "What we do here is country style cooking," Alfredo continued. "We have plenty of meat dishes on the menu, however most of our customers come here for the fish; either salmon or trout cooked in many different ways, and sometimes with our own special cream sauce". The six of us ordered large chef salads that we shared and salmon trout cooked in a saffron style sauce, which was delicious, accompanied by nicely chilled glasses of tinto verano.

this tiny hamlet. The trees are a mixture of willows, figs, almond and maples. It is almost inconceivable that a tiny place like this should have 11 restaurants, but these are situated along the short main street and spill out onto the tiny Plaza of San Isidro.

The car park in front of the Paco Rama restaurant is like a scene from the Chariot race in Ben Hur. A little man called Juan, wearing a Francostyle peak cap blows a shrill whistle and rotates his arms furiously like helicopter blades, as he tries to guide frustrated drivers by squeezing their cars or 4X4s into spaces that are mostly too small. Some drivers that day were either reversing at speed or going forward at an alarming pace as they tried to beat each other for vanishing spaces.

Some drivers even parked so close that they would have had to be as skinny as Kate Moss to be able to get out of their cars.

Maybe this was part of Juan's plan to become mega rich: every driver able to park gives him a tip and, as today is Sunday, the village is bulging at the seams or, as Riofrío's speciality is fish, it's full to the gills. Car after car that arrived worsened the traffic jam, as Juan like an air traffic controller wedged them in. You could almost see the wouldbe diners licking their lips as they prepared to lunch on the famed salmon and trout that are either bred in huge tanks or swim in their thousands in the Riofrío.

Alfredo told me that they serve something like 400 trout dishes a week. This surprised me as there must have been at least 400 people eating in the restaurant that day. Lotte is one of those women that can turn a sow's ear into a ten-course banquet and, as on previous visits, she was going to buy some fish to take home. After we finished our lunch, Lotte and Alfredo led me down into the cellars, where she was able to buy live flapping fish that are then stuffed into plastic bags. Lotte is an astute shopper and chose six trout, three salmon trout and four trout that had been smoked, for just under 30 euros. When home Lotte would then gut them and prepare them for the freezer.

Our trip into the country for a Sunday lunch was now complete; the terrace was pleasant and gave us a good view of the many children and their families that were celebrating Confirmations, as usual the girls dressed in white bridal style dresses and the boys dressed in their traditional uniforms.

So back to the word 'tradition'. Though it was not a traditional Sunday lunch for any of us, British or Danish, it could become a regular habit.

The fish was delicious, and sitting on the terrace on the bend in the Riofrío was a wonderful way to have our version of a Sunday lunch.

Sandra, Lotte, Kirsten, Rene, Jurgen and I strolled along the river bank. As you can guess from its name, the Riofrío that is fed from the mountains that surround Granada is ice cold, and the shade from the large overhanging willows lowers the temperature considerably.

It is really a breathtaking Spanish countryside and would have inspired Monet to paint the area.

costa life 9

>> costaCOMPANIES

Local Business Spotlight

11 12 14

costaCOMPANIES >>

Salt Water Chlorinators from

S

alt based chlorinators disinfect your pool, providing more pleasant water, with no chlorine taste or odour, as well as all the benefits of slightly salty water.

Working cycle Only a small amount of salt needs to be diluted inside the pool. Afterwards, only minimal amounts of salt must be added to replenish losses caused by water drained off during the filter backwashes.

When salty water flows through the electrodes, the unit converts the salt into an active disinfectant (sodium hypochlorite) that destroys algae, bacteria and fungi and oxidises organic waste.

Pools For more information please call us on 952 591 053 or call into the shop which is situated at the entrance to Dona Pilar, just below Restaurante Valparaiso and next to the Octagon Bar. We are open from 9am to 5 pm and have a huge selection of pool accessories including heat pumps, automatic covers, Jacuzzis and our very big selection of pool toys and games.

We are also very happy to give advice on any of our services…

New pools Renovations and repairs Professional pool maintenance

This disinfectant is reconverted into salt, thus renewing the cycle with no salt losses.

Advantages Improved swimmer comfort A salt water chlorinator helps prevent dry skin and irritation to eyes and mucous membranes, as it contains no chlorine or isocyanates. Your pool can now be completely fee of any trace of chlorine taste or odour.

Healthier water Slightly salty water is a natural antiseptic that inhibits microorganism growth in water and keeps the water in peak condition for even longer.

The salinity of the water is similar to tears and provides an exceptionally agreeable sensation.

Significant savings Only 4 grams of salt are needed for every litre of water whilst filling the pool, minimising subsequent chemical purchases.

The electrical requirements are around the same as a light bulb.

Completely safe system There’s no need to handle or store chlorine. The salt chlorinator system is completely safe, as it runs at a level below battery voltage.

Special offer from Splash Swimming Pools At the moment we are selling a Salt water chlorinator unit for 1,116.00 € This will sanitise pools up to 100 cubic metres.

This is a special price – only available whilst stocks last.

The normal retail price is 1,757.00€

costa life 11

UNBEATABLE VALUE-7 DAYS A WEEK Since opening it’s doors in May, the CURTAIN WAREHOUSE is well on it’s way to becoming a remarkable success. With over 200 sq. mts the shop has a spacious and relaxed atmosphere allowing customers to browse at their leisure.

Stocking probably the largest selection of ready to hang curtains and voiles on the coast and a huge range of designer fabrics, the CURTAIN WAREHOUSE also boasts a great diversity of merchandise on offer at unbeatable value!

CURTAINS-BEDDING-FABRICS-TOWELS-CUSHIONS-THROWS-BLINDSHEADBOARDS TRACKS POLES, BEAN BAGS, DOG BEDS, KIDS UPHOLSTERED ARMCHAIRS, OTTOMANS The list is endless and with new stock arriving every week you're sure to find something for everyone. Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, and China are just a few of the places where goods are sourced, not forgetting Bradford and Rochdale! Yes the UK still has some of the best textile suppliers in the world and the CURTAIN WAREHOUSE is delighted to be able to showcase their designs.

SPECIAL OFFERS AND PACKAGES The last special offer promotion was taken up by huge number of happy customers who took advantage of the PACKAGE DEAL offer.

The package consists of, for example, for a 2 bed homeCURTAINS FOR 2 BEDROOMS AND 1 LOUNGE - top quality lined curtains multiple choice available 8 BOUNCE BACK PILLOWS + PILLOW CASES - non-allergenic 3 DUVETS + DUVET COVERS - 4.5 tog / 10.5 tog - top designs SHEETS FOR ALL BEDS - luxury percale quality TOWEL PACK - 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 2 face cloths, 2 bath mats - 100% cotton SCATTER CUSHIONS - hundreds to choose from The CURTAIN WAREHOUSE also offers an in-house measure, make up and fitting service at a price that won’t break the bank. Run by a friendly and professional team who are willing to give free advice and with the most competitive prices it makes this a must see shop!

Being situated on the same street as the NATIONAL POLICE makes it easy to find and if your feeling bored on a Sunday morning not only is the shop open till 2pm, there is

also the added attraction of the street market just across the road. During the week opening hours are ten till seven - no siesta!

Shop owner Paula, knows how difficult selecting curtains and bedding can be and has put together a collection of contemporaryclassic and even retro designs to cover most tastes.

The CURTAIN WAREHOUSE does exactly what it says on the tin, unbeatable value 7 days a week!

Open Mon-F Fri 10am - 7pm Sat-S Sun 10am - 2pm Avda. Santa Amalia 6, Fuengirola Tel 952 582 555

Unbeatable value 7 days a week Curtains bedding fabrics towels cushions throws blinds headboards tracks poles Mon - fri 10 - 7pm - Sat - sun 10 - 2pm A huge selection of ready to hang curtains - or if you prefer, take advantage of our make up service. Hundreds of rolls of designer fabrics.

In house measuring - fitting - make up

STOP PRESS a bit of summer madnessEYELET CURTAINS

15 euros a pair !!

A FANTASTIC RANGE OF DESIGNER CURTAINS LIMITED STOCK only

Tel 952 582 555 AVNDA. SANTA AMALIA 6, FUENGIROLA

>> costaCOMPANIES

M

agnetic Training Academy (Sol Nail Supplies & Training Academy) offers specialised nail training, in all aspects of nail technology, throughout Spain. We are also the leading distributors of Magnetic Nail products and we offer a comprehensive range of very economically priced products for Acrylic nails, Gel nails and Fibreglass nails. All our liquid and powder systems do not require any primer and are therefore much kinder to the clients own natural nails, they are also available as an odourless UV light cured system. Additionally we have a large range of coloured Acrylics, in glitters, pastels and primaries.

Our Magnetic Gel system is conquering the European nail market. It offers easy to handle gels that can be used with or without primer for excellent adhesion. A further important advantage is that unlike other systems that require three different gels, Magnetic offers Nail Technicians the chance to work rapidly and cost effectively from just 1 pot of Gel. Other products include beautiful nail art supplies, airbrushing and nail accessories. Magnetic nail polishes, tips, adhesives, files, blocks, brushes and many more, in fact Magnetic is Europe's most complete brand in nail care and we guarantee none of our products have been tested on animals.

The excellent value for money of the products makes Magnetic the favourite brand for 1000´s of nail technicians and their customers throughout the world and they are now available in Spain.

So whether you are looking for acrylic, gel powder liquid or fibreglass Magnetic is always a reliable choice.

If you are a beginner, wishing to learn how to apply artificial nails, receive education in nail art and manicures and learn about the all new Laguna pedicure airbrushing of nails we can train you to a recognisable standard. If you are an experienced technician looking to upgrade to a new experience in nail products then we invite you to give us a call today.

In the industry client base is built by good initial training. Quality training is essential for any individual really serious about a career in the very lucrative nail business. Without proper training nail technicians will not succeed and it is our aim to promote success.

The courses are intensive both in theory and practical application and are rewarded with a certificate recognised in more than 34 different countries throughout the world.

Our training is unique in that we use the "Nail Trainer" to practice on, this is a totally lifelike plastic hand that enables the student to replace the human hand for training purposes. This way the student quickly acquires the skills needed for working on clients and cuts out the need for human models which aren't always available and can result in un-necessary damage in the beginning to natural nails.

We are currently offering an opportunity for people to become distributors and educators within our company throughout Spain There is NO franchise fee to pay and the only requirement is that you have the will to succeed within the industry.

We also have our sister company The Nail & Beauty Salon operating just around the corner from the academy where Jill carries out all aspects of nail & Beauty treatments using all the most up to date products including of course; manicures, facials, real Thai massages, waxing, make-up and the fabulous new Laguna pedicure.

With our detoxing treatments and the famous San Tropez Tanning

14 costa life

costaCOMPANIES >> system plus our top hair stylist we give the clients the opportunity to get a complete makeover in our one stop beauty salon.

We are now official distributors for the ´Buttercup´ range of uniforms for nail technicians and beauticians. These are well known and again provide good quality at a reasonable price.

We, as a company are always striving to provide an excellent service at a reasonable cost, from owning a salon ourselves we know just how hard it is to get good products and service at an affordable price.

We invite you to give us a call or even pop into the shop and academy where you will be welcome to try out any of our products yourself as there is no better judge of a product than trying it for yourself. Either I, (Ron) or Jill my wife who is the educator will be pleased to show you around.

The Nail & Beauty Salon was first opened some 4 years ago by Jill Sibbett who previously had worked as a teacher in the beauty school in Malaga and then as a mobile therapist but then decided it was time to open her own beauty salon in Arroyo de la Miel. Since opening she has built up a strong client base with many of her clients returning to take advantage of all of her treatments including manicures, pedicures, waxing (of all parts) make-up (including day, evening, party and bridal).

Detoxing and the SanTropez ultimate tanning system. The salon also has the services of a Thai masseur who gives a genuine Thai Massage (everyone who has had one is ecstatic about it) the salon also has a top hair stylist.

The Nail & Beauty Salon is by far the best place to go for first class nail extensions in either acrylic, gel or fibreglass and the ultimate in nail art on both hands and feet. Jill is without a doubt an expert in this field as she is also an educator for Magnetic International Nails who in conjunction with the salon's sister company Sol Nail Supplies have brought Europe's most complete brand of nail care products to Spain. So you can be sure that everyone can call into The Nail & Beauty Salon and leave with a complete body make-over from head to toe.

CHOOSING NAIL TRAINING What to look for!

Classes on professional courses should ideally be small and personal.A training course should cover both theoretical and practical elements.Once initial training is complete students should be able to get support from a well trained customer service department offering advice and guidance at any time it´s needed.A good training centre should be able to offer a variety of courses so students can build up a complete knowledge of the industry.Training should be completed with an examination giving the student an industry recognised certificate at the end.

Choosing a course When choosing a nail training course think carefully about what you want to achieve,think about what is on offer and what you get for your money.

WHAT TO ASK Some courses include a starter kit, but can you actually do anything with it? What does it include.

Will you have to spend money on extra product before you can start.

What will you learn.

Are the learning targets achievable.

Are there any additional costs,like examination fees.

Phone fax 952 560 051 Mob 607 586 894 Training courses available for Acrylic, Gel, Fibreglass, manicure, Pedicure and Nail Art email info@solnailsupplies.com www.solnailsupplies.com Calle San Antonio, Centro Comercial San Juan, Arroyo de la Miel, Malaga, Spain costa life 15

>> costa LIFESTYLE

Male Plastic Surgery I'm sure we would all like to look like Brad Pitt or Denzel Washington. Not all of us are blessed with a square jaw and granite abs.

But fret no more because modern medicine can slice and dice you into the man you should be

Breast reduction If you have a little extra fat on your chest or maybe you have full-fledged man boobs.

Either way, you'd like a flat, smooth, manly chest. Breast-reduction surgery involves vacuuming out the fat and trimming excess skin to give you a flat, masculine chest. The procedure is called gynecomastia, which is also the name for the man-boob condition, and usually takes one to two hours to complete.

Implants If you've spent hours in the gym and your chest is still puny, and no matter how much time you devote to your calves, your legs are still scrawny. You can now have pectoral, calf, abdominal, and even butt implants that can give you the appearance that you should have after the hours you have put in at the Gym. Implants are typically made of silicone that's meant to mimic firm muscle; they are inserted into the desired area through a small incision that's about an inch long. Each implant surgery usually lasts between one and two hours per area.

Supplements Your Body Needs…

Multivitamins

You can make all the protein shakes you want, but if you're not getting the vitamins your body needs to build muscle and other tissue then you're just wasting your time.

Researchers recommend taking multivitamins to keep sperm healthy. Also, vitamin B controls the energy-level regulator cortisol, which is beneficial if you work in front of a computer all day. Multivitamins are also key to making other supplements work correctly.

Folic acid

It's not just for Ladies who are pregnant; this B vitamin is a stroke preventative.

Studies have shown that men taking large doses of folic acid were 30% less likely to suffer a stroke than those taking just a little. It also helps the body digest; use the proteins that boost muscle growth. Folic acid is essential in the production of red blood cells and is helpful in improving energy levels, it prevents heartburn and replaces lost nutrients in the body, all of which helps the digestive system work properly.

Calcium

This mineral builds bones, aids in weight loss and possibly decreases the risk of colon cancer and cholesterol. Be sure to combine your calcium intake with vitamin D as directed. It's just as critical in maintaining bone health and keeping your body healthy. Though sunlight is one of the best ways to get your vitamin D.

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Stupid Quotes. . . ‘‘I’m someone who has a deep emotional attachment to Starsky and Hutch.’’

- Bill Clinton, former U.S. president ‘‘Politics gives guys so much power that they tend to behave badly around women. And I hope I never get into that’’ - Bill Clinton, former U.S. president ‘‘You know the one thing that’s wrong with this country? Everyone gets a chance to have their fair say.’’

- Bill Clinton, former U.S. President

Things not to say during childbirth…

Do you think the baby will come before Monday Nights Football starts?

If you think this hurts, I should tell you about the time I twisted my ankle playing football.

Your stomach still looks like there's another one in there.

I hope you’re ready. The Glamour Shot photographer will be here in fifteen minutes.

Dumb Quote. . . ‘‘Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry. I mean I’d love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies and death and stuff.’’

- Mariah Carey

>> costa LIFESTYLE >> Stay ahead of the crowd…

>> The stripe is back…

Grey velcro pump Topman 3 Striped polo in blue Burtons

Multi pocket long shorts Topman

Multi coloured shirt Topman

Astra lightweight denim crop

>> Belt up and step out…

Burtons

Fabric belt with buckle Benetton

Blue hibiscus flip flop Burtons

Flip flops Benetton

Smoky lens visor frame Burtons

>> Sweet smell of summer…

Benetton

Calvin Klein Eternity Man

Cacharel Amor por Homme Sunshine

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Store Locator A to Z

Accessorize www.accessorize.com La Cañada. Benetton www.benetton.com Fuengirola. Burtons www.burton.co.uk Gibraltar.

Dorothy Perkins www.dorothyperkins.co.uk La Cañada and Miramar. Evans www.evans.com La Cañada and Miramar.

Topman www.topman.co.uk La Cañada. Topshop www.topshop.co.uk La Cañada.

Evans

costa LIFESTYLE >> >> It's getting hot hot hot …

Beach Beauty…

Black halter neck swimming costume Accessorize

Zebra print thong flip flop Accessorize

Zebra lurex sarong cotton rectangular sarong bead trim Accessorize

>> Summer sizzler…

Pink bangles Dorothy Perkins

>> Summer seasons must haves…

Daisy print frill sleeve dress Topshop

Resin rose ring Topshop Large brown framed sunglasses Dorothy Perkins

T-Bar sandal Topshop

>> Summer scents…

T-Bar sandal Dorothy Perkins

Red daisy halter dress Dorothy Perkins

Sui Dreams

by Anna Sui

Shalimar Light

by Guerlain

costa life 19

>> costa LIFESTYLE

Summer Blitz‌

The sun shines and suddenly we realise that the forest of hair on our legs, bikini line, and just about everywhere else needs to be removed; that our cellulite looks worse than it did last year and that pale is definitely not interesting.

De-fuzzing According to a new survey we're getting hairier! This is due to our changing lifestyle habits. The good news is that some of the latest ways to de-fuzz are brilliantly effective.

It might sound frighteningly space age but in most cases lasers can zap hair permanently. The Aculight system now works on most skin types and hair colour, which is important because it's the pigment of your hair which the laser targets. A therapist uses the handheld device that beams laser energy (without harming any skin or tissue) to the hair follicle. The light from the laser heats up the follicle and destroys the hair. You may feel some heat on the skin and a slight pricking sensation, but it's not painful. You will need between three and six treatments.

If DIY waxing is your thing then remember to test the temperature of the wax before applying it to the whole of your leg. Test a small amount on your wrist! To minimise bruising always stretch the skin.

When possible try your local salon for a professional treatment.

Finally, if you suffer from ingrown hairs try a product called Vanish.

PFB Vanish is a unique roll-on gel formulated to aid in the relief of ingrown hairs and razor burn/bumps resulting from shaving, waxing, electrolysis and laser hair removal. PFB Vanish gently exfoliates skin cells to "lift ingrown hairs" above the skin line reducing swelling and redness due to irritation. They guanrantee it and results can be seen in 24-48 hours.

Try Mineral Make Up this summer‌ These are 100% pure minerals that are free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other harmful chemicals. The formula provides impeccable coverage for every skin type and skin tone, and protects with a natural sunscreen. They are Non-comedogenic, will not block pores and Very water resistant. Great for staying natural this summer.

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Faking a golden glow The newest products on the market are gradual, daily tanners, these really are worth using, particularly if you use a daily body lotion.

They give a soft, natural and streak free tan and most dry very quickly. Gradual tanners are the best way to get a decent tan, if you don't need a rich colour immediately you use them when you want to improve your colour.

These tanning products are great for people who do not have a lot of time, as it's very difficult to make a mistake with them. But make sure you don't get a build-up so exfoliate dry areas reguarly and apply these products evenly.

For those on a budget there is Johnson's Holiday skin Body Lotion or Dove's Moisture Tan. St. Tropez have launched Everyday, a hydrating body moisturiser that also firms skin and minimises the cellulite effect.

Celebrity tip Sarah Jessica Parker gets

eyecatching legs by applying a shimmery body lotion on just the front part of her shins, from knees to ankles.

For a similar result, you can use a powder brush to apply a loose shimmery powder.

costa LIFESTYLE >>

costa life 21

>> costa LIFESTYLE

Midday Power Lunch Have you ever thought of a mid day power sandwich to revitalise yourself after a lunchtime workout? Well here is a simple sandwich for a great muscle boost.

Protein is a big part of muscle building, but its not the whole story.

Muscles need accessible energy from glycogen (stored carbohydrates), as well as a smattering of vitamins and minerals to keep everything ticking over.

TO MAKE:- Cut 2 thick slices of bread from a whole grain loaf, and spread very thinly with butter. Mix 1tbsp of fresh cooked prawns with 1tbsp of cottage cheese and season. Thinly slice half an avocado and one tomato. Add a handful of spinach leaves and top with the prawn mixture.

AVOCADO - this is a rich source of Vitamin E and Vitamin B6, which helps synthesis protein and fat soluble vitamin K. COTTAGE CHEESE - Great lean protein, which the body will digest slowly to repair and maintain muscles. The high calcium content keeps bones strong and healthy too.

SPINACH LEAVES Super food Spinach is a great source of Vitamins A, C and K as well as essential iron.

PRAWNS - Protein which helps repair and build muscles.

Good source of Magnesium, which aids the development of muscle.

TOMATOES - Helps protect body's cells from damage and also helps prevent heart disease, as tomatoes are a great source of antioxidant lycopene. They also have a natural anti-inflammatory properties, soothing sore muscles after a workout.

Helen Johnson - Personal Fitness Trainer & Nutritionist - 617 453 550 - fitness@luv2btraining.com 22 costa life

costa LIFESTYLE >>

Gymnasium fully equipped gym with both fixed and free weights crosstrainers + bikes treadmills + rowing machines professional instructor available only gym open at 8 am

Classes over 56 fitness classes every week step aerobics, aerobics, hip hop, yoga, bums & tums, latest reebok decks new from Finland “gym stick” suitable all ages individual pilates room individual spin bike room with 40 bikes individual aerobics and exercise room with sprung floor from Sept “early bird” fitness classes at 8am Mon, Wed, Fri Goshin Ju Jitsu + Tae Kwon Do

Facilities fully air conditioned - lockers high powered showers - hair dryers mens & womens saunas - jacuzzi

costa life 23

>> costa LIFESTYLE

Laptops linked to back problems…

The number of computer users with back and muscle problems has risen. Girls as young as 12 are being diagnosed with nerve damage caused by slouching over screens. Back specialists say as many as four in five patients have chronic nerve damage caused by working on portable PCs. A common problem is perching a laptop on the legs so users stare down at the screen and put strain on their necks, spines and legs.

Chiropractors recommend the use of a docking station, which links a laptop to another screen and keyboard, or a stand which raises the screen to a higher level.

Eat plenty of fish…

Fish is the recommended diet for a longer healthier life. Studies have found that those who regularly ate fish were up to one-third less likely to get heart disease than those who ate it less than once a month.

Health tip…

Top tips to get fit this Summer…

A garlic a day: Garlic is the mother of all cures. Researchers in Liverpool have found that 5ml of garlic extract lower levels of a disease-causing chemical by up to 48 per cent.

Eat breakfast. That's a key fact. Studies show that if you eat breakfast you keep your weight off better than if you skip this meal.

Pearly whites…

Water. Water. Water . Drinking water speeds up your metabolism so drinking water equals weight loss.

Your teeth can gleam. Eat apples, oranges, celery, carrots and high fibre green.

Atkins diet linked to bowel cancer…

While the famous Atkins diet might help you shift some weight it may lead to increase risk in developing bowel cancer. Researchers have discovered a link between eating less carbohydrates and a lower count of a cancer fighting bacteria that is present in the gut.

Butyrate, and acid which helps kill off cancerous cells, suffers a four-fold reduction when on a low carbohydrate health regime. The idea behind the Atkins diet is to switch the body's chemistry turning it from burning carbohydrates to burning fat instead.Stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Catherine Zeta Jones have all claimed that they have lost weight with the regime. However the diet has also been blamed for increasing the risk of heart disease, bone disease and osteoporosis in women.

24 costa life

Weight train. You've all heard it -- the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Get rid of the snack food, chocolate crisps they must go, stock your cupboards with good food.

Think positive you can do it.

>> costa LIFESTYLE

TAKE THE OUT OF SUMMER ALLERGIES If a wasp or a bee lands on you, gently blow it off the skin and remain still, do not frantically swat at them.

The Treatment…

If stung by a bee, immediately scratch or flick off the barbed stinger, being careful not to just pull the sting or the venom sac may break off. Don't squeeze as this spreads the venom. With bee and wasp stings apply ice or a cold compress. A freshly cut onion, vinegar or tea tree oil can also soothe a mild reaction. Take an antihistamine tablet and apply hydrocortisone cream if it swells. Do not exercise or take a hot bath after being stung, as this could also spread the venom.

THE SNEEZE…

THE STING… An insect allergy is caused by the body reacting against the insect's venom. A first sting sometimes primes the immune system, so that subsequent stings will cause an allergic reaction. When stung, most people will experience some pain with redness and minor swelling around the sting. This is a local toxic reaction to the venom, not an allergy.

Those who are allergic will have a more immediate and severe reaction. They can experience a reaction known as anaphylaxis, to wasp or bee stings.

Symptoms can include generalised swelling such as of the throat, breathlessness, stomach pain, a drop in blood pressure (feeling of weakness) and collapse.

However, deaths from stings are extremely rare and the risk of having another similar reaction is 30-60%.

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Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, is a very common condition. It is caused by an allergy to airborne substances such as grass or hay pollens, which affects the upper respiratory passages (nose, sinus, throat and eyes). Hay fever symptoms can be similar to a cold, and include a runny nose, watery eyes and repeated sneezing attacks. As with all allergies, the symptoms happen as a result of your immune system (the bodies defence system) overreacting to a normally harmless substance, in this case pollen. When the body comes into contact with pollen, cells in the lining of your nose, mouth and eyes release a chemical called histamine that triggers the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

If you have asthma, you may find that your symptoms, such as wheezing and breathlessness, get worse when you have hay fever as well. Sometimes, asthma symptoms only occur during the hay fever season.

In addition to individual sensitivity and geographic differences in local plant populations, the amount of pollen in the air can be a factor in whether hay fever symptoms develop. Hot, dry, windy days are more likely to have increased amounts of pollen in the air than cool, damp, rainy days when most pollen is washed to the ground.

As with most allergies, the best way to control them is by avoiding the trigger substance. However, it would be very difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the summer months when you want to spend more time outdoors.

costa LIFESTYLE >> Taking a non-sedating antihistamine such as Claritin before the bite can greatly reduce the reaction; both the swelling and the itching. If you know when you're most likely to be exposed, this can go a long way toward preventing discomfort.

The Treatment…

Wash the infected area with soap and water as soon as you realise that you've been bitten. Try to keep the site clean and dry until the irritation abates.

Avoid scratching. Although a mosquito bite should itch for only a few days, continual scratching will increase your discomfort and may prolong the itching.

Make a paste of baking soda and water, using just enough water to make the paste sticky. Spread the mixture on the bites.

Use calamine lotion or a topical anaesthetic containing pramoxine to help relieve pain and itching.

Take an anti-histamine like benadryl to help with any swelling or itching.

Don't let summer allergies keep you indoors - get out there and enjoy the hot weather.

The Treatment…

Antihistamine tablets or nasal sprays stop histamine, the chemical released by your body, from causing the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Steroid nasal sprays and drops are more effective than antihistamine tablets in preventing and relieving nasal (nose) symptoms, including sneezing and congestion.

Eye drops work by reducing the release of histamine from your eyes, which eases itching and swelling.

THE BITE… When the mosquito stabs her needle-like mouthparts through the skin of her victim, she injects her saliva. The first time a person is bitten, there is no reaction; the second time you will get small red itchy lumps 24 hours later. This is the most common reaction in small children. In adults a pale, swollen hive, or wheal, begins to appear within minutes after a bite - followed by the red bump.

>> costa LIFESTYLE

HYALURONIC ACID

An artificial joint fluid that helps your joints keep going

O

steoarthritis of the joints is, next to lower back pain, the most frequent health problem an orthopaedic consultant has to treat.

Osteoarthritis is usually a slow on-going process and due to the missing nerve supply in the joint, the beginning of this disease process cannot be felt.

Scientifically arthritis within a joint starts with the slow loss of its' elasticity, like a rubber cushion becoming brittle over the years, and also losing its' capacity to resist against pressure. Adding to this problem is the fact that the normal joint fluid, produced every day by the joint synovial tissue (the membrane around the joint), is also losing its nutritious effects, eventually causing the cartilage to dry out. The cartilage gets weaker and thinner until it starts to break up in some areas. These results in part of the articular joint surface not being covered and protected anymore, leaving just the bone exposed. Advancing further, these areas of exposed bone inside the joint get that big that the articulating surfaces are not protected anymore and one could be walking 'bone on bone'.

At this stage of the joint disease, stage four out of four, the only sensible option to help with the pain and loss of mobility would be the total joint replacement. But in any of the earlier stages of this disease there is another non-surgical way to help. Possible signs of the early stages of osteoarthritis are, for example, repetitive swelling after several hours of work, (e.g. a knee swelling in the evening after a day out), the joint occasionally feeling hot, ache or pain at night, or pain after sitting for a prolonged period of time. Alarming signs would be swelling of the joint in the morning, sharp pain on motion or decreased range of motion due to pain. Having experienced these symptoms one should consult a bone and joint specialist (consultant orthopaedic surgeon) to verify the stage of the disease. A thorough physical examination should be performed, not only of the affected joint, but also of its counterpart on the other side and all neighbouring joints, as well as checking the neuro-vascular status. Taking x-ray images of the joint in two views is the golden standard. Regarding the knee joint in particular these radiographs should be taken standing to show

the true joint gap (the gap between the two bones of the knee which would show how much cartilage is left in the joint). Only in very special occasions would it be necessary to arrange an MRI scan.

Should this examination show that the arthritis is in an advanced stage (no joint gap on x-ray), surgery might be indicated. If the advanced stage of arthritis can be excluded, conservative treatment would be an option.

Usually this consists in non-steroidal (no cortisone) anti-inflammatory tablets and physiotherapy, sometimes supported by injections into the joint with cortisone to reduce the inflammation. In addition hyaluronic acid, also called viscosupplementation, can be injected into the joint. This artificial homeopathic joint fluid has shown that it can reduce pain and discomfort from a partially worn-out joint, possibly due to it increasing the elasticity and strength of the cartilage on the weight bearing part of the joint. This pain reducing effect can last up to 18 months. A joint is given between 3 and 5 injections, depending on its' effect, each separated by one week.

Once a course of these injections has an effect of less than 6 months, surgical treatment such as keyhole surgery might have to be considered.

The artificial joint fluid injections can be done on the smaller joints as well as on the larger ones. The injection into the hip joint is done under x-ray control to confirm that the needle is actually within the hip joint because it sits quite deeply compared to the more superficial joints of the knee, ankle or toe.

These artificial joint fluid injections have a very high success rate and often reduce or eliminate the need for taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication as well as increasing one's ability to enjoy walking again without pain.

For any further questions regarding hip resurfacing or any other bone, joint or soft tissue problem, please go to

www.clinica-sandalf.com or ring 952 57 77 66

Mr Alf Neuhaus

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Col. No: 9.220

Sandra Vincenti

UK Chartered Physiotherapist Col. No: 682 Treatment of Arthritis & Rheumatism Joint Replacements - hip,knee,ankle,shoulder Hip Resurfacing Advanced Cartilage Repair Keyhole Surgery Hand and Foot Surgery Accidents & Fractures Bone density measuring available X-ray Facilities - Diagnostic Ultrasound Back and Neck Problems - sciatica,whiplash,etc.

Rehabilitation - post op,post injury Emergency Accidents dealt with (ambulance service available 24hr per day)

Travel insurance & International insurance claims welcome 24HR EMERGENCY SERVICE - TEL:656 313 293 Tel: 952 577 766 - E-mail: clinica.sandalf@terra.es www.clinica-sandalf.com C./ Pepa Guerra Valdenebros, 29631 Benalmadena behind Tivoli World Arroyo 28 costa life

>> costa LIFESTYLE

By Lee Jay

A

comes to Fuengirola

Saturday in Fuengirola, during the holiday season, is always a hustle and bustle time, but today its even more vibrant, with the sound of 1000’s of Harley Davidson motorcycles from all over Europe.

The 16th Annual HOG Rally has hit town.

Bikers with their families have been arriving all week to party, have fun and generally ride their motorcycles all around Andalucia.

Harley Davidsons of every shape and size, some customised so much so that they appear un-rideable, with back tyres so wide any sports car owner would be proud of them are thundering around towns and villages throughout the region. The show itself is not only a chance for the consumption of vast quantities of alcohol and food but also for owners to meet, ride-out together and see the latest models of their favourite bikes and even have a test ride. We are here on the beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, the final day of this HOG Rally, to sample some real HOG hospitality.

So what is a HOG. Graham Hill from the ‘‘Aire Valley Chapter’’ Harrogate explains ‘‘HOG is a group of like minded individuals who get together to ride, have fun and talk motorcycles’’.

These groups are called ‘‘Chapters’’ and are sponsored by the local Harley Davidson’s Dealership. The main requirement to be a HOG is that you have to own a Harley Davidson Motorcycle. There is now also the Ladies of Harley which has been set up so that lady riders can have a bit of fun too.

30 costa life Images supplied by Ian Martinez 0350 54000050

Today Chapters have travelled from all over the world.

Joab from Switzerland proudly claims to have ridden 2500km from Bern to arrive here in Fuengirola.

Many of the UK riders have ridden their machines here and whilst some are having them sent back via truck, most are taking time and riding back through Spain, Portugal and France Pete Goddard is the man responsible for organising and controlling the Harley Davidson Experience Tour as it is known. Pete tells us that this particular part of the tour has at least two models of every new Harley Davidson available for you to ride. Providing you can show a valid driving licence you are taken in a group of 20 or so out for a ride around the countryside of Mijas, on to Coin and then back to Fuengirola - what an exhilarating experience.

Lee and Diane Hurst from ‘‘Nene Valley Chapter’’ take time for a chat with us on their way back to the hotel for a shower and a swim, throughout the day there have been ‘‘Chapter’’ games in progress with competitions like slow riding, slalom rides and tyre tossing.

To the casual observer 10,000 or so bikers hitting town would be a major cause for concern and we put this point to Chris and Julie Ringer also from ‘‘Nene Valley Chapter’’, but as Chris pointed out most of the attendees were too old to cause any trouble. This particular consideration may have escaped the police in Rhonda who called for reinforcements when a 1,000 HOG’s rolled into town on Friday.

Most of the Peñas within the Feria Ground have been taken by Harley Davidson dealers from all over Spain promoting their wares however a

costa LIFESTYLE >> couple are being run as bars with live music and DJ's throughout the day and night.

There are a number of music stages, the headline act on the main stage on Saturday Night is Roy Wood (Wizard, ELO and Move fame) a chat with Roy complete with his beard and red hair, reveals that this is the second HOG rally his Rock and Roll band have appeared at - last year was in Ireland - and he is working on a new album to be released later this year.

The show later in the evening comprises of a collection of favourites together with some new stuff that Roy has written for the forthcoming album, still very much in the Rock n Roll vein.

During the day there is also an amazing stunt show staged by Buell extreme rider Craig Jones. Craig has been working for Harley Davidson since 2000 and has presented his show throughout the world. He is the Guinness Book of Records holder for a ‘‘stoppee’’ or ‘‘endo’’ this is riding a motorcycle on the front wheel only - the distance achieved being 305metres which was set at Donnington Park Race Curcuit in the UK. He is also one of the few riders to be able to pull a ‘‘wheelie’’ (riding a motorcycle on the back wheel only) on the 285kg 2.6m long ‘‘V’’ Rod. An incredible show to see if ever you get the chance.

As mentioned earlier some of the machines here are customized, Nick Gale Customs from the UK have brought some of their more radical designed motorcycles and for the 3rd year running won the prestigious ‘‘Best in Show’’ award and just to prove a point, the owner for whom the bike was built, rode it from the UK to Fuengirola just for the show. Nick also tells me that last year they were commissioned to produce a very special motorcycle for Michael Shummacker to be presented to him by Jean Todd of Ferrari as a leaving present. The cost of the bikes he produced - how deep are your pockets!

The various chapters have now mounted their machines, some for the long ride back to the UK Switzerland, Poland, Germany, etc. some to have their bikes shipped back and some just to ride home to Malaga or Marbella Well that’s it, the show is over and the sound of Harley Davidson’s fade as

THE LEGEND ROLLS ON THUNDERING TOWARDS A DISTANT HORIZON

"Most of my show is just music and jingles as i spend most of my time writing profiles for the website......"

Dave first appeared live on stage at the Westminster Hospital in London - now sadly no longer with us (the hospital, not Dave) aged zero. Born to parents of both sexes, he grew up in the Midlands - the land of Tiswas and Crossroads - but that did not seem to effect him too much.

Having moved back to London when 17 to answer the call of the BBC, Dave began a successful career in both milk and newspaper deliveries in between times entertaining at weddings and Barmitzvahs across the capital.

A chance meeting with Diana Ross lead to a dance routine on Top of the Pops (which, oddly enough, was never aired in the UK) and may have made Dave the first ever reality star but his heart was still in DJ-iing to hospitalised people and young children - a captive audience, and people too young to know better.

After relocating to Devon and the land of the clotted cream, Dave and family moved to Spain to enjoy some sun and work in the illustrious business that is radio broadcasting. Although receiving some set-b backs on the airwaves of the Costa del Sol, Dave now plays live each day on this station - a legend in his own lunchtime !!

11.00am - 2.00pm - Dave Wakelin Join Dave for the Big Lunchtime Show for a huge array of music, quizzes and features to help you through the middle of the day. The latest news from the UK and the world of finance, some quirky headlines and a funny look at Asia with Let´s Laugh At The Chinese.

Great music too - including One Love where you can choose a favourite song for your loved one, 3 from 1 at 2 playing tracks from the days featured artist as well as music from the CD of the Week.

Tune into ccfm and you could win some great prizes every week from these companies

WIN WIN WIN with David from Calla Burras collected his free night for two at Fuente Grazelema Hotel in Cadiz, courtesy of Numero Uno Estates.

Lorna and Dave (pictured left) received their prizes from Sam at Tim Hartwoods Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms in Calahonda. Lorna and Dave, who listen to CCfm in Antequera, won over €500 worth of goodies including a case of Freixenet cava, 6 champagne flutes, a beech cutlery drawer insert with a set of cutlery, a beech knife block drawer insert including a set of carving knives, and a wonderful set of chrome saucepans with thermostats.

Anne & Claire collecting a 100 piece tool kit from Numero Uno Estates in La Cala de Mijas.

Siesta presenter Lee Jay interviews Teresa from Calahonda who won the months top prize of a 250€ voucher from Mijas Diamond & Jewelry Centre.

Jill from Torremolinos won herself an elegant Double Quilt & Pillows, courtesy of ACE Cortinas in Riviera.

Other winners include: Sam from Calahonda, who bagged 5 sunbed sessions, kindly donated by Lisa of KISS Hair & Beauty Marcus from Malaga gets a chance to take his loved one for a complimentary Tamisa Golf Hotel Sunday Lunch Estah Lopez won herself a Case of Champagne, splashed out by Spas4You.Com Amanda of Elveria can sort out any niggling little ailments with the aid of her €150 voucher from Clinica Sandalf in Benalmadena.

Jill, Torremolinos, Meal for 2 at Portofinos from spas4you.com.

David, Elveria, 4 tickets to hipodromo.

Diane, Tolox, 150euro consultation voucher from clinica medical sandalf.

listen on line at work on www.ccfmradio.com "we wont tell the boss if you dont!"

>> costaLIFESTYLE Written By:

Professor Harvey Mann FRGS (Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society)

Gorillas M

y heart skipped a beat, in fact several. I gulped for air, unable to breathe; I felt as though my lungs had collapsed with fear.

The hand that had broken through the undergrowth in front of me was huge and covered in thick matted hair. It was like watching a horror film; I did not want to see what I was about to see, but I could not avert my eyes.

Titus, the dominant silverback and leader of his group of mountain gorillas, was approaching. I had heard him coming for several minutes, crashing through the bushes and emitting grunts as he tore at saplings and snapped tree branches. His huge bulk crashed through the last

34 costa life

barrier of trees and bushes that stood between us. I was now looking into his eyes which were dark brown like glass buttons, sunken into his black leathery creased face. He had a huge jaw line and a mouth as big as a cave with huge canine teeth, more suitable for a carnivore than an herbivore, and a wide nose that enabled him to breathe better at altitude. On top of his head was a large upstanding crest of hair and, standing on his hind legs, he was almost six feet tall, twice the size of a rugby front row forward and easily around 50 stone in weight.

Since the murder of the famed American zoologist Dian Fossey in 1985 I had regularly stayed at the Karisoke research centre that she founded some 18 years previously. This research centre was built for the study and protection of the mountain gorillas which live at high altitude in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda. These were discovered in 1902 but since then had been driven to the edge of extinction by poachers. I had

costaLIFESTYLE >> human odour of fear and the anger in his eyes softened.

I felt then that he had accepted me as not being a threat to him.

Some of the ordinary people of Rwanda, one of the poorest countries in Africa, have been driven by poverty to behave like the reviled poachers. They resort to hacking off the heads and hands of gorillas, selling them as trophies to be displayed on walls or coffee tables by mindless rich people who live in palatial houses behind electronic gates. Another major threat in Africa today is that the bush meat trade is on the increase, bringing a risk to all the wildlife that roams the plains. This also includes all the gorilla population, the lowland gorillas as well as the mountain species, as gorilla meat according to legend gives the eater extreme power. Titus is a wonderful example of a dominant silverback primate and a close relative to us Homo sapiens and it is hard to understand the madness of poachers and collectors of animal parts.

During my time at the Karisoke research centre there was continuous unrest along the borders of Zaire, Uganda and Rwanda, which culminated in the blood bath between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes in Rwanda and ended in the horrendous civil war in 1994 when almost one million people died.

For the last 12 years I have travelled the world, giving illustrated lectures on my life with the gorillas, and the continual fight to protect them from extinction.

therefore been asked to become part of a new attempt to raise funds to rebuild the anti-poacher guards that would protect the remaining 650 or so Gorillas.

For several hours our trackers had cut their way through thick rainforest climbing upwards, the ascent no quicker than 1,000ft an hour, and up towards the mist that swirls around the peaks of Karisimbi and Bisoke that rise up to almost 15,000 feet. It was a few days since we had left the capital Kigali and, unshaved and unwashed, I had to try to keep pace with the soldiers that the President had ordered to escort me every time I returned to Rwanda, one of the most dangerous regions in central east Africa.

At first glance Titus was indeed something to be feared and the rules of engagement that I had been trained for in how to confront gorillas now flashed through my mind. I dropped down as low as I could and broke off eye contact with Titus, not looking at him directly, as this could be mistaken as a sign of aggression. I then vocalised to him gently, the noises gentle childlike sounds deep from the pit of my stomach "huhmmm, huhmmm." I repeated them over and over again, hoping that the sounds would reflect my passiveness and defuse Titus's initial anger.

I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck as a huge finger prodded my shoulder so I rolled over very slowly and halfopened one eye. Titus was looking at me inquisitively, trying to recognise me, but this was the first time we had met. Titus's hand enveloped my head; one squeeze and he could have crushed it like an egg. He lowered his face down towards me and sniffed me; somewhere in his memory he recognised the

costa life 35

The House Doctor

W

The House Doctor Alex, from Numero Uno "The Original Real Estate Café" Looks at What´s Selling What´s Not

hew! It’s so hot. I’ll tell you it isn’t easy working in this heat, especially when you are as busy as we are. Yet another record month (property sales that is - not temperatures). I need to find a cure for the fact that there are’nt enough hours in the day. I was thinking that maybe we should make a day

consist of 48 hours and have 10 days in a working week. We could still have 52 weeks in a year. In fact if you do the math this would also cure the aging problem because everybody would only be half the age they are. Trouble is we would all look twice as old and only live half as long so maybe we should just leave things as they and instead of working harder to achieve our goals we should just work smarter. What do you think?

So what is selling and what isn’t ? At the moment the market is driven by people looking for ‘‘homes’’. Permanent dwellers or people looking to relocate to the Costa del Sol. These people are looking to buy a home that will replace the one they left behind or rent until they find somewhere suitable. The criteria is fairly normal, 3 bedrooms, 2 plus bathrooms and private gardens. The must haves are ‘‘closet space’’. They want nice

36 costa life

areas within reasonable distance of schools with good road access. Budgets are typically €300,000 plus. These buyers whilst discerning are very realistic about what they are looking for.

Quite often these buyers are the fledglings of the ‘‘snow birds’’ that live on the coast through the winter months and return their northern European home countries as the weather improves.

These buyers are not usually retired in fact they are coming here to set up new enterprises or take up executive posts for the companies they work for here in Spain. Some are on relocation expenses for the first few months and others are just pioneering spirits willing to risk all and chance their arm on a new life in a country that offers a much better quality of life than most.

The most popular areas for these people are those within the Mijas Costa triangle. In this area prices are holding well with averages of €2950 per sqr metre constructed for good quality property, and near perfect property with top quality fittings fetching as much as €4000 per sqr metre. Sales in the second quarter in Mijas Costa are 9.8% up, so we are looking at yet another good year for the main area of the coast with anticipated annual growth of around 10%-11%.

For the moment apartments aren’t really moving very much.

So what can you do if you are trying to sell your apartment? Consider this, a rental

purchase plan. Now this will only work if you don’t actually live in the property. What a rental purchase plan does is contract an individual to purchase by a set date in the future and rent the property from you in the meantime. They pay rent plus a premium, if they fail to purchase by the said date they lose there premium. In the meantime you have benefited by receiving rental income and if they don’t purchase you are recompensed by the premium payments and hopefully the additional appreciation in the property.

So what is the logic behind selling a property that is designed primarily as a holiday home and leaving it empty for a couple of years whilst its being sold? It makes more sense to let the property out. Then at least an investor buyer can see that they will have an immediate yield. Still what do I know! I’m only the property doctor, my job is to help prescribe a cure for an ailing market. I can tell you the people that have listened to my advice are selling their properties and some of them are at least getting a reward whilst the property is on the market. A property that is being lived in is twice as likely to sell as those that are empty and cold. Good luck and have a great August.

costa HOMES >>

costa life 37

>> costa HOMES

38 costa life

>> costa HOMES

40 costa life

>> costa HOMES

For all your insurance needs, do it the right way.

Motor insurance for UK and Spanish plates, home and contents, health insurance, pet, travel and commercial insurance.

Established on the coast for over 7 years thousands of satisfied customers Situated next to lidl supermarket in calahonda or arrange cover by calling 952 934 963 or go on line at www.rightwayinsurance.com.

Right Way Insurance ……….. insuring you, your family and your belongings the right way

42 costa life

costa HOMES >>

A .C.E. C ORTIN AS S.C. CURTAINS, BEDSPREADS, CUSHIONS, LOOSE COVERS, HEADBOARDS, PELMETS, SWAGS AND TAILS ALL MADE TO MEASURE.

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We stock a wide range of poles and rails at reasonable prices We offer a free measuring & fitting service.

We can use your materials or pick out from our stock.

Alterations & repairs undertaken.

We have a range of readymade curtains and bedding available to order.

We can give a full furnishing & interior design quotation if required.

A.C.E. Property Management & Maintenance will assist you in Electrical requirements, general painting.

Woodwork and general property maintenance.

We also make small items of hand crafted furniture.

“We Do It So You Don't Have To” Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm Saturday and evenings by appointment Unit 5 Centro Comercial, Las Terrazas De Mirafloresgolf, Calle Acuario Rivera Del Sol, Mijas Costa 29649 Tel 951 273 242 Fax 951 273 437 Mob 645 082 560 email: info@acecortinas.com

costa life 43

>> costa HOMES

Bathroom

Written by

Lydia Green A relaxing bathroom is a necessity in today's home. Consider relaxing in a warm and cosy room with the lights dim, candles lit, soft music playing and a large glass of your favourite wine. No cares or concerns about what is going on behind that closed door - just relax and enjoy whilst inhaling the aroma of the bath oils as they release in the water swirling around you‌

Images supplied by: Tim Hart Wood kitchen bedrooms and bathrooms

N

owadays, bathroom designs can transform this functional room into a haven of tranquillity and comfort - here are some tips to help you create your very own sanctuary...

Until fairly recently, it was a room that was regarded as unimportant and its organisation and decoration was neglected. Nowadays, however, bathrooms have come into their own and are seen as indispensable focal points, not just spaces exclusively given over to personal hygiene.

A bathroom can be a heavily trafficked room in any home, so it must be durable and practical as well as stylish. Choose easily maintainable surfaces - tiles, marble and stainless steel are all long-lasting and convenient for cleaning.

Bathroom designs have come along way in the last ten years and, like the rest of your home, you can have a theme design - cool contemporary or lavish luxury. Whatever style takes your fancy, with the bathroom suite, colour scheme and accessories you will achieve your ideal bathroom.

A new style that has become fashionable is freestanding bathroom furniture from traditional to ultra sleek and modern - items can be rearranged and moved easily, so redecoration isn't as big a job.

>> Bath-tub and Jacuzzis Vintage bathrooms, especially those that embody the design values of the early 20th century, have never been hotter and our grandmother's

bathroom is exactly the inspiration we're looking for. Even those whose homes are otherwise a temple to the latest techie innovation turn to the classics when it comes to the bath. Nowadays bathtubs are available in all shapes, sizes and styles; you may choose a classical shape that's functional and easy to maintain, a traditional Victorian or a bold and modern shape, or maybe a luxurious double-ended bath with lion claw feet: whatever takes your fancy. Maybe you want to be extravagant and opt for a bubbly Jacuzzi set into the floor and enjoy the relaxing water-jets cleansing your body and mind. Whatever you choose - be practical, make sure it fits your everyday life and blends harmoniously with the rest of your interiors.

>> Bathroom Bits Whether you are looking to update an existing suite or redesign your bathroom, you will see that bathroom fittings have improved greatly with many more styles, colours and a wider choice of fixtures available. Your existing bath, sink (basin) and toilet may function perfectly well, but replacing them with a new set could give your bathroom that special personal touch, whilst stylish taps can create a whole new look to your existing bathroom suite. Bathroom accessories are your finishing touch so choose to compliment and enhance your theme and colour scheme.

The use of mirrors creates an illusion of space and reflects natural and artificial light around the room. Lighting is a great way to create atmosphere in a bathroom, make it relaxing with dimmer lighting or add drama with candelabra for more of a of grandeur. Spotlighting is more widely used as it is both functional and visually appealing. Uplighters can be used to enhance walls or a special feature and create a focal point.

Use fresh colour, apply space-saving furnishings, mix contemporary and period styles to create the ultimate bathtime retreat.

>> Colour with confidence If your home only consists of one bathroom, why not consider using a neutral colour scheme, as it will give you the opportunity to change the style whenever you desire by injecting different splashes of colour with the use of accessories.

White is still by far the most popular choice for toilets, baths and sinks, so why not jazz up white fixtures with colour. For a clean but comfortable

>>

costa life 45

>> costa HOMES look, try some metallic blue paint.

When adding darker paint colours this gives you an artistic backdrop against which you can install colourful hooks or hang vibrant towels, so don't just leave it white as this makes a space look unfinished. Most home owners play it safe with bathroom colour, fearing that too much can overwhelm a small space, but the small size of the room lends itself to colour, from subtle to vibrant.

>> Bathroom tips You can never have too many towel bars. Install at least one on the back of the door; consider doubling them up and draping the top row of towels decoratively over the lower one. Or use towel rings; place one on either side of a pedestal sink, and another just outside the shower.

If your bathroom is truly miniscule, rethink what needs and does not need to be kept in there. Put a laundry hamper in each family member's bedroom; create a linen closet, perhaps in an armoire outside the bathroom. And do you really need all those half-empty bottles of shampoo, cosmetic potions and beauty jars?

Install shelves wherever you can. The wall behind the toilet is an excellent place and the space above the door is another. Instead of plain boards with brackets, consider using crown mouldings, gingerbread brackets or cornices (all available at building supply stores) to finish the look.

The modern bathroom should be a perfect environment in which to relax and rest, and should provide a refuge from the tensions of daily routine.

Transforming your personal space into a spa-like retreat is easier than you might think.

‘‘I can recommend Paula Monaghan whole-heartedly.

She and her team have always been very responsive, reliable and best of all, the furniture she has selected for my apartment, is nice, fits the space properly, and helps make my apartment more rentable.

I will continue to use Paula’s services as I add additional furnishings, to keep the ‘‘look’’ consistent, but more importantly because of the quality work she and her team have provided.’’

Kevin Platz Cologne, Germany

Exceptionally bright apartment in El Mirador de Mijas. The apartment consists of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge dining room, fully fitted kitchen and a large terrace with stunning views of the sea.

It is an end unit on the 2nd floor, is pleasantly decorated and comes fully furnished.

The lounge and master bedroom have direct access to the large terrace. Great apartment!

Stunning villa with 4 beds and 4 baths just outside Mijas Village. Views are spectacular and uninterrupted of the coast and countryside.A spacious, private family home which also has a self contained, guest suite consisting of bedroom, bathroom and sitting room with access to the swimming pool and lower terraces. The pool area is well laid out with rustic tile terraces and sun awnings. Off street parking in a carport. The property is in an elevated spot, has been well maintained and is a delight to view.

Spacious, 1st floor apartment, with lift, in Mijas Pueblo, in the centre of village life. Has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen with a separate laundry off, a lounge/dining room and large terrace with views to the sea. The apartment has marble flooring throughout and all bedrooms have fitted wardrobes. The property has A/C, Sky television, telephone point and is approx. 142sq. metres built, with a terrace of 15sq. metres.

NV 391

NV 233

NV 378

Price: 265,000€

Price: 695,000€

Price: 360,000€

Stunning semi-detached townhouse on the outskirts of Mijas Pueblo. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large lounge dining room with fireplace and French windows to the terrace and larger than normal sized garden. Fantastic views of the coast and surrounding countryside. The kitchen is fully fitted with all appliances included in the sale but the property is otherwise unfurnished. Communal pool and an allocated parking space.

Spacious duplex apartment in the heart of Mijas Pueblo, close to all local amenities. 2 double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, lounge dining room, kitchen, bathroom and guest toilet. Study area and 2 large terraces of 20 square meters, one that could be enclosed to form an additional room, the other having views to the sea. A/C hot and cold. Ideal family home or bolthole in the sun.

Worth viewing!

Delightful villa in a secluded area of the village of Mijas. Consists of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, large lounge with working fireplace and split level dining area. There is a rustic style kitchen with access to an outside laundry and private swimming pool. This is a lovely family home.

NV 351

NV 377

NV 380

Price: 330,000€

Price: 255,000€

Price: 650,000€

Village house in Mijas Pueblo. The property has 3 bedrooms although only 2 are used as such at the present time. The main bedroom has an en-suite toilet with wash hand basin and also has a little sitting terrace accessed from here. There is a kitchen, a lounge on the first floor, a lovely modernised bathroom and there is also a spacious roof terrace with ample room for sitting out. The house is approximately 150 sq. metres built and there is parking nearby. Typical village property but with more than usual space.

This bright, tidy end of row house is on 2 levels. property comprises living/dining room, kitchen, 1 double and 1 twin bedroom, 2 bathrooms, and lots of outside living space with built-in barbeque. wonderful views form both levels of the house. is ready to move into, having been recently modernised. The furniture is not included in the sale. The community of Mijas La Nueva has 2 communal swimming pools, tennis courts and a restaurant

Bright, centrally situated townhouse. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge, fully fitted kitchen, patio and external storeroom. Full A/C, hot and cold, and an open fireplace in the lounge. There are French windows with a Juliet balcony providing views to the sea. The main bedroom is large and has fitted wardrobes. The bathroom has been renovated.

Satellite TV and parking outside. The community has a swimming pool with ample terracing and stunning views.

NV 387

NV 386

NV 389

Price: 295,000€

Price: 285,000€

Price: 240,000€

D CE € DU 000 RE 89, ST M 4 JU RO F

E RY RIC VED P O O

G

Ref: V504252 Cerros del Aguila Villa - Reduced to 469,000€

Ref: P504267

4 bed, 4 bath, 700m² Plot, 190m² build,

This is an Elevated Building Plot, with 1785m² with the possibility to build 25% Views: Breathtaking, Coastal, Mountains, Open, Sea. Features Quiet Location

Sea and mountain views, 5 min to the beach, communal pool and possibility to build own one, garage.

Ref: 281 Torreblanca close to beach

Mijas

Building Plot

–

269,990 €

-

Cerros del Aquilar

-

Villa all on the same level

-

637,000€

Fantastic Offer 637,000€

Atico - 310,000€

3 bed, 2 bath, 172m² Build, 40m² terrace, Garage, pool, gardens, sea views and mountains, 2x20m² terraces, close to schools, very nice complex.

-

194,000 €

Very good opportunity.

Carib Playa

Townhouse - 422.500€

Ref: 291

-

Mijas Costa

-

Atico

Ref: A504239

Mijas-Costa - Apartment - 210,000 €

2 bed, 2 bath, 67m² build + 12m² Terrace. Close to the Sea, Furnished, Equipped Kitchen, Parking: Garage, Pool: Communal Pool, Garden: Community, Facing: South and West Views: Garden, Partial Sea, Pool. Features 24H Security System, Access to Beach, American Kitchen, Double Glazing, Easy Renting.

A verry exclusive Villa with Heated pool, double glazing, garage, large rooms, Sea views, in a quiet area.

Los Pacos

Duplex

3 bed, 2 bath, 170m² Build, 54m² Terrace, Townhouse right on the beach, in a verry quiet area in a gated complex, marble bathroom good renting potential, communal pool, gardens and beach.

3 bed, 3 bath, 1260m² Plot, 190m² Build. 50m² terrace

Ref 280

Riviera del Sol

2 bed, 2 bath, 130m² 10m² terrace + little private garden.

Community pool well maintained, gardens, 5min to shops and beach, nice views.

Ref: 273

Atico - 230,000 €

2 bed, 2 bath, 84m² build, 10 terrace.

Garage, pool, close to beach, air conditioning, easy renting.

Ref: 270

Ref: 289

-

290,000€

3 bed, 2 bath, 147m² build, 45m² terrace, Communal pool and gardens, tennis, close to beach, ideal for holiday renting. Nice views.

Ref: 147

El Chaparral

Villa- 680,000 €

3 bed, 3 bath, 1,100m² plot, 160m² build Pool: Private, Garden: Private, Facing: South Views: Sea. Features Alarm System, Automatic Irrigation System, Cellar, Double Glazing, Excellent Condition, Fireplace, Guest Apartment, Marble Bathroom, Solar Heated Water, Solar Panels

Luxury villa in Urb. Torremuelle with beautiful sea views

€ 1.750.000

Set in beautiful garden with spacious terraces and BBQ area with kitchen. Heated pool. Living room with fire place. Fully equipped kitchen. Sauna with shower room. 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms.

Housekeeper annex with own living, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. 2 garages for total 7 cars.

Plot: 1332m2 - Build: 680m2.

Ref.nr: 36442

Brand new penthouse in Mijas Costa

2 bed 1 bath Build: 56m2 Terrace: 32m2 Garage & Storage Near golf Sea views Pool, fitness, sauna.

2 bed 2 bath Build: 95m2 Terrace: 25m2 Furnished Marble floors Satellite Communal garden & pool

Ref. nr: 38406

Ref. nr: 36504

€ 198.000

Ground floor apartment Riviera del Sol

3 bed 3 bath Build: 227m2 Terraces: 50m2 Fantastic views Garage Basement Communal pool Near all amenities

€ 249.000 2 bed 2 bath Build: 110m2 Terraces: 112m2 Marble floors Satellite Panoramic views Garage & Storage Communal gardens & pool

Ref.nr: 31885 Ref.nr: 34840

Spacious townhouse Torrequebrada

close to sea

€ 350.000

Penthouse Fuengirola Hills

€ 450.000

Luxury Property

AEG403 - Good Value Country Home €273,000 Located in Alhaurin El Grande & set in over 6,000m2 of rolling countryside, 100m2 built plus 30m2 terrace. Pool plus enclosed garage/outbuilding - great access & an ideal location for horses.

Like this? The checkout ADT500 on our website

ALA508 - Álora

€420,000

An amazingly restored country villa with separate guest accommodation. 235m2 built set in 6,000m2 of land. Incredible attention to detail, beautiful pool & terraces plus spectacular views. 5 beds, 3 baths, inside & outside kitchens plus full services connected incl: town water, landline telephone & mains electricity.

Like this? The checkout ALA478 on our website

AMG411 - Fantastically Reformed Cortijo & Pool €335,000 Located in Almogía & set in almost 13,000m2 of beautiful Andalucian countryside, 170m2 built plus fabulous infinity pool. 3 beds, 3 baths, town water (solar heated), mains electricity & radio phone.

Like this? The checkout CAR509 on our website

Impressive Rural Retreat/Hotel

ALA194 - Townhouse in the Country! €228,900 You get the best of both worlds with this townhouse as it is in a private urbanisation of 5 homes set in landscaped gardens with country views & 3 beds, 2 baths + WC, fully fitted kitchen with a communal pool, boule court plus dedicated parking space.

Like this? The checkout CNN151 on our website

Great Choice of Proper ties in & around Córdoba. If you want to move fur ther inland give us a call 952 427 068 or email jane@casaymara.com with your requirements or any questions. We have a great range of proper ties to suit all budgets.

ECH464 - El Chorro

€680,000

320m2 built in 25,750m2 of land, 10 beds, 7 baths with over 150m2 of terraces.

Comprising the main home, a casita & an apartment plus beautiful pool. An incredible property that oozes charm & elegance all backed up with town water, mains electricity & landline telephone.

Like this? The checkout SGB206 on our website

>> costa HOMES

specializing in

Fincas Country Villas Townhouses Cortijos Ruins Plots

952 498 454 mobile: 609 454 409

AP430: A luxury 3 bedroom villa in an elevated position commanding spectacular and unobstructed views to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Guadalhorce Valley.

Built to a very high standard with living accommodation on two levels, the villa is on a huge 24,500 m2 plot containing many fruit trees including olives, almonds and oranges. The villa is situated in the prestigious area of Las Lomas, close to the bustling town of Alhaurin El Grande it has excellent road access, only 30 minutes from Malaga airport. With separate entrances to both levels of the villa, the property could easily be divided into two units of owner's accommodation and a self contained apartment providing bed and breakfast or self catering accommodation. On the ground floor, there is an open plan area with enormous lounge, vaulted ceiling, feature windows and traditional wood burning stove, a large open plan fully equipped kitchen/dining area, one bedroom and a bathroom. On the lower ground Floor there is a good-sized hallway/reception suitable for conversion to a lounge, a large utility room, 2 spacious bedrooms, a large bathroom and a small office. 230m2 built. Terraces and covered garage area together with a BBQ area and an 8x4 mt swimming pool. Mains water, electricity, digital telephone and satellite TV. This is a beautiful property.

PRICE: 950,000€

tel:

enquiries@aloraproperties.com www.aloraproperties.com Plaza Fuente Arriba s/n Alora

AP343: Detached country villa on 3,000m2 of lemon grove.

The property is 200m2 built over 3 levels and currently offers 2 separate units of living accommodation. This is an ideal property for extended family or for someone wanting to run a small B&B business. On the upper level there is a lounge, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a large terrace. On the lower level there is a lounge/kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large terrace, utility room and a plunge pool.

Mains water, electricity, telephone, internet and sky television.

The property is also on the school bus route and has good access with nice views over the Guadalhorce valley.

AP426: Immaculate fully restored village house in Casarabonela retaining much of its charm. The main house is on 3 levels and is 110 m2 built. On street level there is a dining room and kitchen. On the first floor there is a bathroom, 1 bedroom and a lounge. The upper level comprises of a 2nd bedroom and access to a glorious 41 m2 roof terrace with stunning views down the valley to Malaga. There is also a separate 20 m2 guest studio which has a kitchen/bedroom/sitting area and a bathroom. Separate workshop. Air-con hot/cold.

Mains water, electricity and telephone.

PRICE: 399,000€

PRICE: 189,000€

RESTORED CORTIJO WITH GUEST COTTAGE & SWIMMING POOL - MONTEFRIO, GRANADA Beautifully restored, tradtional cortijo with 5 double bedrooms plus seperate 3 bedroom cottage and swimming pool. - Well presented throughout with lots of character and many original features.

MAIN HOUSE: 5 Double bedrooms (some with beamed ceilings), Fitted & tiled bathrooms, Lounge has fireplace with log burner installed, & Andalucian style kitchen / diner.

COTTAGE: 3 Double bedrooms (2 with patio doors to gardens & pool area), Lounge has fireplace with log burner installed, Fitted & tiled bathroom. Stone floors throughout.

OUTBUILDINGS: Second fitted & tiled kitchen / diner with fireplace, Pool side fitted & tiled bathroom, Plus 3 outbuildings which could convert for further accommodation / workshop / garage etc.

OUTSIDE: Swimming pool with terrace area, flat fenced gardens with numerous fruit trees (including fig, olive & nispero), shaded courtyard area, private entrance with double gates, road access.

POSITION: Peaceful, coutryside location with country & mountain views

Sale Price: 289,000 €

Phone: 952 033 513 Email: pilasdechanza@gmail.com 54 costa life

The

DANGERof

Written By

Peter Harrison

A

friend of mine, the captain of a giant oil tanker, came home on leave and it happened to be his birthday. Aided with copious duty-free liquor, the event was marked with a big party. The celebration was marred by candles brushing against the curtains and one guest, acting in panic, threw the burning tablecloth out of the window and thereby ignited the garden.

It was not an event I will easily forget.

On reflection, what struck me was that my friend, so well-versed and disciplined in fire drill on his tanker, seemed to be totally confused when fire struck his home. We all experience fire drill in hotels, usually when you have just started a bath, and also at school where it was always the subject of pranks. However, when it comes to our home‌do we really have a fire drill? No, of course not, fire happens to other people’s homes, never ours. Perhaps it is a psychological reluctance to accept the possibility.

The sad truth is that fire is a constant danger and threat, especially when you live in the countryside with dried-out undergrowth caused by the blazing sun, which we came to Spain to enjoy. Fire is a danger lurking at our doorstep and we only have to think back a few years to recall the dramatic devastation in the Sierra de Mijas. The emergency services did a wonderful job and the Town Hall engaged on a reforestation scheme, which did it great credit, but no-one could replace the wildlife which

perished and the newly planted saplings take several years to take the place of those trees which were consumed. Soon after that we had a fire, which came to within five metres of our home before it was put under control and extinguished. Events like those really sharpen the awareness of the effect of fire.

Worldwide every year around 500 million hectares of woodland, open forest tropical and sub tropical savannahs are burned up. It is a worldwide problem and an environmental horror. Forest fires produce gaseous and particle emissions that impact on the composition and function of the jet stream and global atmosphere thereby exacerbating climate change. The consequences are far-reaching Lightning is considered the common cause of fire but human error and sheer carelessness are major factors. Despite the fact that bonfires are forbidden by most local authorities in the summer months, people still ignore the regulations and are indignant when they are fined. What annoys me is when workers on the land toil all day to clear weed and undergrowth then in the evening light a bonfire to consume the debris. Off home they go leaving the fire unattended. Maybe they believe “the Good Lord will take care”. I am not so sure he hasn’t other things in hand!

Arson by mentally deranged people of course does happen and so does deliberate clearing of land to make it available for construction and increase its value. Balanced folk should keep a watchful eye on such activity so that perpetrators can be placed away from society.

Smoking has in recent years a health-related stigma. It doesn’t worry me unless smokers light up in my car or when I am about to enjoy a meal.

Their health is their concern. What does disturb me is the casual way in which cigarette butts are discarded by walkers or by passing motorists. A single butt in dry undergrowth can cause huge damage and loss of life and property. Can they not apply a little care; just give the matter a small amount of thought?

Cutting down weed is essential if we are to keep the garden in good shape. However the problem lies with the disposal of the cuttings, not easy when the refuse collectors do not see this as their responsibility in many areas. Take care when using mechanical strimmers or brush cutters. Hit a stone and the resulting spark can set a light to the dry weed.

Strim high and finish off by hand…tough work but sensible action. To dispose of weed the best plan is to bury it. Again this is tough but the alternative is very dangerous indeed. Fine, you may have a hosepipe handy but one strong gust of wind and… ‘If only’ is said too often.

It is a good idea to let trusted friends, who live close by, have a key to your home in case a heathland fire breaks out when you are away for a few hours. Just imagine the scenario of your pets being trapped in your home.

Rejas over the windows of your home are good for security but do not help in such circumstances. Nor do they help if you are trapped in your own home, especially upstairs. Rejas can be specially made so they can be opened from within the house to enable you to escape should the unthinkable occur.

There are devices which can help fight fire and give warning. I encountered an old friend Jack Morris, a retired fire officer, now living

near Alora. He has seen enough fires in his career and I asked his advice on precautions in the home and garden. He said “The kitchen is a high risk area and you should have a dry powder extinguisher readily to hand. This should be able to deal with small pan fires. Extinguishers should be placed around the home, on landings, staircases, hall and lounge. Pressure extinguishers need to be checked every five years and a manufacturer’s name and note on the implement will tell you where to have it done. Some extinguishers have a sell-by date and should be discarded and renewed. All doors of your home should be kept closed at night.

I asked Jack Morris about warning equipment. “One of the best forms of detection is the battery operated smoke detector,” he said. These give you valuable minutes to vacate the premises and should be placed in the kitchen, hallway, landing and lounge. These need checking regularly and batteries renewed.

It was a hot day as we stood talking in Alora and thoughts turned to barbeques. Jack had some thoughts about those. “If handled sensibly they are safe, but pets and young children should be kept under control with adult supervision. Barbeques should be kept well away from flammable products and dry areas, with coals being completely extinguished at the end of the evening.” He concluded, “Commonsense and a good awareness of safety will prevent fire from starting.”

I hope readers, especially those in forest and heathland, will take heed of these precautions and make this a fire-free summer. The world has enough disasters without adding to them.

>> costa HOMES

STEP BY STEP GUIDE to buying a property in Spain hen you have finished your long hard search and settled on the right Spanish Property for you, please don´t trip up at the final hurdle.

W

Make sure you are never pushed into making a rash decision on a property until you are perfectly happy with your choice, and that you are sure you want to complete on the sale.

There are, sadly, still horror stories of people being ripped off and conned out of small and large amounts of money, but if you go through an established estate agent and arrange suitable legal advice, your buying process should be smooth and trouble free from start to finish.

One thing you will have to accept when buying a property in Spain is that the world of officialdom and paperwork is not quite what it is back home, and some things are done quite differently from the UK. You must try to accept this early on, to avoid more worry than necessary. Hopefully this short guide will give you some useful pointers to guide you through the process as smoothly as possible.

begins, as it´s time to make an offer. At this stage the Spanish system is no different to the UK. The buyer makes an offer and the vendor either accepts or rejects that offer. If agreement is reached verbally you should instruct a lawyer immediately to act on your behalf.

afterwards, they must compensate the other party with (typically) 10% of the purchase price.

On signing the private contract, the buyer will deposit 10% with the seller´s lawyer, and the other reason why this stage of the process is so important is that it defines a date by which time the parties must complete.

INSTRUCTING A LAWYER >>

PUBLIC CONTRACT – The notary public.

This is the final stage in buying a Spanish property. Both parties must attend the notary on or before the date stipulated by the private contract, at which time the balance of the purchase price is paid, and a new title deed is prepared and signed by the notary. Mortgages will also require a separate deed, and outstanding mortgages must also be cancelled at this point. Once the deeds are signed they will be then be submitted to the land registry for registration.

Choosing the right lawyer is a very important part of the buying process, and bear in mind that you could well be dealing with the same lawyer for some time to come, and they will probably end up acting on your behalf if you should sell the property. As in so many things, the best way to find someone good is a recommendation.

THE BUYER´S COSTS >> As a general rule, the costs of buying a property in Spain should be no more than 10% of the purchase price. These costs are as follows: Transfer tax: the Spanish equivalent of stamp duty, currently 7%.

THE PROPERTY SEARCH >> Always do your research! The increasing use of the internet has proved a significant to both buyers and sellers of property, and is more and more becoming the first place people look for Spanish property. Some websites provide even more useful information such as area guides, property news, and even newsletters. Try and go through as many magazines as possible to get a feel for prices. You can pick some up in the UK in places like WH Smith´s but there are many more to choose from once you have arrived in Spain.

Once you have narrowed down your search, it is time to contact an agent. Don´t be scared, many of them don´t bite! There are many more estate agents in Spain than there are in the UK, mostly because of the recent property boom, so you should try to use a little care when selecting an agent. Ask them if they are part of any recognised professional body, and maybe how many property listings they have on their books, or how long they been established in Spain, for example. The fact is that your feeling is usually the best judge. Other than that, a recommendation from someone who bought from the same company is probably the best way to choose.

DECISION TIME >> SO, you have seen 100´s of properties, your agent´s going grey, you can´t quite decide between property a and property b, it´s all getting a bit much… and then you find it: The property you always imagined! Now the fun

58 costa life

Lawyer´s fees: most lawyers in Spain charge 1% of the purchase price, depending on what services you ask them to proved. They will probably charge more if you ask them to act as “Power of Attorney”, for example.

Notary and Registration Fees: These should be no more than around 1000 Euros, depending on the price of the property.

PAYING A HOLDING DEPOSIT >> Once you have made your decision and your lawyer is happy with the terms and conditions of anything you are asked to sign, it is time to pay a holding deposit. This deposit is usually 3000 Euros on smaller properties, and 6000 on larger properties, and is usually held by the estate agent, in order to take the property off the market until the private contract is signed.

These deposits are often paid “subject to mortgage” until a certain date. This means that buyers are given a certain amount of time to arrange the finance, and will not lose their deposit if the finance is not granted.

PRIVATE CONTRACT – The point of no return. This is the most important stage in the whole process, as if either party pull out

The fees may rise if you are taking a large mortgage, for example, as banks and mortgage brokers in Spain charge higher opening fees that UK equivalents. They will be repaid as part of the mortgage total, however, so it is difficult to give an average figure.

All other costs should be paid by the seller, including all estate agents fees, capital gains tax, and an incremental land tax called “plus valia”.

As a final piece of advice, the oldest one in the book probably holds more true today than ever before:

Buyers beware, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

costa HOMES >>

Authentic, Old Farmhouse (Álora)

Built: 135 m² Land: 20.000 m² 3 bedrooms · 1 bathroom Restored with great care Pool · Own well · Nice views Ample kitchen + living room Storage room with 30 sqm Priced to sell · 275.000€ Country Estate with "Cortijo" (Antequera / La Joya)

End terraced Town house (Casarabonela)

Built: 120 m² Land: 40 m² New construction in a very charming, rustic style with central heating · 2 beds.

2 baths · Close to forest Easy access + parking Roof terrace & Patio...

157.000 €

Finca w. building permission (Casarabonela)

Built: 50 m² (permission) Land: 11.500 m² Spectacular views / scenery 5 km from village · Water & Electricity · Partly constructed Private location · International neighbourhood BARGAIN….

110.000 € Built: 410 m² Land: 32,000 m² New construction · Prime Quality Under floor heating · 70 sqm living / dining room · Spacious beds, kitchen · Incomparable location & views · Pool 10mx6m Ample terraces…

1.500.000 €

costa life 59

nerium oleander

Written by

Simon Hill

Surviving the summer in the inland garden

phyllostachys nigra

Ruellia sp

T

he spring rains were good and we had a display of wild flowers this spring that was the best for a number of years. Taken as a whole, however, the winter rainfall total was not so big, and we started this summer with reservoir levels little better than last year. The summer heat is now as intense as ever. Not surprisingly, many of our gardens are looking somewhat the worse for wear!

Many foreigners in our region have bought fincas, seduced by the romance of dwelling in a citrus grove with the scent of orange blossom or of hearing the wind blowing through the olive trees and being able to dress the salad with one's own extra virgin olive oil. Reality is mostly very different from this dream!

Mostly we city folk don't take kindly to hard labour under the blazing sun, and we soon find out that whoever is left locally, who might be prepared to take it on, expects to be paid quite handsomely. A lot of us have been forced to give up tending our citrus or our olives, in favour of creating a small patch of garden on part of our land and often abandoning the rest of our land to nature. With two acres of land, that is exactly what we have done. In seven years of living here, the tending of our citrus orchard became uneconomical. Others who have continued have usually ended up out of pocket, especially when their fincas are

Populus alba

Rio Guadalhorce

costa HOMES >> small. Some of our Spanish neighbours have abandoned their orange or lemon groves and turned to olive growing. Olives need less water but can now be more profitable. Larger growers are coping much better because they can tap into the system of subsidies. We foreigners find doing this difficult.

What is the reason for the general decline in citrus growing? In many supermarkets we find fruit that has been grown thousands of miles away in countries such as Brazil. These countries have the ability to produce foods more cheaply with lower labour costs. Secondly, and importantly, irrigation water is in short supply. Thirdly, land in our area is often worth far more than its agricultural use can justify, reflecting the wish of many to own land and build a house on it.

The valley of the Guadalhorce relies heavily on the water provided by the reservoirs above El Chorro. With restricted water, local farmers are unable to sustain their plots of citrus grove and sadly these are rapidly dying away. An irrigation system that was built in the early part of the twentieth century carries water to the whole valley via a complex system of canals and underground pipes. As well as irrigation, this water also supplies the city of Málaga. Over the past two years of drought, Málaga has continued to receive water while those who would normally receive water at this time of year to irrigate their land, have had to go without.

Human need understandably comes first, but with no provision for the recycling of water and very slow progress in bringing in sewage treatment for so many villages in inland Andalucía, what can we expect?

A smelly summer! There is no provision for the processing of sewage and much seems to end up in the nearest river, not just the Guadahorce.

Even the Rio Grande, thought of as clean, carries some flow of sewage throughout the year. Only recently, plans to damn the Rio Grande near its source were postponed after an uproar of opposition - citing the ecological damage that would occur should the river no longer flow.

There is now no natural flow in the Guadalhorce during the summer. We can expect many months of a river bed stinking with sewage.

Oleanders and native trees, such as Willows (Salix spp.) and Poplars (Populus alba), with their silver backed leaves moving gracefully in the breeze, as well as Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) and planted Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.) have long graced the riverbanks. The kind of tamarisk found by our rivers has rather dull flowers but there are now many varieties of Tamarisk that have showier blooms and are good in the garden.

These native trees and shrubs grow well along streams and rivers. Unfortunately they are now too often seen unhappily lining a parched desert of a riverbed. Wild oleanders (Nerium oleander) seem to thrive through periods of drought. Cultivated varieties are commonly grown in Andalucian gardens for their hardiness and floral display. A wide range of colours is available, they are very easy to grow and can be used effectively as clipped hedging or as standard shrubs to several metres in height.

The beautiful environment that may have drawn us to live here is in danger of becoming no more beautiful than the buildings that cover the land surface. There is still natural beauty left - but look more closely and you will see the damage done by the lack of water, aided and abetted by the ubiquitous digger.

We all try our hardest to keep our gardens alive and blooming during the summer heat. Mine Pavonia hasstata has a few of gems at this time.

Pavonia hastata, a small shrubby member of the mallow family, has flowers the colours of raspberry ripple ice cream, pleasantly cooling. Not often seen in garden centres, it is easily grown from seed. Ruellia is a plant that belongs to the acanthus family. It is new to me but it seems to love the scorching heat thrown at it in my garden. One metre semisucculent stems bear deep blue-purple flowers throughout summer and the plant expands itself via non-invasive suckers. Another very common plant, or grass to be more precise, is Arundo donax, (Giant Reed) the largest grass in Europe. Known locally as 'cañas', and commonly mistaken for bamboo, Arundo is seen along all our rivers and in wet areas and makes a fine display in late summer. It is drought tolerant and will grow to over three metres. A variegated form is available with pale green striping, less vigorous than the wild kind, and to my mind it looks fantastic in a garden where there is plenty of room for it to spread. A yearly prune could yield canes for staking tomatoes and other vegetables, but in fact we harvest ours from a large and growing clump of black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), that is perhaps a little too thuggish!

In the summer heat we should not buy any plants or put any into the ground. We should all resist those luscious but expensive items crying, "buy me!" at the garden centre. If you have already bought some to plant out in the garden, it is better to keep them in pots in a shady place and wait for the cooler, moister conditions of autumn. Very few plants can stand being planted out at this time of year into sun-baked soil at furnace temperatures. mail for advice and comment at Simon Hill can be contacted via E-m FINCAROSABLANCA@telefonica.net

Bird life has been affected by the drought. Waterfowl used to be a common feature along all the rivers in our region. Some species seem to be in danger of disappearing from the area for good. Over the last two years the Black Storks, once common visitors in late winter/spring, have scarcely been seen, probably because of the lack of wet habitat. It is now hard to believe that early in the twentieth century, the river Guadalhorce was a freely flowing river!

Tamarix

Arundo donax

Eucalyptus Salix

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH MACP-331 SOLE AGENCY 1,195,000€ Alhaurin El Grande Build 325m2, Plot 12,000m2, Beds 4, Baths 4, and Baths 4.

A unique private property set back off a main road in a tranquil location, only a short distance from the charming town Alhaurin el Grande and only 15 minutes from Malaga airport and 20 minutes to the coast.

If you are looking for an exceptional reserved property, then look no further. This villa sits flawlessly within its own undisturbed grounds and has a genuine feel of true peace and quiet.

The main house is very warm and inviting, and also provides plenty of space for entertaining and socializing, inside and outside. The guest accommodation is very comfortable and welcoming and is detached from the main house, with its own terraces.

This exquisite villa has the advantage of 5 entrances with excellent access to the 12000 sq of land that is evenly dived into segments of landscape gardens, fruit orchards, BBQ and swimming pool area and well-preserved natural sections. The property has to escritura's and has plenty of scope for stables or a tennis court.

No expense has been spared with this property; it has fantastic kitchens, elegant bathrooms, a gym, sauna and an impressive swimming pool. There is an integral sound system, a home cinema and a study complete with pool table and a bar. An extremely pleasing property, of high standard, but at the same time warm and appealing Luxury unique property viewing is highly recommended.

MACP-266 Alhaurin De La Torre

1,248,000€

There are three properties on this flat, landscaped plot. Main house 5 beds (one with a huge balcony and views of the bay of Malaga), 2 bath, large covered terrace overlooking the pool and garden. 2nd house 3 beds, sitting room, dining area. Guest house 1 bed, sitting room, bathroom and kitchenette.

MATH-395 Coin

SOLE AGENCY

280,000€

Build 106.33, Plot 156.63, Beds 5/6, Baths 2/half This fantastic spacious town house on a lovely urbanisation with a pleasant community swimming pool and centre.

There is a small front garden, a balcony and a good size roof terrace with ample storage space.

This property is within walking distance to all amenities and 5 minutes drive to La Trocha shopping centre. If you enjoy living within a Spanish community with lovely neighbours then this property is perfect.

MARP-371 Alhaurin El Grande - Rural

595,000€

Beautiful 4/5 bed plus 2 bathrooms, lounge, dining room 220 Sq m build on 6000 sq m plot. Ideal situation in highly sought after part of Alhaurin El Grande. Good access, 20 min walk to town. Ideal property placement high up enough to enjoy summer breezes whilst not so high that it will suffer from cold in winter. Well laid gardens and superb kidney shaped pool. Finally absolutely superb views. Priced realistically to sell, a must to add to your viewing list.

MALV-209 Alhaurin/Mijas

2,650,000 €

MACP-394 SOLE AGENCY Alhaurin el Grande

359,000€

Exclusive villa based on 200 year old farmhouse site. 5 bedrooms all en-suite, luxury kitchen, laundry room, grand dining room, heated pool and Jacuzzi, pool bar, changing rooms. Separate 2 bed apartment with provision for an additional 2 bed bungalow. Stable block the list is endless.

No expense has been spared on this superb property.

Contact us or look on website for full details.

Build 120, possible to build up another level, Plot 2,500m2, Beds 3, Baths, 2 A wonderful country house very close to the town with fantastic access. This property is in a very peaceful location with absolutely lovely views. There is the added bonus of doubling the size of this property by building up another level making the property 240m2. The garden is very long and pretty with a nice terrace area.

A great property in a fantastic sought after location.

MAVL-306 Alhaurin el Grande

MARP-354 Coin/Alhaurin El Grande

795,000€

Sought after part of Alhaurin, charming property. Main house plus additional guest house in the grounds. 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, fitted kitchen, private pool. Second house very private own pool, 1 bed, bath, American kitchen, lounge. Air con, Sat TV, terraces, BBQ areas. All svcs.

Fabulous views and good access via tarmac road.

MALV-362 Alhaurin El Grande

775,000€

Just on the market a spectacular property totally secluded in tranquil setting, BBQ area, outside kitchen with well tended gardens. The property comprises of 4 bedrooms, lounge, sitting room and a dining room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms. 2 self contained guest apartments. Ample parking and a garage.

Superb swimming pool.

250 sq m build in 7500 sq m plot.

365,000€

MACR-303 Alhaurin el Grande

699,000€

An exquisite equestrian property new on the market. Superb main house plus separate guest/grooms house. Stables, tack room, sand exercise area, hay barn and big exercise area.

Both house are finished to very high standard with all modern amenities. 24 sq m wooden structure currently in use as office. Long paved drive, pool etc. A must to view.

MALV-363 Coin - Rural

699,000€

A lovely property on a small plot situated within walking distance to Coin town centre. The house is tastefully decorated though out, has a wonderful pool and seating area and has separate guest accommodation. Fully fitted kitchen, 3 bedrooms in main house plus 1 in guest accom, living and dining rooms. Garage. Early viewing recommended.

Beds 4/5, Baths 3, Build approx 300 m2, Plot 3500 m2.

Fabulous country location midway between Coin and Monda.

Exceptionally spacious and airy property that has been maintained by current owners to a very high standard.

Recently fitted luxury kitchen, modern appliances. Beautiful staircase and entrance hall, large bedrooms with very generous lounge and dining area. Good access to property.

Mains electric and water. Gas central heating, utility room and larder.

MACP-348 Alhaurin El Grande

MALV-355 Alhaurin El Grande

410,000€

Build 130m2, Plot 4000m2, Beds 3, Baths 2.

Build 130m2 plus outbuildings, Plot 4,000m2, Beds 3, and Baths 2 A fantastic property in a great location, 5 minutes from Alhaurin town and in a peaceful part of the country. There is a lovely swimming pool area and many outbuildings to convert. This property is very Spanish and has so much potential. A great buy.

699,500€

A wonderful private villa in a prestigious area with spectacular views. This property has been finished to very high standards, is light and airy and the gardens are perfectly landscaped and charming. The villa has air-conditioning central heating and everything you need for a warm home.3 beds all en-suite, fitted kitchen plus utility room 150 sq m build area.

MALV-160 Alhaurin De La Torre

699,500€

Beautiful country villa with a fully self contained guest apartment that currently produces a proven income. Main residence: - 179 Sq m built area. 3 large double bedrooms one with luxury en-suite bathroom, family bathroom, lounge dining area, fireplace. Fully fitted kitchen. Guest/Rental apartment:-145 sq m built area. Completely self contained.

Large lounge/dining room, 3 large bedrooms, bathroom, fully fitted kitchen.

MAAP-375 Alhaurin

389,000€

A fantastic penthouse in the best part of Alhaurin with spectacular views. The property is situated looking over the swimming pool, charming gardens, golf course and country side.

The penthouse is of a very high standard, extremely spacious with loads of light. The kitchen has a fantastic breakfast area with ceiling to floor windows, a great place to start the day. The lounge is a comfortable room with a fireplace in the centre and big patio doors leading out to one of the terraces.

MACP-376 Alhaurin/Cartama

340,000€

MACP-396 Cartama

525,000€

Build 250m2, Plot 6000m2, Beds 7, Baths 4 Superb four bedroom country house with extra three bedroom property included on the same plot. Stables and a training ring, providing accommodation for horses with 3,500m2 of excellent flat land including fruit trees (oranges, tangerines, figs, apples, etc).

The land is fully fenced throughout. The surrounding area is fantastic for pony trekking. Both houses are located in an idyllic, peaceful valley with breathtaking views of the mountains. Living downstairs is an enormous garage with room for 2-3 cars (this could also be converted into extra living quarters. Both properties have well and town water with full irrigation. Two great houses on one plot.

MARP-372 Coin

265,000€

A really great corner plot town house in one of the best parts of the town. This property is very spacious and reformed to a high standard and decorated with a modern touch. Although the house has 3 bedrooms it could quite easily be 4, as the vendors have a large study on the lower level. This property is very unusual and is full of character.

MACP-333 Coin

299,000€

Finca, Good Position, Fitted Kitchen, Carport, Garden: Private, Facing south views of Mountains, Air conditioning Hot/Cold, Built to High Standards, Charming Property, Close to all Amenities, Condition - Good, Fireplace, Fitted Kitchen, Fitted Wardrobes, Good Rental Potential, Independent Studio, Living room with fireplace, Quality Residence, Sought After Area.

MAVL- 301

MACP-392 Coin

259,000€

Build 89, Plot 2,500m2, Beds 2, could be 3, Baths 1 Beautiful 2 bedroom country Finca with good size swimming pool. Set in a manageable 2500 sq m plot this property is well placed for easy access to Cartama Pueblo just a few minutes away and Malaga and its airport within 15 to 20 mins drive. Build size is 89 sq m, fitted kitchen, air con both hot and cold and open fireplace. Lots of fruit trees and shrubs, specimen Mulberry tree overhangs patio with masses of luscious fruit perfect area for that evening gin and tonic!

MACP-206 Alhaurin El Grande

MACP-401 A perfect project or investment 299,000€ Alhaurin El Grande/Coin

A beautiful light and spacious semi-detached house.

Stands alone and has the feeling of a detached property, as it is only attached to it's neighbours by the garage.

On entering there is a lovely large reception area, which leads off to the lounge, Kitchen, study and courtyard. Going up the grand stairs to the bedrooms, there is a huge landing that leads off to all the double bedrooms. All the room have telephone/internet connection, balconies. En-suite master bedroom with private terrace.

249,500€

Newly built villa in the rural part of Coin. Many great features wooden beamed ceiling, modern top class fitted kitchen includes all appliances. Fully fenced, landscaped gardens, easy maintenance. Bargain property existing owner needs to move back to UK so priced to sell. A lovely property, with beautiful views and great swimming pool area.

Great value for money, must be seen.

Build 110m2, beds 4, Baths 2/half. A wonderful property on a very small select urbanization of only 10 houses. The property is at the top end of the urbanization, with a exquisite natural park behind and divine panoramic views of the country side. The 10 houses are on a private fenced plot, with a car park and concealed swimming pool. All the houses have the option to use another swimming pool and tennis courts on the main urbanization should they wish.

The property is located next to a impressive golf course and 5 minutes to the Alhaurin town. The house is very spacious with many terraces and a beautiful private garden.

270,000€

MAVH-378 Alhaurin El Grande

Build 138m2, Plot 600 Beds 2. could be more, Baths 1 large, An urban property in the country, situated between Coin and Alhaurin el Grande. The perfect house has so much potential to increase to a big family home. There is the option to turn the many rooms, garage and out buildings into additional living space as well building up another level, doubling the size. The plot is fenced, flat, private and big enough for a swimming pool. A perfect project or investment.

950,000€

Build 300m2, Plot 28,000m2 Beds 6 Baths 3 Large Equestrian property in a very private tranquil setting.

Charming property situated only twenty minutes drive to the coast and offering ample country kitchen, with a dining area opening on to beautiful terraces. The land is planted with fruit trees, mainly avocados and there is a one bedroom guest apartment at the bottom of the Finca. There are stables, grazing areas and a swimming pool. The property is in very good condition and offers great rental potential. The country kitchen, with dining area opening on to beautiful terraces and stunning terraces.

MACP-160 Alhaurin de la Torre

699,500€

Build 320, Plot 1,700m2, Beds 6, Baths 3 A beautiful country villa in a superb location, excellent condition, a fully self contained guest apartment that currently produces a proven income. Within 500 m walk of the beautiful forested Sierra de Mijas.

Guest/Rental apartment:-145 sq m built area. Completely self contained. Currently used as holiday rental with proven income. The garden is beautiful with fruit trees and a 10 x 5 pool. 2 car size car ports, extensive other parking, fully alarmed, electric gates an excellent family home with ample guest accommodation for visitors or an income from holiday lets. Recently reduced price for quick sale owners relocating back to UK.

MACP-390 SOLE AGENCY Alhaurin El Grande

749,000€

Build 242, Plot 1,925 Beds 5/6, Baths 4 Rarely is a property of this quality and location on the market. Very good sized country house in superb location backing straight on the Sierra de Mijas forest area. Perfect for dog walks etc onto mountains.

This property has very good sized rooms and 4 bedrooms in main part. Across the courtyard is a completely self contained bedroom with en suite facilities; attached to this is bedroom 6 currently used as study but easily adaptable to form a sitting room and creating a self contained guest apartment. Beautiful gardens, wonderful pool/bar area in a quiet and lovely location with superb views.

MACP-385

790,000€

Superbly finished country property that has recently been totally reformed. All rooms completely redecorated, tiled etc to a very high standard. This a 4 bedroom property with very unique features. Each bedroom if you so wished could be separate from the main part of house or all used as very spacious family home. This is no square box - it is a property with masses of character with lots of unexpected nooks and crannies. Pool, terraces, bank valuation higher than selling price.

MACP-399 Alhaurin el Grande

378,000€

MACR-384 Alhaurin El Grande

995,000€

Build 503m2, plot 6,322m2, Beds 6, Baths 4 A splendid cortijo built 200 years ago. There are not many properties of this style and condition around, it is truly spectacular.

There are outbuilding for guests and studio or more accommodation separated from the main residence. The grounds are beautiful, very mature and well maintained with a beautiful orchard. Viewing highly recommended.

MACP-236 Alhaurin El Grande

315,000€

MALV 369 Alhaurin El Grande

525,000 €

A lovely property NEW ON THE MARKET . This villa is in a sought after area, and in immaculate condition. Spectacular views from the garden and pool area. The house has been finished to very high standards and has the added bonus of a conservatory/office at the front and another dining room/conservatory overlooking the pool . This Property will sell fast, viewing highly recommended.

MACP-335 Monda

349,000€

Area built 120 m², 870 m² surface area, 3 bedrooms (3 double rooms), 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining room (+ lounge), terrace, floor (tiles), garden, built-in wardrobes, water, electricity, gas, fireplace, interior carpentry (wood), exterior carpentry (aluminium), air conditioning, sunny, swimming pool, telephone. Pretty villa in a nice, quiet area with garden, barbecue, 2 satellite dishes and circular swimming pool with solar water-heating panels.

This lovely house is situated on the ONLY urbanisation in Monda which has 24 different designed houses. Monda is one of jewels of the inland villages. The house itself is split into two levels each with 2 bedrooms and a kitchen; it is very spacious and has great views over the countryside the village and Monda castle. There is a lovely garden and terrace area so very easy to manage and again a nice area to enjoy the gorgeous views.

MACP 360

MACP-331 Alhaurin El Grande

Price on Application

Plot 1,743m2, Build 80m2 permission to build another 360m2.

An urban plot of 1.743 m2 in a sought after area. This plot has so much potential and is completely fenced and gated.

There is a small house of 80 m2 (guest house), a large pool (9, 5 x 6, 5 m), 220m2 of terraces and you can still build another 360m2 villa. Absolutely spectacular views of the countryside and valley, and no other properties can be built in front, that could affect this great backdrop.

A Rustic style dwelling, but with all up to date facilities; built in the year 2000 using the finest materials and quality craftsmanship. There are two (heated) swimming pools (joined by a water cascade), one of which is an infinity pool; Extensive terraces and decking, outside summer kitchen and barbeque area. "Having probably one of the finest panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and the hills of Mijas and Marbella", on the Costa del Sol South facing, uninterrupted 180-degree sea views to the front and stunning country views to the sides and rear.

MACP 381 Near Coin

MACP-383 Alhaurin El Grande

A magnificent country villa in the beautiful countryside of Andalucía. The villa is in construction and nearly completed, is located 12km, from Coin and has breathtaking 360 mountain views. To the south eat the Sierra de Mijas 1150m. To the south the Sierra Blanca and to the west and north the national park and range of Sierra las Nieves 1918m. Finally far to the East are the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

A wonderful property in a great location within walking distance to the main town. This property created over two levels is superbly designed throughout and very spacious.

Set in a tranquil location with spectacular views and landscaped gardens - an enchanting Villa. A must to add to your viewing list.

649,000€

1,195,000€

A superb property in a tranquil location, yet only a short distance from Alhaurin and only 15 minutes from Malaga airport. The property is set in 12000 sq metre gardens and fruit orchards, large enough to ensure privacy but not so much that all your time will be spent in upkeep! This is the ideal country residence, a beautiful main house but with a guest cottage as well.

MACP-400 Alhaurin El Grande

425,000€

Build 135m2, Plot 2,750m2, Bed 3/4 or study, Baths 3 A lovely modern country property, only 5 minutes from Lauro golf and 5 minutes drives to Alhaurin el Grande town. This house is very spacious, with a great out side private pool that looks over the garden with mature trees and pleasant views.

The villa is fully fenced, electric gates and in a peaceful location. Great value for money.

>> costa HOMES

Your Quick Guide to Buying a Bar …in Spain!

Brought to you by David Fairweather from Bars in Spain SL

Last year alone, a record number of Brits left the UK for a new life abroad, and of the 380,000 people who upped and left their British homes, around 85,000 of them moved to Spain, a figure which is expected to rise to 100,000 a year by 2010. It is also forecast that by the end of this year there will be over a million Brits living in Spain with over 750,000 properties owned by the British.

There are obvious reasons why people become disillusioned with life in the UK. The weather, politics, long hours at work, endless commutes, the cost of living (now one of the highest in the world), escalating property prices and dissatisfaction with the quality of life, and of course the increasing threat of terrorism, are all factors which feature heavily in a decision to move abroad.

For many, Spain is the perfect choice with year round sunshine and a better quality of life overall. But the biggest dilemma facing most potential émigrés is finding work abroad and the one dream many of them share is to own and run a bar, café or restaurant in the sun.

Buying your own bar is one of the most popular and low cost options for those wishing to move abroad and "do their own thing". This dream has become such a huge reality in recent years that there are now tens of thousands of pubs, bars and cafes within the Costa del Sol alone.

Following this dream can be a hugely rewarding and exciting experience, but beware, owning your own bar is a little like a relationship and needs constant love, attention and care. It's a long term commitment and if you neglect your bar, then just like a partner, it will quickly lose its charm!

At Bars in Spain, we are often asked about the key issues facing people who are looking to buy a business in Spain and what advice we offer to prospective clients. We believe anyone can run a successful bar so long as they are fully prepared for the realities involved in making the dream come true.

So, to avoid the nightmares, here are just a few areas to consider if you are thinking of taking the plunge and buying a bar in Spain.

1. Are You Committed Enough?

It is important to be realistic about the amount of work involved in running your own business, especially a bar, pub or café. Many people who have been to Spain on holiday dream about owning a bar, sipping beer or cocktails on the beach, sunbathing and chatting to friends, but somehow overlook the amount of hours that are involved in setting up the bar, stocking it, creating and serving the food and drinks, organizing entertainment and managing staff etc. As long as your expectations are realistic everything will be fine, and don't forget ´creating´ your own bar can be a very rewarding experience!

2. Negotiating the Legal Minefield

The laws relating to buying and running your own business in Spain, such as licensing for example, vary dramatically from region to 66 costa life

region, town to town and even street to street.

Dealing with the complexities can be daunting but don't let this put you off. The most important thing is to take advice from an agent who is reputable, honest and knowledgeable in this area, and to ensure you have expert advice and help every step of the way.

3. Mañana…… Mañana

There is one huge difference between Spain and England. In England it will get done today and in Spain it will get done tomorrow! It is important to allow yourself time when making the move to Spain. Time to move and time to settle in a new country, and time to understand and complete all the legalities involved with your business. Don't be frustrated by the "Mañana…… Mañana Syndrome", it is actually well loved here by many and has it's plus points, but remember Spain's laid back attitude to time can take some getting used to, especially if you are used to efficiency!

4. Setting Up Home

Don't forget buying your business is just one part of your new life. It's important to allow time for relocation of your family and home as well.

Selling your home in the UK can be a lengthy process, and then there is the whole logistical process of finding the right property and location, moving your family, belongings, pets and cars overseas.

5. Living and working together

You may be considering buying a business as a husband and wife team, perhaps two families or friends buying and running a business together for the first time. Romantic as this sounds, successful businesses need leaders and do not run so well based on democracies…..but who will be the boss?

If both partners have worked independently before and are not used to running a business, serious thought must be given to "who wears the trousers"…. …..and who is the boss when work and home merge?

While for some couples running a bar together will be a harmonious and bonding experience and will strengthen the relationship, for others the marriage could turn into a battleground.

Living and working together needs serious thought before making the move and it is important any decision to move country and buy a business is unanimous and that careful thought is given to what and who you are leaving behind and how you and they may feel in a few months time. Don't be put off though, living and working together can strengthen rather than weaken many relationships!

7. Use Your Experience

When looking at businesses in Spain, try to do something that you have some experience in or try to get some experience before making the move. Perhaps working part time in a bar in the UK for a short while would provide you with valuable insight into running a bar yourself, or if you are in a position to do so, come out to Spain, rent for a while, get a feel for the different areas, the people, the weather, the work and the language before making a final commitment to buy.

8. Calculating the Costs

Apart from the obvious start up costs, take some time to research as much as possible what your costs will be to make the move to Spain. It is always wise to plan ahead especially when taking on a new business and home, so try to ensure that you have sufficient reserves to cover your living costs for at least six months after the move………twelve months is even better!

9. Ask The Experts

Always, always, always seek advice on matters that you have no experience of. So many people have come to Spain in the past and have bought a house or a business without using a reputable real estate company and/or a reputable lawyer and ended up in trouble. The Costa del Sol is often referred to as the ´Wild West´ for good reason…….so be careful!

10. Enjoy!!

Well here you are …. In Spain.

You have made the journey and settled into your new surroundings, enjoying the 320 days a year of sunshine, beautiful blue skies and stunning scenery, drinks on the beach, barbecues around the pool or just relaxing on the golf course and enjoying the sunsets.

And you have your dream bar in the sun! So remember, just as with a relationship it takes hard work to succeed, along with commitment, time, planning, experience, careful budgeting and good advice from those in the know!

What you have to do now is make your bar different from the rest. So go to other bars and see what they do, pick the best ideas and integrate them into your own marketing activities. You also have to promote your business well. Remember, you can have the best bar in the world but if nobody knows who or where you are then you will not succeed!

Enjoy your business and take the time to nurture it and make it successful and before long you will reap the potential rewards that can come with owning and running a Bar in Spain.

6. Plan Ahead

A little bit of forward planning can make all the difference to a new business. Take some time to really prepare. Create a business plan, it doesn't have to be a work of art but prepare something that you can work to. Take advice from those who have already made the move.

Do a little research into how much money is going to be required long term and what the timescales are for meeting your objectives.

Bars in Spain SL is a Franchised Real Estate Network throughout Spain offering business advice & information for anyone considering starting or purchasing any type of business or property in Spain.

To find out more call 952 499 400 or visit www.barsinspain.com

>> costaSTUFF

The 24th Annual charity match Scotland v England at Campo Suel, Fuengirola 8th July in Aid of Lions International

W

ith their help 500 € was raised at this event to assist a very worthwhile cause to help an orphanage in Morocco.

Brian and Carlotta Mitchell feel it on their hearts to take help to the Village of Hope orphanage in Ain Leuh, near Azrou in the Middle Atlas.

Three times a year they collect clothes and monetary donations from local charities and individuals here on the coast. Then they load it all into their camper van and set off. The Village of Hope orphanage is managed by a South African couple with the help of several European and U.S. couples. Every family will eventually look after 8 Moroccan children plus their own. It is a commitment for about 25 years of their lives, as every child committed to their care will live with them, until they are 18 years old. There is a school with teachers in all subjects, including Classic Arabique, English and French. All the people running the orphanage are volunteers and the running costs are covered solely by donations.

On their last trip, middle of July 2007, they also visited a village, Anfgou, in the mountains above Khenifra, where 30 children died from cold last winter. One woman there gave birth to twins. The first baby died the first day and the second a week later, the Moroccan government gave her ONE blanket for her family, 11 people, after the death of all these children had been mentioned on International TV. If anybody feels it on their hearts to help these two communities in Morocco they can reach Brian and Carlotta from 10th September to 15th December on 952 478 789. They want to make it quite clear that their personal expenses, plus petrol and ferry fees do not come out of eventual donations.

You know what they say about buses? Wait for one for ages and then three come along at once! Well here we are, one month on from covering the Gibraltar England legends match and we are covering another charity football match but this time a little closer to home. On the 8th July we were invited to the 24th England v Scotland charity match in Fuengirola. Yes that’s right this one has been going for 24 years and between you and me I am sure there were a couple of the original players involved!

This long time established charity event has raised thousands over the years for various causes and is testament to people’s good will and generosity.

There were about two hundred people who turned out on a very warm Sunday evening to watch the over 40’s (over 60’s more like) pit their physical wits against each other in the first of two matches of the night. With half an hour each way and on two thirds pitch these veterans of the Costa del Sol waged war against each other as though their lives depended on it.

At one point I think that was literal, I’ve never seen so many wheel chairs and Oxygen masks on or near a football field!

This was a true old style clash of the borders. It was like watching the old home internationals. There was fighting on

68 costa life

the terraces, cross bars being pulled down and plenty of flair ups from the old codgers on the pitch. The only thing I had a problem with was the score line, it wasn’t quite right. You see, I always remember England stuffing the Jocks but to my continued dismay as the match went on England got royally stuffed.

I decided that after it got to 6-2 to the Scots that any result over 3-2 in favour of North of the Border would be discounted and the final score would stand at 3-2. (It actually turned out 10-2, no, it´s true, sorry but we have to be honest.)

If I don’t mention John Kelly’s (Aroma restaurant, Fuengirola) hat trick then I know my life won´t be worth living, however I did notice than John’s excursions outside the penalty area were remote to say the least.

But I worked this one out. You see, John’s restaurant is about the size of the 18 yard box! So seeing as how he spends most of his time serving up the best food on the coast (subtle plug) psychologically he was unable to leave the penalty area and this resulted in the consequent hat trick. Not bad for 63 years young and a jock!! (I’m a dead man) The second game was a full 90 minute encounter between the young guns and this resulted in a leveling out of the honours as England trounced the Scots 7-0 ish which put some English pride back into the night’s proceedings.

I was joking about the cross bars coming down of course, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening sat in the Spanish sun watching the two old enemies thrash it out all for a good cause, played in good spirits and to a good standard. It made me feel like getting my boots out and having a go myself and then I thought, naa, I’ll get another tinto de verano instead! Well done fellas.

>> costaSTUFF

A Bloke, A Bike, and the road to...

a ñ a p s E (or 2 days and nights on the Autopista)

I

Caen

Rennes

Nantes

Niorte

Sants

Bordeaux

Zarautz

Vitoria - Gasteiz

Written By:

Lee Jay

'm biking down to Spain on my Suzuki VS800 Intruder whilst my wife Pat's driving our Citroen van. En route I had lost my wife but fortunately we were now connected via mobile.

I get back on the bike and hope to reach the border before dark, also hoping not to sleep rough tonight. I know Pat's a long way ahead but it does mean she can keep me updated with traffic and road information. I tell her of my hopes to get into Spain before dark and she's impressed.

Portsmouth

Biarritz

Part THREE

By dark I'm through San Sebastian and heading towards Bilbao, but unlikely to make Bilbao tonight. The roads are now a lot bumpier and every bump sends shockwaves up my arms to my already aching shoulders. I desperately need a bed so I pull off the motorway to the town of Zararutz.

There's the welcome sign 'Hotel' so I park the bike and stumble in, filthy, starving and exhausted.

Fortunately I manage to make myself understood, get a room and have a welcome shower, shave and change of clothes, and hit the streets, alive with people enjoying the warm night air. I wander around for a while and eventually find the delights of beer, pork chops and fries. Finding my way back to the hotel I call Pat and find she's already past Madrid and heading for Málaga. I can't help wondering about the chances of completing the trip in just one more day…

Wednesday 4th September 2002

Madrid

Valdepenas

Granada

Malaga

The alarm shocks me into another day and I'm ready for my renewed assault on the Autopista. It's about 1,000k to Málaga so I try and reassure self and bike that it's only the same as the distance we covered yesterday, and there will be fuel stops and breaks along the way. The bike sounds strong and ready for the journey ahead - Bilbao here we come.

The scenery around me is fantastic with quite a Swiss feel. The road climbs up and down low mountains and twists through narrow valleys with steep sides. Clinging to the sides of these mountains are chalets with small shuttered windows and long sloping roofs. Small villages and hamlets nestle in the valleys with large wood stores adjoining each house. The vegetation is also very Swiss with rich green pastures filled with grazing cattle and sheep and I began to wonder if I missed a turning and have ended up in some Spanish speaking 'Swiss canton'.

Even on the outskirts of Bilbao the tall blocks of flats have sloping chalet style roofs, I can't help wondering about the winters here. Today though, the temperature is rising, warming up again to be a hot and sunny day, there's not a hint of a cloud as the sun climbs higher in the sky.

70 costa life

Having been forewarned by Pat about how bad the jams were I was hoping to get through Bilbao before the rush hour. I spot a sign for Burgos - should I take it or take the tried and tested route through Bilbao? I find I'm stuck in traffic, can't turn, and end up on the main road to Burgos and Madrid having avoided the city of Bilbao entirely. Result!

With temperatures rising I'm glad to be on my way and the hills and mountain scenery has been replaced by a barren hot plateau. On the plus side the road is good and the bike is flying.

Just at this moment I catch something out of the corner of my eye, the green uniform of the Guardia Civil. I'm almost level with him before I realise he's flagging me down. The only thing that is preventing me from dissolving into panic is that all the other vehicles around me are slowing down too. Vehicles are randomly pulled out of the queue and the occupants ordered out and made to stand and watch as their car or van is subjected to a brutal search so I breathe a very large sigh of relief as I'm waved through. I can't figure out what's going on. Then it

hits me that I'm in the Basque region of Spain, ETA country.

What's the Spanish for "I'm a Tourist, not a Terrorist"?

Relieved to be on my way again I begin to the aim of the Costa del Sol before dark. I only have one concern, the dark gathering clouds that are forming up in front of me.

The blisteringly hot sunshine first changes to cloud, to dark cloud, then to a little drizzle which is quite nice, cooling both me and the bike down.

Then suddenly it's like someone's thrown a giant bucket of dirty water over me, a tidal wave. Fortunately after about 45 minutes the sun reappears and everything begins to heat up again.

The road I'm on skirts around Burgos on route for Madrid. The Autopista is generally very straight and flat and the bike seems happy roaring along at 80mph but the actual lanes are definitely narrower than on UK motorways and I can't help feeling just a bit nervous when passing a big artic at 80mph and no matter how fast I'm travelling there's always somebody on my tail trying to overtake. The Spanish don't like to leave too much space just in case another vehicle comes along and fills it. Usually the radiator of the car behind is so close I could probably give it a polish.

Pat has let me know she and the van have arrived safe and sound at our new home and all is well at that end. She's given me all the info I need to get through Madrid, which is looming ever closer. I've

heard so many stories about Madrid and its eight-lane ring road system, slip roads that peel off from the left, the right and even the middle. It's all true; the road is a high-speed kamikaze version of the M25 with cars, lorries bikes and buses crossing five or six lanes of traffic at full throttle. I'm in the middle of all this m a y h e m watching for t h e route I need but make the fatal mistake of looking for the towns and not the road numbers. My little error costs me an hour in lost time and gives me an interesting tour of some of the lesser-known back streets of Madrid.

Boiling hot and shedding sweaty bits of clothing I'm back on the Autovia heading south for Cordoba. The main thought on my mind is can I make it to our new home today or will I be forced by fatigue and road conditions to stay over somewhere. The E-05 is long and straight with flat plains either side. My whole body is aching now all over and I'm feeling very tired. I can see the next set of mountains in the distance growing in front of me and know I have to get over them. Cordoba and Mรกlaga seem a million miles away, but I must keep going if I'm to make it before nightfall. I can't help wondering if the lakes I can see ahead are the same ones as I fly over when approaching Mรกlaga by plane from Gatwick. My head is getting very hot inside the helmet; it's got to be time for another stop for fuel and liquid.

The road is now twisting and climbing its way up through the first set of craggy mountains, through tunnels and round incredibly sharp bends.

These keep you alert but make your arms ache pushing the bike round the bends.

Just before Cordoba the road splits and I head to Seville and Mรกlaga. The sun is sinking quite quickly, the air temperature has dropped and I'm feeling cold but I'm determined to make it home tonight. As I take the 331 to Mรกlaga I know I'm close to our new home.

The sun is almost gone now and the eerie half-light of dusk starts to settle around me as the narrowing road bumps, twists and tunnels a route through the Andalucian Mountains. Exhaustion is creeping over me and even the Beatles in my earphones are having a hard job keeping me concentrating. 2,000k covered in just two days isn't bad for someone who's not really done any long distance rides. The bends seem even tighter and the trucks even bigger than in daylight. My speed has dropped to around 50mph, as I'm looking desperately for anything that which might say the coast is here.

Then I see the sign announcing E-15/N-340 Marbella-Algeciras and for the first time I know, despite my exhaustion, I'm going to make it. As I pass Mรกlaga Airport I realise I know this road and as each town goes by my aches, pains and exhaustion lift till I feel more and more alive.

Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Mijas, Fuengirola, and then La Cala, next stop Miraflores and home. I finish my journey on the N-340 coast road and there it is - Miraflores.

Turning on to the urbanisation I'm feeling so high I can't help opening the bike up and letting out a massive waahhooooo followed by a sickening groan as the bike hits an enormous drain stretching right across the road.

God that hurt!

Pat's heard the bike and is already at the gates. That hug and kiss makes it all worthwhile. Then champagne, a shower and some fabulous food confirm what I think I already knew - I'm HOME.

costa life 71

>> costaSTUFF

>> Shooter Yesterday was about honor. Today is about justice.

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rhona Mitra, Kate Mara, Danny Glover ‘Shooter’ is an action-packed thriller starring Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger, a former Army sniper who leaves the military after a mission goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country.

>> The Contract Every killer meets his equal.

Starring: John Cusack, Morgan Freeman, Jonathan Hyde Ray Keene (Cusack), a father who wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his son, is trying to bring Cordell (Freeman), a world-class assassin to justice. All the while, he must protect his son and evade an assassin's team who are methodically hunting them down in the wilderness.

>> Fracture If you look close enough, you'll find everyone has a weak spot.

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Stratham, Rosamund Pike When Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) discovers that his beautiful younger wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), is having an affair, he plans her murder...the perfect murder. Surprisingly, Crawford readily admits to shooting his wife, and he is immediately arrested and arraigned after confessing - a seemingly slam-dunk case for hot shot assistant district attorney Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling). But nothing is as simple as it seems, including this case. In a tense duel of intellect and strategy, Crawford and Willy both learn that a "fracture" can be found in every ostensibly perfect facade.

>> Mr Bean's Holiday Disaster has a passport!

Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Willem Dafoe Mr. Bean returns but not for long as he goes on his travels to the south of France where mishap and mayhem begin, by the end Bean even has his video diaries at the Cannes Film Festival.

>> Wild Hogs Four guys from the suburbs hit the road... and the road hit back.

Starring: John Travolta, William H Macy, Martin Lawrence, Ray Liotta, Tim Allen, Marisa Tomei Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy hit the road in this rollicking comedy-adventure about a group of middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip. When this mis- matched foursome, who clearly have grown far more used to the couch than the saddle, set out for a once-ina-lifetime experience - they encounter a world that holds far more than brought to you by they ever bargained for.

La Cala 72 costa life

See our advert on page 94

La Cala

See our advert on page 98

costa STUFF >> Rodders came over to Spain some years ago to retire from the cold weather in England. He was a rare, genuinely amiable guy that couldn't do enough for the people he believed in and had no time for fools. At one point in time, when I found myself close to becoming homeless, he didn't even think twice when he offered to let me stay with him until I'd got back on my feet. The job I had was not particularly well paid but he told me not to worry about money until I had enough money not to worry about it. I ended up living with him for nigh on eight months and he refused to take a penny from me in rent, even if I had a particularly good week at work. "You'll make it one day Mike, and I know you won't forget me when you do." No Rodders, I won't, but I'm a bit late.

Not only was he faultlessly generous but he had a wicked sense of humour to boot. There was nothing he enjoyed more than watching West Ham on TV in the pub, surrounded by young Scandinavian girls.

Yes, he liked his little Scandies… and they liked him too. Everybody liked him.

A Sad Goodbye to a Genuine Good Guy. I've had rather a blessed life insomuch as it hasn't really been touched by anyone's passing away. I mean absolutely no disrespect to my father who died when I was too young to understand what was going on. My father-in-law died shortly after I was married but we never got on and so it didn't really affect me, and when a rather nasty bloke I knew died of a drug overdose I just figured "What goes around…" But the wind was taken out of my sails very recently on learning that a really good friend of mine had just passed away. I don't know why it affected me so much - I'm obviously not as tough as I thought - but, maybe in an effort to make peace in my own head, I would like to write a few words about one of the most diamond geezers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting - and that's especially meaningful when we're talking of the Costa del Sol. Rodney Dowling, or "Rodders" as he was known to his friends, was sometimes a bit of a dark horse. If you caught sight of him out of the corner of your eye you'd think it was Eric Clapton. In fact, he once signed an autograph on Eric's behalf whilst feeling a little mischievous during one incident of mistaken identity. It was also heavily rumoured that he was once the lead guitarist for the rock band Hawkwind back in the 70's, but that was clearly untrue, although he'd still milk it. "If you can get the groupies without even being able to play an instrument, well why not?" He spent a number of years in Hamburg, Germany, where he ran a pub called "The Igel", pronounced exactly the same as "eagle" but in German it means "The Hedgehog". His pub Tshirts bore the legend "Fly like an Igel" over a picture of a hedgehog, such was his sense of humour - but the Germans didn't get it.

His health took a turn for the worse some months ago, even though he was only 60 years old, and he deteriorated unbelievably quickly.

He was constantly in pain and walking became so difficult that he had to get himself a wheelchair. He could even smile about it when I joked that I thought it was just a scam and he was just being lazy.

And there wasn't much he could do if one of us decided to play wheelies with him in his wheelchair. Hehe.

Sadly, his body was found on his sofa on Friday 13th July 2007, after some friends broke into his apartment worried that he'd not been seen for a few days. He had been taking a lot of pain killers and we can only hope that he passed on quietly in his sleep - but none of us know. And now all that's left is an empty space somewhere inside me. At least there's no more pain for you, Rodders.

Fly like an Eagle, my friend, wherever you may be now.

Your good friend, Mike.

You’ve got to watch out for the Skandies

costa life 73

>> costa STUFF Written By

Dave Wakelin

REVIEW

>> Absolute Garbage: Greatest Hits - Garbage More than a year after its original projected release date comes this long-awaited greatest hits collection from a bandwho were in their heyday one of the biggest names in modernrock. Featuring tracks from all four of their studio albumsas well as their Bond theme and the brand new single 'Tell Me Where It Hurts', this showcases the remarkable fusion of pop, rock, electronica and studio wizardry that saw them topcharts around the world.

>> One Chance - Paul Potts Britian´s Got Talent winner - opera singing Paul from Bristol - releases his debut album of popular classics which will no doubt bring the music to the masses and hit the top of the charts in the UK (and maybe the US too). Nothing too ground-breaking - simply a collection of ten standards including the song that won him his title, "Nessun Dorma". Suprises are lacking here but something to get your Mum as an early Christmas present.

>> Thirst for Romance - Cherry Ghost Cherry Ghost--a.k.a vocalist/frontman Simon Aldred plus band--formed in Bolton in 2005, having taken their name from a favourite Wilco song. Following charismatic singles like "Mathematics," and the melancholic "People Help People," Cherry Ghost are now ready to unleash Thirst for Romance--an album Aldred has described as "Willie Nelson meets Walt Disney". Not a hugely innovative album, but an engaging debut nonetheless.

>> Planet Earth - Prince The erstwhile king of pop continues his renaissance, movingback to Columbia Records for this follow-up to 2006's '3121'. Hailed as a return to the "classic" rock 'n' roll-pop-funk sound of Prince's 80s output, it includes the single 'Guitar' and features contributions from old-school Prince collaborators Wendy & Lisa.

>> Now That's What I Call Music Vol.67 - Various Artists As always the latest instalment in the now series contains loads of uk number ones, so still remains the best way of getting an over view of the british charts. there are some notable absences from the cd's due to contractural problems but most top artists are there. well worth buying as there are no rivals to this compilation! buy it!

74 costa life

All CD’s above can be purchased online at www.ccfmradio.com

costa STUFF >>

>> Tycoon

by Peter Jones This is the book that budding entrepreneurs everywhere have been waiting for. "Dragon's Den" star Peter Jones will demonstrate how anyone can become successful - you just need guts, determination and ideas. In "Tycoon", Peter offers his personal insight into the qualities and skills he believes every successful entrepreneur possesses. His Ten Golden Rules provide key building blocks for turning your ideas into successful businesses.

He shows how to road test your ideas, create momentum behind a project, inject investors with enthusiasm for your ideas, and how to have the courage to risk failing in order to see your vision become a money-spinning reality. A hugely inspiring book - it's the ultimate guide to thinking like a millionaire and becoming one.

>> The memory keeper's daughter

by Kim Edwards Award-winning writer Kim Edwards's The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted family drama that explores every mother's silent fear: what would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? A rich and deeply moving page-turner, The Memory Keeper's Daughter captures the way life takes unexpected turns and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets burst into the open. It is an astonishing tale of redemptive love.

>> Beginning Spanish for the utterly confused

by Jean Yates When it comes to understanding one of your most intimidating courses Spanish even good students can be confused. Intended primarily for the beginning Spanish student (though the more serious Spanish student will also benefit), Beginning Spanish for the Utterly Confused is your ticket to success. Spanish vocabulary, grammar, and common phrases and expressions are explained and applicable in an easy-to-use format that gets the student comfortable with communication quickly and easily. The message of Beginning Spanish for the Utterly Confused is simple: You don't have to be confused anymore. With the wealth of expert advice from the authors, who have taught thousands of confused students, you'll discover a newer, clearer way to look at Spanish. Don't wait another minute get on the road to higher grades and greater confidence, and go from utterly confused to totally prepared in no time!

>> Fashion Babylon

by Imogen Edward Jones and Anonymous Taking the reader through six months in a designer's life, it explains how a collection is put together -- from the objects of inspiration to the catwalk, into the shops and, hopefully, onto the cover of a magazine. It examines who goes to the shows and where they sit...and whose backside they have to kiss to get there. Narrated from the point of view of an anonymous A-list British fashion designer looking to break out across the pond and structured around three of the annual "must" industry events in London, Paris and New York, this irresistible work of reportage goes inside the well-cut seams of the fashion world, where women are paid tens of thousands of dollars for simply getting dressed and where a wrong skirt length can cost you your career.

Fashion Babylon decodes the markups and the comedowns, the fabulous extremes and the shoddy shortcuts behind one of the most lucrative and secretive businesses in the world. Witty, naughty and packed with celebrity gossip, this book will forever change the way you peruse the racks at Bergdorf's or flip through the pages of Vogue.

costa life 75

>> costa STUFF

Costa

Cuisine

by Jan Morley of FreezerMor

Salad Days!

August is the perfect month to make the most of the excellent array of salad ingredients.

The sun-ripened fruits, crisp leaves and crunchy vegetables, drizzled with infused dressings are just "the biz" for sultry hot days!

There is a huge variety of salad leaves ranging from the soft and delicate, such as the baby spinach and lamb's lettuce, the colourful oak leaf and frilly lollo rosso, the bitter dark red radicchio, peppery rocket, crunchy chicory and curly endive and delicious watercress, little gems and sweet cos……………….

1. CLASSIC CEASAR SALAD

There are many variations of this wonderful salad but the combination of crisp leaves, crunchy croutons, creamy dressing, salty anchovies and pungent parmesan, takes a lot of beating!

There are many versions of where it was first "created", but the most likely story revolves around a restaurateur, Caesar Cardini. He lived in San Diego in the 1920´s, but operated a restaurant in San Diego, in order to circumvent prohibition. During the busy 4th of July celebrations he ran short of supplies, so as not to disappoint his customers, he created this salad with the few ingredients he had left.

The famous Wallis Simpson was a regular customer, and demanded that the chef's in Europe should re-create this famous dish, so that she could enjoy it on her travels!

Start by making the croutons, simply dice two slices (50 g ) white bread, no crusts. In a bowl mix 1 table spoon of olive oil with a crushed clove of garlic and 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese. Stir in the cubed bread, place on a baking tray, in a hot oven, (200°c), for 8- 10 minutes, until crunchy.

All you need to do is add some extras, grated fresh ginger makes a refreshing surprise, throw in some spiced croutons, diced cheese, olives or roasted nuts and there you have a perfect starter, a great side salad for barbequed steaks, or a colourful addition to a buffet table.

SALAD DRESSINGS - a salad is rarely complete without a dressing, whether it is piquant vinaigrette, a creamy mayonnaise or a shot of fiery chili infused oil. It's a great idea to flavour a couple of different oils with garlic or herbs, such as tarragon or basil, just to have them ready as a base for your dressing. The dressing also aids digestion; add just prior to serving to avoid a soggy salad leaves!

2. MESCLUN A French style salad of freshly picked leaves and herbs, enhanced with seeds……super, super healthly eating!

To a bag of mixed leaves add chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, basil, chervil or tarragon, plus a sprinkling of toasted seeds, such as poppy, pumpkin or sunflower.

Drizzle with a dressing of 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar, pinch of sugar, plus some freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. Edible flowers make a colourful garnish; such as nasturtiums´, marigolds or violets, just check to see which others are suitable.

3. BROWN RICE WITH PESTO

To make the dressing, break 1 fresh egg into a food processor, add ½ tsp mustard powder, splash of Lea and Perrins, juice of ½ a lemon, 2 anchovy fillets, 1 clove of garlic. Blitz, then drizzle in (with motor running,) 1 tablespoon of oil from the anchovies, and 150ml extra virgin olive oil. It will have a creamy texture, as the egg and oils emulsify, and then season with salt and pepper.

Start by making the pesto, ( or use ready-made), blend 50g basil, 1 clove garlic, tablespoon pine nuts, 6 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin, and a pinch of salt ,and then stir in 25g grated parmesan.

For the salad you will need a large serving bowl, rub the inside with half a clove of garlic and a little oil. Tear the leaves of a crispy Cos lettuce, snip a few more Anchovy fillets onto the leaves, add lots of Parmesan shavings, a generous splash of the dressing, finally top with lots of crunchy croutons.

This is a great dish to serve as a starter or as an addition to gutsy barbequed meats.

Make up some vegetable stock, stir a third of the pesto into 225g of brown rice, pour into a frying pan, season, cover with stock , gently simmer for 20- 25 minutes until cooked. Then tip into a serving bowl, drizzle with juice of half a lemon, stir in remaining pesto, garnish with toasted pinenuts, basil, and parmesan shavings.

76 costa life

4. SWEET AND SOUR BEETROOT SALAD

This salad gives a great contrast of colour on a buffet table, and is really cheap to make.

Simply peel and grate 450g of raw beetroot finely slice 1 red onion, stir in some capers and 6 finely sliced radishes. Finally, make a delicious dressing by shaking together 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, plus 1 tbsp of runny honey.

Stir the dressing into the salad, season with salt and pepper, allow to marinate for 30 minutes before serving. Serve on a bed of salad leaves.

costa STUFF >>

costa life 77

Taking her first break from filming in 5 years Scarlett Johansson has been driving along the bumpy roads of Uttar Pradesh in India looking at the problem of poverty as a guest of Oxfam, will you ever see Scarlett in any Oxfam shops buying a dress for a premiere? I doubt it; she would probably prefer buying her clothes on the bumpy streets of famously expensive Rodeo drive in L.A…. Angelina Jolie seems to have taken to the wild and wide-open spaces. Angelina fell in love with Cambodia after adopting her son Maddox who was born there, she along with Brad Pitt have bought a two bedroom house on stilts, and have bought their neighbours, some cows, Ah…Big beaming Baywatch star David Hasselhoff, has just won custody of his two children despite a video, filmed by his 17y.o. daughter showing him eating a hamburger off the floor while drunk, Hasselhoff is a recovering alcoholic, now he can be drunk in charge of two kids?…Singing for her supper is Keira Knightly starring in her latest film The Edge of Love, about the life story of Dylan Thomas, the director John Maybury, said "in the thirties it was Garbo talks, well, know its Knightly sings" I hope she sings well, otherwise Knightly sings could become yearly?…Diminutive legendary actor Mickey Rooney, who has appeared with Hollywood's greats such as Judy Garland and Lana Turner, is to appear in a British Pantomime as Baron Hardup in Cinderella. At the age of 86 Hardup may not be possible. More likely as he is just 5ft tall to play one of the seven dwarfs?….Between jobs in acting some of the glamorous female stars can pick up extra cash. Like Kate Winslet as she takes over from Isabella Rossellini. She has become the new face of cosmetics firm Lancôme. "I didn't feel that I was just being asked to be a face," said Kate.

Lancôme are not going to feature your backside Kate, are they?… Former star of Friends Jennifer Aniston has given her new boyfriend a lift up a ladder, he is an Essex builder called Paul Sculfor, does he do erections, and will he tamper with her frontage?

Many questions to be answered?…Much to the enjoyment of other bathers Cameron Diaz showed off her svelte figure in a bikini, after filming in the new Shrek movie, she play Princess Fiona alongside her ex boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who is her cousin Artie in the film…Ex TV Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall, is preparing to bring the series to the big screen in a one off movie, Cattrall 50, who has been married three times is currently dating Alan Wyse a chef aged 28 from Toronto "to be honest, I'm a little embarrassed about it" says Kim. Still if the bedroom fails to excite, Alan should know his onions in the kitchen…So Rod Stewart finally married his Penny, not surprisingly, as he is known to be a bit tight with his money. It's a shame that his Sean who has a drink and drugs problem and faces a prison sentence did not turn up for the nuptials, maybe Stewart forgot to put a stamp on the invitation?…

So what else is new?…

costa STUFF >>

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>> costa STUFF

STRANGE BUT TRUE Did they really say that … ‘‘We are unable to announce the weather. We depend on weather reports from the airport, which is closed, due to weather. Whether we will be able to give you a weather report tomorrow will depend on the weather.’’ - Arab News report ‘‘Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.’’ - Budapest Zoo sign ‘‘Models are like baseball players. We make a lot of money quickly, but all of a sudden we’re 30 years old, we don’t have a college education, we’re qualified for nothing, and we’re used to a very nice lifestyle. The best thing is to marry a movie star.’’ - Cindy Crawford, Supermodel

Real names of famous actors…

Charlie Sheen (Carlos Irwin Estevez) Meg Ryan (Margaret Mary Emily Ann Hyra Winona Ryder (Winona Laura Horowitz Jamie Foxx (Eric Bishop)

Lawyer: ‘‘Sir, what is your IQ?’’ Defendant: ‘‘Well, I can see pretty well, I think.’’ - Testimony from court records ‘‘Did people build this, or did Indians?’’ - Tourist question at Mesa Verde National Park

WOMAN UNAWARE OF BULLET IN SKULL… A Chinese woman was cured of a 64-year headache when doctors removed a bullet from her skull. Jin Guangying, 77, came under fire from a Japanese patrol during World War II. She was shot in 1943 and when she regained consciousness her head was wrapped in a bandage. But she had no idea that a bullet had lodged in her skull. The Beijing News said her family could not afford a proper health check and thought she had a tumour.

80 costa life

A Blonde that is not so dumb…

A lawyer and a blonde are sitting next to each other on a flight from L.A. to New York. The lawyer asks if she would like to play a fun game.

The blonde is tired and just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists. He explains how the game works. "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and vice-versa." Again, the blonde politely declines and tries to get some sleep.The lawyer figures that since his opponent is a blonde he will easily win the match, so he makes another offer. "If you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5, but if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500." The blonde figures there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, so she agrees. The lawyer asks, "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" The blonde reaches in to her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer Then she asks the lawyer "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?" The lawyer is puzzled.

He uses his laptop to search for references. He taps into the air-phone with his modem and searches the net and the library of congress.

Frustrated, he sends emails to his coworkers and friends. No luck.

After an hour, he gives up. He wakes the blonde and hands her $500 the blonde politely takes the $500 and turns away to get back to sleep. The lawyer, who is going nuts trying to figure it out, wakes the blonde and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?" The blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5, and goes back to sleep.

Sudoku and Crossword answers for Issue 28

Sudoku

costa STUFF >>

8 4 3 5 9 9 7 1 3 9 1 9 7 5 7 3 9 4 6 1 5 4 1 3 8 4 7 9 3 5 3 9 2 8 4

1

The rules of Sudoku: place a digit from 1-9 in each empty cell, so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9.

CHALLENGE

Across 1 Obstruct 5 Rend 9 Fender-bender cause 13 Name of eight English kings 15 Level 16 Bird bill part 17 Inuit home 18 Acreage 19 Milky white stone 20 Nutria 21 Olden days 23 Holm oak 25 Hospital employees 26 Eye part 29 Actress Dickinson 31 Government by a few 33 Kid's claim 37 Wicked 38 Infant's enclosure 41 Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame architect 42 Cinematogrpher Nykvist 44 Set right 46 Kick up __ 49 Pakistani city 50 Biblical strongman 53 ‘‘The Way We __’’ 54 Reproduce 57 City on the Ganges 61 Unthinking repetition 62 Cain's victim 63 Direction indicator 64 Poker declaration 65 Blinds crosspiece 66 One of Chaucer's pilgrims 67 27th U.S. president 68 Hard to hold 69 Pair

Down 1 Stylish 2 Building block company 3 Just 4 Fumbling 5 Loosen up 6 Lendl of tennis 7 Outlet 8 Terminating 9 Washed abrasively 10 French soldiers' hats 11 Enraged 12 Fleur-__ 14 Look before __ 22 Sauve __ peut 24 Jazzman Hines 26 Male swans 27 Norse king 28 Harrass 29 Words of recognition 30 Big Apple law enforcers 32 Automobiles 34 __ facto 35 Malty brew 36 Flank 39 First name in courtroom fiction 40 Like some stock prices 43 Coming into being 45 Cut off 47 Pro 48 Discomfort 50 Sail spar 51 Fragrance 52 Artist's theme 53 1973 Pulitzer prizewinner 55 Competent 56 Wild duck 58 Low card 59 Exploding star 60 Dazzled

crossword

costa life 81

>> costa STUFF

CARLA IS LIMPING C

arla is a small primate that was born in the Fuengirola zoo just 8 months ago. This small baby cercophithecus had not been using her left leg for the last few days and our colleague from the zoo came to our hospital to take several X-rrays because he thought she could have a fracture in her leg.

Cercophithecus are found in rain forest of central, eastern and southern Africa. They are very dependent upon humid, shaded areas with abundant water and tall tress which provide both food and shelter. The maximum lifespan is probably around 20 years. They eat mainly fruits and leaves and slow-moving slugs and worms.

Carla came to the hospital sedated and it was very easy for us to help her because in normal conditions she is quite wild. It was amazing to see how similar they are when you compare them to human beings, how tender was her glance and how sweet and beautiful her small hands are‌ After the x-rays we could see that every single bone of the pelvic limb was perfect, but we saw that her skin of her left foot was damaged. We put local anaesthetic in the area and started looking for foreign bodies that could be there. A few minutes later we found a big prickle that was very deeply inserted. This was easily removed with no problem!!! Carla will feel much better in a couple of days.

Now Carla is again with her mother in the zoo having a happy life in the same area as the other gorillas.

Say Hello to her when you visit the Fuengirola zoo. (She's the smallest)

Myramar animal Hospital.

Av/Santa Amalia esq voluntariors 29640 Fuengirola. .

952588543 667433678 myramarhospital@hotmail.com 82 costa life

costa STUFF >>

costa life 83

>> costaSTUFF

brought to you by Russell Vaughan

Cheap or free telephone calls - your choice Whatever Internet company you connect with you should check out the latest Internet based telephone services now available on the net. Using your computer and headset, a web page, an Internet telephone adaptor or even your existing mobile phone there is now a choice of many alternative telephone services.

Skype was one of the first commercial online telephone services allowing free calls computer to computer and cheap calls computer to fixed telephone line, but recently several new sites are offering free calls to fixed line telephones. Most ask you to download free software to allow you to access their service. Once installed this allows customers to get free calls between each other, but more exciting is free calls to your friends and family back home.

Mobile phone users can check out Rebtel who let you use the free minutes on your phone contract to dial through their service to make international calls on your mobile phone at a fraction of the usual cost You pay your phone operator the usual rate for a local call or use your free minutes, and then you pay Rebtel a tiny bit on top for the international connection. They will even give you a 10 free minute to check the service out.

All in one phone or MP3 player Apple I-phone has just hit the streets in the USA and there were people queuing outside shops for days just to buy a phone that can store and take pictures, connect to the internet, play music, Show quality movies and make phone calls. Why the hype? There are many phones on the market that already have most of these features at far less money than the I-Phone, UK retailers will be charging around ÂŁ3-500 so it won't be cheap but it is an important step in this new all-in one technology. As phone manufacturers add more and more features to new models, it won't be long before we all carry an all in one device. Imagine plugging your portable computer/phone into the car to access your music collection or even your security information to start the car or plugging it into a slot at home to regulate the lights, record TV shows or download a movie from the net for watching on your way to work. All in one devices will have many new additions over the coming year as manufacturer's try their best to gain market share by adding more and more. At the same day Apple launched the new I-Phone some of those same people who had queued for hours had already put theirs on Ebay so was it hype or an opportunity to make a bit of extra cash.

Time will tell.

84 costa life

Some companies give you a phone number for the country of your choice allowing people to call you. All offer cheaper calls to mobiles and dozens of countries outside Europe are 60% cheaper.

VoipBuster offers phone calls all around the world and all you have to do is download their software to call your online friends for free as well as a special selection of popular international destinations.

Once you are happy a service works you can buy a special Internet phone adaptor (ATA) or VOIP phone that plugs directly into your Internet connection, after you add your account details it acts like an ordinary phone and works even if your computer is switched off. Most of the web based services will work on a fixed line phone and the better wireless providers. Most of us campo dwellers are already cellphone users so the most exciting service may be Rebtel the quality of the calls are acceptable and if you have free minutes you can call around the world for little or nothing.

Vista Tips Need to find something in a recent document even when you can't remember where the document is or even its name, word document email or a webpage you recently looked at Windows Vista Instant Search doesn't care where your information is. Like a sniffer dog, Instant Search will find almost anything you have on your hard disk.

Just type one or more keywords in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then click the magnifying glass icon that appears beside the box. After a few seconds, the closest matches for your search appear right in the Start menu, Sorted by type of content.

The results will include Web sites you recently visited, documents, and several e-mail messages. If you don't see what you need in those immediate results, click See All Results to see all relevant files, Web pages, e-mail messages, and e - m a i l attachments. Or, to search the Internet for your keywords, click Search the Internet and Windows Vista takes you directly to Web search results for your keywords.

Russell http://www.onestopalhaurin.com tel:665016374

Book your seats now and come and join us for a night of food music and dance at the Tamisa Golf Hotel.

All monies raised will go to Age Care Spain and Young Hope Sri Lanka.

The Charities‌ Young hope Suzie Malt and Pyra Tew Email- younghope@hotmail.com 952 034 879 www.younghope.blogspot.com This project was started in April 2005, mainly operating in the north of Sri Lanka.

Young Hope is run by Suzie Malt who lives in Spain and her daughter Pyra Tew who lives in the UK. Just after the Tsunami Pyra visited Sri Lanka and saw first hand the devastation. She came across a little village called Nilaveli where she found around 300 children who had either lost there mother or father. She discovered 3 nuns from the sister of charity were trying to set up a school for these children in order to protect them and prevent them from being taken into the white slave trade, or from being sold for donor parts.

Age Care Association Emergency telephone hot line 691 761 088 Lux Mundi Fuengirola Tuesday and Thursday 10.00 till 12.30pm Benalmadena Bonanza Centre Tuesday 11.00 till 12.30pm Manilla bar los boliches Wednesday 10.30 till 12.30pm Age Care Association is a non profit making charitable organization run by volunteers. The majority of the work is dealing with older English speaking people who live in the province of Malaga. They offer welfare information and advice, practical support and emergency help and back up when needed.

>> costa STUFF

ARE YOU A TOUGH NUT TO H

ave you got a protective shell around you that's almost impossible to penetrate? Are you living with someone who is enclosed in that shell and you feel shut out of their life?

In today’s world with its ‘dog eats dog’ attitude it’s risky to be exposed and vulnerable. Much safer to erect an impenetrable barrier of protection from all attacks. Some time ago I wrote an article ‘When can I take the mask off?’ expressing the thought that many people live behind a mask to hide their true emotions. Taking that thought further brings us to this idea of a hard shell of protection.

Did you feel rejected as a child because you were constantly belittled or abused? Perhaps you never knew your parents and felt rejected and unwanted all your life. Have you been rejected or abused by a partner and your self confidence was torn to shreds?

Did you struggle through your childhood thinking you were a failure but determined to prove you could achieve something? Life can give us many knocks on the way and we start looking for ways to protect ourselves. A barrier starts being erected until the real person inside can start to feel safe again. The result unfortunately is that so many people are pretending to be someone else that no-one knows who anyone really is! Life can become a frivolous and superficial act.

Keep the mask up and make sure the shell can never be cracked!

Sometimes a person will enter our lives who is transparently honest, open about expressing their emotions and willing to expose their vulnerability. How do we deal with such a person? Everyone begins to feel uncomfortable and yet often there is a desire deep down inside to get rid of the mask and throw away the shell and just be real. Someone who chooses to be truthful at all times can cause everyone around them to back away. After all surely everyone lies, don’t they? It's normal nowadays! You just don’t expose yourself to the truth, it’s dangerous! That’s not how the game of Life should be played!

For those who have put their trust in God there is freedom in the discovery that it’s okay to be truthful, it’s good to be open and honest. We no longer fear being exposed and vulnerable because there is a place of safety in God. It’s no longer necessary to prove anything to anyone. If God Himself accepts us and loves us just as we are then what more do we need. There is a wonderful sense of relief as we realise that the mask is gone and the shell has cracked open. Only God’s love can do this.

Psalm 142 (New Living Translation) ‘‘I cry out to the Lord…I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles……. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought!……..no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O Lord, I say, ‘You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.’…. you treat me kindly.’’ ‘‘And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love……… …….We love Him because He first loved us.’’

(1 John 4:16-19) Annette Riggall

86 costa life

The dog that came in from the sun…

12 hours old

I

t was a lovely afternoon as usual in Fuengirola, Thusday 28 June 2007. The office folk at Costa Life Media were busy finishing off the next issue of the magazines when in strolled a dog !

Dave the company dog expert was summoned from his production area and announced that SHE was a grey hound of the Spanish variety - and was very pregnant.

Although she had a collar, there was no ID tag so off they went to the local vets to scan her for a microchip which would hopefully contain details of the owner. Sadly, it didn´t as she was not chipped.

Reading between the lines as you so often do in Spain, she had been released into the wild that is Fuengirola to look after herself and her soonto-be-born brood rather than clutter-up someones apartment and cost a small fortune to look after.

So now what do we do, they thought ?

That wonderful home to abandoned and distreated cats and dogs PAD in Mijas seemed the answer. Dave had previously adopted two dogs from them so knew they should be able to help if the shelter was not too full of animals awaiting new owners and new homes.

Dave said his goodbyes and promised to call in to see Kaitlyn the next afternoon.

She must have been confortable as within an hour, Tracey had the job of midwife forced onto her as Kaitlyn decided to give birth to her litter. For the next four hours, the two of them manage to deliver seven beautiful puppies and by 11pm Kaitlyn was joined by her children : five black and white, one black and one brown. Finally after a very busy day and a few extra licks to the brood, Kaitlyn crashed out in her basket of puppies for the night.

The following morning, Dave rushed to PAD with his camera to capture the proud mother with her puppies less than 12 hours old. Due to work commitments, it was just a quick visit but he made sure Kaitlyn would remember him thanks to a handful of frankfurters !

In just two days time, the whole of the Costa del Sol would be visiting the new family during PAD´s Open Day, promoted on Coast & Country Radio 106FM and maybe some potential new homes could be offered for them....?????

They were greeted by an enormously loud barking session from the other residence - as well as "Hello" from Tracey the PAD lady.

As soon as they were in the office, the grey hound stretched out on the floor for a well-earned rest as well as some delicious dog chow. "What´s her name ?" Tracey asked. "No idea" Dave replied. "How about Kaitlyn" he continued as if he picked the name out of the air.

by Dave Wakelin

4 days old

All your local information for the costa del sol

>>

Useful info numbers, phrases and shopping tips that will aid your stay in Spain

89

>>

Where to go and What to do along the coast

90

>>

Business Directory

94

All your services and business needs in our comprehensive guide Sponsored by www.guidetothecosta.com

Check it all out online at

Useful numbers & information

costa GUIDE >>

EMERGENCIES >> LOCAL POLICE Antequera Arroyo de la Miel Benalmádena, Málaga, Marbella & Ronda Coin Estepona Fuengirola Nerja Torremolinos

952 708 104 952 708 104 092 952 453 267 952 800 243 952 589 324 952 521 545 952 381 422

>> NATIONAL POLICE National Police

952 461 046 952 774 349 952 383 939

>> MEDICAL SERVICES Emergencies

061

>> AMBULANCE Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Málaga & Marbella

902 505 061

>> STATE HOSPITALS

062

Benalmádena Fuengirola Málaga Marbella Torremolinos

>> FIRE BRIGADE Benalmádena, Málaga & Mijas Estepona

Fuengirola Marbella Torremolinos

091

>> GUARDIA CIVIL Guardia Civil

TRANSPORT >> AIRPORTS

080 952 804 483

>> BRITISH CONSULATE Calle Mauricio Moro, Pareta, 22nd Floor, MÁLAGA. Open 08:30 - 13:30 Enquiries 952 352 300

MARKET PLACES MONDAYS >>

Marbella near the football stadium

TUESDAYS >>

902 505 061 902 505 061 951 030 300 952 769 946 952 386 484

>> EMERGENCY LOCKSMITHS CostaLocks

952 476 013

TAXIS

BUS STATIONS

TRAIN STATIONS

1619516500 2890330099 2072229633 1383738866 1604230230 1252513500 1132345678 1514721110

Halifax Lloyds TSB Mastercard Nat & Provincial Nationwide Natwest Yorkshire Bank

SIZE COMPARISONS >>

WEDNESDAY >>

Don’t let being unsure about sizes impare your shopping sprees...

THURSDAY >>

Torremolinos Velez Malaga San Pedro Torre del Mar

FRIDAY >>

Benalmadena Tivoli Gardens Las Chapas

Shoes SP 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Men’s Wear UK 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

SP 44 46 48 50/52 54 56 58

956 654 304 952 490 709 952 443 563 952 450 366 952 802 954 952 475 066 952 172 396 953 350 061 952 764 400 952 781 396 952 380 965

Algeciras Alhaurin Benalmádena Coin Estepona Fuengirola La Linea Málaga Marbella San Pedro Torremolinos

Fuengirola (Feria Ground) Nerja weekly market (Calle Chaparil) Benalmadena Parque de la Paloma La Cala Estapona La Linea Rincon de la Victoria

952 441 545 952 802 900 952 471 000 956 770 027 952 327 950 952 774 488 952 476 593

Benalmádena Estepona Fuengirola Gibraltar Málaga Marbella Mijas Costa

The Coastal Service stops at every major town between Fuengirola and Málaga from 06:45 and 22:30 from Málaga 902 240 202 Call

LOST/STOLEN CREDIT CARDS >> Abbey National Allied Irish American Express Bank of Scotland Barclays Bank Diners Club First Direct Girobank

952 048 844 956 773 026

Malaga Gibraltar

UK 34 36 38 40 42 44 46

Men’s Shirts SP 35 36/37 38 39/40 41 42/43 44

UK 14 14.5 15 15.5 16 16.5 17

8457203099 1702364274 1383621166 1274331522 1793543888 1132778899 1132424800

Women’s Wear SP 36 38 40 42 44 46 48

UK 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

>>Spanish Facts

SATURDAY >>

Fuengirola La Cala Puerta Banus near bullring

SUNDAY >>

Fuengirola near the mosque Malaga near the football stadium Sabinillas Estapona Sotogrande Nerja car boot sale

>> Telephone: to make an international call from Spain, dial 00 and then add the country code (UK 44; USA 1; Australia 61; Canada 1; Irish Republic 353; New Zealand 64) and the rest of the telephone number minus the first zero if there is one. To call Spain from abroad, the country code is 00 34. >> Business hours: the normal opening hours for shops are Monday to Saturday from around 10am until about 1.30 / 2pm. After siesta they reopen from around 5.30pm until 8pm or 9pm. Large stores usually stay open all day. Most places are

TOURIST INFORMATION

TOWN HALLS

Benalmádena Estepona Fuengirola Gibraltar Málaga Marbella Mijas Nerja Torremolinos

Estepona Fuengirola Gibraltar Málaga Marbella Mijas Nerja Torremolinos

952 442 494 952 802 002 952 467 457 956 774 982 952 213 445 952 771 442 952 485 900 952 521 531 952 379 512

closed on Sundays. >> Banks: generally open from 9am to 2pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9am to midday or 1pm on Saturday. Hours may vary in summer. >>Customs allowance- importation from Gibraltar into Spain 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% or 2 litres of wine 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gms tobacco Goods brought in Gibraltar may only be imported into spain between 0900 hours and 2100 hours

TOUR OPERATORS 952 801 100 952 467 625 952 774 902 952 135 000 952 761 100 952 485 900 952 520 404 952 379 400

Airtours

971 900 100

Cosmos

952 386 012

Direct Holidays

952 382 035

First Choice

952 384 827

JMC

952 384 470

Thomson

952 812 132

BIG

T ust E NIGH g u BI hA 25t IG BAR &B AND

ACTIVITIES The Activities available include Clay Pigeon Shooting, Archery, Quad Biking, Air Pistols, Horse Riding and you don’t have to have a go at all the activities in one day, you can carry on where you left off the next day.

B

CLUB RESTAURANT

Marbella G u n

a n d

C o u n t r y

C l u b

Set in 140 acres of stunning countryside in the foothills of the Sierra de las Nieves, Marbella Gun and Country Club boasts the finest facilities in Europe

The Restaurant offers an innovative menu, featuring fresh fish, the finest quality meats, a good selection of vegetarian options and, if a full meal isn’t to your fancy, there is also a wide choice of light meals and snacks to be enjoyed in the bar area or out on the poolside terrace.

The first of seven new superbly appointed Scandinavian log cabins is now ready for viewing. This first phase will be located close to the pool, patio, restaurant and boasts some of the finest views the club has to offer. Anyone interested in a viewing please contact the club to make an appointment. Available from September. Ideal for short breaks, long weekends etc.

We are also the perfect venue for your private function, weddings, birthdays, celebrations and corporate events. We can arrange live music, buffets, set menus and barbecues.

Opening Hours From 10am (open 7 days per week) Please call for further details Marbella Gun and Country Club, Monda, Málaga, Spain Tel:952 112161 Mob: 627 963 747 Fax: 952 112162

Email : marbellagun@yahoo.co.uk www.marbellagunandcountryclub.com

Beach

El Faro Fuengirola

Captains Bar

Km202

La Cala Marbella

Blancos Restaurant

The Evangelical Christian Fellowship An oasis where the Word of God is preached and the love of God is shared

We welcome you to visit us and meet new friends!

Sundays at 4.30pm Ermita San Miguel, Calahonda

www.ecfmijas.com tel: (0034) 952 467 394 or e-mail: fef@tele1.org Pastors Peter and Annette Riggall

YOU!

can advertise

Here

for as little as

70 â‚Ź

Arctic.S.L.

Fully registered & insured company over 10 years in Spain Air-conditioning & Heating With de-humidifiers.

Installations from â‚Ź525 Including fitting & 3 years Guarantee.

Service & Repairs to all makes of Air-conditioning Machines

Why not use your swimming pool All of the year round We supply Heat-Pumps with covers And rollers to keep the water warm All year

TEL. 952592785

Mob. 637892298 e-mail. arcticsl@hotmail.com