ISSUE 250 • JUNE 2020
ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING
D THE SPOTLIGHT w THE TREND d THE STYLE
COMPLIMENTARY DIGITAL EDITION
N º 250 -JUNE 2020
essential essential magazine® marbella
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MARBELLA
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CHANGING OUR WAYS
+THE NEW
THE POST COVID-19 WORLD
NORMAL
LEGENDARY
CARS AMAZING DOCUMENTARIES THE NATURAL
THOSE THAT ARE NO MORE
WORLD
FEELING LUCKY?
EXTREME
ENDEAVOURS
BACKYARD
BLOCKBUSTERS ADVENTURES IN SPAIN
STUNNING ARCHITECTURE
ZAHA HADID
WONDERS
n THE SPA L THE SOCIAL z THE PRO b THE GOURMET
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contents
THE ESSENTIAL
14 Publisher’s Letter
GO TO THE SPOTLIGHT
20 Travel Treasures 32 Entering The New Normal 46 How Companies are Coping with COVID-19 60 Changing our Ways 72 Extreme Endeavours 88 Legendary Cars 102 Greta Gerwig
GO TO THE TREND 110 Home Viewing 118 Nature Documentaries 126 Top Live and Streamed Concerts in June 128 Backyard Blockbusters to Read 136 What’s Cool 140 Teen Talk 146 Animal Love
GO TO THE STYLE 150 Zaha Hadid, Empress of Architecture 162 How will COVID-19 Change Urban Planning and Architecture? 174 Silly Décor Items for Serious Times 176 Fashion by Pedro del Hierro
GO TO THE SPA 186 KVD Vegan Makeup 188 Astarté Diosa Vegan Eyelashes 192 Essential Vitamins and Minerals 196 Best Digital Thermometers 198 Farmacia PARAISO Estepona
GO TO THE PRO 206 Village Verde in Sotogrande 216 YouTube Adsense 222 Enterprise and Actions of Solidarity
GO TO THE GOURMET 236 Top Online Chefs’ Recipes 246 Gourmet Bytes 256 Howard’s Folly Wine from Portugal
GO TO THE STARS 260 Stars for June
THE QUEEN OF MAGNUMS
THIS SUM MER!
Issue 250 • June 2020 PUBLISHER & DIRECTOR
IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com
DIGITAL & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
A BEAUTIFUL BLUSH ROSÉ OF SYRAH MADE IN THE SIERRAS DE MÁLAGA REGION.
ANDREA BLACKWELL andrea@essentialmagazine.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER
FRAGRANT AND INTENSE NOSE WITH RED FRUIT AROMAS.
SUSANNE WHITAKER design@essentialmagazine.com
DESIGN & LAYOUT
INMA AURIOLES inma@essentialmagazine.com
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
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ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE SALES SUPPORT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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MONIKA BÖJTI info@essentialmagazine.com MARIANO JEVA cuentas@essentialmagazine.com JAN DENDAUW jan@essentialmagazine.com KEVIN HORN www.photographermarbella.com IAIN BLACKWELL, BELINDA BECKETT, MICHEL CRUZ, RUSSELL GRANT, WILLIAM E. REES
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The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information published herein, or be held accountable for any errors, omissions, or claims for damages. Marbella Magazine cannot accept responsibility for the claims, goods or services of advertisers, or for the copyright of materials used by them. © Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. for Marbella Magazine. No part of this magazine, including texts, photographs, illustrations, maps or any other graphics may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. Printed on recyclable paper, produced without wood and bleached without chlorine.
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La Zagaleta
This state-of-the-art residence in the prestigious La Zagaleta Country Club is,
the reception areas from the private areas, with an individual pavilion concept.
undoubtedly, one of the most spectacular contemporary residences in the area,
Each angle is carefully designed to give a spacious and sensorial experience. The
offering unrivalled space and design. The residence is situated on a large plot of
villa boasts a luxurious spa area with indoor pool, steam room, sauna, plunge
8.209 m2, enjoying spectacular panoramic sea and mountain views. The property
pool, massage room, as well as a guest apartment with 2 en-suite bedrooms and
combines a contemporary design with traditional elements to harmonise with
a 2 bedroom staff apartment. 10 beds, 10 baths. Built 2.560 m2, plot 8.209 m2.
the dramatic surroundings. The famous Architect created a concept of separating
E&V ID: W-02842H. Price: 11.900.000 €
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Golden Mile
Newly constructed, modern villa situated in the prestigious Lomas de Marbella
Besides the well planned reception and bedroom areas, the lower part of the villa
Club on the Golden Mile. This beautiful villa offers a stylish, modern design and
has an expansive multipurpose space with bright natural light with games room,
beautifully decorated interiors. Built to the highest qualities, the property has a well
gym and a television room with bar corner for indoor entertainment. The outdoor
thought-out layout, with open plan living spaces and large floor to ceiling windows
terrace has direct access to a large garden and heated salt water swimming pool,
allowing natural light throughout the rooms. This South facing villa features
with a cross current swimming system. 6 beds, 6 baths. Built 794 m2, plot 1.006 m2.
beautiful sea views from the upper floor and the latest smart-home technology.
E&V ID: W-028OSQ. Price: 2.950.000 â‚Ź.
Golden Mile Shop: 952 868 406 ¡ www.engelvoelkers.com/Marbella
SPACIOUS PRIVATE AREAS Welcome to your future home. Nine Lions Residences comprises 53 spacious and bright apartments, distributed across nine villas on a hillside. Each of the nine villas is home to between five and seven apartments, ranging from 90 to 284 sqm. Several garden apartments include private swimming pools set among the fresh vegetation. Enjoy peaceful evenings on your private partially shaded terrace that offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, Mediterranean sea and Gibraltar. Please contact us to schedule your live virtual tour. You can also watch the pre-recorded tours of our fabulous show apartments by clicking on the links below: 2 Bedrooms Apt. Follow us: 9lionsresidences
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marbella’s most beautiful apartments
Your contact:
Mark Lamb Commercial Director mark@9lionsresidences.com +34 691 901 976
(previously known as UK & European Investments)
D WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL PUBLISHER
CHANGING OUR WAYS
W
elcome to our new hybrid issue for June. This month, we have sought to encapsulate what we are all going through as we engage with the ‘new normal’. You can read about how it is affecting us as individuals, how companies are coping, and what we should aspire to on a species level for our future survival in our three great lead features. Turn up the intensity with adrenalinpumping videos of extreme endeavours and marvel at the luxury of legendary limousines of yesteryear. We also bring you the sensual flowing lines of the greatest female architect, Zaha Hadid, and discover
what impact COVID-19 is having on urban planning and our future home designs. Following the recent outstanding new adaptation of Little Women, assess the multi-talents of Greta Gerwig, find out how Adsense operates on YouTube, and check out iconic fashion from Pedro del Hierro. As we will inevitably continue to spend lots of time at home, with many of us now working from there, we suggest plenty of pursuits to fill your leisure time, from mainstream movies to nurturing nature documentaries, online music events, blockbuster reads set in our own backyard, and enticing video recipes from top chefs.
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the spotlight
WE BRING YOU MANY FEATURES THIS MONTH COVERING BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TOPICS. WE INVITE YOU TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE WORLD’S SPECIAL TREASURES, CONTEMPLATE WHAT ‘THE NEW NORMAL’ WILL BE LIKE, SEE HOW SAVVY COMPANIES WILL COPE WITH COVID-19, AND CONSIDER WAYS TO CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. DELIGHT IN PURE ENTERTAINMENT WITH REPORTS ON EXTREME ENDEAVOURS AND LEGENDARY CARS, PLUS A FEATURE ON FILM DIRECTOR AND ACTOR, GRETA GERWIG.
GO TO PAGE 72 EXTREME ENDEAVOURS
GO TO PAGE 88 LEGENDARY CARS
GO TO PAGE 20 TRAVEL TREASURES
GO TO PAGE 32 ENTERING THE NEW NORMAL
CULTURE HISTORY PEOPLE MOTORING 20 Travel Treasures 32 Entering The New Normal 46 How Companies are Coping with COVID-19 60 Changing our Ways 72 Extreme Endeavours 88 Legendary Cars 102 Greta Gerwig
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TRAVEL TREASURES
BECAUSE LIFE ALWAYS FINDS THE WAY WORDS ANDI BLACKWELL PHOTOS SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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Fairytales still exist and we mustn't stop dreaming. This beautiful planet of ours comes with a myriad of landscapes, flora, fauna and cultures that sometimes verge on magical. So put your rose-coloured glasses on and plan out your next adventure to come!
CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY
For the hiker, explorer and adventurer, central Turkey can be a real treat. The region of Cappadocia is not only famed for its incredible rock formations, ancient valleys and intricate cave systems but also for the breathtaking scenery which is dotted with hundreds of colourful hot air balloon rides. Cool travel blogger Jackson can give you the ins and outs this fairytale-like place has to offer:
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BAMBOO FOREST, KYOTO, JAPAN
Kyoto, the 'imperial capital' of Japan, proudly posesses many historical and cultural treasures, enough for no less than 17 UNESCO sites! It impresses with thousands of temples, serene shrines and gardens, lush landscapes and beautiful architecture. The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is not like any ordinary forest; feel enchanted while strolling along its path leading to the sublime Okochi-Sanso Villa. Find some more cool things to do in Kyoto:
CLICK TO VISIT
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GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA
Sounds quirky but the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living organism on the planet! Sadly it's being decimated rapidly as a result of ocean pollution. Extending over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, it’s hard to know where to start and what to do. A diving lesson, a chopper ride, a sailing day or even a reef night-out? You can island hop, meet marine creatures, do some coral gardening or just paddle around in the crystal clear water. If you decide to hit Australia, check out eight great Barrier Reef experiences compiled by locals:
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PAILÓN DEL DIABLO, ECUADOR
The Pailón del Diablo, or Devil's Cauldron, is nestled in the western foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes. A surging mass of water from the upper Amazon River Basin rewards hikers with a truly intimate experience. Being enclosed in a gorge with three waterfalls as high as 100 meters can certainly make you feel like you are on a spiritual journey. Take a moment to soak up the warm mist created by the immense hydrologic power as you descend on the ‘Ruta de las Cascadas’. And while you are near Baños, check out some other CLICK TO things VISIT to do mind-blowing in the area:
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CLICK TO VISIT
ANTELOPE CANYON, ARIZONA
Did you ever hear about slot canyons? Water seeping into cracks in the earth gradually sculptures intricately shaped channels that allow for visitor access. The Antelope Canyon was carved into gorgeous red sandstone during a few million years on the Navajo tribal land in Arizona. Although extensively photographed, its out-of-this-world ambience created by beautiful colours, spiralling walls and sunbeams from above can only be fully appreciated in person. But not all slot canyons are easy to walk – some you may have to squeeze through – here are a few more to explore:
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CHAMAREL, MAURITIUS
An amazing geological formation, the Seven Coloured Earth is located near the village of Chamarel in Mauritius. Earth swirled together to create this volcanic feature and in the surrounding Geopark you can explore its history. If you are already in Mauritius you probably have a packed itinerary, but this treasure is well worth the panoramic trip fitted in between the white beaches, turquoise seas, tropical dining, snorkelling, hiking and diving. Here are some more reasons to visit Mauritius:
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NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
North Island is home to three quarters of New Zealand’s population and has tons of things to see and do. Its natural marvels are endless with three ferocious volcanos, untouched forests with massive California Redwoods, epic waterfalls, lively seaside and many little islands and caves. The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves are one
of the places of note where time is said to stand still. This extensive underground river system with its abundance of glow worms takes you on a trip to another world, with the cave ceiling looking like a starry sky above. Have a look at this fun road trip of North Island and its stunning features:
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BANFF NATIONAL PARK, CANADA
If you always wanted to visit Canada, a Swiss-style ski treat in the Banff National Park could be your foot in the door, but consider the summer months to take proper advantage of outdoor activities. Breathtaking scenery, mountains and lakes with a remote feel abound but there are
plenty of quality hotels and lodges to serve as a comfortable base. You can even wake up in a cave with a basin-themed hot pool. Rent a canoe, horse ride or hike and if you are like me, you will want to try fly fishing! Different lakes offer different activities. Discover the possibilities with the Blonde Abroad:
CLICK TO VISIT
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LA DIGUE, SEYCHELLES
Anse Source d'Argent is one of the most photographed beaches in the world and you have to see it. The Seychelles pack in 115 islands, but are home to only 89,000 people and some giant tortoises. Wherever you go you can expect three things: lush jungle, gorgeous beaches and relaxation. This small island, La Digue can be approached by
motor boat and apart from a handful of cars, they only use ox carts for transport. People get around on foot or by bicycle. You can witness vanilla being pressed in the ox mill and try the best Creole food ever. Apart from the odd shark, the Seychelles has no dangerous animals or volcanoes and it is rightly called a paradise.
CLICK TO VISIT
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LIVING WITH THE ENEMY
Who could have imagined, as we hugged and kissed each other last New Year’s Eve, that three months later we’d be embracing masks and swapping our cosy six degrees of separation for a clinical two metres? We’re at war suffering heavy losses, the global economy is on a ventilator and, if you’re lucky enough to still have a job, you could be working at the frontline or facing the invisible enemy on the daily commute. Meanwhile, as Spain moves into June and resorts emerge from ICU with a risk of regression, no one on these sunny shores is sure when we’ll see foreign tourists again. It’s life, but not as we know it. As we transition out of Lockdown into the New Normal, Belinda Beckett finds out what it might mean.
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OUR LIVES WILL BE MICRO-MANAGED BY METRICS If lockdown lift runs smoothly, the New Normal will dawn on June 25. This month Spain is scheduled to transition through the final two phases of Pedro Sánchez’ four-step deescalation plan, confusingly numbered 0 to 3, when the country will emerge from its induced coma like Sleeping Beauty with reopened borders and beaches ready for a delayed summer season extended to October. But that could be wishful thinking. While the pandemic curve is flattening we still don’t know if we’re heading for calmer waters or merely paddling in the shallows of the next wave which gains force as we relax our guard. Coronavirus could be contained in eight months, like SARS; or it could keep churning through the population until we get a vaccine or reach herd immunity, like Spanish flu, which lasted two years and cost 50 million lives. For now, our own lives will be ruled by data, the R Rate of Reproduction and ‘testing, testing, testing’. Spain is one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic, with a harder lockdown. Andalucía has fared better with
the third lowest cases and deaths in the country but some provinces are ‘squashing the sombrero’ more successfully than others, creating odd anomalies: at the time of writing, you could enjoy a cup of coffee on a Sotogrande bar terrace in Cádiz Province but 15 km down the road at Puerto de la Duquesa in Málaga Province, everything was closed. Six provinces entered Phase 1 last month while Málaga and Granada remained in Phase 0, unable to meet the metrics for infection rates, ICU beds and PPE. With hefty fines for regulation breaking, you need to know where you stand or, indeed, sit. What we do know is that the end of lockdown doesn’t mean Covid-19 isn’t out there; it means the hospital now has room for us. We tread a fine line between saving lives and saving livelihoods. Or as New York’s straighttalking Governor Andrew Cuomo aptly put it: “You tell me how you are going to behave today and I’ll tell you how many of you will be checking into the hospital in seven-to-ten days time. It’s that clear. Our destiny is in our own hands.”
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Living with the enemy
INTERESTING TIMES Our daily routine could soon be dependent on a smart phone app and QR codes ID-ing your health status: green, you’re free to proceed, amber or red, you should be in 7/14 day quarantine. It’s been the reality in China for weeks now, while the South Koreans are geo-tagged with electronic wristbands like criminals. Spain has promised a voluntary app which will be used to monitor infection hotspots, not to seek out and fine lockdown offenders. We are not yet sliding towards the dystopian society foretold in George Orwell’s 1984. But who dreamed we’d live to see
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an Olympics Year with no Games, football matches without fans, a world where families were kept apart on Mother’s Day, a Spain where people no longer exchange besitos? We are living in ‘interesting times’, to quote from the old Chinese curse disguised as a blessing – and in some ways it might be. We’re eating more healthily, taking more exercise (and actually enjoying it), helping the planet and saving money by mending and not buying new, being more considerate to others... We are, in fact, keeping our 2020 New Year Resolutions by default.
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D THE SPOTLIGHT post-covid
back to CONTENTS But it’s not the Roaring Twenties we pictured. We won’t be going to Glastonbury or the Gibraltar Music Festival. We won’t be taking a cruise or going on an African Safari. Cash will no longer be king (plastic’s easier to clean) and although we’ll try to support our local communities, our dwindling savings will mostly go on bills, groceries and another computer for the kids. Dining out will be a new experience with Plexiglas screens between tables (and what do you do with your mask?). The hospitality industry is having a hard time, with clientele halved and tables at two metres distance (not good for overheads or ambience) but they are coming up with solutions to keep nervous customers safe. Interesting times, although devastating, engender new ideas and we’re working it through, from home if we can, keeping in touch with the grandkids on Zoom, catching up with the DIY, learning a new skill, home baking (flour sales have tripled) and appreciating life’s simpler pleasures. Life goes on, just differently. Although they’ll be playing to empty stadia, even La Liga is kicking back into action on June 12, fingers crossed.
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A Zen Soul Home to Call Your Own!
Situated front line to the well known Guadalmina Alta golf course, this is a house for a family with kids and some guest rooms for visiting friends. Created by renowned architect Gus WĂźstemann, this unique space offers a total of 480 m2 inside area and a huge garden with big covered outside spaces, where you could live outside day and night, all year long. Five bedrooms en suite and living areas complete the house on the first floor. Security systems, climate control and energy saving, this special house has everything one can ask for in the most elegant, private and natural way.
UrbanizaciĂłn Hacienda Playa, C.C. Platino, Local 5 29604 Elviria, Marbella (MĂĄlaga) Tel: (+34) 656 25 65 41 / (+34) 637 938 311 / (+34) 952 83 63 00 email: info@marbella360.com - Click here for more information and images.
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back to CONTENTS Homeworking is here to stay
BUSINESS WILL BE FAR FROM USUAL Who thought we’d see TV presenters broadcasting from their living rooms and relaying the weather forecast from their back gardens. Checking out their bookcases and taste in décor is almost as compelling as the latest coronavirus bulletin. Did you catch Stephen Dixon’s cat Timmy in the background on Sky TV! Homeworking is no longer a future trend. The genie is out of the bottle and some people may never return to the office again. You can get used to having time to hang out the washing, pop to the shops and prepare a healthy
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family dinner, even if the utility bills are going up and you miss the office banter. And if companies spend many more months paying rates on halfempty offices, there could be fewer workplaces to go to. Flexible hours and staggered shifts to avoid ‘rush hours’ for those who do have to turn up for work are other habits that could stick. Offices are gearing up with one-way systems, distanced cubicle desks, windows that open or air-conditioning with ozone to see off airborne viruses.
As America’s top virologist recently said, “We’ll never shake hands again.” Instead we could be bumping elbows and handing out business cards on the end of selfie sticks. Smart jackets and tracksuit bottoms are already standard work wear for home-based execs seen on Zoom only from the waist up. But the spectre of rising unemployment is back. Between March and April, paro claims in Spain rose from 2.2 to 5.2 million although this includes one fifth of the workforce on ERTEs with jobs they hope to return to. Meanwhile, working parents can’t breathe a total sigh of relief when Spanish schools reopen in September. The nationwide limit of 15 students per class requires a mixed model of online and on-site teaching in shifts – mornings, afternoons or alternate days of the week. The school run will be a nightmare. The elbow bump could become normal etiquette
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TWO WHEELS GOOD, TWO LEGS BETTER
Like most countries, Spain is encouraging commuters to get on their bikes or walk to work to ease crowding on public transport – a tough call in a motoring nation way down the European rankings for bicycle use. Andalucía is better placed, having wheeled out a monster master plan to create over 5,000 km of cycle paths in 2013. Last year Sevilla was named 4th best bike-friendly city in the world with 160 km of twoway lanes and a municipal bike hire scheme with 250 docking stations. Meanwhile some cities are reinventing themselves with 15-minute neighbourhoods. Initially mooted years ago to ease traffic congestion, you’ll be able to find everything you need, from schools and supermarkets to jobs and banks, all within a quarter-of-an-hour radius on foot. It could be a life saver for the high street.
Sevilla is all geared up for the two-wheel commute
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ISOLATION VACATIONS
Was it only last year we were worrying about overtourism in Barcelona? It will be a while before Spain’s big cities have that problem again. “International tourism this summer is effectively dead,” said Andalucía Junta’s VP, Juan Marín when Britain and Spain announced quarantine for foreign visitors last month, which would force them to stay indoors for 14 days at the start and end of the trip. However travel between neighbouring EU nations is on the cards. Countries with similar Covid risk profiles are planning to open their borders to each other’s tourists, linked via ‘quarantine-free
© MIR
corridors´, with mutually agreed health checks. These coronavirusfree ‘safety bubbles’ will expand in phases until all borders are open. “Our message is we will have a tourist season this summer, even if it’s with security measures and limitations,” says the EU. . Austria and Germany were among the first to reach a deal which will allow reciprocal travel from June 15. Brexit Britain is also opening a ‘quarantine-free corridor’ between Ireland and France. In Spain it might logically start with travel between Portugal and Andorra – a lifeline for tourism given that Brits won’t be back here for a while.
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Most Spaniards are determined to take a holiday once border lockdown lifts and Andalucía is top of their bucket list, according to a survey by travel consultancy DNA Tourism and Leisure. But the convoy of Seat Leones from Sevilla and Córdoba may not be headed for the usual tourist hotspots. City sight-seeing and throbbing nightlife are unfavoured for obvious reasons while active rural tourism is very much in, up and running (a great way to practise for the bike commute), along with quieter beach resorts and, por supuesto, spending time at holiday homes. Air travel will be off our radar for longer, despite Ryanair’s optimistic plans for 1,000 daily flights to Europe from July 1. According to IATA, 40% of travellers plan to wait at least six months after the virus had been contained before jetting anywhere, especially when a trip to the airport means temperature tests, thermal imaging cameras and the risk of not being allowed to board. Easyjet is among the airlines that will be leaving middle seats free, but there have already been stories of sardine-packed flights. It’s a time of extraordinary innovation. The Spanish Hotels Association is rolling out ‘Covid-Safe certificates’, while Madrid’s VP Plaza España Design is premiering pre-check-in temperature tests, PPE welcome kits, steam cleaned everything, automatic, no-handle doors and individual picnic baskets instead of 42 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
the breakfast buffet. Even beachlife will be more nuanced. Fuengirola Ayuntamiento has unveiled ‘traffic light beaches’ – a free app that advises sun worshippers whether there are plenty of loungers (green), it’s getting busy (amber) or they’re full (red). The system works with motion sensors attached to lampposts along the prom. Beach beds hived off behind Plexiglas cubicles could be the next big thing. Italy is trying them out on the Riviera.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
The planet, at least, is benefiting from the crisis. Venice’s canals are clean and blue, the smog over Delhi has lifted, restoring views of the Himalayas, and wildlife is reclaiming our silent cities. Wild boar roaming through downtown Barcelona, coyotes in the streets of San Francisco and the resurgence of bees have been sights to behold since the world went on lockdown, proving that nature can rebound. Shuttered factories, garaged cars and grounded planes could add up to the largest one-year drop in emissions in history although they’d need to fall a lot more to meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals. But now we have an added incentive. The science shows that pollution and coronavirus are partners in crime. Particle-clogged air leads to the respiratory problems that make zoonotic diseases like Covid-19 much more lethal.
Travel in 2020 means getting away from it all
Since the outbreak in Wuhan, China has reintroduced a partial ban on bushmeat while at home we’re consuming far less – the crisis has seen a + 30% drop in spending, although that’s not so good for the economy. Long weeks of lockdown have also highlighted the need for cities that put people before cars, public housing with more light and outside space, care homes that care, and betterfunded public health services that protect medical staff and patients with other lifethreatening conditions. Spain’s A & Es have seen a 40 per cent drop in admissions for heart attacks because victims are too scared to go to the hospital. However, ‘The doctor will skype you now’ is no longer a funny meme on Facebook. Online consultations are already here! e
Wildlife is reclaiming our silent cities
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HOW WILL COMPANIES ADAPT TO CHANGE
POST-COVID-19? WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
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“SOME THINGS BENEFIT FROM SHOCKS; THEY THRIVE AND GROW WHEN EXPOSED TO VOLATILITY, RANDOMNESS, DISORDER, AND STRESSORS.” “ANTIFRAGILITY IS BEYOND RESILIENCE OR ROBUSTNESS. THE RESILIENT RESISTS SHOCKS AND STAYS THE SAME; THE ANTIFRAGILE GETS BETTER.” Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s words, published in Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder, are food for thought for the many companies shaken by COVID-19.
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he ability to thrive under pressure and create a resilient business model is more important than ever. Almost 800,000 jobs were lost in Spain as of mid-April 2020. Companies that have survived the quick and devastating onslaught of COVID-19 will need to adapt to the changing times quickly and strategically. Rather than seeking to make all changes at once, companies should invest in research, debate, and analytics. They should consider professional consultancy/ crisis control if needs be, to ensure they are heading in the right direction in key areas such as product development, internal procedure, and digital marketing. They should also be clued up on the major waves that COVID-19 is bound to bring.
THE NEED FOR REINVENTION
The months following the end of confinement will present companies with an unpredictable scenario in which U-shaped economic recovery and tougher competition will require immense flexibility and renewal efforts. COVID-19 is bound to cause fast, groundbreaking changes in values, behaviours, and interests. Businesses will need to identify and analyse these changes, recreating or adapting their business model to satisfy demands.
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GOING DIGITAL Most successful companies already have digital frameworks in place, but COVID-19 changed the way we live, work, and relate, forcing us to resort to digital tools to a far greater extent. During the peak of the pandemic, video conference tools like Zoom were a lifesaver for many companies, people began shopping online, and virtual events were celebrated. Many teams began relying more on the Cloud to share files and work on documents. Others liaised daily on software like Slack or Google Hangouts. Retail stores began selling items exclusively online, which highlighted the need for better payment systems, mobile compatibility, and optimal website design.
REMOTE WORKING
In February this year, around 1.4 million workers in Spain were already working remotely. An Adecco survey shows that 69 per cent of Spanish employees prefer to work from home, but “they aren’t able to because their company does
not allow it.” Things will undoubtedly change henceforth in this respect. Researchers from Global Workplace Analytics state, “Based on historical trends, those who were working remotely before the pandemic will increase their frequency after they are allowed to return to
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their offices. For those who were new to remote work until the pandemic, we believe there will be a significant upswing in their adoption.” Researchers estimate that between 25 and 30 per cent of the workforce will be working from home various days a week by the end of 2021.
ONLINE SALES
Companies that reaped rewards from offering better online shopping experiences will undoubtedly continue to refine digital interactions with clients in upcoming months. Those that got it right from the outset include online gaming services, Amazon, and Deliveroo/Glovo. Businesses specialising in product sales will require to streamline online processes, ranging from
item selection and cart modification to delivery. They will need to rely on tools such as virtual shopping software and voice search. The latter in particular has grown greatly in importance thanks to the popularity of Amazon Echo and Google Home. Around 40% of adults (and 55% of teens) now use mobile voice search at least once daily. Currently, around 50% of all searchers are voice-based and this
percentage is expected to grow year-on-year.
CYBERSECURITY CHANGES
Companies working remotely will have to ensure that client data remains safe by adopting new cybersecurity solutions. Workers will have to be provided with various tools, which can include access to virtual private networks (VPNs). They will also need to ensure their equipment is
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protected by antivirus software and firewalls. Training in how to identify and act against threats is equally important. Workers should be taught how to set secure passwords and to use encryption tools when necessary. Some sectors (including the legal industry), can rely on blockchain to preserve access to vital data such as contracts, land registry details, and other potentially sensitive information. Companies dealing with large amounts of data can consider the use of software such as Cymulate and XM Cyber (socalled ‘breach and attack software’), which simulate attacks to test employee reaction to different scenarios.
NEW ENERGY CONSERVATION METHODS
After the crisis, many businesses will adopt a rotational working model in which some workers work in-office for specific days, while others work at home. Interestingly, CNBC reports that in big companies like sustainable design firm DLR Group in Seattle, staff are ‘overcooling’ because offices are designed to accommodate twice the number of employees. Automation systems that save energy and keep temperatures constant in specific parts of buildings will be needed. Intelligent energy will enable companies to save on their utility bills while providing an ergonomic experience for employees.
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POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN
The current health crisis has sparked a demand for greater diversity in supply chains, says the Wall Street Journal. The heavy dependence on China resulted in a major interruption to manufacturing processes across the globe during the pandemic. A survey by the Institute for Supply Management showed that 57 per cent of companies experienced delays for tier-one Chinasourced components,
while giants like Apple were forced to inform investors that they would be missing first-quarter revenue projections, owing to supply interruptions.
A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO RESOLVE
As stated by Brink News’ M. Mirchandani, some companies (including Apple) have moved part of their activities abroad. Japan, meanwhile, has pledged to invest billions from its COVID economic stimulus package in Japanese manufacturing to reduce its reliance on China. Other entities (e.g. iPhone assembly company, Wistron Corp.) are moving part of their
operations outside China, yet many companies remain heavily dependent on the supply giant. Mirchandani points out, “As manufacturers examine their supply chains for a postCOVID-19 world, the imperative for greater supply chain resilience versus the attractiveness of China as a manufacturing location and tech-forward consumer market is the defining tension that they will need to navigate.” The higher-end tech and consumer electronics sector, she says, will find it more difficult to make a change owing to China’s renown for manufacturing.
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CHANGING STAFF REQUIREMENTS
Changing demands may spell the need for a larger workforce, or for retraining of existing employees. Take the case of supermarkets. Supermarket News reports that online sales have grown by 40% in the U.S. in recent week and similar patterns can be observed across the globe. In the UK, Tesco more than doubled its number of delivery slots during the outbreak. Many customers who never considered online shopping are now pleased by the service, ease, and time savings it affords. This will require a major restructuring of teams, with bigger budgets invested in online preparation and delivery.
SOME INDUSTRIES WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS
Some industries have seen a big boom in popularity. These will undoubtedly continue to enjoy success in the near future. Fortune predicts that winning sectors will include telemedicine, digital commerce, and automation. The statistics certainly back their assertions. Swedish telehealth provider KRY International (one of Europe’s largest) has enjoyed a 200 per cent increase in registration during the pandemic. In Europe, around 13 per cent of shoppers are saying they are considering buying from online shops for the first time. Automation, meanwhile, can make life easier in a myriad of ways. Applications
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like Hootsuite, IFTTT and G Suite boost agility, improve productivity, and reduce error rates. Even small businesses can benefit from automation in areas like marketing and e-commerce, business process automation, chat bots, and inventory management.
CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY
Cutting edge companies may consider adopting new contactless technologies for their offices as a way to keep staff safe in the event of a new pandemic. A fine example of visionary design is Zaha Hadid Architects’ new headquarters for the Bee’ah waste management company in the UAE. It contains an array of ‘contactless pathways’ which enable employees to avoid touching everything from doors to lifts to coffee machines. Instead, employees can order their latte or espresso directly from their smartphone. During the COVID crisis, some companies (such as global commercial real estate firm, Cushman & Wakefield) are tracking employee movement through mobile phones, sending notifications when the two-metre distancing rule is breached. Techies are already predicting a world in which motion sensors and facial recognition software become the norm. Designers, meanwhile, are rejoicing at the purported end of ‘open-plan offices’, proven in countless studies to reduce rather than boost productivity.
VIDEO: Bee’ah HQ, Sharjah, UAE by Zaha Hadid Architects - 3:09
© MIR
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COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY
Because video conferences are likely to continue rising in popularity, offices will need to finance smarter systems that can connect office workers to clients and colleagues working at a distance. Companies can invest in built-in microphones for conference tables and
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conference cams with features such as 90ยบ cameras with inbuilt remote control. Digital whiteboards such as Google Jamboard and Cisco Spark Board are popular tools for brainstorming, comparing percentages, and making calculations that can be shared clearly online.
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A CHANGE IN MINDSETS
If you read our sister article entitled The Earth Is Telling Us We Must Rethink Our Growth Society, then you know that many intellectuals feel the aim isn’t to get back to ‘normal’ since ‘normal’ is what got us here in the first place. Way before COVID-19, societal values and ethics were changing, with millennials in particular expressing great interest in backing sustainable products and services. Nielsen predicts that the sustainability market will reach €138 billion by 2021. Companies wishing to survive or even flourish in 56 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
what will undoubtedly be a difficult time will need to be a step ahead in terms of environmentally friendly and ethical work practices. They will have to show a strong connection to the communities they operate in and a desire to make a difference, not just a profit. Although the precise changes each company needs to make are as yet unknown, clear trends can already be identified. These include a redefinition of goals and processes, the greater popularity of remote working, and the need for digital solutions to
boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. Companies will also need to change at an ethical level, placing greater importance on kindness to the Earth and commitment to clients and communities. In many ways, the pandemic will see the flourishing of less fragile, more flexible, forward-thinking companies that thrive (rather than buckle) under pressure. e
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THE EARTH IS TELLING US
WE MUST RETHINK OUR
GROWTH SOCIETY As the pandemic builds, most people, led by government officials and policy wonks, perceive the threat solely in terms of human health and its impact on the national economy. Consistent with the prevailing vision, mainstream media call almost exclusively on physicians and epidemiologists, financiers and economists to assess the consequences of the viral outbreak. WORDS WILLIAM E. REES
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WHY COVID-19 PREVIEWS A LARGER CRASH. WHAT WE MUST DO TO SAVE OURSELVES
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air enough — rampant disease and looming recession are genuine immediate concerns; society has to cope with them. That said, we must see and respond to the more important reality. However horrific the COVID-19 pandemic may seem, it is merely one symptom of gross human ecological dysfunction. The prospect of economic implosion is directly connected. The overarching reality is that the human enterprise is in a state of overshoot. We are using nature’s goods and life-support services faster than ecosystems can regenerate. There are simply too many people consuming too much stuff. Even at current global average levels of consumption, the human population far exceeds
the long-term carrying capacity of Earth. We’d need almost five Earthlike planets to support just the present world population indefinitely at average Western material standards. Gaian theory tells us that life continuously creates the conditions necessary for life. Yet humanity has gone rogue, rapidly destroying those conditions. When will the media call on systems ecologists to explain what’s really going on? If they did, we might learn the following: That the current pandemic is an inevitable consequence of human populations everywhere expanding into the habitats of other species with which we have had little previous contact (Homo sapiens is the most invasive of ‘invasive species’.) That the pandemic
results from sometimes desperately impoverished people eating bushmeat, the flesh of wild species carrying potentially dangerous pathogens. That contagious disease is readily propagated because of densification and urbanisation — think Wuhan or New York — but particularly (as we may soon see) because of the severe overcrowding of vulnerable people in the burgeoning slums and barrios of the developing world. That the coronavirus thrives because three billion people still lack basic hand-washing facilities and more than four billion lack adequate sanitation services. A population ecologist might even dare explain that, even when it comes to human numbers, whatever goes up must come down.
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A different curve to flatten: Let’s start with a 50-per-cent reduction in energy and material throughput, as implicit in the 2015 Paris climate accord. Provided by William Rees None of this is visible through our current economic lens that assumes a perpetually growing, globalised market economy. Prevailing myth notwithstanding, nothing in nature can grow forever. When, under especially favourable conditions any species’ population balloons, it is always deflated by one or several forms of negative consequence — disease, inadequate habitat, selfpollution, food shortages, resource scarcity, conflict over what’s left (war), etc. All of these various
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countervailing forces are triggered by excess population itself. True, in simple ecosystems, certain consuming species may exhibit regular cycles of uncontrolled expansion. We sometimes refer to these outbreaks as ‘plagues’ — think swarms of locusts or rodents. However, the plague phase of the cycle invariably ends in collapse as negative feedback once again gains the upper hand. Bottom line? There are no exceptions to the first law of plague dynamics: the unconstrained
expansion of any species’ population invariably destroys the conditions that enabled the expansion, thus triggering collapse. Now here’s the thing. Homo sapiens has recently experienced a genuine population explosion. It took all of human evolutionary history, at least 200,000 years, for our population to reach its first billion early in the 19th century. Then, in just 200 years, (less than one thousandth as much time) we blossomed to more than seven billion at the beginning of this century.
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This unprecedented outbreak is attributable to Homo sapiens’ technological ingenuity, e.g., modern medicine and especially the use of fossil fuels. (The latter enabled the continuous increases in food production and provided access to all the other resources needed to expand the human enterprise.) The problem is that Earth is a finite planet, on which the seven-fold increase in human numbers, vastly augmented by a 100-fold increase in consumption, is systematically destroying prospects for continued civilised existence. Over-harvesting is depleting non-renewable resources; land degradation, pollution and global warming are destroying entire ecosystems; biophysical life support functions are beginning to fail. With increasing real scarcity, growing extraction costs and burgeoning human demand, the prices for nonrenewable metal and mineral resources have been rising for 20 years (from historic lows at the turn of the century).
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Meanwhile, petroleum may have peaked in 2018, signalling the pending implosion of the oil industry (abetted by falling demand and prices resulting from the COVID-19 recession). These are all signs of resurgent negative feedback. The explosion of human consumption is beginning to resemble the plague phase of what may turn out to be a one-off human population cycle. If we don’t manage a controlled contraction, chaotic collapse is inevitable. Which brings us back to society’s restricted focus on COVID-19 and the economy. Listen to the news, to politicians and pundits in this time of crisis. You will hear virtually no reference to climate change (remember climate change?), wildfires, biodiversity loss, ocean pollution, sea level rise, tropical deforestation, land/soil degradation, or human expansion into wildlands. Nor is there a hint of understanding that these trends are connected to each other and to the pandemic.
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Discussion in the mainstream focuses doggedly on defeating COVID-19, facilitating recovery, restoring growth and otherwise getting back to normal. After all, as Gregory Bateson has written, “That is the paradigm: Treat the symptom to make the world safe for the pathology.” Let that sink in: ‘Normal’ is the pathology. But returning to ‘normal’ guarantees a repeat performance. There will be other pandemics, potentially worse than COVID-19. (Unless, of course, some other form of negative feedback gets to us first — as noted, there is no shortage of potential candidates). Consider the present pandemic as yellow flagging for what nature may yet have in store. Earth will have its revenge. Unless, to avoid full-on negative feedback, we stand back and re-focus. This means consciously overriding humans’ natural myopia, thinking generations ahead and abandoning our perpetual growth narrative. Surely the time has come to reconsider what seems to have become a “self-terminating experiment with industrialism.” To save itself, society must adopt an eco-centric lens. This would enable us to see the human enterprise as a fully dependent subsystem of the ecosphere. We need to script a new cultural narrative consistent with this vision. We must reduce the human ecological footprint to eliminate overshoot — below is a curve that really needs flattening. 66 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
“THAT IS THE PARADIGM: TREAT THE SYMPTOM TO MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR THE PATHOLOGY.” GREGORY BATESON
Our cultural reset cannot end there. As medical supplies and equipment run out and supply chains stretch or break, people everywhere are becoming conscious of hazards associated with today’s increasingly unsustainable entanglement of nations. We will have much to celebrate if community self-reliance, resilience and stability are once again valued more than interdependence, efficiency and growth. Specialisation, globalisation and justin-time trade in vital commodities have gone too far. COVID-19 has shown that future security may well reside more in local economic diversity. For one thing, countries under stress may begin hoarding
vital commodities for domestic use. Surely we need permanent policies for the re-localisation of vital economic activities through a strategic approach to import displacement. We might also build on the better side of human nature as ironically invigorated by our collective war on COVID-19. In many places, society’s fear of disease has been leavened by a revived sense of community, solidarity, compassion and mutual aid. Recognition that disease strikes the impoverished hardest and that the pandemic threatens to widen the income gap has renewed calls for a return to more progressive taxation and implementation of a national minimum wage.
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The emergency also draws attention to the importance of the informal care economy — child rearing and elder care are often voluntary and historically subsidise our paid economy. And what about renewed public investment worldwide in girls’ education, women’s health and family planning? Certainly individual actions are not enough. We are in a collective crisis that demands collective solutions. To those still committed to the preCOVID-19 perpetual-growth-throughtechnology paradigm, economic contraction equates to unmitigated catastrophe. We can give them no hope but to accept a new reality. 68 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
Like it or not, we are at the end of growth. The pandemic will certainly induce a recession and possibly a global depression, likely reducing gross world product by a quarter. There are good reasons to think that there can be no ‘recovery’ to pre-COVID ‘normal’ even if we were foolish enough to try. Ours has been a debt-leveraged economy. Thousands of marginal firms will be bankrupted; some will be bought up by others with deeper pockets (further concentrating wealth) but most will disappear; millions of people will be left unemployed, possibly impoverished without ongoing public support.
The oil patch is particularly hard hit. In Canada, for instance, tar sands producers who need $40 a barrel to survive are being offered one tenth that, less than the price of a mug of beer. Meanwhile, oil production may have peaked and older fields upon which the world still depends are declining at a rate of six per cent per year. This heralds a future crisis: GWP and energy consumption have historically increased in lock-step; industrial economies depend utterly on abundant cheap energy. After the current short-term demand-drop surplus dries up, it will be years (if ever) before there is adequate new supply to replicate pre-pandemic levels of global economic activity — and there are no adequate ‘green’ substitutes. Much of the economy will have to be rebuilt to size in ways that reflect this emergent reality. And herein lies the great opportunity to salvage global civilisation.
Clearing skies and cleaner waters should inspire hopeful ingenuity. Indeed, if we wish to thrive on a finite planet, we have little choice but to see the COVID-19 pandemic as preview and our response as dress rehearsal for the bigger play. Again, the challenge is to engineer a safe, smooth, controlled contraction of the human enterprise. Surely it is within our collective imagination to socially construct a system of globally networked but self-reliant national economies that better serve the needs of a smaller human family. The ultimate goal of economic planning everywhere must now turn to ensuring that humanity can thrive indefinitely and more equitably within the biophysical means of nature.
g William E. Rees is Professor
Emeritus of Human Ecology and Ecological Economics at the University of British Columbia.
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EXTREME ENDEAVOURS
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If life has become a little stale and predictable, and you’re keen to inject some high-octane excitement into it, then consider some of the following pursuits – if you dare! WORDS MICHEL CRUZ VIDEOS YOUTUBE.COM
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here are those for whom tennis is too tame, paddle too passive, karate too kind and football too friendly. If you belong to this group, and think kite-surfing and scuba diving are yesterday’s fads, when you look at your bike and get bored, then perhaps it’s time to explore some new pursuits and get out of your comfort zone. The following selection of activities does that and more, taking you to the very edge of your daring, to the point where maybe you wish you’d shut up and stuck with telly, tea and biscuits, rather than thrusting yourself into this madness!
WINGSUIT FLYING Ever watched a Bond movie and thought ‘I can do that’? Well, manned flight has been a dream ever since Icarus tried it, and achieving the freedom of a bird without the need for aeroplanes and engines remains an intrinsic human desire. In the 1960s, it was believed we’d soon all be buzzing around on any of a variety of flying gadgets, but in the mid-1990s Frenchman Patrick de Gayardon actually succeeded in doing just that by creating the first effective wingsuit. A veteran skydiver,
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skysurfer and base jumper, he initiated a revolution that has seen ever more advanced versions of the wingsuit used by daredevils who jump out of planes, off cliffs and buildings to freefall for what seems like ages before deploying a parachute. More recently, jetpacks have been added, creating spectacular scenes as Swiss pilot Christophe Dubois flew in formation with the French air force’s aerobatics team, the Patrouille de France.
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FREEDIVING
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What the above does to mainstream kayaking, this discipline does to scuba diving. And a discipline it is, for freediving involves holding your breath in a controlled way for much longer than is medically advisable, as you explore the depths without breathing gear. There is a historical precedent for it, perfected by generations of sponge divers in the Greek Aegean and pearl hunters in the Persian Gulf and Japan, where women traditionally excelled at this dangerous way of making a living. Today’s daredevils don’t do it for money, but for thrills, and they push the limits with the depth and length of their dives, which
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typically take place in the open sea. One cannot underestimate the danger of this undertaking, which like so many of the extreme sports takes not only maddening courage, but also a great deal of skill. In fact, freediving requires an immense amount of preparation and training, as proved by Austrian world record holder Herbert Nitsch, who reached a depth of almost a quarter of a kilometre! The elite in this field hold their breath upwards of 15 minutes, so maybe most daredevils should limit themselves to fun disciplines such as underwater football, rugby, hockey and of course synchronised swimming.
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VOLCANO PARACHUTING
Okay, some people just seem to have a thing with volcanoes. I do too, but it doesn’t involve close encounters of any kind, more of a distant admiration. Not so for adherents of this crazy hobby, which sees participants actually aim for the caldera of a volcano! It’s
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a mad thing to do, but one that’s sure to get the blood pumping and neurons firing, and of course it’s pretty much limited to experienced, skilled skydivers who have a good chance of landing where they intend to – near but not in the midst of the gaseous volcano.
If you feel you’ve outgrown your skateboard, been there and done that but can’t get yourself to throw out the old faithful board with which you’ve had such adventures flying up ramps, turning on your heal and sliding down railings – or at least, trying to – then maybe this madcap pastime is something for you. Longboarding entails finding a road with a long, winding descent, donning some pretty tough gear, gloves, kneepads and a motorbike helmet before launching
yourself downwards at ever-increasing speeds. First you’ll have to master staying on the board, then navigating the sweeping and at times hairpin bends without flying off into the surrounding countryside, and then you’ll need the good fortune not to meet any cars and trucks along the way. Needless to say, this is not an activity that is officially sanctioned, but makes it all the more enticing for those who take a sporting approach to a death wish.
DOWNHILL LONGBOARDING
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Now all the extreme endeavours mentioned so far require skill, reckless daring and in many cases years of training, but volcano boarding is perhaps the maddest of all. It involves careening down the side of a volcano – usually an active one – at high speed. Coming to a halt at the right moment is highly recommended for practitioners of this rather more fire-born version of the sweet sledging we used to engage in as kids whenever snow presented itself. With the earthly fires of a smouldering volcano not too far below you, this kind of snowboarding is altogether a little more ‘hellish’.
VOLCANO BOARDING
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CAVE DIVING
The next adventurous endeavour adds a touch of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea to your usual scuba diving experience. Strap an oxygen tank to your wetsuit and load up on a full dose of guts as you enter a dark, dank, gloomy cave and disappear into its icy, inky black water. Yes, you’ll have a strong light to guide the way, but it remains a precarious exercise as spaces between sharp rocks and dark, narrow passages create a tremendous sense of claustrophobia that is in this case not based on an irrational fear, but rather a very real danger. Get lost or stuck in one of the underwater chambers deep in the earth’s bowels and you may not have enough oxygen in your tank to wait for rescuers, ensuring that this is more of a feat of exploration than a sport.
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EXTREME KAYAKING
Also known as whitewater kayaking, this endeavour takes gentle paddling down a stream, lake or shoreline, and propels it into the wild, foaming waters of mountain rivers, rapids and even waterfalls. This whiteknuckle ride not only involves trying to stay afloat and not drown, but while doing this you’ll be fully focused on not crashing headlong into boulders or scraping yourself open on sharp branches and rocks. Make like the Siberian Samoyed have done for millennia, but with 21st century turbo torque added
for an extra dose of survivalbased excitement. Let’s face it; no-one too sane embarks upon feats like this, so sports of this kind will mostly appeal to adrenalin junkies willing to risk it all for the thrill of the ride. Extreme kayaking is fast, exhilarating and potentially hazardous, so careen down fast-moving rapids full of hard obstacles or launch yourself down dizzying falls into the cold, deep wet, hoping to emerge the right way up. If you do, you’ll feel born again and glad you dared to do anything as silly as this.
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WING WALKING Most of us have seen it in early black and white movies, but being attached to the wings of a classic propeller biplane as it frolics and does loop de loops in the air remains one of the strangest and gutsiest things a person could do. Like an aerial acrobatics or circus act, it looks as graceful as it is dangerous,
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as the ‘victim’ strapped to an aeroplane practises gymnastics at 300km/h speeds and accompanying G-forces. Wing walking is not as common as it once was, purely because it is almost impossible to do it legally, but for those with no fear of heights and a strong stomach, it has got to be fun.
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CHEESE ROLLING If you’re going to be madcap and anarchical about your sports activities, why not try something that is silly, fun, crazy and more than a bit challenging but not quite on-theedge dangerous, like cheese rolling? I know, it sounds a bit ‘uncool’,
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but you won’t think so as you chase down a grassy hill like a lunatic, in pursuit of a rolling wheel of cheese. This activity has more of playground anarchy about it than organised sport, which makes it all the more fun. I think it should become
compulsory for adults at least once a year as a fantastically stressbusting way to stop taking yourself seriously and join in with the other village idiots in hilarious community spirit. Here’s to extreme endeavours that are more accessible to mere mortals! e
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LEGENDARY BRANDS THAT DISAPPEARED The Silver Arrow Auto Union – a legendary racing car
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CAR
Car lovers have many fantastic makes to choose from whether it is sports performance or luxury they lust after, but spare a thought for the many legendary names that produced art on wheels yet didn’t make it into the modern era – or have they? Some are actually making a comeback. WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY SHUTTERSTOCK
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ounger car enthusiasts may not know this, but before and also during the time of today’s desirable car makes – you know, the likes of Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Ferrari and McLaren – there were other legendary car brands whose sheer quality, pedigree and beauty have made them into myths of the road. Not unlike stars who died too young, they continued to capture the imagination long after they were lost to us.
GERMAN MYTHS
Germany may dominate the modern car world with luxury brands such as Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and Audi, but these are not the only German makes that have made waves.
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Mercedes has also revived a famous name – the Maybach
Except for Mercedes, the other top names of today are relative newcomers, and Audi is in fact the product of the coming together of some top German car manufacturers of the past. In the latter 1930s, the silver arrows of Auto Union dominated the racing world, a taste of the engineering prowess for which Germany has since become world famous. Even earlier, Horch limousines were serious competition for Mercedes, and it was only a few years ago that the latter revived the mythical Maybach name, now reserved for its most luxurious and expensive limousines. One of these decadent vehicles will set you back over half a million euros, though in the immediate post-war era the pretty Borgward Isabella was almost just as desirable.
A Borgward Isabella concept sports car that aims to bring back the nostalgic name
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The Horch was once a serious challenger for Mercedes limousines
Together, manufacturers like this have shown the world what Germany can do in terms of design, craftsmanship and innovative thinking, yet if there is one current make that symbolises the German technical ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ it has to be Audi – a company whose very roots lie in the performance
and power of Auto Union, and the groundbreaking technology and design of NSU, a little-known but avant-garde carmaker of the 1960s and 70s. Their last great model, the NSU Ro80, was an amazing car that was far ahead of its time, and Audi still benefits from the technology it inherited from the NSU engineers.
The pretty Borgward Isabella was a highly desirable post-war car
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The MG TC remains a motoring classic executive car
BRITISH TRADITIONS Think of great British names of motoring and a fine tradition of open-top sports cars and limousines comes to mind. The older names include those of Armstrong Siddeley, as well as Bristol and Daimler, which continued to produce luxurious cars right up until quite recently, and provided competition for the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Even these brands have a The MG MGA and Austin Healey embody the joy of classic touring
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classical element that also applies to sports car makers such as Aston Martin and Jaguar. Far more modern is the appeal of Lotus and especially McLaren, but for all this, many car lovers continue to mourn the loss of classic marques such as MG and Triumph, which also served as inspiration for later sports car classics such as Jensen, TVR and even Reliant.
Alvis is one of many grand British carmakers of the past. In the post-war years, Alvis produced stylish touring models
The latter, perhaps best known for its Only Fools and Horses Robin three-wheelers, also produced a likeable sports estate in the form of Reliant Scimitar. Many are the small British sports car makers, from Allard to Gordon Keeble, but perhaps the greatest British tradition is that of luxurious executive cars with leather seats and wooden dashboards, a segment in which Jaguar always shone but was also given a run for its money by Rover, Alvis and even Humber. Such names are now a thing of the past, and the fact that Chinese car manufacturers are using the appeal of the MG and Lotus traditions to headline bland, mass-produced SUVs does nothing to reduce the sense of loss. Bristol was a little-known maker of ultra-exclusive cars Jensen blended American power with British motoring tradition
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A match for Lamborghini – the De Tomaso Pantera GTS
ITALIAN PASSIONS Italy is the land of design, passion and bright red racing cars; the nation that has given us Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini. It’s the preserve of Dolce Vita, a love of beautiful things and legends created in the 1950s and 60s that continue to stay
with us even decades later. But there are other names that belong to this story, ones that have been almost forgotten by the sands of time, so now and then it is important to tell their story and let them share in the glory of what is perhaps the richest of all motoring traditions. Isotta Fraschini, for
instance, was a maker of sumptuous luxury limousines in the tradition of Rolls-Royce or Hispano-Suiza, the Barcelona-based creator of sumptuous vehicles for the kings and royalty of the early twentieth century. The low countries also had their own ‘Rollers’ in the form of Minerva (Belgium) and Spyker (The Netherlands), with the Spyker is a fine example of a classic name revived in a modern era
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Little-known today, Isotta Fraschini was the Italian Rolls-Royce
latter reappearing as a sumptuously styled super car at the beginning of the new millennium. The post-war period, too, was more about speed and power for the Italians, and out of it came would-be pretenders to Ferrari’s throne such as
The Spyker C8 Laviolette – modern and classic inspiration combined
De Tomaso, Bizzarrini and Iso. The fact that they lost this battle and ultimately disappeared does nothing to detract from the sheer beauty and power of these quintessentially Italian classics.
In the rich tradition of Ferrari and Maserati, the Iso Grifo was a superb touring car with performance to match The De Tomaso P72 concept could revive a classic racing marque
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The streamlined form of the 1937 Delage D8 120S
FRENCH MASTERS Today, we know French car manufacturers mainly for the reliable, comfortable and often innovative massproduced vehicles they make, but there was a time when France led the way in both luxury limousines and powerful sports cars. Post-war tax regulations killed legendary marques such as
Delage, Delahaye, Talbot-Lago and Bugatti, although the latter was revived in the 1990s. Bugatti may be the most mythical of all, but the other three gave it a run for its money all the way to the late 1950s. Some brave souls tried to continue the tradition against all odds, producing
French carmakers like Delahaye were leaders of sumptuous luxury and aerodynamic design
Top left - The legendary Bugatti Type 30 – one of the best cars ever built Top right - Delage, in its day a real challenge for Bugatti and Rolls Royce. A 1937 Delage D8-120
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Competition for Aston Martin and Maserati, an early 1950s Talbot-Lago T14 LS Special
The new Alpine A110 revives the rally champion pedigree of a 1960s and 1970s sports marque
modern classics such as Facel Vega, Panhard, Matra and Alpine in the 1960s and 70s, but eventually they went the way of so many luxury and sports car manufacturers, either being swallowed up by large producers or losing the battle against profitability in an era of massproduction. Enthusiasts will be glad to hear that the Renault group has re-launched the sporting Alpine brand with the Alpine A110, a sports car in the Porsche Cayman segment that relives the racing tradition and experience of the original rally champion Alpines of the 1960s and 70s.
Talbot-Lago America – a French contemporary of early Ferrari legends
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This Auburn reflects the smooth lines and power of pre-war US luxury cars Studebaker is one of the most charming auto brands of the 1950s
AMERICAN DREAMS
Europeans can sometimes be a little snide about the American car industry, as if that country didn’t make a great contribution to motoring and doesn’t have its own legends in the fields of racing and luxurious gliding limos. Think of Auburn, Duesenberg, Colt and Stutz and you see not only Hollywood opulence but
The DeLorean of the early eighties was a last throw of the dice for American sports makes
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also beautiful styling and advanced engineering. The later US car industry would become a poor reflection of a time when its cars stood for the American dream personified. Packard was the famous ride of gangsters and businessmen alike, and while Studebaker never stood a chance against the ‘Big Three’ of GM, Ford
Packard was known for its luxurious limousines
Auburn is another classic American luxury marque
AMC contributed to the American muscle car genre with the AMX
and Chrysler, it did create some memorable cars, as did the three at their best. Think of the Mustang, the Corvette, Dodge Challenger and the Ford GT40, and while we tend to associate 1 – Auburn is another classicwith all that was AMC and its Pacer bubble compact American luxury marque wrong with US makingis in seventies, you cannot 2–car Studebaker onethe of the most charming autoeven brands deny it has a certain appeal, today. AMC was also of the 1950s responsible for and 3 –the TheJavelin AMC Pacer hasthe AMX, two classic become a modern American muscle cars from classic the Starsky and Hutch ‘ugly duckling’ era. By the time the Back to the Future Delorean was launched, the Americans had admittedly lost their way somewhat, which gives us all the more reason to mourn – and celebrate – the legendary car makes that we have lost along the way. e
America’s luxury cars were always bigger and more glamorous, like this 1937 Duesenberg
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Many of us first came across Greta Gerwig in quintessential ‘mumblecore’ film Frances Ha – the gorgeously funny and sentimental story of Frances – a 27-year-old dancer who dreams of becoming a full member of a small dance company but whose true genius lies in choreography. As she stumbles through life, crashing and burning but facing every obstacle with bravado, we, the audience, find it hard not to fall in love with the purity of a character whose magic can, to a great extent, be attributed to the actor who plays her: Greta Gerwig. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
GRETA
GERWIG
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he is the kind of actor you cannot take your eyes off and fittingly, she is often called ‘the modern Catherine Deneuve’ owing to her blend of elegance, beauty, and charisma. Having become so besotted by Frances Ha (which costars the magnificent Adam Driver), I was pleased to discover that the director – Noah Baumbach – is actually her life partner and father of her baby. Baumbach has a long list of highly acclaimed films including Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale, and Kicking and Screaming. His films are intensely personal and all boast dialogues that seem to have been improvised rather than written. Baumbach has the knack of luring the audience in with what initially seem like comedic, light, entertaining tales. However, he leaves many small, subtle clues that awaken the viewer’s sensitivity and empathy for his characters. But we digress. This post is all about Greta Gerwig – someone who surprised us when, in 2017, she directed a seemingly ‘small’ film that landed Oscar nominations for Best Film, Director, and Original screenplay (Greta also wrote the script) – Lady Bird. Greta admits to drawing from her own life, thus the sardonic ‘realness’ that inhabits characters such as the protagonist, played by Saoirse Ronan. Lady Bird, a small town girl who dreams of attending college in New York, has many things standing in her way – including a critical yet loving mother who incessantly tries to ground her daughter and convince her to accept life (and her possibilities) as they are. @ESSENTIALMARBELLAMAGAZINE JUNE 2020 / 103
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Lady Bird
Lady Bird has some great quotes in it; many critics have called it the ultimate comingof-age film for Generation Z-ers. “It’s not important to be right, it’s only important to be true,” says Father Leviatch – a sensitive priest who is battling depression while directing a musical in the Catholic school Lady Bird attends. Another great moment is when a school nun reads Lady Bird’s essay and asks, “Don’t you think maybe they are the same thing? Love and attention?” It is a defining question for the young teen, who realises how far her fantasies have taken her from the people who matter – including her overworked mother and her depressed best friend.
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“IT’S NOT IMPORTANT TO BE RIGHT, IT’S ONLY IMPORTANT TO BE TRUE.” LADY BIRD
Frances Ha
Because Greta portrays modern life so well, it was perhaps surprising to find that her next film was a remake of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The book was a huge classic and was brought to the big screen a total of six times! My favourite was always the original – the 1949 version starring June Allyson as Jo – and I admit to being reticent to watch yet another remake. I shouldn’t have underestimated Greta Gerwig. Her version reads between the lines while remaining true to the book – again, a very difficult balancing act. Greta adds a wonderfully modern feminist touch, primarily by doing an about-face with the most hated character of all time: Amy March. You may recall that in past films, Amy was always portrayed as the least virtuous of all the March sisters, since her intention was simply to marry a rich man and ‘live off the fat of the land’. For the first time ever, we have a deeper understanding of Amy and,
when she finally captures the heart of Laurie (whom everyone is hoping will get together with Jo, the oldest sister), you will find it hard to refrain from applauding. Greta managed this coup through a magnificent script and arguably the coolest ‘alternative’ performer of the times – Florence Pugh, an English actor who some are already touting as a young Meryl Streep. Many other great actors are in the film – an impeccable Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, Emma Watson as Meg, Timothée Chalamet as Laurie, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March. The scenes between Ronan and Chalamet are electric as always (these two also co-starred in Lady Bird) but what really makes the film tick is Greta Gerwig’s vision. Some of the scenes seem to recreate famous paintings like Joaquin Sorolla’s Walk on the Beach; others celebrate the beauty of architecture and landscaping in a subtle yet meaningful way. At the end of the film, Greta once again surprises us
with one subtle scene suggesting that Jo March’s life doesn’t end as it does in the book she is writing. Louisa May Alcott was said to be frustrated by her publisher’s insistence that Jo March get married at the end. Greta pays homage to Alcott’s true wishes by giving the audience the desired happy ending while suggesting an alternative reality. After publishing her book, Jo looks out of the window at her publisher’s office with an expression that suggests that she could have actually remained true to herself and pursued the life of a writer, without marrying anyone. Greta is said to be working on a musical currently, and while she refused to give further details, she did say, “One thing I feel that the world is really missing right now is tap dancing. I’m just going to say that.” One little sentence is enough to pique our curiosity and patiently wait, since we know that her work offers something that so few box office hits do: truth in all its funny, painful, and inevitable complexity. e
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the trend
MAKE THE MOST OF TIME AT HOME WITH EVERYTHING FROM TOP STREAMED FILMS AND SERIES TO PODCASTS, BOOKS, AND COOL EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN SPAIN AND ABROAD. WE ALSO HEAR FROM LOCAL STUDENT JOFFREE KING, WHO GIVES US A BIT OF TRUTH ON WHAT LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE IN LOCKDOWN FOR TEENS. FINALLY, WE DISCOVER HOW TO BOOST OUR PETS’ HEALTH AND HAPPINESS DURING THIS UNIQUE TIME.
GO TO PAGE 136
TO SEE WHAT’S COOL
GO TO PAGE 146 ANIMAL LOVE
GO TO PAGE 118 FOR NATURE DOCUMENTARIES
GO TO PAGE 126 TOP STREAMED CONCERTS IN JUNE
CINEMA SERIES MUSIC READING 110 Home Viewing 118 Nature Documentaries 126 Top Live and Streamed Concerts in June 128 Backyard Blockbusters to Read 136 What’s Cool 140 Teen Talk 146 Animal Love
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FILMS TO WATCH
FROM HOME
Streaming movies will be the norm for a little while longer, and although nothing quite beats watching a great film on a huge screen with a bucket of popcorn and an icey drink, you can still make these treats at home while catching one of these streamable films. COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
HONEY BOY
A biographical film written and directed by Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy starts in the actor’s childhood, when he worked long days to fend for his family. Shia has to cope with a charismatic, yet abusive dad – a Vietnam vet who once pointed a gun at his son while having a war flashback. The film is comical and tragic all at once, with LaBeouf admitting he wrote the script while residing in a mental institution. He had just been diagnosed with PTSD and through his writing, he sought to uncover the reasons why. VIEW IT ON: AMAZON PRIME
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EXTRACTION
Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a hardened mercenary who is about to face the toughest mission of his career: rescuing the kidnapped son of an international crime lord in Bangladesh. The film is as action-packed as they come, which is logical considering it was produced by Joe and Anthony Russo (who directed Avengers: Endgame). Hemsworth is convincing as a tough guy who is spiritually lost but still committed to saving the innocent. VIEW IT ON: NETFLIX
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UNCUT GEMS
Adam Sandler (known for a spate of tacky yet comical films) does a major 180ยบ in this film, in which he pays Howard, a brilliant New York jeweller who hatches a plan to make big bucks. Events take an exhilarating turn when he encounters a group of adversaries who do everything it takes to foil his plans. The result is a thrilling, anxiety-ridden crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. VIEW IT ON: NETFLIX
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SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL
Peter Berg directs Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke in this action-packed thriller about a disgraced police officer and his roommate. The unlikely duo set out to privately investigate the death of two officers. The film is based on Ace Atkins’ Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland – a fabulous foray into government corruption and greed. VIEW IT ON: NETFLIX
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THE LAUNDROMAT
This film is based on the true story of a Panamanian law firm that created the biggest global tax evasion operation of all time. Antonio Banderas and Gary Oldman play Ramón Fonseca and Jürgen Mossack – two cunning characters running a scandal-ridden Panamanian law firm that is doomed to failure. Meryl Streep plays a wisened widow who decides to investigate the firm after she is unable to collect on her husband’s insurance because his policy is tied to a shell company that doesn’t exist. VIEW IT ON: NETFLIX
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PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
This period drama was nominated for the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is set in 1770 in France. Marianne is a young painter commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse – a shy woman who has just left a convent. Marianne is told to paint Héloïse without the latter’s knowledge so she does so silently and from a distance. Eventually the two women meet and a spark ignites between then. They decide to enjoy Héloïse’s last days of freedom together, knowing that the magic will soon end. VIEW IT ON: HULU
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THE EDDY
If you love jazz then this gem is simply unmissable. It is the story of Elliot Udo, a renowned musician from New York who is now running a cool jazz club called The Eddy in downtown Paris. The bar features some out-of-thisworld musicians but things start to go awry when Elliot’s partner becomes involved in shady dealings and the future of the club is threatened. VIEW IT ON: NETFLIX
THE HALF OF IT
This is Cyrano de Bergerac all over again, but with a very modern twist. This time the bard is Ellie – a hardworking, straight A student who is hired by her classmate, Paul, a well-meaning but inarticulate jock who is in love with his classmate, Aster. The tale has a bit of a twist: Ellie begins developing feelings for Aster and the more she spends time with her, the more she is torn between emotion and duty. VIEW IT ON: NETFLIX
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8
MUST-SEE
NATURE DOCUMENTARIES IN JUNE
Now is a time in which many people are escaping virtually to some of the most wondrous corners of the globe – from the icy poles of the Antarctic to the tropical jungles of Costa Rica. It isn’t just about travel, however, but rather, about celebrating Nature’s spectacular flora and fauna. If you could watch animals at play all day and you love discovering amazing plant species, check out these top documentary picks. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
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NIGHT ON EARTH (2020)
A unique documentary that captures afterdark footage of animals and their nocturnal habits, through the use of thermal imaging and low-light sensitive cameras. The film opens up a whole new world that human beings were never privy too, all because when we sleep, the action begins for so many mysterious animals including scorpions and leopards. NETFLIX
JANE (2017) For those who love gorillas and believe in fighting for the rights
of animals, few people are quite as heroic as Jane Goodall – one of most lauded primatologists of our time. Jane takes us back to her early trailblazing work in the 1960s when, as a young twentysomething, she began observing chimpanzees. Set to a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass, the film offers an intimate look into how Goodall managed to challenge the male-dominated scientific thinking of her time. NETFLIX
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CHASING CORAL (2017) Coral reefs are dying across the globe on a massive scale. “Out of sight, out of mind” is one of the biggest problems for corals, whose importance and beauty can easily be forgotten because most of us aren’t lucky enough to encounter them every day. The filmmakers behind this documentary are fighting to raise awareness of the issue. This
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deeply moving work highlights the fact that corals nourish the ecosystem that feeds us. They are dying rapidly, yet we can all play a role in putting a stop to pollution, coral mining, overfishing and so many other practices that are not necessary for human life to thrive. NETFLIX
OUR PLANET (2019) From the makers of Planet Earth: Miniseries comes Our
Planet – a documentary covering 50 different countries and a plethora of ecosystems, narrated by David Attenborough. Go directly to the ecosystem you are most interested in – Frozen Worlds, Jungles, Deserts and Grasslands, and Forests are all fascinating in their own way. The series also covers oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water. NETFLIX
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BLACKFISH (2013)
This is the story of a performing orca called Tilikum, who was involved in the deaths of three people. The film was made to highlight the intelligence of orcas and the consequences of keeping them in captivity. A very timely documentary regarding the use human beings have made of the world’s natural resources and animals; featuring interviews with trainers who describe their experience with captive marine animals. AMAZON, ITUNES, VUDU
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PLANET EARTH: MINISERIES (2006) There are two versions of this classic
miniseries: the Discovery Channel version (narrated by acclaimed actor Sigourney Weaver) and the BBC Version (narrated by quintessential naturalist, David Attenborough). Planet Earth took five years to make and was the most expensive documentary of its kind commissioned by the BBC. It was also the first to be filmed in high definition. Each episode takes us to one fascinating part of planet Earth, highlighting perils such as climate change. The Artic with its fluffy white polar bears, the Himalayas with their golden eagles and the Azores with their 500-strong school of dolphins are just some of the places you can escape to for a few hours. In 2017, the BBC released a shorter sequel called Planet Earth II: Miniseries, which uncovers the mysteries of city animals as well. DISCOVERY CHANNEL/BBC
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VIRUNGA (2014) This documentary
centres on the Virunga National Park in the Congo, home to an endangered group of mountain gorillas. It reveals the care with which teams aim to protect the park against the militia that attempts to steal its resources. The territory was in the news recently, when around 12 rangers were killed by suspected members of a Rwandan rebel group. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site but it seems that it will need much more than title to protect it. NETFLIX
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ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD (2007)
Renowned director Werner Herzog narrates this film, taking us to the icy and mysterious world of Antarctica. The documentary focuses not only on the beauty of the infinitely white surroundings but also on the complexity of the human psyche amid such harsh yet compelling landscapes. THINKFILM
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TOP LIVE AND STREAMED CONCERTS FOR JUNE, 2020
With concert halls still shut for now, music lovers will have to ‘attend’ live concerts in a whole new way – via streaming! Previous weeks saw musicians like Gloria Estefan, Luis Fonsi, J Balvin and many more amazing artists hold virtual concerts and celebrations. Big events such as The New York Guitar Festival and Cinco de Mayo were held online to please those who wouldn’t miss these occasions for the world. In June, just a few concerts to watch out for include:
IR LA C SIN B BO
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AT YOUR LEISURE DJ MUSIC Defected Records, one of the biggest labels in dance, presents virtual festivals of live DJ streams plus dancers to keep you entertained. Watch a host of shows, performances, and remixes at your leisure by artists such as Simon Dunmore, The Vision & Obi Franky, Riva Starr, David Penn and more. i www.defected.com WEEKLY DIPLO Check out Diplo’s Corona World Tour on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening/night and Sunday midday. Streamed live on YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram. i For details on precise times, www.diplo.com DAILY BOB SINCLAIR French producer Bob Sinclair has been hosting daily lives streams on his Facebook page, wearing loud outfits, raising our spirits, and playing killer tunes that get us off the sofa and onto our ad hoc dancefloors.
CATS, ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
EVERY FRIDAY AT 7PM ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER Andrew Lloyd Webber has been streaming top West End and Broadway musical acts in a new series called The Shows Must Go On. The shows are posted weekly at 7pm and are available for 48 hours. Check out the channel The Shows Must Go On! on YouTube.
GA LADY GA
SATURDAY JUNE 6 LADY GAGA AND FRIENDS Lady Gaga, BTS and Barack Obama will be greeting audiences at YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020 – an event held to celebrate ‘virtual graduations’ across the U.S. The occasion will feature musical performances by Gaga herself, as well as Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, and more, plus appearances by actors and other performers. SATURDAY JUNE 6 J2V INTERACTIVE EVENT DJ MUSIC J2V is a 3D festival featuring exclusive DJ sets played on three unique stages, by over 12 top house and techno artists. The event will be
streamed from 4pm until 10pm (GMT) across Junction 2’s various social media platforms. Junction 2 will be using this unprecedented online gathering to raise much needed funds for the charities Care Workers Charity, Refuge, The Outside Project, and The Trussell Trust foodbanks. SATURDAY JUNE 6 SOUL TRAIN STOCKHOLM DIGITAL FESTIVAL As Soul Train Stockholm’s annual summer cruise has been moved forward, the team are offering viewers a live-streamed online digital festival featuring seven hours of non-stop music by Soul Train DJs from 2pm to 9pm. Catch it on the Soul Train Stockholm Facebook page. SUNDAY JUNE 14 BTS – BANG BANG CON: THE LIVE CONCERT Having postponed their entire world tour this year due to COVID-19, K-pop boy band BTS will stage a live online concert lasting 90 minutes. Tickets can be purchased on the Weverse shop online. The date of the concert coincides with the band’s seventh anniversary. e
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JEREZ
A VINEYARD IN ANDALUCIA, MARÍA DUEÑAS
Pour yourself a chilled fino and journey back to 1860s Jerez when British demand for vino de Jerez made the city rich and famous. You’ll learn loads of sherry secrets as you follow the epic adventures of a ruined Spanish silver merchant who wins a vineyard in a bet. The Seamstress, by the same author, set in Tangier and Spain, is the gripping true story of glamorous WW2 spy Rosalinda Fox who retired to the Cádiz village of Guadarranque.
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We may not be doing much travelling this year so grab a garden chair and dive into some escapist literature set in exotic locations just down the road for a ‘virtual staycation’, writes Belinda Beckett.
BACKYARD
BLOCKBUSTERS THE ALPUJARRAS
At least two famous authors have been drawn to this isolated landscape of snowcapped mountains and fertile valleys skimming the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
DRIVING OVER LEMONS, CHRIS STEWART
Stewart surrendered his drumsticks to Phil Collins in the rock band Genesis to live the good life in the wilds of Granada, farming sheep and writing best sellers. Most of us are intimately acquainted with the enchanting four-book series but his maggots-and-all account of finca living on the wrong side of a river with no access road, water or electricity is a rollicking revisit.
SOUTH FROM GRANADA, GERALD BRENAN
Ten hours hike from Stewart’s finca but worlds apart in time, discover the village of Yegen in the days when men were macho and young ladies were courted behind rejas. Brenan captures the spirit of rural Spain from a bygone era with its cheap brothels, incense-drenched religion and quirky characters, spiced with visits from the sophisticated Bloomsbury Group literati. Bring it all to life with a visit to Brenan’s casa-museum in Málaga.
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GIBRALTAR
THE ROCK, ROBERT DAWS
Explore the blind alleys and hairpin bends of the quirky British territory through the exploits of two crack officers in the Royal Gibraltar Police in a plot with as many murderous twists and turns. D.S. Tamara Sullivan is on secondment from the London Met to the world’s second oldest police force, bracing herself for 12 tedious suntanned weeks in a crimefree backwater… but fate and old school D.I. Gus Broderick have other ideas. Their partnership continues for two sequels (The Poisoned Rock, Tunnel Vision). More used to starring in crime thrillers than writing them (Jeeves and Wooster, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks) Daws says: “Sitting in my study in Bedfordshire on a cold May afternoon, I can easily see why I like writing
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about life lived under a Mediterranean sun in a unique geographical location where two mighty continents meet. The thought of that never fails to thrill my senses.”
ALMERIA
HOT MILK, DEBORAH LEVY
There’s a sting in this tale that doesn’t refer to the medusa jellyfish washed up on the beaches of Almeria where a daughter is seeking a cure for her ‘career invalid’ mother at a private clinic. The mythological Medusa who turns men to stone is a recurring metaphor in this darkly droll and dreamlike novel as the women’s prickly relationship is put to the test in the searing heat of the region’s arid desert climate. Shortlisted for the Mann Booker Prize, Levy was praised for her poetry of language and way of finding wonder in the everyday.
TANGIER
TANGERINE, CHRISTINE MANGAN,
HUELVA
PLATERO AND I, JUAN RAMÓN JIMÉNEZ
The river port town of Moguer has long been associated with the voyages of Christopher Columbus but it has been immortalised by a silver-furred donkey called Platero ‘so soft to the touch that he might be
said to be made of cotton, with no bones’. Jiménez won the 1956 Nobel Prize for Literature for his prolific works but this delightful prose poem, describing everyday life in his home town through imaginary conversations with his four-legged friend, is the masterpiece.
Set in 1950s Tangier in its International Zone when it was ruled by 12 countries, Canadian school friends Lucy and Alice, estranged after a mysterious ‘accident’, rekindle their relationship among the mosques and minarets but all is not as it seems. Mangan makes good use of the ‘strange, lawless city that belonged to everyone and no one’ in this psychological thriller, optioned by George Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures for a film starring Scarlett Johansson.
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COSTA DEL SOL
CÁDIZ
Drop out in Torremolinos during its hippy heyday with this classic coming-of-age tale. Six disparate young drifters meet by chance in a local bar and spend the extended gap year of a lifetime smoking dope in Marrakech, bull running in Pamplona and living it up on the Costa de la Luz. This long read is the vicarious experience of a lifetime. Follow up with Iberia, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s non-fiction tribute to his second home.
Join Lee on his epic 1934 hike through Spain, busking on violin and sleeping rough as the storm clouds of Spanish Civil War gather. It takes him three quarters of the book to reach the Andalusian coast but it’s worth the wait for his lyrical description of Cádiz‘... a scribble of white on a sheet of blue glass, lying curved in the bay like a scimitar and sparkling with African light.’
THE DRIFTERS, JAMES MICHENER
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AS I WALKED OUT ONE MIDSUMMER MORNING, LAURIE LEE
€ 273.000
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ANDALUCÍA
A LITERARY GUIDE FOR TRAVELLERS, ANDREW AND SUZANNE EDWARDS
ANDALUCÍA has been inspiring writers since Pliny the Younger put pen to parchment to describe the Roman colony of Baetica and its deeper connections with the literati are all here: Cervantes, Lorca, Hemingway – over 100 iconic writers along with some surprises: Victorian novelist George Eliot whose Daniel Deronda was named after Ronda; Lord Byron who found, in Sevilla, ‘that reserve is not the characteristic of the Spanish belle’; and Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen who was captivated by Málaga. ‘In no other Spanish city I have come to feel as happy and as comfortable’ he wrote in his 1882 travelogue, In Spain – and you can still get it on Kindle! e
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234.000 €
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WHAT’S COOL?
Global citizens may be homebound but one thing is for sure – confinement has only enhanced their creativity. We keep you posted on what’s trending in Spain and anywhere that people are showing how fascinating they can be! COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
VISIT H ER E
BANG & OLUFSEN PRESENTS OUTDOOR SPEAKER COLLECTIONS
As the spring and summer begin to make their sunny warmth felt, more people will be heading out to their terraces and gardens to enjoy open air experiences. Bang & Olufsen is making it oh-so-appealing with two beautifully designed speakers: Beoplay A1 and Beolit 17 – two lightweight devices offering the ultimate in high quality sound. i www.bang-olufsen.com 136 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
FRED PERRY X AMY WINEHOUSE FOUNDATION COLLABORATE
Fred Perry and Amy Winehouse Foundation are once again collaborating to create a new collection inspired by the original designs and personal style of the rock legend. Black and red items abound, as well as body-hugging fashions from the 1960s. With this collection, Fred Perry wishes to support the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which aids persons with addiction issues.
LEXUS PRESENTS NEW MANGA ARTWORKS
Lexus cars flee a fire-breathing dragon, pause by the peaceful seashore, and escape from mad explosions in a series of new artworks that celebrates the contemporary style and cultural heritage of Japanese manga illustration. The new images, commissioned by Lexus in the UK, capture the strong influence of Japanese traditions and aesthetics on Lexus cars, depicting some of the brand’s most popular models in comic book adventure style. i www.lexus.co.uk
VISIT HE R E
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MOTOR VALLEY FEST GOES DIGITAL
MIND MILANO INNOVATION DISTRICT UNDER CONSTRUCTION
A new hub for technological innovation in the design sector will rise in the MIND Milano Innovation District, currently under construction by developer Lendlease in the former Expo 2015 space. The goals of the project are to build an integrated great Living Lab with spaces for co-working, coliving and co-factories, to support the development of open innovation programs. and to stimulate the spread of digital technologies. i www.mindmilano.it
VIRTUAL TRAVEL IN SPAIN WITH CITYME
In line with COVID-19related confinement measures, this year’s Motor Valley Fest went digital. The event, streamed live from the Horacio Pagani Museum, featured round table talks, discussions on new technologies and their effect on style and design, B2B meetings, pitches, and more. i www.pagani.com
While in quarantine it is still possible to explore Spain’s most famous cities thanks to CityMe and its friendly virtual guides: Jose, Laia and Rafa. Check out cool sites and natural spots digitally, free, and from your couch. The tourism app provides virtual tour guides for Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla and it is now available to access for all users. Available for iOS and Android.
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RE:CHARGE @ HOME WITH JAGUAR
Jaguar Racing has launched a brand new episode in its video podcast series, RE:CHARGE @ Home. In the latest installment, presented by Vernon Kay, Mitch Evans (driver, Panasonic Jaguar Racing) chats with his brother, Simon Evans (driver, Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy) about commitment to family and racing. The brothers discuss personal anecdotes about the influence their father had on their love for the world of automobiles. i View the episode below
SPANISH BROOM FEST IN BLOOM
The Spanish Broom Fest is held every year to pay homage to nature and this year is no exception. From May 18 to June 28, the event will incorporate many of the festival’s usual activities. Neighbours will be asked to take photos from their homes, past events will be viewed on YouTube, local tapas bars will teach viewers how to make an array of dishes, and there will be a digital exhibition of items made with the Spanish broom – a flowering plant producing a honey-vanilla scent. i www.turismogredosnorte.es
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TEEN LIFE DURING LOCKDOWN WORDS JOFFREE KING MARBELLA STUDENT
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I admit that when lockdown was first announced in March, my friends and I were quite relieved. It is a bit scary to think that although we are young and at a relatively low risk of being severely affected by the virus, we could potentially be carriers. It’s funny how prior to the virus, my friends and I would frequently complain about having to get up early. I dreamed of being able to study online or of being homeschooled.
I
t is nice to be home more, but I miss everyday things like doing sport at the gym, hanging around friends at lunch, and being able to access teachers in person. Google Meets and Hangouts are cool, but I miss having my teacher right next to me explaining a difficult Maths or Physics problem. There have been quite a few funny moments during online class many of us have chuckled about – including family members passing behind us on camera, babies and toddlers interrupting classes in a cute way, and of course, classmates showing off their pets. These moments make me realise how much I miss them and reveal a bit more about everyone – how we live, how we dress outside school, what our environment looks like. We even have virtual PE classes, with our teacher observing that we are giving each exercise our all. You can’t say that schools aren’t pulling their weight. They are doing as much as they can to make life seem ‘normal’. It has been a big relief for our younger
brothers and sisters since those aged 14 and below were allowed to take a walk outside, but also a relief for their older siblings. Some of us are studying for pretty hard exams, so having our little siblings enter and interrupt our work can be a little challenging. That moment when mum or dad takes them outside to let loose a bit of their abundant energy is quite a relief for us as well. Life during lockdown has made me very grateful to my teachers and my school. Most have dreamed up creative ways for us to continue working. For instance, for PE we were asked to create collaborative video projects by groups. Each group had to focus on one exercise form (for instance, weights), and all of us had to record ourselves performing different sets. One person in our group then edited the video, with pretty cool music and effects. Our year put together a number of videos comprising 30-minute workouts. Some of us are now thinking of putting up a site where we regularly share workouts others can stream online.
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My French teacher is hilarious. She makes us learn sign language to represent the words of French songs. It’s an amazing way to retain vocabulary as it involves whole-body movement. There are some words I think I will never forget. The more you laugh and enjoy yourself during online study, the more fulfilling the classes seem. Lockdown isn’t all about study, of course. My friends and I have embraced Zoom as a way to chat, and we also connect on our favourite online games – Fortnite, GTA, Rocket League, and the like. Something that has been very different is that many of us are connecting with new friends from school that we may not have interacted with in the past. Things are a lot less ‘cliquey’. I was surprised to receive a couple of WhatsApp messages from people I didn’t use to chat to much at school. One calls me up frequently during the week and we bond over music. I never knew her tastes in the past; it was just something that was never discussed.
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That is probably the best thing about lockdown, the breaking down of barriers and finding things in common. Believe it or not, time commuting to and from school matters, as does time wasted in the morning and during pickup. Just half an hour more of leisure means being able to reach out, compare reading or study material, and pose questions to each other online. In fact, communication has really improved between many of us, and I was happy to help classmates with questions (many helped me as well).
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When we return, things will undoubtedly be very different. We have built new friendships, found better ways to communicate, and become more efficient at working on group projects. We are more empathetic towards each other and more motivated to match our teachers’ efforts by producing good work. When life returns to normal, we will always look back on this unique moment in our school life; I believe doing so will enable us to be more mindful, more grateful to just be in the here and now. e
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COOL MUSIC TO STREAM FOR PETS
Humans aren’t the only ones who obtain pleasure from music; so too do cats, dogs, and even iguanas – at least Spotify seems to think so! The streaming service has released playlists for various pet categories – including hamsters and birds! The provision is based on research showing that pets can, indeed, feel more relaxed after listening to adapted tunes. Psychologist and Professor, Neil Evans, explains, “Providing dogs (for instance) with varied auditory enrichment can be used to reduce stress and anxiety over longer periods of time. When dogs have appropriate auditory enrichment they may bark less, lie down and sleep more, and their body enters into a more relaxed physiological state.”
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DON’T FORGET YOUR PETS’ FLEA TREATMENT
Because of the COVID-19 scare, says a new UK study, one in 10 people have found treating their cats and dogs for parasites more difficult and 15% say they are finding it hard to get to their vet or pet shop during confinement. Note that the same treatments are easily available online and by staying ahead of things, you can avoid the ‘flea explosion’ that is predicted for this year owing to a blend of high temperatures and a failure to treat pets. Because fleas have four main stages in their life cycle, the total cycle can last for various weeks. Therefore, missing just one treatment can make a big difference to your pets’ health.
DOGS ARE INNATELY CONNECTED TO HUMANS Pet dogs are highly receptive to their owners’ commands and cues, but if you thought this was due to training, think again! Research published in the journal Frontiers showed that 80 per cent of untrained stray dogs successfully followed pointing directions to a specific location. This suggests that there is a powerful innate connection between humans and canines.
DOGS CAN HAVE ANXIETY TOO Anxiety is one of the most common mental conditions among humans, but did you know that animals, too, can suffer its effects? A recent study by scientists at the University of Helsinki in Finland (involving over 13,000 dogs) found that 72.5% show traits such as fear of heights and surfaces, separationrelated distress, inattention, and noise
sensitivity. Fireworks are one of the biggest culprits; they cause intense reactions in around 26% of all dogs. Dogs can also be scared of strangers, new situations, and other dogs. Separation anxiety and aggression are less common; they only affect between five and 14 per cent of pooches.
WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
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the style
WE CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH THE WORK OF ZAHA HADID, LEARN HOW THE PANDEMIC IS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE, INSPIRING NEW DIRECTIONS IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING, AND START MAKING OUR FASHION SHOPPING LIST WITH A FEW ITEMS FROM PEDRO DEL HIERRO’S LATEST COLLECTION.
GO TO PAGE 162 TO SEE HOW COVID-19 WILL CHANGE URBAN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE?
GO TO PAGE 174 SILLY DÉCOR ITEMS FOR SERIOUS TIMES
GO TO PAGE 176 FASHION BY PEDRO DEL HIERRO INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE ART FASHION 150 Zaha Hadid, Empress of Architecture 162 How will COVID-19 Change Urban Planning and Architecture?
GO TO PAGE 150 ZAHA HADID, EMPRESS OF ARCHITECTURE
174 Silly Décor Items for Serious Times 176 Fashion by Pedro del Hierro
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ZAHA HADID
A WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE ON ARCHITECTURE
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In a field dominated by men, Zaha Hadid was one of the first women to truly break through and offer a female perspective of architecture – and it shows in the groundbreaking, sensual designs that brought her fame. WORDS MICHEL CRUZ The Beijing Soho complex is a study in Zaha Hadid’s futuristic organic shapes
Z
aha Hadid was the first in many things. The first female ‘starchitect’; the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004; the first Middle Eastern designer to join the world’s elite; and among the many titles and prizes she accumulated along the way, also the first and so far only woman to receive the Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects. Described by some as the 'Queen of the Curve', Zaha Hadid was not as famous for being a top female architect as she was for her sensually flowing design style, which used organic, rounded lines rather than following the more rigid geometry of her contemporaries. Modern engineering technologies and the new materials and building techniques that followed from them gave her a hitherto unknown canvas of expression, and the Iraqi-born architect made good use of it.
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The world she emerged from was, however, altogether more classical, as born in Baghdad in 1950 she hailed from the successor to some of the earliest civilisations in the world, those of Babylonia, Mesopotamia and Assyria. She later recalled that childhood visits to ancient Sumerian sites in southern Iraq created the spark that made her want to pursue a career in architecture, and though she studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut, she went on to the Architectural Association School of Architecture, in London. Modern styling the Zaha Hadid way – Dongdaemun Design Plaza
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The future is here at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, in London’s Kensington Gardens
There her lecturers were none other than Rem Koolhaas, Bernard Tschumi and Elia Zenghelis, who all spoke of her in wondrous, glowing terms. They remembered Hadid not so much as an A-student, but as a singular talent with a vision born out of a unique aptitude. Not interested in details she could later fix, Zaha stood out early on for her conceptual thinking, her out-of-thebox exploration of styles and forms, and her ability to bring them to life in detailed sketches and painting. Here, her daydreams took shape and had the capacity to stir emotions in others too.
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A skyscraper with the Zaha Hadid seal in the new City Life District of Milan
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The futuristic ambience of the Shanghai Soho mixed use complex designed by Zaha Hadid
THE MAKINGS OF A FUTURE STAR
Drawing inspiration from many and wide sources, Zaha Hadid was the kind of architect who left an impression, so upon graduation she was invited by her former lecturers, Koolhaas and Zenghelis, to work at their Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, where she honed her craft in a practical working environment. In the 1980s she took British citizenship and opened Zaha Hadid Architects in London, struggling at first to find suitors for her surrealistic avant-garde designs in a postmodernist world. The result was a period of time spent lecturing at the likes of Harvard, Cambridge University, Columbia and the Hochschule fĂźr Bildende KĂźnste in Hamburg.
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During this period some of her artwork was even exhibited at the MOMA in New York, but it was only with a slow change in tastes that her fortunes altered, and in 1991 Zaha Hadid’s first signature project was commissioned. The Vitra Fire Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany, formed the first of many works that soon blossomed out of Europe to also envelop North America and Asia. While her early design was
more jagged, angular and muscular in its use of concrete, the new millennium saw a gradual evolution of style and the first glimpses of the flowing, almost rolling lines that she has since become associated with. Museums, railway stations, offices and similarly impressive buildings took form in this mould, including a seminal bridge pavilion in Zaragoza and the exquisite Guangzhou Opera House in China.
Proof that futuristic architecture can be beautiful and engaging – the Library and Learning Center at the Vienna University of Business and Economics
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AND SENSUAL ARCHITECTURE By 2012 – the time of the London Olympics, for which she designed the eye-catching Aquatics Centre, Zaha Hadid’s international reputation was well and truly established, and she had become the first female starchitect on the firmament of stellar names such as Foster, Nouvel, Gehry, Calatrava and Koolhaas, her former professor. The pupil had become the master, and now elevated by Queen Elizabeth II to The moulded forms of a skylight in the Serpentine Sackler Gallery
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the title of Dame, the big-ticket commissions came rolling in. Zaha Hadid now had the pick of the world’s exciting projects, and it shows in creations such as the enigmatic Galaxy SOHO multiuse complex in Beijing, whose mesmerising curvilinear forms appear to roll out in a continuous, uninterrupted flow. This endows the structure with a harmonious fluidity and unity that is coherent, pleasing and unique.
Impressive spaces courtesy of Zaha Hadid, Vienna University of Economics and Business Even the stairs are free to cascade and flow down at the Heydar Aliyev conference and cultural centre in Baku
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Another classic example of organically flowing design of great sensuality is the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, almost the closest she came to creating a great urban project in the land of her birth. Though the Library and Learning Center of the Vienna University of Economics and Business was more linear in style, its interior treatment is typical of the fluid design concept of Hadid, and the sensory
impact it evokes. Even when working on a design plaza in Seoul, she added organically flowing shapes, though towards the latter part of her career – which was cut short – there was a further evolution into a blend of softer-edged and jagged angles, a sort of distillation of what had gone before. This was evident in future classic designs in China and Hong Kong, which were to be among her last works. The also water-like architecture of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul
The amazing shapes of the Winton Mathematics Gallery at the London Science Museum
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Avant-garde styling of the Beijing Dax Airport Terminal
We would have gone on to enjoy many more of her imaginative creations, but in 2016 Zaha Hadid passed away at the age of 65 from a heart attack. She left behind not just a wonderful oeuvre of architectural work and ground-breaking edifices such as Beijing Daxing International Airport, but also a large body of artwork, industrial design, furniture and interior styling.
Upon the completion of one of her last contracts, the Salerno Maritime Terminal in Italy, posters of Zaha Hadid were hung across the city, reading: “Goodbye Zaha Hadid; Genius and Modernity, Inspiration and Transformation, Light That Takes Shape.� It seems a fitting testament to one of the leading designers of our time and the first woman to break into the architectural mainstream. e
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HOW WILL COVID-19 CHANGE “In a Society becoming steadily more privatised with private homes, cars, computers, offices and shopping centres, the public component of our lives is disappearing. It is more and more important to make the cities inviting, so we can meet our fellow citizens face to face and experience directly through our senses. Public life in good quality public spaces is an important part of a democratic life and a full life” JAN GEHL, GEHL ARCHITECTS
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THE FACE OF URBAN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE?
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talian architect, Tommaso Giunchi hit the nail on the head when he said that many of his clients “would never again live in a house without at least a small outdoor space.” The words are simple yet powerful, for they highlight the 180º turn that life took literally days after the COVID-19 virus began wreaking havoc in our respective countries. Long after the virus emits its last weakened spores, the effect on our psyche, our social interactions, and the spaces we call home will live on.
Never again, many feel, will they allow themselves to be cooped up in spaces that lack warmth and greenery. Never again will many take for granted the human connection and celebration of outdoor life that exist when a city is well designed. Architecture will undergo a major paradigm shift that will respond to unequivocal, direct, overwhelming demands throughout the world. After all, there isn’t a single spot on the globe that COVID-19 hasn’t touched (well, maybe the Poles).
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CITIES WILL BE GREENER
URBAN ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Jan Gehl, recently gave a fascinating podcast interview in which he noted that architecture would accommodate COVID-19 in the same way the world did in the 1950s after the massive wave of tuberculosis struck. Some of the colliding tensions will include introvert vs extrovert living and building good places to live vs places that sell quickly. Greater importance will also be given to green space in public areas.
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A recent study published in The Lancet found that there is another pandemic that has the potential to take more lives in the long-term than any virus: sedentarism – a habit that kills five million people across the globe every year. The research found that people who live in green areas enjoy greater wellbeing and have a longer lifespan. The researchers stated, “The design of urban environments has the potential to contribute substantially to physical activity. The similarity of findings across cities suggests the promise of engaging urban planning, transportation, and parks sectors in efforts to reduce the health burden of the global physical inactivity pandemic.”
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BUILDING A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE
Jan Gehl notes that “for 50 years, we made cities in such a way that people are almost forced to sit down all day in their cars, in their offices, or in their homes. This has led to serious situations health-wise.� This arguably made more sense, he says, when fuel
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was cheap but now that it has become scarcer and more expensive, it makes little sense to make 'cheap gasoline' the chief driver of urban planning and architecture. Instead, the focal point of design should be public life; a deliberate effort to make cities more liveable, appealing, and diverse.
COPENHAGEN: A METROPOLIS FOR THE PEOPLE On his website, Gehl mentions Copenhagen’s 2009 mission called A Metropolis for People – inspired by the ideas he espouses. The government sought to achieve three main aims: to get people to walk more, spend more time in public spaces, and escape from their ‘private cocoons’. All this sounds
surprisingly appealing, even to the introverts among us who love escaping to our homes. Today, being able to go for a walk in a beautiful green area to recharge batteries and enjoy conversation with colleagues and friends during break time sounds appealing and necessary for our healing.
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PUBLIC LIFE STUDIES
In Brighton, one public life study showed that the number of pedestrians rose by 62% after a street was converted into a pedestrianpriority zone. To make meaningful change after COVID-19, architects will need to map, trace, track, and photograph daily activities. They will have to take test walks to look for problems in movement and find potentials for change. A myriad of investigations will be necessary if architects and planners are to
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understand how needs, psyches, and human interactions have changed after the pandemic. It may be in the best interest of urban planners, for instance, to design cities that aid in the maintenance of social distancing. However, once the pandemic is under control, the need for connection – or at least for public space we can enjoy in proximity to others – may intensify. The future is uncertain and decisions cannot be made without profound study into the best interests of society.
OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS ARE KEY
To design cities, buildings, and leisure areas that are truly ‘for the people’, says Gehl, architects need to observe, measure the time people spend getting from one point to another on foot, analyse where they stop and for how long, etc. Everything from building height to how much time a specific spot in the city is sunny, will determine the extent to which people enjoy public spaces. It is laborious work, since many needs have to be reconciled – including those of pedestrians and drivers, which can and often do clash.
MORE SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Gehl and other architects believe that the desire for more sustainable movement through cities will continue more intensely in the post-COVID world. Thus, smart cities will incorporate more bike lanes. There is also likely to be a downtrend in cruising and flying, and architecture will have to respond for a higher demand in local and national tourism. Store architecture and design will also need to change. The health scare has seen a significant paradigm shift in the way people shop, with more becoming accustomed to online transactions. Stores will need to be lively, and inviting and appealing storefront design can help owners achieve this aim. @ESSENTIALMARBELLAMAGAZINE JUNE 2020 / 169
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ARCHITECTURE MUST RESPOND TO MEDICAL NEEDS
The Los Angeles Times’ Sam Lubell notes that the pandemic has brought about the need for a new type of architecture capable of responding quickly to pandemic-level needs. The commencement of the crisis saw constructors in Wuhan work at lightning speed (14 days) to build two facilities containing a total of 2,600 beds. New York relied on FEMA’s National Mobile Disaster hospital (a series of modular structures and tents), which was set up in less than half a week. Modular construction is both
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fast and customisable. It enables hospitals to create smaller or larger areas as needs arise and best of all, structures can be adapted to completely different uses once health crises are over. In other words, they help reduce waste. Lubell adds that constructors will also aim to create lighter materials they can easily transform in kit form.
BUILDINGS THAT BOOST HEALTH
As stated above by Tommaso Giunchi, COVID-19 has pointed out the major shortcomings in current stand-alone and community homes. Community
dwellers were particularly hard-hit when governments banned them from spending time in common green zones such as gardens and poolsides. Larger homes additionally have room for improvement – in areas such as ventilation, natural lighting, and control of filtration and humidity systems. The choice of materials is also likely
to change, with germ-resistance furniture and fittings (think copper alloy or polymer) working well in facades, countertops, furniture, and wall panels. Structures such as larger terraces and gardens (to grow fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers) will be an important way to reduce stress during unprecedentedly challenging times.
EMBRACING SUSTAINABILITY
greater sustainability, with younger generations demanding change and putting their money behind sustainable products and services. We will hopefully see this ethos in our choice of homes – both new and old, by opting for recycled or reclaimed materials in construction and the installation of smart temperature control systems and solar panels.
There is no way that people can continue to deplete the earth of its natural resources if we are to move ahead as a society. The zeitgeist of the post-COVID-19 will involve ‘rethinking’ everything – our business models, living spaces, and choice of residence, to some extent. The world was already moving into an era of
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GOODBYE TO ARCHI-PORN Marianne McKenna of KPMB Architects in Canada shared an interesting idea with Forbes writer Jeffrey Steele. Prior to COVID-19, she says, Instagram and other social media apps were heavily fixated on ‘archi-porn’ – gorgeous monuments to an architect’s ability. In the near future, architecture will be more in line with Jan Gehl’s ethos – that is, people will be its main drivers. McKenna spoke of the need to move away from “saving the bottom line” and closer
to building carbon neutral homes that offer ample space in which to live The future of architecture post-COVID is a complete mystery. On the one hand, cities and buildings will need to incorporate two opposing forces: effective isolation and personal space, and a more collaborative way of living in nonthreatening times. Successful urban planning also has big challenges ahead – including encouraging the use of eco-friendly transport like bicycles
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and encouraging the public to connect in pedestrian streets and green zones, while also ensuring that parts of cities can be ‘closed off’ if confinement becomes necessary. Sustainability, indoor nature, and outdoor garden areas where we can move, meditate, and be with those we love will also be more prevalent. After all, we have all been through one of modern history’s toughest battles and we will need spaces to heal and feel motivated and brave once again. e
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S U O I R SE ES Y L M L I I TCALLSFUORRESS
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MEAVID-19 to thyencaumrbic O Kick Chese lively, d d with t pieces by Re décor and keep g! Candy iles comAiSn the sm ARISA CUTILL
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ED BY M COMPIL
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1 – TERRY THE T-REX LAUNDRY BASKET Kids will love keeping clothes tidy with this personalitypacked character. 2 – BAABARA TOILET PAPER HOLDER SHEEP If you’re proud of your toilet paper stash, don’t be sheepish about it. Display it with pride on this cute holder.
3 – TACOSAURUS REX Jurassic times call for Mesozoic measures! Lighten up low moods with this dashing dinosaur, who can carry two tacos on his back at once. 4 – DINOSAUR BOTTLE OPENER Get some roarsome refreshment with the Dinosaur Bottle Opener – a novel item that will make short work of your bottle tops and will be
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5
4
7 6 fought over by adults and children in the family. 5 – CLEAN DREAM SPONGE HOLDER Give your poor old porous scrubber the best way to relax after a long day of hard graft. This novel holder has been designed to resemble a small bed complete with pillows that grip on to the end of the sponge, keeping it in place.
8 6 – CRABBY SPOON HOLDER Keep your spoons high and dry and off the kitchen counter with little guy! The Crabby Spoon Holder makes the perfect rest for your cooking spoons and other utensils while you are busy on other tasks. 7 – PERKY PELICAN SPONGE HOLDER This cute pelican is always around to lend a beak, functioning as a sponge holder and a wash rag
dryer. He has a suction cup bottom, meaning he won’t fall over when the going gets tough. 8 – THE LAUGHING BOWL AND THE JOKING MUG These expressive items by Red Candy are so cute they make starting the day a whole lot more pleasurable. It is simply impossible not to have a little giggle while contemplating these items. i www.redcandy.co.uk
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d THE STYLE fashion
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VIDEO: Catwalk Pedro del Hierro - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid 2020 - 15:00
Pedro del Hierro is one of Spain’s most iconic designers and he is making us excited about getting dolled up once again with a new collection that sees colour and darkness as balancing forces of life. At the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, models swayed sensually to sounds of violins and chilled beats, dazzling the crowd with outfits that ranged from classically elegant to daringly bold. Pedro del Hierro stands for the traditional values that will always hold true – elegance, fine tailoring, and painstaking fabric selection. This is #LaCosturaMadeinSpain at its finest. COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
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PEDRO
DEL HIERRO MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK MADRID 2020
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GO WITH THE FLOW
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NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
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SHINE ON THE DANCEFLOOR
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TUX IT UP
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SERIOUSLY SEDUCTIVE
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GREAT AS GATSBY
IN MARBELLA YOU CAN FIND ITEMS BY PEDRO DEL HIERRO AT EL CORTE INGLÉS AND AT THE PEDRO DEL HIERRO BOUTIQUE AT LA CAÑADA SHOPPING CENTRE.
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the spa
KAT VON D MAY HAVE SOLD HER BEAUTY BUSINESS BUT KVD VEGAN BEAUTY IS KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE. WE INVITE YOU TO BE KINDER TO THE PLANET BY USING VEGAN LASHES BY ASTARTÉ DIOSA, AND RECEIVE ADVICE ON HOW TO AVOID CATCHING COVID-19 FROM THE HARDWORKING TEAM AT FARMACIA PARAISO ESTEPONA.
GO TO PAGE 186 KVD VEGAN MAKEUP
GO TO PAGE 188 ASTARTÉ DIOSA VEGAN EYELASHES
GO TO PAGE 192 ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS GO TO PAGE 198 FARMACIA PARAISO ESTEPONA
PRODUCTS BEAUTY SPA HEALTH 186 KVD Vegan Makeup 188 Astarté Diosa Vegan Eyelashes 192 Essential Vitamins and Minerals 196 Best Digital Thermometers 198 Farmacia PARAISO Estepona
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KAT VON D
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COSMETICS
SELLS TO KENDO
If you’ve heard rumours about Kat Von D having recently sold her makeup brand to a bigger company, they are 100 per cent right. The famed tattoo artist, personality and makeup entrepreneur has finally decided to call it quits, having recently sold all her shares to Kendo: a company she has already been partnering with for over a decade. The new brand is called KVD Vegan Beauty and it will continue to endorse the standard the former brand has upheld for so long. COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
A
s a makeup lover you will know that Kat Von D made a big difference to the makeup industry in three ways: through innovative/Gothic-styled packaging, unique/intense products and hues, and quality – plenty of it. I don’t hit pan with a lot of products but I have done so with so
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many of Kat Von D’s makeup – from the magnificent Shade + Light Contour Face palette to the Lolita Por Vida Palette (such a great, wearable eyeshadow palette). Of course, many bottles of her Lock It foundation have made their way to my makeup bag. Kat will be missed!
Kat announced her decision in an Instagram post, citing time constraints as the main reason. She recently had a baby, launched a vegan shoe line, and is currently preparing an album and international tour. She wrote, “As much as I wish I could balance all of this, on top of continuing my makeup line, it has become clear to me that I just can’t do everything at the maximum capacity. It’s hard to admit this, since I’ve always said ‘You can do everything and anything’.” Despite the brand’s presence worldwide in Sephora stores, naysayers alleged that her marque was not doing so well owing to polemic occurrences – such as the boycott against the brand that began in 2018, when the artist openly told followers she would not vaccinate her child. This is a hot topic in the U.S. in particular, and many chose to no longer support her. Other ‘scandals’ affecting Kat Von D included oddly chosen product names which had to be pulled (Underage Red and Lolita are two lipstick shades that were panned by critics). KVD Vegan Beauty has announced that Kat will no longer be involved in any aspect of the new company. The brand was always strongly committed to vegan and crueltyfree, high-performance beauty and the new owners have made it clear that they feel equally strongly about these issues. The transition was seamless; items (both new and hit products) bear the new logo and thankfully, not too much has changed in terms of aesthetics. Items are still edgy, Gothic, and artsy; these qualities make them a pleasure to look at and use. If you followed Kat Von D, then you know that every element was very
personal and seemed to carry a tiny piece of the famed tattoo artist with it. From the fonts to the sculpted powder compacts and odd nature-inspired imagery, you knew from the start what the brand was about and the type of customer it sought to attract. Somehow, the line continues to sprinkle a little bit of this alternative magic into its new items. This season, novelties include the Ultimate Tattoo Liner Duo (in black and brown), the Kitten Mini: NEÜPOP Shade + Light Eyeshadow Quad, and Go Big or Go Home Duo (a larger and small mascara set). If you’d like to stay up-to-date with Kat Von D, follow her on Facebook. She recently posted a sneak peak of a song from her new album, which sounds like a melancholy take on modern pop music. As expected, her video will have the type of alternative aesthetic Kat Von D is famed for. Her Instagram account also features a bit of the song called Vanish. She has a beautiful voice and the song is quite addictive! I can’t wait to listen to the entire album! “I wrote this song in a state of deep depression and anger, but now when I listen to it, it serves as a reminder of all the dark places I don’t ever have to return to.” You can find it on iTunes and other top streaming services. e
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BOTANIC AL VEGA N LASHE NOW IN M S ARBELLA
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If you follow the world’s top makeup and beauty influencers then you know that false eyelashes are the ‘final touch’... the accessory without which an eye look would not be half as dramatic or professional looking. From Jackie Aina to NikkieTutorials, everyone is sporting lashes that range in style from subtle and all-natural to full-on dramatic. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ASTARTÉ DIOSA
A
starté Diosa is a vegan, cruelty-free, botanical cosmetic brand with a vision of creating innovative, consciously made products, minus any harm to the planet and animals. Did you know that most commercial false eyelashes are made using mink (yes, this beautiful animal does suffer, as it is kept in harrowing conditions)? Astarté is
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a mink-free alternative offering a range of looks, from natural to ultra-glam. The company makes gorgeous lashes you can buy right here in Marbella, or online. The lashes come in six very unique different styles: Long, fluffy, full, light and natural. All six lashes are named after the Goddesses: Freya, Astarte, Medusa, Hera, Luna and Gaia.
Astarté Diosa’s mission is to combine the luxury and conscious worlds together. Choose from the following lashes depending on your desired look: g Check out Astarté Diosa’s
Instagram (@astartediosa) and website to find out more about pop-up events and where to buy the lashes. www.AstarteDiosa.com
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ASTARTÉ DIOSA MEDUSA is an alluring lash, equipped with rich fluffiness to mesmerise and seduce. Its cat-eye effect enhances the eye’s natural shape, creating a beautiful finished look.
FREYA is for the flirtatious fairy who resonates in all of us. Wispy and playful in nature, it is a beautiful lash for those seeking a full yet natural look.
HERA is powerful and fierce, giving you length and fullness. This set bestows a glamorous, feathered look combined with a winged finish.
LUNA is for the dolleyed temptress who isn’t afraid to stand out. Exude sophistication with this defining lash, which opens and widens the eye.
GAÏA exudes shy glam, enhancing the natural beauty of the eye. The beautiful length is designed to perfection yet light as a feather. An effortless lash that can be worn from day to night.
ASTARTÉ Lash is the most daring of them all, fearlessly showing fullness and stunning wispiness.
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MAKE SLIM MARBELLA
AGAIN TM
coolsculpting
after Quarantine
Non Surgical Fat Removal Technique.
®
This is far less effective and it is impossible to reach deep tissue freezing temperatures without damaging the skin. This is the reason why Coolsculpting works and the abundance of copycat “crylipolisis” do not. Most patients opt for Coolsculpting makeover packages with treatment to 3-4 different body zones. These makeover packages can indeed produce results comparable to liposuction. Coolsculpting is a very good treatment option for patients who: •Are within reasonable weight range and physically active. • Have some very stubborn fat deposits that are impossible to tackle even with extreme dieting and excercise. •Have further understood that they either live with those unwanted deposits forever or do something about it • Do not want to accept the stubborn fat. • Definitely do not want surgery.
Watch our Video to Learn About Coolsculpting Technique https://vimeo.com/95763479
CLINIC
TM
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®
We are
open !
COV SAFE
ID FR
TY P
ROTO
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EE
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The covid-19 pandemic has required us to raise our demanding standards to an even higher level with new protocols for the current circumstances.
TRUST
The steps we are taking on cleanliness and new hospitality norms are much about the health and safety of our employees as they are about our patients. If we have learned anything during this pandemic, it is that we are all in this together.
Our mutual goals are patient s a f e t y, e xc e l l e n t c l i n i c a l outcomes, and, of course, your satisfaction and loyalty.
By taking care of our team and following these new protocols we will be collectively taking care of our patients and the global community.
EXCELLENCE “Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of you have to offer” We are guaranteed years of experience and our patient portfolio.
We have incorporated into our cleaning processes, disinfections with all the necessary guidelines to guarantee our patients a COVID-19 free clinic. All our premises have been COLD FOGGING a disinfection system used to remove and kill possible ger ms in indoor s p a c e s. We a p p l y C O L D FOGGING routinely as part of our COVID FREE safety protocol.
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WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL
VITAMINS AND
MINERALS? Essential vitamins and minerals are those which are required for the body to perform its myriad of functions effectively – from sending nerve signals across complex brain and body pathways, to fighting off the free radicals that cause us to age and get sick. They are called micronutrients because we require only small amounts to be healthy. When we have a vitamin deficiency, we can face a host of problems – including scurvy, vision impairment, reduced bone strength, and tooth and gum disease. At some points of our lives, we are advised to take supplements – for instance, during pregnancy we are instructed to take supplements of folic acid, since this can help prevent spinal and brain problems in babies. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
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WHAT TYPES OF VITAMINS EXIST?
Vitamins are usually divided into two types: water-soluble and fatsoluble.
Z WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Water-soluble vitamins are those that enter the bloodstream directly when a supplement dissolves or when food is broken down. These include Vitamin C and the myriad of B Vitamins. Each vitamin has one or more important functions. Many B vitamins, for instance, help the body obtain energy from food. Vitamin C helps in the formation of collagen (a basic building block of skin and one that helps keep blood vessel walls strong) and plays an important role in preserving immunity.
Z FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
These enter the bloodstream through the lymph channels contained in the intestinal wall. Usually, these vitamins must be paired up with a protein in order to make their way through the body. They are stored in your liver and fat tissues and released as required. Some of the most important fat-soluble vitamins include Vitamin A (crucial for good vision and Vitamins D and K, important for keeping your bones strong) and Vitamin E (like Vitamin C, an antioxidant that fights unstable molecules and aids in the absorption of Vitamin A).
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Minerals-Rich Foods
DO YOU NEED SUPPLEMENTATION? It is always important to consult with your doctor if you think you might have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. This is because some supplements need to be taken in controlled quantities and others may react badly with different supplements or medication. Still others should be taken together. Your doctor should recommend the type and dosage of supplementation if necessary. As a rule, supplements cannot replace eating a wide variety of foods that are crucial to good health. After all, food contains more than vitamins and minerals. Fruit and vegetables contain fibre, which is necessary for good gut and mental health, and helpful gut microbiota need fibre to thrive. 194 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL MINERALS?
The difference between vitamins and minerals is that the former are organic and can be broken down by heat, acids, and air. Minerals are inorganic and they therefore hold onto their structure. There are seven main minerals which are stored and utilised in large quantities in the body. The major minerals are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. They carry out a plethora of important functions – including building bones, balancing water levels in the body, maintaining a constant heartbeat, and transmitting nerve impulses. In addition to the ‘big seven’ minerals (macrominerals), the body also needs trace (or microminerals) to flourish, albeit in smaller amounts. Key trace minerals include iron (required for energy metabolism and found in red blood cells), zinc (required to make protein), iodine (found in the thyroid hormone), selenium (an antioxidant), and copper (a component of many enzymes that is required to metabolise iron).
STUDIES INDICATING THE IMPORTANCE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Some studies have shown that different combinations of vitamins and minerals can keep specific diseases at bay. This is the case for age–related macular degeneration, which can be staved off through the consumption of Vitamins C, E, zinc, copper, and beta–carotene. This is called the AREDS formulation; ask your doctor about its suitability for you if you
are worried about your eye health. A 2019 study published by the European Society of Endocrinology, meanwhile, showed that Vitamin D supplementation can help slow the progression of Type 2 diabetes in newly diagnosed patients. Vitamin D has been the subject of many studies of late – these have shown it is useful in reducing falls among the elderly, decreasing the risk of respiratory infections in children, and helping women build muscle. A word of warning: too much Vitamin D can once again be dangerous (scientists warn it can increase the risk of death) so prior doctors’ approval is always necessary.
NOT ALL VITAMINS ARE ALIKE
Recent research has shown that Vitamins like C and D are better absorbed by the body when they are taken in liposomal versions – i.e. when they are encapsulated in pockets of fat cells called liposomes. The latter enhance absorption into the bloodstream and reduce nutrient loss during digestion. If you have read our last two editions then you know that liposomal Vitamin C and Vitamin D are all the rage among health buffs, especially in these times – when keeping your immunity strong is vital. To ensure your vitamin and mineral levels are optimal, stick to a Mediterranean diet, comprising lean proteins, healthy Omega-3-rich fats, pulses, nuts, and fibrerich fruits and vegetables. Check out the following chart to learn which foods contain the most essential vitamins and minerals. e
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TOP DIGITAL
THERMOMETERS FOR FAMILY USE
Many people still enjoy using old-school thermometers but these devices take various minutes to give a reading and, for persons fighting flus and viruses in the current climate, digital thermometers can be a handy shortcut to keep track of temperature. If you are thinking of buying one, make sure it is well reviewed and/or recommended. These are our five top picks. COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
VICKS COMFORTFLEX
Perfectly suited to infants, the Vicks ComfortFlex thermometer uses ‘speed read technology’ to provide a temperature reading in just eight seconds. It has a flexible tip that can be used in the mouth, rectum or under the arm and it lets you know how severe your baby’s temperature is.
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BRAUN NO TOUCH PLUS FOREHEAD DIGITAL THERMOMETER
This is a great choice for kids who don’t like having their temperature taken, since it measures temperature at a distance of up to 5cm. It has a handy backlight so you can take a reading in the dark, as well as a guidance light providing direction for positioning.
TRACKAID MEDICAL THERMOMETER
This device takes readings in just one second and, like the iProven thermometer, stores the last 20 readings. It comes with batteries included, which is great news if you don’t have spare ones at home. This thermometer is suitable for people of all ages, including infants, babies, and toddlers.
IPROVEN DMT-489
What makes this device so handy is that it can be used on the forehead
or ear. It takes just seconds to obtain an accurate reading and the display has four colours to display the severity of fever. When it turns red, you will know that your family member will need quick attention. The gadget recalls the last 20 readings so you can keep track of how your fever is progressing.
WITHINGS THERMO SMART TEMPORAL THERMOMETER
Another contactless device that captures your body temperature from your temporal artery. This beautifully designed luxury device incorporates 16 infrared sensors that capture several thousand readings at once, providing an accurate final result. Unlike most other thermometers, it doesn’t beep annoyingly when it has taken the reading; rather, it vibrates gently twice. e
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© Courtesy of Farmacia PARAISO Estepona
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ADVICE ON
COVID-19
FROM PHARMACIST FRANCISCO DE BORJA CASADO DE JUAN OF FARMACIA PARAISO ESTEPONA On the day of my interview with Pharmacist, Borja Casado de Juan, we were still in Phase 0 of the Spanish government’s lockdown exit strategy. He was ready to answer questions and give advice regarding how to stay safe as we ease off from home confinement. We share the highlights below. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
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HOW CAN PEOPLE STAY SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? We generally advise our clients according to the measures laid out by the government. If you are going out, we recommend the use of a mask and a visor that extends from the forehead to below the chin. WILL VISORS STOP THE VIRUS FROM REACHING YOU? CAN PARTICLES ENTER FROM UNDERNEATH THE VISOR’S OPENING? The virus drops to the floor and other surfaces such as clothing so the visor acts like a physical barrier.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR CLIENTS TO BUY, FOR INSTANCE, A BOX OF 50 MASKS? We prefer that clients come by every few days as their need for masks arises. This avoids hoarding and ensures masks are well distributed in the community. HOW DO YOU DETERMINE HOW MANY MASKS (AND WHICH TYPE) TO RECOMMEND TO CLIENTS? We try to ask what line of work they are in, if they are in high-risk jobs, etc. Those working in health services or supermarkets, for instance, would be recommended higher-security masks because they are more likely to be exposed to the virus.
WHICH MASKS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT PHARMACIES? IN THE PAST IT WAS HARD TO FIND THEM. We have surgical, ffp2 and ffp3 masks.
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WHAT OTHER SAFETY MEASURES DO YOU RECOMMEND? Gloves and sanitising gel are very important. IS IT TRUE THAT GLOVES CAN BE RISKY BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN TOUCH THEIR FACE AFTER TOUCHING SURFACES? We recommend that people apply sanitising gel even when they are wearing gloves. This will keep the glove surface clean and bring the risk of contagion down. CAN YOU GET COVID-19 BY SIMPLY GOING FOR A WALK IN AN OPEN AREA? How the virus transfers is not fully known but ideally, if you are going for a walk, you should aim to go when few people are outside. Wear your visor and mask and the moment you get home, disinfect (wash) your clothing and shoes. WHY IS THIS VIRUS SO DANGEROUS? Because of how rapid and effective it is at contagion. WHY AREN’T MORE TESTS BEING CONDUCTED IN SPAIN? We don’t have enough test kits. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE COVID VACCINE? We still don’t know when a vaccine will become available, but there are many teams making big progress at the
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moment – one of which is the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Spain. They have managed to sequence the DNA of COVID-19 and their vaccine is currently at the experimental stage. COULD THERE BE A SECOND WAVE OF THE VIRUS? Some epidemiologists believe there will be a second wave in October or November. We are currently exiting the lockdown but we need to stay calm and realise we are in the final sprint of the strictest part of confinement.
We offer a 20% discount and include a COVID-19 risk assessment and antibody test for all PREMIUM screening clients in May and June 2020
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© Courtesy of Farmacia PARAISO Estepona
WHAT CAN WE DO TO AVOID CONTAGION AS WE APPROACH THE NEW NORMALITY? The exit will be different depending on the area. For instance, in some parts of China people are already living a far greater normality. We will need to continue being vigilant about the times we go out, the types of places we visit, etc. We will need to continue taking care and to strictly follow measures established by the government. We will also need to conduct more tests, especially among health workers and seniors. Remaining vigilant is key; everyone should be on the lookout for symptoms such as headaches, fever, a dry cough, and the like. Those who suspect they may have the coronavirus should call their health centre and request a test.
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WHAT ROLE DOES IMMUNITY PLAY IN ALL OF THIS? Boosting your immunity is very important right now, because when this system is working well, it is like a first line of defence. Taking a supplement won’t stop you from getting COVID-19 but it will give you a better defence against it. We advise clients to take an immunity supplement. There are many available (including Vitamin C and zinc) and some are homeopathic, including echinacea. g Farmacia PARAISO Estepona
C.C. Mustang, Autovía del Mediterráneo, Km 167, Estepona. Tel: 676 992 722.
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the pro
VILLAGE VERDE IS A BEAUTIFUL DEVELOPMENT IN SOTOGRANDE BOASTING ITS OWN PARKLAND SETTING WITH SIGNATURE FEATURES SUCH AS AN ELEGANT BEACH CLUB. CHECK OUT THESE STYLISH PROPERTIES, THEN READ UP ON OTHER BUSINESS-RELATED NEWS. FINALLY, FIND OUT WHO IS MAKING ENVIABLE AMOUNTS OF CASH VIA YOUTUBE ADSENSE.
GO TO PAGE 222 FOR ENTERPRISE
GO TO PAGE 216 YOUTUBE ADSENSE
GO TO PAGE 206 VILLAGE VERDE IN SOTOGRANDE GO TO PAGE 222 ENTERPRISE
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROPERTY FINANCE 206 Village Verde in Sotogrande 216 YouTube Adsense 222 Enterprise 231 Actions of Solidarity
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SOTOGRANDE’S NEW DELUXE PARK HOMES
VILLAGE VERDE
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There is much talk of environmentally friendly property development, but the stylish homes of Village Verde, Sotogrande S.A.’s latest project, take the concept further by boasting their own parkland setting. WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOTOGRANDE S.A.
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hose familiar with La Reserva Club Sotogrande, also developed by Sotogrande S.A., have seen it evolve in recent years from one of Sotogrande’s prime golf country clubs to a modern five-star residential resort. The focus here is very much on creating a special ambience and providing a stand-alone quality of life for residents and property owners, with such signature features as the elegant beach club that surrounds a manmade lagoon lake, extensive natural green zones fringing the area, and of course the refined clubhouse and velvet-green 18-hole golf course that snakes its way through the various gated communities within the country club.
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The latest among this growing collection of stylish properties, offering a carefully curated blend of 21st century luxuries and amenities with timeless design is Village Verde, a select garden community of beautifully finished apartments and penthouses. This gated, private complex is set within 18 hectares of park landscape in walking
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distance of La Reserva Club Sotogrande’s own amenities, and is a short drive to the beaches, marina, golf courses, sports clubs, and dining options available in Sotogrande. A community within a country club, its lush gardens surrounded by parks and fairways create a living environment enveloped within greenery.
GREEN DEVELOPMENT – HARMONISING NATURE AND WELLBEING
Village Verde goes beyond low building densities and lots of green spaces to offer a truly natural living concept built within the strict sustainability parameters of BREEAM – an international organisation that assesses and certifies the environmental credentials of construction projects. Developing luxurious homes in full accordance with the strict BREEAM guidelines is not easy, but when as here it is undertaken with the required commitment and conviction, its challenges are overcome and from it emerges a residential project that is not only as good as any elsewhere, but actually better – as it harmonises nature, design and wellbeing.
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What Village Verde offers, therefore, is more than just beautifully styled, fitted and finished homes with an impressive list of luxuries and amenities – both within the individual properties and the complex itself. Ultimately it is all about an opportunity to enjoy an optimal lifestyle that makes the most of the wonderful setting and surroundings of Sotogrande; a way of life wrapped up in wellbeing and enjoyment of the important things. Village Verde, like La Reserva de Sotogrande in general, is therefore defined by family life, sophistication, space, nature, exclusivity, privacy and the kind of dreamy views – over nature, golf courses and out to sea – that frame life here. 210 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
HOMES DESIGNED FOR A NATURAL LIFESTYLE
By placing the community in the midst of greenery, emphasising mesmerising vistas and allowing for a gradual, seamless transition between homes, communal areas, landscaped gardens, parkland areas and natural green zones, Village Verde has been designed to make the most of the space and the verdant setting it is so uniquely endowed with. “Luxury is often expressed as low-density, high-quality real estate with ample space and greenery,” says Marc Topiol, President of Sotogrande S.A., “but we have taken it a step further by designing the whole concept of Village Verde from a five-star natural community perspective.” Sense of arrival plays an important part in this, setting the tone as soon as the gates swing open and you enter manicured grounds leading to the homes. Large terraces continue this connectivity with the surrounding greenery, not just from the main open-plan living areas but from the bedrooms too, all of which enjoy their own unique perspectives. Just as the living room opens up to extensive outdoor lifestyle areas, so the gardens flow seamlessly into parkland and untamed nature, creating a visual embrace that adds to the timeless architectural styling, spacious openplan interiors and top-spec finishing of these beautiful two- to four-bedroom apartments and penthouses.
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NATURAL SOPHISTICATION
“Creating a sense of natural sophistication and quality in which residents feel special within a comfortable family home was the central brief,” says Marc Topiol, who asked of his architects to produce a fluid architectural design that would integrate the key lifestyle elements and accommodate large terraces with access for all the rooms. L35 Architecture and Scape collaborated with Rocío Sainz de Rozas of RSR Jardines to fulfil this vision and blend form and function in the realisation of a new, ground-breaking class of luxury real estate. This is resort living at its finest, with state-of-the-art amenities such as indoor/outdoor gyms and lagoon style swimming pools with sandy bottoms. 212 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
Nature trails and paths lead from the gardens into the parkland area, where children can play in safety amid picnic and barbecue areas. Here, in the midst of Sotogrande, residents enjoy their own private domain. This traffic-free, secure gated community is a green village community in which five-star deluxe homes feature the finest quality materials, fittings and brands in a peaceful, natural setting designed around a quality of life concept. In today’s market, this is the very definition of luxury – a place in which to build special moments. g Tel: (+34) 856 560 922
Avenida La Reserva, s/n, Sotogrande villageverde.residencial@sotogrande.com www.villageverdesotogrande.com
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Until you discover an immaculate championship golf course designed to be fun and challenging. And when your round is over, you find there is a host of state-of-the-art amenities to enjoy and reunite with your family and friends at Europe’s first and only inland private beach. It’s just a golf course
until you live it!
The first 300 reservations will receive a complimentary sunbed at our Beach Club.* 50% credit for each reservation during June. Participation in the draw for a Ryder cup Style match with Jean Van de Velde and Manuel PiĂąero as captains. *Valid until the 31st of July.
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YOUTUBE * ADSENSE
IT ISN’T ALL ABOUT THE VIEWS
If you are a YouTuber then you probably hope to one day replicate the earnings of content creators like Shane Dawson (famed for his conspiracy videos and general personal life content), Philip DeFranco (who covers gossip and politics), or PewDiePie (who offers a blend of commentary and gaming content). The amount they earn on YouTube is easy to glean – just check out SocialBlade.com and it will tell you how much they have made in the previous 30 days, their social blade rank, and how many video views they have had on a daily basis. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS * At the time of writing, Adsense was as indicated in this article. Fluctuations can be observed owing to COVID-19 and earnings vary depending on the amount of content created in a given month.
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just checked Shane Dawson’s channel, for instance, and see that in the past 30 days he has made €132.600* – not bad considering his last video was uploaded two months ago. The little boy Ryan of Ryan’s Toy Review, meanwhile, makes $11 million per year just for opening up and reviewing toys.
IT TAKES MILLIONS TO MAKE ‘EM
According to YouTube, the number one ranked channel is les boys tv2 (I admit I had never heard of them prior to writing this). They hadn’t uploaded a video in eons, it seems, so their Adsense stood at zero. I made my way to the second highest ranked creators – T-Series (the famous Bollywoodfocused channel that pushed PewDiePie off his pedestal as the
world’s most subscribed-to YouTube channel). According to Social Blade, T-Series’ estimated yearly earnings range between €10.5M and €167.4M (experts say the right amount is closer to the higher estimation).
ADSENSE AND VIEWS
It is generally true that in order for a video to make money, it needs to have views. Thus, views are more important than your subscriber count. YouTube compensates its content creators 55 per cent of its ad revenue, paying them an average $4.18 for every 1,000 views of ads shown in their videos. That amounts to a very low amount per view and creators do not earn anything if viewers click off an ad before a specific amount of time has passed.
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COSTS PER 1000 VIEWS VARY Not all YouTubers make the low amounts mentioned above. Some have a CPM (Cost per 1000 Views) of up to $25. The big difference depends on various factors, including geographic location (the advertisements played in the particular part of the world you are in), whether or not your content is advertiser friendly, and whether or not the views trigger an ad (bear in mind that some users use ad blocks). As noted by Medium.com’s
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Roberto Blake, advertisers can decide to support only content in a specific language. You can also make more revenue if your viewers stay watching your content for longer, and if you don’t use swear words or talk about subjects that can be triggers for mental illness or audience discomfort. Some genres earn more than others; for instance, content that is technical or specialised can garner a higher ad rate than those on general entertainment or gossip.
THE DILEMMA FOR CURRENT CREATORS
BEATING THE SYSTEM
In a recent podcast with popular YouTube personality Trisha Paytas, comedian Colleen Ballinger (who doubles up as wacky personality Miranda Sings) expressed the current problem facing many YouTube content creators. On the one hand, if their content is deemed to be aimed at children (something as simple as a video of Ballinger in a tub of Slurpee was deemed thus), YouTube demonetises the video. If, on the other hand, the content contains profanity or mentions anything YouTube deems triggering or polemic, the video will also be demonitised. As Ballinger pointed out, as it stands, creators just can’t win.
Is there a way to continue breaking the bank, as PewDiePie, T-Series of even Jeffree Star do? It’s sometimes a matter of hit-and-miss but general guidelines do exist. First of all, try to post adult yet family-friendly content. The balance can be hard to strike; don’t allow your content to appeal too much to children. Secondly, use analytics to identify the videos that have been your biggest hits and try to make similarly themed content. Tag your images, aim to have a wide variety of ad types on your channel, and place the best performing advert first in your page’s HTML code. Don’t overdo the ads or your audience will get bored and log out. Most importantly, remember that in YouTube (as in any other media), content is King, and content that tells a story is Palpatine. e
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OPENING THURSDAY, JUNE 18
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OPENING Thursday, 11th June
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NORDICA REBRANDS WITH FRESH MODERN LOOK FOR 2020
Known as a company that keeps ahead of the times in terms of service, technology and know-how, but also décor, branding and ambience, Nordica, regarded as the true Nueva Andalucía specialist has now created a modern look that is still recognisably Nordica, but with a fresh new feel.
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NEW-LOOK BRANDING It starts with a clean, stylish reinterpretation of Nordica’s logo and corporate branding, whose black-andwhite tone and detailing are both sleek and professional, and continues into a newly styled range of marketing and communication material, from window cards and email signatures to slick new business cards and brochures, contracts and documents that cover everything from the sales process to marketing, rentals, overall administration and customer service. NEWLY UPDATED WEBSITE The new Nordica website has been modernised to follow the new style and it now offers fully optimised information, interactivity and ease of use. The website is due to go live very shortly, and already you can see their fleet of corporate cars proudly bearing the new-look colours of Nordica. VISIT THEIR OFFICES Not ones to do things by halves, the Nordica team have also redecorated their office to give an already welcoming working environment a fresh, new look and ambience that is stylish, professional, comfortable and welcoming all at once. i The team reminds everyone to stay safe and hopes to welcome you to their offices in person again soon. www.nordicasalesandrentalsmarbella.com
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THE HUB MÁLAGA: THE REVOLUTION OF LIVING IN A COMMUNITY The Hub Málaga is a new, ‘transgressive’ residential project in Huelin, Málaga. Home, social life, workspace, and leisure join together within the ‘Living Homes’ concept, creating an urban oasis. The Hub philosophy gives rise to apartments located in urban centres, built with optimal quality and containing impressive facilities (a gym, common areas with barbecues and a swimming pool), and services (co-working spaces and a gastro bar). The project has employed the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology, which guarantees the optimisation of running costs for the future conservation and maintenance of the building. The project features an APP to share experiences and moments with neighbours. The Hub Málaga consists of two buildings in the western part of the city. There are a total of 44 apartments with one and two bedrooms, 56 garage spaces, and storage rooms. There are also spacious outdoor areas. A Skypool and chill-out zone on one of the rooftop terraces will overlook the new Park
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Europa. Two barbecue areas and an Al Fresco Gastro Bar will be located on the other terrace. In addition, the building has a state-of-the-art boutique gym and a co-working area with views. Sustainability is a key value for the Hub, which boasts an innovative micro-filtration system that improves the flavour of water while preserving its natural minerals. This ‘Proximity Water’ helps reduce transport pollution, thus reducing CO2 emissions. i For a limited time and for the first 10 clients only, The Hub is offering a 20 per cent discount on the official list price on a selection of apartments. Further information, www.otero.com.es
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NEW ANTI-VIRAL DIVIDING SCREEN BY AGROJARDÍN
Agrojardín Landscaping has designed a new type of dividing screen that hygienises surrounding areas. The screen relies on the Envirolyte system, which fights bacteria, viruses, fungi, spores and the like. It is safe, sustainable, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. It holds great promise during the current health crisis and beyond. i www.agrojardin.com
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LARGEST ORGANIC SUPERMARKET OPENS IN MARBELLA
Green Village has launched in Marbella, becoming the largest organic supermarket in the region, with a portfolio of more than 5,000 certified products ranging from food to cosmetics, dietary supplements, baby food and household cleaning products. Around 30 per cent of its products are fruits and vegetables that come from local agriculture. The grocery offers home delivery and drive-in services. Openings in Málaga, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Estepona, Seville and Granada are already being studied. g Avda. del Prado Local 184, Marbella. Tel: 952 086 851. www.greenvillage.com
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SIERRA BLANCA ESTATES AND METROVACESA PRESENT MÁLAGA TOWERS
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The Málaga Towers promotion, comprising three towers built in the Torre del Río area, officially have their building licence and in a few years’ time, they will be helping to promote the Málaga brand at a national and international level. The building site is close to the sea, airport, and city centre. The completed towers will boast a security service, cardio-protected space, gym, spa, co-working area, pools, and more. Antonio Banderas is Málaga Towers’ brand ambassador. i www.metrovacesa.com
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MARBELLA FUTURE 2020
If you have a business in Marbella, you may wish to attend the first Marbella Future 2020 virtual conference, to be held on June 5 from 10am to 7pm. The aim is to find solutions to the many problems created by COVID-19 and different areas will be covered – including restaurants, tourism, events, concerts, law, sports, luxury, the economy, and more. The event has been organised by The American College in Spain. i Free registration (limited attendance) on www.acmarbella.es
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CUDECA WALKAHOME A HUGE SUCCESS
LIDERKIT CREATES PATENTED GERMICIDE FOR VEHICLE BODYWORK Andalusian vehicle bodywork company, Liderkit, is pleased to announce that it has patented an innovative germicide that decontaminates the interior bodywork of vehicles transporting sanitary or food products. The invention comprises a special additive with titanium dioxide and aluminium particles which help prevent COVID-19 contagion. The additive possesses self-cleaning and deodorant properties which decontaminate surfaces when exposed to ultraviolet light. i www.liderkit.com
The Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice recently held the WalkaHOME event to raise funds for people with cancer and other advanced illnesses. There were 1,140 participants on the ‘Walk’ performing different types of exercises from their homes and more than €11.000 was raised. During the event, Cudeca Hospice’s YouTube page broadcasted a host of activities including yoga, Pilates, and GAP sessions, music shows, an interview with a famous chef, and a raffle with excellent prizes donated by famous athletes and well-known companies. The walk was presented by Salva Reina and Luisa Machen. i www.cudeca.org
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FINCA CORTESIN HAS A BRAND NEW BLOG
Finca Cortesin, the magnificent resort in Casares, is proud to announce that it has launched a new blog where you can stay tuned to all the latest news and happenings – including chefs’ recipes, novelties, spa treatments, golf tips, interviews, and weekly yoga classes. You might also enjoy following Finca Cortesin on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. i www.fincacortesin.com
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‘BUY NOW, ENJOY LATER’ BY MY GUIDE
‘Buy Now, Enjoy Later’ is an excellent initiative by My Guide Network, who are encouraging users to purchase a voucher for a local business they wish to support in these tough times. “Our campaign will allow all of the users that visit our website to buy vouchers for some of their favourite local businesses. Then, from the moment the businesses re-open, and for up to 12 months from that date, they can use their vouchers as payment or part payment of their bill,” explains Fay Wallis, Managing Director of My Guide Marbella. “Payments will be made directly to the businesses with no commissions charged by My Guide Marbella. This will give local businesses the immediate funds they need at this stage to help pay their fixed costs. When elements of more normal business resume the scheme will continue to operate to facilitate advance payments.” i www.myguidemarbella.com
BOKEN: THE LITTLE DOG WITH THE BIG HEART
In Spring 2020 a friendly new canine face was launched into the children’s leisure and entertainment market worldwide. Boken is a fun-loving real-life miniature Schnauzer who lives in Spain with his mum Sara Mastriforte and dad Neil Egerton. Starting with a few videos and a couple of short books they’d written about Boken, Sara and Neil created a whole world of fun, entertainment and education centred on the escapades of their lovable pet. Aimed at children aged five to nine years old, the website has two free ebooks to download plus more stories and audiobooks, the Boken’s Buddies membership club, free games, puzzles and colouring-in pictures, fun and helpful blogs, brilliant videos, catchy songs and a Boken ringtone. There is also a range of merchandise. i www.bokenthedog.com
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AEDAS HOMES APPEAL IN THE POST-COVID WORLD QUIRÓNSALUD MARBELLA RESUMES NORMAL ACTIVITY
Quirónsalud Marbella has resumed its normal healthcare services. The beginning of this new stage is based on the continuous descending trend of Covid-19 patients requiring assistance. The Hospital currently has no patients with coronavirus in the Intensive Care Unit. Safety measures include: * A two-route system in which there are different admission routes for patients who are suspected or diagnosed with having COVID, and those who are arriving for outpatient services. * The provision of face masks to all patients arriving if they are not wearing one. * The undertaking of COVID tests on all healthcare providers so as to identify any active cases and activate control procedures asap. i www.quironsalud.es 230 / JUNE 2020 WWW.ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
Exterior spaces, great orientation, and natural light are just a few characteristics that are making AEDAS Homes more appealing than ever as the world returns to a ‘new normality’. Without a doubt, the health crisis has stressed the importance of larger spaces, terraces, and gardens, all of which are present in developments like Vanian Gardens, Soul Marbella, Middel Views, and Idilia. i See these beautiful homes for yourself at www.aedashomes.com
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SOLIDARITY SHINES IN MARBELLA AND BEYOND
Once again, companies from various industries and areas across Spain are doing their best to help others in the fight against COVID-19. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
ABAMA LUXURY RESIDENCES DONATES TO NEEDY FAMILIES
Abama Luxury Residences in Tenerife recently donated around 2,700 kilos of infant food, over 6,500 nappies, and other products of prime necessity to needy families in the GuÃa de Isora area. Elodie Casola, head of Communication and Marketing, stated that the aim was to give families affected by COVID-19 a helping hand. i Further donations will be made when school starts and in December. www.abamahotelresort.com
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ENNOMOTIVE BRINGS COMPANIES TOGETHER TO FIGHT COVID-19
Ennomotive has brought together a group of entities – Vithas and its Foundation (standardisation), McFly Technologies (industrialisation), and Lyntia (pre-seed funding) – to create AirVita: a low-cost ventilator that can play an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many other institutions have lent the team a helping hand (including Capital Energy, the Francisco de Vitoria University, and the Catholic University of Valencia). The new machine will be made in Toledo and used to stock hospitals in Spain. Given its reduced price, compact design and ease of maintenance, it will also be available to countries in an emergency situation which need it. i www.ennomotive.com
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CÁRITAS AND CALIDAD PASCUAL DONATE 140,000 MEALS TO PEOPLE IN ANDALUCÍA
Calidad Pascual and Cáritas have worked together to battle the crisis caused by the pandemic. The team has arranged almost 140,000 breakfast meals containing dairy, cereal, oil, juice, coffee products and more. This amount will feed 4,663 people for a full month. The items will go to vulnerable people such as the elderly and the homeless. i www.caritas.es
KW MARBELLA KAREN DADONN TEAM CELEBRATES RED DAY
Each year on the second Thursday of May, Keller Williams celebrates RED (Renew, Energise and Donate) Day – an annual day of service. Keller Williams associates from around the world (over 190,000 agents) take time out of their busy work schedules to give back to communities. They rebuild homes, refurbish local parks, give to local food shelters, host blood drives, beautify beaches and more. The Karen Dadonn TEAM participated in its first ever digital RED Day recently, donating food and hygiene products to the Adintre Association – a small NGO based in Fuengirola which directly helps single mothers, children, elderly people, immigrants, battered wives and people in desperate situations. i www.kwspain.es/2206-798
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the gourmet
WHIP UP A GOURMET HOME MEAL WITH RECIPES FROM TOP CHEFS, READ ABOUT THE LATEST ON THE GOURMET SCENE, AND SAVOUR A GLASS OF HOWARD’S FOLLY – A BOUTIQUE WINE ESTABLISHED IN PORTUGAL IN 2002.
GO TO PAGE 236 FOR ONLINE RECIPES BY TOP CHEFS
GO TO PAGE 256 HOWARD’S FOLLY WINE FROM PORTUGAL
GO TO PAGE 246 GOURMET BYTES GO TO PAGE 246 GOURMET BYTES
NEWS GASTRONOMY CHEFS WINE
236 Top Online Chefs’ Recipes 246 Gourmet Bytes 256 Howard’s Folly Wine from Portugal
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TOP YOUTUBE
CHEFS
Once again, top chefs from across the globe are enticing us with mouthwatering creations that make us feel like getting into the kitchen and impressing our family with a gourmet meal. Check out a few top channels below. COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
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RACHEL AMA
Plant-based foods have become a major thing thanks to documentaries such as Netflix’s The Game Changers, which shows how Olympic-level athletes have achieved great things by going vegan. Rachel Ama is an author and cook who whips up vegan comfort food – the kind that makes it easy to forego meat dishes. Learn how to make a mean apple cake, whip up a Caribbean feast, or surprise your partner with a flavour-packed beefless stew!
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LAURA VITALE
Laura Vitale has had her Ăźber-popular YouTube channel since 2010 and she has over one thousand recipes that are easy and appealing to diners of all ages. Laura was born in Italy, moving to the U.S. when she was 12 and working with her father (renowned Chef, Salvatore Pietrangeli) in their family restaurant chain in New Jersey. As you can imagine, Laura is particularly adept at Italian dishes, but she also makes a host of international treats like breakfast tacos, chicken kebabs and yellow rice, as well as Basque burnt cheesecake.
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The Marbella Club will reopen starting 2nd of July. And if you can’t wait until then, MC Beach will open exclusively for lunch starting 18th of June. We have come together to ensure that what has enamoured our guests throughout the years – a genuinely warm and authentic Andalusian travel experience – remains unchanged. Visit marbellaclub.com to see our health and safety policy and available services.
Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa · Telephone (34) 952 822 211 marbellaclub.com
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TIMOTHY HOLLINGSWORTH
Timothy Hollingsworth is a prestigious Los Angeles-based Chef who never really had much time for YouTube, until COVID-19 turned our lives upside-down. He honed his craft for many years at The French Laundry (with Thomas Keller), eventually opening his own restaurant (Otium) to rave reviews. His channel, Hollingsworth House, was started just one month ago. Videos feature the Chef and his children making simple dishes like stuffed cabbage rolls, biscuits and gravy, and mac & cheese from scratch.
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SANJAY THUMMA
Sanjay Thumma’s channel VahchefVahRehVah has almost 2M subscribers and it’s easy to see why. Apart from the fact that Indian food is loved by millions of people in the world, Chef Sanjay makes it all look so easy. Make an authentic breakfast biryani, spice up your life with a ghee roast chicken with chili garlic, and delight in the creaminess of a fragrant, vivid paneer butter masala.
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JORDI CRUZ The proprietor of restaurants boasting a total of five Michelin stars in Barcelona, Jordi Cruz is also a huge celebrity in Spain, since he is a judge on MasterChef Spain. He has been very busy while on lockdown, uploading a new recipe every couple of days. He is as ace at desserts as he is at savoury meals so if you have a sweet tooth in the family, why not enlist their help to make a lemon tart, carrot cake, or crĂŠme tarte with strawberries and roses? We promise the recipes are simple and made with easily accessible ingredients. e
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WELCOME BACK TO THE
RESTAURANT SCENE
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RESTAURANTS ACROSS THE COAST ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE EASING OF CONFINEMENT AND THEIR ENTHUSIASM IS MATCHED BY EAGER RESIDENTS, MANY OF WHOM WOULD SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THEY MISSED MOST DURING CONFINEMENT WAS HAVING AN ICE-COLD BEER ON A SUNNY TERRACE AT THEIR FAVOURITE BAR! COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS
T
he ease-down commenced in Phase One with the opening of 50 per cent of terraced dining spaces and each phase of the lockdown exit strategy is expected to last around two weeks so look out for new developments. In Phase Two, the major change will be that indoor dining will be permitted, although specific distances will still have to be maintained. Diners will have to be seated; that is, they will not be permitted to stand by the bar. Common areas in hotels will be allowed to open, though restaurants and cafés in these establishments need to respect the same regulations imposed for all restaurants.
In Phase Three, people will be allowed to order and enjoy food at the bar. Discos and nightclubs will also open (with a limited capacity). Capacity restrictions at restaurants will be loosened though minimum distances will need to be strictly maintained. We have not provided precise dates because these will change, although we are expected to enter Phase Two by early June and Phase Three two weeks later if all goes according to plan. Below you will find exciting news from clients and friends, some of whose establishments have decided to open while others offer takeaway and delivery services.
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ORIGEN ASADOR ARGENTINA AND HACIENDA PATAGONICA TAPAS GRILL REOPEN Origen Asador Argentina and Hacienda Patagonica Tapas Grill are pleased to announce that they are once again open to the public. Both restaurants are Argentinian-owned, so expect amazing meat dishes and fantastic wine to accompany your feast. Both restaurants will
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additionally be offering takeaway and delivery services. The latter will be available through the GLOVO app. A special DELIVERY menu has been created, so you can choose from a wide array of items that travel well. i www.origenasador.com www.haciendapatagonica.com
TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY
BY DÖSS MARBELLA
If freshly prepared sushi and a fine bottle of wine appeal, give the team at Döss Marbella a call, as they are offering takeaway and delivery services. Tuck into a vegetarian roll, crab and cucumber roll, salmon and mango roll and more. Just check out the menus online and have your order delivered or collect it at Da Bruno Cabopino. i www.dossmarbella.com
DA BRUNO REOPENS Famed Italian cuisine group, Da Bruno, has announced that all of its restaurants – Da Bruno a Casa, Da Bruno Sul Mare, Da Bruno a Cabopino, and Da Bruno San Pedro have reopened. The legendary and spacious terraces of all these establishments will be open. i www.dabruno.com
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LLENA TU MESA
PROMOTES ANDALUSIAN FOOD PRODUCTS The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Development has launched a new campaign called Llena tu mesa de Andalucía, employing the hashtag #ConsumeAndalucía. The aim is to increase awareness of the role that everyday Andalusians can play in helping the food sector thrive. Big celebrities have backed this initiative – including singers Pastora Soler and Manuel Carrasco, and football player Joaquín. i www.juntadeandalucia.es
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MAGNA CAFÉ REOPENS
Magna Café Restaurant is pleased to have opened its doors once again. The restaurant has a plethora of dining spaces, including a spacious outdoor terrace with views to the golf course, as well as a private Andalusian patio, and an area for special tables. The ample amount of outdoor space makes Magna Café the perfect spot to enjoy a great meal in the company of friends and loved ones. In previous weeks, the venue has availed of the break by undertaking a host of maintenance works – including painting the exterior, applying new asphalt to access areas, and installing new garden baskets. In the near future, the restaurant will be launching Magna Gourmet – featuring a wine store, pastry shop, deli items, and a kitchen where cooking courses will be held. Magna Café will also be offering a takeaway service for those who wish to dine at home. i www.magnaspain.com
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XANTY ELÍAS GROUP
TAKES ON WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN CHALLENGE
Xanty Elías, the renowned Chef of Huelva restaurant, Acánthum, is pleased to announce that his group has accepted the offer to work alongside José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen – an organisation that has helped feed countless people during numerous crises – including the current COVID-19 pandemic. Acánthum reacted quickly to the call to help, transforming from a Michelin-starred venue into an emergency food establishment. i www.acanthum.com
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NEW MENUPOP
CREATED TO AID THE RESTAURANT SECTOR Málaga-based company Buenos Codigos and Joaquín Santiago have launched a new platform in which the hospitality sector will find a global response to all the requirements established regarding Phase One of deescalation in Málaga and the consequent reopening of terraces. The MENUPOP app not only allows each restaurant to have its menus in digital format, but also invites customers to order their food via a fully digitalised system that goes directly to the assigned waiter and kitchen (via QR code). You can additionally call your waiter, ask for the bill, or make your payment through the app. i www.menupop.es
LIVE UNFILTERED SESSIONS WITH CHEF JUANJO LÓPEZ BY EL ÁGUILA BEER
El Águila Beer will be featuring a host of live chats with renowned persons from the beer and gastronomy sector via IG Live. The first event featured Chef Juanjo López of La Tasquita de Enfrente. Chats last around 30 minutes and cover a host of interesting topics and anecdotes. i Check out all the talks on the Instagram channel @cervezaelaguila
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GONZÁLEZ BYASS LAUNCHES TÍO PEPE EN RAMA 2020 TO HELP THE FOOD SECTOR
González Byass is donating all proceeds from the sale of Tío Pepe en Rama bottles to the hospitality sector. Antonio Flores, oenologist and master blender of González Byass Jerez, told the press, “This is one of the most spectacular editions of Tío Pepe en Rama that I have had the fortune of selecting.” The wine is inspired on the Fino that was once consumed directly from traditional wineskins. i www.gonzalezbyass.es
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#FUERZABAR MOVEMENT BRINGS
21 MILLION PRODUCTS TO BARS AND RESTAURANTS Guinness, Paulaner, Codorníu, Angulas Aguinaga and other companies joined forces to lend a hand to the collaborative platform created by Cruzcampo, Amstel and Heineken, to aid the restaurant industry. The movement has donated over 21.2 million items to bars and restaurants so they can open during Phase One of Spain’s lockdown exit strategy. Until September, you too can take part by buying items. Simply indicate the bar you wish to help; the site will send you a QR code which you can use at your favourite establishment. i www.fuerzabar.es
MARBELLA BLUSH ROSÉ LAUNCH Bodegas Málaga Virgen has launched a brand new blush rosé wine, ideal for leaving behind the tough times experienced over the past couple of months. You can enjoy this lovely Marbella Blush at beach clubs like Trocadero and NAÔ Pool Club this summer. The bodega has a 135-year history and is reputed internationally for its elaboration methods and its sweet wines with the Málaga D.O. Just a few wines this family is known for are Málaga Virgen, Sol de Málaga, Tres Leones, and Trajinero. i www.bodegasmalagavirgen.com
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HOWARD’S FOLLY AN EXERCISE IN EXCELLENCE It’s probably true to say there are not many Portuguese wines which can compare favourably with some of the best Spanish classics but one winemaker that would make a good showing in such a challenge is Howard’s Folly, a multi-award winning Portuguese winery. WORDS IAIN BLACKWELL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HOWARD’S FOLLY
The vineyard in Portalegre, Alentejo
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Howard Bilton with David Baverstock
THE WINERY
Founded in 2002, when Howard Bilton, a Hong Kong based entrepreneur and wine aficionado originally from Yorkshire, combined forces with David Baverstock, an Australian pioneer of modern winemaking who has revolutionised wine in Portugal by bringing the new world science to the old world wine industry. David is the only non-Portuguese national who has been awarded Winemaker of the Year, on three occasions, and he was recently created a Comendador (a style of knighthood) for his services to the agricultural industry. Howard, meanwhile, always had a soft spot for Portuguese wines and particularly those from the Alentejo region, and Howard’s Folly is the realisation of a long-cherished dream, with the main vineyard located in Portalegre in the heart of the Alentejo landscape. From here, several varietals are
gathered and blended with grapes from local farmers to produce their alluring wines, most of this being accomplished at a state-of-the-art urban winery at Estremoz, a facility that is open to visitors for tours and tastings, with a wine shop and fine dining restaurant.
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE
The wine production is carried out in smaller vats which enhances the expression of fruit in the fermentation and allows for the creation of premium wines resulting from the separation and careful blending of different batches. Most of the red wine for sale to the public is of older vintages and can also be procured in magnum bottles. Even the whites are mature, with those currently available ranging from 2013 to 2018, including a very palatable Alvarinho which is made in the north west of the country.
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IMPRESSIVE WINES
The wines currently on offer online have very impressive credentials. Firstly the 2015 Sonhador Tinto is rated 93/100 by internationally acclaimed wine critic, James Suckling, who describes it thus: “Very powerful and fruity, yet plenty of tannins and spice with slate undertones frame the wine very well, giving it focus and intensity. This is punchy and rich, but turns dry and beautiful.” The same critic gives an identical scoring to the 2018 Sonhador Branco, for which wine writer Matthew Jukes comments, “This is one of the most involving and complex Portuguese whites I’ve tasted in years. Coming from the Portalegre region, where cooler temperatures and old vines make this a hedonistic treat, this is a main course white with a magical perfume.” Moving on to the maturer reds, the 2013 Winemaker’s Choice has a 91/100 rating by Mark Squires of Robert Parker, who stated, “This is pretty terrific and very reasonably priced for a late release,” meanwhile the powerhouse of the range, the 2015 Reserva has an impressive 92 scoring from the same critic, who describes it: “This is tight, crisp and powerful, with mid-palette finesse and refinement. The silky texture makes it sensual and gives it a bit of a Burgundian feel.”
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The interior of the winery with a mural by a local artist
SUPPORTING CHARITY
Howard’s Folly has long been committed to supporting charitable endeavours is also passionate about art, being a patron of the Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) which offers art prizes to raise funds for underprivileged children, and there is a close association with the striking labels which adorn the bottles, some of which have been designed by winners of the SAF prize in the year the wine was bottled, while others display engaging works from world famous artists.
RAISE A GLASS FOR CRUZ ROJA
Those interested in trying these excellent wines can order cases of 6 bottles, which can also be mixed, with delivery only taking a few days to reach the Spanish mainland. Most people,
having tried the wines, will wish to reorder their particular favourites – for me, this is the velvety smooth 2015 Sonhador Tinto. g In a special promotion with
Magazine, 30% of any order you confirm will be donated to the Spanish Cruz Roja. The prices for cases of 6 bottles are as follows: 2018 Sonhador Branco – €96 2015 Sonhador Tinto – €96 2013 Winemaker’s Choice – €144 2015 Reserva – €240 To enjoy excellent wine and support a worthwhile cause, please confirm your order to info@essentialmagazine.com
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RUSSELL GRANT’S
Monthly Horoscopes June 2020
www.russellgrant.com
ARIES
It will be difficult to understand a loved one’s motives on the 3rd; don’t pretend you have got a handle on their feelings on any subject. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th brings disappointing news about an official matter. Instead of vowing revenge, accept the situation gracefully and start a fresh chapter. Postpone signing a contract or entering an agreement on the 6th, as there may be hidden clauses that undermine your interests. Some special news is just what the doctor ordered on the 13th and it could be the impetus you need to turn your
TAURUS
thoughts to more spiritual and esoteric influences. A hidden benefactor will recommend you for a high-powered job on the 20th; this proves how important it is to be kind to everyone you meet at every juncture of life. On the 21st, a Solar Eclipse will bring an excellent real estate opportunity. Alternatively, you might welcome a new member to your household. Your charisma skyrockets on the 28th; use it to your advantage.
Throwing money at a problem at the start of June won’t make it go away. You’ll have to lay your cards firmly on the table and work out a solution with someone who sits at the heart of the issue The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th brings an end to a challenging role. You’ll be glad to move on to greener pastures, even if you’re unsure about what the future holds. Unfortunately, a friend will fail to live up to a promise on the 11th, causing you to question their loyalty. You may decide to rethink your plans for the future on the 18th, making more time for the people and home-based activities you love. On the 21st, the Solar Eclipse brings a cherished dream within reach; you’ll have a chance to strike out in an exciting new direction. More money for luxuries will become available on the 25th, much to your delight. Make the most of a rare opportunity to effect some big changes as June makes way for July.
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CANCER
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE ON THE 21ST WILL PROMPT YOU TO UNDERGO A DRAMATIC STYLE MAKEOVER. CHANGING YOUR LOOK WILL GIVE YOU A BIG BOOST.
GEMINI Charm won’t get you anywhere with an employer as May makes way for June. Instead of trying to obtain special favours, work hard and do what’s expected of you. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th brings an end to a troubled relationship. You are no longer interested in staying on this particular emotional rollercoaster. No matter how hard you work, your efforts won’t be appreciated in the days surrounding the 6th. Pursuing a cultural project in the arts would be worth considering on the 13th. A payment could be unexpectedly delayed on the 18th, prompting you to rethink your budget. On the 21st, a Solar Eclipse will attract an exciting moneymaking opportunity. Working for a large organisation like a hospital, local or national government agency will radically improve your income. The 23rd invites you to get the training you need to excel in your chosen field. Follow through with a self-improvement programme on the 25th and you’ll be delighted with the results.
CANCER
You feel insulted when someone doesn’t take you seriously on the 3rd. Could this be a sign of deeper problems in your relationship? On the 5th, a Lunar Eclipse prompts you to draw a line under a troubled situation. You will not compromise your health just for the sake of a quiet life. Postponing a trip that’s scheduled for the 6th will be a wise decision, even if it has already been taken out of your hands. There will be better opportunities to get away in the not too distant future. Submitting your work for publication or academic review is strongly suggested for the 13th, when you’re sure to get an enthusiastic reception. It will be necessary to revise something you’ve said on social media on the 18th; offer a sincere apology to anyone you have hurt or misled. The Solar Eclipse on the 21st will prompt you to undergo a dramatic style makeover. Changing your look will give you a big boost. Joining forces with an encouraging, enthusiastic partner on the 30th will improve both your personal and professional lives.
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LEO
Neither a lender nor a borrower be in early June; mixing friendship and finance always seems to lead to trouble. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th could put an unsatisfying end to a romance. Financial strain has made it impossible to continue with this relationship. Beware of getting romantically involved with a friend on the 6th; it’s best to keep this relationship platonic. Money from an investment, refund or legal settlement could be coming your way around
the 13th, but you might have to hire a lawyer to finally get your hands on the cash. Finding a quiet corner on the 20th will give you a chance to recover from all the emotional excitement that has been swirling around you. An opportunity to work from home will come your way on the 21st and you’ll welcome the chance to escape workplace plots and politics. Go along with an impulse to enter a contest or competition on the 28th; you just might win the top prize.
VIRGO Whether due to current events, or your business or romantic partner, you will be discouraged from taking a new career path at the start of the month. You must follow your natural insights and instincts in this matter. On the 5th, a Lunar Eclipse will prompt you to break away from an oppressive domestic situation. Finding your own place is a distinct possibility, but it may have to wait until later in the year. An old friend will come back into your life on the 18th, providing the tender loving care you feel you need. Learning to love yourself unconditionally will pave the way to a happier, healthier life on the 20th. The Solar Eclipse on the 21st helps you to realise a childhood dream; this is your chance to revisit an old interest or pastime and rekindle the pleasure it once gave you. Moments of reflection will cause you to revise some opinions about love on the 23rd. It’s time to adopt a more realistic view of relationships. Going after your heart’s desire is strongly advised as July comes into sight; postponing your plans for the sake of others is no longer working.
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SCORPIO A RIGOROUS FITNESS ROUTINE STARTED AT THE END OF THE MONTH WILL BRING GRATIFYING RESULTS.
LIBRA Don’t pretend to have the necessary expertise or experience for an important position or community role on the 3rd. It will be better in the long run to admit you don’t know everything and ask for training. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th brings sobering news about joint finances, leading you to rein in your spending and put more money into savings. A troubled romance could fall apart at the seams on the 11th; it’s time to adopt a more realistic view of love. Be willing to restructure a work project in the middle of June. Your efforts to satisfy a demanding client will be appreciated by your employer. On the 21st, a Solar Eclipse brings an exciting career opportunity. You could be offered a promotion or an entirely new role in recognition of your creative talent. You will be starting to think again about a postponed trip towards the end of the month; you’ll welcome the chance to explore a country famous for its cultural and historic attractions but it may be next year before you can dust off your passport. Let an online admirer open their heart to you, but be careful not to take them too seriously at the end of June.
SCORPIO If you want to enjoy a more passionpacked love life in June, move closer to your beloved and show how interested and involved you are in your amour’s hopes, dreams and desires. The physical connection you want will flow naturally from a stronger emotional bond. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th could see an end to an income stream and it may be necessary to finally cancel holiday plans while you look for another job. Selling your handiwork for a handsome profit is a distinct possibility on the 13th; going
into business for yourself will be preferable to working for somebody else. A chance to study abroad could be offered to you on the 21st, courtesy of a supportive Solar Eclipse but it may be some time before you can make the most of this opportunity. You’ll enjoy working with innovative and unorthodox people. A rigorous fitness routine started at the end of the month will bring gratifying results. Positive feedback on your efforts gives you the courage to undergo a radical transformation on the 30th.
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SAGITTARIUS It’s time to set some healthy boundaries with family on the 3rd and stop letting them interfere with your life. We all need some time to be alone with our thoughts, but present circumstances have made this almost impossible. On the 5th, the Lunar Eclipse will see you putting an end to a belief or practice that was imposed on you during childhood. Don’t feel guilty about cultivating your own philosophy, even if it’s different from the one with which you were raised. You may be forced to choose between a friend and a relative on the 11th; it’s better to side with the person who is kind
and generous. More money for a few of life’s little luxuries will arrive on the 20th; this is a great time to satisfy your sensual side with some extravagant online purchases. The Solar Eclipse on the 21st marks a passionate encounter with an adoring partner. Are you single? You’ll meet someone special through work. Clearing your home of clutter will be a relief at the end of June. Divide unwanted things into three piles: sell, donate and discard and swing into action.
CAPRICORN
No matter how hard you try to be pleasant to someone you’ll have a hard time connecting with them at the start of June You are dealing with a pessimistic personality who is determined to be miserable so try not to let them get to you. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th brings upsetting secrets to light. You may decide to cut ties with a deceptive neighbour or relative after this information becomes common knowledge. It’s important to see the writing on the wall where work is concerned near the 6th; it wouldn’t hurt to look for another position. The terms of a contract will be revised on the 18th, prompting you to check out just how green the grass is on the other side of the fence. You’ll be able to forge a much better deal on or around the 20th if you put your negotiation skills to work. The Solar Eclipse on the 21st brings exciting news from your best friend or romantic partner. Special developments towards the end of June mean a change of plans or tactics that will need some careful thought.
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PISCES
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE TOWARDS THE END OF JUNE WILL BRING NEWS OF AN ENGAGEMENT, MARRIAGE OR PREGNANCY.
AQUARIUS
Trying to buy someone’s love and affection could backfire badly in early June. You deserve a partner who loves you for who you are, not for what you can buy. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th marks the end of a troubled friendship. You’re tired of being forced to walk on eggshells for this hypersensitive person. Try not to be angry at someone who offers constructive criticism on the 6th; they truly have your best interests at heart. It may be necessary to revise a work project on the 18th; try your best to accommodate a good customer. Being employed in a hospital or government agency could be an ideal role for you and you would be very happy working in such an environment. On the 21st, the Solar Eclipse prompts you to start a health enhancing regimen. This programme will make you feel better, both physically and emotionally. If you wish, you can negotiate an arrangement that allows you to make changes to your daily routine at the end of the month.
Beware of pushing a relative into an unwanted or unnecessary decision on the 3rd; it’s better to respect their feelings and give them the space they need to think things through. On the 5th, a Lunar Eclipse will bring disappointing news for those studying and preparing for papers and tests as there is nothing you can do about this. Try to put a positive spin on events and keep working for when things get back to normal, which they will. Your nearest and dearest may disapprove of a plan or decision prompting you to reconsider
PISCES
on the 6th; it’s time to establish some healthier boundaries between you and your loved ones. Don’t pick a family fight on the 11th. You’ll never win someone round to your point of view, so it’s best to avoid a sensitive subject altogether. Putting a creative plan into motion is strongly advised on the 13th. Promoting a friend’s business on the 20th will have unexpected rewards. Spread the word about their excellent service and products. The Solar Eclipse towards the end of June will bring news of an engagement, marriage or pregnancy. e
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RECEIVE essential marbella magazine AT HOME THIS SUMMER
Would you like to receive your own personal copy of essential magazine this summer – directly to your postal address? We will send you copies of our printed editions for July, August & September for a single payment of ₏18*. Please confirm your order with your postal address to the email below and we will forward payment details. info@essentialmagazine.com *This amount covers the postage of three editions to an address on the Spanish mainland. We will send a quote for your address outside this area.
