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Number 26 • Autumn 2005 Spanish lifestyle magazine for members of the Solbank Prestige Club Price 3 € On Guard An Interview with Arturo Pérez Reverte The Rome of Spain A visit to Tarragona On the Catwalk A look at Spanish fashion Autumn 2005 02 LETTER FROM THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER Jaume Puig Balsells 02 SOLBANK NEWS Recent developments and an update from Spain’s leading bank on the coast 06 YOUR MONEY Financial advice from Solbank’s experts 08 YOUR MARKETS An inside look at the financial markets 10 THE BENEFITS OF RESIDENCY David Searl takes a look at the advantages of becoming a resident 0612 ON GUARD 30 An Interview with novelist Arturo Pérez Reverte 18 THE ROME OF SPAIN A visit to the city of Tarragona 24 SPANISH FASHION HEATS UP THE CATWALK A look at some top Spanish fashion designers 30 TOURING THE FRYING PAN A driving tour of the Frying Pan in Andalusia 34 SPAIN’S HIDDEN TREASURES Hotel Villa La Argentina 36 A CITY ROUND 12 Destination Golf: Barcelona 34 38 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Top Spanish Food Author Janet Mendel 40 A DAY IN OUR LIVES A personal look at the Solbank team 42 FOOD AND DRINK Edward Owen’s restaurant and wine guide 44 YOUR HEALTH The importance of sleep 46 LOCAL NEWS What’s on and what’s up on the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Balearic Islands, the Costa Brava and the Canary Islands 18 51 READERS’ PAGE 36 Prestige Club readers’ space to voice opinions and to share tips and other information 52 I’M GLAD YOU ASKED David Searl answers readers’ letters Solbank Prestige Club Magazine DIrector: Alex Clayton. Edited: Tune In Magazine S.L. Editor: Guy Fiorita. Consultant: Edward Owen. Art Director: Javier López. Writers: David Baird, Sarah Andrews, Edward Owen, David Searl, Dee McMath, Peter Bott, Maribel Sellares, Arantxa Cases, Steven Guest, Matthew Arribas, Sam Aly. Photographers: Cover Photo: Julio González, Others: Jon Barandica, J.D. Dallet, Solbank Images, Edward Owen, Nature & Travel, Tenerife News, Solbank Images. All correspondence concerning Solbank Prestige Club Magazine should be sent to: Solbank Prestige Club Magazine, Calle Molino, 5. 28690 Brunete (Madrid). Spain. Tel: + 34 91 816 43 29. E-mail: [email protected] Print and Pre-Press: S.A. de Litografia. Depósito Legal: GU-286/1999. Solbank Prestige Club Magazine is published quarterly and is distributed free to Solbank customers. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Solbank S.A. or Solbank Prestige Club Magazine, nor does the inclusion of any advertisement mean that the publisher endorses the company concerned or its products. No part of this magazine including texts, photographs and graphics may be reproduced in any way without prior 24 written consent of Solbank. We welcome comments and views about this or any other issue of Solbank Prestige Club. 44 Banco de Sabadell S.A. Solbank is registered Trade Mark of Banco de Sabadell S.A. 02 SOLBANK NEWS Homes and Gardens Don’t miss the Homes & Gardens Show! The D. Jaume Puig Balsells biggest homes, gardens & lifestyle exhibition Deputy General Manager ever to take place on the Costa del Sol is com- Banco Sabadell Dear Reader, ing to Málaga! This will be the first exhibition on the coast where you can find everything you As summer comes to an end it is with great pleasure that I once again could possibly need for your Spanish home. address you on this page of Prestige Club Magazine. From hammocks to houses, affordable art to aromatherapy, house and garden furniture, While many things slow down during the summer months in Spain, we designer kitchens to luxury bathrooms, this here at Solbank have been busier than ever. Getting everything ready for show has it all! The exhibition will have hun- the launch of the new Solbank Higher Sterling Account has taken a lot dreds of exhibitors all there to offer advice and of our time. This new account has already generated immense interest help you to create your ultimate dream home. and participation is proving way beyond our projections. Everything you could possible need, all under one roof and even Sunday shopping! Come and The Solbank Higher Sterling Account represents our firm and continual meet the coast’s top providers of luxurious fab- commitment to offer you products that cover whatever banking needs rics, soft furnishings, curtains and blinds, you may have here in Spain. For those of you who want to keep your elaborate iron decoration, wide varieties of money in Sterling, this new account is definitely something I would rec- floor coverings, decking, spectacular lighting, ommend. Now, you can keep your money in Sterling and get a high rate stylish and contemporary outdoor kitchens of interest to boot! Find out more in the article in Your Money by Maribel and barbeques, and every conceivable acces- Sellares or from your local branch or through www.solbank.com. sory for the home. Want to know how to put it all together? We’ll even have highly experi- Of course, we have also been busy preparing yet another edition of enced top builders and technicians there to Prestige Club Magazine for you and this issue of Prestige magazine offer practical and realistic advice! offers plenty to keep the summer sun shining in your life. We take a What’s more you can get free expert advice in look at how Spanish fashion designers are heating up the catwalks and our interior design clinics, be astounded by I am especially proud to offer an interview with novelist Arturo Pérez the Andalucia’s best chef’s cooking up a storm Reverte, author of the famous Captain Alatriste series. in the celebrity kitchen and be pampered in the indulgence zone. All of us who have spent time in Spain know that the change of season Stunning show features include a spectacular here does not mean the same thing as it does in many of our home show home, beautiful show gardens, the best countries. The shift from summer to autumn is not as traumatic as it is home entertainment and home cinema sys- in a more northern country. Even so the end of summer does signal the tems, inspirational room sets and at last, you end of lounging on the beach and late evening dining under the stars. can discover original art at affordable prices! This, however, does not mean we can’t get out and enjoy the country. In this issue David Baird takes us on a drive through Andalusia’s Frying Dates: 30 September, 1 and 2 October Pan and we plan a round or two of golf in Barcelona. We also visit Place: Malaga Trade and Conference Centre Tarragona, often called The Rome of Spain and spend a night at a hid- Palacio de Congresos y Feria Málaga den treasure in a small town on the northern coast. Finally I would like to point your attention to the Readers’ Page where in this edition we use the space to publish some of the entries to our first ever photographic competition. I am sure you’ll agree we have some talented people among our readers. I hope you enjoy this issue of Prestige Club Magazine and look forward to addressing you again in our next issue. 03 SOLBANK NEWS Back on Tour Social and cultural Although it seems like only yesterday we tournament held (18 June) on the 6,028- commitment started the Solbank Golf Tour, we are meter Golf Club La Sella course near now in our fifth year. The continued sup- Denia in the Costa Blanca. An amazing port and the sheer number of partici- turnout of 150 participants struggled it pants in these tournaments is sure proof out on the course under a gruelling the success and reputation we have summer sun. Others showed up to enjoy gained over this time. the “Fiesta de Golf” which consists of a In 2005, the Solbank Tour will consist of number of fun contests on the putting four tournaments, with three taking green, the driving range etc. For us, these are not only words. On Wednesday, 20 July, we had the pleasure to support the Golf Cancer Charity Day, which attracted more than 100 partici- pants to the Golf Bonalba Club at Muchamiel. With the aim of raising funds for the Asociación Española Contra el Cancer (Spanish Association against Cancer), the tourney was organised by the Costa Blanca Golf Society, an associ- ation of 63 British golfers, the majority of them living at the Costa Blanca. Under the presidency of Manolo de Garay the society arranges weekly competitions all over the Costa Blanca. As always, the Cancer Charity Day was a great success, with 2,662 euros collected. And on 26 June, Solbank sponsored a piano concert on the beautiful Canary Island of La Palma. The nearly 60 assis- tants not only enjoyed great music per- formed by Yukiko Akagi, graduate of the place in Andalusia and one in the Costa Both tournaments were individual Manhattan School of Music, but also Blanca. The first of the two tournaments Stableford contests with three male and the great atmosphere of the Hacienda before the summer break took place on one female category. Prizes where Tacande, a typical Canary Finca in the 28 May in the San Roque Golf Course, handed out by Aleix Masachs, Solbank middle of pure nature. Works from Bach, between Jerez de la Frontera and Business Manager, and the respective Beethoven, Albéniz, Chopin, Debussy Marbella, where the famous mild cli- area office managers Feliciano Naranjo and Liszt made up the programme of this mate made for a great day of golf.