Mine host BigM and the cheerleaders

Australia makes a long-awaited return to the Fuengirola fairground as the popular Feria Internacional de los Pueblos opens on Saturday 28 April (continuing until Tuesday 1 May).

This fun-filled melting pot of 30 countries’ culture and cuisine, now in its 18th year, attracts between 500,000 and one million visitors over the four days. Australia is one of four new countries (not present last year) with a caseta in 2012 – together with Finland, Romania, France and Italy.

Rev Richard John

As always, one of the most popular venues (apart from the Brazilian!) will be the US caseta run by Costa del Disco, featuring live music (blues, C&W, rock and traditional American pop), cheerleader displays, line dancing performances and a repeat of the Superbowl, and Madonna’s half-time show, on a giant screen.

Sideshows and competitions have been organised for the younger revellers while their parents enjoy classic American food and drinks, and the caseta will also be adorned with traditional memorabilia and some “Hogs” outside, thanks to the presence of the Fuengirola Harley Davidson Club.

Two hundred guests invited by C. De Salamanca general manager Gabriel Ruíz and product manager Carlos López and Ferrari’s southern European sales manager Tito Arias were able to admire the world’s first mid-rear-engined berlinetta equipped with a retractable hard-top.

Powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8, which was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year for its engineering excellence, the 458 Spider was built entirely in aluminium. Its hard-top solution offers various advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a 25-kilogram reduction in weight and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. The small space needed to house the roof also enabled the designers to include a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

A new exhibition at Málaga’s Museo Picasso highlights the intense interest shown by photographers of the time in the Málaga-born artist’s work and life. Titled “MemyselfandI: Photographic Portraits of Picasso”, the collection has been jointly brought together by Museo Picasso Málaga and Museum Ludwig (Cologne) and features 166 shots by 34 photographers. It covers a period that began in the early 20th century – the bohemian years in Paris — with pictures showing “a playful Picasso, surrounded by friends and acquaintances”, mostly taken by

his artist friends. In his later years, as famous artists were given access to portray him, the settings became “rather more rigid and controlled”. A book published to coincide with the exhibition explains that, in response to the growing interest in his person, Picasso turned himself into a director, set designer, props master and performer in his photos. “They were the

forerunners of the media events staged by Andy Warhol.”

Paradisiacal Landscapes

Jan Brueghel: The Garden of Eden (1610-1612)

Fritz Bamberger: Beach at Estepona with a View of the Rock Gibraltar (1855)

Members of the foreign press on the Costa del Sol were invited to a special viewing at the Museo Carmen Thyssen in Málaga as part of an ongoing initiative by the art museum to strengthen ties with international groups living on the Coast.

Artistic director Lourdes Moreno and managing director Javier Ferrer informed the visiting media representatives about the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and the museum’s permanent collection, as well as future educational projects, the “Friends of the Museum” programme and the forthcoming temporary exhibition opening on 31 March and running until 7 October: Paradises and Landscapes in the Carmen Thyssen Collection – From Brueghel to Gauguin.

Controversial Perceptions

Copyright: Robert Mckeever Gagosian Gallery – courtesy of the artist and Gagosian Gallery

Work by one of the “most closely-watched artists on the international contemporary art scene”, Richard Prince, is on show at the Museo Picasso Málaga from 27 February until 27 May. The world premiere exhibition comprises 38 large-format paintings and 51 small-format collages and photo-collages created by the US artist over the last two years. Also on display are 26 graphite drawings and watercolours from the 1970s, and one pencil drawing on paper from the same period.

Waggy Tails

The Great Estepona Dog Show, organised by local charity ADANA to raise funds for the care of abandoned dogs in the area, will be held on 3 June at the Palacio de Congresos. This year’s show, a fun event for all the family, includes two new classes (best pedigree and best Spanish breed), while continuing with the popular agility and obedience classes. Prizes will also be awarded to “the dog with the waggiest tail” and “the dog who looks most like his/her owner”, as well as best veteran, best puppy and best junior dog handler.

More information from Josephine Melville: josiemelville2@gmail.com

Artistic Photography

Photographers Phil Magee and Gordon Haslett will be showing their work at the AIA exhibition at the Antequera Hospital (C/ Poeta Muñoz Rojas) from 16 January to 15 April.

More information at: aia-artgroup.com

IN AN INNOVATIVE twist on the traditional “Week of…” gastronomic extravaganzas, Barceló Málaga Hotel is offering diners a fusion of art and cuisine from 31 October to 5 November.

David Sanmartín, chef of the hotel’s award-winning El Andén restaurant, has used works of art on display at the Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga as the inspiration for a week-long “From Canvas to Plate” menu.

Contemplating a painting and savouring a dish of food have a common exponent, he explains. “They are both experiences for the senses, with personal sensitivities playing a a key role.”

The first “brushstroke” is ajoblanco, a traditional Andalucian cold soup served with grapes, inspired by “La fuente de Reding”, an oil painting by Guillermo Gómez Gil.

The next aperitif is a mini-hamburger of oxtail, alluding to “Picador herido” by Marià Fortuny i Marsal; followed by a salad consisting of purple-coloured potatoes, bacalao (cod) petals, spring onion and elderberry flowers, and imitating the colour palette and geometric shapes of Juan Gris’s “Mujer sentada”.

The natural colours featured in Claude Monet’s “La maison vue du jardin aux roses” inspired a deer steak dish accompanied by green mustard and rose petals.

Finally, for dessert, Sanmartín took inspiration from Henri Matisse’s  “La Conversation sous les oliviers”, to create a colourful dish of chocolate flakes, pistachio and lemon mousse.

The menu costs €35 (including wine) and is available for hotel clients as well as members of the public. The wine served at a special presentation lunch for the media was Codorniu 1551, Solear sherry and Enate red from Somontano.

SPAIN’S PREMIER food channel has joined Málaga restaurant La Reserva del Pastor to create the first Bar Canal Cocina in Andalucía.

Launched in Madrid last year with the slogan, “Unidos por una misma pasión: la comida” (“United with the same passion: food”), the initiative will be presented in other Spanish cities after concluding in Málaga on 30 November.

Thursday is the key day for Bar Canal Cocina, with “multiple surprises” and gifts for clients visiting the restaurant (in C/ Sánchez Pastor), as well as a free tapa courtesy of Canal Cocina. Various other activities are featured on the website CanalCocina.es, including a competition offering dinner prizes.

The only channel in Spain specialising in gastronomy, Canal Cocina is – according to presenter Mandi Ciriza – aimed at viewers who enjoy food and are interested in learning about new gastronomic trends. The schedule includes programmes on travel, “eco-cuisine”, nutrition and healthy cooking, reality shows, and series featuring Spanish and international chefs such as Jamie Oliver.

Canal Cocina in Málaga

FRIENDS AND GUESTS will be able to enjoy lavish celebrations on 29 July when fashion accessories brand leader Carmen Steffens officially inaugurates its Marbella boutique.

Singers Mario Vaquerizo and Marta Sánchez will be present to help get people in a “magical” festive mood, and model Ariadne Artiles will be joined by brand creator Mario Spaniol, designer Monalisa Spaniol and Carmen Steffens representatives from Uruguay, Paraguay, Holland and Paris, as well as Marbella manager Carmen Domínguez.

One of Brazil’s most successful international brands, Carmen Steffens (founded in Franca in 1993 and named after Mario Spaniol’s mother) has over the years created a high-tech and hand-crafted collection of 3,600 shoe models and 1,400 handbags.

The Marbella boutique is located in Avda. Ramón y Cajal, where clients can find the latest collections as well as the Raphael Steffens line for men and CS Teen. Drawing on a “coquette” style from the 1950s and rustic chic from the 1970s, with a touch of surrealism, the spirit of the 2012 collection is described as “exuberant, maximalist and very sumptuous” – featuring a variety of materials, colours and textures.

FOUR HUNDRED guests enjoyed the lavish celebrations as luxury menswear brand officially inaugurated its new boutique in Puerto Banús. Celebrities attending the launch included Philippe Junot, Hubertus von Hohenlohe, Gunilla von Bismarck and Carmen Lomana.

Hosts Silvio Galimberti, managing director of Ermenegildo Zegna for Spain and Portugal, and Eduardo Nieto, manager of the new boutique, also welcomed Marbella mayoress Ángeles Muñoz to the opening cocktail party.

MARC GENE joined local authorities and 200 guests for the official inauguration of the new Ferrari and Maserati showroom at C. de Salamanca. The first Spaniard to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race (with Alexander Wurz and David Brabham behind the wheel of a Peugeot 908 HDI FAP.5 in 2009), Gene arrived at Marbella’s premier luxury car dealership in the new FF.

The Sabadell-born driver made his Formula One debut for MInardi in the 1999 Australian Grand Prix, and went on to gain a best career place of fifth in the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, before becoming Ferrari’s test driver in 2005. An economics graduate who speaks five languages, he also commentates on Formula for Spain’s La Sexta and Sky Sports in Italy.

Also on show at a special exhibition launched in conjunction with the inauguration was the F2003-GA driven by Michael Schumacher when he won the 2003 world championship, as well as historical photos showcasing special relationships over the years between Maserati and international celebrities.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by C. de Salamanca manager José Carlos de Salamanca, Marbella mayoress Ángeles Muñoz, deputy mayor for San Pedro Alcántara Miguel Troyano, fellow town hall councillors José Eduardo Díaz and Antonio Espada, and C. De Salamanca president Cristina Toda.

Technically speaking…

The FF comes with the first GDI V12 engine to be coupled with the seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox. The V12 unleashes 660 CV at 8,000 rpm, and maximum torque of 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm, with 500 Nm already available at just 1,000 rpm. It covers 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 335 km/h.

Efficiency has been significantly boosted with fuel consumption of 15.4 litres per 100 kilometres, and CO2 emissions at 360 g/km, a 25 per cent reduction compared to the previous V12s, thanks in part to the HELE (High Emotions-Low Emissions) System – which incorporates Stop&Start technology.

The price of the FF ranges from €295,000 to €425,000. Four models currently being manufactured for C. de Salamanca have already been sold. Extending over 1,000 square metres, the new installations feature an innovative touch screen enabling clients to configure the car they want, with a direct connection to the manufacturer.

THE WORLD of luxury menswear has found a new home in Puerto Banús. Top Italian brand Ermenegildo Zegna opened a stylish new boutique in the Port in June and is planning a lavish inauguration fiesta on 14 July.

Located at Local 32 on Paseo Rivera, and extending over 100 square metres, the boutique was designed by Gianmaría and Roberto Beretta of Milan’s Studio Beretta with the aim of showcasing Zegna’s timeless and elegant sophistication.

The exclusive ranges available at the boutique include Ermenegildo Zegna, Sartoria, Upper Casual and Zegna Sport, as well as an über-chic selection of accessories – shoes, sunglasses, eau de cologne and leather items.

Now run by the fourth generation of the Zegna family, the fashion group was founded in 1910 in Trivero, in the Biella Alps, by visionary young businessman Ermenegildo Zegna. The company began expanding its global presence in the late 1980s, and there are now 560 boutiques in 80 countries – with total sales of €963 million in 2010.

THE TABANKO chain of Basque-style “asador” restaurants has now stoked up a new grill on the Fuengirola-Mijas Road. Finca Tabanko Asador extends over a 6,000 square metre setting, with ample terraces overlooking the Mediterranean and a backdrop of the Mijas mountain sierra. 

Meat (including exquisitely prepared chuletón de buey) is the piece de resistance of chef Miguel Palma’s cuisine – as a group of inveterate bon vivants discovered to their pleasure during a special private presentation lunch – but the menu is varied and extensive, with traditional Spanish classics such as Manchego cheese, Navarran asparagus, Cantabrian anchovies, bacalao (salted cod) omelette, potato salad with melva (tuna from Barbate), and Murcia salad.

The other two Tabanko establishments are in Málaga city: Tabanko Asador Málaga (Avda. Pintor Sorolla) and La Luna de Tabanko (C/ de la Luna).

Finca Tabanko Asador

Spanish Food & Wine