Situated about half an hour’s drive west of Marbella, Sotogrande is an exclusive residential area enveloped by both natural greenery and the broad fairways of internationally renowned golf courses such as Valderrama and the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Sotogrande is unique in this region not only for its scale but also for the fact that its development is guided by a single master plan. This rather more American approach of developing one large and spacious resort and residential area is not a coincidence, for Sotogrande is the brainchild of Colonel Joseph McMicking, whose dream it was to create an exclusive resort of international standing here. Read the rest of this entry »

In an issue dedicated to Italy we could not ignore the most famous maker of luxury sports cars in the world. After all, the very name Ferrari is synonymous with speed, power and beauty.

To many, Ferrari’s are the stuff young dreams are made of. Ask an ambitious young man to describe his ultimate goals and they could often best be summed up in the form of a gleaming red bolide from the scuderia in Maranello, for Ferraris symbolise success, ambition and dynamism. These cars simply are brio on wheels. The recently opened Ferrari World in Dubai is a living testament to that.

While lovers of classic cars may debate the merits of different models and eras, the Man of the Moment knows exactly what he wants: a brand new flaming red Ferrari. This means that the latest offering from Maranello is always hotly desired and intensely anticipated, making the launch of a new model just about the biggest news in the motoring world. Read the rest of this entry »

The very moment Fabio Capello raised the possibility of including the Spaniard Mikel Arteta in the England squad a fierce debate erupted that seems to split the game, its administrators and its fans right down the middle. I’m thinking, has Capello opened up a can of worms?

The fact is, the England side needs a quality left winger, and apparently no such player exists that also carries a British passport. For this reason Capello, ever concerned about English firepower, has cast his gaze upon young Arteta, just the man for the job it seems. Despite the obvious fact that the latter is Spanish, Capello and many with him believe such obstacles are there to be overcome. After all, Arteta has played and lived in England long enough to allow him to apply for a British passport and potentially be available for England. Read the rest of this entry »

I spoke with this talented player who has been described as the ‘most exciting young Russian player since Vladimir Beschastnykh’, and found him to be a modest young man with a pleasant smile.

Born in Omsk, Dmitry Sychev comes from a sporting family, his mother a track and field athlete and his father a football player and later trainer. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that Dmitry was destined to become a football star himself, though he combined this passion with ice hockey until the age of ten, when he made the decision to specialise in football.

It would turn out to be a good choice, for after debuting with Spartak Tambov he was signed by Spartak Moscow, before moving to Olympique Marseille in France and, since 2004, back to Russia with Lokomotive Moscow. I met up with him after his team’s training session in the Marbella sun. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wondered who dresses the rich and famous in fur? The answer is Dennis Basso, creator of sumptuous high fashion items for celebrities and socialites the world over.

Still quite new in Europe, the name Dennis Basso is especially synonymous with style, quality and opulent indulgence in the US, where he has been a leading high fashion designer for over 25 years. The fact is, few other designers enjoy such cult status with their clients, and in the case of this brand they range from actresses and socialites to royalty and business leaders.

When it comes to fur it simply doesn’t get any better than this. Using the finest and rarest quality Russian Sable and Broadtail, US Mink, Chinchilla, these pieces are handcrafted to meticulous levels of detail and workmanship. The true genius, however, lies in the way Basso manages to create fashion items that reflect the most current fashion trends and sometimes makes you forget the medium he works with. His latest collaboration with Naomi Campbell, who is also the face of his ad campaign, resulted in The Naomi Campbell Coat, a unique combination of the ultimate Russian Barguzine Sable and Python. Read the rest of this entry »