The footballing world knows Alexander Mostovoi as a skilful attacking midfielder who graced the game for almost two decades, but to Spanish fans he will always be known as ‘El Zar’ – The Czar.

We met with Aleksandr at a stylish café in Marbella, where he spends part of the year. Now leading a casual family life he enjoys the fruits of his many years at the top of the game, but admits that he would one day like to be actively involved in football again. Relaxed and thoroughly down to earth as he is, Aleksandr still feels a great passion for the sport that took him out of the Soviet Union as a youngster and made him a star. It was a journey that would lead him through Portugal and France to Spain, where he would make his mark and join the European footballing elite. Read the rest of this entry »

Many of the world’s famous brands may come from Paris, Milan and London, but whilst in many cases iconic, much of what they make is actually produced on a considerable scale. For one-off pieces designed and made by master craftsmen, smaller bespoke jewellers are making a welcome comeback. Read the rest of this entry »

In a sea of faces, Andalusians provide a fascinating diversity of looks and origins that bear living testimony to the region’s turbulent past as a much-invaded corner of Europe. Since the earliest times, conquerors, refugees, soldiers, mercenaries, merchants and adventurers have been adding to the rich and diverse mix of ingredients from which the Andalusians have been moulded.

The concept of racial purity, even if such a thing was ever desirable, has long since been discarded as unrealistic. As Europeans we live on a continent which, in spite of a broader sense of cultural identity and concept of racial affinity, consists of a myriad of nations and regions, each with their own traditions and mythology about their origins. Given this diversity within our own continent, and the fact that we border two large landmasses, it is only logical to assume that all but the most isolated and remote communities could not withstand being swept into the great tidal wave of migrations that have occurred since the earliest of times.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Costa del Sol has come a long way from the sleepy collection of fishing villages and mountain settlements that it once was. Back then, age-old practices still applied and those who wanted to settle down here, build a home and conduct business had to adjust to an altogether new set of rules and realities. Today, many of the old limitations have disappeared along with the craftsmen who built homes in the traditional Andalusian way. Not only have the construction process and the appearance of homes changed greatly, but as the scale of operations increased, property developers have had an increasingly dramatic effect on the physical landscape that we live in. At this stage of the region’s development, and with its long-term interests in mind, it might be good to look into the prospects for sustainable development.
Read the rest of this entry »

High up, on the foothills of the Sierra Blanca range lays an artist’s retreat with magnificent views over Marbella and the Mediterrean Sea. Inspired by this perspective and the rich light of southern Spain, renowned painter Armando Sendin has been producing a prolific body of work that has long since seen him established as the leading representative of Brazilian realism.

Read the rest of this entry »