My ears pop as our car winds along the scenic A-397 highway in Malaga, Spain, climbing to 1,063 metres above sea level. We're headed to Ronda, a historic cliffside city where Ernest Hemingway spent many summers and found inspiration for his writing. The ashes of Orson Welles, considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, are buried there. It's also the birthplace of Abbas Ibn Firnas, the Muslim poet, physician and inventor, regarded as the first person to have attempted flight.
The drive to Ronda from our base in the tourist city of Marbella lasts a little more than an hour. Surrounded by lush hills on both sides, the journey is a feast for the eyes, with the terrain intermittently offering glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea in the distance.
"On a clear day, you can see Morocco," our driver tells us.
Both Ronda and Marbella are part of the Province of Malaga, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The name Andalusia itself holds traces of its Islamic heritage by having been derived from the Arabic Al Andalus, by which it was known for centuries.
Driving inland, we stop for our first activity of the day. Our host, Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavis Marbella Resort, has booked us a tour of an organic olive oil farm. Spain is the world's top producer of olive oil – referred to as "liquid gold" by traders in the past – so it's only natural that we get to experience its production while here.
Our experience at La Almazara, which derives its name from the Arabic word for "farm", begins with a stroll among hundreds of olive trees, some hundreds of years old. But the property's main highlight is an imposing 500 square metre structure called The Greenhouse, designed by acclaimed French industrial designer Philippe Starck. Sitting on a hillside and meant to represent a Spanish bull, the striking building houses the farm's mill, a tasting room, a restaurant and a museum.
During harvest season, between October and January, visitors are able to watch olives being farmed, pressed and oil packaged from a glass floor inside The Greenhouse. But even during our visit in late February, the experience was no less intriguing, made special by the in-house museum. Inside is an exhibition, which details the history of olive oil, from its introduction to Spain by the Phoenicians – who brought it from what is now modern Lebanon – to how olives and their oils are graded and packaged.
In one corner of the museum, a giant painting of Abbas Ibn Firnas watches over us, alongside a replica of what would likely have been his flying machine.
Our education done, we are then ushered to La Almazara's reception area, where we are tested on our knowledge as we sample a selection of olive oils. We are taught which olive oils are best for dressing (green immature olives) and for cooking (bright gold). A huge breakfast is then laid and we eat while soaking in some sun in the balcony and taking in the breathtaking scenery. It's a glorious 17ºC outside.
After some olive oil shopping – they're much cheaper at the farm than at duty free – we bundle into our van and set off for our next activity as our olive oil bottles gently clink in the back.
Our next stop is Reservatauro Ronda, a 200-hectare breeding farm for bulls and Andalusian horses, set in the midst of a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, a designated protected zone where the area's biodiversity is maintained and all human activity must be sustainable. Owned by former champion bullfighter Rafael Tejada, who decided to turn his passion for bulls and horses into an unique experience, Reservatauro Ronda gives visitors the chance to can get up close and personal with the animals and learn about them in a natural environment.
Various experiences are available, but we're doing The Life of a Spanish Horse, where we're taught the importance of horses to Spanish history and culture, view them at various stages of development and see how they are being cared for and trained.
After a little over an hour, we leave behind the smell of fresh dung and friendly snorts and head to Ronda, about a 15-minute drive from Reservatauro Ronda. We stop for lunch at Restaurante Pedro Romero, a popular eatery in the centre of town, named after one of Spain's most popular bullfighters from the 1800s.
Known for serving traditional Ronda specialties, Restaurante Pedro Romero also has a hallowed history, having opened in 1974. True to its name, its walls are filled with bull heads and bullfighting memorabilia, including pictures of Reservatauro Ronda owner Tejada. Bullfight fans are known to mob the place on fight days.
The restaurant is where we meet our guide, Armando Gil, a Ronda native. Despite growing criticism, bullfighting continues to be a popular sport in some parts of Spain, he tells us, as he leads us across the road to the Plaza de Toros de Ronda, one of the oldest bullrings in the world.
Completed in 1785, the bullring is one of the city's main attractions, its striking stone structure having stood the test of time. The ring has a capacity of 5,000, making it one of the largest bullrings in the world. For pop culture fans, this is where Madonna shot the video for her 1994 hit Take a Bow.
About a five-minute walk away is the city's crowning glory, the Puente Nuevo or New Bridge. Spanning a 120-metre-deep gorge, with the Guadalevin River flowing below, the attraction was first built in 1735, but collapsed soon after, with the second one one completed in 1793, after 40 years of construction.
It's a bigger and, at 98 metres, is a higher version of the nearby pedestrian-only Puente Viejo or Old Bridge, built in the 16th century and standing 31 metres above the river. The two bridges, along with the older Arab Bridge, form a trio that connects Ronda.
On the day we visit, the bridges are swarmed with tourists, with the best views from either side of the deep gorge. I will warn you, it's not a site meant for those prone to acrophobia. That said, restaurants and bars on the edges seem to be doing roaring business, with many filled to the brim. A 250-metre walking route along the gorge, offering stunning panoramic views, and which ends at the foot of the Puente Nuevo, is also accessible for a small fee.
Gil preferred to take us deeper into town, regaling us with stories about Ronda's history as a trading hub, and it's Islamic past as we walk the narrow cobbled roads. The Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor or Church of Santa Maria la Mayor was the perfect place to end our brief walking tour.
Built on the site of what was believed to be a mosque, which in-turn was believed to be built on the site of a temple, construction of the church began in the 1400s and was completed in the 17th century. The timeframe explains the mixture of styles inside, from its Gothic columns to Renaissance architecture influence and Baroque elements.
Inside the church is an arch that was part of the mihrab, a prayer niche that indicates the direction of Makkah, still carefully preserved – an illustration of Ronda's rich history and the many conquistadors who wanted to leave their mark.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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