Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 177

October 2011 Nยบ 177 Free

01 cover.indd 1

8/22/11 3:55:18 PM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 11

9/20/11 2:24:40 PM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 2

9/20/11 12:08:49 PM

Contents

October

31. ON: IN-EDIT 37. THE SECRET OF PAELLA

Features 14 18 22

Legends of the Gòtic neighbourhood The man deciphering Gaudí’s plans Cemetery visits

Regulars 06 07 08 11 13 26 29 36 58

On our web An inside look The month Columns Interview: Paolo Guidoni M5: Classic Barcelona businesses On Gastronomy Back page

DIRECTORIES 40 44 53

Food & Drink

22. CEMETERIES

From the Senior Editor: Our features this month showcase a few of those landmarks that have helped make Barcelona the place it is today. From Nick Lloyd’s exploration of the Gòtic neighbourhood and its legends to Liza Fitzgerald’s interview with the New Zealander charged with turning Gaudí’s vision for the Sagrada Família into reality, via a timely visit to two of Barcelona’s main cemeteries courtesy of Amanda August, this issue delves into the city’s fabric. Continuing the theme, in M5, we throw the spotlight on five family-run businesses that have had their doors open for a century or more. In Food and Drink, there’s a bit of a paella special going on, with Tara Stevens both reviewing Tragaluz’s new rice restaurant at the W Hotel and letting us in on her secret to making your own delicious version at home. Elsewhere, look out for an Italian opera singer who understudied for Pavarotti, a comedy night raising money for breast cancer charities and suggestions for what to wear this autumn.

Hannah Pennell

Business Jobs

Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Senior Editor Hannah Pennell Editor Katy MacGregor Art Director Aisling Callinan Sales Director Rainer Hobrack Account Executive Richard Cardwell Financial Manager Andrea Moreno Editorial Assistants Suzie Boswell and Lauren Reed Design Assistant Isolda Piza Sales Assistants Tashoma Lemard and Chloe Pera Contributors Amanda August, Jonathan Bennett, Lucy Brzoska, Vera Ciria, Roger de Flower, Liza Fitzgerald, Meredith Gales, Nick Lloyd, Tara Stevens and Nicola Thornton Photographers Lucy Brzoska, Mónica Navarro, Richard Owens and Lee Woolcock Cover illustration Rithika Merchant Illustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial Office: Enric Granados 48, entlo. 2ª, 08008 Barcelona. Tel. 93 451 4486, Fax. 93 451 6537; editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Advertising: sales@barcelona-metropolitan.com. General enquiries: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Printer: Litografia Rosés. Depósito Legal: B35159-96 The views expressed in Barcelona Metropolitan are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Reproduction, or use, of advertising or editorial content herein, without express permission, is prohibited.

Find your nearest distribution point on www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

4. contents PDF.indd 1

9/22/11 11:06:06 AM

R E N TA L S

110m2 house with 70m2 charming garden - Sants Living/dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, wine cellar, 110m2 roof terrace.

Furnished. Price: €1.800 Ref. 935

93m2 loft with lovely 35m2 terrace Francesc Macia

54m2 apartment with 133m2 patio garden Les Corts

Living/dining room with open-plan kitchen, double bedroom and bathroom. Parking space.

Furnished. Price: €1.000 Ref. 773

Luxury 160m2 Penthouse - Diagonal Mar

Contemporary 140m2 apartment - Eixample

120m2 design apartment - Eixample

70m2 wrap-around terrace with jacuzzi, panoramic views, three bedrooms, three bathrooms. Furnished.

Price on application. Ref. L0159ba

Modern renovated apartment, living/dining room with fireplace, terrace, kitchen, three bedrooms and bathroom. Furnished. Price: €2.100 Ref. 919

7th floor, open-plan kitchen, living/dining room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Furnished.

Price: €2.500 Ref. L0166ba

Prestige Real Estate SL

Ample living/dining room with open kitchen, en suite bedroom, office space with bathroom. Furnished.

Price: €1.750 Ref. 921

FOR SALE

Brand new flats in Port Vell

Brand new flats in Sarrià

Fantastic top floor flat of 240 m2 - Pedralbes

Flats from 65m2 to 90m2 with sea views from one to three bedrooms. Parking. Prices start from €300.000 and go up to €600.000. Ref. V1158ba

Brand new flats located in the heart of Sarrià.

One to three bedrooms. Open kitchen.

Community rooftop sun deck.

From €380.000 Ref. V1105ba

Perfect condition, panoramic views, living/dining room with access onto 25m2 terrace. Eat-in kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms plus parking for three cars. Price: €1.620.000 Ref. V1084ba

Please call for further properties 93 241 30 82

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 7

9/20/11 12:10:06 PM

06 INTERNET

on our web...

Interview: Architecture in Helsinki Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, this electro quintet are currently on tour with their long-awaited latest album, Moment Bends. They’re still digging an Eighties’ vibe but now have a more defined air than before, having moved towards a more mature, stripped-back synth sound. We caught up with them ahead of their concert in Razzmatazz on October 26th.

Read the interview at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/architectureinhelsinki

Comedy charity night Comedian Colum McDonnell takes to the stage for a good cause this month, raising money for breast cancer awareness. The Guiness [sic.] Laughter Lounge have booked the Irish comic for a special charity night at La Riereta Teatre on October 8th. He may be small in stature but that doesn’t mean he can’t get big laughs. Tickets are €12 with proceeds going to charity. Also, watch out for the return of Damian Clarke to the Barcelona comedy stage. The Australian stand-up is back to make us giggle on November 5th and we’ve got five tickets to give away. Head to our website to enter the competition. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/comedy

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

6-7. Web + photo PDF.indd 6

Win tickets! Festival Carmen Amaya This festival plays tribute to the legendary Carmen Amaya, who was born in Barcelona in 1913 and went on to become one of flamenco’s biggest names.

Scheduled to perform are the Compañía Tablao de Carmen Amaya (October 28th) and the Compañía de Farruquito (October 29th). We have three double tickets to give away for the opening performance.

Go to our website, answer the simple question and you could be in with a chance of winning. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/carmenamaya

9/22/11 11:09:51 AM

COVER 07

An inside look Illustrator Rithika Merchant I was born and raised in Mumbai, India. When I was 18, I moved to New York City to attend Parsons The New School for Design and pursue a BFA in Fine Arts. I have always had a desire to see the world— while I was in college, I studied abroad for half a year in Paros, Greece. I also spent three months living in the Galapagos Islands teaching art to the local children. After graduating from college, my desire to see the world was still very strong. I applied, and was accepted, to an artist residency in Mertola, Portugal. After spending three months in the remote, rural town, which is deep in the desert of the Alentejo region, I moved to Lisbon to pursue a career as a visual artist. I moved to Barcelona last year after visiting and falling in love with the city. I have spent the last few months exploring and being inspired by Barcelona, making art and trying to find opportunities to show my work and integrate myself into the art scene here.

Barcelona is... an amazing city to explore!

I never miss... the opportunity to wander around Park Güell.

I always avoid... La Rambla. The crowds are too much for me.

An inspiration: Hiking up to the top of Tibidabo.

It’s a great place to get away from the city for a few hours. Being in nature is so inspiring and I always return with lots of branches, leaves and other forest treasures.

A place to go with friends: Café Royale on Carrer Nou de Zurbano has free flamenco concerts on Tuesday nights. It’s a great place to go to have a drink and enjoy an intimate concert.

The cover image: Here in Catalunya, All Saints’ Day is celebrated on November 1st and the evening before is known as La Castanyada. This festival honours saints and dead ancestors. Traditionally, whole villages would stay awake in vigil, drinking wine from glass pitchers and eating ‘castanyes’ (roasted chestnuts), roasted sweet potatoes and ‘panellets’ (almond sweets covered in pine nuts). Chrysanthemums, being the flower of remembrance, were left on graves. I use painting as a means of telling whimsical stories that are inspired by experiences from my childhood and my present life.

I liked the idea of individual pieces being put together to form a picture, much like putting a puzzle together. Another reason I like to work with fragments is that is it allows me to make large scale work in a very small space. I started working on this series of paintings when I was travelling a lot and living in small houses. I found I could work on the individual fragments on trains, buses and at my little desk.

www.rithikamerchant.com

6-7. Web + photo PDF.indd 7

9/22/11 11:09:53 AM

08 THE MONTH

October This month, why not get out and about and explore some of Barcelona’s usually

inaccessible buildings? We aren’t suggesting you start breaking and entering but for

48 hours you can snoop around places you’ve always wanted to see but couldn’t get in to. A hundred and fifty iconic buildings, private houses, factories and churches, all of architectural significance, will be opening their doors to take part in Open House Barcelona, including the iconic Torre Colom and the Modernista Palau Savassona at the Ateneu Barcelonès. Last year around 100 architects offered tours and talks which over 25,000 visitors attended. So if you’re interested in the buildings that surround you, make sure you put these 48 hours to good use.

October 22nd and 23rd. www.48hopenhousebarcelona.org

With the last vestiges of summer still clinging on, it may seem too early to start thinking about the brisker temperatures of winter, but after months of heat, sweat and minuscule shorts, the new season trends come as a welcome relief. Here is a quick run-down of three key elements to keep in mind for the colder days ahead.

1940s—Tea dresses and squareshouldered blouses, midi skirts and beautiful embroidery, the Forties offer a wealth of inspiration that designers pounced upon for this season. This trend offers the bonus of an elegant silhouette that is flattering for many different body types; just add heels and nude tights to balance out the new lengths. Searching for somewhere to get inspired and pick up a few pieces?

Hoss Intropia is a great option for midi-lengths, shimmering blouses and tea dresses, all excellent additions to your winter wardrobe.

1960s’ Mod—Jumping forward two decades, the Sixties’ Mod look is a sure bet for this season. More versatile than the Forties, this will be a great option for work and play. The sleeveless sheath dress is the star piece; try printed versions, especially optic and geometric prints. Knee-high boots, square heels, winklepickers and flats are all excellent options for your feet; pair with

8-9. This month PDF.indd 6

thick, ribbed tights. Two excellent shops to inspire you are Cos and Sandro. Cos is perfect for monochrome and muted palettes—clean, simple silhouettes with barely a superfluous detail. Sandro offers a more feminine angle to the Mod trend; don’t miss their gorgeous sheath dresses with contrasting Peter Pan collars.

Textured Coats—One of the more expensive pieces for the colder months, a good coat should be considered as an investment piece. Try to steer clear of passing fads as you will find that your coat is obsolete in a year’s time. Winter 2011 is all about the textured coat, classic shapes in snugly fabrics such as shaggy wools, textured felts and fur. It seems that designers have finally agreed that a coat is meant to keep us warm and that this is possible without looking like Arctic explorers. Since you’ll be checking out Hoss Intropia and Sandro, keep your eyes peeled for their touchy-feely coats.

Whether you prefer the more feminine Forties or the playful Sixties, are searching for the perfect coat or just want to breathe some fresh, albeit, cold air into your wardrobe, this season promises warmth and an elegant tactile experience.

Image courtesy Hoss Intropia

FASHION

In this feature, fashion writer Vera Ciria talks us through what’s on her Barcelona style radar.

Hoss Intropia, Passeig de Gràcia 44. Cos, Passeig de Gràcia 27 Sandro, Avenida Diagonal 572

9/22/11 1:08:09 PM

THE MONTH 09

Enticing interiors One thing that Barcelona is known for is good design and that is evident in spades at new store Mar de Cava.

A beautifully thought out showroom of international art and interior design, it showcases unique pieces from the best new talent. With a clear eye for stand-out pieces, the team behind Mar de Cava have created an inspiring space with featured work by local Jordi Milà, Portugal’s Boca du Lobo and from France, designer Drugeot Labo, amongst many others.

Valencia 293. www.mardecava.com

All in the mix Barman Francesc Bretau, recently ranked the fourth best bartender in the world, knows his way around a cocktail menu. Newly-opened and seriously classy, Slow is the perfect place to head for a pre-dinner drink prepared by Bretau or to enjoy the tempting Slow Appetizers available on a Thursday. But be warned, the drinks are so good and the place looks so great that you might just find yourself still on the dancefloor when they chuck you out at 4am.

París 186. www.slowbarcelona.es

8-9. This month PDF.indd 7

9/22/11 1:08:12 PM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 2

9/22/11 11:23:41 AM

COLUMNS 11

Wild Barcelona Text and photos by Lucy Brzoska

Diary of an adoption

By Meredith Gales

Last year, Meredith Gales successfully adopted a girl from a West African country, a process that she wrote about for our website. Here she explains what life has been like for her new family.

A question of family

W

Close-up of a cone-head mantis

Cone-head mantis

Close encounter on Montjuïc: a cone-head mantis

O

nce lapped on all sides by the Mediterranean, Montjuïc could still be described as an island, although now it emerges among from a sea of urbanisation. The slopes that drop down to the ring road and the Zona Franca are prohibitively steep: the few existing paths have been made by asparagus hunters, those determined enough to brave faecal bombardment from the nesting yellow-legged gulls. Most visitors barely look at this inaccessible rocky scrubland, their gaze inevitably drawn further away, to the unexpected juxtaposition of sparkling sea and the colourful containers in the noisy port. Known for its nesting peregrine falcons and impressively large Montpellier snakes, this valuable remnant of wild habitat also harbours a truly strange species, much less visible.

Bending down for a closer look at a delicate green lacewing fly, I saw a twisted bit of dried grass suddenly quiver and move away. With a sense of disbelief, I found a bizarre insect with a wizard-like cone-shaped head, the eyes of an alien and the tail of a dragon.

Only three centimetres long, this immature cone-head mantis, prowling through the grass in pursuit of small insects, still lacked the wings of an adult. The colour of dry vegetation, and with sharply angled limbs, it formed part of the criss-cross pattern of surrounding plant stems. If you’re lucky enough to come across one, best not look away, in case it merges invisibly back into the grass.

The brittle movements and sheer uncanniness of the mantis were redolent of early film special effects. The unforgettable skeleton army from Jason and the Argonauts comes to mind. Coincidentally, the insect’s Latin name, Empusa pennata, comes from a vampirical monster in Greek mythology: an empusa preyed on young men, seducing them in their sleep. However, unlike the more commonly seen praying mantis, the female cone-head shows no penchant for devouring her mate.

Lucy Brzoska runs nature tours and writes for www.iberianature.com

11 columns PDF.indd 24

hat is a ‘family’? I have pondered a lot on this question since my daughter came into my life, just on a year ago now. For all intents and purposes, of course, we are one, albeit on a greatly reduced scale, certainly compared to the Western ‘nuclear family’ model and ten-fold against the African ‘extended family’ structure that she has been brought up on. Until now.

In many ways, I like the informality of being a single mum. Our weekend mornings are spent lolling around on my bed, Skyping friends and watching clips on YouTube until we decide it’s time to get up to face the day. Together we opt for the beach or park, shopping or even getting our nails done—a luxury we can afford thanks to the dozens of latino salons in our neighbourhood. There is no one else to consult, no other egos to be rubbed and no schedules to fit into other than our own. At times, I stress that there is nobody to play the ‘ good guy, bad guy’ routine, and no one to watch over her when I need to do a supermarket run—a task that, as every parent knows, is best done by yourself.

Not that she doesn’t have any male figures in her life, especially amongst my circle of close friends, whom I refer to as my ‘Barcelona family’. In her orphanage, volunteers were referred to as ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ and carers as ‘mamas’ and ‘papas’. Friends were ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’. When she first arrived in Barcelona, she would declare that male acquaintances were her ‘brother’ or ‘father’. I don’t know whether this came from behavioural habit or whether she really did fantasise that they were family members. What I do see is that she revels in (older) male company, often making me feel inadequate for not supplying a stable male figure in her life.

There is no doubt that she is innately maternal, not in the way that young girls are fascinated with babies and toddlers because they are cute and doll-like, but because she knows exactly what to do with them. In group gatherings, she makes a beeline for the baby in the room and asks the mum if she can pick them up. After reassuring words from me that it’s ok for this tiny eight-year-old to take in her arms a kid not much smaller than herself, they are amazed to see that she knows how to hold them (more expertly than many adults), burp them and even change their nappies—skills learnt from that magnificent chain of care that runs throughout African communities.

All this makes me wonder what she thinks of me, her mum: a single women living in a foreign country halfway across the world from her own family, who has decided to start a new family with her. I think she is getting used to the idea and, for the moment at least, is content that there are just two for the road.

9/21/11 2:46:29 PM

main pages - September 11 .indd 11

9/21/11 2:45:45 PM

INTERVIEW 13

Paolo Guidoni Opera singer, Italy, 45

I came to Barcelona in January this year. I have travelled a lot through my work, but this is the only city that I miss when I am away. It has such interesting culture for me and I find that I can really be myself here.

This is my third life. When I was 17, I was selected to play football for Hellas Verona FC. I was good, the number 10. I played for seven minutes in a ‘Serie A’ championship match in 1985 against Juventus in Turin. During the preparation to play for Bologna FC at the end of that year, I had an accident and had to stop.

In my second life, I was a businessman, working in tiles and construction. I did it for 11 years but it was very stressful and I realised I needed to rethink my priorities and follow my passion, which was music.

I started hanging out in an area of Bologna that had a good night scene, where people would get up and sing Sinatra songs. I got talking to a singing teacher and he told me to go to him for lessons, so I did. I was 30.

I studied music and singing for five years and graduated from the Conservatorio GB Martini in Bologna. I participated in master classes and courses with some great teachers, including baritone Claudio Desderi.

I debuted in the role of Colas in Bastiano e Bastiana (Mozart) in Croatia.

My voice is a bass, which is good as that range has a lot of longevity! I know of a bass who is 74 and still performing.

Opera is singing and acting together. For me, when I am on stage, I concentrate purely on the emotion; what I am saying and expressing.

My favourite role is Leporello, the servant in Don Giovanni. He has a lot of different sides to him, so it’s fun. I also enjoyed playing Sparafucile, the assassin in Verdi’s Rigoletto. The opposite of what I am.

I once understudied for Pavarotti. He was an incredible talent, but a sad man. While I respect Domingo as an all-rounder, Pavarotti had a unique tone.

13. interview PDF.indd 24

People shouldn’t be afraid of opera. Go and see something light to start with, like The Barber of Seville or The Magic Flute, and listen to the voices, the emotion.

Definitely don’t choose a six-hour Wagner!

I do look after my voice.

I rest a lot. I sleep and eat well. I do aerobic sport, like swimming, cycling and rollerblading because it’s good for the breathing. My only vice is coffee!

I teach singing in-between my work. The voice is capable of producing a sound greater than any instrument and I always try and get my students to reveal their true nature.

I’m currently working with ‘L’Atelier de l’Opera’*. Our goal is to give young and talented people the opportunity to produce operas in a professional way. We had proper auditions and staged Verdi’s La Traviata in September at the 120-seat theatre. Our plan is to open a season of opera and concerts, which will be great for the city and for opera.

Sometimes strange things happen. Once, I had to lift an overweight soprano on stage and ended up in hospital with a hernia. Another time I was given two completely different parts in the same opera, with only three days to prepare for the second one. I told the conductor I would never do that again. I was all over the place.

It makes me laugh when I tell people I’m a singer. They always say “Yes, but what do you work as?” My dream is to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock. *L’Atelier de l’Opera—Abaixadors 10, next to Santa Maria del Mar. www.atelieropera.com

9/22/11 1:16:57 PM

14 LEGENDS OF OLD BARCELONA

Telling tales

Take a trip through Barcelona’s past with stories and customs from the city’s old town.

By Nick Lloyd. Photos by Mónica Navarro

(left to right): A window of the cursed house in El Call; the pine tree in Plaça del Pi; corner of Plaça del Rei where the city executioner’s house once stood.

14-16. Gothic legends PDF.indd 2

9/21/11 1:36:37 PM

LEGENDS OF OLD BARCELONA 15

>>

14-16. Gothic legends PDF.indd 3

9/21/11 1:36:40 PM

16 LEGENDS OF OLD BARCELONA

T

he old city of Barcelona is home to one of the greatest collections of medieval buildings in Europe. They form an open-air classroom where one can learn about Gothic architecture and Catalunya in the Middle Ages. But behind this real history of buildings and kings, there is another secret city of folk tales and arcane traditions, many of which were collected between the Twenties and Fifties by the remarkable Catalan folklorist Joan Amades. Every street and corner seems to have spawned a tale, a legend or a weird medieval custom. This short wander through the Gothic quarter tells just a few of them.

Our little walk begins in Plaça del Pi, which takes its name from the pine tree growing in one corner. Although the present tree was planted here in the mid 20th century, it seems a tree has been growing here for centuries, a tradition whose origins have various explanations. Some believe the Romans planted the first pine as a symbol of victory over the local Laietani people. Others claim it was the work of a giant (gegant). There are many versions of the story of the gegant del pi, of which this is one. One day a giant reached the city gates on what is today Les Rambles. He had a bit of a limp and supported himself using an immense staff, which was actually a young pine tree he had uprooted on his way to the city. On seeing it, the gatekeepers demanded the giant pay a tax for bringing firewood into Barcelona, for surely he was going to chop it up and sell no sooner had he passed through the city walls.

The big man was so incensed by their meanness, that he huffed and puffed and threw the tree over the walls as far as he could. It landed in a small square with such a force that it rammed into the ground and took root. And so a tradition was born.

In the same square is the lovely Santa Maria del Pi church, one of the jewels of Gothic Barcelona. It also has an interesting tale attached to it. When the master builder was constructing the bell tower, he ran into difficulties sourcing the stone. The Devil, always on the lookout for an opportunity, conveniently turned up at the construction site. He told the builder that his schedule prevented him helping with the physical work, but he kindly offered to provide the materials to finish the job. In payment he demanded the standard fee for such transactions: the man’s soul, on completion of the last of the one hundred steps of the tower. The master builder accepted. Years went by, the builder grew older and the work slowly progressed, but when he reached the 99th step, he abandoned the tower, and continued with the rest of the church.

This lasted long enough for him to die a natural death and so save his soul. After his death, his sons finished the job, now free from any responsibility.

From Plaça del Pi, it’s a short walk to El Call, Barcelona’s old Jewish quarter that has produced a host of local folklore, perhaps the most famous of which is the tale of the alchemist and his daughter. Very unusually for the Gothic quarter, the last building on Arc de Sant Ramon del Call is a single-storey house. It has recently been restored and now houses a Jewish history centre, but when I arrived in Barcelona 20 years ago, it was in ruins. People said the house was cursed and it had been empty for 700 years.

The story goes that the house was owned by a Jewish alchemist who lived here with his daughter who was, of course, the most beautiful maid in the city. Unbeknown to her father, the girl had fallen in love with a wealthy Christian knight. They would meet

14-16. Gothic legends PDF.indd 4

furtively in squares and gardens, holding hands and perhaps exchanging a chaste kiss. The girl was content with their relationship, but the man soon wanted more, and asked for a night of joy with her. She replied that this was unthinkable unless they were married. They began to argue. He became enraged. How could he, a Christian, marry her, a Jew. And so he went to see a famous Jewish alchemist and told him he wished to avenge a disloyal lover. The alchemist accepted the rich man’s seven gold pieces and cooked up an evil perfume which he sprayed on a beautiful bunch of flowers.

The man got word to the girl and implored her to meet him.

He had wronged her and wished to apologise. Would she concede to see him one last time? She agreed and he presented her with the bouquet. She was delighted and inhaled the alluring fragrance. She began to feel dizzy but the knight just smiled and bade her farewell. By the time she had reached her home, the girl was wracked by terrible pains. Her father used all his powers of alchemy to save her but in the end it was a relief to see her find comfort in death. He had killed his own daughter and was disconsolate. By way of penance, he avowed to wander in the wilderness for the rest of his life, but before he did, as the crowd gathered round, watching him lock shut the doors of his home for the last time, he uttered a curse for all to hear that anyone who came to live in this house would meet the same fate as his daughter. And so it stayed empty.

Just round the corner from El Call is Plaça del Rei. The square was a place of execution over the centuries and it was here that the Inquisition held their auto de fe rituals of public penance. On the same square, there also used to be a tiny house, by tradition the smallest in the city, which, conveniently, was the home of Barcelona’s executioner. In addition to accommodation, he received a stipend as a royal functionary to compensate for his work and the immense social rejection he was subject to. As a perk, he was also allowed to keep the remains of the executed fellows, whose body parts could then be sold as good luck charms and for use in medicines. Particularly prized were the shoes of the deceased, as they would protect the entrance to a home from evil spirits. As a footnote, when an executioner died he would be laid to rest in the same graveyard where his victims were buried, in the nearby Plaça de San Felip Neri, reserved specially for this purpose.

On the other side of Via Laietana is Carrer Corders, the old base of the rope-makers’ guild. Like the executioner, rope-makers (corders) were also excluded from society and not even allowed to enter churches or sleep within the city walls until the 16th century. They lived near the marshes of what is today Poblenou, where they collected the reeds to make their wares, which they then sold along this street. The corders were ascribed numerous evil powers such as the ability to wiggle their ears and when they spat on the ground it was said worms would grow out of the saliva. But why were they so hated? Because they also used to make the hangman’s nooses. Relatives of the condemned would bribe rope-makers to make weak ropes, for if the noose snapped, the victim would be pardoned as it was accepted to be a sign from God. In turn, the authorities would also sometimes slip the rope-makers an extra coin to make stronger rope to ensure there was no pardon.

Nick Lloyd leads Civil War tours in Barcelona with the Centre d’Estudis de Montjuïc and runs the website www.iberianature.com

9/21/11 1:36:40 PM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 1

9/20/11 12:40:30 PM

18 SAGRADA FAMÍLIA

18-20 Sag Fam architect PDF.indd 34

9/22/11 11:00:01 AM

SAGRADA FAMÍLIA 19

The Gaudí code

Despite living thousands of miles from Barcelona, New Zealander Mark Burry is one of the principal architects working to decipher Gaudí’s ideas for the Sagrada Família. By Liza Fitzpatrick. Photos by Lee Woolcock.

A

mongst the throngs of summer tourists outside the world’s most famous building site, the Sagrada Família, New Zealander Mark Burry stands out in the crowd. Not only because he’s tall and silverhaired but because he looks out of place amongst the colourful, casual, camera-carrying crowds bumping into each other, trying to get to the end of the miles-long queue or find a better angle for that photo. Burry instead seems more like a popular university professor: a kind smile, glasses, softly-spoken and just a little formal. He is making his way through the tourists because he is taking a short break from his work as one of the principal architects on the Sagrada Família.

Burry has been working on the construction of Gaudí’s cathedral since 1979 and has been instrumental in the development of the project over the last 30 years, steering it through some onceunimaginable technological advances.

He is the only person working on the project today who has used both the traditional manual architectural drawing of plans as well as digital computation techniques. In 2004, the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi awarded Burry the prestigious ‘Diploma i la insignia a l’acadèmic corresponent’ and given the title ‘Il·lustrisim Senyor’, in recognition of his work on this important Catalan landmark.

It was as an architecture student at Cambridge in the late Seventies that Burry came to visit the Sagrada Família as part of the research for his final thesis. When he met with the two then-directors, he had two questions for them, “In the absence of the Master, where was the

authority to finish the building coming from?” and “How do you communicate to the builders the intricacies of such complex masonry?”, pointing to the much-lamented fact that there is very little material left regarding the cathedral’s construction from Gaudí himself and nothing approaching a traditional set of blueprints.

The directors, both in their late 80s at this time, had been enthusiastic supporters of Gaudí during his lifetime, attending some of his many lectures about his design for the Sagrada Família. They were also part of the restoration effort to repair the damage caused to the building during the Spanish Civil War, in which anarchists destroyed almost all of Gaudí’s drawings and many of the models. Despite these setbacks, the directors were able to explain to Burry that, contrary to the belief that Gaudí’s designs were without regular forms, they were instead based on complex geometries. “I was invited [to be] an architect researcher,” remembered Burry and the directors explained the task to him as “using this geometry”, which he would have to uncover by reverse engineering the remaining models, manually at that point.

Over the next several years, Burry immersed himself in working with the restored models that Gaudí had originally spent 12 years making. In a period he describes as “like an apprenticeship”, he began to interpret the ideas for the Sagrada Família. Gaudí’s design was not so much free-flowing as organic, inspired as it was by nature, from the inner workings of a leaf to the growth structure of a plane tree.

In 1989, Burry’s role took a new direction towards bringing com-

Gaudí’s design was not so much free-flowing as organic, inspired as it was by nature.

18-20 Sag Fam architect PDF.indd 35

>>

9/22/11 11:00:02 AM

20 SAGRADA FAMÍLIA

>>

puter technologies to the project, unlocking even more of the geometric structures in the models and moving the construction on at a much faster pace. The computer-aided design (CAD) programmes used for most architectural projects were not able to deal with the complexity of the Sagrada Família, so Burry turned to aeronautical engineering technology and adapted the software now being used.

These days, Burry helps lead the team of architects, engineers and builders as they edge the construction of the Sagrada Família towards its completion. For someone so integral to the project, Burry’s work situation is a little unconventional. A far cry from Gaudí, who famously set up his bedroom in the crypt of the Sagrada Família in his last year, Burry lives nearly 17,000 kilometres away from the cathedral and ‘commutes’ to Barcelona, spending two weeks of every two months of the year here. His other major role is as Professor of Innovation and Director of the Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. He also directs the RMIT Design Research Institute, one of four cross-university research centres.

His work on the project does not stop when he is in Australia, however. He and his architect wife Jane, who also works on the project, have a satellite studio in their office at RMIT University where afterbusiness hours in Melbourne coincide with the Catalan working day; they use a Rolls-Royce video link to join the workshop onsite.

The advances in technology not only allow one of the project’s principal architects to be based on the other side of the world, they have affected almost every part of the construction. From the design software and the 3D digital ‘printing’ of plaster models to the robotisation of the construction, Burry is “getting used to the fact that robots do a lot [of work] more quickly” and that “the result is not necessarily better, just that it speeds the work up and keeps costs down.”

Despite all these advances, there are still craftspeople employed on the

18-20 Sag Fam architect PDF.indd 36

decorative elements of the building such as the sculpture and stained glass windows.

One of the more recent changes to the cathedral that Burry has witnessed was the completion of the interior and its subsequent consecration as a basilica in November last year. Burry thinks “it’s great that the building is becoming useful as a building” and though tourists had previously been able to observe the construction process first hand, which “was a fantastic insight…visitors can still witness the design process through a glass wall to the model-making workshop below in the crypt.”

Toward the end of his life, Gaudí was evangelical about his church, giving lectures, personally taking visitors on tours and explaining the design, and stopping passersby to ask for donations towards its construction. Burry continues to educate people on Gaudí’s work but on a more international level. Not only does he teach what he has learnt on the project at universities and high-level workshops, but he also gives public lectures for people outside the profession, which are extremely popular. According to Burry, one of the reasons for this enduring fascination is that Gaudí’s architecture has a “universal appeal that transcends any style or fashion.”

For Burry, Gaudí’s genius lies in “redefining the paradigm”, by designing a church in the Gothic tradition but bringing it into the contemporary. One of the reasons people find the Sagrada Família a “marvellous building to experience” is that “Gaudí dealt with some of the problems with Gothic architecture”; through innovative design techniques, he was able to “avoid using the giant buttresses typical of Gothic churches and cathedrals, and therefore it’s filled with light in comparison.” Given the opportunity to decode one of architecture’s greatest mysteries and be working on the cutting-edge of technological innovation in design and construction, the 17,000-kilometre commute doesn’t seem so bad.

9/22/11 11:00:04 AM

PART-TIME

MEETING ROOMS AVAILABLE TO RENT

OFFICE SHARING from just €175 per month

VIRTUAL OFFICE SERVICE FULL TIME OFFICE SHARING from just €290 per month

coworking

TRAINING ROOMS AVAILABLE TO RENT

MEET BCN - C/Balmes 167, 3º 2ª 08008, Barcelona www.meetbcn.com / Tel: 93 176 30 76 - Fax: 93 217 31 28

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 9

9/22/11 10:41:16 AM

22 CEMETERIES

Gone but not forgotten During the night-time tour at Poblenou cemetery, a violinist accompanies visitors. Photo by Eros Albarrán

They can send a shiver down your spine but cemeteries also reveal much about a city’s history and its people.

By Amanda August.

22-24. Cemeteries PDF.indd 34

Y

ou don’t have to be a hardened goth or a fan of the ubiquitous Twilight series to get your kicks out of walking around a cemetery at night. While it’s true that the bats flying overhead add to the spooky mood, the moonlit tour of Poblenou cemetery focuses much more on life than death, with history, art and architecture being the main themes, rather than ghosts and ghouls.

In the company of guides dressed up as 19th-century gatekeepers and bourgeois ladies and gentlemen, and to the accompaniment of live classical violin music, it isn’t difficult to get into the spirit of the occasion as you wander along the paths lined with hundreds of burial niches and stand before mausoleums the size of small chapels. The faces of serene angels and saints are illuminated by candlelight—and with them, it has to be said, the occasional skull and fearsome gargoyle.

It’s a unique way to go back in time to Barcelona as it was between 1819 (when Poblenou cemetery opened) and 1888—a time that was marked by numerous epidemics, industrial advances, new fortunes, economic crisis, scientific discoveries and revolutions in the city. The evidence of these social, economic and political happenings can all be found in the cemetery’s design, development, facilities and, of course, the stories behind some of the people buried here. Montjuïc cemetery, which opened in 1883, continues the timeline of events, with evidence of the cultural, and later

9/22/11 1:37:24 PM

CEMETERIES 23

political, Catalan Renaixença (Renaissance), the Modernisme art movement, more revolutions, the rise of anarchism, general strikes, fascism and the Civil War. Visiting these cemeteries provides a real insight into the impact of historical events on the city and its people, whether you brave the night-time tour of Poblenou or join one of the Sunday daytime tours of both that run throughout the year.

Poblenou Cemetery Originally designed by Italian architect Antonio Ginesi, Poblenou cemetery was inaugurated in 1819 and located almost a mile away from the city, outside its walls, meaning a 30-minute walk through undeveloped land inhabited by wolves to get there. Its location made it unpopular, as did the fact that the population had been accustomed to having deceased loved ones nearby and still a part of their daily lives when buried in the graveyards next to parish churches. Yet Ginesi’s plan for the cemetery was very much in line with the society of the time and took into account the new moral values and social ideas that were developing through the economic growth in Barcelona from new commerce and industry.

Unfortunately, Ginesi died within five years of its opening, and his full plan never came to completion. The cemetery today is the result of various reforms and developments that have taken place over the years. One of the most important differences to Ginesi’s original design is the section of mausoleums, which was constructed between 1848 and 1852. Ginesi’s vision had been influenced by the growing idea of social equality at the start of the 19th century, which came on the back of the French Revolution, and he reflected this vision by introducing the use of burial niches for all classes except the poor, who were buried in a communal grave. However, by the middle of the century Barcelona’s new bourgeoisie wanted to show off their wealth and social status. One way they did this was by having a new section added to the cemetery where they could have mausoleums designed and built by the most important architects and master builders of the time, featuring sculptures and applied arts such as stained glass, mosaic, and bronze and iron work by well-known artists.

Examples of neo-Classic, neo-Gothic, neo-Byzantine, Modernisme and eclectic architecture and art are all on display—indeed it can feel more like an open-air museum than a cemetery.

Two mausoleums that particularly stand out for their grandeur are the neo-Gothic works of architect Josep Oriol Mestres Esplugas, who was responsible for Barcelona Cathedral’s façade. They feature work by the sculptor Joan Roig Solé whose angels, apostles and prophets can also be seen on that same façade.

The cemetery has its curiosities, too, such as El Beso de la Muerte (The Kiss of Death), one of its most famous sculptures. This striking marble work by Jaume Barba, depicts Death as a winged skeleton who is seen to be kissing the life from a young male; the inscription is a verse by the poet Jacint Verdaguer.

Another peculiarity is the shrine to El Santet (The Little Saint).

Little is known about the popular saint Francesc Canals Ambrós, who died aged 22 in 1899, except that he came from a humble background and was kind and charitable. Devotees pray to him

The moonlit tour of Poblenou cemetery focuses much more on life than death.

The Kiss of Death statue in Poblenou cemetery. Photo by Amanda August

22-24. Cemeteries PDF.indd 35

9/22/11 1:37:48 PM

24 CEMETERIES

Dr Farreras i Framis was buried in Montjuïc cemetery in 1888; his tomb has a life-size skeleton sculpture on top. Photo by Amanda August

>>

for miracles, believing that he helps those in need, and lit candles, letters, photos, flowers, even cuddly toys are left at his niche. His shrine is now made up of 20 niches as families have given up their own to it over the years.

Montjuïc Cemetery In response to an ever-increasing population and a stream of epidemics of yellow fever, cholera and typhus between 1821 and 1870, the new cemetery of Montjuïc was inaugurated in 1883, presided over by Barcelona mayor at the time, Francesc Rius i Taulet. He would later be buried here himself, in 1890.

Architect Leandre Albareda envisaged a monument of monuments, and while visitors today can appreciate a symmetry and elegance in its design, as was the case with Ginesi’s plan for Poblenou cemetery before him, much of Albareda’s plan didn’t see the light of day because of political and economic pressures.

The cemetery, however, quickly became an important social and cultural reference for the city’s elite: families who were making their fortunes in business, industry and finance. Predominantly located in a section that is sometimes referred to as the Passeig de Gràcia of Montjuïc cemetery, their mausoleums are truly monumental, complete with chapels, ornate altars, sarcophagi and life-size marble sculptures.

Alongside such splendour are simpler yet no less striking tombstones. Of particular note are the realist life-size sculptures on the tombs of Nicolau Juncosa and Dr Farreras i Framis. The first is of Death as a skeleton, covered with a shroud, resting its hand comfortingly on the shoulder of the deceased. The second has a shrouded skeleton lying on top of the tomb. In sharp contrast to these are the omnipresent angels, on the whole looking serene and in poses that imply protection for the deceased and comfort for the

22-24. Cemeteries PDF.indd 36

grieving family, but occasionally portraying absolute desolation.

Interestingly, the graves of personalities who are buried here— for example Joan Gamper (founder of Barcelona Football Club), Ramon Casas (artist), Ildefons Cerdà (urban engineer who designed the Eixample) and Isaac Albéniz (pianist and composer)—tend to be fairly unassuming. In the case of the Surrealist artist Joan Miró, the small arched family vault in which he is buried almost surprises with its conventionalism.

The grave of the ex-president of the Generalitat Lluís Companys, however, is another story. Companys was executed under Franco on October 15th, 1940 and every year on the anniversary of his death, the Generalitat and political party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, of which Companys was leader, organise a memorial that attracts crowds to his grave to lay flowers. His tomb sits within a small lake in the Fossar de la Pedrera, the area of the cemetery that was once a clandestine communal grave for others who were executed under Franco but which today is a peaceful memorial to them.

MORE INFO: The next night-time guided tour of Poblenou Cemetery will be on October 27th. For more information about it and the daytime tours on Sundays at both cemeteries, contact Cemetiris de Barcelona: www.cbsa.es; 902 079 799.

Poblenou Cemetery—Avinguda Icària; Bus: 14, 26, 36 and 41.

Metro: Llacuna (L4). Open 8am to 6pm. Free tours first and third Sundays of the month in Castilian or Catalan.

Montjuïc Cemetery—Mare de Déu del Port 56-58; Bus: 21 and 107 (runs Sundays and holidays only). Open 8am to 6pm. Free guided tours on the second and fourth Sunday each month, in Castilian or Catalan.

9/22/11 1:38:05 PM

Network of English Speaking Therapists Established since 2000

Connie Capdevila Brophy PhD Clinical Psychologist & Psychotherapist 934 670 650

Anna Jansen MA Dance Movement Therapist 657 183 542

Norma Alicia Le贸n, PhD Clinical Psychologist Psychoanalyst 680 971 468

Maria Sideri, MSc Psychologist & Dance Movement Therapist 655 162 410

Donna DeWitt MA Performance & Sport Psychologist 607 636 246

Vera M. Hilb MA Clinical Psychologist & Psychotherapist, EMDR 667 584 532

Jill Jenkins PsyD Child Clinical & School Psychologist 935 041 690

Emma Judge MA Licensed Counselor Psychologist 639 041 549

Manuel Isa铆as L贸pez, MD, PhD Claudia Ros Tusquets MA Clinical Psychologist Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst & Psychotherapist 934 102 962 / 657 570 692 686 991 742

Peter Zelaskowski UKCP Registered Psychotherapist 628 915 040

www.barcelonanest.com All NEST professionals are Licensed / Certified

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 3

English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

9/20/11 12:37:23 PM

26 M FIVE

five

Discover five of Barcelona’s oldest family-run businesses.

By Suzie Boswell. Photos by Lauren Reed.

Barcelona is a wonderland of antiquity, where many of the Catalan businesses that sprouted at the turn of the 20th century have remained in place, despite the everchanging face of city life. This month, we delve into the past of five thriving family-owned enterprises—some of which have been around for as long as the city’s most eminent Modernista landmarks—to share the stories behind their heritage and uncover the local specialities they sell.

Granja M. Viader

Hidden away among the quaintest backstreets off La Rambla, this granja is the oldest of its kind in Barcelona. The fourth-generation enterprise has come far from its humble beginnings as a late 19th-century milk shop and earrned itself a wealth of devoted customers. Milk and eggs are still brought from the family farm in Cardedeu to be turned into highquality dairy produce. Home-made cheese, cream, sandwiches and a variety of puddings are all on offer, and if you’ve already tried their now famous Cacaolat chocolate milk, which the family invented, ask Mercè Viader to whip you up a Mallorquina (pictured)— a glass of sweetened milk with lemon zest and cinnamon—for a refreshing alternative.

Xuclà 4-6 Metro: Liceu (L3) www.granjaviader.cat

Pastelería Brunells

The grandchildren of locally celebrated confectioner Brunells have inherited the recipes for a range of delicious cakes, pastries and sweets as part of the legacy of this traditional patisserie in the Born. Using the original firewood oven—now a century old—to create delectable confectionary, Brunells’ heirs have certainly followed in their forefathers’ footsteps. The most popular delicacy is the hojaldre, a puff pastry made with flour produced at local mills, sweetened with sugar and topped with nuts.

All products are freshly made on-site and can be savoured with a choice of drinks in the tearoom. Allow plenty of time for your visit, as you may find it hard to decide which sweet treat to indulge in first.

Princesa 22 i Montcada 7 Metro: Jaume I (L4)

26-27. M5 PDF.indd 6

9/22/11 11:22:23 AM

M FIVE 27

Ganiveteria Roca

In 1911, Catalan craftsman Ramón Roca returned to Barcelona from overseas to open the Ganiveteria Roca, together with a bladesmithing workshop, in the city’s Gothic quarter. Having learnt the knife trade alongside the most prestigious Parisian manufacturers, Roca then continued to sharpen his technique in Solingen (Germany), known as the ‘city of blades’ for the expertise of its swordsmiths. Back in Catalunya, Roca resolved to put his craft into practice and his cuchillería has held its place in the leafy Plaça del Pi ever since, where it is overlooked by the church of Santa Maria del Pi. A hundred years on, knives, razors, scalpels and scissors still gleam from the 17th-century façade, attracting dedicated clients and collectors from far and wide.

Plaça del Pi 3 Metro: Liceu (L3) www.ganiveteriaroca.cat

Camiseria Pons

Gràcia clothes shop Camiseria Pons has sold high-quality menswear and maintained its classic image during more than a century of evolving fashion trends. Current owner Isabel Estrany inherited the store—along with her grandfather’s eye for design—in 1987, introducing female brands to what had previously been a male-dominated franchise. The camiseria is not only valued for its history and collection of both national and foreign designer brands, but is recognised for its superb customer service. Estrany prides herself on the personal retail experience that she offers and frequently invites her loyal clientele to join her for cups of tea in the courtyard.

Gran de Gràcia 49 Metro: Fontana (L3) www.camiseriapons.com

Fleca Balmes

Founded in 1908, this Eixample bakery has been passed down through four generations of the Crespo family. Current owner Eduard Crespo was raised amidst the sacks of flour that his ancestors used to bake the award-winning artisan bread for which the panadería remains so popular today. Though the Crespos no longer live among the loaves of the Balmes bakery, as its founders did, Crespo still uses the same industrial oven to bake all produce, and has refined his grandparents’ age-old recipes to provide over 300 unique panes. The shop itself has never been renovated, lending the interior a charming rusticity to rival that of its bread.

Balmes 156 Metro: Diagonal (L3 & L5) www.flecabalmes.com

26-27. M5 PDF.indd 7

9/22/11 11:22:24 AM

Business networking event October 19th from 7pm to 9pm Metropolitan and the Guiri Business group present this month’s free networking evening at Fahrenheit Lounge

Guiri Business Group is a LinkedIn community designed to facilitate professional networking through the exchange of information, knowledge, contacts, jobs and opportunities.

Metropolitan sponsors the event and the first drink is on us.

Fahrenheit Lounge will provide some free pica pica for the peckish.

Guiri Business will sponsor a Business Card Prize Draw.

To receive more information and the FREE welcome drink, please visit www.GuiriBusiness.com and R.S.V.P through their LinkedIn group.

Aribau 131 Metro Diagonal (L5 & L3)

www.131fahrenheit.com

Event Oct2011.indd 1

reservas@131fahrenheit.com

9/22/11 1:40:05 PM

On IN-EDIT P. 31

CLOUD CONTROL P. 33 LEM FESTIVAL P. 33 TOTES LES CARTES P. 34

La escalera de la evasi贸n. Fundaci贸 Mir贸. P. 35

29 Cover copy 1.indd 1

9/21/11 3:01:15 PM

30 ON

3

the edit We trawl through the month’s cultural events and pick our favourites

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

Casino l’Aliança Poblenou Will Oldham, the other Bonnie Prince, comes to us courtesy of the Primavera Tours. Recording under the guises of Palace Music and more recently his royal moniker, Oldham has also lent his talents to no less than 15 films, most recently and most strangely, Jackass 3D. That aside, he’s a worthwhile, captivating talent so catch him while he’s here. October 27th

Voll-Damm Festival Internacional de Jazz Various venues Barcelona is talking all that jazz this month with the return of the internationally renowned festival.

It’s the 43rd edition for this twomonth-long show and this year performers include the great and the good of the genre. Paolo Conte, Rudres Mananthappa and Madeleine Peyroux (pictured) are all booked.

October 16th to December 1st. www.theproject.es

Un Fràgil Equilibri

Teatre Lliure (Montjuïc) Set in the claustrophic front room of an upper-middle class couple, Edward Albee’s Pulitzer prize-winning work plays out over a weekend and includes a cast of two unwanted guests, an alcoholic sister and a young divorcee all escaping domestic demons. The delicate balance of the title is that everyone is trying to keep up the required social front in the face of an unknown terror with varying degrees of success.

Directed by Mario Gas and performed in Catalan, there will be subtitles in Castilian and English on Thursdays and Saturdays from October 27th. October 20th until November 27th. www.teatrelliure.com

FICGLB

Filmoteca de Catalunya Christian Slater and Eva Longoria star in Without Men, the inaugural screening at this year’s Barcelona International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Gabriela Tagliavini’s film centres on a remote town where all the men leave due to civil war and explains how the female members of the community survive. Also in the varied programme is Becoming Chaz, a documentary about the journey undertaken by Cher’s daughter Chastity Bono as she becomes a man. October 27th until November 6th. www.barcelonafilmfestival.org

ON Contributors: Tyler Andrews, Suzie Boswell, Iseult Larkin, Alx Phillips and Natasha Young

30-33 LIVE.indd 30

9/22/11 11:37:57 AM

ON 31

the

gigs

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears Sidecar, 3rd

Peter Murphy Bikini, 4th

The Bon Scott Band Music Hall, 14th

In-Edit

Yelle

Mogwai

Razzmatazz, 20th

Casino L’Aliança del Poblenou, 28th

Junip

Melendi

Razzmatazz, 21st

Razzmatazz , 29th

Architecture in Helsinki

Adam Cohen

Razzmatazz, 26th

BeCool, 30th

Various venues

October is always a fabulous month for film fans, not least because it sees the start of Barcelona’s music documentary film festival, In-Edit. Here Natasha Young picks the ones to watch and where to go on after.

Best for oddballs: The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye This decidedly bizarre film follows Psychic TV’s lead singer Genesis P-Orrdige and his wife Lady Jaye as they go under the surgeon’s knife to become one being. Not your average love story: more like Frankenstein with knobs on. Post-film genderbending fun at El Cangrejo (Montserrat 9).

Best for beautiful losers: Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah No matter if you’ve never heard of him, the story of this Texan troubadour and country protest singer will stay with you long after the credits role. Post-film hoedown at Country Music Saloon (Valencia 166).

Best for skinflints: George Harrison: Living in the Material World Martin Scorsese doesn’t do short and at 208 minutes this George Harrison epic gives you your money’s worth. Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton examine the most mystic Beatle and his passage from childhood to stardom. Post-film cheap drinks at Polaroid (Còdols 29).

Best for holy rock and rollers: Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon Follow the highs and lows of these God-fearing sons of preachers in a warts-and-all documentary that takes in groupies and prayer meetings. Post-film ‘Sex on Fire’ chanting at Razzmatazz (Pamplona 88).

Best for metal heads: Last Days Here A poignant look at the life of doom metal merchant Bobby Liebling as he attempts to overcome years of addiction, loneliness and broken dreams to reform his band Pentagram. Post-film moshing at Tequila (Escudellers 28).

Best for night owls: Maratón London’s Backstage: From London to Isle of Wight Forget about the ghoulish gubbins of Halloween and spend the night at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival. With Murray Lerner’s extraordinary footage of Jimi Hendrix in Blue Wild Angel, Canada’s best-loved lothario, Leonard Cohen, and the wild shenanigans of The Who, there’s plenty here to keep you from snoozing. Post-film croissants and coffee at La Valenciana (Aribau 16 bis).

Beefeater In-Edit: Various venues October 27th to November 6th Ticket info, times and full programme at: www.in-edit.beefeater.es

30-33 LIVE.indd 31

9/22/11 11:38:01 AM

32 ON

19th

LEM

6th

Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantรกstico de Catalunya

23rd

The Kooks

15th

Cloud Control

For more live events, visit our website: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

30-33 LIVE.indd 32

9/22/11 11:38:04 AM

ON 33

LEM

Various venues

LEM is Barcelona’s established, experimental music festival that mushroomed out of a clump of alternative spaces in Gràcia, and now calls on larger institu-

Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantástico de Catalunya Various venues

tions to cater for larger acts. While you can’t fault the 10-day programme for quality, for those who loved the ragged coolness of LEM (the weird bleeps,

For the best part of the year Sitges is known for its beaches and as a top

the neon smoke, the shouting), some of this year’s performances might feel a

gay-friendly location. But for 10 days, it takes on a far more sinister air and

little slick. Taking part are an impressive array of professional musicians from

becomes home to murderers, vampires, things that go bump in the night

all over the world and if one instrument predominates it’s the jazz saxophone,

as all number of ghoulish characters take up residence.

not very experimental, but which nevertheless is indulged in a special 12-hour marathon broadcast on Ràdio Gràcia 107.7 fm (27th).

It is the live performances by local bands in little spaces that evoke the true

In the same month as Halloween, Sitges gets a double helping of otherworldliness with the annual Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, which focuses on the best horror and fantasy cinema. And

spirit of LEM. On the 19th, take a tour around Gràcia, where Catalan groups

we mean the best—previous films shown here include The Abyss and Kill

La Mosca, Soyzu, Mireia Tejero & Adele Madau and Duot perform in venues

Bill and illustrious guests such as Martin Sheen and king of strange David

worth discovering: Circuit Torçat, Espai EART, La Caldera, and Eat Meat

Lynch have been in attendance.

gallery. On the 20th, stay put at La Fontana for funk and swing courtesy of

This year the two films creating the biggest buzz are Lars Von Trier’s

Residual Gurus, Libas Traum Tri and frantic Italians Chupaconcha. A session at

Melancholia and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion. Von Trier, the contro-

culture space NIU in Poblenou features Ragul and Vernier 1418 (23rd).

versial Dane, has already hit the headlines in recent times after being

CaixaForum hosts one of the more interesting musical events when the

declared persona non grata at Cannes this year but despite his unfortunate

cinematic sounds of Murcof and Philippe Petit are perpetrated by the trumpet

comments about Nazis and his subsequent ban from proceedings, the

of Mark Cunningham (21st). In MACBA’s subterranean auditorium, veteran

film’s star Kirsten Dunst won the Best Actress Award. Contagion, Steven

American percussionist Ted Daniel and trumpeter Charlie Collins team up

Soderbergh’s latest hit, includes an all-star cast and premiered this year

(22nd), and Portuguese violinist and electronic musician Carlos Zingaro per-

at Venice; it plays on the very prevalent fear of a deadly virus spreading

forms with his Electroacustic Ensemble (28th).

around the world.

Zingaro also appears with saxophonist Liba Villavecchia for ‘Impronit’ in Gràcia’s Elèctric Bar on the 26th, although even an improvisational encounter between these two practised performers may end up feeling staged. Finally,

Other highlights include the Guillermo Del Toro produced Don’t be Afraid of the Dark and Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse.

So if you like to seek out the scary, head to Sitges for a couple of fright-

back to La Fontana for something sweet and tuneful (29th), Catalan vocals and

inducing nights this month.

soft electronica from Cargo, plus Graves, Institut Fatima and DJ Gonzo signing

See the festival website for details of the full programme, venues and

LEM off for another year.--AP. www.gracia-territori.com. October 19th to 29th

ticket sales. www.sitgesfilmfestival.com. October 6th to 16th

THE KOOKS

CLOUD CONTROL

Razzmatazz

BeCool

You have to love a band that allegedly got together whilst shopping for

When thinking of alternative music artists who have surfaced from Aus-

clothes and who secured their first gig because the manager at the venue

tralia of late, one ensemble immediately springs to mind. The Temper Trap

liked their hats.

rose to international success from down under after their haunting single

The Brighton boys are certainly full of attitude and if you enjoy a good

‘Sweet Disposition’ was chosen to accompany the trailer of indie film tri-

pop feud (and let’s face it, who doesn’t), then this indie-styled, yet self-

umph (500) Days of Summer in 2009. Now threatening to steal the band’s

proclaimed pop band, provide plenty of brawl for your buck, all too often

spotlight is Australian four-piece Cloud Control, whose debut album Bliss

letting the drama spill out on stage. In 2006 the band dedicated their song

Release is brimming with hand-clapping vocal harmonies and managed to

‘Naïve’ to Razorlight lead vocalist Johnny Borrell live on stage at London’s

swiftly scoop up the Australian Music Prize earlier this year, only months

Astoria after Borrell slammed their sound as “horrible”, and a swift kick to

after its release.

the face was delivered mid performance to Arctic Monkeys front-man Alex Turner for apparently trying to sabotage their gig.

Other legitimate reasons for being a fan include, of course, the crazy

Written just outside Sydney among the lush valleys of the Blue Mountains, the album resonates with the serenity of the region, but not without injecting upbeat chord progressions into a fury of flawless percussion.

success of their last two albums, Inside In/Inside Out and Konk. The

Singer Alister Wright’s lilting vocals propel you to soaring heights on tracks

band’s newest offering, Junk of the Heart, was produced by Tony Hoffer

like ‘Death Cloud’, only to drop you in a haze of psychedelic instrumenta-

of Belle and Sebastian, Depeche Mode and Ladyhawke fame. Despite

tion, while during the anthemic ‘There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t

their sometimes outlandish behaviour, Junk of the Heart sounds like an

Fight’ a helpless battle ensues between idle fingers and the repeat button.

album from a band who have got their act together. It’s clean and earnest

Imagine the wistful crooning of Arcade Fire brightened by the sunny

and contains some typically catchy as hell tracks. Fans of The Kooks will

surf-pop of The Beach Boys and you’re close to reaching the lyrical grace of

not be disappointed, but it remains to be seen if this new work will win

Cloud Control. Now add the earthy tones of folk group Fleet Foxes to the

them any further followers: while the writing is good, the tracks are once

equation and you’re getting even warmer.

again all about the chorus and claims could be made that it all sounds a little unoriginal.

The band claim not to be as gentle in the flesh as they might sound on their debut LP, so expect a live act empowered by boot-stomping energy

Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating and this month the

and swinging guitars, rather than wispy acoustics. That’s not to say that

cooler-than-thou band are return to Barcelona after a four-year absence. So

Cloud Control don’t have a soft side however, and it seems nothing can

if you’re a Kooks fan (or want to become one), don’t let the fact that it’s

dampen their spirits after having experienced the European festival scene

a school night put you off and keep your ears open for any special, new

over the summer. Their elation will certainly shine through in their autumn

dedications.--IL

tour across the continent.--SB

30-33 LIVE.indd 33

9/22/11 11:38:04 AM

34 ON

1395 Dies Sense Vermell

Totes les cartes

MACBA. October 19th until January 9th, 2012

CCCB. October 12th until February 19th, 2012

Two films set in the same period, in the same city, using the same foot-

The creators of ‘The Complete Letters’ (Totes les cartes) began the

age, action, characters and soundtrack, show individually harrowing

project with a simple goal: to assemble pairs of directors from opposite

visions of the four-year siege of Sarajevo by Serbian forces in the Nine-

parts of the globe to each film their ideas about the struggle to

ties. 1395 Days Without Red, a project by Šejla Kamerić and Anri Sala,

cinematically capture one’s homeland, and then send those recordings to

co-produced by the MACBA and London-based Artangel, was originally

their partner. The filmed ‘epistles’, as they are aptly called thanks to their

meant to be a single film before disagreements led the artists to edit two

intimate, confessional quality, were then exchanged and responded to in

hour-long films separately.

From 1992 to 1996, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina became the epicentre of a slow war in which barbarities were committed “reminiscent of the Nazi era” (The Guardian). The films recreate a state of fear, abandonment and survival by necessity, in which individual citizens go about their daily lives under the constant threat of indiscriminate snipers.

kind. Filmic epistle for filmic epistle, over and over again. The directors included in this exhibition are among the best and most prominent chroniclers of public space working today—from José Luis Guerin in Barcelona to Jonas Mekas in New York, Victor Erice in Madrid and Abbas Kiarostami in Tehran; Albert Serra in Banyoles to Lisandro Alonso in Buenos Aires.

The resultant films represent two things: firstly, an open, respectful,

Protected only by the warning to dress as unobtrusively as possible, it

and sincere dialogue between film-makers about their environmental

is estimated that nearly 10,000 people were killed or went missing in the

differences and its effect upon their film-making; and secondly, the

city during the siege, including over 1,500 children.

discovery for the viewer that geographical diversity is a superficial

Filmed in present day Sarajevo, the films are set only to music, the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, Pathétique, played by

distinction for film-makers.

In this exhibition the simultaneous and juxtaposed presentation of the

the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra. Artist and film-maker Šejla Kamerić

films may seem a bit daunting from a purely sensory perspective, but the

was born in Sarajevo in 1976 and lived through the siege in her late

overall experience is not chaotic at all. It’s actually quite synthesised. The

teens, while Anri Sala, born in 1974, grew up under Albanian commu-

viewer, over the course of one of these filmic dialogues, begins to see

nism.

shared ideas of place through recapitulated images and stylistic homage.

Alongside ordinary Sarajevans, Spanish actress Maribel Verdú plays a solitary woman retracing an infamous route known as ‘sniper’s alley’, where pedestrians trying to cross at street corners and open spaces along it became targets. In doing so, she relives the real experiences of Sarajevo’s citizens.

1395 Days Without Red removes the safe haven from which many of us viewed the Balkan war, when aerial images of burning buildings and mass graves seemed horrifying, but distant events. The films make the

While each film-maker may capture vastly different patrias (homelands), ‘Totes les cartes’ shows the viewer how they all ultimately work on the same wavelength, how they borrow ideas about filming their homeland from each other.

For anyone who’s watched En construcción, José Luis Guerín’s visceral 2001 documentary on the gentrification of the Raval, this exhibition is a great opportunity to see how his unique style of discreet, specific journalistic approach to filming Barcelona inspires Jonas Mekas, a Lithuanian-born New Yorker filming New York. Shared visions of

experience seem immediate and personal, suggesting that one of the

environment emerge and we discover a “film continent” occupied by film-

most terrifying things about living in a state of fear is the importance of

makers where disparate places symbolise similar feelings and traditions,

personal choices; when seemingly random events that otherwise would

and superficial differences fall away.

be inconsequential, such as a mistimed dash from one side of the street

The viewer becomes a traveller, drawing conclusions about the way we

to the other, being lit by an unexpected beam of sunlight, or by wearing a

interact with our homelands—and those places that we have come to call

bright bangle, could cost you your life.--Alx Phillips

home—where we find our identities.--Tyler Andrews

34-35 ARTS.indd 52

9/22/11 11:57:10 AM

ON 35

Quick picks

Marea Negra. Roca Gallery. October 29th to January 29th, 2012. rocabarcelonagallery.com

3 La Ciudad de Sagnier. CaixaForum. Until January 8th. obrasocial.lacaixa.es

La escalera de la evasi贸n. Fundaci贸 Mir贸. October 16th to March 18th, 2012. fundaciomiro-bcn.org

34-35 ARTS.indd 53

9/22/11 11:57:12 AM

36 GASTRONOMY

Rice place P

eople have written entire books on the search for the best paella. Indeed I’ve often considered it myself as I’ve gone from one historically celebrated place to another, often feeling like I’m missing something. Of course, as is true of so many of Spain’s communal dishes, it’s the kind of thing you’ll eat best in the bosom of somebody’s home and family, ideally cooked over vine cuttings with a certain wind blowing through your hair and all the rest of it.

But in my travels, I went to La Pepica (www.lapepica.com) on the beach in Valencia, which is probably the most famous paella joint in Spain, a favourite of bullfighters and Hemingway, but for me the rice was so salty it was pretty much inedible and the place has become a Disneyland of a restaurant. I scoured Xàtiva, the unofficial home of arroz in the Valencian region, and found nothing to get wildly excited about, and then finally spent a day traversing the obscure villages of the Albufera, an estuary and natural park on the Gulf of Valencia, where at last I found paella as it should be: taut, plump grains of rice deeply infused with the flavours of sea and river and mountain, and nothing else has quite lived up to it quite since.

In Barcelona, Can Majo (www.canmajo.es) has always been reliable, Kaiku’s smoked rice with ceps and artichokes is a thing of beauty and I enjoy Villoro for its heaving great cauldrons of ricey things in a no-nonsense, Andaluz atmosphere. But I wasn’t sure what to expect of Pez Vela, a new arm of the everexpanding Tragaluz Group tucked into the foundations of the W Hotel.

Tragaluz are known for great design, careful service and quality food, granted, but I’ve come to place paella in a box in my brain among other elusive art forms that come along once in a blue moon. Rare is the occasion you hear people whooping for joy or waxing lyrical into their column inches of the food pages, or grabbing your hand and urging “You MUST go. It’s really, really great.” But if I could take your hands in

mine and say that of Pez Vela, I would.

It was a lovely, sunny Sunday afternoon when I visited, and since Barcelona in October is still bathed in golden, balmy sunshine, go for lunch rather than dinner to make the most of it. I liked everything about it from their contemporary interpretation of a chiringuito—the space is open on one side, which makes it feel outdoorsy all the way through—with poured concrete floors and rough planks of timber nailed to the walls, the ample tables and comfortable armchairs made for lolling about in, the huge bowl of tender salad leaves, dressed with a light hand and plonked in the middle of the table for all to share, and the rich, creamy turrón ice-cream sandwiches that came at the end.

But it was the rice that was the showstopper. The large paellera (paella pan) filled with the thinnest layer of plump, bomba grains didn’t look like it could feed a hungry foursome, but as it turns out, therein is the secret to a great paella. For each yielding grain had fully absorbed the rich seafood stock so as to be bursting with flavour and the socarrat—the much-desired crunchy, caramelised underside of the paella—had formed in abundance. There was none of the stodgy clagginess that comes from overcooking the rice—bomba needs 20 minutes tops—just deeply flavoured, nutty-textured rice liberally studded with the cuttlefish, prawns and clams that formed the basis of the stock. It didn’t just satisfy, it defeated us in that classically British way where, with barely a spoonful left, we pushed it around between us, each too polite to take the final mouthful, groaning, “No, no, I’m full. Couldn’t possibly”.

Paz Vela—Paseo del Mare Nostrum 19-21 (Barceloneta). Tel. 93 221 6317. www.grupotragaluz.com Open: Mon-Fri, 1 to 3.45pm; Sat-Sun, 1-4.30pm; Mon-Thur & Sun, 8-11.30pm; Fri & Sat, 8pm-12.30am. Menu of salad, paella and dessert plus glass of wine, €35. Tara’s rating: ✪✪✪✪

✪ - NOT WORTH THE TRIP, ✪✪ - COULD IMPROVE, ✪✪✪ - GOOD, ✪✪✪✪ - VERY GOOD, ✪✪✪✪✪ - NOT TO BE MISSED

The W Hotel is home to a new paella joint well worth checking out. By Tara Stevens. Photo by Richard Owens.

READ TARA’S FOOD AND DRINK BLOG FOR THE LATEST GOURMET NEWS AND REVIEWS: WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM

36-37. food & drink PDF.indd 56

9/22/11 11:01:48 AM

GASTRONOMY 37

Recipe

by Tara Stevens

THE SECRET TO PAELLA

T

Photo by Tara Stevens

he most common mistake people make with paella —certainly the mistake I always made—was to try to cram too much into it. It’s actually a very frugal dish, the star being the rice with the rest just a flavouring, which could take the form of rabbit, beans and snails as it does in the hinterland around Valencia, or simply the rich black ink of a cuttlefish in the famed arròs negre of the Costa Brava.

The main thing is not to overdo the extras, and to cook the rice for 20 minutes max without stirring, to keep the grain whole and tender. Remember, you’re looking for an al dente dish—ideally layered with a good socarrat (the crisp, gooey underside of the paella)—not a risotto.

SEAFOOD PAELLA (SERVES FOUR) · · · · · · · · · · ·

3 garlic cloves, sliced 1 medium sized white onion, finely chopped 1 large tomato, finely chopped 1 tsp pimentón 1 tsp saffron, lightly toasted and crumbled 50g sepia (cuttlefish), uncooked 15 raw large prawns 1 large handful clams, well washed 175g bomba rice 750ml fish stock 3 tbsp olive oil

Method Dry the sepia on kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt. Peel the prawns and set aside. Add the shells to the stock, bring it to a boil then let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Sauté the garlic and onion in the oil until sweet smelling and golden. Add the tomato and cook down for another 5 minutes or so. Add the pimentón and saffron, cook until dark, brown and jammy. Cut the sepia and prawns into 1-2cm cubes (size as preferred) and sauté until opaque. Sprinkle just enough rice over the mixture to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir well to flavour the rice, then pour over enough stock to cover the rice by about 2cms. Stir to distribute the ingredients, but do not stir again after this point. Sit on a medium hot stove and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Then add the clams, pushing them into the top of the rice, adding a little more liquid if needed. Cook for another 10 minutes by which time the rice should be al dente and the stock almost fully absorbed (if it’s a little wet on top, but the rice is pock-marked, it’s done).

Remove from the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve direct from the pan and with a few lemon wedges if desired.

36-37. food & drink PDF.indd 57

9/22/11 11:01:51 AM

38 GASTRONOMY

Lunch with...

The owner of Xix Bar and Gin Corner, Mike Cruickshank, sits down to eat and chat with Tara Stevens.

M

ike Cruickshank has been in Barcelona for nearly 20 years ago and opened Xix Bar (www.xixbar.com) in 2005. It quickly became one of the hottest destinations in town thanks to Cruickshank’s unique approach to gin and tonic, and continues to wow with rare gins and exotic mixes like cinnamon sprays and ginger infusions. He opened Gin Corner—a specialist gin shop—next door last year and runs tasting courses for aficionados. Stop by over the next couple of months as he gears up for Christmas with unexpected flavours and textures, the future of the modern G&T. The lunch: Cañete Grilled squid on sautéed wild mushrooms, homecured arbequina olives, tomato salad with rare grilled tuna belly and a bottle of Valdesil Godello from Vilamartín de Valldeorras.

What’s the most striking thing about eating and drinking in Barcelona?

People are much closer to the food here. You buy fish with the head on, for example, and everyone talks about food, not just people in the business like myself. When I first arrived and was teaching English even my students talked about food; it was the glue that bound society together and so it was a very attractive thing to get involved in.

Why did you choose Cañete for lunch today?

I think the immediacy of it: the straight-off-thegrill temperatures, the crisp textures and the massive sense of freshness you get from food cooked on the spot. Here, because it’s an open kitchen, you feel very close to the action, you can see something passing and think “yes, I’ll have one of those”. We try to apply this principle and sense of theatre to the bar, too.

How have things changed since you got here?

Because of my business I can’t get out as much as I’d like, but there’s no bog standard ‘bar de barrio’ these days, and I think the focus on tourism in the centre has knocked the quality of eating out for six. Twenty years ago you could walk in anywhere and you’d get something reasonably good to eat. Now you can’t, which is a shame because the Ajuntament says gastronomy is the

38 Lunch with PDF.indd 42

greatest draw for tourists, but many places have got complacent.

These days you need to head for the outer barrios like Poble Sec and Sant Antoni to eat well.

Mike recommends For day-to-day eating, Bar Seco in Poble Sec is great. Portions are generous, it’s all organic and it’s light. Most of us don’t need a three-course menú anymore, so it’s good to have more places going for the middle ground.

Cañete Unió 17 (Raval), tel. 93 270 3458. Open: Mon-Sat, 1pm-1am. Approx €30 for several tapas and wine. www.antiguobarorgia.com

9/22/11 11:05:41 AM

main pages - August 11 .indd 3

7/18/11 1:31:46 PM

Food &Drink

V.O.S Cinebar4 SARRIÀ & EIXAMPLE Ever wished you could share a cocktail with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart here in Barcelona? Well now you can!

Cinebar brings the golden age of cinema back to Barcelona with original version screenings of everything from Hollywood classics to French New Wave and Italian neo-realism. While you’re there, enjoy a ‘cine sandwich’ made from a selection of rustic breads, a movie-themed salad, fresh juices, smoothies, proper Italian coffee or, of course, a cocktail.

For more in food&drink NEFW &D IN

visit our online directory

V.O.s

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking UNDER 20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | OVER 40 RV Reservation Advised | NEW in food & drink this month

Bagels

Bar - Live Music

E

Plaça Cardona 4 | Metro GràciaCarrer | Paris 200 | Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 002 2300 | Open 8am-3am an

u ca es so yo h subtitl it w p the ackdro sic from d as a b BE MY BAGEL 4GRÀCIA screene cted mu flaherty's4BARRI GÒTIC le e s y ll fu the care ould c o enjoy Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be u ls a o y Since it was established in 2001, Flaherty’s hed ties.

My Bagel is the right place for you. They ver wis ocktails Thirties to the Six has become one of Barcelona’s best known c a sell authentic bagels from Barcelona, just n o l and busiest Irish pubs. By offering food arce how you like them. ade all day from 10amsatilndmidnight share B urn or wich’ m (including b p e e H in ‘c Irish Breakfast as well ey our popular as y a Full They have an extensive range of bagelsith Audr ere, enjo hemeond big satellite sports w u can. o movie-t you’re th group menus), alive y a e , il s w and cakes, from the more classic choices h d o W c bre a sunny terrace andoaffepool screens,tiWiFi, art? N c e such as poppy and multigrain to delicious n of rus aliandarts, rey Bog can not er Itplay selectio room where you ropalso p and innovative chocolate,Hu almond mphand , s from a ie toes,mention smoothits very spacious premises, a coconut bagels - you’ll not come away is ic a ju n rdo esh Flaherty’s has rightly become known as disappointed. salad, fr Plaza Ca il. has it all!

EBAR in the pub cktathat ’s IN C re e d e th n , is rse, a co ly ope d news r, of cou o o o g The new e d th fans an ith C/ nts, for film s, 200 (w our eve magnet n C/Pari on for y o ti a g c in lo n t ope erfec swanky r braInch is the p tivals to theGràcia Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I Metro L3 Fontana anoand Cinebar th. film fes n i o in m m is d Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com th s an not tionJoaquim nados) jecPlaça Xirau | Metro Drassanes shaken Open from Mon-Fri 9.30-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Enric Gra from pro Tel. 93 412 6263 ’s a Martini – Sat 10am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm, Sun 10.30am-2pm it tail, r e ck ne cock ema ba o wheth hampag e of cin irées. S C g o a a s r n o e after f . e gold t you’re enings o t you kid brings thCafé oking a ion scre ed – tha lo rr rs Cinebar e ti ’s s v l re a e ebar. H h origin ch it at Cin Margarita Blue lona wit to Fren u’ll findCafetería to Barce classics o y d o o w 4BARRI GÒTIC Holly are Vil·la Florida4SarriÀ ing from All films everyth ealism.

-r o e n n a Located in the heart of old Barcelona, li a It d A little oasis in Barcelona’s Zona Alta ave an Margarita Blue has become a classic New W Cafetería Vil·la Florida is situated in the in the city’s bar scene. Delight in the San Gervasi civic centre, in a beautiful, dishes from the ‘‘Mexiterranean” kitchstately building surrounded by gardens. en, such as a variety of tacos, amazing During the week they offer á la carte or guacamole, fresh carpaccio and tomates armenú whilst at the weekends there’s verdes fritos or take pleasure in a drink a b e in C brunch and tapas. or cocktail whilst appreciating new Breakfasts, premium teas, fresh natumusic and spectacular shows that altera 4 juices, and cakes and biscuits plus rdonral nate between theatre and performance Plaza Ca s 2healthy, 00 home-made deserts. ri a art.

Carrer P 971 0 7 9 1 Tel. 65 2300 93 002 Muntaner 544 | Metro Putxet | Bus: 64 (stop Muntaner); Bus: 22, 75 (stop Pl. Bononova) Mon-Fri 9am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Josep Anselm Clave 6 | Metro Drassanes Tel. 93 412 5489 | www.margaritablue.com | Mon-Fri 1.30pm-4pm, 8pm-2.30am, Sat-Sun 6pm-2.30am | RV

Bar

VOS Bar Dec 2010.indd 1

7Sins Bar and Lounge 4EIXAMPLE e If you’re looking for a friendly and good value place to get a bite to eat, 7Sins is the place you’re looking for! Their menu has a vast selection of dishes to share as well as a large choice of gourmet 100% beef burgers. After your meal there’s an elegant lounge with Chesterfield sofas and impressive decor, ideal for having a drink or cocktail. 7Sins also has a terrace where you can enjoy a meal or a drink outdoors. You can see their full menu at www.7sinsbar.com

Muntaner 7 | Metro Universitat | Tel. 93 453 6445 www.7sinsbar.com | Mon-Fri 11am-3am, Sat-Sun 6pm-3am | RV

Food & drink oct 2011.indd 44

Ice Cream Shop

11/2/10 12:25:47 PM

Bellamia Heladeria Italiana4BORN After a long day of discovering Barcelona, people queue up to taste Bellamia’s exquisite gelato. The reason: friendly staff, an excellent location, but most of all, delicious, freshly made ice cream that gets rave reviews from everyone who’s tried it. Bellamia’s ice cream is gluten-free and you can let them surprise you with some of their original treats like ice cream sandwiches and panne cotte.

Visit their lovely store in the heart of Born and you’ll be in for a tasty treat.

Epaseria 14 | Metro Jaume I, | Tel. 93 310 4210 1pm-midnight (50m from Santa Maria del Mar)

9/22/11 12:55:00 PM

FOOD & DRINK 41 delivery Vitali PiZZa Special Metropolitan offer: Buy 3 pizzas and get the 4th pizza FREE + a bottle of Lambrusco.

Paris 109 I Metro Hospital Clinic I Tel. 93 444 4737 Gran Via 931 I Metro Clot | Tel. 93 303 0735 Taxdirt 13 I Metro Joanic/Gracia | Tel. 93 285 41 95 www.vitalipizza.com

SuShi on the BeaCh

Two boys put their heads together and came up with a great idea!

Sushi delivered to you while you sunbathe on the beach, 7 days a week. Choose between two 8 menus. 4 Prawn Makis with cream cheese, strawberry, salmon, teriyaki sauce and black sesame + 4 Futomaki of salmon and mango + 4 California rolls You’re just a call away from fresh sushi, made daily with love, delivered to you while you sunbathe.

Tel. 672 917 174

gourMet eXPreSS4 BARCELONA ‘Lunch Box’ by Gourmet Express. The best alternative to pizza or Asian food. A new concept in Barcelona; they are specialists in delivering high-quality food to your home or office at reasonable prices. They can deliver within 30 minutes, exquisite menús, made by our own chefs using only the freshest products. Traditional Catalan and Mediterranean food to satisfy the most discerning palate, thoughtfully served with all you might need, including metal cutlery and glasses. All so you can enjoy food in the comfort of your home or office. Free delivery to readers of Barcelona Metropolitan.

Pasaje Milans 28 | Tel. 93 260 0789 www.gourmet-express.es

hard roCK Cafe4CIUTAT VELLA Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona offers an inspired, creative ambience with incredible rock‘n’roll memorabilia on display. Come and taste authentic American food. Their barbecue entrées slow cooked in the cafe’s hardwood smokers are delicious. Visit the bar to try a premium cocktail and check out the live music and special events on offer. Don’t forget to stop at the Rock Shop for fine, classic, cotton T-shirts or a collectable Hard Rock pin.

Plaça Catalunya 21 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 270 2305 | www.hardrock.com/barcelona | Restaurant: Sun-Thurs 12am-2am, Fri, Sat and hol eves 12am-3am | Rock Shop: Sun-Thurs 10am-1.30am, Fri, Sat and hol eves 10am-2am

international gut4GRÀCIA Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen specialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an international twist and plenty of options for vegetarians. Try their quinoa and tofu burgers or a sinful home-made dessert.

Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail and the friendly, respectful service. It’s the perfect place to have a drink and enjoy the night in good company. Try it for yourself and find out why everyone is talking about Gut.

Perill 13 I Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 186 6360 I restaurantgut@gmail.com

PinK elePhant4 EIXAMPLE fahrenheit4EIXAMPLE E Fahrenheit is a cosmopolitan location that combines fine dining within a modern sophisticated lounge. Already a highly-rated kitchen, Fahrenheit’s restaurant recently introduced an acclaimed new chef and completely new menu. Each dish originates from a different country and is carefully elaborated to respect the traditions of that cuisine while adding a very contemporary touch. Fahrenheit is the perfect place to savour your meal and relax with a drink after dinner. Try one of our carefully prepared cocktails or maybe something from our extensive list of gin and tonics—the house speciality. Fahrenheit’s new ‘Afterwork Lounge’, is a great place to enjoy a complimentary tapa with a glass of wine or international beer to help you unwind after a long day in the office.

Aribau 131 | Metro Diagonal/Hospital Clinic | Tel. 93 531 3435 | reservas@131Fahrenheit.com www.131Fahrenheit.com

Food & drink oct 2011.indd 45

Craving something from home? Owned and operated by an American chef, the Pink Elephant, now in its third year, offers exciting contemporary American cuisine accompanied by an extensive cocktail menu made with home-made fruit juices and fresh herbs. All of our moist, delicious desserts are made on the premises as well. Don’t forget Thanksgiving is coming up and this year our menu will be better than ever! Details will be available soon on our blog.

Villarroel 82 I Metro L1 Urgell/L5 Hospital Clinic Tel. 93 502 4825 I info@pinkelephantlounge.com www.pinkelephantrestaurante.com Mon-Fri 1pm-4pm, 7pm-1am, Sat 1pm-4pm, 7pm-3am, Sun 7pm-1am

9/22/11 12:55:08 PM

42 FOOD & DRINK Mediterranean

indian - Modern Shanti4LES CORTS Shanti (which means peace in Sanskrit) have selected a rich and varied menu comprised of traditional dishes that offer an authentic Indian experience to even the most discerning palettes. Using classic recipes their dishes respect tradition but come with modern presentation. Try their tasting menu for only 24.90 (+IVA).

Agustina Saragossa 3-5 (in front of CC L’Illa) Metro Maria Cristina - Tram 1,2,3 L’Illa Tel. 93 252 3115 | www.shanti.es Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11.45pm Closed Sun | RV

Shanti4CALAFELL This exciting new restaurant opens its doors in the quaint beach town of Calafell.

They serve authentic Indian dishes using traditional recipes but with a modern presentation. Come and enjoy their terrace which has fantastic beach views.

Sant Joan de Deu 43, Calafell Playa Tel. 97 769 3901 I info@shantirestaurant.com. www.shantirestaurant.com

roMero4 EIXAMPLE D Located in the centre of the city, just a few streets from Passeig de Grácia, this exquisite and charming restaurant serves fresh, organic produce sourced directly from local markets. The staff are determined to share their love for Barcelona and its culinary wonders and only use the best ingredients to create their delicious dishes. The idea behind the restaurant was to create a unique space where good friends could come together and enjoy great Mediterranean food and wine. The chef at Romero, José Antonio Camacaro León, has an unmatched passion for food and offers his guests creative, natural dishes based on Mediterranean cuisine. With options for vegetarians and gluten-free menu items, there’s something to suit all tastes. Be sure to check out the great value set menus and daily specials too.

Bailén 115 | Metro Verdaguer or Girona | Tel. 93 457 0640 info@romerobcn.com | www.romerobcn.com | Mon to Sat Lunch starting at 1pm Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm, Thu-Sat Dinner starting at 8.30pm

indian - hindu Veg World4GRÀCIA

BarnaBier 4PORT OLIMPIC

Discover a world of sensations in a relaxed and homely atmosphere. Try vegetarian delicacies from all over the world such as delicious bread home-made in a Tandoori oven and south Indian dishes like Masala dosa and Idly. Daily continental and Indian menus, 9.50 inc. Free soup and salad buffet.

Located at the base of the Mapfre tower at Port Olimpic Barnabier specialise in Mediterranean cuisine, paellas, fresh seafood, tapas and have a great list of international beers. Their fantastic menu also includes salads, grilled meat and pasta with something to suit all tastes. They serve daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. For group reservations of 10 or more please contact to check availability. Consult their website for the complete menu.

NEFW &D IN

Bruniquer 26 | Metro Plaça Joanic Tel. 93 210 7056 | Tues-Sun 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11.30pm

Juice and Smoothie Bar JuiCY JoneS 4GOTICO Barcelona’s quintessential juice bar, Juicy Jones has more than 15 years experience. Always fresh, always vegan, they serve a variety of over 50 juices and smoothies. Vegan, tapas, salads, sandwiches and a menú del diá served all day for just 8.50.

Beware of imitations!

Sushi SUSHIEXPRESS4EIXAMPLE

Want a healthy, tasty alternative? Try a refreshing smoothie like Antioxidant, Mango & Passion Fruit or Coco Muesli ( 3.80) or a delicious juice made only with fresh blended fruit and no added water, milk or sugar ( 3.60). Can’t decide? Try one of their convenient combos from 4.50.

If you want to enjoy the best sushi service in the city, this is your place! Sushiexpress takes great pride in using top quality ingredients to ensure excellent sushi. They are conveniently located in two places in the city: l’Eixample and Santaló, and they can deliver it to your home or hotel. Delivery is from 1pm-3pm and from 8pm-11pm.

You can choose individual pieces of maki, nigiri, sashimi, temaki, menus, combos, and other Japanese specialties from an extensive menu that you can check on their website. If you eat at any of their locations at noon the menus are accompanied by a free drink.

Gran de Gràcia 16 | Metro Diagonal | Tel. 93 217 8115 | Jaume I 1, | Metro Jaume I | Tel. 93 310 3247 Every day 10am-8pm | info@sanojuice.com | www.sanojuice.com

Consell de Cent 255 | Tel. 93 451 5454 Open 12pm-4pm, 7pm-11pm 365days/year!

Delivery 1pm-3pm, 8pm-10.30pm

Cardinal Casañas 7 | Metro Liceu | Tel. 93 302 4330 Every day 10am-11pm

Sano 4GRÀCIA - BARRI GÒTIC

Food & drink oct 2011.indd 46

Marina 16 | Metro Port Olimpic Tel . 93 221 0212 | www.barnabier.com

9/22/11 12:55:14 PM

FOOD & DRINK 43 thai thai4EIXAMPLE E

naKaShita4BORN Nakashita is Barcelona’s newest sushi restaurant, a cosy place where you can enjoy the best Japanese food and freshest seafood. Located close to the Arc de Triomf, the restaurant feels like an authentic Japanese tavern with a very intimate atmosphere. Enjoy your delicious food along with wine, Japanese beer or sake.

Thai Thai restaurant invites you to taste and enjoy traditional Thai food with tropical ingredients from Thailand prepared by Thai chefs. They specialise in all kinds of Thai curries. Thai Thai has created a delicious tasting menu for only 24 and a fresh menu of the day is on offer for 9.50 during the week.

Diputació 91 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 620 938 059 | www.thaithai.es Princep Jordi 6 | Metro España | Tel. 663 126 398 | Every day 1pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | RV | www.thaithaibcn.com

Vegetarian aMaltea4EIXAMPLE E Visit Amaltea vegetarian restaurant where tasty and healthy meals are served in a welcoming environment. Dishes include cereals, pulses and vegetables with home-made puddings. The cuisine is creatively international with care taken to ensure all ingredients are fresh and dishes are well balanced. Menu of the day 10.50, night and weekend menu 15.

Rec Comtal 15 | Metro Arc De Triomf, Tel. 93 295 5378 | www.nakashitabcn.com Mon-Sun 1.30pm-4.30pm, 8.30pm-12am

Diputació 164 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 | www.amalteaygovinda.com Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8.30pm-11.30pm, Closed Sun

TOYO4GRÀCIA

JuiCY JoneS – Vegan reStaurant 4RAVAL Spain’s only vegan restaurant, Juicy Jones never compromises on freshness or quality. They serve a range of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine with a funky ambience they also offer a large variety of freshly squeezed fruit juices and smoothies.

Don’t be fooled by imitations. Go Juicy!

If you are looking for a great sushi restaurant that has a quality buffet with super fresh food prepared daily, Toyo is the place to go. Not only do they have sixteen different types of dishes, but you can also eat as much as your heart desires. Choose what you like while it passes in front of you, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get great service.

Toyo gives you amazing food for a good price. The midday menu is only 10 and the evening one is 15. Take advantage of this great deal and have a wonderful dinner at Toyo.

NEFW &D IN

Carrer Hospital 74 | Metro Liceu | Tel. 93 443 9082 | Every day 12pm-1am

goVinda (Vegetarian)4BARRI GÒTIC A restaurant veteran for 24 years, Govinda specialises in vegetarian Indian cuisine. The international menu features talis, a salad bar, natural juices, lassis, pizzas and crêpes. It offers a veganfriendly, non-alcoholic and authentically decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus.

Torrent del Olla 10 Tel. 93 459 26 30 | www.restaurantetoyo.com Open 1.30pm-4pm, 8.30pm-Midnight | Closed Mon. night

Placa Villa de Madrid 4-5 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 318 7729 | www.amalteaygovinda.com | Tue-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8.30pm-12am, Sun-Mon 1pm-4pm

Vietnamese

take-away PiM PaM Burger4BORN Here quality is of the upmost importance, making it the best burger and frankfurter take-away in town. Special hamburgers, chicken burgers, bratwurst, frankfurters, home-made chips and stroganoff are also available and are all prepared on the premises.

Sabateret 4 I Metro Jaume I Tel. 93 315 2093 burger@pimpamplats.com I www.pimpamburger.com Every day 1pm-12am

thai thai graCia4GRACIA Expect authentic ingredients all imported from Thailand and cooked by experienced Thai chefs. The Pad Thai and green and yellow curries have excellent subtle flavours. Simply delicious! The special tasting menu for 21 is a huge hit and allows you to try all the exotic dishes Thai Gracia has to offer.

An affordable 11 menú del diá is available during the week. The warm hospitality and attention to detail to every dish at Thai Gracia will keep you coming back for more.

Còrsega 381 | Metro Verdaguer / Girona Tel. 93 459 3591 | www.restaurante-thai-gracia.com Every day 1pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | RV

Food & drink oct 2011.indd 47

Bun Bo ViÊtnaM4BARRI GÒTIC Satisfy your craving for fresh, healthy Vietnamese food just steps away from the Gothic cathedral. Sit under the leafy trees of the quiet terrace or inside the restaurant which is entirely decorated with bright colourful pieces straight from Saigon. Start with delicious fresh summer rolls, crispy Asian pork lettuce cups, followed by traditional Pho or Bun noodle dishes.

Accompany your meal with a fresh and exotic cocktail like the sakirinha (caipirinha made with sake). The menu of the day is an affordable 10 inside and 11 on the shady terrace.

The kitchen is open non-stop all day.

Sagristans 3 | Metro Urquinaona | Tel. 93 301 1378 | www.bunbovietnam.com | Every day 1pm-1am

9/22/11 12:55:21 PM

44 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

HAIRDRESSER • MASSAGE

Business directory To advertise in this section, call:

93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

See also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Scissors of London -

Kinki - HAIRDRESSER

Carrer Viladomat 45-47, Atico M. 633 382 787 timbulmer@btinternet.com

Pintor Fortuny 14, Raval Metro: Catalunya (L1, L3) T. 93 302 3379 www.kinkipeluqueros.es Open Mon 4pm-8pm, Tues-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 10.30am-8pm

BRITISH HAIRDRESSER Tim aspires to listen to your needs and suggests how they might be met in distinctive and exciting ways.

Style is unique and Tim will craft you a look achieving a harmony of shape and style. Tim has been hairdressing for over 12 years. Having trained, taught and worked in London’s top salons including Tony & Guy and Vidal Sassoon. Opting out of salon life, Tim works to fit in with the modern pace of life and offers a one to one service orientated around your needs.

Kinki peluqueros is an international hairstyling group from Holland with over 40 salons in their home country.

They put their heart and soul into cutting and colouring the most beautiful hairstyles, from the latest trends to classic cuts. If you bring a friend for a full treatment they will give you both a 15% discount and a free glass of cava. English, Spanish, Dutch, German and French speaking.

KERATIN SMOOTHING TREATMENT Now available

Anthony Llobet English Hair Salon - HAIRDRESSER

Taller - HAIRDRESSER

Don’t let your Spanish come between you and your hair. Anglo-Catalan Anthony Llobet has over 20 years’ experience in hairstyling and a passion for excellent client service. Anthony leads a dedicated team of stylists who specialise in a variety of services, including Afro hair, extensions, straightening and make-up (and speak over 11 languages between them).

The original retro interior and friendly staff create a very special atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy a stylish cut. Put your trust in Anthony and the team, who are strongly committed to providing you with outstanding service at affordable prices.

What sets apart an Aveda beauty professional? Their mission is to bring out their client’s natural beauty. Aveda partners with salon and spa professionals around the world. They see beauty as a craft and believe that authentic beauty is one that works in harmony with nature. Authentic beauty cares for the environment we inherited and that we’ll leave to the generations that follow us. Authentic beauty cares about society, creating harmony in the way we live and the way we interact with one another as human beings. Taller lives this mission to the full, offering gentle and natural hair and beauty treatments in a unique and beautiful space in the heart of the Born.

Gràcia, C/Ros de Olano 19 T. 93 218 0449 / 639 931 555 Raval, C/Sant Pau 122 T. 93 441 3177 / 645 257 506 Eixample, C/Córsega 364 T. 93 457 4211 / 691 330 188 El Born, C/Carders 34 T.93 295 4871 7 645 257 628 Gòtic, C/Avunyó 34 T. 93 301 4513 / 691 676 363 www.anthonyllobet.com

Pescateria 8, Born T. 93 315 0980 Metro: Barceloneta (L4) Open Mon 2pm-8pm; Tues-Sat 11am-8pm

MP 44-49 oct.indd 44

9/22/11 11:56:32 AM

BODYWORK · VETERINARY CLINIC · DOCTORS · DENTISTS · CHEMIST

La Hair Boutique -

HAIRDRESSER

Trained by Toni & Guy London, Veronique runs a friendly salon with a dedicated team who speak English, Spanish, French and Swedish.

La Hair Boutique is a relaxed and cosy salon that offers progressive cuts and colours and great style advice too. They are especially talented at creating new, personalised looks using the latest techniques.

Plaça Regomir 5 Metro: Jaume 1 (L4). T. 93 269 1937 M. 699 643 462 www.hairboutiquebarcelona.com

Pharmacy Serra Mandri

CHEMIST

The helpful and qualified pharmaceutical staff at this wellknown Barcelona chemist can help and advise each client to ensure they get exactly what they need. They also stock a great range of products, including homeopathy, natural medicine, aromatherapy and organic cosmetics. The pharmacy is open 365 days a year and also offers a home delivery service.

The Vital Touch - MASSAGE Relax and de-stress with a therapeutic full-body massage. Nunu Roney at The Vital Touch offers treatments to help women and men relax, energise, re-balance and improve their health and lifestyle. Hot stone massage also available. Central Barcelona location.

Book today and take advantage of a 10% discount for Metropolitan readers.

T. 659 995 657 nunu@thevitaltouch.com www.tvtbarcelona.com

Bonavet - VETERINARY CLINIC Professional and friendly, the Bonavet veterinary clinic provides veterinary consultations, x-rays, analyses and surgery. They can also advise you on dietary requirements and they have a complete range of special food products, beds and toys to keep your pets healthy and happy. If you make an appointment you can even bring your pet down for a grooming session and trim.

Av. Diagonal 478 Metro: Diagonal (L3, L5) Chemist T. 93 416 1270 Homeopathy T. 93 217 3249 Open every day 9am-10pm

Plaça Bonanova 10, 08022 T. 93 211 0204

Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR

Dr. Steven Joseph - DOCTOR

Feel confident with Dr. Mary McCarthy, an American-trained doctor for adults. A native English speaker with over 20 years’ experience in Barcelona, Dr. McCarthy offers professional, private health care. She is a member of the American College of Physicians and is also certified as a Specialist by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Established in 2005, Googol Medical Centre offers its patients comprehensive healthcare in a friendly, discreet and relaxed environment. UK doctor Steven Joseph provides a wide range of medical care for the English-speaking community in Barcelona.

Aribau 215 Pral. 1a T. 93 200 2924 M. 607 220 040 FGC Diagonal or Gràcia

MP 44-49 oct.indd 45

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 45

Gran Via Carles III nº-37-39 Metro: Les Corts (L3) T. 93 330 2412 M. 627 669 524 googol@hotmail.es www.googolmedicalcentre.com Open Mon-Sat

Dr. Christian Eickhoff deutsche zk - DENTIST

Tingsvall & McCarthy

Highly recommended among the international community uses the latest in dental technology like digital prothetics and orthodontics.

The whole german team is English speaking and the doctor has an american training in implantology and orthodontics. Check-ups and X-rays are free. Centrally located

Dr. Stefan Tingsvall offers general dentistry, orthodontics, prosthodontics and endodontics, whilst Elena McCarthy is a qualified dental hygienist and specialises in comprehensive preventative care and tooth whitening Bright Smile. Together, they aim to provide a relaxing and pleasant experience for the patient.

Consell de Cent 249, bajos Metro Universitat (L1/L2) T. 93 323 9629 info@deutsche-zk.com

Castellnou 47 T. 93 205 1903 M. 636 312 522/696 664 430 FGC Les Tres Torres (L6) Bus: 16, 30, 66, 70, 72, 74 tingsvall.mccarthy@gmail.com www.tingsvall-mccarthy.com Open Mon-Sat

- DENTIST

9/22/11 11:56:34 AM

46 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

DENTISTS · CHIROPRACTOR · LIFE COACH · PSYCHOLOGISTS

Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST

Dr. Alistair Gallagher - DENTIST

For all your dental needs, a team consisting of our first-class professionals can offer you excellent treatment. We have more than 30 years of experience and are pleased to offer you our services in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Catalan.

Any fears about going to the dentist or a possible language barrier are diminished here with the caring, relaxed atmosphere. Dr Alistair Gallagher’s clinic keeps up to date with the latest developments in dentistry in order to provide the best care possible, at affordable prices.

Rosselló 95, local, 08029, Barcelona Metro: Hospital Clinic (L5) Entença (L5) T. 93 322 9114 Fax. 93 322 0220 campi@coec.net

Diagonal 281 Metro: Sagrada Familia (L5) Monumental (L2) T. 93 265 8070 M. 607 332 335 alistair@thebritishdentalclinic.com www.thebritishdentalclinic.com

American Chiropractic Center - Doctors of Chiropractic

Isabel Solanich - LIFE COACH / COUNSELLOR

Do you suffer from problems such as lower back pain, sciatica, neck pain, headaches, shoulder and articular pain, discal hernia, fibromyalgia, or stress?

Dr Chiappinelli and his team pride themselves on providing friendly and professional chiropractic care, with the clear aim of improving the patient’s health. The clinics, located in Barcelona and Sitges, have individual treatment rooms which are equipped with the most up-to-date and innovative technology. Dr. Chiappinelli and his team qualified from the top American and French universities and have worked for 20 years to ensure and provide an unbeatable service. They speak English, French, German and Italian.

Make an appointment at either of the clinics and let the team help you to reach your maximum health potential.

As a trained life coach, counsellor and reiki master, Isabel will help you to change situations you don’t like in your life. Isabel can help and guide you to take control of your emotions to achieve personal satisfaction. Face to face, by telephone or via Skype.

Barcelona: Pau Claris, 139 3o 2a T. 93 487 5035 Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L3, L5) Sitges: Rafael Llopart 74, T. 93 811 0101 www.bcnchiro.com

Nick Cross - PSYCHOLOGIST -PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Nick Cross is a registered psychologist, specialised in psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy can help you with the causes of distress and unhappiness and it provides treatment for anxiety, fears, relationship difficulties, depression, problems adjusting, loss and trauma.

T. 644 193 825 ncross@copc.es

MP 44-49 oct.indd 46

T. 676 698 529 consulta@tubienestarpersonal.com www.yourpersonalwellbeing.com

Hestia - PSYCHOTHERAPY The Hestia International Centre of Psychotherapy has become a reference in the city. The professional team work with individuals, couples and families through psychotherapy, coaching, counselling, clinical hypnosis, art therapy, NLP and EMDR. They speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese and Greek and the first consultation is free.

Passeig Sant Joan 180 Pral 2a Metro: Joanic (L4) T. 93 459 2802 info@hestia.es www.hestia.es

9/22/11 11:56:35 AM

PSYCHOLOGISTS · CONSTRUCTION · INTERIOR DESIGN · SECURITY · MOPED RENTALS

Eugenia Espinosa PSYCHOTHERAPY

Eugenia is a dedicated professional who specialises in psychological issues related to immigration. She offers effective treatment for mood and anxiety disorders as well as couples and family therapy. The first consultation with Eugenia is free.

Network of English Speaking Therapists Established since 2000

- Psychotherapist

Jonathan Hooker can help if you’re looking for support, guidance or help with any aspect of your life.

An English-speaking psychotherapist, counsellor, coach and guide, he is dedicated to helping people make sense of their lives. Jonathan provides one-to-one sessions or workshops for groups of four to 12 people.

Metropolitan readers are invited to a free 20-minute introductory meeting.

T. 93 590 7654 M.639 579 646 jonathan.hooker@yahoo.com www.jonathanhooker.com

NEST - PSYCHOLOGISTS

Inysi - CONSTRUCTION

NEST is a dedicated team of Englishspeaking therapists who provide professional services to individuals, families, schools and companies.

They include highly-qualified, licensed psychologists, psychotherapists and educational specialists who live and work in Barcelona and offer their outstanding services to the Englishspeaking community in the city.

For more details of our practitioners, visit our website or see our advertisement in the main pages.

The Inysi Industrial team are professionals in plumbing and electrical services, air conditioning and satellite installation. Providing services for over 60 years to households and companies, no job is too big or too small for them. If you’re looking for someone reliable that you can trust, then get in touch today.

Alcolea 42, Bajos Metro: Plaça de Sants (L1, L5) T. 657 994 630

tProject - CONSTRUCTION

Graham Collins -

Looking for help without the worry of getting lost in translation? This experienced team of builders provide a range of services, including renovations, bespoke carpentry, kitchens and bathrooms, decoration, shopfitting, electrical installations, IT networks, satellite TV, architectural services and exhibition stands. Get in touch with tProject for an obligationfree quote.

Graham Collins is an experienced interior designer and property consultant and can help with everything concerning property, design and decoration. So, whether you need help working out the property market or are looking for someone to renovate your home, Graham is here to help you.

Manuel Isaías López, MD, PhD Claudia Ros Tusquets MA Clinical Psychologist Child and Adolescent Contact: John Steven Thorp Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst & Psychotherapist 93 460 7803 M. 691 664 806 934 102 962T./ 657 570 692 686 991 742 john@tproject.eu

www.barcelonanest.com

MP 44-49 oct.indd 47

Jonathan Lane Hooker

T. 677 090 479 genaespinosa@yahoo.com

www.barcelonanest.com

All NEST professionals are Licensed / Certified

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 47

English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

Interior Design

Consolat del Mar 35, 3er Metro: Barceloneta (L4) T. 678 757 511 grahamcollins@talk21.com

Locksmith - SECURITY

Via Vespa - MOPED RENTALS

Experts in security, Mastercerrajeros can help you keep your property secure. From a simple lock change to metal shutters, safety doors or installing the most advanced security system on the market, they will ensure you get the security solution you need. Their service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Explore Barcelona in style with Via Vespa. Rent a new and automatic Italian Vespa LX 50 and go from the beach to the hills, dive into the city centre and find your way through the charming little streets of Barcelona.

Rent your vespa by the hour or take a tour with friends. The coolest way to see the city.

T. 607 886 622 info@mastercerrajeros.com

Princesa 56 T. 93 319 6754 M. 656 860 471 barcelona@via-vespa.com www.via-vespa.com

9/22/11 11:56:36 AM

48 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

REMOVALS · LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Corase - REMOVALS

Van - REMOVALS

Corase specialise in international removals and have a worldwide network of agents. You can trust them with any type of move, big or small. Their staff are attentive to each client’s needs and are trained to ensure that you get quality, speed and security. Corase also offer a range of other services, including storage facilities. They will be happy to give you a free quote.

VanBCN offers experience, good service and inexpensive rates to make your move or removal safe and easy.

Whether you are looking for man with a van for a quick move or if you want to do a complete removal, just call or send your request online. VanBCN adapts its service to your needs.

They can pick up your stuff or take it to the port, airport or storage. Deliver home your purchases from IKEA or any other shop. Move your office, your room or your house. Just contact VanBCN. They know how to do it.

Av. Diagonal 249 Metro: Monumental (L2) T. 900 702 270 (free) info@mudanzascorase.es www.mudanzascorase.es

Spanish for foreigners

T. 93 426 7684 M. 647 533 344 www.vanbcn.com

Versión Original -

BCN L.I.P. - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

The experienced teachers at Versión Original are thrilled to share their enthusiasm for the Spanish language and culture. This small city centre school, with classes of no more than 10 students, is devoted to languages, especially Spanish. There’s a great atmosphere here and a 5% discount for Metropolitan readers.

BCN L.I.P. Languages is a small school with a warm and welcoming atmosphere in Barcelona’s old town. They offer both intensive and extensive courses and it’s the perfect place to ensure success in your language immersion. The centre is equipped with the most advanced facilities to enable you to succeed in your chosen language.

Gran Via 636, 1o 1a A Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 412 4576 info@versionoriginalbcn.com www.versionoriginalbcn.com

T. 93 318 6591 info@bcnlip.com www.bcnlip.com

LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Bindung - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

BCN Metropol - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Learn Spanish with them in Barcelona, it’s easy! There are new courses starting every month and you can choose between 10, 20 or 30 hours a week in the morning or afternoon. The school promises small groups, and conversational or business classes are also available. They have over 50 years experience and guarantee the best teaching quality to achieve successful results. Those at Bindung consider themselves to be a leading reference for any cultural, entrepreneurial or formative action between cultures. One of their main purposes is to create a meeting space to encourage Spanish learning and facilitate communication between cultures.

Their courses aim to train students to achieve a good command of Spanish by focusing on reading, listening, writing and speaking.

Study Spanish in one of Spain’s most established and prestigious language schools. Since 1982 Metropol have provided high-quality language training to students of all nationalities. The school is right in the heart of Barcelona city centre and it’s a great place to learn or improve your Spanish. It’s a popular and specialised school, with more than 27 years of experience and they offer great value Spanish courses for all levels. In order for every student to have the best experience possible, the qualified teachers use the Prisma method which is recognised by the Instituto Cervantes. The material is modern and effective for small groups and there is also free internet access. Metropol promises high quality at low prices and registration is free with this ad.

Ausiàs March 26 Metro: Urquinaona (L1) T. 93 311 5824 info@bindungbarcelona.com

MP 44-49 oct.indd 48

Pau Claris 87, 1o1a Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 301 8241 www.bcnmetropol.com

9/22/11 11:56:38 AM

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS · SAILING COURSES

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 49

One-to-One -

SPANISH CLASSES Learn exactly what you need with one-to-one Spanish classes in the office or at home. Focus your classes on the language and vocabulary that best serves you according to your own personal or professional needs. Business Spanish and small group classes are also available. Get confident in Spanish with Pilar.

Visit our online

BUSINESS DIRECTORY www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

T. 610 057 266

Languages4Life -

Kingsbrook - LANGUAGE

Languages4Life is a small school in a charming building in the heart of Eixample. Our teaching method is visual and intuitive thanks to our interactive classrooms which have tactile whiteboards and internet.

We have inspirational native teachers who have experience in language instruction. Access to internet on Macs or via WiFi.

Kingsbrook have been helping people learn Spanish in a simple, pleasant and fun way since 1985. The school is located in the heart of Barcelona and has a team of experienced and dedicated staff. In order to create an optimal learning environment, the school ensures that classes have only between 7-10 students.

LANGUAGE SCHOOL

SCHOOL

València 275 3o Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 487 5116 learn@languages4life.com Skype languages4life

Trav. de Gràcia 60 Metro: Diagonal (L3, L5) T. 93 209 3763 info@kingsbrookbcn.com www.kingsbrookbcn.com

Speakeasy - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

MT Sailing - SAILING COURSES

Right in the heart of Barcelona, Speakeasy Language School offers highquality intensive Spanish courses at attractive prices. Founded in 2001, Speakeasy is committed to being one of the best Spanish language schools in Spain. A quality service is guaranteed with a combined staff of Spanish and foreign internationals. Students come from all over the world and there are never more than 10 students in each group. Speakeasy has modern AV equipment available to aid learning and also spacious, air-conditioned classrooms. The highly-qualified and experienced teachers, together with the excellent course plan, are the keys to their success and the reason why more than 99% of their students recommend Speakeasy.

RYA Sailing and powerboat courses. Always wanted to get on the water, but didn’t know how? Now you can! MT Sailing is an RYA training centre right here in Barcelona, offering theory and practical courses at all levels from Start Yachting or Powerboat all the way to professional Yachtmaster Ocean. Internationally recognized qualifications are taught and examined in English. During classes, support is available in Spanish. Their flexible course schedules include intensive, weekend and evenings. To discuss your sailing ambitions, call Michael 695 806 029 or Stephen 646 654 067.

Start your adventure today!

Ronda Universitat 7, 1o 3a Metro: Universitat (L1, L2) T. 93 342 7197 www.speakeasybcn.com

T. 695 806 029/646 654 067 sail@mtf.com www.mtf.com.

MP 44-49 oct.indd 49

9/22/11 11:56:40 AM

50 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PIANO CLASSES · CREATIVE ACTIVITIES · DESIGN · COMPUTERS · TELEVISION SERVICE

Libby Barnes -

PIANO LESSONS

Ever dreamed of playing the piano?

Now you can, with enthusiastic teacher Libby Barnes. Libby has over 15 years’ experience and can teach a variety of styles, including classical, jazz, blues and rock. Everybody from complete beginners to the advanced can improve with every session. It is never too late to learn, and Libby’s classes are available to all ages, at all levels.

For practical information about LIVING IN BARCELONA visit www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

T. 679 796 281 barnes.libby@hotmail.com

Mrs.Q design studio -

Geo Mac - COMPUTERS

GRAPHIC DESIGN

George Cowdery is a freelance Mac technician who has been providing valuable support to the Mac community in Barcelona for over 15 years.

Among the services he offers, George can help clients with maintenance and upgrades, hard drive replacement and ADSL setup. He can also provide consulting and tutorials according to his clients’ needs.

Need a logo, brochure or poster?

Mrs.Q design studio can design it for you. They work in partnership with their clients to ensure that their visions can be expanded upon to create a unique solution. Mrs.Q design studio has a fresh and creative outlook on every project. Whether you want branding, tailor made wedding invitations or advertising—let them come up with a visionary original design.

T. 606 308 932 machelp@geomac.es

T. 699 260 938 mrsqdesignstudio@gmail.com

BritSat - TELEVISION SERVICE

Smartsat - TELEVISION SERVICE

BritSat offer great television packages so you’ll never have to miss your favourite TV programmes again. Craving a bit of classic comedy, your favourite soap or just fed up of feeling out of the loop of the best TV at home?

BritSat will install the full package you choose for a great price. Take your pick from some of the best television in Europe as they install British, Dutch, German, Italian and French satellite TV. The team will create tailor-made installations to suit your requirements, always aiming to find the most discreet location for the dish and cables. BritSat provides excellent customer care and can also incorporate sound systems and multi-screen viewing.

Want to watch UK television? Smartsat was set up in 2002 to offer people living in Spain the choice of watching their favourite UK TV channels including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five and the entire FreeSat platform. They have since gone from strength to strength and have installed systems for hundreds of satisfied customers. They’ll build a package perfect for you, whether it’s an individual satellite installation for your home, or multiple installations for offices. Based in Barcelona, the team can go to homes and businesses across Catalunya. Choose from a variety of packages including Standard, Plus (integrated hard drive) and Plus HD (High Definition). A full after-sales service is available and all of the equipment provided is guaranteed. Get in contact with Smartsat today, for all of your satellite needs.

T. 649 605 917 info@britsatlive.com www.britsatlive.com

MP 50-52 oct.indd 50

T. 610 092 848 tv@smartsat.tv www.smartsat.tv

9/21/11 3:12:16 PM

TELEVISION SERVICE · TELEPHONE SERVICE · TAX & ACCOUNTING SERVICES · LEGAL PRACTICE

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 51 Easi-Sat - TELEVISION SERVICE Easi-Sat are specialists in satellite TV, HD and audio-visual installations and are unmatched for quality and reliability. The professional team provides satellite television from across Europe and a personal, efficient and friendly service.

Contact them now for a free quote and special offers.

T. 93 845 9874 M. 649 413 832 enquiries@easisat.net www.easisat.net

Europa Digital - TELEVISION SERVICE Tired of being out the loop on the best documentaries or are you a secret soap fan? Or, maybe you’re just missing your favourite television programmes from home. There’s no need to miss out anymore—now you can see all of your favourite channels here in Barcelona! Europa Digital are licensed and fully insured to install all satellite systems, including a whole range of channels from BBC HD, Freesat, itv hd, Sky, Sky 3d, Sky Sports and many more. They can also supply all European systems and viewing cards. They were the first company to start operating in Catalunya and, as well as private installations, they have worked for hotel groups and put multi-systems in apartment blocks.The experienced and professional team give friendly advice to ensure that you receive the best package to suit your needs. They are the only company of their kind with a registered office and a 24-hour helpline. Visit their showroom before you buy or call them now for a free quotation. They are fully licensed and insured.

Floridablanca 78 Metro: Sant Antoni (L2) T. 93 325 1797 M. 666 556 452 Sant Josep, 32, Sitges T.93 894 72 99 www.europadigital.tv admin@europadigital.tv

Freespeech offers the solution to expensive overseas calls. Their great prices allow you to ring internationally at the same price as to anybody in Spain. In just three easy steps you can call home for the cost of a local call. 1) Dial local number 640 199 975. 2) Call the international number (00 + country code + number). 3) Talk!

www.freespeech.es

Spain Accounting Tax AND Accounting services

Brumwell Brokers

Qualified UK accountant with 25 years experience in Spain offers: · Tax services for freelance ‘autónomos’ & companies · Income tax returns for employees & non-residents · Registration of ‘autónomos’ & company incorporation (SL) · Practical advice on setting up a business in Spain · Fast, reliable email service

They not only care about your well-being, they “insure” it. With over 20 years of experience under their belts they can help you will all your insurance needs.

Working with most insurance companies they guarantee you the best quote and best cover for what you need. They can even insure your bicycle!!

Bromwell Brokers’ service team can also help you with tax, accounting, legal and labour laws. (Set ups, Autonomos).

Call David Cook (34) 678 702 369 Visit www.spainaccounting.com Email info@spainaccounting.com

Sánchez Molina -

INSURANCE AND TAX SERVICES

Pl. Gal-la Placidia 1-3 08006 T. 90 262 7810 F. 90 262 7811

Gabinet Jurídic Tessal -

LEGAL PRACTICE

LEGAL PRACTICE

The lawyers at Sánchez Molina speak English, Spanish, Italian and French.

They can help with your business licensing services, legal defence and representation, registration under any form of ownership, accounting services and work and residency permits.

Founded in 1983, Gabinet Jurídic Tessal is made up of a small team of highly-qualified professionals. They can help with all types of law including property, construction, accident, damages, family and immigration. They are also experts in business law for accounting services, taxes and social security. They can discuss your legal matters in English and French. Ask for Esther Maya.

Gran Via Carles III, 84, 5 Metro: Maria Cristina (L3) T. 93 490 9669 javiergarcia@sanchezmolina.com www.sanchezmolina.com

MP 50-52 oct.indd 51

Freespeech TELEPHONE SERVICE

Perú 40-44, Escala 2, 2ºA Metro: Glòries (L1) T. 93 486 9451 F. 93 486 9452 emaya@tessal.com www.tessal.com

9/21/11 3:12:18 PM

52 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

LEGAL PRACTICE · INSURANCE · FINANCIAL ADVICE · FINANCIAL COACHING

Legal Practice A&E -

INSURANCE

- Foreign trade (Export/Import) - Transport Law - Commercial/Civil law: contracts, lease...

- Insurance law and professional liability - Legal defence (Litigation and arbitration) - International merges - Wills - Administrative We speak English.

An expert in the insurance field, Dagmar Schittenhelm provides his services to many satisfied customers in German or English. Contact Dagmar if you’re looking for free, professional insurance advice with no obligation. Dagmar is a member of the prestigious Grupo Catalana Occidente.

Passeig de Gràcia 118, ppal, 08008 T. 93 125 8799 info-bcn@lawyer.com

T. 93 630 2190 / 93 630 1637 Afternoon T. 93 371 3868 M. 617 320 323 d.schittenhelm@terra.es

Hyperien - INSURANCE

Green Bean Coaching

Hyperien Insurance is an agency that specifically caters to European expatriates living in Spain. We are committed to providing a fast, efficient and friendly customer service and can provide for all your insurance needs including car, house, medical, pet and travel cover. We can produce a competitive quotation quickly over the telephone or via email. Contact us now to see how we compare with your current insurance provider and relax, we’ve got it covered.

Green Bean coaches entrepreneurs and business owners proven business techniques that have helped thousands of businesses boost their sales, increase profits, and hit their business goals. We will guide you to implement the strategies you need to move to the next business level. Call us for a noobligation chat to learn more. Or visit our website to receive our Free Emini Series – Your Road Map To Business Success.

T. 95 289 5216 www.hyperien.net

The Spectrum IFA Group - FINANCIAL ADVICE The Spectrum IFA Group creates and provides financial planning solutions for expatriates and foreign residents. Our experienced and qualified team in Barcelona can help you with all aspects of finance including: • Pensions/ Retirement Planning • Savings & Investments • Life Cover • Health Insurance • Currency Exchange • Mortgages • Tax Planning • Asset Management We are regulated financial planners with offices in seven European countries, dedicated to providing the best advice and solution for each individual client.

Please email or call us to arrange an initial, no obligation introductory meeting.

Paseo de Gràcia 63, Principal 2A T. 93 665 8596 barcelona@spectrum-ifa.com

MP 50-52 oct.indd 52

Grupo Catalana Occidente -

LEGAL PRACTICE

BUSINESS COACHING

T. 93 268 9544 M. 693 940 701 explore@freegreenbeans.com www.freegreenbeans.com

To advertise in our business directory call: 93 451 4486 email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com See also our online directory at

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

9/21/11 3:12:20 PM

Job directory To advertise in this section, call:

93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

See also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Nordic SaleS PeoPle WaNted!

Do you want to work in a positive environment with a great salary anD unlimiteD possibilities?

We are currently expanding our Scandinavian sales department and are looking for highly motivated sales people. You don’t have to be experienced in the sales field but you have to have the right attitude and a desire to become a good sales person. You have to be fluent in one of the following languages: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or Finnish. we sell marketing to the scandinavian market and only contact companies. office hours 8:30-16:00. we offer a high fixed salary and great comission + bonuses. please send your Cv to info@jenandcompany.com or call 687 77 2912

SALES PROFESSIONAL Company specialising in property sales and rentals to foreign executives needs a new SALES PROFESSIONAL for their rental department. We need a sales person with negotiation and commercial experience and good communication skills. The candidate should have good knowledge of different Barcelona neighbourhoods, PC experience and is able to travel around the city by motorbike. If you want to work in a nice atmosphere, are fluent in other languages, are a dynamic and responsible person and looking for a stable job then send your CV to info@mrbdcn.com or call 669 40 70 50.

Barcelona Metropolitan is currently recruiting a:

MULTIMEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE As a field-based sales executive you will actively sell advertising space face-to-face or over the phone to businesses in Barcelona.

Required: � Fluent in English and Spanish � A passionate and driven sales individual with a proven track record in sales of at least one year � Self motivated and must be a strong closer � Solid time management and the ability to work autonomously Please send a covering letter and resumé to:

rainer@barcelona-metropolitan.com or call Rainer Hobrack on 93 451 44 86

MP 53-55 oct.indd 53

9/22/11 10:32:21 AM

54 EMPLOYMENT

ACS is hiring F&A Transition Project Analysts & Project Managers We are seeking Transition Project Analysts and Project Managers for very exciting roles in ACS, a Xerox Company, Barcelona. If you have a Bachelors degree in Finance or related studies with 3+ years of experience in Finance & Accountancy role, and want to work on the delivery of international projects, contact us today!

Fluency in English and another European language is essential. 3-5 years experience working on large scale projects including F&A transitions, Management Consulting or BPO projects is required for the Project Management role.

Junior Accountants Do you have a degree in Administration/Economics and want to develop your career in Finance & Accounting? We are seeking several Junior Accountants with a good command of English and other European languages. French/Italian/German/Dutch speakers are highly sought after!

Customer Care Agents Do you have a strong grasp of European languages and want to work in an international environment? We are seeking several Customer Care Agents who will be responsible for dealing with customers around the world and investigating issues and communicating the appropriate options for resolution. Good command of English and other European languages required. French/Italian/German/Dutch speakers are highly sought after!

HR Administrators Do you have experience in customer service and good communication skills as well an interest in Human Resources? At ACS, a Xerox Company, as an HR Administrator, you will work for one of our major clients’ providing advice on HR legislation regarding payroll, leave, pensions and other HR areas. A University degree in HR or related professional experience is required, fluency in English and ideally another European language.

Interested candidates can apply online at www.acs-inc.com/careeropportunities.aspx or send their details via email to Recruitment.EMEA@acs-inc.com

MP 53-55 oct.indd 54

9/22/11 10:32:27 AM

EMPLOYMENT 55

MP 53-55 oct.indd 55

9/22/11 10:32:29 AM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 7

9/20/11 3:08:05 PM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 3

9/20/11 12:12:07 PM

58 BACK PAGE

Just apply yourself

W

ho hasn’t played ‘invent the app’? Come up with that simple but devastating idea and we can all retire to Lloret de Mar and drink sangría all day. We just need to find an ingenious little gizmo that everyone needs but hasn’t realised it yet. Oh, and then find someone to programme it. And then market it in a way that distinguishes it from all the other amusing but useless apps out there. Still, how hard can it be? Except most of the ideas you come up with have already been turned into apps. Or are rubbish. Or both.

That’s the thing about trying to jump on the bandwagon. It’s full of trombone-players and virtuoso cellists so there isn’t much room for you with your penny whistle. The faintly amusing app you came up with during half an hour of idle day-dreaming after a boozy Sunday lunch is unlikely to match the watertight concept dreamed up by a bunch of geeks and marketers locked in an airless basement for 18 hours a day, eight days a week by techno slave-masters.

It’s possible, but it’s unlikely unless you’re a genius or a child prodigy. And if you are, why are you wasting your time reading this when you should be strategising or conceptualising or blue-sky thinking or whatever?

Or are you just trawling for ideas (in which case you’ve almost certainly come to the wrong place)?

HOROSCOPE

But people still manage to do it. People still find nooks and crannies in the collective creative imagination that have yet to be exploited, and then have the knowledge and the contacts and optimism to do something about it. And so the world of apps is enlarged and enriched and we all strengthen our resolve to try harder next time, not just after a boozy Sunday lunch but when we’re feeling creative and inspired and, wait, let’s just check out that blog you haven’t logged on to for a while, and catch up on the headlines and, where were we? No. Gone. Oh yes, that devastating app. Because if they can do it, you can do it.

The annoying truth about trying to come up with new apps is that all the useful ones have already been taken—ones for newspapers and train timetables and calorie counters and firing little birds at increasingly elaborate but rickety structures. All that’s left are the novelty ones, which people might download for a laugh, use twice and discard.

This presumably accounts for the recent arrival of the Catalan app JoSócAquí. The simple idea behind it is that people around the world, either on holiday or working abroad, might want to locate and communicate with their fellow countrymen. Catalans, in this case, but it wouldn’t take much to adapt it to any other population.

In a way, the sheer existence of the app is encouragement to us all to go back to the drawing board in the belief that maybe we do all think differently, so we too might have the capacity to dream up something no one else has thought of. Because on a basic level, it’s an idea that simply wouldn’t occur to people of a certain mindset. While many Catalans might like the idea of meeting up with their fellow Catalans abroad, for example, to most Anglo-Saxons the idea is anathema. On the contrary, they might dream up the antithesis of this app: one that locates your countrymen specifically so you can avoid them, a bit like radar for people rather than submerged rocks.

The great thing is that, unusually, this app is anonymous. In a way, it’s a simplification of all those more complex apps that do similar things, but which broadcast everything about you, whether you like it or not. JoSócAquí doesn’t do that. It just tells people one thing, and nothing else. It holds on to the mystery, the romance, the surprise.

Rather than give you a list of reasons why you may or may not get on with each other, it actually lets you find out for yourself. In an electronic world intent on filleting us of all our personal details, that’s what makes it truly original. Who knows, perhaps it’s a vision of the future.

by Nuria Picola

--Roger de Flower

www.nuriapicola.com

Aries If you’re thinking of taking a trip somewhere far away, think again. Put energy into taking care of your health. If you’re single, new opportunities for romance are nearby.

Taurus If you use your time

Gemini Now is a good time to adapt to new situations, especially ones you are unhappy about. Achieve your goals through courtesy, consent and charm, not through force.

Cancer Social connections are very important for your finances.

If you’re single, there may be some opportunity for romance.

Your work situation, however, is becoming complicated.

Leo You’re all over the place this month; there’s a lot to distract you and you’ve got to force yourself to focus. You should concentrate on family matters and keeping the peace at home.

Virgo Try to focus on finishing

Libra Congratulations! Over the next month, your self-esteem and confidence are at their peak and you will succeed in anything you put your mind to.

Concentrate on staying in shape.

Scorpio You are especially drawn to the spiritual world, and life may seem like a dream at times. You are attracted to artistic types but first determine what you want from love.

Sagittarius Right now is a good

Capricorn Look after your body

Aquarius Stay healthy, relax and control your temper.

Opportunities for romance may arise through people related to your job, but may result in jealousy or dependency.

Pisces You have all the energy you need to reach your goals.

This is a good month to pay off any debts you have. You may find money comes from inheritance or insurance.

time to invest in technology, a new computer, for example. To reach your goals, reevaluate your professional self and be sure to take good care of your health.

well, life may take you in a new direction. This is the perfect month to improve emotional relationships. Try to avoid selfish pursuits.

projects you have already started. Aim within your reach and you’re bound to succeed.

There are some issues at home that may need resolving.

and avoid taking unnecessary risks. It’s a good month to get down to your ideal weight if you’ve been struggling to stay in shape. Money may be tight.

scoop

By Ben Rowdon

58 Back page PDF.indd 90

9/22/11 11:21:39 AM

Vergola SPAIN

outdoor living with the ultimate roof system ✔ variable light & shade. Enjoy natural light, full shade or diffused light by adjusting the position of the louvres. ✔ rain protection. The unique interlocking louvre can be automatically closed, making Vergola fully rain-proof. ✔ ventilation. The aerofoil louvre shape allows the air flow to be controlled in wet and dry weather. ✔ energy efficient. Reduce heating and cooling costs by controlling the amount of sunlight. ✔ insulation. The double-skinned louvres provide both thermal insulation and sound reduction. ✔ smart Features. A sensor automatically closes the roof at the onset of rain. ✔ quality guaranteed. The BHP Colourbond steel louvres carry a 10 years warranty.

Vergola - Made in Australia - Now in Spain FULL SHADE

PARTIAL SHADE

T. (+34) 902 102 658 M. (+34) 616 681 260 www.vergola.es enquiry@vergola.es OPEN

CDSHOMEMAGAZINE.COM

main pages Oct 2011 .indd 5

15

9/20/11 12:11:04 PM

main pages - August 11 .indd 13

7/20/11 11:13:14 AM