Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 210

JULY 2014 Nº 210 Free

Legal highs Inside the city’s cannabis clubs

CITy escapes Discover the limits of your T-10 travel card

Urban workouts The new fitness craze hitting the city

costa brava coves Our guide to the coast’s most picturesque hideaways

Hospital Sant Pau 01 coverpdf.indd 1

Fashion

pullout calendar

restaurant reviews

A PLACE OF MY OWN 6/25/14 2:35:58 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 1

6/25/14 3:00:47 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 8

6/25/14 2:47:35 PM

JULY 2014 Regulars 06 08 09 10 34 36 50

New in Town In the City Recipe A Place of My Own Travel Food & Drink Interview

Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Andrea Moreno

What’s on

Editor Esther Jones Assistant Editor Daniel Whitehead

20 22 24 26

Art Director Aisling Callinan Account Executives Jalil Alui, Richard Cardwell, Adriana Soto

Music Art Best of the Rest Pullout July Calendar

Sales Assistant Martijn Bronder

Features

Editorial Assistants Amanda Astramowicz, Dale Hart, Francesca Raquet Contributors Chris Finnigan, Miguel Hudin, Sam Mednick, Carol Moran, Tori Sparks, Tara Stevens, Daniel Whitehead

13 Fashion

Dress like a local this summer.

14 REPORT: Legal highs

Cover image Lee Woolcock

Tori Sparks takes a look into the city’s cannabis clubs and the quest to regulate them effectively.

Model Chloe Casablanca Photographers Aimee McLachlan, Francesca Raquet, Lee Woolcock

28 Urban workout

Barcelona joins the growing trend of keeping fit outdoors.

Illustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial: editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Advertising: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com General: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com.

30 Travel card getaways

You don’t need to be rich to escape the city heat.

Carrer de la Ciutat 7 2ª-4ª, 08002 Barcelona.

33 Sant Pau reborn

Tel. 93 451 4486

This Modernista jewel in the Eixample has reopened its doors to the public.

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Directories

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.

37 40 46 47

contributors

Depósito legal: B35159-96

Food & Drink Business Shopping Jobs

Christopher Finnigan

SAM MEDNICK

TORI SPARKS

Christopher is a freelance journalist originally from the UK and now based in Barcelona. He is a reader and book reviewer for the Barcelona Review and he blogs for El País. He holds an Msc in Political Philosophy from the London School of Economics and before moving to Barcelona he worked for two years as a parliamentary researcher for a Labour MP in Westminster. You can follow him here: @chrisjfinnigan

A Toronto native, Sam is a professional life coach. She co-hosts an English-speaking radio show and co-owns a boutique touring company (www.hithisisbarcelona.com). Before her coaching career, Sam worked in Ghana as a foreign correspondent and was the executive radio producer for a lifestyle show based out of New York City. See www.blueprintcoaching.ca and listen to her radio show, every Friday at 9am on 106.9 (www.radiokanalbarcelona.com).

Tori is a professional musician living in Barcelona. She and her band have released four albums, recorded in Nashville, and are working on the fifth, which will be the first to be recorded in Barcelona. Tori mostly writes for Metropolitan on topics dealing with society, culture, art and music. She enjoys working with Metropolitan because it gets her head out of ‘touring mode’, and allows her the opportunity to meet fascinating people she might otherwise never come across.

04. contentspdf.indd 1

6/25/14 3:08:56 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 9

6/25/14 2:50:17 PM

06 IN THE CITY

NEW IN TOWN CULTURE VULTURES For those of you unfamiliar, Rumba Catalana is a traditional music style that developed in Barcelona’s gypsy community in the fifties. Its rhythms are derived from flamenco with Cuban and rock and roll influences, and you can hear it for yourselves at the recentlyopened La Rumbeta. The performers are mostly Catalan gypsies and are happy to get the audience involved.

La Rumbeta has received rave reviews so far, and is a chance to catch some authentic music, far from the tourist trap flamenco shows. A great spot if you’re looking to introduce a visitor to some local musical culture or just experience it for yourself. Check out their website for prices and offers.

La Rumbeta. Passatge Escudellers 7 www.larumbeta.com

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS A grocery store with a twist, this new concept in the Eixample is ideal for the health conscious with busy schedules. CHEF S offers bagged and ready-to-cook recipes so you can produce healthy, well-balanced dishes at home.The store itself is nicely divided into sections boasting a bakery, breakfast aisle, fruit and vegetable section, pizza and salad bar, festive dishes, kitchen gadgets and a generous stock of vitamins and supplements. Like stores of its kind, CHEF S may not be easy on the wallet, but it certainly offers that little bit more than the average health-food joint in the city.

CHEF S. Aragó 310 www.chef-s.es

After work winner off to market The weighing scales and stalls may lull you into a false sense of security in this new space in Les Corts but fear not, the place is rather cool. Behind the market façade is another (as if the city were lacking) bar-restaurant. Open all day through to the early hours, Metric Market is a quirky little hotspot offering great cocktails and food in an artsy, New York loft-style environment. The place is filled with random features. From an outdoor park bench area, to underground bunker, there’s much to see and explore. Check out their website for event listings.

Metric Market. Diagonal 505 www.metric-market.com

6-7. new in town.indd 6

It seems these gastrobars are all the rage right now, and Baribau (situated on Aribau if you hadn’t already guessed) is one of the newest on the scene. Baribau pride themselves on being the perfect fusion of bar and restaurant and in all fairness, the result is not half bad. Cocktails are their forte, produced with premium liqours and the freshest of fruit—it’s certainly a contender on the after work circuit. A private function room with a 40-person capacity is also available for any form of event.

Baribau. Aribau 131 www.baribau.com

7/1/14 12:14:12 PM

IN THE CITY 07

GREC2014

A month of theatre, dance and music

There’s culture on every corner this month as the Grec festival swings into action. An annual fixture on the

city’s calendar since its inauguration in 1978, the festival takes its name from its main venue, the Teatre Grec on Montjuïc. For the full programme of theatre, dance, music and circus events see www.grec.bcn.cat.

Here are a few of our picks:

Sun Teatre Grec. July 9th & 10th Antagonism, violence and humour from acclaimed choreographer Hofesh Shechter.

Ahnsooyoung Company Mercat de les Flors. July 15th & 16th.

Contemporary dance and hip hop from Korea.

Moray Godoy: Nit de Tango Teatre Grec. July 29th.

Argentina’s leading tango artist fuses gritty sensuality with contemporary language.

Tauberbach Teare Lliure. July 11th-13th.

Choreographer Alain Patel uses an actor and dancer in this piece that explores mental illness through movement material, or what Patel calls, “bastard dance”.

Wonderland Teatre Grec. July 1st-2nd.

The Gallim Dance Company from New York uses its trademark joyful, imaginative style in this peice that investigates the dangerous elements of human instinct.

Bobby McFerrin Teatre Grec. July 21st.

The man behind the song “Don’t Worry Be Happy” revisits North American Spirituals.

Jamboree Duets Jamboree. July 22nd-27th.

The borders between genres blur over five nights of surprising musical pairings between jazz, pop, cançó and flamenco performers.

Beyond Mercat de les Flors. July 24th-26th.

Australian company Circa scored a hit at last year’s Grec and they’re back for another show of finely-honed circus acts. Ólafur Arnalds Barts. July 21st.

The Icelandic multi-instrumentalist treats us to an evening of emotive music that fuses classical and modern sounds.

Hiromi Teatre Grec. July 5th.

The Japanese composer and pianist defies convention fusing genres in energetic live performances.

6-7. new in town.indd 7

7/1/14 12:14:16 PM

08 IN THE CITY

the informer Barcelona joins the international Open Green Maps initiative with a map that allows people to share environmentally-friendly projects that are taking place in the city. By the summer this will also be available as an app. See www.bcnsostenible.cat for more information.

One million promotional tickets for the AVE from Barcelona to Madrid are up for grabs at just €32. The tickets will be available through RENFE until September 15th.

Plans have been announced to extend line 9 of the metro to El Prat airport. The work is expected to be completed before the summer of 2016.

90% of all evictions in Barcelona are now for rental properties.

Whilst a lot of headway was made to reduce the number of bank evictions for people who couldn’t keep up with mortgage payments, it seems that the problem has now passed to the rental sector.

COOL BOX COCKTAILS here are some simple cocktails to keep you cool and refreshed during the next few months. so, grab the cool box and plastic cups and head straight for the beach.

8-9. In the city.indd 6

Two parts gin, half squeezed lemon, one tsp sugar, three parts soda An understated and easy cocktail yet extremely tasty. Mix all ingredients before adding the soda. Serve with a slice of lemon and cherry (the traditional touch) if desired.

Kalimotxo One part Coca-Cola, one part red wine This mixture may sound grim, but it’s hugely popular all over Spain. You’ll either love it or hate it—but being so cheap, there’s no harm in trying. Serve in pint glasses with ice cubes.

Vodka, Lime and Soda One part vodka, three parts soda, one whole squeezed lime A refreshing, classic and relatively cheap drink. If you’re looking to buy soda go for La Casera brand. Serve with crushed ice and a straw.

Strawberry Mojito One part dark rum, one part soda, three strawberries, six mint leaves, half a lime, one tsp sugar Muddle the strawberries, sugar and mint leaves at the bottom of the glass until it forms a thick paste. Fill the glass by two thirds with crushed ice.

Add one part rum and one part soda.

60 police officers will be posted on Barcelona’s beaches this summer with the aim of suppressing illegal drinks sellers.

Check out our Friday Informer for a weekly news roundup. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Tom Collins

One part gin, two parts cranberry juice This slightly different take on the typical Cosmopolitan is arguably tastier and more refreshing. Serve with squeezed lime and crushed ice.

The Spanish association of savings banks has predicted the economy will grow by 1.4% this year and 2.2% in 2015 and that unemployment will fall by over one million people by the end of next year.

The city is due to introduce 300 electric bicycles to the city. The plan is a trial to see how the bikes fare compared with the Bicing system. Although the €15 annual fee seems reasonable, there will be a surcharge per trip.

One part vodka, two parts pink grapefruit juice, one part 7UP A colourful and bitter (yet refreshing) drink, perfect for the summer and easy on the wallet if you’re sharing. Garnish with lemon or lime and serve with crushed ice and a straw.

Dry Cosmopolitan

Spain is joining other European countries in giving statistics for the size of its black economy.

The National Statistics Institute estimates that Spain’s GDP would increase by between 2.7% and 4.5% if illegal activities, including prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling, were counted.

After four nights of riots and 70 arrests, the mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, announced that the okupas of the building Can Vies, which is located in Sants, can stay in the building for 30 more months.

Greyhound Spritz

METROPOLITAN PEOPLE DALE,

22, Social Media Manager, UK A: As far as I’m aware there are no serious health risks associated with cannabis. If that’s the case, go ahead and keep these clubs. It’s better consumed in a controlled environment and if regulated properly, can contribute as another source of taxable income.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE CANNABIS CLUBS IN BARCELONA?

CAROLINE, 21, Student,

Belgium A: I’m allergic to marijuana, but I’m completely fine with other peope consuming it—it’s their business at the end of the day. I didn’t know there were cannabis clubs here, but in my opinion, alcohol is just as bad and at least by having places, it’s being controlled in a safe environment.

7/1/14 12:14:49 PM

IN THE CITY 09

RECIPE SPINACH, GRAPEFRUIT, EDAMAME AND GOATS CHEESE SALAD WITH PARSELY BASIL VINAIGRETTE Prep time: 10 mins Serves: 1-2

INGREDIENTS A handful of baby or regular spinach leaves 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented 1 cup edemame beans ½ a head of broccoli, just the florets, boiled for 3 minutes and then immersed in ice cold water 1 log of goats cheese, cut into about 5-6 thin rounds For the vinaigrette: 1 bunch parsely 4-5 basil stalks 1 clove of crushed garlic 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard ¼ cup olive oil, best quality 2-3 teaspoons white wine vinegar Maldon salt and crushed black pepper to season

INSTRUCTIONS Assemble all the ingredients for the salad, except the goats cheese, in a large bowl. Heat a small non-stick pan. Once it’s hot, add the goats cheese rounds, and leave them to melt down and slightly brown on one side. Remove immediately and add to salad.

Season with Maldon salt and pepper.

Make the vinaigrette: Whizz all the ingredients together. Season to taste. Adjust accordingly.

If too thick you could either add more olive oil or some lemon juice to lighten it.

Drizzle over salad and store the rest in an airtight glass container.

Anjalina Chugani was born in London but moved to Bangalore, India when she was 15; since 2000, she has been living in Barcelona where she works as an English teacher. A self-taught cook, she held Social Suppers in the meeatings23 space, and has a blog for recipes and food photography, www.rainbowspoon.com. rainbowspoonfood@gmail.com

ROSA

53, Civil Servant, Spain It doesn’t bother me at all that these sort of places exist. I haven’t been aware of them, so I don’t think it reflects badly on the city’s reputation. As long as it stays that way, I don’t think there will be a problem.

AMANDA, 28

Journalist, Canada A:With the increase in legalisation around the world, I think its only natural that more of these clubs are popping up. It’s positive in that they provide a more or less regulated space for cannabis users, reducing the number of people smoking illegally in the streets.

8-9. In the city.indd 7

7/1/14 12:14:54 PM

10 A PLACE OF MY OWN

a new lease of life AnneLi’s Eixample home is filled with pieces that she has found on the street and LOVINGLY restored.

A

nneLi is a store concept developer from Sweden. She initially came on holiday to Barcelona some 15 years ago and, like many, fell head over heels for the Catalan capital. Determined to settle here she finally made the move seven years ago. After living in several different areas of the city, she moved into her current apartment in the Eixample two years ago. She describes it as her “little oasis in the middle of a vibrant city”.

Her home is indeed a calm and peaceful haven. And although almost every item of furniture, fixtures and soft furnishings is white, there’s nothing remotely clinical about it.

Although Swedish-born, AnneLi is not a huge fan of Ikea, and her light and airy three-bedroomed home on Gran Via is instead filled with items retrieved from the street. She says, “I’m very creative, and I love giving furniture a new soul. It’s amazing what people throw away here. They are replacing good furniture with flat-pack furniture to modernise their homes—in Sweden these kind of treasures would be worth a fortune.”

She’s quick to mention that her dream would be to have a loft space in the Poblenou, ideally big enough to house more pieces she recovers and breathes new life into. She adds, “I don’t have a huge amount of space to store my findings, so I also leave my old pieces in the street when I’m done with them. It gives me great pleasure to know that they will also go to a happy home and somebody else can enjoy them and hopefully take care of them”.

She shares her home with a Swedish friend, and is more than happy living the quiet life. She stresses the importance of feeling comfortable and content in one’s home. “I work a lot from here, so I spend a lot of time in my room and lounge, but I love this space, it has really good energy and, in general, it’s a pleasure passing the day here. I never forget how happy I am in Barcelona. I tell myself every day. But it’s a busy city, so it’s vital for me to have an escape for myself, and I certainly have that here.”

10-11. my spacepdf.indd 6

AnneLi has always had a flair for design and creativity.

6/25/14 3:09:32 PM

A PLACE OF MY OWN 11

AnneLi’s favourite piece of recovered furniture from the street is this sideboard. Most of the paintings are also her own original creations.

Store concept developer AnneLi has lived in Barcelona for the last seven years.

10-11. my spacepdf.indd 7

6/25/14 3:09:36 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 2

6/25/14 2:51:51 PM

FASHION 13

INFASHION

Bright summer style we’re lusting over this month.

SHOP Malababa

Carrer de l’Argenteria 66 Bracelet €50 Bag €214

Shoes €195

SHOP Ollé

Carrer de l’Argenteria 47 Hat €39

Shoes €98

T-shirt €45

Our pick SHOP Coshop

Banys Nous 6

STREET STYLE Kerry, 30

Necklace €43

By Lito & Lola

Kerry is from Nottingham but working in the city. Her patterned dress and pointy shoes are vintage and her white handbag is Bayliss & Harding. She gets her style inspiration from whatever catches her eye in markets and shops.

Akeilis, 29 Akeilis loves Italian designer Antony Morato, where his jacket and shoes come from. His jeans and sunglasses come from DSquared and his bag is from Custo. His style icon is Kate Moss.

SHOP Bon Vent

Carrer de l’Argenteria 41 Clémence, 21 Clémence is a law student from France and takes inspiration from different fas-

Bikini €178 Basket €49 Top €189

hion bloggers including Aida from Dulceida and Chiara from The Blonde Salad. Her top and bag are from Zara, floral kimono from H&M, pastel shorts from Comptoir des Cotonniers and shoes from French brand Les Tropeziennes.

13. Fashion.indd 6

6/25/14 3:51:56 PM

14

FEATURE

14-18. Reportpdf.indd 2

6/25/14 3:18:57 PM

FEATURE 15

Cannabis culture Barcelona's cannabis club scene is thriving, but all agree that regulations are needed.

Text by Tori Sparks. Photos by Lee Woolcock.

T

he European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction report for 2014 cites Spain as one of the top five countries for cannabis, with consumption among people from ages 15 to 64 years old being about one in three. However, the buying and selling of cannabis is illegal in Spain. Public possession of less than two ounces of cannabis is not a criminal offence, but can be heavily fined. Possession of more than two ounces, growing for with the intent to sell, or selling are considered criminal offences.

Several months ago the new Citizens Security Law (Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana) significantly increased the fines that may be levied for drug possession, including marijuana. Under the 1992 version of the law, possession of even small quantities was considered a grave infraction, with 300 euros being the minimum fine for public consumption. The new law has raised this minimum to 1,001 euros, with a maximum of 30,000 euros. The new law has also eliminated the option to go into rehab at an accredited centre to avoid paying the fine.

Harsher laws notwithstanding, there currently exist numerous private cannabis clubs in Barcelona, some estimates putting the number at up to 200. But wait, there’s more: these clubs are legal, they are not breaking any law.

Private cannabis clubs currently exist by the grace of a legal loophole. Personal behaviour within a privately-owned space is protected by the Spanish constitution. Therefore, even though an individual cannot buy or sell marijuana, he or she can use it in his or her residence or other private setting while still remaining perfectly legal.

This means that while a person is inside a private marijuana club, he is within the law. The tricky part comes when that person steps out of the club— he is no longer in a private setting and could be fined heavily for possession.

Members who bring marijuana home with them are aware that they do so at their own risk of being stopped by the police.

If you’re scratching your head in confusion, Russ Hudson’s website, www. marijuanagames.com, provides a wealth of information about exactly these kinds of legal subtleties, and more. Russ is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to Barcelona from Germany in the early autumn of 2013.

He has a background in building websites and marketing, and decided that he wanted to build a site about a topic that he cared about and felt would benefit the community. On his website are cannabis strain reviews, club reviews, general advice to newcomers on how to stay legal within the cannabis scene, as well as information covering the Barcelona, Amsterdam and Denver, Colorado markets (all free of charge). There are even games—Stoned Pacman, anyone?

Russ is well-versed in the laws and customs of the cannabis club universe.

He says, “Don’t confuse a cannabis club in Barcelona for a coffee shop in Am-

14-18. Reportpdf.indd 3

sterdam; they’re not at all the same thing. Amsterdam’s coffee shops are public and are open to anyone at any time. Barcelona’s cannabis clubs, on the other hand, are only open to new members via referrals through existing members.

The clubs are not meant to cater to tourists.”

He explains that the clubs do not have “owners;” instead, they act as cooperatives where membership fees pay for the costs of cultivation of the club members’ marijuana, as well as the basic operating costs of the club’s facilities.

The members are not buying weed; the plants that are grown theoretically belong to all of the members. As private organisations, these clubs aren’t allowed to advertise. Hudson warns that if you are interested in joining a club, you should avoid any club that advertises publicly; i.e., that hands out flyers on the streets. “After all, doing business with a cannabis club that’s breaking the rules is self-defeating when lawmakers in Barcelona and Spain overall still haven’t made their minds up about cannabis clubs just yet,” he says. At the end of May the police closed down a cannabis club in the Raval for dealing.

Allegedly the club was selling marijuana directly to tourists who were invited in from the street.

There have been rumours that the Ajuntament is working on legislation to regulate the clubs, but at the moment the market is still largely unregulated.

The Ajuntament imposes certain safety requirements on each club as it would on any other business, such as fire exits, ventilation and handicap access, but that’s about it. Hudson says that regulation would actually be a good thing, in that it would not leave the clubs wide open to the problems that result from so much legal grey area.

The most controversial issue with regards to cannabis use is that the determination as to the legality of what one is doing is ultimately decided in the moment by the police on the scene, who may fine or arrest an individual if his cannabis activities are deemed to be outside of his private domain. In theory, regulations would make this distinction much clearer and save both club members and the authorities a great deal of hassle.

In part because of the current lack of regulation, the clubs themselves run the gamut from professional, careful and clean, to dingy, dirty and disorganised.

The Dragon Cannabis Club is one of the consistently highest-rated cannabis clubs in Barcelona. The club’s spokesperson, Alex, says that the key to making the club work is that “we are all members, with equal rights over decisionmaking in our club. The complicated part is then transforming these wants and priorities into actions. We work hard at it… but it's a challenge worth the effort.” He says they are also extremely conscious regarding the responsible use of cannabis, the associated risks, its therapeutic benefits and the impact they can have on the local cannabis community, and are careful to run a tight ship where legal questions are concerned.

>>

6/25/14 3:18:57 PM

16

FEATURE

INTeRVIeW Steve De Swardt is a professional musician who plays at many venues around Barcelona, such as Jamboree and Rien de Rien, and is also regularly booked to perform in cannabis clubs in Barcelona.

Q: Where are you from and how long have you been living in Barcelona?

In Alex’s opinion, the majority of Barcelona residents—whether club members or not—believe there is room for improvement in the drug policies related to cannabis. “I think the city is fairly divided on this issue. There are those who want regulation to create a safe environment for cannabis clubs, but there are those who don't want the headache they think will be involved.”

Others outside of the cannabis community see cannabis as a potential source of tax revenue; however, this would be an impossibility without the government first legalising marijunana in general, which is extremely unlikely as well as politically nearly impossible according to the terms of the Single Convention on Narcotics of 1961, of which Spain is a part.

A: I am from the heart of Africa, Zimbabwe, and arrived here in 1976.

Q: What is the difference between playing a gig in a “coffee shop” as opposed to in a bar or rock club?

A: It’s a different kind of environment in the cannabis clubs, for the obvious reason that the audience is getting high. Some folks get talkative and distracted, and don’t seem to be very attentive to the music, but that crowd will usually go hang out in the back room. Then there are others who are there totally for the music. They come out every time we play, and while smoking is something they enjoy doing while quietly listening, it’s not the main purpose of coming to the club that night. Though I guess it’s similar to how other people would enjoy having a glass of wine while listening to music in another type of venue, while others might get drunk and be more interested in the party than in the band.

There are unvetted websites out there that offer expensive marijuana-themed

Q: At what clubs do you usually play, and why?

tours, lumping stops at typical tourist

A: I normally play at the ABCDA club near Estació de França, where I’m also a member. In general the audience is appreciative and they applaud. With so many small music venues closing, due to more and more restrictive laws put in place by the Ajuntament, as a musician it’s great to have access to another type of place to play. The club is currently closed temporarily because the supplier was arrested.

attractions (La Boqueria, Barceloneta) into the “Barcelona Marijuana experience.”

Q: Why do you think the government allows so many clubs to operate even though, like your friends at ABCDA, other clubs are being shut down?

Alex hopes the government will consult with representatives of cannabis clubs while in the process of reshaping the laws, in order to avoid the possibility of overly repressive, or inadequate, laws that could ultimately encourage a black market to develop in order to meet demand. However, he’s not hoping for an instant miracle. “We understand that the regulations will probably evolve gradually. We hope that marijuana will eventually come to be regarded as a public health issue, rather than a criminal issue.”

He also suggests that lawmakers consult with police officers on the ground who deal with the enforcement of anti-drug laws every day. “The police see better than anyone the amount of time and resources that are wasted enforcing laws that don’t actually serve the community. We at the clubs have no problem with the police—we respect that they’re just doing their jobs.”

Local lawmakers, residents and tourists interested in educating themselves about the uses, risks, history, and effects of hemp and marijuana have an important resource at their fingertips: the Hash Marihuana Cáñamo and Hemp

>>

A: The laws are very unclear, which is a problem. One minute a club is doing fine, and the next, one false move and they’re suddenly illegal. I would guess that some people in a position of power don’t mind the existence of these clubs because they generate money for the city—in terms of attracting a certain kind of tourism, and in terms of the taxes that are paid by the club’s owners. That’s what these times are about, right? Money is king, so they don’t shut the clubs down. I would also guess also that permitting these clubs to function helps reduce the “mafia” element then tends to control any black market. Of course there are factions that are totally against the idea of the clubs and of marijuana use in general, and no matter what will continue to vilify what is essentially just an herb—as well as the people who use it.

Q: As a member of the cannabis club community, what do you think would be a good solution to the legal issues involved?

A: I think that it would be more beneficial to the community as a whole if the guys in power could stop focusing on what is perceived as the negative aspects of marijuana use, and consider the physical and social benefits. Most of the criticism is hypocritical. These are the same guys who would have been against alcohol during Prohibition. It’s not hurting anyone, it gives local art and music additional outlets, and it’s a possible stream of revenue for the city.

What’s wrong with that?

14-18. Reportpdf.indd 4

6/25/14 3:19:12 PM

GUIRI BUSINESS DRINK NETWORKING JULY 2014 Free Drink & Tapas

16th July For more information and to RSVP please visit www.GuiriBusiness.com

14-18. Reportpdf.indd 5

Guiri Business Group is a LinkedIn community of 6000 + members designed to facilitate professional networking through the exchange of information, knowledge, contacts, jobs and opportunities.

Entrance is free for Guiri Business LinkedIn members and an RSVP is required to attend.

6/25/14 3:19:35 PM

18

FEATURE

The Top FIVE* 1. La Rambla Dragon (La Rambla 130, 08002)

>>

Museum in the Ciutat Vella. The museum­—founded by Dutch entrepreneur Ben Dronkers, who had already opened a similar museum in Amsterdam in 1985—is located in a stunning example of 15th-century Modernista architecture, Palau Mornau. Museum spokesperson Sofie Anne Laborde says that with more education, the government representatives, natives and foreigners will all be able to make better-informed decisions about marijuana use and the laws passed to regulate it. (They even invited politicians from the Generalitat to their grand opening ten years ago.) Laborde agrees that regulation of the clubs would be a positive thing, “in order to reduce the dangers involved in a black market system that will undoubtedly flourish in the face of either the lack of or too strict regulation.”

She says that the museum is a big draw for tourists, because there are very few places in Europe where such a wealth of information about the history and scientific properties of hemp and marijuana is readily available to be public. Russ Hudson also points out that the tourists who do come to Barcelona specifically seeking the “Barcelona marijuana experience,” are also bringing in revenue via restaurants, shopping, and hotels. He says that it’s only a matter of doing the maths to see how this demographic affects revenue for the city.

However, there is naturally a negative side to Barcelona’s steadily growing reputation as a tourist destination for marijuana users. As with any profitable market, this one attracts parasites that leech off of the demand created by organisations that are trying to do business the right way. There are unvetted websites out there that offer expensive marijuana-themed tours, lumping stops at typical tourist attractions (La Boqueria, Barceloneta) into the “Barcelona Marijuana experience.”

We can expect some fierce debate about the city's cannabis clubs in the coming months, as the Ajuntament works out how they should be regulated.

There's clearly a need for a more effective legal framework and it will be interesting to see if the Ajuntament is able to create exactly that. * We were unable to reach a representative of the Ajuntament for comment as to how it feels about the revenue generated by marijuana tourism or about the impending regulations of the cannabis clubs.

2. Barcelona Coffee Shop (Tallers 20, 08001) 3. The Clinic Barcelona (Moles 5, 08002) 4. Senzi Club (Gran Via Corts Catalanes 674, 08010) 5. La Mesa Barcelona (Carrer del Rec 62, 08003) *As rated by users of CannabisBarcelona.com. As of the writing of this article, La Rambla Dragon and Barcelona Coffee Shop were rated at 5 stars, the others at 4.5.

CANNABIS, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIAL MEDIA www.weedbud.com -- A new interactive social networking app for private cannabis clubs in Spain, recently launched in Barcelona. Their website says they “use geolocation services to connect you with cannabis clubs near your area… we protect your privacy while giving you the social interaction you're looking for.” Think mini-Facebook for cannabis users and club members. www.weedmaps.com -- An international online legal marijuana community that allows users to discuss cannabis strains and local dispensaries. It bills itself as the “#1 medical marijuana strain locator and dispensary finder site in the world.” www.leafly.com -- An online resource that allows users to review different strains of cannabis, as well as search for specific strains by name or by medicinal use or effect. It calls itself “the world’s largest cannabis strain resource.”

Alex from The Dragon Cannabis Club also recommends www. cannabisbarcelona.com and www.marijuanabarcelona.com as legitimate and useful sources of information regarding the local cannabis community.

Photos courtesy of the Hash Marihuana Cáñamo and Hemp Museum

14-18. Reportpdf.indd 6

6/25/14 3:19:37 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 6

6/25/14 2:52:31 PM

20 culture

0 editor’s pick

Cruïlla Festival

July 11th-13th. Parc del Fòrum. www.cruillabarcelona.com/en The Cruïlla festival has established itself as one of Spain’s hottest musical events, and this year, in its eighth edition, the lineup is better than ever. You’ll be able to flutter between the two main stages—Estrella Damm and Deezer—with performances by headliners Damon Albarn, Band of Horses and Vetusta Morla on Friday, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Jack Johnson, and Emir Kusturica on Saturday. “Cruïlla” means “crossroads” and clearly ​​ defines the festival with its eclectic variety, movement and mix of genres like rock, soul, pop, punk and hip hop. The festival maintains a strong presence of world-renowned artists and an impressive range of local bands, as well as additional on-site activities, ranging from games and circus acts to workshops and stands by social project organisations. Find more information at the festival website, or download the official Cruïlla Barcelona Festival app for the festival lineup, stages, concert schedules and more. A three-day pass costs €80, and €50€for Friday and Saturday.

Trash An’ Ready

The cat empire

July 15th, 9pm.

Teatre BARTS. Av. Paral.lel 62.

The Cat Empire are making a stop in Barcelona during their most extensive world tour ever—a total of 70 shows played on four continents. They will be presenting music from their fifth album, Steal The Light, described as “a feeling of beautiful chaos, of ancient ritual and glorious colour”. For over a decade, this Australian band has been victim to a long line of slashes when it comes to defining their music— constantly switching from a contagious combination of jazz, ska, reggae, latin, gypsy, hip hop—often within a single song. Expect a performance filled with pure improvised energy as their spontaneous explosion of melodies and rhythms will get you dancing. General tickets are €28.

July 26th. Poble Espanyol. Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guardia 13. www.trashanready.com/en Barcelona will see the second edition of the newest reggae festival in town this year. Set in the Poble Espanyol’s Plaça Major, Trash An’ Ready brings a new concept to the city’s festival scene. Jamaican slang for cool or trendy, Trash An’ Ready will be showcasing both legendary and upcoming reggae music bands, and a guest DJ to round off the night’s entertainment between acts. This year’s featured acts are Gentleman & The Evolution, Alborosie & The Shengen Clan, The Gladiators ft. Droop Lion, Sr. Wilson and La Senyoreta Descalça, with MC and guest DJ, Marcus Reggaeland. This time around, there will be a special warm-up party held in Razzmatazz on July 2nd, with concerts by Jimmy Cliff and Green Valley. Tickets for Trash An’ Ready are €35, and €25 for just the warm-up party, or €45 for both. See the website for details.

barcelona Beach festival

July 26th. Platja Port Fórum. Parc de la Pau s/n. www.bcnbeachfestival.com Platja de la Pau will be packed with thousands of people dancing on July 26th at the first edition of the BBF—Barcelona Beach Festival. This EDM festival kicks off with a fantastic lineup, led by three of the most renowned international DJ’s on the scene: Avicii, David Guetta and Steve Angello. Swedish DJ and producer, Tim Bergling, known worldwide as Avicii, is one of today’s most popular EDM artists, ranking third on DJ Magazine’s annual Top 100 DJs in 2012 and 2013. Steve Angello, former member of Swedish House Mafia, gained his fame after his remix of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” and, together with Swedish House Mafia, broke EDM sales records worldwide. French DJ and producer David Guetta is currently one of the world’s leading architects of popular house music and the artistic director of some of the largest parties around the world.

General entry to the festival costs €56. Visit the BBF website more information.

20-21. Musicpdf.indd 6

6/25/14 3:14:54 PM

culture 21

2nd. Kevin Costner & Modern west The actor, director, producer and singer performs American countryrock music with his band Modern West.

Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes. Av. Diagonal 686.

4th. George Benson One of the best guitar players in jazz history playing swing, bebop, rhythm´n´blues, soul and pop.

Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes. Av. Diagonal 686.

6th. Russian Red The Madrid-born pioneer of the new indie singer-songwriter scene performs a night of folk-infused pop.

Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes. Av. Diagonal 686.

8TH. one direction English-Irish pop boy band will perform their hit singles, including ‘What Makes You Beautiful’.

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Passeig Olímpic 17-19

10TH. Paul Anka Anka was one of the biggest teen idols of the late fifties and is author of classics like ‘My Way’ and ‘Put Your Head On My Shoulder’.

Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes. Av. Diagonal 686.

11TH. Damon albarn Albarn will perform music from his first solo album in his career, Everybody Robots.

Parc del Fòrum. Rambla de Prim 2-4.

12TH. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis American hip hop duo perform hits from their Grammy Award-winning album, The Heist, as part of the Cruïlla Festival.

Parc del Fòrum. Rambla de Prim 2-4.

12th. Jack johnson Jack Johnson returns to Cruïlla, after his unforgettable and moving concert in 2011, to present his latest album, From Here to Now to You. Parc del Fòrum. Rambla de Prim 2-4.

17TH. Joss stone The English soul singer-songwriter and actress includes Barcelona as part of her world tour.

Bikini. Av. Diagonal 547.

23rd. Katie melua Retro-vintage musician Katie Melua comes to Barcelona as part of her European ‘Simplified Tour’ playing tracks from her sixth studio album, Ketevan.

St. Jordi Club. Passeig Olímpic 5.

21st. Bobby McFerrin American vocalist and 10-time Grammy Award winner best known for his 1988 hit song ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’.

Teatre Grec. Pg. Santa Madrona 36.

28TH. Vintage Trouble This quartet based in Los Angeles is reminiscent of a number of late fifties and sixties blues and rock artists.

Bikini. Av. Diagonal 547.

20-21. Musicpdf.indd 7

6/25/14 3:14:55 PM

22 culture

0 editor’s pick

the non-conformists

Martin Parr: The Non-Conformists. Until July 27th. Palau de la Virreina. La Rambla 99.

A key figure in British photography, Martin Parr moved to a small Yorkshire mill town called Hebden Bridge in 1975. Over five years, he and his wife put together a remarkable reportage of photographs that captured the independent spirit of people living in rural communities. Photographing the everday lives of millworkers, coalminers, hill farmers and pigeon fanciers, he managed to capture the traditional way of life that was on its way out. The title of the exhibition, “The Non-Conformists”, refers to the Methodist and Baptist chapels found throughout this area of Yorkshire and suitably represents the images that explore his brilliant sense of satire in contemporary life.

oskar hansen

Oskar Hansen: Open Form July 10th to January 6th. MACBA. Plaça dels Àngels 1.

Oskar Hansen is a Polish architect and the creator of the Open Form Theory. After its first presentation in 1959, Hansen continued to develop the theory through projects on various scales. It was originally conceived as a tool for designing architectural projects, but was later applied to art education systems, film editing, visual games, performance practice and beyond.

Open Form Theory is based on awakening the desire of existence and helping us to define and find ourselves in the space and time in which we live. The exhibition expands on the importance of radical teaching methods at a time when the official education system is in crisis and proposes the use of art as a provider of experiences and knowledge from outside the classroom.

22-23. Artpdf.indd 6

Game on Actress’ Face 1971, Copyright KwieKulik Archive

award winning

Roni Horn: Everything was sleeping as if the universe were a mistake.

Until September 28th. Fundació Joan Miró. Parc de Montjuïc.

In 2013, New York artist Roni Horn was chosen as the winner of the fourth edition of the Joan Miró Prize, one of the most prestigious contemporary art awards in the world. This year her first monographic exhibition in Barcelona opens at the Fundació Joan Miró. Horn’s work focuses on questioning the world around her, her own identity and her relationship with the environment. The exhibition explores a range of approaches and media that the artist has used over the past 20 years, including sculptural installations, photographic series, working drawings and a large floor piece.

The listening eye

Eugeni Bonet: The Listening Eye. Screens, Projections, Writings. Until August 31st.

MACBA. Plaça dels Àngels 1.

Barcelona-born writer, curator and artist, Eugeni Bonet brings together a selection of his audiovisual programmes for this exhibition. Between the years 1973 and 1980 he made several experimental films and videos that have been screened at cinematheques, museums and film festivals in Europe and America. Bonet has become an icon in the fields of cinema, video and digital media in Spain, following a notable trail as a curator of exhibitions and artist, with various videos and experimental and feature films to his name.

6/25/14 3:06:45 PM

culture 23

recently opened CAIXAFORUM Sorolla. El color de la mar. A selection of maritime-themed paintings

by Valencian-born Joquin Sorolla. Until September 14th.

Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 6-8.

Centre Cívic Fort Pienc Oriol Clavera, The Last Mine. A photodocumentary about when the Separada Canota mine and its last four miners were abandoned in Spring 2011. July 3rd - 25th.

Plaça Fort Pienc 4-5.

Museu de modernisme catala Amb ulls de dona This exhibition shows the work of Lluïsa Vidal, one of the few women in the male-dominated Modernista art scene. A versatile character, Vidal stood out for her sincere portraits and her talent for drawing and illustrations. Until October 5th.

Balmes 48.

LAST CHANCE MACBA The Start of Tomorrow. The Mancomunitat of Catalunya displays the transformation and creation of new structures that sowed the seeds not just for our present but also for our future. Until July 20th.

Plaça dels Àngels 1.

CENTRE CIVIC PATI LLIMONA Sara Lewkowicz, Shane and Maggie. This photographic exhibition takes a profound, unflinching look at domestic abuse examining patterns as a process, as opposed to a single incident. Until July 26th.

Carrer del Regomir 3.

AG Enrique Rottenberg, 4 Seasons. Rottenberg looks at the codifying of society through an exploration of the ethics and behaviour of human beings when seeking admission into public life. Until July 31st.

Blasco de Garay 7.

ROCA BARCELONA GALLERY Juan Carlos Tomasi, The Lives of Water. A photoreportage about the importance of water quality crossing borders. It documents the medical treatment of undernourishment in projects in Niger. Until July 31st.

Joan Güell 211-213.

Galería JOAN GASPAR E,l Món de Xavier. Xavier Vilato. Paintings, ceramics, drawings and etchings by this complex and multifaceted artist. Until July 15th.

Pl. Letamendi 1.

Galería Valid Foto BCN Carlos Ventós, Urban Show. A journey through different cities, where an ironic view of our globalised, homogeneous world and its swamped cities mixes with the people who live in them. Until July 31st.

Buenaventura Muñoz 6.

3 Punts Galeria En proceso. José Cobo. Recent works by this contemporary artist who creates resin sculptures, often using the themes of children and learning. Until July 12th.

Enric Granados 21.

22-23. Artpdf.indd 7

6/25/14 3:06:46 PM

24 CULTURE

Image credit Adrià Fontanet

FILMS UNDER THE STARS

Cinema Lliure a la Platja. Every Thursday and Sunday between July 17th and August 24th. 9pm. Platja Sant Sebastià. Barceloneta. Free.

Escape the sticky city centre and lay back on the beach to enjoy some al fresco cinema. Cinema Lliure a la Platja is back for another season of avant garde film under the stars, and as usual there’s a sleek lineup of edgy and original movies. The giant screen will be set up every Thursday and Sunday from mid-July to the end of August on Platja Sant Sebastià in the Barceloneta. The evenings kick off at 9pm with music from Scanner.fm, followed by a short film selected by the Badalona Film Festival and then the evening’s feature film. The films are shown in original version with Spanish subtitles and include Tiny Furniture, the directing debut of Lena Durham of TV series Girls fame (July 17th); paranoia and comedy in Colin Trevorrow’s Safety Not Guaranteed (July 24th); Paul’s Planet, the story of Paul Fuster, a US-born singer songwriter of Catalan parents who toured Catalunya for 60 days on his bicycle giving concerts in small towns (August 10th), and a blurring of fact and fiction in A Liar’s Autobiography, a self portrait by Monty Python’s Graham Chapman (August 14th). So, pack some popcorn and a towel (or a deckchair) and head to the beach early for a good spot.

0 EDITOR’S PICK

BCN RE.SET

Various points around the city until September. www. tricentenari.bcn.cat/BCNreset As part of a series of events to commemmorate the tercentenary of the siege of Barcelona, the architect Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT/Fundació Enric Miralles) and the stage director Àlex Ollé (La Fura dels Baus) have come together to produce huge works of bespoke artwork. These concept pieces have been placed at symbolic points around the city for the summer, and reflect upon important concepts such as memory, freedom and identity. Students of some of the city’s schools of architecture and design have worked alongside artists on the project.

The pieces will can be admired in Plaça dels Àngels, Plaça de Salvador Seguí, Plaça de la Mercè, Plaça Nova, Plaça del Mar and Arc de Triomf until September.

24-25. Best of the restpdf.indd 6

6/25/14 12:49:27 PM

CULTURE 25

HARLEY DAYS

July 4th-6th. Fira de Barcelona. www.barcelonaharleydays.com Barcelona fills with the purr of Harley-Davidson engines in this annual three-day celebration, welcoming bikers and enthusiasts from far and wide to the city. Entry to the main exhibition area at Pl. Espanya is free and there will be concerts, demo rides, exhibitions and plenty more to keep aficionados and wannabes busy.

Don’t miss the Desfile de Banderas on July 6th at 11am, when over 15,000 Harleys will take part in a parade through Barcelona.

YOGA CONFERENCE

4th Barcelona Yoga Conference July 3rd-7th. Escola del Sagrat Cor. Ramon Miquel i Planas 40 (Sarriá). www.barcelonayogaconference.cat Whether you’re an experienced yogi or looking to inject a little body-mind harmony into your life, head along to the fourth Barcelona Yoga Conference this month. Open to people from all backgrounds and with all levels of experience there’s a packed programme of classes, workshops and conferences given by leading teachers from around the world. Over five days there will be 20 different styles of yoga on offer, from the widely practised Kundalini and Vinyasa to the lesser-known Rocket yoga and Feetup yoga (alas not as relaxing as the name suggests). Each day there will also be dance and music shows as well as free Kirtans (an Indian devotional practice of chanting accompanied by drums). There are special sessions for children. See the website for details.

24-25. Best of the restpdf.indd 7

6/25/14 12:49:31 PM

26-27. Calendar.indd 6

6/25/14 3:21:43 PM

MOTIS-CHAMORRO QUINTET & SCOTT HAMILTON Jazz.

8pm & 10pm. Jamboree. Pl. Reial 17.

Sala mONTJUÏC Open air cinema. Film Blue Jasmine and music by Gafieira Miúda.

Concert starts at 8.45pm. Film starts at 10pm. Castell Montjuïc.

airon land couper Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.

Cody Simpson Australian pop singer from the Gold Coast.

7.30pm. Sala Bikini. Av. Diagonal 547.

One Direction British boy band sensation.

7pm. Estadi Olímpic. Pg. Olímpic 17-19.

fESTIVAL CRUÏLLA See page 20.

Parc del Fòrum. July 11th-13th.

Swing Sessions A free for all with live band.

5pm-7pm. MNAC

12

Bryan Ferry English singer/songwriter.

9pm. Auditori del Fòrum. Rambla del Prim 1.

George benson Grammy Award-winning American musician and singersongwriter.

10pm. Jardins Palau Reial Pedralbes.

Best of jethro tull Ian Anderson will be performing the “Best Of Jethro Tull” show.

10pm. Jardins del Palau Reial.

Jamie cullum English singer-songwriter and pianist.

9pm. Poble Espanyol. Montjuïc.

nits d’estiu A late night of exhibitions and concerts.

From 8pm. Caixaforum. Av. Marquès de Comillas.

CHICAGO The US band is still going strong.

9pm. L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

La Festa Catalana Castellers and gégants.

7.30pm. Plaça de la Catedral.

5

SATURDAY

MECAL AIR Short films al fresco.

Poble Espanyol. Montjuïc.

11

4TH BARCELONA YOGA CONFERENCE See page 24.

Escola del Sagrat Cor. Ramon Miquel i Planas 40. July 3rd-7th.

Kevin Costner Country rock and roots from the actor/musician and his band.

Festival Pedralbes.

10pm. Jardins del Palau Reial.

WONDERLAND Contemporary dance from New York. Grec Festival.

10pm. Teatre Grec. Santa Madrona 36. July 1st & 2nd.

4

FRIDAY

8

3

THURSDAY

2

WEDNESDAY

1

TUESDAY

7

MONDAY

What's onJuly 2014

SILENCI. FEM MÚSICA Sunday afternoon concert by music students.

5.30pm. Museu de la Música.

Lepant 150.

PINOCCHIO’S SHADOW Children’s puppet show 6pm. La Puntual. Allada Vermell 15.

13

EURO GARAGE The city’s cheapest flea market.

Everything for one euro!

11am-8pm. Ovella Negre.

Zamora 78.

Barcelona Harley Days.

See page 25.

Fira de Barcelona. Av. Reina Maria Cristina.

6

SUNDAY

26-27. Calendar.indd 7

6/25/14 3:21:44 PM

For more information visit our website www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

nyLOn Bcn & KreUeLLA Dubstep and electro house with the Chicago DJ. Razzmatazz. Almogàvers 122.

Dinner UnDer tHe StArS Dinner and stargazing.

8.30pm. Observatori Fabra. Every Tues-Sat. www.fabra.cat

Anti-KArAOKe Karaoke rock show with Cesar Martín.

11pm. Magic. Pg. Picasso 40.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BCNMetropolitan for regular updates

ereVnA Part of the Música als Parcs cycle.

9pm. Parc de la Creueta del Coll. Pg. de la Mare de Déu del Coll 77.

jOHn tALABOt Internationally-renowned producer and DJ. Mas i Mas Festival.

Midnight. Moog. Arc del Teatre 3.

tArAntOS 50 AÑOS 50th anniversary celebration of the flamenco venue.

9pm. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

SALA MOntjUÏc Open air cinema. Film Searching for Sugar Man and music by Aníbal Martínez Quintet.

Concert starts at 8.45pm. Film starts at 10pm. Castell Montjuïc. peDrO jAVier gOnZÁLeZ Spanish guitarist.

9pm. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

31

30

29

28 28

Arnau Obiols

trASH An’ reADy reggAe feStiVAL See page 20.

Poble Espanyol. Montjuïc.

cineMA LLiUre A LA pLAtjA Safety Not Guaranteed by Colin Trevorrow. See page 24.

9pm. Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta

cOLUMBiA jAZZ BAnD Charity concert by touring US band.

7.30pm. Casa Elizalde. Valencia 302.

26

HABitAciÓ 1418 A workshop for teens exploring free musical composition.

CCCB. Montalegre 5.

BBf BeAcH feStiVAL See page 20.

Platja Port Fòrum. Carrer dela Pau.

24

pOrgy & BeSS Gershwin’s jazz opera.

8pm. Gran Teatre del Liceu. La Rambla 51-59.

BOnA nit BArceLOnA Sustainable music festival with vegetarian catering.

Poble Espanyol. Montjuïc.

LOS MAMBO jAMBO Rhythm & blues and swing. Grec Festival.

9.30pm. Jamboree. Pl. Reial 17.

July 15th-20th.

jOSS StOne British Soul and R&B artist.

9.30pm. Sala Bikini. Av. Diagonal 547. jULiÁn SÁncHeZ new QUArtet Open air concert on the roof of La Pedrera.

10.45pm La Pedrera. Provença 261-265.

19

18

feStiVAL crUÏLLA See page 20.

Parc del Fòrum. July 11th-13th.

17

Chicago

AirOn LAnD cOUper Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.

547.

SUMMer nigHtS: ArnAU OBiOLS prOject pirene La Pedrera. Provença 261-265.

July 24th-26th.

Tap on Barcelona

cASA BAtLLÓ: nitS MÀgiQUeS Food, drink and live music.

9pm. Passeig de Gràcia 43.

Every Wed to Sat until Sept.

DAgOLL DAgOLL Live music show at the magic fountain by the Catalan theatre company. Grec Festival.

9pm. Font Màgica. Montjuïc.

tHe cAt eMpire See page 20.

9pm. Teatre Barts. Av. Paral-lel 62.

cArMinA BUrAnA With the Cor Jove de l’Orfeó Català 9pm. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

16

15

MOtiS-cHAMOrrO QUintet & ScOtt HAMiLtOn Jazz.

8pm & 10pm. Jamboree. Pl. Reial 17.

tAp On BArceLOnA 2014 First night of the week-long tap dancing festival.

Harlem Jazz Club. Sobradiel 8.

July 21st-27th.

21

Kevin Costner

SALA MOntjUÏc Open air cinema. Film Blue Jasmine and music by Gafieira Miúda.

Concert starts at 8.45pm. Film starts at 10pm. Castell Montjuïc.

LeS MiSerABLeS Musical based on novel by Victor Hugo.

9pm. Gran Teatre del Liceu. La Rambla 51-59.

feStiU fringe feStiVAL Opening day of this unconventional new festival.

Gràcia. July 6th-27th.

27

picniK eLectrOniK Music, food and kids’ activities.

1pm-8pm. Jardins Joan Brossa.

Montjuïc.

wet DecK SUMMer SerieS Chillout by the pool with guest DJs. 8pm. W Hotel. Pl. Rosa dels Vents.

20

SiLenci. feM MÚSicA Sunday afternoon concert by music students.

5.30pm. Museu de la Música.

Lepant 150.

28 FEATURE

Urban workout

Barcelona is at the forefront of the new city fitness craze. text by sam mednick. photos by aimee mclachlan.

“Barcelona has as many rainy days as Germany has sunny days,” says Sascha Rado.

The 35-year-old Dutch personal trainer moved here seven years ago from Germany, when he realised that his life there wasn’t conducive to pursuing his passion of fitness and outdoor training.

“I was working in Germany but realised that I had to spend all of my time indoors, except during the summer. I love being outdoors and I figured Barcelona was the best city for that, especially for working out and personal training,” Rado explains.

And Rado is not alone in his reasons for moving to this European coastal city. For anyone interested in health and wellness, and exercising under the sun, Barcelona is a fitness haven. If you’ve ever been to Parc de la Ciutadella after dark, this daytime picnic hot spot and guitar-playing hippie hub transforms into one of the busiest workout spaces in Ciutat Vella, if not the city. It’s quite common to see several Boot Camp groups training side by side surrounded by running clubs, outdoor yoga classes and a variety of other workout programmes.

Shay O’Malley is new to the Ciutadella scene. The Australian physiotherapist recently became the only certified Healthy HIT Pilates instructor in Spain; an innovative workout addressing the other side of fitness that regular Pilates doesn’t touch upon. It adds cardiovascular bursts to Pilates moves in order to create a very intense 20-minute exercise; one that O’Malley says is more beneficial than a slow, 60-minute run. Recently, she’s taken her class out of the studio and into the park.

“By performing the classes in the park it helps people to connect with nature in an otherwise built up environment,” says O’Malley. “Being surrounded by greenery and breathing in fresh air helps to revitalise the system much more than working out within the confines of a studio space.” >>

Street Workouts use the city and urban objects for a high intensity workout.

28-29. Out of the gymspdf.indd 2

6/25/14 12:43:14 PM

FEATURE 29

>> And this is just one of several new exercise trends that are gaining momentum as Barcelona jumps even further onto the urban fitness bandwagon. As we tend to spend longer days in the office, people are craving to be outside in the fresh air and in nature. This is resulting in a stronger effort to move from the gyms to the parks and onto the streets and it’s a push that’s being realised by both the trainers as well as the clients.

“It’s a two-way trend we’re witnessing,” says Rado. “Trainers are beginning their own projects outside of the gyms where it’s more personal and private and often less intimidating for the clients, and in the case of group classes it’s a lot more social. Everyone’s becoming more creative.”

As one of Barcelona’s pioneers in the outdoor workout movement, Rado’s been conducting Boot Camp and Street Workouts around the city for more than three years through his companies, Active-8 and Urban All Stars. He maintains that not only are the classes excellent for getting in shape, they’re also ideal for meeting people, socialising and for motivating one another. His Boot Camp class hosts a Protein Picnic once a month and organises a social night out every few weeks, activities that promote outdoor fitness as well as increased social interaction. So whether you’re looking to meet like-minded people, or leave the gym and get outside this summer, take a look below at some of Barcelona’s most popular outdoor workout trends.

Healthy Hit Pilates in Parc de la Ciutadella with Shay O’Malley

Boot Camp

pretty much every part of your overall fitness including:

Where and when: Classes take place throughout the day

What is it: This is a high intensity, one-hour workout

endurance, power, strength and stability.” Shay O’Malley—

in Parc del Clot. Check website for schedule.

where you use your own bodyweight to increase fitness,

Physiotherapist, Acupuncturist, Certified Healthy Hit Pi-

Price: Single class €6; monthly membership €36 for unlim-

build strength and improve your cardiovascular system.

lates Instructor.

ited classes.

Why Boot Camp: “Boot Camp is great for getting into

Where and when: Healthy HIT Pilates sessions are ongo-

For more information: www.urban-allstars.com

shape. It’s challenging and pushes you to train outside

ing through much of July. Classes take place a few times a

of your comfort zone. You are also guaranteed to get

week in the evenings in Parc de la Ciutadella, usually be-

Urban Fartlek

stronger and lose weight if you train two or more times a

ginning at 8.30pm.

What: Fartlek, means ‘speed play’ in Swedish and it’s a

week. I also really enjoy the classes, as they are different

Price: Drop-in class is €15. Full six-week programme is €99

workout method that combines endurance and interval

every time and you get to meet really nice people.” Fiona

and includes two, 35-minute workouts a week and two

training. The varied intensity and continuous nature of the

Brooks—Certified Personal Trainer and regular Boot Camp

fitness tests, one at the beginning and one at the end to

exercise allow both the aerobic and anaerobic systems to

participant.

track progress.

work hard. It differs from traditional interval training in

Where and when: Boot Camp classes take place all over

For more information: To sign up for the six-week pack-

that it is unstructured, meaning that the intensity and/or

the city, including Parc de la Ciutadella, Bogatell Beach,

age or join an individual class, contact Shay: shayphysio@

speed fluctuate according to the athlete. Most sessions

Parc del Clot and Sant Cugat. Classes are at all times of the

gmail.com

last at least 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting, but can include almost any kind of

day. Check the schedule for specific times.

Price: Single class €6; monthly membership €36 for unlim-

Street Workouts

exercise.

ited classes.

What is it: Street Workouts are high intensity workouts in

Why Fartlek: “It is incredibly effective, very challenging

For more information: www.urban-allstars.com

parks or using public facilities such as equipment in schoo-

and a lot of fun. This class is unique in Barcelona and pro-

lyards or playgrounds. They consist of using urban objects

vides a completely different workout from what is already

Healthy HIT Pilates

including benches, curbs, stairs and trees to train the dif-

available. It is an activity that boosts team spirit, gets

What is it: Healthy HIT Pilates was created by Glenn With-

ferent muscles and muscle groups of the body and it’s a

you fit fast and promotes a healthy and active lifestyle.”

ers, a physiotherapist and one of the co-founders of the

combination of calisthenics, bodyweight exercises com-

Anna Bezuglova—Certified Personal Trainer specialising in

Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute. This new

bined with gymnastics and athletics. Street Workouts have

sports and in working with competitive athletes.

workout regime is a combination of High Intensity Train-

become increasingly popular among the younger genera-

Where and when: Urbanathlon/Fartlek classes will begin

ing (HIT) and traditional mat work Pilates movements. The

tions due to the fact that they are free, you can tone quite

early this summer. Check the website for specific times.

class is approximately 35 minutes in length with 20 min-

well and it promotes a healthy and sociable lifestyle.

Price: Single class €6; monthly membership €36 for unlim-

utes of high intensity workout, which is a mix of 30-sec-

Why Street Workouts: “This is very physically demand-

ited classes.

ond cardiovascular bursts and 30-second Pilates recovery

ing as it works the stabilising muscles. If you want to gain

For more information: www.urban-allstars.com or to try a

moves.

strength, improve balance or build muscle, street work-

class contact info@urban-allstars.com

Why Healthy HIT Pilates: “This is a great workout if you

outs are ideal.” Sascha Rado—Level Three Personal Trainer

want to get maximum benefits in a short period of time for

& Strength Growth Specialist in Human Biomechanics

28-29. Out of the gymspdf.indd 3

6/25/14 12:43:16 PM

30 FEATURE

Travel card getaways All you need to escape the city this summer is a Zone One T-10 travel card. By Chris Finnigan.

F

ancy a break from Barcelona but short on money and time? Get the most out of your travel card and escape the city without even leaving. Your Zone One T-10 ticket can be used on the Metro, and both Renfe and Rodalies train networks. Barcelona’s metropolitan area is awash with day trips to locations of natural splendour free from the summer crowds. Here are five of the best.

Parc del Laberint d’Horta Waterfalls overrun with moss, terracotta stone covered in ivy, headless statues and lagoon-like ponds with large fish disappearing under the thick green sludge. This cool and wet oasis is reachable by metro. Take the green line to Mundet, exit and walk 200 metres east along Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron. Take the second left and the park’s entrance is just next to the area’s Velodrome. The buildings have fallen into disrepair, providing a rather spooky gothic feel once the sun begins to set. The large and numerous gardens on different levels of the grounds have been well maintained and extend all the way around the back.

Highlights: Picnic under the high trees. Try to find your way through the 18th-century hedged maze.

Montgat If you’re travelling from the centre of the city, head straight to the belly of Plaça Catalunya’s underground collection of platforms to find its rail network. Jump on a train on the blue R1 line in the direction of Maçanet and in just 15 minutes you’ll reach Montgat and find the water clearer and the sand finer than any other city beach.

Not quite the picture-perfect beaches of the Costa Brava, but certainly not the crowded ones of Barceloneta, Montgat’s beach is a perfect location for a lazy summer’s day. Leave the station, cross the road and pass under the tracks to find the beach path. Head left and pass two small beaches. Turn the corner and Montgat’s beach will be right in front of you. Just to your left is a blue and white restaurant that looks over the Mediterranean. If you don’t want to stop for food here you can keep walking a few kilometres until El Masnou (Zone Two). There are a few bars back in the square opposite the station too. If you fancy passing the day more adventurously there is a wake boarding centre near the station.

Highlights: Wake boarding centre, sailing and a small church in the centre of the old town.

Collserola - Baixador de Vallvidrera This stop on the Rodalies line in the direction of Terrassa and Sabadell is the gateway to long walks around Collserola’s densely-packed mountains: over 300 species of animals, rabbits, squirrels, badgers, blue tits, woodpeckers and birds of prey—they’re all here. There are two main directions for picking up the trails. The first is directly in front of you and leads to the heart of the forest’s rich natural habitat and an information centreturned-museum. The other direction—found by exiting the station, crossing the road and walking down Carrer Torrent de Rovello is Carrer de les Aigües: a popular route with long distance runners that provides views of the city you’ve just left behind. The clear air is perfect for a day’s hiking, and all walking routes are reliably signposted.

Highlights: Catalunya’s most popular poet, Jacinto Verdaguer’s old farmhouse and museum. Plenty of lunch spots in both the sun and shade amongst the thousands of deciduous trees.

Photo by Aimee McLachlan

Collserola - Les Planes Alight from the train and you’ll find yourself nestled in between two thickly covered mountains. Cross the tracks via the bridge and head towards the only road in sight. Once there cross and follow the path that snakes right, deeper into the mountain. Once away from the traffic, walk no more than five minutes and you’ll find the unmistakably green groves and tabletops of the outdoor barbecues.

There are picnic tables at the back and a play area for children at the side. Open all summer round the trees keep it somewhat cool. The location is extremely popular with the locals who set up camp for a day of chargrilled food—so make sure you get there early.

Highlights: The cheap costs: A table is €10, grill €5, firewood €6 and charcoal €5. This will be enough to keep the barbecue going for three to four hours.

30-31. T10.indd 2

6/25/14 2:08:38 PM

FEATURE 31

Castelldefels Just shy of half an hour on the Renfe R2 train line, this is the most southerly point of Barcelona’s metropolitan area. Located 18 km outside of the city, there are two train stations on the same line: Castelldefels (town) and Castelldefels-Platja (beach). Stay on the train until the second stop to be closer to the beach— all you need to do once off it is walk the three blocks down Avinguda Republica Argentina. It’s not a surprise that this is home to many of Barcelona’s wealthy elite when you see the five kilometres of uninterrupted beach. Once done with the beach, walk in the direction of Barcelona and take Carrer Onze and then Carrer Pineda to the town’s other station. If the 10th-century castle that towers over the city tempts you, continue past the train station onto Avinguda Santa Maria and go as far as Plaça de l’Esglèsia. Continue along Avinguda Primer de Maig until Can Roca, turn right and you’re at the castle’s imposing entrance. Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Estaciò de França are your departure points for this one.

Highlights: Seemingly unlimited restaurants serving fresh fish. A beach stretching 5kms. Windsurfing.

30-31. T10.indd 3

6/25/14 2:08:42 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 4

6/25/14 3:05:12 PM

CULTURE 33

IN FINE

MORE INFO. Self-guided visits

HEALTH

Monday-Saturday: 10am-4pm Sundays & holidays: 10am-2.30pm Guided visits in English Monday-Saturday: 12pm, 1pm, 4pm Sundays & holidays: 12pm, 1pm

Explore the ornate pavilions and underground passageways of the former Hospital de Sant Pau.

Free visit €8. Guided tour €14 www.santpaubarcelona.org

A

fter four years of painstaking restoration work, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau finally reopened its elaborate gates to the public in March this year, no longer as a hospital but reborn as an icon of Modernista architecture and a venue for cultural events. In June, open air jazz concerts were held in the grounds and the site has been chosen for this month’s annual fashion event, Barcelona 080, which showcases local designers. Hospital beds and medical equipment are long gone and it now houses the headquarters of several international organisations, such as the European Forest Institute, the Casa Àsia and the United Nations University Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility.

The complex, which consists of 26 ornate pavilions set in extensive gardens, ceased to be a working hospital in 2009, when all activity was moved to the purpose-built new hospital behind it. Located at the top of Avinguda Gaudí the site has been home to a hospital since 1401 when the city decided to unite Barcelona’s six hospitals in one and build the Hospital de la Santa Creu.

The Modernista hospital that took its place five centuries later owed its existence to a Catalan banker named Pau Gil i Serra who bequeathed his inheritance to the building of a new hospital in Barcelona. Gil i Serra specified that it must be the most advanced and innovative of its kind in terms of technology, medicine and architecture and that it must be dedicated to Sant Pau. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau was built between 1902 and 1930 and designed by the architect Lluis Domènech i Montaner (who also designed the Palau de la Música). The magnificent entrance that faces Avinguda Gaudí opens into a wide open space in which the pavilions stand.

Each pavilion housed a different medical speciality and they are connected to each other by underground passageways. Doménech i Montaner believed that light, art and beauty promoted a sense of wellbeing for sick and convalescing people and he decorated the pavilions profusely with mosaic murals, floral motifs and sculptures by the best artists of the period. In 1997 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The site is open every day to visitors and there is a regular schedule of guided tours.

33. Culturepdf.indd 6

6/23/14 1:13:01 PM

34 TRAVEL

LIFE’S A BEACH

Super calas of the Costa Brava.

By Carol Moran

C

ala—meaning creek, cove or small bay—is a delightful word, bursting with summer sun and turquoise waters, paradise bays and smuggler’s secrets. It personifies the unique, picture-perfect coves of the Costa Brava, concealed within the intricate contortion of rugged coastline that stretches from Blanes to the French border.

In the first of a two-part series, we present our recommendations for exploring some super calas of the Costa Brava—big, small, known and lesserknown.

Starting from the south...

Cala de Sant Francesc Blanes 2km north of Blanes lies Cala Sant Francesc, the finest beach in the area. Within an hour’s drive of Barcelona and easily reached by public transport, it may also be one of the most accessible. Although the surrounding hillsides are built-up, this tranquil, familyfriendly cove is largely unspoilt and boasts crystalline waters, ideal for swimming.

Cala del Senyor Ramon (also known as Corcollada) Santa Cristina d’Aro Dramatic rugged cliffs set a stunning backdrop for Cala del Senyor Ramon, whose namesake remains a mystery. This is the largest cala between Tossa de Mar and Sant Feliu de Guíxols, yet it is relatively unknown to tourists and subsequently quite sparsely populated, possibly due to the lengthy winding path that leads down from the car park.

34-35 Travelpdf.indd 56

Cala de Roques Planes Sant Antoni de Calonge You may find yourself stuck, quite literally, between a rock and a hard place here, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. Eroded by the elements over thousands of years, the smooth, rounded granite formations of this unique cala create a warm, sun-soaked solarium and perfect rock pools for swimming and snorkelling. Add a handful of islets dotted just off the rocky headland and this makes for one of the most unforgettable calas along the Costa Brava.

Calas of Begur All within a 3km radius of the historic hilltop town, the headland of Begur is home to some of the finest calas along the coast, each with a distinct character and all bursting with natural beauty. Starting from the south, the eight calas include picture-perfect Aiguablava, the tiny coves of Fornells, the hidden beauty of Platja Fonda, followed by the fishing village and stony beach of Sa Tuna.

Continuing north, the pier of Aiguafreda is a popular stop for boats, whilst Sa Riera is one of the largest beaches in the area. Finally, the nudist beach of Illa Roja and the adjacent Cala Moreta represent the emblematic image of the Costa Brava, dominated by a rocky islet just offshore.

Cala Taballera Port de la Selva For those looking to leave the beaten track behind, Cala Taballera offers solitude on the rugged headland of Cap de Creus. This untouched, pebbly beach boasts shallow, crystal-clear waters surrounded by a rocky wilderness, typical of the area. Unless you’re in a four-wheel drive, it is best to arrive by boat or on foot, following the GR 11 footpath from Port de la Selva for around two hours.

6/25/14 12:40:09 PM

TRAVEL 35

A WEEKEND IN BEGUR Located in the Baix Empordá area of the Costa Brava, the charming village of Begur makes for a fine weekend getaway, ideally located for exploring some of the most beautiful calas; perfect turquoise bays that represent the very essence of the Costa Brava.

Despite being a hot spot for tourism, the enchanting village centre retains its historic character. A labyrinth of quaint narrow streets buzz with holiday spirit around the Plaça de la Vila, the church of Sant Pere de Begur, and the town hall, whilst the 11th-century hilltop castle casts a watchful eye over the town and offers superb vistas over the surrounding countryside.

This is the chic face of the Costa Brava, where world-class cuisine and cool cocktails replace expat pubs and all-day breakfasts. In the summer months, the area’s population can swell by up to ten times, catering for nearly 40,000 visitors in accommodation ranging from 19th century mansions built by rich merchants, to fishermen’s houses and sleek contemporary hideaways.

GETTING THERE: Begur is 136km from Barcelona, best reached by car (approximately 1.5 hours). Sarfa runs three bus services per day between Barcelona’s Estació Nord (or El Prat Airport) and Begur, which take 2.5 hours (€19.50 one way). Once there, private transport enables greater flexibility for discovering the local area, although it is possible to traverse the nearby calas on foot via the Camí de Ronda, or by catching a local hourly bus to the beach.

SLEEPING: Although this is the higher end of the tourist trail, there’s still something to suit all budgets in Begur and the surrounding areas.

For penny pinchers or family fun, try the well-equipped and naturally shaded Camping El Maset, located moments from the sandy cove of Sa Riera. At the other end of the scale, find beachfront boutiques and tasty Catalan cuisine at Sa Rascassa, set in the fishermen’s cala of Sa Tuna, revel in nature at the 17th-century El Convent, or sample village life in the Aiguaclara Hotel, housed within a colonial-style mansion dating from 1866.

EATING AND DRINKING: Feast on incredible fresh fish at the tiny, traditional Casa Juanita, hearty Catalan classics at Fonda Caner, or popular pizzas at La Pizzeta. Continue the party Cuban-style with live music and mojitos at La Bodeguita Del Medio, some chilled-out al fresco cocktails beneath the hanging lanterns at Croak or in the hidden gardens of La Lluna.

TOP LOCAL’S TIP: The annual Festival de Música de Begur will take place this year from August 2nd until 23rd.

BEACH BASICS

Cala de Sant Francesc

Cala del Senyor Ramon

Cala de Roques Planes

Cala Taballera

SIZE

220m x 35m

350m x 50m

35m x 10m

135m x 15m

FACING

SE

SE

S

NW

SAND

Fine, golden

Fine, golden

rocky with some SAND

Pebbles

ACCESS

Turn right off the GI-682 just

GI-682

ON FOOT via Playa de Can Cristus

By boat or on foot

past Blanes, following signs for

(10-min walk) or the Camins de Ronda

‘Urbanització Cala Francesc’

PARKING

On-street

By main road

No

No

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

LOCAL Bus from BLANES TO

No

No

No

Showers, toilets, parking, bar

None

None

Marimurtra Botanical Garden

SERVICES

Toilets, umbrella & lounger rentals, lifeguards, BAR, showers

NUDISM PRACTISED

34-35 Travelpdf.indd 57

yes

yes

6/25/14 12:40:11 PM

36 RESTAURANT REVIEW

OHLA GASTRO BAR You don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a topnotch meal at this five-star hotel. By Tara Stevens.

I

Via Laietana 49. Barri Gòtic. Tel. 93 341 5050. www.ohlahotel.com Open daily 7am-4pm, 7.30pmmidnight. Live jazz and soul Sundays from 9.15pm11pm. Lunch menu €16. ✪✪✪✪

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

✪✪

36-37 Food & drinkpdf.indd 56

’m charging around town one crazy humid Monday, desperately trying to shoehorn five hotel visits for an article and packing for a three-week trip into my day, when suddenly I find myself on Via Laietana outside the Ohla Hotel, starving and ready to kill the next passerby. It was an epiphany. Take yourself out to lunch fool, my brain cried, on your own, go on, go! So I skipped through the lobby feeling just a tiny bit Holly Golightly—after all I rarely eat in fancy hotels alone—and officially began a new Monday lunchtime ritual that I hope to indulge forevermore.

I last ate at the Ohla Gastro Bar with an American food writer who sniffed at all the wines, and I believe I wrote about it in these very pages. Having enjoyed the food rather more than she did I figured why not check it out again, and my dears, lunch was so good, and so keenly priced, that frankly it deserves a second billing. Clearly I was not alone in this train of thought as I ran into a friend doing exactly the same thing as me on the way out. “I love it because nobody I know comes here and it’s the only place to eat on Mondays” he glowered by way of greeting, muttering ‘don’t write about it,” behind me as I swept out the door. So here am I, about to reveal to Barcelona’s dining public, the source of a very good thing indeed. Sorry, mate!

I’m always very keen on a place that serves several different wines by the glass, especially when they know enough to guide you through them. I’m swept up in the description of the Jaumandreu from the Pla de Bages, which, despite being a bit of a mouthful, echoes its namesake in big, juicy, faintly peppery fruit and the smoky round lushness of good Chardonnay. I don’t know why we’re so snooty about this grape, because it can really fill a glass in ways other whites don’t quite reach, and combined with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc and a drizzle of Picapoll as it is in this bottle, it’s a lively little number that is well worth seeking out this summer.

6/25/14 2:04:29 PM

RESTAURANT REVIEW 37

SOLID, UNPRETENTIOUS COOKING THAT GOES THE EXTRA MILE IN TERMS OF CREATIVITY AND EXECUTION Once ensconced with a full glass on a long, charcoal banquette wedged up against the floor-to-ceiling windows that run the length of the triangular shaped room I realised, this place is hot. Lots of men in suits conducting business over lunch, couples on holiday cooing at each other, or not, and lone diners like myself marvelling at the agile ballet of a cool, calm, collected kitchen behind a long, dark bar topped with triffid-like flower arrangements.

I skip the gastro-tapas to order simply from the menú del día: a salad of multiple heirloom tomatoes anointed with the most tomatoey vinaigrette that make them explosive little red, orange and yellow grenades of grassy sweetness when you bite into them, offset by the silky chunks of lightly seared fresh mackerel. I mop up the juices with hot, crusty bread rolls and move onto a generous serving of Catalan chicken that is tender and succulent, bathed in a robust, roughly chopped picada sauce of hazelnuts and almonds sweetened with the gooiest onions and apricots. I confess I didn’t really know what vacherin was—I imagined it was a stinky French cheese running about on its own in the kitchen—and was slightly disappointed to discover that it is actually a meringue ice-cream. That is until it arrived at table as a blackberry sorbet bursting with fruit that’s been slathered in crème Chantilly, frozen and then nestled into a meringue nest and scattered with tiny chocolate croutons that makes a fresh, yet luxuriant bomb of a dessert.

The whole experience turned the 60-something French chap next to me into the happiest man in the world, he sat there in his candy-striped shirt twirling his moustache and giggling happily for his entire lunch. And that, my friends, is hard evidence of a place that is getting it very right. By 2.30pm every table was taken, which says a lot about how to make a menú del día work. Give people solid, unpretentious cooking that goes the extra mile in terms of creativity and execution, throw in a glass of wine, water and coffee, and charge less than €20 for three courses. Then just try keeping us away.

36-37 Food & drinkpdf.indd 57

6/25/14 2:04:32 PM

38 QUICK BITES

CLUB TROPICAL Light summer food, great service and sea views in Gavà Mar. By Tara Stevens.

I

love the idea of beach clubs, but have an inbuilt aversion to the try-hard, trendy model of places like Nikki Beach where a heavy-duty side of thumping techno is served up alongside your paella and glass of cava, and by the end of lunch you’ve been driven half mad by this particular form of torture. I realise this could be an age thing, but for that very reason I was keen to check out the Club Tropical down on the sand in Gavà where€€17 (Monday to Friday), €€25 (Saturday, Sunday and holidays) gets you a shaded sun lounger, a white fluffy towel and access to a pool with sea views.

You can also get lunch of the sturdy, no-nonsense Catalan seaside fare variety that makes you happy to be alive: clams in marinera sauce, salt cod croquettes, fried squid, whole sea bass baked in salt until the flesh is snowwhite and juicy, or deeply flavoured rice dishes redolent of sea and sunshine.

This is the kind of summer food I especially like, and I especially like it when it’s served in a spacious and light chiringuito-style room right on the sand that looks straight out to sea, and is filled with widely spaced tables and generous, attentive service that makes you feel looked after and special.

Not many places succeed in getting all these points right and it’s a canny operation that keeps this well oiled machine feeling so effortlessly easy on every level.

My out-of-town friend and I head down for lunch on a blustery Friday at the end of May and share a large, market-fresh salad of mixed leaves and crunchy ribbons of carrot and radish, followed by an intense arroz negre with clams and cuttlefish, as black as coal, and slathered in indecent amounts of aioli that I don’t mind saying was about as decadent as any lobster you could throw at me. With just two glasses of wine and a large bottle of water it doesn’t come cheap (we spent €75 on this little lot), but the place is rammed and the truth is it turns a simple day at the beach into what feels like a full-blown holiday. More please.

Carrer dels Tellinaires 17, Gavà Mar. Tel. 93 633 0062.

Restaurant open daily 1pm-4pm; Beach club open daily May-Sept 10.30am-6pm.

Healthy menu €32 not including IVA or wine, Seasonal menu €39 not including IVA or wine.

tastings

Miquel Hudin is originally from California but now based in Barcelona. He founded the Vinologue enotourism series of wine books (www.vinologue.com).

GO WITH THE FLOW Most people long ago learned what to do when life gives you lemons, but there are probably few who know what to do when Mother Nature throws hail your way, unless of course you’re a winemaker.

Every year, random hailstones are a constant threat as they can knock off the buds in spring or damage the grapes at any point up until they’re harvested.

a ‘blanc de negre’. These are both young wines that come with screw caps instead of corks. But, don’t think for a minute they’re cut-rate wines—they were vinified via natural fermentation (as opposed to controlling it via foreign yeasts) and mark the start of a new path, letting Mother Nature guide the production a great deal more and just going with the flow.

Such was the dilemma confronted by Sota els Àngels last year. This winery in Baix Empordà was founded in 2003 by Maria Jesús de Polanco and Guy Jones at their beautifully restored masia. Farming biodynamically and organically, in 2013 they decided to change direction a bit and started working with enolog Fredi Torres who has made a name for himself in Priorat. It just so happened that this year marked a disastrous bout of weather in the form of heavy hail which destroyed more than 80 percent of their crop. What was left wasn’t going to be easy to make a wine from, and Fredi talked them into making a red as well as

Flow Blanc de Negres 2013 €€10 This is a lovely balance of mineral chalkiness and touches of lemon peel in the nose. Very fresh and light, as it decants you get more floral and geranium notes. The body has yellow fruits and peach skin notes that lead through to a

38. Quick bitespdf.indd 42

persistent finish with light raspberry touches that nod to the source of this white being red grapes.

Flow Negre 2013 €10 The nose is gracefully fresh with watercress and white pepper notes. There are floral elements as well, but they’re downplayed alongside some earthy clay notes. The body fills out the palate but still manages to dance through to the finish with lingering, light minerality.

6/25/14 2:08:11 PM

main pages May 2014.indd 8

4/24/14 2:30:34 PM

40 FOOD & DRINK

FOOD&DRINK

For more in food&drink visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking € under 20 | €€ 20-30 | €€€ 30-40 | €€€€ over 40 RV Reservation Advised

NEFW &D IN

DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS.

Bar

NEWD IN F&

BELCHICA EIXAMPLE E

CAFÈ MANDACARÚPOBLE SEC

Barcelona´s Belgian beer experience, serving up to 70 ales, , lagers, fruity beers and other specials like gueuzes from the beer country for locals, students and expats. Multilingual staff, regular art exhibitions, live music and hip events complete the perfect Belgian bar experience. Also sports on SKY, Belgian German and Dutch tv.

Free Wi-Fi and outdoor terrace, private parties possible: ask for conditions and offers at the bar. €

The irresistible food, fantastic wine list and beautiful interior make Cafè Mandacarú a unique space, equally suited to a coffee, glass of wine or excellent tapas. You can also enjoy a tasty cocktail or liquor in a welcoming atmosphere. Every week some of the city’s best musicians provide live music. €

Villarroel 60, 08011 Metro Urgell, salida villarroel Tel. 625 814 001 belchica @gmail.com

7SINS BAR AND LOUNGE EIXAMPLE E If you’re looking for a friendly and good value place for a bite to eat, 7Sins is the place you’re looking for! The 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 elegant 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-Sun 1pm till late | RV

LA RUMBETA  BARRI GÒTIC La Rumbeta is a magical place located just off Las Ramblas. They offer a live musical performance of Rumba Catalana, including drinks and snacks. Catalan Rumba is the only native born musical style in our city from the twentieth century. Our artists are mostly Barcelona-Catalan gypsies, in a show that has authenticity, uniqueness and an unrivalled cultural quality in the Catalan capital. Come and enjoy the dynamic, interactive and fun show that is ‘La Rumbeta!’ €

NEWD IN F&

Food & drink June 2014.indd 44

Daily live shows 7.30pm-9.30pm Passatge Escudellers 7 | Metro Drassanes Tel. 649 018 920 | www.larumbeta.com

Magalhães 35 | Metro Poble Sec or Paral·lel | Near Plaça del Sortidor | Tel. 93 441 4017 www.cafemandacaru.com | Wed-Sun from 6.30pm

NEWD IN F&

BAR CELONETA SANGRIA BAR BARCELONETA

Experience a huge variety of sangrias in this cozy place with a cool and chilled vibe where wine, fruit and spices are mixed with creativity and passion. It’s the first and only vegan/vegetarian tapas bar in the district where one can enjoy an exquisite Brunch from 12am to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday. The atmosphere is casual and relaxingl, with alternative background music. € Sevilla 70 (near Carrer de Juici) | Metro Barceloneta | Tel. 93 172 2280 www.bar-celoneta.es | Open Every day 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am”

BIERFEST TAVERNSAGRADA FAMILIA This cosy traditional pub has a fantastic range of draft and bottled beers as well as a wide selection of G&T’s. They have large TVs and it’s the perfect place to watch the match with friends. If you study at the UAB join them on Facebook for more info on their regular language intercambio nights. € Av. Gaudí 81 | Metro Guinardó, Sagrada Familia T. 993 480 157 | www.bierfest.es | www.facebook.com/bierfest-barcelona

THE LIME HOUSEBORN The latest creation from the guys at Rubi Bar, The Lime House keeps the red vibe and the €3.50 mojito, but has a lot more seating and delicious hot food plates. There are 70 gins on offer, and over 40 of then made in-house, try the ‘tomato/basil’ gin or, if you’re brave, the ‘roquefort cheese’ gin! No TV, and James Brown and the Black Keys are on the playlist.

Open 7 days a week from 8pm. € Carders 31 I Metro Jaume 1

FLAHERTY'SBARRI GÒTIC Since it was established in 2001, Flaherty’s has become one of Barcelona’s best known and busiest Irish pubs. By offering food all day from 10am til midnight (including our popular Full Irish Breakfast as well as group menus), live satellite sports on big screens, WiFi, a sunny terrace and a pool room where you can also play darts, not to mention its very spacious premises, Flaherty’s has rightly become known as the pub that has it all! €

Plaça Joaquim Xirau | Metro Drassanes Tel. 93 412 6263

6/25/14 3:33:12 PM

FOOD & DRINK 41 ANDÚBARRI GÒTIC

PIM PAM BURGERBORN

Andú offers an escape from Barcelona’s mayhem, without sacrificing the fun. The cool music and relaxed vibe draws a diverse and bohemian crowd making it a warm and spirited bar full of animated locals enjoying a great wine list and classic Spanish tapas, buritos, tacos and cocktails. €

At Pim Pam Burger quality is of the utmost importance, making it the best burger and frankfurter take-away in town. Special hamburgers, chicken burgers, bratwurst, frankfurters, home-made chips and stroganoff are available and are all freshly prepared on the premises. €

Correo Viejo I Metro Jaume 1 I M. 646 553 930 Mon-Sun 6pm-2.30am

Bakery NATA LISBOAEIXAMPLE Heir of one of the most delicious confectionary recipes in the world, with almost two centuries, NATA was born to take the most delicious sweet taste from Lisbon to the four corners of the world. Visit them, try their portuguese specialities and the sublime coffee blend NATA Lisboa. €

EADERS.

Sabateret 4, Born I Metro Jaume I Tel. 93 315 2093 I burger@pimpamplats.com Calle Bigai 1, Bonanova, 08022 I Tel. 93 211 5606 www.pimpamburger.com I Every day 1pm-12am

Mallora 277 I natalisboa.com www.facebook.com/NATALisboaESPANA

Argentine

Bagel 9REINAS EIXAMPLE

BE MY BAGEL GRÀCIA

Argentine reastaurant Nueve Reinas has quickly become a favourite for discerning meat-eaters. Renowned for its excellent quality and value 9Reinas is specialised in meats from all over the world. The exquisite Argentina-inspired decoration offers an intimate and welcoming space where every visitor feels like a guest.

The restaurant has two floors and a private room which can host parties of up to nine people. €

Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be My Bagel is the right place for you. They sell authentic bagels from Barcelona, just how you like them.

They have an extensive range of bagels and cakes, from the more classic choices such as poppy and multigrain to delicious and innovative chocolate, almond and coconut bagels—you won’t come away disappointed. €

Valencia 267 | Tel. 93 272 4766 www.nuevereinas.com/en

Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I Metro Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Sat 10am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm, Sun 10.30am-2pm

Gastrobar & restaurant

Burger BURGER UMAMI EIXAMPLE

MILO GRILL EIXAMPLE New Restaurant & Gastrobar meeting point for the cosmopolitan people of Barcelona.

This burger joint is inspired by the ‘quinto sabor de Umami’ where they offer 30 types of 200g burgers including beef, salmon, chicken and vegetarian options, all made to order and served in artisan buns. With good prices and a friendly atmosphere, don´t be surprised if you see a famous actor or a renowned chef inside.

Why not give it a go? Welcome invitation for all Metropolitan readers. €

Gastrobar (prices between €10-€20 per person), open all day with tapas cooked on the spot. Brunch menu available from 12pm to 5pm. Enjoy the finest classic cocktails in Barcelona (€6 to €9) from 7pm.

Restaurant with grill from 1pm-4pm and 8pm-12.30pm where the best meat in the city is authentically prepared.

Cuts include Black Angus from Santa Fe, Argentina and Nebraska. €€

Floridablanca 148 | Infront of cinema Renoir Floridablanca | Tel. 93 292 7879 www.burgerumami.com

Balmes 127 | Tel. 93 451 5048 www.milorestaurant.com

Grilled sandwiches KEIK SARRIÀ / SANT GERVASI

BUTIFARRING BARRI GÒTIC

Keik has a great range of international fusion dishes, plus a big variety of salads.

Everything is made fresh and with top quality ingredients. Save space for their wonderful cakes and desserts - eat in or take away. On Saturdays and Sundays they offer brunch from 10am til 12.45pm, including eggs benedict, French toast and granola. Open every day of the year. €

Butifarring is a new super specialised gourmet restaurant which makes sandwiches in a special oven with coal and wood, as the main protagonist of the menu. These sandwiches are made with love and the best craft ingredients.

You can either eat them in our 2 floor premise or take them away. In the heart of Barcelona, taste, flavour and smell will surprise you. €

Doctor Fleming 21 | Tel. 93 414 5536 | www.keik.es

Food & drink June 2014.indd 45

Call 26 (Plaça Sant Jaume) | Tel. 93 412 0314 www.butifarring.com

6/25/14 3:33:16 PM

42 FOOD & DRINK Indian / Tandoori

Traditional FONDA ESPAÑA BARRI GÒTIC

SURYA EIXAMPLE Surya Barcelona, is an Indian restaurant that invites you to travel all the way to the streets of Mumbai, rich with colour, smell and exotic flavors. They offer a cozy and relaxed place where you feel at home, where you can drink, read a magazine, connect to the Internet, work and try out some of their delicious dishes. €

Located in the emblematic Hotel España, the Modernist dining room that was originally designed and decorated by Domènech i Montaner, houses Fonda España. Rich in patrimonial interest, the historic elements in this beautiful room inspire and enhance the new elements.

Here, Gastronomic Director Martín Berasategui’s aim is to offer his well known culinary concept to diners looking for simple, balanced and delicious dishes that is a tribute to the renowned chef’s origins. € €

NEWD IN F&

Pau Claris 92 | Tel. 93 667 8760 www.suryabarcelona.com

Sant Pau 9-11 I Metro Liceu Tel. 93 550 0000 Mon-Sat, from 1pm-4pm and 8pm-11pm Sun, from 1pm-4pm, Closed Sun evening.

Mexican BEMBÍINDIAN CULINARY

TLAXCAL BORN

Consell de Cent 377, 08009 I Metro Girona (L4, yellow) I T. 93 502 4952 M. 645 257 701

Just a few steps from the new Born Centre Cultural, you will find the best and most authentic mexican restaurant in Barcelona. They offer fresh, homemade guacamole, nachos, enchiladas, tacos, spicy aguachile, ceviche, and deserts, all of which made with top quality, fresh ingredients. Enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner in a cosy and modern place, with the best margaritas and micheladas in town. From Monday to Friday they offer a great lunch menu deal for just €11, including a starter, main course, dessert and drink. €

Experience authentic Indian cuisine in modern and sophisticated surroundings. Their dishes are created with passion by their head chef who has more than 10 years of experience in the best restaurants in both India and London. If you’re vegetarian, then you will love their exciting flavours and aromas.

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE CALL 93 451 4486

NEW

ADS@BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM Italian

IN F&D

Comerç 27, 08003, Metro Barceloneta, Jaume I Tel. 93 268 4134 info@tlaxcal.com | www.tlaxcal.com Mon-Fri 1pm-4pm, 8pm-midnight, Sat-Sun 1pmmidnight, kitchen open all day, Closed Tues

Pizza ACQUA & SALE  POBLENOU This is an authentic southern-Italian kitchen where you can enjoy traditional homemade dishes. Acqua & Sale only use the best Italian ingredients and the freshest seasonal produce. Enjoy the stylish and inviting ambience inside, or, in the warmer months, opt for their outdoor terrace.

Sundays midday - brunch and live jazz.

(12pm-3pm)

Joncar 17, 08005 | Tel. 93 517 0709 acquaesaletrattoria@hotmail.com www.acquaesale.es | Closed Tue

MESSIÉ PIZZAGRÀCIA Messié Pizza is the new place in Gràcia that strives to be cheap and cheerful. It’s the perfect venue to have a few drinks after going to the cinema or theatre, or simply for meeting up with friends. In this charming Gràcia spot you will have the pleasure of sampling a great pizza with a homemade thin and crunchy base, topped with fresh ingredients from the local market. Messié Pizza offers all of this at a good price and in a unique atmosphere decorated with style and great music.

Home delivery is also available. €

Torrent de l’Olla 65 I Tel. 93 218 9345 Mon-Fri 6pm-11.30pm, Sat-Sun 6pm-Midnight www.messiepizza.es I Metro Fontana / Diagonal

Juice bar SANOSANTS Sano Juice offers a healthy alternative choice with smoothies and juices, homemade bagels, paninis, wraps and a tasty lunch menu for €10.45. Our food and smoothies are made to order with fresh ingredients, no extra sugar, offering the best quality.

Sano Cuina Buenos Aires specialises in take-away salads, wraps and drinks, as well as healthy lunch menus that change twice a week. Eat better = Feel better. €

Buenos Aires 44 , 08036 | Cerca de la Plaça Francesc Macià Tel. 217 81 15 | Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm

Food & drink June 2014.indd 46

VITALI PIZZA BARCELONA Gourmet pizza delivery from 3 locations offering 50+ thin-crust, homemade pizzas.

With specials like three large cheese pizzas for €15 and the option to pay by credit card, it makes for an affordable meal at home without all the fuss. Special offer: 2X1 on every Monday home delivery! €

Paris 109 I Metro Hospital Clínic Tel. 93 444 4737 Rosselló 270 I Tel. 93 458 0710 Taxdirt 13 I Metro Joanic/Gràcia Tel. 93 285 41 95 www.vitalipizza.com

6/25/14 3:33:33 PM

HEALTH

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 43

BUSINESS

DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS.

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

Sanz Pancko Dental Clinic -

Nart Dental Clinic - DeNtist this state-of-the-art clinic is located close to la sagrada familia and directed by english speaking dentist Dr. Jose Nart, Usa trained and Chairman for the Department of periodontology and implant Dentistry at (UiC). he obtained his phD in Dentistry with the highest degree. their specialist team uses the latest technology to ensure the best possible results. Call now and ask about special Metropolitan reader discounts and offers.

DeNtist sanz pancko Dental Clinic in Barcelona and terrassa provides excellent oral care in an englishspeaking environment. Dr Nancy pancko, an american dentist trained at Columbia University in New York, is an American Board-certified orthodontist.

Dr Javier sanz is an american Boardcertified periodontist and implantologist who lectures on periodontal technological advancements and leads research projects at the university. together, they provide comprehensive and affordable dental care

Padilla 368, 08025 Metro: Alfons X (L4) T. 93 456 7003 jose@nartperiodoncia.com www.nartclinicadental.com

Rogent 40, local 2, 08026 Metro: Clot (L1, L2) T. 93 246 9043 www.clinicadentalsyp.com Open Mon-Fri 9am-8.30pm

Dr. Boj - DeNtist Dr. Boj and his team provide specialised comprehensive pediatric dental and orthodontic treatment for children and teens. Dr. Boj also lectures about all treatments related to these age groups, including laser dentistry.

Prats de Mollo 10, bajos B 08021 T. 93 209 3994 www.drboj.org

Orthoestetic - DeNtist the orthoestetic Clinic is located in the heart of Barcelona near the sagrada familia. they have modern clinical facilities and equipment, which together with their dentists experience allows them to offer an integral quality dentistry, designed to seek the satisfaction of the patients.

Dr. holguin is a specialist in orthopedics and orthodontics for children and adults, and dental aesthetics. She is certified by the invisalign system.

Platinum Provider

MP 43-48 June 2014.indd 43

Diagonal 341, loc 1. 08037 T. 93 512 4749 M. 638 545 555 Metro: Verdaguer (L4 ,L5) www.orthoestetic.es www.ortoesteticbcn.es info@orthoestetic.es

Abaden Dental Group - DeNtist advanced Dentistry in Barcelona.

Methodology: a primary distinctive at abaden is the high value we place on group clinical consultation. During our 28 years of business our dentists across all specialities meet together regularly to collaborate and review patient cases. this group’s clinical case consultation system is a proven method that guarantees accurate patient diagnostics and higher quality service. procedures: implantology (single, multiple or full teeth recovery), aesthetics, orthodontics and general dentistry languages: english, russian, french and portuguese.

Abaden Diagonal - Agustina Saragossa 9-11 (08017) Abaden Sants - Marques de Sentmenat 82 (08029) Abaden Vall d’Hebron - Arenys 89-93 (08035) T. 90 064 9162 (Toll-Free for national calls) Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-7pm www.dentistsbarcelona.com

6/25/14 3:45:02 PM

44

HEALTH

BUSINESS DIRECTORY Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST

Nick Cross - PSYCHOLOGIST / PSYCHOTHERAPIST

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

Nick Cross is a registered psychologist, specialising 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.

Rosselló 95, local, 08029 Metro: Hospital Clínic (L5) Entença (L5) T. 93 322 9114 Fax. 93 322 0220 susanacampi1980@gmail.com www.clinicadentalcampi.com

FREE CONSULTATION

M. 644 193 825 ncross@copc.es

Jonathan Lane Hooker -

Hestia - PSYCHOTHERAPY The Hestia International Centre of Psychotherapy has become a reference in the city. The professional team works 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, Greek, Polish, Swedish, and Catalan. The first consultation is free.

NEW CITY CENTRE OFFICE

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.

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

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

Bianca Kruk - THERAPIST

Pharmacy Serra Mandri CHEMIST

Bianca Kruk at Ganesha Healing is a certified therapist in: Naturopathy, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Ear Acupuncture and Quantum Kinesis. She is a member of the Asociación de Profesionales de las Terapias Naturales. Treats: Physical and emotional rebalancing, Pain and stress relief, anxiety, depression, Chronic and acute conditions, Nutritional advice, pregnancy discomforts. All ages welcome! To find out more visit the web or call Bianca directly. Dutch, English, German, Italian and Spanish spoken.

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.

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

M. 654 393 629 ganeshahealing@gmail.com www.ganeshahealing.wix.com/engl

NEST - Network of English Speaking Therapists The Barcelona Network of English Speaking Therapists (NEST) is a multidisciplinary group of qualified and practising psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists who live and work in and around Barcelona. NEST members work in the English language and have their roots in training bodies and professional associations based elsewhere. A number of NEST members also work in Catalan, Spanish, Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Italian and Greek.

For detailed information, please visit their website. www.barcelonaNEST.com

MP 43-48 June 2014.indd 44

Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR

Doctor for Adults

Mary D. McCarthy, M.D. Fellow American College of Physicians

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.

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

6/25/14 3:45:06 PM

HEALTH · BUSINESS SERVICES

English Doctor Dr. Steven Joseph - Doctor General Practice Mental Health MB, MRCGP, MRCPsych.

Dr. Steven Joseph - DoCtor 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 with access to all medical specialties and tests.

Gran Via Carles III nº-37-39 Metro Les Corts Mon-Sat M. 662 291 191 www.googolmedicalcentre.com

€15 OFF

Tania Spearman - aCUpUNCtUre Make acupuncture your first choice, not your last resort! tania is offering all Metropolitan readers a €15 discount on first appointments with this voucher. acupuncture treats many conditions from pain, stress and depression to infertility and more. english, spanish and german spoken.

Enric Granados 133, 4-1 bis M. 644 322 161 info@taniaspearman.com www.taniaspearman.com

Therapies Adam - therapist Does a headache or migraine interfere with your daily life? Do you suffer from stress and anxiety? is an old whiplash injury still causing problems? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you have jaw or eye tension? are you looking for the right path and more peace and balance in your life? Do you suffer from depression?

Plaça Dr. Letamendi 3/4, Passeig de Gràcia M. 689 786 519 www.terapias-adam.com

Panizo Institute CraNiosaCral osteopathY osteopathy treats the body, mind and emotions as one. By working with the osteopath you can treat the more commonly known ailments of low back and neck pain, but also treat headaches, migraine, digestive problems and stress relief.

Plaça Dr. Letamendi 3/4, Passeig de Gràcia M. 689 786 519 www.craneosacral-panizo.com

Víctor Sánchez Vaqué BUsiNess lawYer as a business lawyer and legal consultant, Víctor sánchez Vaqué offers legal advice and assistance to foreign and local companies and individuals in contracting, licensing, negotiation, investment projects and other legal areas of business in different sectors.

Víctor Sánchez Vaqué

M. 616 233 333 vsanchez@icab.cat

Spain Accounting taX aND aCCoUNtiNg serViCes 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

Call David Cook 678 702 369 info@spainaccounting.com www.spainaccounting.com

MP 43-48 June 2014.indd 45

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 45

Centro Quiropráctico Vida - ChiropraCtor Daryn is an american trained and board certified chiropractor that directs one of the most well known practices in Barcelona-Vida Centro Quiropractico. the practice known for its quality service with a friendly and professional environment having a very high user-satisfaction rate.

The care is specific, effective, and comfortable as it shows with practice members ranging from 15 days to 96 years of age.

Carrer Diputació 168 Tda. 2, 08011 Metro: Urgell (L1) Bus 14, 20, 37, 59 T. 93 451 5301 quiropracticavida@gmail.com www.quiropracticavida.com

Clínica Masculina Europea MeDiCal CeNter Clínica Masculina europea is one of the most pioneering medical centers at a national level. the most common sexual dysfunctions treated are: erectile dysfunction, early ejaculation, penile Curvature, perturbation of sexual desire.

Urologic problems: prostate symptoms, fimosis, Vasectomy.

Valencia 281 Entlo. 2º, 08009 T. 93 219 3060 info@clinica-masculina.com www.clinica-masculina.com

Fletcher Consultancy Ltd CoNsUltaNCY fletcher Consultancy ltd. now operates in spain providing tailored training and development services for managers and employees, development and access to UK qualifications for ex-pats, hr services for development of competence based systems. our Uk business services blue chip clients in both public and private sectors. we have special offers for new clients, including free mystery shopping and training needs analysis. shirleydirect@aol.com M. +44 799 053 4331 www.fletcherconsultancy.co.uk www.nvqenespana.com

Sánchez Molina 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.

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

6/25/14 3:45:11 PM

46 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

BUSINESS SERVICES · SCHOOLS

Easi-Sat - teleVisioN serViCe

ARC97SL - offiCe aND hoMe iMproVeMeNts

specialists in satellite tV, hD, audiovisual and unmatched for quality and reliability throughout Catalunya for many years. their professional team provides satellite television from across europe, including Dutch, french, italian and russian, at unbeatable prices. they have solutions for loss of Uk channels, with or without a dish. New iptV is the solution to viewing Uk freesat channels, BBC’s, itV’s, al Jazeera sports 1-10, and many more. follow them on facebook/easisat and twitter ‘@ paulDuval15’.

Do you want to build or renovate your office or flat? ARC97 specialise in the design and construction of new works and renovations. they are committed from beginning to end and take care of every detail of each project. they will tailor any project according to your specific needs, style, taste and interests. they guarantee that all work will be completed on time and within budget.

Media and Marketing Assistant Jo Elizabeth Hardman M. 610 544 614 Pietat 8 baixos, 08002 arc97@arc97.com www.arc97.com

BOOK NOW FOR A FREE DEMO

Mac in Barcelona CoMpUters stéphane Clément is an apple technician and consultant with over fifteen years of experience. anna piqué, a native from Barcelona, assists stéphane with her business and communication background. their focus is on providing good service and installations with clear communicative skills and personal advice. the aim is to solve your computer troubles and teach you how to improve your daily use of your Mac and its various accessories, giving you an opportunity for a more pleasant and safer computer experience.

M. 608 994 599 info@macinbarcelona.com www.macinbarcelona.com

10% DISCOUNT FOR GROUPS OF 6+

Corsa - DriViNg sChool Corsa driving school in Barcelona offers both theoretical classes and practical driving lessons in english. their friendly and experienced instructors will give you the confidence to drive comfortably in the city and help you learn everything you need to know about spanish road systems. they have both manual and automatic practice vehicles. Call now and ask about special Metropolitan reader offers!

Ask for the special Metropolitan reader offers

Beethoven 16, Bajos, 08021 T. 93 200 3324 www.corsa.cat/en/courses www.facebook.es/autoescuelacorsa

Just Royal -

STOP N’ DRIVE -

CookiNg workshop

DriViNg sChool

Just royal is a Mediterranean cooking school that teaches you how to create authentic spanish dishes using traditional ingredients. Chef alfredo rodriguez will teach you his special industry secrets and recipes that will impress friends when you return home. the workshops are great fun if you’re looking for activities for friends and family that are visiting. they also make a great alternative for your birthday celebrations and even corporate team building activities.

stop by their driving school to learn about how you can get your spanish (european) driving license in english and from home! Don’t let time be your excuse. Stop N’ Drive is the first driving school in Barcelona that instructs you through online videos and offers intensive courses lasting only two weeks, between 7.30pm to 10pm. stop N’ DriVe Driving school courses are low-cost, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with them and start your journey.

Become a driver in Barcelona!

Plaza Real 3, B, 08002, M. 636 869 855 espacio@justroyalbcn.com www.JustRoyalBCN.com

Bejar 67, 08014 (Between plaza España and Sants Estació) www.aestopndrive.com

BCN BABEL laNgUage sChool

MP 43-48 June 2014.indd 44

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

10% DISCOUNT

BERLITZ - sChool

BcnBabel is a language school in the centre of Barcelona. (Urgell) they offer language courses in a cosy environment, offering extensive courses in spanish and Catalan all year round. they also offer intensives in July and august for a very reasonable price of €340. all classes are in small groups (maximum of 8 people per class) at very convenient times for tourists or Barcelona residents who want to learn the language in a fun and dynamic way.

at Berlitz language school they have a teacher available for you whether you take face-to-face classes or through their virtual classroom with a huge range of courses available for english, french, german, russian and spanish. their amazing online platform has more than 218 specialties which can be adapted to fit your needs. Their one-day business workshops can also add the finishing touch to your professional language needs. 10% discount with this advert.

Comte Urgell 47 Metro Urgell (L1) / Sant Antoni (L5) T. 93 141 1644 M. 660 235 736 hola@barcelonababel.com

Av. Diagonal 382, 08037 Tel. 93 215 0100 barcelona1@berlitz.es www.berlitz.es Mon-Fri 8am-09.30pm

6/25/14 3:45:14 PM

SCHOOLS · BEAUTY

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 47

Coral - spaNish teaCher Reach a Spanish level that best fits your time, interests and needs! try Coral’s personalised courses using interesting and effective methods that make learning easy. she will come to your home or business and provide the material. all levels; private or small groups (up to 3). 60-min class €25; 90-min class €35. if you need classes via skYpe, she can also offer online lessons. she is a native, experienced and highly-qualified teacher.

M. 676 249 744 coral@coralprada.com

HAIR CUT €15 + HOT SHAVE €25

BCN Cuts - BarBer shop Directly from Boston to gràcia comes BCN Cuts Barber shop to offer you time to relax surrounded in a welcoming environment. with a drink in hand and jazz music playing in the background, you can have a hair cut or try their hot lather shave the classic way. BCN Cuts is a traditional barber shop with a contemporary atmosphere. You will keep coming back for the excellent service.

Gran de Gràcia 223 T. 93 611 1813 bcncuts@gmail.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm

10% OFF

The Vital Touch - Massage the Vital touch Massage clinic helps you relax, energise, re-balance and improve your health and lifestyle with a therapeutic, holistic full-body massage.

- helps relieve tension, reduce stress, detoxify your body and boost your self-esteem.

- We also visit offices and events around Barcelona helping stressed executives to relax and re-energise in their working day.

M. 659 995 657 nunu@thevitaltouch.es www.tvtbarcelona.com

Aire de Barcelona araB Baths in aire Barcelona, they love the stamp of tradition and the wisdom of the ages. they adapt to the current century perfectly, and have plunged it into an atmosphere of sophistication, magic, relaxation and health, thus turning the legacy of the arab baths into a totally new therapeutic experience.

BCN L.I.P. - laNgUage sChool BCN lip language school is a small school located in the heart of the gothic Quarter offering a wide variety of dynamic classes for those wishing to learn spanish, Catalan, english, french, german, portuguese, russian, italian, Japanese, Chinese and hebrew. the courses are intensive and extensive, varying from 4 - 30 hours a week, Monday to saturday.

The teachers are qualified native speakers, with several years of experience. they also offer specialised summer programs, excursions and cultural activities for the students. They can also help you with your student visa and finding a place to live.

Avinyó 50, 08002 T. 93 318 6591 info@bcnlip.com www.bcnlip.com

Beauty Planet hair aND BeaUtY leave behind your daily routine and prepare for a range of sensational treatments at Beauty planet. they offer each client a completely customised service, including aesthetic advice from their experts.

Beauty planet hair and beauty in Barcelona has a team of hair professionals to ensure you receive the highest quality, comprehensive service.

Diputació 197, 08011 T. 93 512 2360 info@beautyplanetbcn.com www.beautyplanetbcn.com

Born Wellness center - BeaUtY Born wellness Centre, in the heart of el Born, is a beautiful studio, providing restorative relief from the city. our team of trained practitioners support you in Movement therapy, Chiropractic and Massage. Born wellness provides a highly personalized approach to assist you on your journey to wholeness and health.

Sombrerers 27, 08003 info@bornwellness.com www.bornwellness.com

Visit our online BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Paseo Picasso 22, 08003 M 609 338 823 www.airedebarcelona.com

MP 43-48 June 2014.indd 45

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

6/25/14 3:45:22 PM

48 DIRECTORY

SHOPPING for more shopping visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/shopping

BATEAU LUNE

KITSCH

Bateau Lune is a traditional toy shop for kids where you can find a large variety of traditional toys including; wooden bicycles, trains, also micro scooters, also kites and outdoor games and many more rare and original toys. Go visit them today and get ideas for special occasions such as birthday presents and Christmas gifts.

Check out their free activities for children twice a month on the Virreina square in Gràcia!

Opened in 1978, Kitsch is Spain´s very first sex shop. The shop offers a wide range of toys from quality brands like LELO, Fun Factory, Iroha, Tenga and WeVibe, as well as condoms, books, lingerie, movies and more. The shop also arranges guided tours and talks by psychologists/ sexologists. They have an extensive online shop too.

Plaça Virreina 7, 08012 · T. 93 218 6907 www.bateaulune.com · info@bateaulune.com www.facebook.com/bateaulune

ECOOLOGY

BCN PAINTING ROUTE

Wear the latest trends made in Barcelona with the best ecological fabrics. Now you can be fashionable and respect the planet, you can feel good and unique with limited edition eco fashion that matches your personality. Forget about dressing like everyone else, you are different. Ecoology is ethical, cool and trendy eco-fashion for your everyday lifetime.

New gallery in the heart of the Gothic quarter showcasing oil paintings on canvas and other works of art. High quality paintings starting from just €40 The perfect place to find the perfect painting of Barcelona.

Comte Urgell 28, 08011 · T. 606 53 54 93 · Mon-Fri 11am-7pm www.ecology.es

OJALA!

Ciutat 14 · T. 93 601 1830 · www.ojala.es · Mon-Sat 10am-8,30pm

OJALA! is the fashion brand by Paloma Del Pozo, hailed as one of today’s most original and creative Spanish designers. Her new Barcelona boutique is located on a charming street in the Gothic quarter, only 50 metres from the Plaça Sant Jaume. Del Pozo designs joyful, colourful and elegant quality garments that will make any women stand out in a crowd.

24 KILATES

Comerç 29 · T. 93 268 8437 · www.24-kts.com

Carrer de Lledó 17 · T. 93 319 9178 bcnpaintingroute@outlook.es · www.facebook.com/BCNPaintingRoute

PARRUP

Banys Nous 17 · www.parrup.com www.facebook.com/ParrupBarcelona

PARRUP brings together the best from local designers, carefully selected unique pieces, limited edition products and finely crafted clothes, jewellery, art and furniture.Why PARRUP? Because they love talented people. Because they want to showcase what they can offer. Because they believe in the local economy and production transparency. Because they don’t believe in the ‘made in Asia’ business. Nothing more but nothing less.

AMANTIS

Torrent de l’Olla 145 · M: Fontana · T. 93 501 0641 · www.amantis.net

Located in the Born shopping area, this exclusive streetwear store has become internationally renowned thanks to its exciting design collaborations with many famous brands like New Balance, Stussy, Reebok, Lacoste, Puma, Asics, Nike, Saucony, Adidas, New Era and more. Definitely worth a look.

Situated in the heart of Gracia, amantis is a new erotic haven where you’ll find thousands of reasons to not get out of bed.

Offering a large variety of erotic toys, oils and lubricants, erotic shoes, condoms, books and DVDs, amantis has something for every gender and sexuality. Soon to offer workshops and activities.

ARTSHOP

FURTIVO SKATEBOARDING

Sitges 7 · T. 93 676 2311 · www.facebook.com/Artshopbcn

Located close to Plaça Catalunya, the Artshop has a full range of artist supplies and a small family gallery. If you need a simple watercolour set or any other specialist items, they can be bought or ordered for you at the shop.

MP 43-48 June 2014.indd 46

Muntaner 17-19 (Eixample) L1/L2 (Universitat) · T. 93 453 2052 info@kitsch.es · www.kitsch.es Open Mon-Sat 10am-10pm

www.furtivoskateboarding.com

Furtivo Skateboarding is an online skateboarding shop with selected products of premium brands, offering hi-end skateboarding products. Pro-Models represent 80 percent of their stock.

You can find: Plan B, Flip, Blind, Cliché, Darkstar, Enjoi, Element, BLVD, Toy Machine, Foundation and many more. They deliver world wide in 24 to 48 hours. Register now to take advantage of their offers and promotions.

6/25/14 3:45:36 PM

DIRECTORY 49

JOBS To advertise in this section, call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com We also have a new job section on our FREE CLASSIFIEDS www.classiďŹ eds.barcelona-metropolitan.com

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK AS A MODEL? We are looking for new models & actors for 2014. We are interested in candidates of all types and ages.

You can drop by our offices from Monday to Friday: 10:00-13:00 & 16:00-18:00 Email your cv to : jma@modelos.net Visit our website: www.modelos.net Dolors Masferrer i Bosch, 20-22, entlo, 08028

MP 49 June 2014.indd 53

6/25/14 3:42:45 PM

50 BACK PAGE

Betty Valentek

36, Austria, Entrepreneur

I am originally from Graz, south Austria. I had planned to study psychology and biology in the hope of becoming a marine biologist, but I actually dropped out in the first term. It was a lot more mathematical than I had anticipated. I then began working in media and publicity in Vienna, and just thrived on the energy of that industry.

I came on holiday to Barcelona with friends and immediately fell in love with the city as a whole. I had it in my head that I was going to do everything in my power to move here. I knew I’d be happy here.

I finally moved in 2004 and continued to work in media. At that point everything in my life revolved around Spanish things. It’s when I picked up the language—my friends were mostly Spanish and I think I really adapted to the lifestyle. I remember being extremely happy.

Barcelona is simply a magical place with such an addictive and contagious energy about it. For personal reasons I moved back to Austria in 2006, but I was really unhappy there. My heart belonged in Barcelona and I was just counting down the days to come back. I can’t put my feelings towards this city into words.

I’m a very spiritual person and I firmly believe that despite careers, wherever you choose to live has got to be one of the most important decisions of your life. At the end of the day, it’s your home and it becomes your roots, regardless if you have family here or not.

I never really liked traditional “cooking”, but my grandmother taught me how to bake and I always loved working with pastry. Like many I’m sure, it really started as a hobby until I realised that this could really work, and I decided to take the plunge.

Now I have four different brands within my business, ranging from cupcakes and wedding cakes to even a few naughty treats from my ‘Sensual Sensations’ range for bachelorette parties. I also produce some Austrian delicacies.

When I opened my business it was so important for me to receive the right information.

I was very lucky in that sense because I knew a lot of people who introduced me to other people who shared valuable information with me, from legal formalities to brand design. It would have been impossible for me otherwise.

Every day is pure excitement. It’s a highlight for me to open the doors to my bright studio in the Eixample—every day doing what I love. I loved all my jobs before, but this is a dream come true. If you are able to be self-employed and do something that you love, the outcome is just a gift. It’s a gift that I receive every day, and I love it.

By Ben Rowdon

scoop

To learn more about Betty’s culinary creations, visit her website: www.bettys-bakery.com

50. Back pagepdf.indd 90

6/25/14 12:41:40 PM

main pages July 2014.indd 5

6/23/14 3:10:27 PM

main pages May 2014.indd 2

4/23/14 1:46:42 PM