Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 214

FREE

NOVEMBER 2014 Nº 214

FREE INSIDE

NOCTURNAL TREASURE HUNT

THE STRANGE WORLD OF GEOCACHING

CELLULOID CITY BARCELONA’S FILM LEGACY

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THINGS TO DO IN NOVEMBER

LOVE AND THE CITY HOW DOES BARCELONA FARE WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING A PARTNER?

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ART

MUSIC

FASHION

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

A PLACE OF MY OWN

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER 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.

What’s on 20 22 24 26

Managing Director Andrea Moreno

Music Art Best of the Rest Pullout Calendar

Editor Esther Jones Art Director Aisling Callinan Account Executives Jalil Alui, Richard Cardwell, Aline Davis, Marta Rocamora

Features

Sales Assistant Malu Branda Editorial Assistants Rachel Huffman, Nicky Armstrong

13 Fashion Our pick of the best this month 14 REPORT: Love and the city Polly Casson takes a look at the ups and downs of dating in Barcelona.

28 Nocturnal treasure hunt The strange world of geocaching.

30 Celluloid city Barcelona has a rich film heritage but needs to do more to help film-makers.

32 Barcelona needs you Four places where you can volunteer some time.

Design Assistant Hayley Cantor Contributors Polly Casson, Miquel Hudin, Carol Moran, Patrick Spencer, Tara Stevens, Antonio Tamez Photographer Hayley Cantor Illustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial: editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Advertising: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com General: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com.

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

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Tel. 93 451 4486

Food & Drink Health Business Shopping Jobs

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com 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.

contributors

Depósito legal: B35159-96

Antonio Tamez-Elizondo

POLLY CASSON

PATRICK SPENCER

Antonio studied architecture in Mexico and crossed over the Atlantic four years ago to pursue further studies in advanced architecture and literature. He has published articles in the online magazines Revista de Letras and Culturamas and enjoys long and aimless walks through the city. He’s currently working on a book of short stories and his first novel while studying at the Ateneu Barcelonès.

Raised on the Isle of Man, Polly studied at The Royal College of Art in London. Discovering a passion for Bollywood dance, she began training as a dance teacher. She came to Barcelona in 2009 to work with creative professionals and this reignited her passion for journalism. Barcelona equals happiness for Polly, who says, “This city allows you to express yourself creatively and find your individual niche.”

Patrick is a freelance film-maker and journalist, who recently made a documentary with Barcelona based OTOXO Productions. Since then he directed a documentary about Barcelona’s Harlem Jazz Club and the tent pole project for the National Youth Film Academy (UK) which will be screened at its own industry event later this year. He graduated last year from Oxford Brookes University with an honours degree in English and Film.

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NEW

in town

Film revival For only three euros, you can go to the new Hollywoodred-draped Cinemes Texas and have the whole movie theatre experience. Recently opened where Cinemes Lauren Gràcia used to stand, Cinemes Texas has everything a movie theatre needs to draw a crowd and thrive: compelling films, a refurbished lobby and clean seats, cheap tickets and no competition. The cinema reruns movies that have come and gone from other cinemas, spotlighting European and Catalan films without neglecting worthwhile American productions.

From Monday to Thursday, films are shown in their original version with Catalan subtitles. At these prices you’ll never again have to scream at your Spanish Internet connection again for taking six hours to stream a two-hour movie.

Cinemes Texas. Bailèn 205. www.cinemestexas.cat

liquid luxury Unassuming from the outside, The Ministry of Cocktails boutique and store is wall-towall elegance inside. Decorated by Rafa Corripio and managed by David Cárdenas, the space—full of textured, gold pillars and crystal chandeliers—welcomes anyone looking to lose themselves in luxury and feel glamorous for an evening. Sit on a sparkling gold barstool or in a red plush chair, and let the world-class team of bartenders behind the white, tufted bar make you a gourmet drink. At the back of the bar, The Ministry of Cocktails store sells everything related to mixology; cocktail shakers, caviar, even the champagne served on the Titanic the night before it sank.

They also offer master classes by well-known bartenders such as Jaime Lorenzo Ayala, who creates cocktails with vegetables.

The Ministry of Cocktails. Muntaner 6. www.ministryofcocktails.net

Say Cheese The Poncelet Cheese Bar opened a month ago, with the purpose of sharing their passion for the Spanish tradition of quality cheese production.

They work solely with small cheesemongers.

“Sometimes we even know the names of the cows,” said Xavier Gomez. The entranceway is lit by a cow-udder light-fixture and presents a cheese library filled with titles such as Cheese Essentials and World Cheese Book. Entering the farmhouse-style restaurant you are hit in the nose by that unmistakable cheese smell. With a cheese cave in the back of the dining area that houses 150 kinds of cheese, this potent scent is to be expected. For a more interactive experience, sit at the bar where a cheesemaster will show you how your selection of cheeses was prepared and will give you a printout with the name of each cheese and the animal and country it came from. The cuisine at Poncelet Cheese Bar is not limited to cheese alone, but every dish does contain at least one type of cheese as an ingredient.

Poncelet Cheese Bar. Avinguda de Sarrià 50. www.ponceletcheesebar.com

Cocktails and food with love Upon entering Rebelot, the newest ecological choice for a bite to eat in Barceloneta, you come face-to-face with the cheerful kitchen staff, energetically concocting menu items in the open kitchen to the right of the doorway. The mismatched tables and chairs, turquoise-tiled bar and soft breeze blowing in through the open doors on one side of the restaurant add to the relaxed atmosphere. Rebelot is all about slowfood—a gastronomic culture based on healthy, clean, fair food—and KM0 plates.

They work only with local farmers and fishermen, meaning all their ingredients come from less than 100 km around Barcelona.

They also pay close attention to the details of each dish. “It’s the details that matter, that set a restaurant apart,” said Kiko, one of Rebelot’s three owners. He also believes word of mouth is the best form of PR. “We let the quality and honest prices of our food speak for themselves. Then our satisfied customers speak for us.”

Rebelot. Baluard 58. www.rebelotbcn.com

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THIS MONTH DON’T MISS...

Festival Mil·lenni Returning to Barcelona for its 16th edition, the Festival Mil·lenni is known for offering a quality range of musical genres and bringing class acts to different venues in the city. This year promises to be no exception, with six months of concerts by top national and international artists.

The programme will be updated at the beginning of November, so check online at www.festival-millenni.com for any new acts announced.

Inaugurating the festival on November 2nd will be US R&B and soul singer Macy Gray, who brings her powerful raspy voice to the relatively intimate Teatre Barts. Also in November are US singersongwriter Cat Power (L’Auditori, 13th), and Australian brothersister folk-blues group Angus and Julia Stone (Teatre Barts, November 6th). The legendary Jon Mayall will be performing at the Auditori on the 18th.

December brings us Spanish singer, musician and songwriter Leiva (December 2nd, L’Auditori), and another musical legend in the guise of Marianne Faithful, who will be at the Palau de la Música on December 9th. Spanish singer Vanesa Martín will play at the Auditori on December 12th.

Other Spanish acts that have been confirmed are singer Chambao (December 27th, Palau de la Música) and old-timers Elefantes (March 19th, L’Auditori). Also coming in March 2015 will be fivetime Grammy Award-winning James Taylor, with his band (March 15th, Liceu). It’s still a few months away, but tickets sell out fast!

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the Informer Foreigners buying luxury flats 90 percent of the luxury flats sold in Barcelona over the last three years were bought by foreigners; many by Russian and Chinese buyers. 150 high-value properties are sold each year with a total worth of 300 million euros.

SARDANA STATUE VANDALISED The iconic Sardana statue on Montjuïc has been badly damaged by vandals. Four of the eight dancers had their arms broken off.

Deadline for improving Barcelona’s air quality The European Commission has given Spain just two months to take action on its high atmospheric pollution. Barcelona, Gijón and parts of Andalucía have been targeted for their high concentration of fine particulates.

Complaints about Can Vies squat The Can Vies occupied building is in the news again, this time for neighbours’ complaints about illegal late-night parties. The okupas have denied the residents’ claims that they are making noise and that party goers are urinating in the streets.

Food bank quadruples donations The Banco de Alimentos de Barcelona has quadrupled the amount of food that it distributes, from 489 tons in 2012 to 1,839 tons in October of this year. Most of the food comes from programmes associated with the EU and from Mercabarna wholesalers.

LESS PEOPLE LEAVING THE CITY In 2013, 53,000 people left Barcelona to live somewhere else, the lowest figure since 2003. As the cost of living in areas near Barcelona has risen, less people are leaving to find cheaper housing elsewhere. At the same time, the city received more than 76,000 new residents in the same period, more than compensating the loss.

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THINGS TO DO in NOVEMBER

1. Eat CHESTNUTS

Sure, you can buy yourself a paper bag of these delicious, warming treats from a street stall, but nothing beats roasting your own. Just cut a cross into the top of each chestnut and place in a roasting tin in the oven for about 30 minutes at 200C. And, if you want to collect your own, do as the locals and head to the Montseny national park for a wintery day of chestnut hunting.

2. Visit the museums

Why? Because no one else is. This is the month to soak up all the glorious art and culture that the city offers without having to elbow your way through hoards of tourists. For just 30 euros you can buy an ArtTicket and have access to the city’s six biggest museums.

Art Ticket is available from any Turisme de Barcelona shop.

3. Fly a kite

One of the (few) lovely things about windy November days is that they are great for kite-flying. Get yourself kitted out with a kite from just €7.95 at Decathlon then head to the beaches beyond Vila Olímpica which are popular with kite aficionados.

4. Learn Catalan

In September the Catalans commemmorated the Tricentenary of the Siege of Barcelona and they are currently petitioning for a referendum on self-rule. There isn’t a more interesting time to get to grips with the local language and the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística offers heavily subsidised courses. You can search for a course on www.gencat.es. Or, take an online course at www.parla.cat where you can either pay to have a teacher or do the course for free in your own time.

5. Get crafty

Crafting is where it’s at at these days. And what could be better on a chilly November evening than getting in touch with your inner creator in the calm company of fellow crafters. To find out what’s on offer go to one of the new wave of specialist centres, such as knitting shop All You Knit is Love (Barra de Ferro 8, www.allyouknitislove.com), and crafts shops/workshops Duduá (Diluvi 5, www.duduadudua.com) and Nido de Abeja (www.nidoabeja.com).

COMPETITION TIME We’re giving away eight pairs of tickets to Hole 2!

Just visit our homepage www.barcelona-metropolitan.com, to find out how to enter the competition.

See page 24 for more info about the show.

Check out our Friday Informer for a weekly news roundup.

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METROPOLITAN people What is the worst date you’ve ever been on?

SARAH

30. Artist, England It was the most boring date ever, which is not particularly extraordinary in itself, except that we had our first date on a canal boat. Once we got on the boat, I realised within minutes that we had absolutely nothing in common, but I was trapped with him for the next two hours. I wanted to jump overboard!

TEGAS

30, Social Worker, England A few days before the date I suffered from a very strange paralysis of the lower part of my left leg, I’d been to the doctors and they were doing tests, but in the meantime, I was left with an awkward limp. When I turned up for the date, she thought I was blind drunk and refused to have dinner with me.

THOMAS

47, Photographer, Germany My worst date was with a Catalan lady (who now happens to be a very good friend). Everything was going exceptionally well as we wined and dined, until, towards the end of the meal, we got onto the topic of independence. Needless to say, she threw down her fork and marched out of the restaurant.

VANESSA

30, Writer, Mexico Once, I met this gorgeous guy in a club. Really, he was extremely good looking. I was so excited about going on a date with him, but unfortunately when the day came and we met, I couldn’t ignore a strange smell in the room. When I realised it was coming from him, I had to leave, I just couldn’t stand it!

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A PLACE OF MY OWN NIKKI ROBERTS’ HIGH-CEILINGED HOME IS BURSTING WITH CHARACTER AND DOUBLES AS HER PHOTO STUDIO.

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hree years ago, Nikki Roberts moved into her spacious, Gaudí-esque apartment with her husband and two daughters. Initially the apartment was run-down and derelict, with a thick layer of dust camouflaging its features. Nikki saw the potential, however, and after a good cleaning and a few handyman-type home improvements, unveiled the wonders of the space. The gorgeous Modernista tiles, which narrate the history of the apartment, while keeping the floors cool in the hot Barcelona summers, differ from room to room. Pink with blooming white flowers. Pale yellow with grey snowflakes. A swirling, organic design of moss green, burnt orange and pansy purple.

If the tiles alone aren’t enough to make this the perfect home, then factor in the high ceilings and the light that fills up the space where there isn’t a retro knick-knack, and you’ll want to pack your bags and move in. “I love to wake up in my bedroom in the morning,”said Nikki, “The ceilings are so high, I feel like it opens up a world of possibility. Nothing is weighing me down and the creative thinking begins immediately, the second I open my eyes and take it all in.”

Although the apartment is still not perfect, that’s what works about it. The clever architectural design merges with the idiosyncrasies to create a place bursting with character and soul.

Looking around, pointing out little details a first-time guest would likely miss, a huge smile spread across Nikki’s face. “I just love that my apartment has cracks and blemishes, tiles that aren’t perfect and mismatched door handles. In a world where everyone is striving for modernity, I want my kids to grow up surrounded by quality products from past decades, things that represent where we came from. I want them to grow up in a home that has roots.”

And so, Nikki is always on the lookout for timeless, old-school pieces to add to the apartment’s decor.

Recently, she found a vintage hair salon hair dryer that was turned into a lamp at an antique market in Sant Cugat. It’s beyond fabulous. The part where ladies cocooned their heads in circulating hot air is painted a faded orange, and it came with the powder blue, hourglass-shaped stool the ladies would have sat on as their new dos dried. This new addition to the apartment’s furnishings actually inspired her daughter Maya’s 10th birthday

Nikki poses under her fifties hairdryer-turnedlamp.

Features of the apartment are used for Nikki’s photography shoots, such as the mirror and window shutters in the bedroom.

The reclaimed bathroom tiles are from Otranto.

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tment photoas the shutters

Nikki’s collection of vintage cameras

party: a 1950’s theme. Nikki also collects cameras and has them displayed in the living room in wooden shadow boxes. Among her collection is a working projector from the seventies. There is a Fritz Kuhla upright piano that sits, sleek and black, in the corner of the dining room. Although it contrasts with the earthy feel of the long, light wood dining room table and the flowering terrace, it allows Nikki’s older daughter, Isabella, to utilise the great acoustics that the apartment has and serenade her family with her talent.

When asked what influences her decorating, her work, and her life in general, Nikki said, “I’m inspired by people that are inspiring.” She literally surrounds herself with artists that motivate her to be imaginative. Books and framed magazine covers are perched on a shelf above the cushiony sofa in the living room: Barcelona 1000 Graffiti, Guy Bourdin Polaroids, The Big Butt Book and Madonna on the cover of Fanfair all hover directly over Nikki’s head when she’s lounging on the couch, just waiting to be picked up to foster an idea.

It’s not hard to see why Nikki, Creative Director of Velvet Cuts, never needs to find locations for her Boudoir Clips, a photographic venture by her company that allows clients to celebrate themselves as women, capturing them at their best and most sexy selves. No matter what time of day, Nikki can find the perfect spot in the apartment to shoot. After moving a few things around, relocating a piece of furniture, Nikki transforms her cosy family home into a suggestive photography set. No matter where she shoots—through the bedroom shutters, in the full-length mirror in her bedroom, against one of the solid white dining room walls, or on the giant, white, leather daybed—when looking at the photos, no one would ever realise the shots are taken in Nikki’s apartment. Nikki knows how to make the most out of a space. It takes an innovative, energetic, daring person to turn an apartment into a 1950s sock hop, equipped with popcorn and milkshake machines one day, and an intimate, playful environment where women can become sultry sirens in front of the camera the next.

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INFASHION

We head into the city centre to see what people are wearing this month...

Our pick SUNGLASSES €150 Wilde Store Avinyó 21

PARKER €99,99 Mango

TRAINERS €59 Kaotiko (Airwalk stockists)

Avinguda Portal de l’Àngel 7

Cucurulla 4

BOOTS €49.99 Coolway Cucurulla 9

MARTA, 28, SPAIN Resident here in Barcelona, Marta shops locally for her clothes, mixing in key items from vintage shops. She is wearing natural, autumnal colours for the season.

end m m o c e r e W Ring €25

Bimba Y Lola Muntaner 356

NICO, 30, SPAIN Nico is wearing a vintage shirt, which he customised himself, along with an eclectic mix of styles and brands to complete his look.

SOCKS €8 Happy Socks

www.happysocks.com

Dress €79.90 Nice Things Valencia 235

BAG €29.99 Misako

Rambla Catalunya 113

Braclet €28 Bimba Y Lola Muntaner 356

Boots €95 & Other Stories Passeig de Gràcia 8

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LOVE AND THE CITY

IN A FUNLOVING CITY LIKE BARCELONA, WITH ALL THE TECHNOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE, DATING SHOULD BE A SIMPLE AFFAIR. By POLLY CASSON

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f you're single in Barcelona right now, you’re in good company.

Along with the outdoors lifestyle and buzzing nightlife, the changing makeup of the city's residents is also working in your favour. Just as in the rest of Europe, people here are getting hitched later and starting to enjoy more single years than ever before (the average age at which the Spanish marry rose from 28.9 for men and 26.8 for women in 1995 to 36.2 for men and 33 for women in 2012). And, over the last few years, migration has brought about some key sociodemographic changes in the city. According to studies by Antonio López Gay of the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, the number of singles in the city is on the rise: while 80 percent of people that leave the city to settle down elsewhere live with their partner, the same is true for only 50 percent of those coming to the city.

So, for those singles with one eye out for a lasting relationship, it should be easier than ever to find a mate in the city. And yet, as singleton Rachel from the US says, "It's slim pickings out there. The guys I meet who I click with and who have potential seem to always just be in town for the weekend. There are the study abroad guys who are usually too

young or they're too wasted to take down my number correctly. Then there are the sleazy types who I see making their way across the dance floor and immediately grab my friends to escape outside for some 'fresh air'". So, what's a single person to do once being single has lost its shine?

Should they be sitting inside looking for love on their tablets or would they be better off taking the old-fashioned route of hitting a bar or joining a club? And, if they're foreign, how should they navigate the local dating scene? It seems there's no fit-all solution, but there's certainly no shortage of options.

Ostensibly to make things easier for us, a multi-million-euro industry, offering a plethora of new technological tools, has sprung up to help us find our soulmate. Any stigma once attached to online dating is long gone as today's twenty-somethings grew up with technology at their fingertips. Some of these websites and apps are focused on fleeting encounters, others claim to help you find your perfect life mate.

If you do choose the online route take heart that, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), over half of single Spanish people are right there with you.

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...you can always take the bull by the horns and opt for one of the apps that make selecting a date as easy as ordering a pizza.

In fact, Spain is one of the best markets for Meetic, one of the top three dating sites in the country which, in just over 11 years, has amassed a huge nine million users. According to Meetic the emphasis here is on forming friendships and lasting relationships. It is free to create a profile and browse the site but certain services require a subscription. Once you have paid your fee (from approximately 30 euros per month depending on your subscription type) you can, amongst other things, write to other members, have unlimited use of instant messaging, and see who has viewed your profile. This is also one of the few sites that offer some kind of guarantee. Not, alas, for eternal love, but you do get your money back if after one year you haven't met anyone half decent.

Other similar sites are Parship.es and Edarling.es which also have subscription charges. You'll need a little patience to sign up for Parship as, in order to help them help you, you have to fill in an 80-page questionnaire. They guarantee you a minimum of five contacts in six months or they'll give you back your subscription fee. Edarling is considered the most 'serious' of the top three. Subscribers tend to be a little older and the focus is very much on finding a long-term partner. Again, it involves

a comprehensive questionnaire.

OKCupid is a free online dating service that uses an algorythm-based matching system. The user answers a series of questions and also rates how important each question is to them. Their match percentage is then calculated and appropriate matches are recommended with a compatibility percentage. Perhaps not the way that Cupid himself would have operated, but commendable for at least trying hard. Unfortunately, this site hit the news in the US this year for 'experimenting' with their users.

The experiment consisted of telling people that incompatible people were, in fact, highly compatible, with the predicable result that people did indeed find them compatible. OKCupid's own research has also revealed, again not surprisingly, that even the most complex algorythm in the world is no competition for an attractive photograph.

And, if you can't be bothered with long surveys and algorythms, you can always take the bull by the horns and opt for one of the apps that make selecting a date as easy as ordering a pizza. They are free, instant and hugely popular. Criticised by many as being shallow and looks-biased, these apps are undoubtedly more suited to finding fleeting liasons

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rather than anything long-term. Although you could strike lucky in the love stakes, it's worth remembering that many of the people you meet up with are definitely not looking for a soulmate. King of the dating apps is the love-it or hate-it Tinder which allows you to search people in your local area using your profile data from Facebook. Tinder matches potential candidates based on where you are, number of mutual friends and common interests. You simply browse through pictures, swipe right to like or left to pass. If they like you back then you can start chatting and potentially meet for a date.

Jim, an English teacher from London who has lived here for five years, feels that Tinder creates disposable, short-term connections. Despite that, he is a self-confessed Tinder fan. He says the app “is not only an effective time waster for when you are bored, but also serves as an ego boost for when you are matched with someone you have previously ‘liked’”. After this online pairing comes a short conversation. These run the risk of petering out quickly as the user knows there is always another person waiting to be matched.

Rachel has a different opinion on the app. "Tinder is not for me. I am not a person who plans a one-night stand. And that's all Tinder is: a means of finding a hook-up with as little effort as possible. I get annoyed when I hear people trying to make it out to be more than that. Tinder only exists because straight singles were jealous of how much sex the gay community was having due to Grinder."

...Family ties are particularly strong in Spain and, to a foreign singleton, the city can feel empty on bank holidays as people get together for family gatherings.

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by Polly Casson

I met my current partner eight months ago via the website Meetic.es. I had previously experienced five years of largely dissatisfying dating here in Barcelona, but before I met Mark in January this year, I had changed my mindset sufficiently to be on the lookout for a whole new type of person.

I had entered the New Year with a new focus, and decided to restart internet dating. A friend was having some luck on Meetic and recommended it to me. Inspired by her colourful experiences I plunged right in. I began by signing up and paying for a three-month subscription.

I met up with about six guys over a one-month period. I stuck to daytime coffee dates which changed the dynamic considerably.

All of the dates, bar my boyfriend Mark, wrote numerous in-depth emails regaling me with elaborate background stories. For me, they had all fallen into the trap of listing their virtues, and what they did or had done, rather than who they really were. They were largely from surrounding towns, and either lived with their parents, or if independent, seemed to lack worldliness and insight.

When Mark popped up in my inbox with a one liner of an email, I was thrown. To add to this uncertainty, he was 10 years younger than me, Bolivian and lived with his family! His photos held my interest (I am a sucker for trendy glasses and dark hair). His profile and self-presentation was simple and unadorned.

For people too sensitive to deal with the idea of people dismissing them with one swipe to the left, then Badoo is a more gentle way to meet people in one's local area. With over 24 million members worldwide, this is one of the fastest growing social networks for meeting new people and although it isn't marketed as an online dating service, it certainly acts as one. The basic service is free, allowing you to chat, upload photos and videos and connect with people that live in your area. There are also premium options available such as Spotlight and Rise Up, allowing your profile to be seen more easily and by more people.

A few years ago, before online dating really took off, speed dating and singles' nights were all the rage in Barcelona, with multiple events taking place each week. Perhaps not so popular as they once were, dating events are still alive and well and have some obvious advantages over online dating. They are time efficient, they go beyond the photo and many people appreciate meeting others in a safe and commitment-free environment. Dateclubconnect.com was founded in 2005 and arranges singles' events in Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga. An evening of meeting new people with Dateclubconnect will set you back €22. Curiously, the company sets slightly different age brackets for men and women.

For men the ages are 30-40 or 39-49, whilst the women are between 28-38 and 37-47 for the same events. Dateclubconnect justifies this by saying that placing age restrictions helps to avoid disappointment. Their website claims that during an evening of speed dating—which consists of a series of five-minute dates—you will meet around 15 singles. Dateclub members are 60 percent Spanish/Catalan and 40 percent international.

Katy, 32, an English teacher from Birmingham who attended a speed dating event last year, said: “I wasn’t expecting much and my Spanish is pretty terrible, so five minutes felt like five hours with a couple of the men. I found a lot still lived at home with their mum and it seemed like speed dating was almost like an excuse for them to escape for the night (and meet some girls in the process)."

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MY STORY

On the Friday of our first date, he casually asked me out for a drink at around 9pm: a sign of his relaxed, spontaneous nature. Three dates later he took me out for my birthday. Four dates later I met his best friends.

The irony of our situation is that out of all of the men that I met, Mark had the right energy and education and made me feel relaxed and encouraged. He also worked on the same road that I live on, and had been there for seven years: a nice coincidence to throw into the mix. I don’t believe that we would ever have met if it hadn't been for Meetic, which is food for thought. I smile thinking that he was down the road throughout my time in the neighbourhood, but that we just didn’t have the opportunity to cross paths.

I think that the nicest thing about our union is that it challenged some of my preconceived ideas about what I wanted or needed from a relationship. I was obviously open to having them challenged, but it’s refreshing to think that we can be so different in so many ways (culturally, lifestyle and character wise) and yet be compatible.

He has added that extra dimension of sentimental happiness and satisfaction to my already wonderful life here in Barcelona.

My advice if you are looking for romance in Barcelona, would be to give yourself a little talking to about what you need, rather than what you think you want. Change long-standing patterns of behaviour when it comes to searching for a partner, and adapt yourself to what’s on offer in the city, social events-wise. Be brutally honest with yourself about your own ambitions love-wise, and the results should be positive.

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GUIRI BUSINESS DRINK NETWORKING 2014 Free Drink & Tapas

19th November

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.

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

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FEATURE

For others, the experience can pay off. 42-yearold Carmen from Valencia met her partner Frank, a 43-year-old hotel manager from the UK at a speed dating night. Both Carmen and Frank had used online dating sites with little success. "I was really tired of going on dates that turned out to be a waste of time. I wanted to meet potential partners but without the oneon-one stress of a proper date," says Carmen. Frank agrees, "I found internet dating very difficult and you know that so much depends on if the other person likes your face. Actually meeting someone before reaching any conclusions saves an awful lot of time and gives you an idea of who they actually are, not just what they look like."

There are other speed dating companies in Spain.

Among the websites on offer here are www.happydates.es, which organises dating for straight as well as gay singles, and www.datingbarcelona.com, a local company that offers a range of events including slow dating (similar to speed dating but in small groups), singles travel and dinners.

For other events for singles, www.meetup.com has plenty to offer. Barcelona Social Singles holds various speed dating events each month and has a mixture of local and international residents.The group currently has 719 members.

A new meetup that started in September is Barcelona World Singles. This group welcomes all nationalities and ages to its Saturday night dinners.

Being a foreigner in the city certainly adds an extra twist to the already complicated world of dating. Like in most places, many locals meet their partners at university, work or through family and friends.

Family ties are particularly strong in Spain and, to a foreign singleton, the city can feel empty on bank holidays as people get together for family gatherings.

Rachel also feels that the temporary nature of most foreigners' living in the city makes other people wary of long-term relationships with them. Her experience has been that many potential partners either shy away or assume that the relationship will be shortlived. "I have had numerous Catalan guys tell me that the instant a girl says she's British or American, two things come to mind: she must be easy and she'll be gone after the weekend. Even if you currently live here, that mindset is always present. And that attitude makes it difficult to be taken seriously by a potential partner. It's a hard reality to overcome when trying to make a real relationship work in the city".

John, 40, a business owner from Surrey, UK, who lives outside of Barcelona says he values the direct nature of women here and prefers that honesty. “I, myself, have become much more direct. You could say I have 'gone native' but really, the reason I feel comfortable here is because my real character, to which I am ever more true, is more similar to the local one than the typical English one. All I can say is that finding love in Catalunya is an increasingly easy and enjoyable process for me."

Jayne, a US-born Barcelona resident has also been lucky with her local dating. She has been married to her Catalan husband for eight years and they have two children together. Before meeting her husband she had a three-year relationship with another local man. "I don't remember feeling stereotpyed in any way and my experience dating here was generally pretty positive. I was already 30 when I arrived here though and I was dating men in their thirties. Perhaps it would have been different if I'd been younger."

It's true that a lot of an individual's experience of dating, both online and offline, will depend on their age and the age of their ideal match.

According to a recent study by online dating portal mobifriends.com, 52 percent of Spanish 20 to 29 year olds register online to ligar rather than find stable relationships. This drops to 42 percent in the case of people in their thirties.

The increase of foreigners in the city makes intercultural couples like Jayne and her husband more common and helps to reduce stereotyping.

The number of social groups, such as the Meetup ones, that are a mix of foreigners and locals, indicates that, not only are foreigners looking for effective ways to build networks and connect with people, but also that there are many locals that would like to connect with people from all over.

Like all big cities, when it comes to finding love, Barcelona has its pros and cons. For anyone without their family, school or university network close by, there can initially seem to be more cons than pros. Real-life social lives may seem to be reduced to foreigner-only circles and the online options can be overwhelming and badly suited to expectations. Getting over the obstacles takes some judicious use of online tools and investigation into social activities that bring you into contact with like-minded souls. Once you've moved passed the cons, there are plenty of pros to enjoy. Online dating is stigma free, the city is getting more and more used to folks from afar, and, of course, there's that outdoors lifestyle and buzzing nightlife. Surely enough for anyone to stand a chance of success in the world of dating. Whether it leads to romance or just some fun is a matter of personal choice.

TOP TOOLS Dating sites with subscription fee www.Meetic.es www.Parship.es www.Edarling.es Free dating sites www.OKCupdid.com www.PoF.es (Plenty of Fish) Social networking www.badoo.com

Apps www.GoTinder.com Speed dating: www.HappyDates.es www.DatingBarcelona.com www.DateClubConnect.com Singles meetups at www.

Meetup.com Barcelona Social Singles Barcelona International Club Barcelona World Singles

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MUSIC

0 editor’s pick

18th

sharon jones & the dap-kings

November 18th, 9.30pm. Palau de la Música Catalana.

Palau de la Música 4-6.

In the music industry, artists can come and go without you ever learning more than two songs on their album. However, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, an American funk/soul band, have continued to steadily grow in popularity, sell out huge theatres and headline festivals.

How? It’s simple. They are a great band that makes great music. For decades, they have been travelling around the world, surprising audiences with their crude recordings and gracing fans with their explosive live shows. No other band today seems to match the Dap-Kings’ rhythm, feeling or monumental power. No other singer can duplicate the energy and honest soul of Sharon Jones. Together they spearhead the revivalist movement that aims to capture and uphold the essence of funk/soul music as it was at its height in the mid-sixties to midseventies. Part of their efforts to achieve this is to shun modern digital recording methods in favour of traditional analog equipment. The veteran soulwoman, Sharon Jones, has also consistently made it a point to avoid fleeting fads and always hit you right in the heart with her visceral sound. After all these years, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have never lost sight of their objective: to bring music directly to the people who need it. Tickets cost €€21-45.

Sax legends November 4th, 8th & 15th. Jamboree. Pl. Reial 17.

The Jamboree jazz club welcomes some true giants of jazz this month. Setting the mood on the 4th is the David Murray Infinity Quartet. Saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray is one of the most innovative musicians on the contemporary jazz scene. Initially influenced by free jazz musicians, Murray still uses jazz as a vehicle for musical exploration and freedom. On the 8th, the Lou Donaldson Quartet take the stage. Still touring at the ripe old age of 87, the legendary alto saxophonist Donaldson retains his hallmark elegance and rhythym. His unique groove has created a school that goes way beyond trends and generations. During the nineties, the acid jazz scene used him as a reference and Donaldson’s career underwent a revival which continues today. And last, but not least, is the Lee Konitz Quartet on the 15th.

Considered one of the main figures in the cool jazz movement, Konitz participated in Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool sessions. He has retained his distinctive style, improvising long, melodic lines with the rhythmic interest coming from odd accents. He’ll be playing with three other outstanding musicians; pianist Dan Tepfer, drummer George Schuller and the double bass player Jeremy Stratton.

8th

CONNEXIONS Until November 21st. Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113. www. festivalconnexions.com

14th

Barcelona’s most famous music school has been turning out top-notch jazz, flamenco and rock musicians for 35 years. For the third year running they have teamed up with record label Bankrobber to bring Barcelona’s best instrumentalists and vocalists together through the Connexions festival. Experimental by nature, it treats Barcelona as a musical melting pot where the most unlikely combinations can bring about new and innovative fusions. More than 20 musicians will take to the stage on the 7th as the exceptional Free Spirits Big Band, led by David Mengual, will join forces with El Petit de Cal Eril, in a harmonious collision of styles.

On the 14th there’s a chance to see Rumbamazigha 2.0, a multicultural project that aims to unite many different musical genres, from Rumba Catalana to Maghrebian sounds. This is melodic, festive music that really knows no boundaries and defies any label. And, on the 21st, it’s big band music Jamaica-style with The Gramophone Allstars Big Band, an energetic explosion of soul and funk.

The main cycle takes place at Sala Apolo, whilst two sub cycles, called Desconnexions, are held at JazzSí Club and Almo2bar.

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.

IN CONCERT 2nd. Macy Gray

Teatre Barts. Parallel 62.

3rd. The Raveonettes

Music Hall. Rbla de Catalunya 2-4.

4th. Nikki Hill

Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

6th. John Legend

Auditori del Fòrum. Pl. Leonardo da Vinci.

6th. Birdy

Bikini. Av. Diagonal 547.

7th. The Magic Numbers and Goldheart Assembly Bikini. Av. Diagonal 547.

MUSIC ART DRINKS FOOD AND YOU

13th. Cat Power

L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

14th. James Blunt

Barcelona Teatre Musical. Guàrdia Urbana 7.

Plaza Comercial 10, 08003, Barcelona Tel. 93 667 0036

14th. Machine Head

Open Tue-Sun 12pm-3am www.guzzo.es

Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

18th. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

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

18th. John Mayall

L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

19th. One Republic

Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.

19th. Clean Bandit

Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

22nd. Fish

Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

24th. Ed Sheeran

Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.

24th. Stiff Little Fingers Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

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ART

0 editor’s pick

Mr. Brainwash 3 Punts Galeria. Enric Granados 21.

November 14th - January 17th, 2015.

14th

One of today’s most talked-about street artists will be in the city this month. Mr. Brainwash is the moniker used by Paris-born, Los Angeles-based film-maker and urban artist Thierry Guetta. Mr. Brainwash achieved worldwide recognition with Banksy’s Oscar-nominated film, Exit Through the Gift Shop. His works often emulate the style of Banksy and there has been speculation that Mr Brainwash is, in fact, an elaborate prank by the arch-prankster himself, Banksy, a rumour strongly denied by both Banksy and Guetta.

Guetta became a street artist after a stint as an amateur videographer, filming street artists through the 2000s. Inspired by his subjects, he eventually hit the streets himself armed with a spray can. In 2008, Mr. Brainwash made his art show debut with Life is Beautiful, held at the CBS Studios on Sunset Boulevard in LA. Originally scheduled to open for only two weeks, the show was extended

for three months, attracting more than 50,000 visitors. He made his New York debut in February 2010, with the unveiling of ICONS, a 15,000 square-foot exhibition in the heart of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

He is also well known for his collaborative work with other artists and creative minds, such as Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sade, Dolce & Gabbana and many more.

This exhibition, his first ever in Spain, brings together some of his most representative work, including small and large format works on canvas and paper.

There will also be a series of small format works created especially for this show and based on Copito de Nieve (Barcelona zoo’s albino gorilla who died in 2003), and a silk screen print that represents FC Barcelona’s best players, from the thirties till the present day.

El Lissitzky.

6th

Experience of Totality La Pedrera. Provença 261-165.

October 21st-January 18th, 2015.

Painter, designer, architect and photographer, Eliezar Márkovich Lissitzky, commonly known as El Lissitzky, was one of the leading figures in Russian art in the 1920s and 1930s. Convinced that artists could be agents for social change, he led the search for a new approach to art after the October Revolution in 1917. Controversial, innovative and influential, Lissitzky worked with the Russian and European Avant-garde movements of the 1920s and as a propagandist for the Stalin regime in the 1930s. He experimented with numerous artistic media and stylistic devices that would later come to dominate 20th-century graphic design, exhibition design and photomontage. Experience of Totality brings together 130 of the artist’s works and illustrates Lissitzky’s extraordinary ability to take innovative ideas and elaborate upon them, constantly pushing and transcending borders and limits.

World Press Photo CCCB. Montalegre 5. November 6th-December 8th.

The annual World Press Photo exhibition tour is the most popular travelling photo event in the world, and it arrives in Barcelona this month. Containing the 130 winning photos of the prestigious international photojournalism award, the exhibition visits more than 100 cities in 45 countries over the course of a year. The award is run by a non-profit foundation that seeks to inspire understanding of the world through photography.

5,754 photographers from 123 different countries participated in the 2013 World Press Photo Contest and a total of 98,671 images were received and classified into nine different categories, including Portraits, Nature, Daily Life and News and Documentary. The overall winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2013 is a photograph

by American photographer John Stanmeyer. The picture shows African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighbouring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad. The picture, which was shot for National Geographic, also won first prize in the Contemporary Issues category.

You can find out more about all the winning photos at www.worldpressphoto.org.

until

18th

Jan

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ART PICKS OPENING fundació antoni Tàpies Interval. Sound Actions. Videos, concerts, lectures, installations and a series of radio programmes turn the focus at the Fundació Antoni Tàpies to listening, and explore not only how music sounds in a museum, but the sound of the museum itself. From November 6th.

Aragó 255.

Macba Sigalit Landau: Phoenician Sand Dance. An exhibition of Landau’s video art that focuses on choreographed living bodies interacting to make sculpture. From November 21st.

Pl. dels Àngels 1.

Last chance blueproject foundation Wolfgang Laib. Various installations by the German minimalist artist created from natural materials such as beeswax, milk, pollen and rice, along with a number of his recent drawings.

Until November 23rd.

Princesa 57.

CCCB Sota Setge (Under Siege). An installation that takes a profound look at what it means to be under siege, through debates and film screenings. Until November 9th.

Montalegre 5.

CCCB Big Bang Data. The first installation in a series of projects that explores the intersections between science, technological innovation, culture and society. Until November 16th.

Montalegre 5. palau de la virreina Ryszard Kapuscinski: The decline of the empire. A collection of photographs from Kapuscinski’s time in the former Soviet Union, documenting its people and landscapes. Until November 11th.

La Rambla 99.

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BEST OF THE REST Love and Lust

The Hole 2. Until December 14th. Teatre Coliseum. Gran Via 595. www.theholeshow2.com A love triangle, music, circus acts, burlesque, drinks, laughs and a rat are waiting for you in The Hole 2. This unique show has been received with wide eyes, much laughter and hearty applause by audiences all over Spain. The underlying storyline follows a man who is about to get married when he gets dragged into his past life of cabaret. Forced back on stage, he is confronted by the previous love of his life (played by a real-life mouse that turns into a woman halfway through the show) and driven to break up her current relationship with a gorgeous man (represented as a cat).

The masters of ceremony are played by Edu Soto and Álex O’Dogherty to add some celebrity status to the show.

until

14th Dec MIRA! Festival 2014 November 6th-15th. www.mirafestival.com

MIRA! Festival, now in its fourth edition, softens the prospect of a chilly November with an innovative live visual arts festival, right here in the heart of Barcelona. Set across three diverse spaces; Razzmatazz, Arts Santa Monica and Fabra i Coats, participants enjoy a diverse cultural offering of international DJs, producers and musicians, as well as new media artists, vjs and audiovisual installations. MIRA! is an independent festival with a difference.

It aims both to promote audiovisual culture through performance whilst simultaneously diffusing knowledge of new media art via seminars, conferences and workshops, as well as nourishing the relationship between audio and visual performance. Its finale takes place in Fabra i Coats, a previously disused factory that was lovingly converted into an artistic space in 2012. So whether you want to experience the latest in visual technology or an innovative musical experience, MIRA festival is one not to miss this autumn.

Sâlmon< DANCE November 27th - December 7th. Mercat de les Flors. Lleida 59.

Sâlmon< festival is back for a third year. Organised by Mercat de les Flors, the festival showcases the latest work by artists who are taking part in residencies at dance creation space El Graner. Offering a fresh look at the language of movement through the works of local creators and performers, such as Manuel Rodríguez, Aimar Pérez Galí and Albert Quesada, the festival aims to establish a new dialogue between artists, professionals and the public, with performances, laboratories, talks, workshops and improvised activities. Also taking part this year will be a number of international artists including Jefta van Dinther, Tânia Carvalho and Mala Kline.

0 editor’s pick

6th

27th

24

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27th

tHe BlAckest oF comedies

Antic Teatre. Verdaguer i Callís 12. November 27th - 30th. Thursday to Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 6pm.

Nobody could have guessed what Jocular Theatre’s new production was going to be. Director Joshua Zamrycki is known for his unpredictable choices and this show is certainly one of a kind. Barcelona’s premier English language theatre company will bring the award-winning play The Pillowman to the Antic Teatre for four performances.

The play, penned by Martin McDonagh, scriptwriter of such gems as In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, is one of the blackest comedies you’re ever likely to encounter. Set in a totalitarian state, it tells the story of Katurian, a writer who is being questioned by the police on account of a series of murders that bear some disturbing similarities to his fictional tales.

With chilling performances and haunting music, The Pillowman will leave nothing to the imagination.

For more information and to buy tickets see their website, www.joculartheatre.com

5th tHe BiG iF 2

November 5th-8th. Carrer d’Astúries 87. www.barcelonaimprovfestival.com The Barcelona Improv Group (BIG) has been putting on improvised comedy shows in English for the past three years. Last November, they expanded outside the Barcelona community and collaborated with improv groups throughout Europe to create a spectacle known as the BIG IF (Barcelona Improv Group International Festival). The BIG IF 2 promises to be even bigger and iffier than last year. Over the course of four days, there will be up to 20 performances of completely unscripted, never-before-seen, laugh-out-loud comedy events performed by amazing teams with a wide variety of improv styles.

This is an opportunity for people living in Barcelona to see some high-quality improvised comedy, with acts from the UK, United States, Finland, Estonia and more, at affordable prices. As a company, BIG also strives to be an outlet where people can express themselves, cut loose from their professional lives and be creative and funny with little experience. And so, throughout the festival, they are offering improvisation masterclasses with comedians of different nationalities and styles.

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6 MIRA Live visual arts festival. See page 24.

Razzmatazz and Fabra i Coats.

THE BIG IF: improv comedy festival Opening night show.

8pm. Fundació Orfeo Gracienc.

MACROBUKKAKE & EXTRAÑO WEYS Part of the Connexions festival.

See page 20.

Inzunza and EchegoyEn Two great guitarists, Uruguayan Patricio Echegoyen and Chilean

THURSDAY

5

WEDNESDAY

4

TUESDAY

3

MONDAY

Sâlmon< dance festival

What's ON NOVEMBER 2014

ARTFUTURA Festival of digital culture.

CCCB. Montalegre 5.

7

Mira Festival

FRIDAY

LADY GAGA The Artpop Ball Tour.

9.30pm. Palau Sant Jordi.

8

FLEA MARKET BARCELONA 11am-7pm. Pl. Blanquerna www.fleamarketbcn.com

9

EUROGARAGE Everything costs a euro at this second-hand market.

11am-8pm. Ovella Negra.

Zamora 78.

MACY GRAY Part of the the Festival del Milleni.

9pm. Teatre Barts. Parallel 62.

PUBLIC HOLIDAY Happy Día de Todos los Santos! demanoenmano Barcelona’s monthly itinerant vintage market.

11am-9pm. CCCB. Montalegre 5.

(1st & 2nd)

2

SUNDAY

1

SATURDAY

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

For more information visit our website

26-27. Calendar.indd 7

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CAT POWER US singer-songwriter.

9pm. L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION The travelling exhibition of ward-winning photos.

See page 22.

CCCB. Montalegre 5.

Martin Barre

L’ALTERNATIVA Opening night of the 21st edition of Barcelona’s independent cinema festival. Activities, workshops and free screenings at l’Alternativa Hall.

CCCB. Montalegre 5. (17th-23rd).

17

13

12

11

Cat Power

27

20

CARMEN Bizet’s masterpiece performed by the Orquestra Terrassa 48.

8.30pm. Palau de la Música.

Palau de la Música 4-6.

Passenger

Christmas market Charity market at the International Women’s Club of Barcelona.

11am-1pm. Casa Orlandai.

Jaume Piquet 23.

26

DANSA ARA AT LA PEDRERA Cycle of young choreographers.

Tonight, Eternament Agrait by Roberto Olivan.

La Pedrera. Provença 261-265.

GUIRI BUSINESS DRINK Networking event sponsored by Metropolitan.

7pm-9pm. Cinco Jotas. Las Arenas.

SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS 9.30pm. Palau de la Música.

Palau de la Música 4-6.

JOHN MAYALL 80th Birthday Tour. Part of the Festival del Mil.leni.

9pm. L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

19

18

The Original Wailers

CREC MARKET Market of ecological and local products.

7.30pm-9.30pm. Crec. Blesa 27.

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL Opening night.

Various cinemas. www.ficma.

(6th - 13th) com Chicago

Kenny barRon & Dave Holland Part of the International Jazz Festival.

9pm. Teatre Barts. Parallel 62.

David MurrAY Legendary US jazz saxophonist.

See page 20.

Jamboree. Plaça Reial 17.

TAYLOR MCFERRIN Beat boxer, singer, instrumentalist and son of jazz legend Bobby Ferrin. Part of the International Jazz Festival.

10pm. Harlem Jazz Club.

Comtessa de Sobradiel 8.

MIRA Live visual arts festival. See page 24.

Razzmatazz and Fabra i Coats.

(6th - 15th).

THE BIG IF: improv comedy festival Opening night show.

8pm. Fundació Orfeo Gracienc.

Astúries 83. (Until 9th).

MACROBUKKAKE & EXTRAÑO WEYS Part of the Connexions festival.

See page 20.

9pm. Almo2bar. Bruniquer 59.

Inzunza and EchegoyEn Two great guitarists, Uruguayan Patricio Echegoyen and Chilean Matías Inunza, interpret a varied repertoir, including works by Enrique Granados.

8.30pm. Casa Elizalde. València 302.

Lady Gaga

6

5

4

3

MALA KLINE Part of the Sâlmon dance festival. Dancer and choreographer Kline presents her work, Eden.

See page 24.

9pm. Mercat de les Flors. Lleida 59. (Nov 27th-Dec 7th).

28

DAVID KRAKAUER Jazz clarinetist. Part of the International Jazz Festival 9.30pm. L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

Kid Ink

THE GRAMOPHONE ALLSTARS BIG BAND Part of the Connexions festival.

See page 20.

Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

21

REPTILIAN MAMBO Part of the LEM Experimental Music Festival.

10pm. La Fontana. Gran de Gràcia 190.

JAMES BLUNT 9pm. Barcelona Teatre Musical.

Joaquim Blume s/n.

14

HUMAN RIGHTS CINEMA FESTIVAL Closing concert with Pau Saura.

11pm. Rai Art. Carders 12. (festival runs from Oct 22nd).

ARTFUTURA Festival of digital culture.

CCCB. Montalegre 5.

7

THE PILLOWMAN New play by Jocular Theatre.

See page... (Nov 27th-30th).

Antic Teatre. Verdaguer i Callis 12.

LEARN TO USE A 3D PRINTER Course at MOB coworking space.

10am-2pm. Bailén 11 bajos.

29

NATALIE DESSAY French soprano, accompanied

by Barroque orchestra Le Concert d’Astrée.

10pm, Gran Teatre del Liceu. La Rambla 51-59.

EXPERIENCE MACBA Roser López Espinosa presents dance piece Concave.

7pm. MACBA. Pl. dels Ángels 1.

22

Max Cooper Electronica at the Mira festival.

See page 24.

9.15pm. Fabra i Coats. Sant Adrià 20.

SWING SESSION AT THE MNAC With Juli Aymi’swing. Just turn up and dance.

4pm-6pm. MNAC. Palau Nacional. Montjuïc.

15

BRICK LANE BARCELONA Vintage market.

12pm-8pm. Princesa 56.

LADY GAGA The Artpop Ball Tour.

9.30pm. Palau Sant Jordi.

Montjuïc.

8

MANOVIVA Puppet show for children by Girovago and Rondella 12pm & 5pm. La Puntual. Allada Vermell 15.

SWING A L’APOLO Swing jam with the Barcelona Live Orchestra.

7.30pm-11pm. Apolo. Nou de la Rambla.

30

GRAN GALA FLAMENC A celebration of flamenco music and dance.

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

91st jean bouin run This 10k is one of Spain’s oldest sporting events. www.jeanbouin.cat

23

SWING AL PARC Open swing dance session at the bandstand in Parc de la Ciutadella.

12pm-2.30pm.

MARTIN BARRE & BAND Ex-guitarist of Jethro Tull.

8pm. Sala Bikini. Diagonal 547.

16

VOOOOOX! WORKSHOP FOR FAMILIES Music workshop for children aged one to six.

10.30am & 11.30am. L’Auditori.

Lepant 150.

FLEA MARKET BARCELONA 11am-7pm. Pl. Blanquerna www.fleamarketbcn.com

9

The strange world of geocaChing it’s A new way to discover the city and ideal for insomniacs.

ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR SMARTPHONE. By ANTONIO TAMEZ

T

wo years ago I knew everything about insomnia, and yet no book or website, no over-the-counter remedy could alleviate it. Nothing but physical exhaustion worked for me. That was when I began walking. I came to know Barcelona not by day, but by the small hours, when the city shines with a different kind of glitter.

It is an expansive way to calm mind and body; empty streets, white noise, ghosts in parks and a beach breeze. But sometimes aimless walking, what the Situationists called psychogeography, may be enhanced by a purpose; a set number of kilometres covered or landmarks visited.

I discovered geocaching while looking for resources on urban exploration and night walking. It is a game that uses GPS coordinates to guide you to secret spots where containers, called caches, have been hidden. To play you need to visit geocaching.com, look for caches in your area, and set their coordinates on your GPS device or the official app for smartphones. You can create an optional username, network with friends and keep track of your findings. The basic service is free but premium membership grants you more tools and information. The community is strong and international and Barcelona is littered with containers.

There is more to this than just finding boxes. Each cache has a logbook where players write down their names, date of discovery and any comments. Other caches hold small trinkets, usually coins and candy. If you’re lucky you may even find a travel bug, which is a traceable dog tag registered online that players can take from one location to another.

Caches vary in size and difficulty. The average one is a small plastic or aluminium box while others may range from diminutive and nondescript to large and cumbersome. They can be easy to find or cunningly difficult.

Hiding spots include phone booths, benches, trees and lamp posts. Others will be stashed in the least likely places, sometimes right in front of you. Patience is the only requisite.

I found my first cache under a phone booth by Monumental station after standing beside it for almost 40 minutes, having no idea where else to look. The content inside was a useless collection of stuff now precious by association, most of it brought from abroad; an acorn seed, a coin minted in Eastern Europe, a folded miniature map of the London Tube.

The logbook was full but I still had a small corner to write something down. TFTC! That stands for “Thanks for the Cache”, one of the many

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terms and acronyms that have evolved through the game’s lifespan. The growing vocabulary can be found online.

A week later, with my first cache under my belt, I planned for a longer night session. The traced route, 15 spots spread between an urban orchard near La Sagrada Familia and the outer edges of Mar Bella beach, would take me several hours to cover. Geocaching has no fixed rules.

You’re free to go looking for caches any way and at any time you want, but there is an added edge in doing so at night. People who wander around during the witching hours tend to be of a special kind. That night a drunken kid wanted to know if I was looking for my car keys inside a dustbin while later a red-bearded man offered to help me find whatever I was looking for under a bench.

You’re free to go looking for caches any way and at any time you want, but there is an added edge in doing so at night.

Later I got stuck at Avinguda Icaria, under the pergolas designed by Enric Miralles for the 1992 Olympics. The cache marked in the app’s map for this area was nowhere to be found. This is a frequent occurrence; suspicious-looking caches have been retrieved by the police in the United States and England while other times they are found and stolen by strangers or taken away for maintenance by the owners.

After a while I spotted it, high on top of one of the pergolas and impossible to reach. Thankfully Caroll and Anja were around the corner, both from Germany and out for a night of geocaching too. We were looking for the same spot, but whereas I had a digital device all they had was a paper scribbled with esoteric words, street names and the hope of not having wasted their night chasing ghosts. We agreed to team up, did some acrobatics to fish the box out, signed the logbook and went on our way to the next stop on our maps. Serendipitous adventure and chance encounters with strangers is one of geocaching’s added values.

Sometimes caches demand a level of risk. Both girls had been crawling and climbing to find some of the most difficult ones and had the scars to prove it. The game is legal, but sometimes owners hide their caches in off-limits or dangerous areas. Caution and common sense are advised.

Caroll found our next two caches. The daughter of a professional hunter, she had been raised in the family tradition of patience and observation. She told me stories about hunting wild boar while we looked around Mar Bella beach, vaguely aware of some kids keeping an eye on us to the beat of Slavic hip hop. Anja found the next one behind a beach sign; an elegant cylinder wrapped in electric tape, a useless measure against wear and leakage. The coiled logbook was soaked and illegible.

We didn’t find the next cache on our list. However, thanks to some false steps, we found an unrelated one. Sometimes you get lucky. As we headed to our last spot of the night, Plaça de Prim, Caroll told me about a cache she had been looking for in Australia. She wandered off track and found a much bigger prize, a little beach all for herself, Plaça de Prim wasn’t empty, but the five friends talking on the bench

didn’t look like they would bother us. A small square, it was built in 1851 and renamed after the death of General Juan Prim in 1870. What remains of a larger fishermen’s neighbourhood is crowned by a fountain and three beautiful ombú trees brought over from the South American Pampa.

We spent plenty of time looking around, unavoidably attracting the others’ attention. They were students from Poland living in a flat in Rambla de Poblenou. They joined our party and it didn’t take long before one of them found the cache. We all signed the logbook, talked some more and parted ways. No use calling a cab when we could walk back home.

Caroll and Anja lived a couple of blocks away from my flat, but sadly we could not agree for another hunt as they were leaving for Germany in a few days.

However I’ve met other people since then. Geocaching and night walking are perfect excuses to see the city. It’s a fun way to spend sleepless hours and meet strangers, and you’ll be ready for a good rest by the end of the hunt, even if you’re not done until seven am. That’s why we have weekends.

Geo what?

Where did it all start?

Huge improvements to GPS technology, including the end of selective availability in May 2000, led GPS enthusiast Dave Ulmer to test the accuracy of this new technology. On May 3rd, 2000 he hid a black bucket in the woods in Beavercreek, near Portland, Oregon. Along with a logbook and pencil, he also left various items including videos, books, software and a slingshot. He then posted the GPS coordinates on a GPS users forum. He called his experiment the ‘Great American GPS Stash Hunt’. The only rule was that if you took something you had to leave something.

Within a week, some readers had found his ‘stash’ and others were hiding their own and posting the coordinates. The first person to find Ulmer’s black bucket was Mike Teague. Teague began to document all these online coordinates on his homepage and created a mailing list to share and discuss the activity. Enthusiasts looked for another term to replace ‘stash hunt’ and the name ‘geocaching’ was born. According to www.geocaching.com there are currently 2,512,952 active geocaches and over six million geocachers worldwide.

What you’ll need All you need is a GPS-enabled phone and basic membership at www.geocaching.com.

How to get started 1. Go to Geocaching.com and register for basic membership.

2. Go to the ‘Hide & Seek a Cache’ page.

3. Enter your postcode.

4. Choose a geocache and click on it to get its coordinates.

5. Enter the coordinates into your GPS device.

6. Use your device to find the cache 7. Sign the logbook and put the cache back in its original location.

8. Share your stories and photos online.

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A FILM-MAKERS DREAM? BARCELONA has attracted some big-name movies but THE CITY HAS A tricky RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD OF FILM. By PATRICK SPENCER

W

ith its colourful history, vibrant scenery and rich culture, Barcelona and the surrounding area has much to offer film-makers.

Top directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Ken Loach and Woody Allen have all created some of their finest work in this city. Yet, despite its utopic conditions and world famous iconography, Barcelona’s road to becoming a regular European location for liberal and creative filmmakers has been a long one and is yet to achieve the status of other filmmaking metropolises like London, Paris and Berlin.

The film scene in Barcelona kicked off in 1896 with the screening of the first Lumiere films. The city quickly became the capital of the Spanish film industry, until 1915 when Madrid took the reins with the founding of the nation’s first film society by film-maker Luis Bunuel and Ernest Gimenez Caballero. Bunuel was looking to push the creative boundaries of cinema. To do this though he would need the help of a great artist.

This artist came in the form of surrealist Salvador Dali, Catalunya’s most famous son. Together, Bunuel and Dalí created Un Chien Andalalou.

Filmed in Paris, to escape the Spanish censors, this surrealist attack on Catholicism has become a major part of the cinematic landscape.

Many Catalan directors migrated to Paris and Hollywood due to the poor infrastructure in the Spanish industry and, by 1931, there were more Spanish language films produced outside of Spain than within.

This changed in 1932 when the first Spanish sound studio, Orphea Studios, opened to film-makers and other studios followed suit, giving rise to what is widely known as Spain’s ‘Golden Age’ of cinema. The Civil War sadly brought this era to a close. The great Bunuel left for Hollywood and doom and gloom was inevitable.

When Franco came to power there was no scope for a freethinking film industry. Catalunya was, creatively, more repressed than ever and an even stricter censorship scheme was swiftly implemented. In a similar vein to Hitler, Franco wanted to use film for propaganda projects and Government subsidies were given to film-makers to create nationalistic films. Raza (1942), based on Franco’s novel, was one of the most popular films of the period. It encapsulates the way in which the Spanish government viewed its film industry.

From the mid sixties to the mid seventies film-makers reverted to the use of allegory to dodge the censorship barriers. After Franco’s death in 1975, a new era of artistic expression was possible. True cinematic liberalisation came in the eighties and nineties in the form of Pedro Almodóvar, Spanish cinema’s other great son. Although the majority of his work has been set in Madrid, his most acclaimed film to date, the Oscar-winning Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother) in 1999, was set in Barcelona. The film depicts the life of Manuela, who ventures to Barcelona to find the father of her son and give him the news that their child has passed away. Barcelona helps Manuela to cope with her grief due to its therapeutic sunset scenery and breathtaking architecture.

All About My Mother wasn’t Barcelona’s only success story of the nine-

ties. The 1992 Olympics ushered in a vast range of government subsidies to promote Catalan culture, including the production of Catalan language films. Foreign directors also began to come to the Catalan capital. Walt Stillman made Barcelona in 1994, his first studio-financed film, inspired by his own experiences in Spain during the early 1980s.

The protagonists, Ted and Fred, experience the awkwardness of being in love in a foreign country that is so culturally and politically different from their own. Ken Loach also shot Land and Freedom (1995) in Barcelona, a highly acclaimed picture about the Spanish Civil War. The 21st century has also contributed significantly to Barcelona’s cinematic legacy. Woody Allen’s quirky rom-com Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) achieved numerous awards and starred Spain’s biggest acting exports, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. The film is about two American women who visit Barcelona for the summer and their experiences with a seductive artist (Bardem) and his ex-wife (Cruz). However, due to the beauty of Barcelona, it is not only Bardem who does the seducing.

As Jill Adams notes in The Guardian, “Woody captures the magic, but it’s the city that does the seducing.”

Bardem also starred in the high-budget Spanish language Biutiful (2010) which was filmed in Barcelona and tells the story of Uxbal and his struggles to raise his two children.

Locally, Catalan production companies began to develop a strong brand of cinema that reflected Catalan society and language, and in 2010 Pa Negre (Black Bread) became the first Catalan language film to win the Goya for Best Film; it was also Spain’s submission for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The film takes place in the post-war Catalan countryside where a child, Andreu, finds the bodies of a man

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FILM FESTIVAL CALENDAR Barcelona is host to many top-quality film events during the year.

May: DocsBarcelona DocsBarcelona shows the most important and interesting recent documentary productions on the international scene. Alongside the festival there are also talks with directors, master classes and pitching forums for people needing finance for unfinished documentary works. www.docsbarcelona.com

and a young boy. The authorities want to blame Andreu’s father for the murders. In a bid to help his father Andreu tries to find out who really committed the killings.

To this day, Barcelona is still a very appealing destination to filmmakers, but the industry is not as thriving as it should be. Like many, Sara Gibbings, the executive producer of Padi Productions, believes that, “From a location standpoint, Barcelona has it all; sea, mountains, world famous architecture, rich culture and history.”

However, production service has decreased in Barcelona recently, and Gibson feels there are three key reasons for this: “The first one is finan-

Barcelona is ‘in fashion’ in a major way every two to three years. I’ve been in production here for 14 years and it is always the way. 2014 is an ‘off year’. cial. Second is a case of fashion. Barcelona is ‘in fashion’ in a major way every two to three years. I’ve been in production here for 14 years and it is always the way. 2014 is an ‘off year’. The last reason is street crime.

Barcelona has gained a really bad reputation for petty crime and theft.

Almost everyone I know—crew, friend or family—has, at some point, been robbed.”

Gibson also believes that the Catalan government is not doing enough to support home grown films: “There is not enough investment, not enough support for young film-makers, female film-makers or foreign film-makers. Funding here is not transparent or democratic or even practical, as they often only give money retrospectively.”

History is in severe danger of repeating itself in Barcelona due to ongoing conflicts between politically left film-makers and a right-wing government. The small-scale film industry means there is little commercial funding for cinema from outside the government. As a result filmmakers have to tread carefully and not bite the hand that feeds them.

Enrique Gonzalez Macho, president of the Spanish cinema academy thinks something needs to change to avoid another decade of drought in high quality cinema, “The government is scared of culture, and of cinema in particular. They are destroying film-making. If this carries on there won’t be any creative film-makers left.”

Gibson echoes Gonzalez Macho’s concerns: “There are some terrific professionals here, but they are leaving in droves as they know the situation will not change in the immediate future.”

Let’s hope that there are brighter times ahead for Barcelona’s film industry. And, that the city continues to attract foreign film-makers to continue the legacy created by some of the world’s finest directors.

October: Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalunya Running since 1968, this is now the number one fantasy film festival in the world. It is a stimulating universe of encounters, exhibitions, presentations and screenings of fantasy films from all over the world. www.sitgesfilmfestival.com October: Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Since 2001 the Barcelona International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has been showing films from around the world focusing on LGBTI issues. Each year the festival centres on a particular theme such as homosexuality and Islam, and homophobic violence. The festival also supports and brings attention to ORAM International, a San Francisco-based non-profit that helps those attempting to escape sexual and gender-based violence around the world. www.barcelonafilmfestival.org October: Beefeater In-Edit International Music & Documentary Film Festival In-Edit is a network of music documentary festivals, with over 70,000 attendants in Spain, Chile, Brazil and Germany. The festival also runs parallel events such as the mixing room, where musicians and audiovisual artists can meet and connect, and InEdit Fast Forward which showcases the latest inventions and ideas in the audiovisual and musical worlds. www.in-edit.org

November: Barcelona Human Rights Film Festival Now in its 11th year this annual film festival is held in Barcelona, Paris, and New York. Showing both national and international animated and documentary films. The festival aims to awaken our conscience, denounce injustice and reflect on the social and cultural diversity of humanity. www.festivaldecineyderechoshumanos.com November: The International Environmental Film Festival (FICMA) FICMA was founded in Barcelona in 1993 and is now the longest-running environmental film festival in the world. The festival centres on ecology, culture, economics, migration and war, as well as other social issues. www.ficma.com

November: L’Alternativa: Festival de cinema Independent de Barcelona Split into various categories the festival showcases the best international independent film-making, introducing new directors and screening littleknown films. Alongside the festival there is also space for education and debate with the Film Schools workshops, professional seminars and advice sessions. www.alternativa.cccb.org

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BARCELONA NEEDS YOU T

he days are growing colder, but with the nippy weather comes everyone’s favourite holidays. Besides searching for a turkey to stuff to recreate an American Thanksgiving, picking out the perfect Caga Tió and shopping for presents for friends and family, why not spend a few hours of this holiday season volunteering?

You can provide a rare evening snack for the homeless, brighten up an elderly person’s day, help abandoned animals, work in a fair trade shop or just donate a few unnecessary things cluttering up your apartment. Here’s our list of four places to contact depending on how you want to give back to Barcelona.

ESPERANÇA

AMICS DE LA GENT GRAN

EL JARDINET DELS GATS

OXFAM INTERMÓN

Esperança is a group of volunteers who go out four times a week on two different routes through the city to give food, clothing and a bit of time to the homeless. They need help making and distributing the food (usually sandwiches and soup) and collecting items of clothing, especially shoes and socks, and bedding, such as sleeping bags and blankets. They go out every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday around 8.30pm. You are more than welcome to donate financially, but just a couple of hours of your time every now and then can benefit the programme hugely. Esperança’s goal is to cover more areas and more nights in the future, but to achieve that they need you and your friends.

Amics de la Gent Gran is an organisation of volunteers who work to improve elderly people’s quality of life. Their mission is to combat loneliness and social exclusion which, not only lead to debilitating feelings, but intensify other issues, such as health problems, economic hardships and reduced autonomy.

Amics de la Gent Gran believe the best remedy for these problems is friendship. As the organisation says, “Friendship is free” and the bond shared by volunteers and older people is a source of great emotional support. Whether you visit someone at home or volunteer to take him or her to the doctor, every interaction can make a difference.

The organisation also participates in social activism, spreading awareness about the challenges which the elderly face.

El Jardinet dels Gats is an ideal place for people interested in the wellbeing of the city’s abandoned and feral cats to volunteer. The association is dedicated to protecting colonies of cats, sterilising and testing them for diseases, and providing the care and life they deserve while they wait to be adopted. The first year after it was founded, El Jardinet dels Gats accepted 236 cats being put up for adoption, and rescued and sterilised 300 homeless cats.

Volunteers, the people in charge of caring for the El Jardinet dels Gats’ colonies, help out with different tasks, such as tidying the cats’ living space, feeding, play time, etc. It is important to have volunteers from different areas of expertise so they can collaborate with different tasks and projects.

Oxfam Intermón works to fight poverty, injustice, and growing inequality in countries worldwide.

They are present in more than 90 countries, helping people overcome poverty, saving lives in emergency situations, restoring livelihoods in the aftermath of devastation, and promoting campaigns in which people living in poverty can have a voice and influence the decisions that affect them at local and global levels. They have different opportunities available for people who want to volunteer. These include assisting in their fair trade shops or carrying out tasks in different departments of their organisation, such as fundraising, human resources, marketing and communication. See the ‘Voluntariado’ section of their website for more information.

www.eljardinetdelsgats.org/en/association/.

www.oxfamintermon.org/es.

www.amicsdelagentgran.org

To volunteer visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ groups/esperancabcn/ and click the Google Doc at the top of the page.

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main pages Nov 2014.indd 3

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TRAVEL VILLAGE LIFE

ENJOY SOME OLD-WORLD CHARM AND AN ALTOGETHER QUIETER PACE OF LIFE IN CATALUNYA’S PRETTIEST MEDIEVAL VILLAGES.

By CAROL MORAN. Photos by HAYLEY CANTOR.

View over the Medieval town of Besalú.

N

ovember. It’s that in-between time of year, when the beach is well behind us, yet there’s not quite enough snow on the ground to head for the hills.

So, we suggest delving deep into the Catalan countryside, where the pace of life drops down a notch. Stumble upon a multitude of sleepy, stone-built villages, the legacy of an eventful Medieval period, and follow Mother Nature into hibernation for a pre-Christmas chill out. It’s the stuff fairytales are made of…

Besalú (and beyond!)

Whilst the big attraction of Garrotxa might be its volcano-studded landscape (which we explored in last month’s issue), a visit to this land-locked comarca isn’t just about nature. Many a sleepy village resides amidst these ancient conical formations, ensuring a healthy helping of culture to contrast against a backdrop of natural wonder. Travel back in time with our mini-tour of Garrotxa’s must-see Medieval villages...

Medieval Besalú makes an ideal base from which to explore this lavaladen terrain. Sitting on the banks of the river Fluvià, 21km east of Olot, this charming village was, once upon a time, the thriving capital of a prosperous, powerful county of the same name, and stomping ground of popular Catalan hero, Wilfred the Hairy.

Every inch of Besalú is ingrained with history. Cross the stunning 12th-century bridge, meander through the narrow winding streets, and find yourself in the main square surrounded by some of the bestpreserved Romanesque buildings in Catalunya, including the church of Sant Pere, consecrated in 1003. This age-old maze of passageways was also once home to a vibrant Jewish community; don’t miss the remains of the synagogue and purification baths (mikvah), a unique discovery in

this part of the world.

Moving on...the village of Castellfollit de la Roca is, quite literally, a cliff-hanger, perched precariously on the edge of a basalt cliff, measuring over 50m high and nearly a kilometre long. One of the most remarkable sights in the area, the stunning precipice of hexagonal columns rises majestically between the rivers Fluvià and Toronell. Plaça Josep Pla and the bell tower of the old church offer excellent vantage points for natural views over the surrounding valleys and the tiny Medieval old town, built largely from volcanic stone.

Finally, wind up in Santa Pau, situated 10km southeast of Olot at the foot of the volcanoes, and enjoy a good feed of haricot beans—the local speciality. Another beautifully-preserved village, the 13th-century Castell de la Baronia watches over the stone houses and narrow streets of the historic centre, which culminate in the Plaça Mayor. Also known as Firal dels Bous, referring to the cattle market that once took place here, the triangular-shaped plaça remains relatively unchanged since the 14th century. January is also a good time to visit, when the locals celebrate their favourite bean with the Fira de Fesol.

Sleeping: Tucked away near the ancient bridge in Besalú, old meets new at the 19th-century Casa Marcial. The perfect village stay awaits at Hotel Comte Tallaferro in the village square, and Mas Pere Pau offers a rustic out-of-town alternative.

Eating: With just six tables, the tiny Amb les 5 Sentits in Besalú offers a tasting menu of five elaborate tapas at a bargain price. The menu changes daily and is made using fresh, local ingredients, accompanied by an impressive wine selection. For hearty haricots in Santa Pau, try Cal Sastre.

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Peratallada Meaning ‘carved stone’, Peratallada certainly stays true to its name. Sitting upon a clay-based rocky mound, its pedestrianised centre of narrow cobblestone streets and stone-built architecture bears hardly a trace of the modern world, requiring visitors to leave the car outside and step straight into a fairytale.

Built with stone carved from the moat that once encircled this fortified town, Peratallada is located 22km east of Girona in the Baix Empordá region, just 15 minutes from Begur and the idyllic calas of the Costa Brava. Beautifully-preserved passageways wind their way around the 11th-century castle, where a photo opportunity presents itself every few paces, en route to Plaça de les Voltes, a pretty square lined on one side by stone archways.

Follow the picture-perfect streets to the edge of town, and you’ll pass through one of the ancient gateways to the village–Portal de la Virgen–leading to a bridge over the still-visible moat, and the 12th-century Romanesque church of Sant Esteve beyond. A handful of hotels, restaurants and handicraft boutiques add to the charm of this Catalan country hideaway.

Sleeping: There are a number of casas rurales and boutique-sized hotels within the village itself. Try Can Soles or Ca L’Aliu; both are reasonably priced and offer a handful of rooms and a nice terrace.

Eating: Hotel El Pati has a delightful, flower-filled patio where tasty set menus are served by the hotel’s restaurant. Candelaria serves both local and international dishes, Can Bonay is a must for Catalan favourites, and there’s something for everyone at Les Coques del Psss. Don’t miss Cal Tuset, situated in Plaça de l’Oli, known for its flavoursome fairy cakes (magdalenas), in over 20 varieties.

Useful information: You must park your car outside the town’s walls.

If you are staying in a hotel within the village, you may be given a parking pass by the hotel.

Did you know? Some scenes from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) were filmed here!

Top photo: La Sardana, traditional dance in Peratallada.

Bottom photo: Four chair installation on a building in Besalú.

From left: Traditional butchers with local ‘fuet’ hanging from wooden beams. View of the bridge in Besalú.

Siurana Perched atop a rocky outcrop between the Sierra del Montsant and the Prades Mountains in the comarca of Priorat, the tiny village of Siurana keeps a watchful eye over its stunning natural surroundings. This remote hamlet of just 21 inhabitants is located at the end of a long, windy road and truly feels like the end of the world...the ideal place to disconnect.

An important strategic outpost throughout history, Siurana was the last stronghold of Muslim Spain before it was re-conquered by the Christians in 1154, and became an important point of defence thereafter.

History leaves its mark, with the remains of a 9th-century Moorish castle situated at the entrance of the village, whilst the Romanesque church of Santa Maria, built between the 12th and 13th centuries, sits proudly amidst the ancient stone architecture.

And then there is the legend of El Salto de la Reina Mora. The last Moorish queen, Abdelazia, decided she would rather ride off the cliff on horseback than surrender to the enemy. Her horse had different ideas, however. Legend has it that at the last minute, the horse stopped dead in its tracks, but alas, it was too late and the pair plunged headlong into the abyss. If you look carefully, the mark of his braking hooves can still be seen in the rock...

But there are more reasons to visit Siurana than the history held within its ancient stones. Its clifftop vantage point offers incredible panoramic views over the dry, yet fertile vineyards of Montsant and Priorat, and it makes for an ideal base from which to discover the area—whether you’re coming to taste the prized local reds, brave the world-famous rock climbing terrain, traverse the many hiking routes nearby, or simply to get away from it all.

Sleeping: Despite its size, Siurana has something for all budgets. At the four-star end of the scale, Mirador de Siurana is a converted mansion with an outdoor swimming pool, located 700m outside the village, whilst boutique-style La Siuranella offers six rooms in the village, some with stunning valley views. Mid-range rooms can be found at Can Roig, whilst Refugi Ciriac Bonet provides basic but homely hostel accommodation. Alternatively, enjoy the spectacular great outdoors at Camping Siurana.

Eating: Refugi Ciriac Bonet serves good hearty grub on a spectacular terrace perched above the rocky canyon; Restaurant Siurana offers Catalan classics made using fresh, local ingredients, whilst Els Tallers is the gourmet option, with various tasting menus to choose from.

Top tip: Find out more about this curious outcrop, with a tour organised by the local tourist office. Tours last 1.5 hours, cost €4, and must be arranged in advance by calling 977 821 000.

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REVIEW NIÑO VIEJO ALBERT ADRIÀ’S LATEST PROJECT IS THIS LAIDBACK MEXICAN JOINT WITH TAPA-SIZED DISHES THAT SERVE UP THE BEST OF MEXICO.

By Tara Stevens.

“I

’m going slightly nuts with excitement about this,” I tell my friends over from London as we gallop along the Avinguda Mistral sounding, I realise, dangerously stalkery. The truth is that’s how Albert Adrià’s new projects tend to make me feel. Like a cyber geek’s craving for the latest Apple gadget that has them camping outside their flagship stores in the dead of night, so Adrià restaurants send me ever so slightly over the edge in culinary terms. I’d been waiting for what seemed like an eternity, following innumerable blips to getting the place up and running, to check out Niño Viejo.

Headed by Albert and Mexican chef Paco Méndez, the groovily kitsch little taquería stands alongside the outré new-wave Hoja Santa (gourmet Mexican) next door. It’s laid back and fun, buzzing with margarita-fuelled chatter, and couldn’t be further in look and feel from the Mexican joint I wrote about last month—just in case anyone’s missed it, Mexican is the cuisine du jour—with its brilliantly garish neon-lit bar and cosy, industrial-chic canteen-style dining room, hipsterfied with colourful curve-backed chairs and hand-strung stools designed for derrières of

ADD IN THE KIND OF SERVICE THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO BURST INTO SONG AND YOU WILL FEEL NOTHING LESS THAT LOVED AND SPECIAL ALL NIGHT LONG. epic proportions (seriously, these are the most comfortable stools I’ve ever sat on), and flowery table cloths in acid green and daffodil yellow. Add in the kind of service that makes you want to burst into song—a shout out to the lovely Estrella who suggested we leave the menu to them—and you will feel nothing less than loved and special all night long.

When you’re eating a la Adrià, or indeed, at the hands of any of their reigning head chefs, it’s always best to let them take control. Which is how we come to find ourselves delving into a tasting menu of sorts, albeit one that is based on tapa-sized hits of comfort food rather than the new wave. It starts with mango de chupar Playa del Carmen. Pudgy little mango cheeks slashed through to form a hedgehog and liberally doused with lime and hot chilli. As appetite sharpeners go it’s a cracker—sweet, salty, sour and hot, all at once. I scribble down a random note to self to serve them forevermore as a precursor to supper, before digging into Guacamole Niño Viejo, which is a purist’s dream. I’d always read that like a good rice dish, a good guacamole is all about the avocado; the diced tomatoes, red onions and boisterous hits of mouth-numbing chilli being a Tex Mex bastardi-

sation. True guaca is voluptuous and cooling, soft and velvety against the crunch of a precisely fried corn tortilla, the balm to a searingly hot salsa. This one is perfection, served with the stone to keep the pea green colour true.

Queso fundido con salsa verde y torillas de harina is a bowl of indecently rich, nutty and maddeningly wonderful melted cheese balanced by a streak of hot green chilli sauce, which we smear onto warm tortillas and devour with smug looks on our faces. And the Palomitos de pollo con salsa jalapeño which are, if you will, the Mexican equivalent of a chicken nugget, are a treat to be dipped first into a green salsa of hot habaneros and then into a cooler red salsa of chile de árbol Tatemada. In the interests of fairness I’m going to award last month’s restaurant, Oaxaca, the best salsa award as theirs was made at table and some nights I still wake up thinking about it, but these hit the spot. After all, we are in taquería land, which in essence is a rather humbler street food.

A salad of nopal (paddle cactus) with tomatitos and queso ranchero was slimey (cactus is like that), there’s no other way to put it, but curiously addictive, and while the corvina (croaker fish) ceviche in a thick smoky tomatoey sauce was lapped up with gusto, I’d argue it’s not as good as the Peruvian version. Tostadas de pulpo con salsa verde, however, were the best use of an octopus leg I can think of, piled up on a crunchy, inky corn disk, doused in green chilli sauce and topped with curls of avocado. One of those dishes you know will reach mythic proportions and you can brag you ate it first.

So, by the time we got to the tacos of Iberian pork shoulder and the baby chicken rubbed lavishly with an adobo of achiote (a sweet, red, nutmegy peppercorn), we were on the verge of explosion, but not quite, and couldn’t resist just a nibble on the flan de elote. A creamy, corn-infused dessert that’s satisfyingly smoky and the perfect partner to a finishing shot of Mezcal. As we parted hugs with Estrella I couldn’t help feeling that, despite its troubles, Mexico must be one of the happiest places on earth.

MORE INFO. Av. de Mistral 54, Sant Antoni. Tel. 93 348 2194. www.es.bcn50.org.

Open Tue-Sat 1pm-3.30pm, 7.30pm-11pm.

About€€50 for plates to share plus drinks. ✪✪✪✪ ✪ NOT WORTH THE TRIP ✪✪ COULD IMPROVE ✪✪✪ GOOD ✪✪✪✪ VERY GOOD ✪✪✪✪✪ NOT TO BE MISSED

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RECIPE ALOO TIKKI (SPICED POTATO CAKES) A POPULAR INDIAN SNACK! Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 5 mins Serves: 12 INGREDIENTS 3 potatoes, large sized, boiled, skin removed and mashed well ½ onion finely chopped 2 green chillies, finely chopped (optional) 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional) 1 tsp chaat masala (or 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice instead) ½ tsp dry mango powder 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 1 tbsp grated ginger coriander leaves finely chopped 2 tbsp breadcrumbs 2 tbsp cornflour oil to shallow fry salt some more breadcrumbs to coat the tikkis before frying INSTRUCTIONS 1) In a large bowl, combine the mashed potato with rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

2) Heat a non-stick pan. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil. Lightly grease your palms and start shaping the tikkis, by rolling them into small balls and slightly flattening them out to form discs. Coat them again in breadcrumbs.

3) Shallow fry till golden brown. Turn the tikkis over and cook the other side too, till they’re golden brown in colour. Remove and place on kitchen paper to drain.

4) Serve hot with ketchup or chutney of your choice.

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

CURRY WORKSHOP! Join Anjalina for an Indian curry workshop on November 27th, 8.30pm-10.30pm at Espai Boisà on Lluís Pellicer 8.

The price is €45, which includes the workshop, dinner, drinks and recipe book.

Sign up at www.espaiboisa.com

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QUICK BITES

lando TASTY, UNFUSSY FARE AT THIS RECENTLY-OPENED SCANDINAVIAN-STYLE EATERY.

By Tara Stevens.

T

he latest opening on Sant Antoni’s impossibly trendy Carrer Parlament is the Scandinavianlooking Lando on the secret-to-the-point-ofobscurity Passatge Pere Carders. The stripped-out, industrial interior with polished concrete floors and a hefty concrete bar reminds me of my favourite place to eat in Malmö—the Saltimporten Canteen should you be headed that way—which immediately makes me feel warm towards it despite the austerity. Filament bulbs dangle seductively from the ceiling giving the place a welcoming glow, and the service is genuinely friendly and caring. I feel like I’ve died and woken up in the ‘hygge’ bosom of Copenhagen, which, as winter approaches, is no bad thing.

The owners admit Fergus Henderson’s St John Bread and Wine was their muse, though they brought in illustrious French Chef Bernard Benbassat, who’s also master of macrobiotics, to oversee a menu that’s solid in that French bistro way, yet somehow light.

Most importantly, his is a menu brimming with plates

of food you want to eat: rosemary rabbit rillettes, mussels in leeks and cream, potato tortilla with sea urchins, the best tarama I’ve ever had and a kilo chuletón for sharing, alongside a carefully chosen wine list of Spanish and French bottles. For now, these ‘snacks’ are served only at the bar, which makes it a dependable kind of a place to zip in for a quick bite and a glass of wine without a reservation.

Mark my words you’ll need a reservation before the month is out to stand a hope of bagging a spot at the mix of round and square tables scattered through the rest of the space, where keenly-priced, ingredient-centric, three-course lunch and dinner menus (there’s no á la carte), are as solid, tasty and unfussy as the food served at the bar. Think updated classics like endive salad with smoked wild salmon and miso vinagrette, juicy onglet on pureed potatoes with lemon, and flaming crêpe suzette. All hail the return of non-showy food at real-life prices.

MORE INFO. Passatge Pere Calders 6. Sant Antoni. Tel. 93 348 5530. www.lando.es.

Open Tue-Sat 1pm-midnight. Closed Sun & Mon. Lunch menu incl. glass wine/beer €18; Dinner menu not incl. wine/beer €35.

tastings

Vi Novell

As you read this, the first olives are being pressed and bottled as oli nou—an atomic bomb of liquid gold that sells out fast. And, with Sant Marti on November 11th, the first pigs of the season are traditionally slaughtered, hailing a season of porky deliciousness for the long winter months to come.

But most importantly, the vi novell is released.

Those who follow all things wine-related might know this better as the vins de primeur in France and have probably tasted the most famous of the lot, Beaujolais nouveau, which have a rabid band of followers. Despite 55 AOC regions making vins de primeur north of us, the French don’t have a lock on this and Catalunya celebrates its own first release of wines starting in the second half of November.

It’s important to understand these wines are very different from those released with longer aging

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

cycles. As the wine has just barely become wine it is still prone to continue fermentation. Thus, when opening up a bottle, you’ll typically get a waft of CO2 and might even find a little bit of effervescence in the bottle. The flavour profile is light, fresh, and incredibly accessible, making it a wine that all level of drinkers can immediately enjoy. And immediately you must, as the wines are intended to be consumed within the first part of the year after their release. Aging vi novell will not win any taste points.

There are vi novell festivals in most of the wine producing regions, from Empordà to Pla de Bages, and from Penedès to Terra Alta. The fun also comes to Barcelona in the form of a festival that has taken place every November at Vila Viniteca in the Born since 1994 (see www.vilaviniteca.es for

more information).

In this onslaught of bottles from all over the region, I generally pick out the Vi Novell from Celler El Masroig in DO Montsant as one of my favourites.

Each year features a different pork-centric design as a homage to how the wine was traditionally drunk as part of the first pig slaughter. This cellar also makes a big effort to educate the public about the history of the wine.

Celler El Masroig Vi Novell 2013 €6 It holds red fruit notes in the nose along with a freshness that transitions in to the body and makes for a wine that’s very much alive in the mouth. A very approachable and versatile wine for immediate consumption which fits just about any table and meal.

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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 BIERfEST TAvERN4SAGRADA FAMILIA

LA RUMBETA 4 BARRI GÒTIC

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.

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!’

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

free cD

Av. Gaudí 81 | Metro Guinardó, Sagrada Familia T. 993 480 157 | www.bierfest.es | www.facebook.com/bierfest-barcelona

L'ENTRESOL4GRACIA

Located in the heart of Gràcia, just next to Plaça del Sol, L’Entresol is probably the coolest bar in the area. This relaxed place with a friendly atmosphere where locals and visitors get together is devoted to music and G&T. You’ll find more than 40 premium gins at L’Entresol, each one served in a different style with different ingredients. A perfect place for celebrations.

€2 Discount on DrinKs

Planeta 39 | Metro Fontana Tues-Thu 7pm-2.30am, Fri-Sat until 3am

Argentine

pint of stella €3

BELCHICA 4EIXAMPLE E

9REINAS 4EIXAMPLE

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.

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.

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

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

Bakery NATA LISBOA4EIXAMPLE Heir to one of the most delicious confectionary recipes in the world thats spans two centuries, NATA was born to produce and spread the most deliciously sweet tastes from Lisbon to the four corners of the world. Pay them a visit to try their portuguese specialities and their sublime coffee blend.

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

BAR CELONETA SANGRIA BAR 4BARCELONETA

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”

Food & drink Nov 2014.indd 44

BE MY BAGEL 4GRÀCIA 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.

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

10/23/14 3:10:55 PM

Organic amaltea4EIXAMPLE E

Resto-in food delivery

Visit Amaltea vegetarian restaurant, where a warm and welcoming environment allows you to fully enjoy a tasty and healthier alternative to your everyday meal. Dishes include cereals, pulses and vegetables with home-made puddings. The cuisine is creatively international with care taken to ensure that each meal is well-balanced and made with the freshest ingredients. Menu of the day 10.70, night and weekend menu 15.30.

With their fantastic new app Resto-in can deliver whatever type of food you want to your home, office, park or beach! They have a huge list of partner restaurants so whether you want: Indian, Chinese, Italian, Tapas, burgers or Sushi they will arrange the pick up and deliver it to your door in just 45 minutes! Resto-in only works with top restaurants to ensure your takeaway food is of the best quality.

Diputació 164 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 | www.amalteaygovinda.com Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11pm, Closed Sun

Govinda (VEGETARIAN) 4BARRI GÒTIC

Founded 25 years ago, Govinda continues to thrive on a blend of experience and fresh innovation in vegetarian Indian cuisine.

The international menu features talis, a salad bar, natural juices, lassis, pizzas and crêpes. Govinda offers a vegan-friendly, nonalcoholic and authentically-decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus.

eaders.

Plaça Vila de Madrid 4-5 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 318 7729 www.amalteaygovinda.com | Tue-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11am, Sun-Mon 1pm-4pm

*Quote Metropoltian for your first free delivery.

*FREE DELIVERY - 1ST ORDER Tapas

Ice Cream MANNA GELATS 4BARRI GÒTIC

Baribau 4eixample

Homemade ice creams, waffles and crêpes in the heart of the Barrio Gótico.

Their ice creams are inspired by family recipes, using the best products. The fresh fruit sorbets are made with marketbought products therefore boasting exotic varieties. Their passion is to please their customers with personalized attention.

Premium spirits, fresh produce and an innovative menu is why Baribau, a new bar/ restaurant in the heart of the Eixample, has been voted as one of the top 100 in Barcelona.

Located just 5 minutes from Rambla Catalunya, Baribau serves delicious tapas-style dishes and perfectly balanced cocktails, catering for everyone’s taste.

Ban ys Nous 22 | Metro Liceu Tel. 93 342 7312

Aribau131 | Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 004 2186 | www.baribau.com

Traditional

Indian / Tandoori

Fonda España4 Barri GÒtic

SURYA 4EIXAMPLE 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.

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.

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

Juice bar

Mexican SANO4SANTS

TLAXCAL 4BORN

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.

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 are 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.

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 Nov 2014.indd 45

Tel. 90 110 0022 www.resto-in.es

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

10/23/14 3:11:02 PM

HEALTH & beauty

Enric Pintado - DENTIST

DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

Implants & teeth in one day

See our online directory at

Dr. Enric Pintado is a specialist in implant surgery and fixed prosthetics, trained by the Universities of New York, NY and Loma Linda, California.

At Dr. Pintado’s dental surgery, the treatment is personalised especially for you. All-on-4 procedures, flapless surgeries, zygomatic implants for low quantity of bone, without bone grafting and healing time.

In all of these procedures, teeth are placed in the same day.

Just everything, just Pintado!

Dr. Enric Pintado, DDS Balmes, 295, 1º 2ª, 08006 T. 93 200 0808 recepciobcn@enricpintado.com www.enricpintado.com

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. He became a specialist at the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Rochester, N.Y., USA. Fast and friendly service in an international environment where we speak English.

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

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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

10/23/14 2:40:21 PM

Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST

ICLINIC - DENTIST

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.

Perfect teeth in just one day. At iClinic Pifarre. No unnecessary damaging teeth. No killing nerves.

No anesthesia and all in one session.

Cosmetic dentistry and composite veneers give our clients the lovely smile they always dreamed of. iClinic works only with specialists in cosmetic dentistry who have been trained in the most up to date and cutting edge techniques.

AFTER

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

Muntaner 66, 08011 T. 93 451 8325 Open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, 4pm-8pm www.iclinicpifarre.com www.somostusdentistas.com

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.

Av. Diagonal 343 2 º piso, puerta 3 ª Metro: Verdaguer (L5) T. 93 459 2802 info@hestia.es www.hestia.es

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.

BEFORE

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

Bianca Kruk - THERAPIST

Krishinda Powers Duff

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.

Krishinda is a fully-qualified and trained British midwife offering home birth and home dilatation services.

She also provides antenatal and postnatal care and support to mothers and babies for six weeks after birth.

She is supported in her practice by a team of Spanish but British-trained midwives and alternative health care professionals as well as a breast feeding consultant/Doula.

Midwife means ‘to be with woman’.

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

M. 665 143 437 krishinda@gmail.com www.barcelonamidwife.com

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.

Bsc Hons - MIDWIFE

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

Av. Diagonal 478 Chemist T. 93 416 1270 Open every day 9am-10pm

www.barcelonaNEST.com

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10/23/14 2:40:22 PM

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?

€15 OFF

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

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

Tania Spearman - ACUPUNCTURE

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

Born Wellness Center

Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR

Doctor for Adults

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

- CHIROPRACTOR Daryn J.Wiese 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.

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

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

42-44 Health Nov 2014.indd 46

We have a beautiful studio, in the heart of El Born, providing restorative relief from the city. Our team of trained practitioners support you in finding the wellness practice that suits your needs, offering an uniquely integrated variety of services including Yoga, Pilates, Alexander Technique, 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 M. 653 842 695 info@bornwellness.com www.bornwellness.com

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

Centro Quiropráctico Vida

10% OFF

- HEALTH

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.

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

Heaven - MASSAGE American-trained massage therapist Carrie Lewis has 15 years of experience soothing and releasing both muscular and emotional pain and tension. Her focus is deep-tissue massage, which she combines with reflexology, reiki, and other complementary techniques. She also specialises in pregnancy and postpartum massage. This excellent vocational massage therapist with years of training and experience will make a difference in your personal wellbeing. Chair massage for events and home visits available.

Contessa de Pardo Bazán 24 M. 639 533 523

10/23/14 2:40:26 PM

BUSINESS DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

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

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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

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

20% DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS 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

Easi-Sat - TELEVISION SERVICE

BOOK NOW FOR A FREE DEMO

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GES40 - ENGLISH SPEAKING LAWYERS They are a law firm established in 1986. They aim to provide comprehensive legal counselling to both individuals and companies, in all areas of law. As a team they are highly specialized in a number of different legal areas, with high levels of training, experience and professional strength. They offer a fully personalised service, providing rapid, effective responses without compromising the quality of their service. They also offer their clients a 24-hour online consultation service.

Through this online follow-up service, interested parties can access their virtual office to consult the information in their files anytime and from anywhere.

“We devote our efforts to provide full support and assistance to conduct any personal or business activity in Spain with confidence”.

Calàbria 267, 3r 1a, 08029, T. 93 217 6414, ges40assessors@ges40.com mruiz@ges40.com www.ges40.com,

Mac in Barcelona -

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’.

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.

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

Cami de Mas Roig a Mas Fuster 47 Valldoreix, 08197, M. 608 994 599 info@macinbarcelona.com www.macinbarcelona.com

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

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

BRANDING BUSINESS PACKAGES · POSTERS & FLYERS BROCHURES · wedding stationery

Mrs.Q design studio - GRAPHIC DESIGN Mrs.Q Design Studio offers a range of specialised services from branding to graphic design, web design, photography and bespoke invitations. They will help you bring some of your personality to your brand and use her knowledge of colour, passion for typography and creative flair to create an identity that engages your customers. Contact Mrs.Q for their competitive business packages which includes branding, stationery design and advertising for print and web. They also design promotional material such as flyers, posters and brochures.

They specialises in bespoke invitations, tailor-made to suit the style of your wedding or event. Visit their Etsy page to see examples for their work www.etsy.com/shop/MrsQdesignstudio. Designed with love!

M. 699 260 938 mrsqdesignstudio@gmail.com www.mrsqdesignstudio.com

Corsa - DRIVING SCHOOL

M. 606 308 932 machelp@geomac.es www.geomacbcn.com

Gusto Films - FILM Gustofilms is a production company specialising in promotional film. We dedicate ourselves to the creation and making of high-quality audiovisual content. We like to innovate, discover and imagine. We love style, down to the smallest detail.

Nos gusta gustar.

Sant Quinti 47, 4º5ª, 08041 T. 93 007 4408 M. 636 611 029 info@gustofilms.es www.gustofilms.es

STOP N’ DRIVE 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

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

Moloka’i - STAND-UP PADDLE

ARC97SL - OFFICE AND HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Molokai’s SUP Centre is the place to go if you’re looking to do standup paddle in Barcelona. Their passionate team provides an excellent experience. Relax and forget your worries in this fun environment where you can keep fit and have fun at the same time. They have membership plans with special prices and activities, open every day of the year.

Meer 39, M. 654 082 099 www.molokaisupcenter.com

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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!

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

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10% DISCOUNT

BERLITZ - SCHOOL 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.

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

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

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

Creategy Consulting SERVICES They help small businesses and entrepreneurs to increase their profit margin by sharing their marketing knowledge and creativity with them.

How? By creating a successful brand, understanding the market dynamics, creating a marketing strategy and communicating effectively with the target audience. www.creategy.es Written communication, copywriting, editing, translation. They offer a unique blend of business knowledge, creativity and excellent writing skills, allowing them to create high quality content in Spanish and Catalan. www.textolia.net

Continental Wealth Management WEALTH MANAGEMENT The group has over 30 years’ experience of giving professional, custom-tailored financial advice to expatriates on a global basis. They handle all aspects of wealth management, including investment portfolios, QROPS pension transfers and insurance. Their team of advisors can provide a no-obligation review to assess your circumstances and help you to make the right choices for a secure and profitable future.

Av. Del Pla, 128 2 - 202 03730 Javea Alicante T. 96 646 2875 M. 665 362 944 www.continentalwealth.com

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SHOPPING

CONTACT US NOW TO ENQUIRE ABOUT OUR PROMOTIONS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN

To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

For more shopping visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/shopping MESA BONITA OWN A PIECE OF BARCELONA! Gayarre, 2 Pral, 08014 · T. 627 230 824 · benedictebodard@gmail.com www.mesabonita.es · www.facebook.com/pages/Mesa-Bonita

24 KILATES

If you’re new to Barcelona and love its architecture or just looking for that perfect gift for your loved ones, Mesa Bonita has the answer: Bénédicte Bodard has been collecting antique hydraulic floor tiles in Barcelona, after cleaning and restoring them, she turns them into really gorgeous tables, frames, trivets and coasters made to order. Many are over 130 years old! Visit her studio in Sants where you can see her huge collection.

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.

ECOOLOGY

BCN PAINTING ROUTE

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

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

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.

PARRUP

OJALA!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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JOBS

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR MORE JOB OFFERS @bcnmetropolitan #jobsbarcelona

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.classifieds.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

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JULIE Stephenson

not just people from our shop. Obviously if we had known, we might have stopped it, but it did make for an exciting day.

Now I run Esperança. Credit for that comes from Facebook. I happened to see that a group had started in Liverpool, run by a guy called Colin, and known as the HOPE Project. They go out in the city—I think they do seven nights a week now—and hand out food to the homeless. I contacted two of my closest friends, Julia and Libby, and said, ‘You know, we could do something like this’. Libby and I went out that weekend with no clue what we were doing.

We just made a couple of sandwiches, took some cups of coffee and went around passing them out. People seemed very appreciative so it grew from there. It will be a year this month that the programme has been up and running.

90 percent, maybe even 95 percent, of people we come in contact with are very receptive to us and what we’re doing. If people don’t want anything, they’re usually very polite about it. Either they’ve already had something to eat, want to go to sleep or just want to be left alone, but the majority of people are very, very appreciative. It’s very moving the first time you go out and see how grateful people are for anything you can give them.

A lot of the people we know, we see every week. Obviously our volunteers can’t go out for hours on end, but we do try to stop and have a chat with them. We’re not doing something that is changing their lives. We’re not taking them off the street. We can’t help them in any other way besides those 10 minutes or that half an hour where they get to socialise a little and eat a little something.

There was one night when we went past La Caixa. One man sat at one end and one at the other. We gave them some soup, sandwiches, juice, whatever we had, then we stopped for a drink at a bar down the street. When we came out, we walked back past the bank, and the two guys were sitting together, chatting and eating their food. They started waving to us, with big smiles on their faces, and that’s when I realised the impact of what we’re doing. Just for a moment, we make homeless people feel good about themselves. They feel like someone gives a damn that they’re alive. That’s all it is, but for a lot of people on the street, that’s a huge thing.

Most people feel very ignored.

Other than Esperança, I am taking an online TEFL course. I want to go travelling again when my daughter leaves home, so I’m in preparation for that moment. Ella is 16 and it’s just the two of us. When she goes off to uni, I don’t want to be stuck at home all alone.

By Ben Rowdon

scoop

Co-founder of Esperança Liverpool

I’m originally from Liverpool in England. I moved to Barcelona on a whim really. Ella, my daughter, was three at the time, and I liked the idea of bringing her up in a country where she would learn a second language. Before we settled here, I didn’t realise she would have three languages. It wasn’t a conscious decision. We didn’t sit down and say we are moving to Spain. It was simply a year, which became two years, and has now been 13 years.

We stayed because I liked the lifestyle for kids.

Plus, which one would you choose: long hours of sunshine or long hours of rain? It wasn’t a difficult decision. Also, very quickly and quite unexpectedly, I made some really good friends.

Everything kinda just worked from day one. We felt comfortable. We liked being here, but also liked that England is very accessible from here so we could visit as much as we wanted.

Julia Fossi and I opened a fish and chip shop .

We decided Barcelona needed a fish and chip shop, but it wound up being a lot harder to open than we had anticipated. At the same time as we finally got the shop open on Rambla del Raval, we were asked to do a pop-up fish and chips shop at the Bread & Butter fair at Plaça d’Espanya. So we basically opened two shops within two weeks of each other. Although it was a huge undertaking, it was still a lot of fun.

We got a lot of English speakers in the shop, but we got a lot of Spanish and Catalan people, too. Fried fish and potatoes. Spanish people love that. There were also a lot of people who had been to England, tried fish and chips, really liked it and wanted to experience it again. And ours was like a true fish and chip shop. The only difference was we served alcohol, so you could have a glass of wine with your fish and chips.

My favourite part of owning a restaurant was meeting new people and making friends. The first couple of years were really good fun and extremely interesting. Having a great business partner didn’t hurt either. Julia was very supportive. Support is so important when you’re doing something like that in a country where you don’t speak the language. My Spanish was really bad at that point, when we first started.

Obviously I have improved since then.

We had lots of crazy customers. I took a punch outside the shop once. We had a big problem with people parking outside in front of our terrace. One day, I very nicely asked a customer to move his car and he simply didn’t want to.

But we have lots of crazy stories like that. It was a bit of a bonkers place.

We were part of Operation Fish so we were on the news. Somebody was falsifying passports out of our shop, so we were raided by the Guàrdia Civil. There were lots of people arrested,

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