Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 168 by Barcelona Metropolitan

JANUARY 2011 | Nยบ 168 | FREE

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

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we will we will feed you

barcelona

Plaça de Catalunya, 21 • 08002 Barcelona 34-93-270-2305 • hardrock.com the official food of rock.

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Contents January 2011 REPORT 14 Alternative medicine

Features 13 Interview 18 City focus Master of disguise 22 Dispatches Out-takes 26 Street life Nou de la Rambla 36 Food and drink Reviews and more

Regulars 6 You the reader 7 City snapshot 8 On the web 11 Columns 29 On 58 Back page

DIRECTORIES 40 Food & Drink 44 Marketplace

30. FESTIVAL IDN 26. STREET LIFE

From the Editor: January is a time when many people take stock of their lives and try to make necessary changes, this might mean improving their health. Carrie Frais takes a look at the growing number of people who are turning to alternative medicine and complementary therapies to compliment their conventional treatment in our cover article. In his last instalment of important historic characters, Nick Lloyd uncovers the mask of Catalan’s most famous spy. Tara Stevens is impressed with the dishes served up by chef Raül Balam Ruscalleda at Moments Restaurant and offers up a hearty dish in her recipe this month. Our ON section is as full as ever, so if you have any money or energy after the holiday season make sure you check out our pages.

Katy MacGregor

33. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Acting Senior Editor Katy MacGregor Acting Assistant Editor Natasha Young Art Director Aisling Callinan Design Assistant Anna Klein Sales Director Rainer Hobrack Account Executives Richard Cardwell, Lila Videla Sales Assistant Claire MacGrail Financial Assistant Freny Tavadia Editorial Assistant Dylan Clive Marketing Coordinator Jade Anglesea Contributors Jonathan Bennett, Carrie Frais, Lucy Brzoska, Edward Hugh, Roger de Flower, Tara Stevens, Lauren Mannion, Nicola Thornton, Nick Lloyd, Sara Blaylock, Hannah Pennell Photographers Lee Woolcock, Lucy Brzoska, Melanie Aronson Cover Illustrator John French (johnefrench@hotmail.com) llustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial Office Enric Granados 48, entlo. 2ª, 08008 Barcelona. Tel. 93 451 4486, Fax. 93 451 6537; editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Sales ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com General enquiries info@barcelona-metropolitan.com. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Printer Litografia Rosés Depósito Legal B35159-96 The views expressed in Barcelona Metropolitan are not necessarily those of the publisher. Reproduction, or use, of advertising or editorial content herein, without express permission, is prohibited.

Find your nearest

distribution point www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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R E N TA L S

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06 YOU THE READER

Win a free flight! Metropolitan leisure survey Each month we have four return Ryanair flights to give away. To enter the draw this month, all you need to do is spend five minutes filling out our leisure survey. We’d like to know what foreign residents get up to in their spare time and what they think of the activities available in Barcelona. Besides helping us to help you better, we will also be sharing the conclusions with local businesses in the leisure market that are keen to improve their services (please note that absolutely no personal information whatsoever will be shared with third parties).

www.meetup.com/Barcelona-Metropolitan-Readers: join up to find out about all our events.

For your chance to win, look for the link on our homepage at: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Thanks to everyone who participated in the Metropolitan health survey and congratulations and bon voyage to the previous flight winners.

Forum Connect with other foreigners in the city by going to the forum tab on our homepage, www.barcelona-metropolitan.com. Ask questions, meet people or even set up a special interest group.

Newsletter Receive our weekly newsletter

Become a fan of Barcelona Metropolitan Our page on Facebook features information about what’s going on in Barcelona, and offers users the chance to share ideas, tips and advice about being a foreign resident here.

You can also follow us on Twitter ‘bcnmetropolitan’ posts regular tweets about what’s happening in the city and we’d like to hear about Barcelona from you too.

To get the best of Barcelona delivered to your inbox, simply go to our website, www.barcelona-metropolitan.com, to sign up.

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YOU THE READER 07

CITY SNAPSHOT

LEE SMITH, 32 AMERICAN “DRINKING.”

JACK HUMPHREY, 18 SARAH HARRIS, 26 ENGLISH AMERICAN “A MEXICAN CHEF.” “BITING MY NAILS.”

CASTÉ, 22 MIRELLA THEODOSSIOU,BRUNO 26 SPANISH MADAGASCAN “BEING GREEDY.” “A BLUE POWER RANGER.”

FLORENCE 19 TIM CHAMP, QUIRK, 22 FRENCH AMERICAN “A PAINTER.” “PROCRASTINATION.”

ANAIS GSCHWIND, 23 MAX HOLVAST, 22 AUSTRALIAN DUTCH “A SCUBA DIVER.” “BEING STUBBORN.”

GAUTE TOSTERUD, 29 OVAIS HAI, 36 NORWEGIAN ENGLISH “I CAN’T GET UP IN THE “A ROCK STAR.” MORNING.”

JOANNA MARTIN, 18 ENGLISH “ A BALLERINA.”

ANA ALMEDO, 23 SPANISH “I’M A CHOCOHOLIC.”

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Now that the smoking ban has cleared the air we wondered what other bad habits people have. We asked nine readers to share with us their worst vices.

JOHANNA G, 21 SWEDISH “BEING A MESS.”

RAUL NAVARRO, 33 SPANISH “SMOKING.”

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08 ON THE WEB

Competition

Exhibition

On the web this month, we have five tickets to give away for comedian Andrew Stanley courtesy of the lovely people at the Guinness Laughter

This month be sure to check out the

Lounge. Andrew Stanley is fast becoming one of the best comics on the

joint exhibition Invoking a Demon

Irish circuit and he’s here for your laughing pleasure on January 14th. To be

Landscape by Spanish artist Esther

in with a chance of winning one of the tickets, just answer the following

Mañas and Birmingham’s Arash Moori.

question: What national Irish TV show has Andrew Stanley presented?

Part of the Espai 13 Implicit Sound

Go to www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/events/andrewstanley for more

Cycle at the Fundació Miró, be careful

details. Deadline for entries is January 12th.

what you say as multiple surveillance cameras and hidden microphones form part of the installation.

Article

Missed an edition of Metropolitan? All our current articles are available to read on the website: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com | |

24 M SPANISH REFUGEES

Food & drink blog It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. Our food writer Tara Stevens trawls Barcelona and beyond to hunt out the finest wines, the best bravas and the newest restaurants, all so you don’t have to. Head to Eating and Drinking on our website to read more.

Fleeing Franco

5 María Luisa Fernández’s father is among

these refugees at Argeles camp.

An estimated 275,000 Spaniards went into exile during the Spanish Civil War. Many of them never returned. By Nicholas Mead.

or many Catalans, there was only one place to go as the Civil War reached its nal stages—France. Franco’s advance and the defeat of the Republic meant a stark choice between being punished for ghting the dictator during the Civil War, or eeing the country. It is estimated that almost 275,000 Republican ghters chose the latter; some ended up as far away as Mexico, but the majority headed for France, where refugee camps were hastily being constructed on the beaches. Today, the plight of these refugees is still commemorated on the beach of Argeles in southern France. Every year at the end of February, a dwindling group of aging Spaniards and their relatives gather at the

seaside town to remember the mass plight of their relatives. One of them is María Luisa Fernández, who, at the age of two, was held at one of these camps along with her mother and father.

“

My mother and I were herded into cattle trucks for a whole month...

”

Fernández’s parents had made the dangerous crossing of the Pyrenees, along with thousands of others, in February 1939, expecting a hero’s

welcome by France’s Republican government. They were wrong. Rather than being hailed for their resistance to Franco’s Fascist army, they were promptly arrested and marched through French villages with fearful residents observing what the French authorities had designated ‘red’ invaders. “When we crossed the French border, families were separated,” said Fernández. “My father was sent to Argeles where there was no protection from the elements except wire fences to stop them escaping. My mother and I were herded into cattle trucks for a whole month, along with the elderly and injured, until we were dumped in a eld in MagnacLaval. There we were given just straw to sleep on whilst we were ‘guarded’ by the gendarme

In concert What kind of music do you like? Are you keen on apocalyptic prog rock? If that’s the case then Godspeed You! Black Emperor could be for you. Or if you’re more of an alt-country Americana fan then you won’t want to miss Deer Tick (pictured). The Going Out section covers our pick of the bands and DJs as well as theatre, dance, events and exhibitions. See who’s playing this month by clicking on the What’s On tab: we dare you to try something new.

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20/9/07 10:25:35

Ask the expert January is a good month to get your finances sorted and with this in mind our ‘Ask the Expert’ feature is with Barry Davys, an independent financial adviser with 26 years experience. Barry’s professional expertise covers areas such as taxation, trusts, pensions and investment management. He is a partner in The Spectrum IFA Group, a pan-European business that advises individuals and small businesses on all aspects of financial planning and has been a Barcelona resident for the last five years. So, if you’re in the dark about starting a pension, playing the stock market or setting up a trust for your children, email your question for Barry to: editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com

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ON THE WEB 09

The archive Barcelona Metropolitan has a large number of articles in the online archive and every month we like to pull out from the hundreds available one particular piece that we think still might be of interest to our readers. This month, we look back to January 2007 when Hannah Pennell tackled the January sales. Don’t expect the Boxing Day madness that happens in the UK, here the rebaixes aren’t until after Reis and are strictly regulated.

January sales - Marked Down Just as day inexorably becomes night, so the festive buying of Christmas turns into the annual urban assault course that is the January sales. No longer are shoppers buoyed by the selfless purchasing of gifts for loved ones, now it is all about using left-over cash and/or credit to hunt out bargains. And retailers are all too happy to offer mark-downs, as they seek to make way for the new spring-summer stock as early as possible. In Catalunya, the timing and duration of the rebaixes is strictly regulated: they can only happen twice a year (summer and winter), with the specific dates being set by the Generalitat.Shops can hold sales for a minimum of a week, and a maximum of two calendar months, and must put their chosen dates on clear display. Unlike in the UK, where the winter sales now seem to start as the clock chimes midnight on Christmas Day, here it is necessary to wait until after Kings’ Day (Reis). This is January 6th, when the Three Kings bring presents for all and remains for many Catalans a more important gift-giving day than December 25th. So for anyone that way inclined, the evening of Reis is the time for taking a sleeping-bag down to El Corte Inglés to queue up for the first bargains. But be prepared for a lonely night, as locals are unlikely to get there until shortly before doors open on the 7th itself. January sales apparently started in the late 19th century. The London department store Harrods held its first Winter Clearance in mid-January 1894, while in the United States the owner of a Philadelphia department store, John Wanamaker, created the White Sale in the winter of 1878. Wanamaker bought excess stocks of bed linen (traditionally white in colour) to be sold at a discount, to help linenmakers and the staff of his store at a time when business was often slow.

winter flights to the uk! manchester & gatwick

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30 one way inc. tax

*food & drink

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group booking service

flights

online check-in

holidays

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To read the rest of this article go to www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/januarysales Conditions apply. Pre-bookable seating (including extra legroom) available to buy online. Online check in requires pre-booked seats. Meals available to buy when pre booked online. Snacks and drinks available to buy onboard.

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COLUMNS 11

Money talk

Wild Barcelona

By Edward Hugh

Text and photos by Lucy Brzoska

Wild weather

False alarm

n a sheltered part of the Catalan coast, Barcelona is able to ride out most of the winter unperturbed; similar to the kingfisher for whom the Greeks created halcyon days. According to legend, the bird calmed the sea for two weeks, so it could build a floating nest. But sometimes the weather turns unexpectedly wild. Two years ago this month,

marked absence of hollering adrenaline-fuelled mountain bikers, as every track and path was blocked by the fallen trees, their roots gaping out of craters. Most noise came from underfoot, as you crunched the new carpet of pine cones and twigs, loosened by the ton. Though initially devastating, it was a promising panorama. New clearings would mean a greater diversity of plants and insects and space for nightjars to nest. Trunks left behind to rot assured a healthy population of beetles in years to come. Woods can give an illusion of permanence, but most of the affected trees were the fast-growing Aleppo pine, planted for exploitation after Collserola’s vineyards were stricken by plague just over a century ago.

Lucy Brzoska runs Nettle tree butterfly sunbathing

after the quiet birth of a small Appalachian storm and its transforming journey across the Atlantic, winds of up to 100 km/h careered through the city streets for hours on end and tried to tear everything from its place. Shutters and flowerpots were sent flying and eight lives were lost. Over in Collserola pine trees toppled in their thousands with an effect still clearly visible today. It must have been terrifying, the wind’s roar amplified in the canopy and trees crashed like pillars during an earthquake. But the morning after, the woods were luminous and still, sunlight twanging the gossamer, woodpeckers tapped, Peking robins scolded—business as usual—except for a very early sighting of a nettle tree butterfly, prematurely roused out of hibernation by all the commotion. Considering it was Sunday there was a

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Edward Hugh is a British Barcelona-based macro economist who writes for La Vanguardia and the Catalan News Agency, amongst others, and has a popular blog and Facebook page. In this column, he will explain some of the current ins and out of the local economy.

nature tours in Barcelona and writes for www.iberianature.com

Mountain biker struggles through fallen trees

he Spanish government effectively took an unprecedented step at the start of December by declaring the country under a state of alarm. This was the first time such a step had been taken since the return to democracy following the death of Franco in 1975. The background to the decision was a wildcat strike by the country’s air traffic controllers which left an estimated 300,000 would-be merrymakers stranded in airports across the country. The timing of the crisis was particularly significant, since the start of December sees one of the longest, and most important, long-weekend breaks in the Spanish calendar. But looking beyond the immediate issues, and the rights and wrongs of the various parties, what is striking to the outside observer is just how quickly everyone got so wound up over the affair. We are, at the end of the day, talking about travellers heading off on holiday, many of them leaving the country to spend what effectively is much needed foreign exchange at a time when banks and the government are having increasing difficulty finding the sort of finance needed to make this possible. These particular holidaymakers were not the first to suffer at the hands of those who control Europe’s international airspace, as anyone who has had to fly across France in recent months knows only too well. So what explains the vigour and the vehemence of the reaction? Could it be that after over three years of trying to say to themselves “Crisis, what crisis?”, the Spanish (and their Catalan cousins) are suddenly waking up to the fact that something important is going on. In the very week that all this happened the difference between the interest paid on Spanish, 10-year government bonds and that paid on the German equivalent hit euro-era highs and as a response the Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero announced that he was rushing forward plans to extend working life from 65 to 67 years. The idea was to try to calm investor nervousness. This it may or may not, have done, but I am sure the announcement didn’t do much to soothe the nerves of those directly affected. For many years, Spain seems to have lived in a kind of unreal world of escapism. Property prices that would never come down, labour contracts which were effectively untouchable, and crises that never were. Maybe that’s why the events of early December were so traumatic: 300,000 people were busy trying to get away for one last escape before finally facing up to the harsh truth and a regime of severe austerity which undoubtedly awaits in 2011. Happy New Year everyone!

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INTERVIEW 13

MARCELA DIEZ Trapeze Artist, Argentinian, 35 I came to Barcelona five years ago for Sant Joan. Barcelona was always one of my places to visit. I almost came when I was 20 and didn’t, but at 30, I had another opportunity. I thought I would just come for a few months. My first experience in a circus was when I was 21 in Salvador de Bahía in Brazil. I was working with an acrobat troupe and I became fascinated with that world. I started doing trapeze 10 years ago and I love it! I was working on a huge cultural project in my native Buenos Aires and one day a group of trapeze artists called the Aeroniñas came in. The first day I saw them in the air I decided I wanted to do that. They became my teachers and my friends. Like everything you do in life, trapeze is strange at first, but as you begin to practise every day it becomes normal. I was never afraid, but I have a lot of respect for it. You have to fully concentrate to work in the air. The confidence follows when you work every day. You become aware of your own limits. I’ve never lived with the circus. It has changed a lot from the old idea of being a circus family—but who knows? It could still happen. In Barcelona, I’ve worked mostly on the trapeze bar in small shows that include aerial circus with a more theatrical aspect, working very close with the public. My last show was Concierto Etereo, a recital with my company, Gente Colgada (Hanging People), on the silks and trapeze along with B-20, a group that includes voice, guitar, computer and sax. We have our own songs where everyone plays their own instrument. Mine is the air. I love working with live music. I now teach trapeze. I am in the process of setting up a space for training and creating and I have a group of powerful and interesting people starting. The thing I love most about Barcelona is that it is in Catalunya. I love the Catalan culture, the food, the customs, the traditional fiestas. The thing I love least is crossing Las Ramblas in a hurry in the middle of the day. The life of a trapeze artist has high doses of adrenalin, but there is also routine, highs, lows and humour; like any other job. It’s very physical, but it requires a lot of concentration and precision, so it’s also quite mental. I’ve never fallen, touch wood. Sometimes when you are hanging by one hand you feel as if you could fall. One time when I was performing, the music got stuck and it played the same part over and over again. It wasn’t dangerous, but it was quite absurd! I’ve travelled a lot and lived in lots of Mexican and South American cities, for short amounts of time. I’ve worked as a waitress, a teacher, a proofreader, a survey taker, a tour manager, a promoter, a travel agent, a model, an acrobat, a musician…I may have missed something…a trapeze artist!! If I wasn’t a trapeze artist, I would probably be a physiotherapist, a psychologist or a ballerina. Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.

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14 REPORT

A serious alternative The popularity of alternative and complementary medicine is growing in Catalunya, but without proper regulation is the future of the industry secure? By Carrie Frais. Illustrations by John French.

he use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown at a phenomenal rate in Catalunya over the last 20 years and the practice continues to gain medical, economic and sociological importance. Reports from the federation known as TENCAT* state that the popularity of treatments such as homeopathy, reflexology, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, shiatsu massage and traditional Chinese medicine is continuing to rise. However, what is also on the increase is the controversy over their use, regarding both efficacy and regulation. Whereas conventional medicine is led by a diagnosis from a patient’s symptoms followed by a treatment, complementary and alternative medicine aims to treat the patient as a whole. In alternative medicine, an illness can mean a breakdown of physical and mental wellbeing. Treatment is not necessarily a cure, but aims to stimulate the body’s natural resources and self-healing abilities. A return to natural health methods has seen a rise in people seeking nutritional advice, practising yoga and using massage. Chinese herbal medicines are commonly used as dietary supplements whilst homeopathic remedies are increasingly used to treat the likes of insomnia or stress. Zoe Holden, who practices homeopathy in Barcelona says many people are choosing alternative therapies over conventional medicine in order to treat the cause of their illness. “Patients realise conventional medicine often only offers treatments that suppress symptoms and they are looking for something that works on a deeper level”. According to Spain’s first credible study on the use of complementary and alternative medicine conducted in 2007 by Cofenat (Profesionales de las Terapias Naturales), it was found that proportionally, CAM is more prevalent in Catalunya than in any other region of Spain, with reflexology, acupuncture and homeopathy topping the list of the most popular treatments. The study also found that women are more likely to use alternative therapies than men, especially within the 35-45 age bracket, and that it is most popular among people financially better off. Currently the Catalan CAM industry finds its status clouded in uncertainty resulting in growing pressure from certain quarters to increase regulation within the industry. The situation is further *Federacíon de asociaciones profesionales de terapias naturales y de la cultura de la salud

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REPORT 15

complicated by some practices such as acupuncture, naturopathy and osteopathy being regulated (here by the Instituto de Estudios de la Salud de Catalunya), whilst other practices are not. In 1997, the Código Internacional de Ética para los Profesionales de la Salud was adopted and stipulated that doctors using CAM must inform patients of the importance of continuing their conventional treatment and telling them of the non-conventional nature of the complementary/alternative therapy. It also prevented doctors from using methods that have not been scientifically proven to treat a patient. Move forward 10 years and, after pressure from a number of CAM practitioners, the Generalitat introduced a pioneering bill aimed at regulating the sector, only for it to be stopped in its tracks by the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Catalunya (TSJC) two years later. The main opponent to the legislation was Barcelona’s official medical college, (Col·legi Oficial de Metges de Barcelona or COMB) whose current President Dr Miquel Vilardell said this of their resistance: “We were against it as it was trying to regulate an ‘assistance activity’ that would mean non-healthcare professionals were in a position to practice…(only) medical practitioners are responsible for the indication and implementation of activities aimed at promoting and maintaining health, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment of patients”. Their main objection is that to regulate the alternative medicine industry means medicines and treatments need to have been scientifically validated and that in itself is a problem. Hard evidence supporting alternative treatments is weak and well-conducted clinical trials, which could support or dismiss them, have been few and far between. According to Barcelona-based nutritionist Carolina Harboe, CAM simply does not generate enough money to get together sizeable study groups in order to get results published in scientific journals. “There have been small-scale studies, necessary to be able to commercialise a product, which have produced promising results. But when there is no product to sell behind the treatment, such as acupuncture, kinesiology or reiki, or the product is inexpensive like homeopathy or Bath flower remedies for example, it is impossible to find a study to prove their effectiveness. This does not mean however that it doesn’t work.” Additionally, in most countries alternative treatments (in contrast to pharmaceuticals) can be marketed without any proof of their efficacy—a further disincentive for manufacturers to fund scientific research. Barcelona-based reflexologist Benedicte Taillard says until there are more scientific findings available, alternative practices will always attract scepticism. “Although reflexology has proved to be very efficient in a wide array of conditions— the patient’s improved health or healing being the prime indicator—it does not

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16 REPORT

escape the need in our society to scientifically prove the ‘hows and whys?’ of its efficiency. A growing amount of scientific research is now being carried out on reflexology, applied to various pathologies, and as more data becomes available a greater number of people turn to it as a serious alternative. Reflexology is officially recognised to be a safe and non-invasive natural therapy. It is also increasingly used as a complementary therapy by many physicians and medical staff in all countries, including Spain.” Most alternative therapists will tell you that the future of alternative therapies lies in a more integrated approach. Barcelona-based acupuncturist Uby Muñoz, who works at the city’s Wellwoman Clinic, believes that in her field the combination of conventional and alternative medicine works well. “I often work with patients being treated by fertility clinics; the combination of acupuncture with assisted reproduction increases the success rate. This is supported by many scientific studies.” Muñoz stresses however the importance of making her work supportive to actual medical practices. “I ask my patients about all of their treatments to ensure that my plans support and facilitate the healthcare decisions they are making with other providers. This integrated approach means you don’t have to constantly juggle methodologies, educating yourself in two (or more) medical systems so that patients get what they need from each practitioner. We help them understand how our care will work in and around other medical care, so that they can put these different puzzle pieces together to the best effect”. A working group of the Ministries of Health and Education is currently entrusted with the task of working out regulatory rules for complementary and alternative therapies. The group has already made an initial report and is working on its proposed regulation. Given the obvious complexities involved in deciding who can and who cannot practice certain therapies, the process is expected to be a slow one. A number of conventional doctors in Catalunya privately say they are keen to use more alternative methods alongside conventional practice, but it seems they are less keen to admit it publicly, due, in part, to the fact that bad practice within the alternative field still exists. So until there is a reciprocity of open-mindedness between the two methodologies and better regulation, it may be the patient who misses out in the long run.

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C/Independencia

P.Taulet-Bac de Roda

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18 CITY FOCUS

Ram贸n Mercader

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A master of disguise Juan Pujol has been described as the greatest double agent of World War II, proving wars are won with brains as well as bombs. By Nick Lloyd

n 1947, news was released of the death in Mozambique of Juan Pujol, a 35-year-old Catalan. He had died after being bitten by a venomous snake that had slipped into his bedroom. Born in Barcelona on February 14th 1912 to a well-to-do Catalan family, Juan Pujol García enjoyed a reputation as a playboy in his early years and took a dim view, like many of his class, of the revolutionary events of 1936, doing his best to avoid being called up. After a spell in prison, he was finally enlisted in 1938 and took part without, he claimed, actually firing a bullet in the Battle of the Ebro, the largest battle of the Civil War. At the end of the campaign, with the Republic’s troops in disarray, he deserted and crossed the lines over to Franco’s side. Then, if Pujol had kept to the script of others like him, he would have vanished from history, returning as a victor to enjoy the rapacious fruits of the corruption and theft that fell on the city after its fall to Franco. Instead, at the end of the war, Pujol travelled to Madrid. He had developed a deepseated loathing of totalitarianism after seeing the rise of Stalinism in Barcelona in 1937, and after listening to the BBC’s broadcasts he became a fervent anti-Nazi. Then, at some point in 1940, with the Second World War underway, he resolved to help the Allies’ cause and presented himself at the British embassy in order to volunteer his services as a spy. The British were either disinterested or didn’t trust him. Undeterred he offered his services to the Third Reich with the brazen intent of becoming a double-agent for London. The Germans were won over by his ardent Nazi

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stance, (for Pujol was becoming a consummate actor), accepted him and gave him the codename Arabel. He then moved to Lisbon, from where, with the help of his wife, he pretended to be in London, and began to weave a fictitious network of spies who allegedly worked for him in the United Kingdom. He knew next to nothing of the country where his agents operated, gleaning all his information from newsreels in the cinemas and from reading the British press in Lisbon’s public library. With the raw material he invented a team of unlikely traitors who worked under him, such as a disgruntled Scouse dock worker, a Welsh fascist and a waiter from Gibraltar. His ignorance caused him to make mistakes such as failing to understand the imperial money system of pounds, shillings and pence and he once claimed that the Scottish dockers were on the edge of revolt after the government had hiked the tax on red wine, stating in a dispatch: “There are people here who would do anything for a litre of wine.” Although, it would take a couple of generations for wine to reach the tables of Clydeside, the Nazis were clearly equally as ignorant and lapped up his reports, steeped in Hitlerian codswallop, of goods shipments across the UK, for which he used the British railway timetables found in the reference library. After a frustrated second attempt, he finally managed to convince MI6 of his worth after fortuitously diverting a U-boat squadron in the Atlantic away from a merchant convoy and was secretly flown to London in spring 1942. There, under the codename Garbo, he continued to expand his fictitious network,

this time with the help of Cyril Bertram Mills, his MI6 controller, who he only knew as Mr Grey. On occasions, an ‘agent’ had to be terminated to cover the deception. The Scouse docker had failed to report on a mayor fleet movement out of Liverpool: he had unfortunately fallen ill just before. Pujol’s Nazi controllers not only fell for the yarn, but agreed to pay his bereaved widow a pension. At its height, Garbo’s imagined network comprised 27 agents to whom Germany paid a handsome $340,000. All of this money, which reached Britain via Switzerland, enriched the coffers of MI6, helping to fund the organisation. In order to maintain his credibility, many of Garbo’s reports contained genuine information, but were delayed before being sent to Germany to minimise any damage. As the war advanced, Garbo’s disinformation was channelled towards one goal: aiding perhaps the greatest deception in the history of warfare— persuading the Nazis that the invasion of France would be directed against Calais, not Normandy. Entitled ‘Operation Fortitude’, the hoax included a huge ghost army supposedly massed in Kent supported by thousands of mock wooden tanks, while the real troops gathered far to the west. This was backed by a barrage of false information, supplied by Garbo himself. Finally at 3am on June 6th 1944, Garbo tried to contact the Germans to warn them of the Normandy invasion just after it had sailed, thus ensuring it was too late for them to do anything about it. However, the German radio operator had failed to check in at the scheduled time so they did not receive the message until 8am, allowing Garbo to add more details and giving him extra

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20 CITY FOCUS

credit for reliability. Seething with apparent rage, he even informed his German contacts of his disgust at the delayed reception: “I cannot accept excuses or negligence. Were it not for my ideals I would abandon the work”. All the while, he insisted that the attack was a diversion: the real invasion was to come at Calais. By the time the Nazis realised their mistake, it was too late. The Allies has gained a vital foothold. Remarkably, the Germans still trusted Arabel. He told them that the Allies had abandoned their plans for Calais after being surprised how successful their ‘false’ landing had been. They informed him he had been awarded the Iron Cross by the Führer himself for his “extraordinary services” to the Reich. Arabel sent his “humble thanks” for such an honour, for which he was truly

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“unworthy”. The British were also delighted with their agent and awarded him the MBE, making him one of the very few people to be decorated by both sides during the war. In September 1944, after a scare, Garbo was arrested by the British to cover the operation. He was soon released and went to ground, though his network continued to fool the Germans. At the end of the war, Pujol arranged a meeting with his German controllers in Madrid where they presented him with the Iron Cross. They also gave him a suitcase of dollars, thanking him tearfully for his incalculable services to the Third Reich. But Pujol feared the Nazis would eventually find out the truth of his duplicity, so he travelled to Mozambique where he faked his own death with the snake, fooling even Mills. From here,

Pujol moved to Venezuela where he successfully slipped into anonymity: not even his British controllers nor his wife knew where he was. Although Pujol’s role was a state secret, Graeme Greene, who also worked for MI6 during the war, knew the story and used Garbo as the inspiration for Jim Wormold, the protagonist of Our Man In Havana. Finally in 1981, a BBC documentary team managed to trace him through relatives in Barcelona to his home in Choroní, Venezuela. He was persuaded to return to Britain in 1982 for an emotional reunion with Mills and to collect his MBE from the Queen. Juan Pujol died in Venezuela in his adopted town in 1988.

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

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OUT-TAKES

Outlet shopping is a good alternative to battling the crowds at the January sales. By Hannah Pennell. Photos by Melanie Aronson.

ou know what January in Barcelona means: first Kings’ Day, swiftly followed by the start of oft-repeated shudders of horror at the thought of no public holidays until Easter (although there is respite this year with a random day off on March 7th), and the winter sales. The latter are tinged with the bitter-sweet knowledge that you bought all your seasonal presents just moments before their prices were slashed (this is less true here if you celebrate Christmas rather than Kings’ Day, but whether it’s a day or a fortnight later, the sight of carefully-chosen gifts at 50 percent off always hurts), but still, who can resist a bargain? Sadly, the sales here are officially limited to two fixed periods a year, not nearly enough for the committed ganga-hunter. But then there’s always the outlets. For anyone not familiar with the concept, outlets are places where unsold stock from past seasons and/or current season stock (that may have a flaw barely visible to the human eye, but which quality control has decided can’t be sold via the normal route), is put on sale at reduced prices. These discounts can range from 30 to 60 or 70 percent, making your money go that bit further than in a normal shop. As with

the sales, there is no guarantee of finding your size or goods in the colour you want; furthermore, you won’t necessarily find the latest trends or exactly what you’re looking for if you need, say, an outfit for a special occasion. On the plus side, we all need to help the country spend its way out of the current dire economic situation, but it’s not so easy to do that at full price (thanks, paradoxically to the current dire economic situation affecting us all). So really, outlet shopping is a must if Spain is to avoid an EU bailout. Let the spending begin.

LA ROCA VILLAGE The largest ‘local’ selection of outlet shops can be found at La Roca Village, about half an hour’s drive outside Barcelona on the motorway towards Girona and France. With over 100 different stores offering goods at up to 60 percent off, there are discounts available for practically every occasion and style. From high-range options such as Burberry, Versace and Hugo Boss to more accessible brands including

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Nice Things Pepe Jeans, Miss Sixty and Kipling. As well as kids’ shop Imaginarium, the self-explanatory Chocolat Factory, beauty emporium L’Occitane and, count ‘em, three Diesel stores; exhausting your credit card should be an easy task here. As the name would suggest, La Roca is essentially an outdoor experience, with each brand located in a different ‘house’ in the ‘village’, so don’t plan to go there on a rainy Saturday afternoon. For those without their own transportation, there is a special bus service running from Plaça Catalunya (bus stop 1210) three times a day (leaving at 10am, 4pm and 6pm, returning at 3pm, 5pm and 9pm; €12 return for adults).

Sadly, the sales here are ofﬁcially limited to two ﬁxed periods a year, not nearly enough for the committed ganga-hunter. HERON CITY Within Barcelona, Heron City offers an outlet shopping centre experience, albeit one on a much smaller scale than La Roca. Fourteen stores (including, yes, Diesel) make up the selection here, which is located close to Avinguda Meridiana on the eastern side of the city. As well as the ubiquitous Italian jean shop, there is Mango and Desigual,

and a selection of Inditex-owned shops, specifically Bershka, Lefties and Pull & Bear.

CARRER GIRONA On this Eixample street, between Gran Via and Casp, there is a convenient collection of discount stores set up in an apparent attempt at creating a mini outlet ‘village’ in the heart of Barcelona. It’s a mix of shops selling one brand only (viz. Nice Things and upmarket women’s clothes shops Javier Simorra and Etxart & Panno), and others that sell collections of (lesser-known) brands, such as DKT and Focha. It has to be said that this area gears more towards the female shopper, although men should take note that there’s a Mango with a selection from its new-ish HE range, while Montana, Sabbath Jeans and La Sabateria have apparel and footwear for both.

NEIGHBOURHOOD SHOPS Barcelona is a place that, despite (or perhaps because of) its size, has retained a good number of one-off, neighbourhood businesses that work hard to compete with the all-too-familiar high street chains found throughout the city. And when it comes to outlets, your neighbourhood is almost bound to have its local specialities, giving you an alternative to all those Diesels and Mangos. If you’re not necessarily interested in the big-name labels but simply want affordable clothing and goods, it’s worth seeking out these shops and checking their ranges. (Apparently there is no translation for ‘outlet’ into either Catalan or

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Castilian, so spotting these places around Barcelona is pretty easy). You’ll find, for instance, maternity clothes at Belly (Avinguda Diagonal 379), childrenswear at Sniff (Travessera de Les Corts 220) and sports equipment at the Outlet d’Esports (Berlin 24). Before you head off to outlet shop til you drop, Elisabet Olivé, of the personal shopping and image consultancy Qué Me Pongo, has a few words of advice about what to buy: - Choose pieces and accessories that suit you and focus on your strong points while also minimising those features you’re not so keen on. - Make sure you buy the right size. Forget about buying items that are the wrong size simply because they’re cheap.

- Select clothes that help you project the image that you want to give, whether it be serious and distant, or jovial and approachable. Don’t buy things that you already know doesn’t suit you. - Avoid separates that will be difficult to combine with what’s already in your wardrobe. - Invest in: basic articles that are very versatile and can be combined with many other clothes; seasonless clothes that you can put on throughout the year and give a lot of wear; classic pieces that don’t go out of fashion—these are the ones that you should spend most on because of their durability. Finally, outlets are a good place to buy one or two items that are currently in fashion to give your look colour and a more ‘with it’ image.

Further information La Roca Village: take the AP-7 motorway until exit 12, Cardedeu, and follow the signs to the shopping centre. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 9pm. www.larocavillage.com Heron City Avinguda Rio de Janeiro 42. Metro: Fabra I Puig (L1), Llucmajor (L4). Many buses stop nearby, check the centre’s website for details. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 10pm. www.heroncitybarcelona.com http://carmenshopping.blogspot.com/2005/09/ quien-tiene-un-outlet-tiene-un-tesoro.html Long list of outlet shops in and around Barcelona. Note that it dates from 2005, so it’s worth checking that the places mentioned are still open before making a special visit. Qué Me Pongo - www.quemepongo.es. Tel 93 217 06 06 Want to recommend an outlet store? Go to this article on our webpage and add a comment with all the details.

Javier Simorra on Carrer Girona

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12/20/10 11:55:06 AM

Barcelona gets bliss-ed

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Don’t miss the opportunity to have a blissful experience. Come and see us now!

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Bliss Barcelona boasts 700 square metres arranged over two ﬂoors and features a retail beauty boutique, two manicure and pedicure nail stations, eight treatment rooms and men’s and women’s lounges for post-treatment relaxation. Bliss Barcelona also has a shared wet area, steam room, sauna and indoor pool. The massage and facial Mecca brings a fun, no attitude atmosphere to Barcelona with its signature menu of spa services. Bliss Spa, W Barcelona, Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents, 1, Barcelona 08039 Email: bliss.barcelona@whotels.com Hours: 9am-9pm 7 days a week Reservations: +34 93 295 2858 www.w-barcelona.com/bliss-spa

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Barcelona Sound Hostel (Nº. 91)

26 STREET LIFE C. DE SA NT OLEGU ER

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Apolo (nº. 113) Pujol (nº. 32)

Carrer Nou de la Rambla Text by Dylan Clive. Photos by Anna Klein

bout a mile long and dotted with old bars, Carrer Nou de la Rambla represents a challenge for even the most talented of pub crawlers. Over the years, this street (which runs from the touristy Rambla up to Parc de la Primavera on Montjuïc), has gone from fashionable to seedy to somewhere in between. Time and tourism may have led to an explosion of supermarkets, souvenirs and kebabs but some historic points of interest do still lurk. The Palau Güell (nº. 3-5) is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and of enormous architectural importance thanks to it being the only building that Gaudí finished that hasn’t undergone mass alterations. It may not look much from street level, but from up above it is truly a sight to behold. For a bird’s eye view of the building’s fabulously eccentric chimney pots, ask for a room with a view on one of the upper floors of the Hotel Gaudí (nº. 12) across the street. Sadly, if you want to mooch around inside the Palau, you’ll have to wait until April 2011 as it’s currently closed for renovation. At the opposite end of the street, Refugio 307 (nº.169) is a labyrinth of underground tunnels which once served as a bomb shelter during the Spanish Civil War. On Saturday and Sunday mornings they offer informative guided tours costing just €3. After such an emotive history lesson, the central section of the street

between Paral·lel and Rambla del Raval can come as a bit of a nasty shock. Tina Moda (nº. 85), home to some of the bustiest mannequins you’ll ever see, sell underwear worthy of a Playboy Bunny; so if corsettes, see-through knickers and nipple tassles are your underwear of choice, then this is for you. As for the mannequins, they wouldn’t look out of place doing a night-shift at nearby Bagdad (nº. 103). A popular venue for ‘lads on tour’ and stag nights, Bagdad is the self-proclaimed ‘number one sala porno in Europe’. From stag parties to the big day itself, Novias Mafer (nº. 27) is not a wedding dress shop for shrinking violets. If you want your wedding big and fat and your dress to look like a bright cerise meringue, this should be your first port of call. The collection of bridal tiaras has to be seen to be believed too. Huguet Tintoreria (nº.143) first opened in 1955 and doesn’t look like it’s changed much over the years. Drop off your clothes and pick them up washed and dried for a resonable €12. Hairdressers galore surround the laundrette, so while you wait, why not get a trim at Norma (nº.136) or Color Tints (nº. 132). Alternatively, if you’re eager not to be spotted by anyone in the Mossos d’Esquadra (nº. 76-78), Araceli Gil (nº. 77) has wigs of every colour and style. A brand new look will set you back between €20 and €30 and artificial hair extensions are also available.

Nou de la Rambla

Palau Güell cou

rtesy of Sébastien

Bertrand

Barcelo

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STREET LIFE 27 Huguet Tintoreria (nº. 143)

London Bar (nº. 34)

Refugi 307 (nº. 169)

Pub Crawl

Need to get your night off to a flying start? The trapeze in London Bar (nº. 34) ought to do it. Nearly 100 years on and the original bar still remains at this modernista masterpiece. While you’re there, don’t pass up the chance to warm Picasso’s stool. Open until five in the morning and with live music every night, it’s the perfect pitstop before the clubbing begins. Next, head to The Queen Vic (nº. 24) to catch the footy and a pint of Bombardier English beer before getting in a Mojito or two at Pepino (nº. 44). That should leave enough time for a bevvy at El Gato (nº. 102) or El Petit Apolo (C/ Vila Vilá, nº. 62), where you can pour your own beer for €7 a litre. If you’re still standing, head to Apolo (nº. 113) or its little sister La [2] (nº. 111). Both move to the sound of anything from indie to hard techno or electro, depending on the night. An old and now slightly shabby theatre, Apolo is also one of the best gig venues in town. Be warned though, drinks cost an arm and a leg. For an utterly untouristy experience, head further up the hill to Plataforma (nº. 145). Rammed to the rafters at the weekends, expect to hear everything from Spanish pop to Bon Jovi, Abba or Kings of Leon blasting from the speakers.

The potters wheel at the front of the shop is the giveaway for Ceramica Leal (nº. 22). A resident of the street for the past 12 years, you can pop in and watch them work while you choose from hand-made pieces alongside the more standard Gaudí souvenirs. For those with a sweet tooth don’t miss out on your Tortell de Reis. Pujol (nº. 32) has been a sweet shop since 1825 and family-run for the last 84 years. International favourites share the shelf with Catalan delicacies and endless supplies of marzipan, chocolate and caramelos await your choosing. The Willy Wonka of Nou de la Rambla, Ferran Pujol is on hand to assist with any of your dulce dilemmas.

El Petit Apolo (C/Vila Vilá, nº.62)

Novias Mafer (nº.27)

Apolo Mini Casino (nº. 107) Barcelona Sound Hostel (nº. 91)

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FESTIVAL IDN P. 30 DEER TICK P. 31 JOANNA NEWSOM (PICTURED) P. 32 IF YOU LIVED HERE STILL... MARTHA ROSLER P. 34

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This month This month sees the third edition of the Festival Internacional d’Imatge, Dansa i Nous Mitjans (IDN) hit the Mercat de les Flors. This means four days of varied programming including lectures and exhibitions plus the announcement of the Premi Internacional Vídeodansa Barcelona. Companies on the bill include Chunky Move from Australia, who bring their production Glow (pictured) and filmmaker Thierry de Mey shows his piece Light Music, a collaboration with percussionist Jean Geoffroy. Festival IDN January 12th to 16th Mercat de les Flors www.nu2s.org

12th Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute has inspired many people since its composition in 1791 including John Updike, Kenneth Branagh and Ingmar Bergman. This month the Liceu plays host to the children’s version.

26th

La Petita Flauta Màgica January 16th, 23rd and 30th Gran Teatre del Liceu

Valencian singer Bebe is known for her breakthrough album Pafuera Telarañas which made her a household name. Follow up album Y charted here at number one. She plays as part of the Mil·lenni Festival.

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Bebe January 26th, 9pm Palau de la Música www.festival-millenni.com

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Live who’s on OUR pick of GIGS IN January The White Jazz Trio: Teatre Llantiol, 2nd

Niña Pastori: Palau de la Música, 3rd

New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble: Apolo, 5th

Najwa Nimri, Iván Ferreiro & Standstill: Sant Jordi Club, 7th

Las Migas: Palau de la Música, 7th

Alabama Gospel Choir: Palau de la Música, 8th

Chuck Prophet: Sidecar, 10th

Gossos/Beth: Palau de la Música, 14th

The Chameleons Vox: Bikini, 15th

Nouvelle Vague: Palau de la Música, 19th

Asking Alexandria: Apolo2, 21st

Negative: Mephisto, 22nd

Lori Meyers: Apolo, 28th

Feeder: Bikini, 28th

Thin Lizzy: Apolo, 30th

eer Tick well and truly slipped under the radar last year. Ok, so these hirsute boys from Rhode Island are unlikely to revolutionise the face of music anytime soon, but their third album The Black Dirt Sessions was far worthier of a place on the ‘Best of 2010’ lists than most. Led by charismatic frontman and chief songwriter John McCauley, Deer Tick make haunting alt-country Americana that should be required listening for anyone let down by life or love. McCauley has clearly had more than his fair share of hard knocks. He sings of death, religion and grief with a gravelly, nasal voice that cracks with effort and emotion, most noticeably on single ‘Christ Jesus’. The song might make singing teachers and Christians wince but for anyone else it has a way of getting under your skin and yanking at your heartstrings. On first hearing, the band’s influences—Neil Young, Bob Dylan and The Replacements—are obvious. But whereas the godfathers of country and folk talked of change, hope and revolution, Deer Tick sing of losing faith, friends and heart. The beauty is that somehow they manage to do so in a way that is infectious and beguiling rather than depressing. And that’s the thing about them. Unlike other American artists with the alt-country tag like Lambchop, Two Gallants or Calexico, Deer Tick have songs. Ok, so they might not be blasting out of the speakers in Ibiza anytime soon but then neither are those by The National or Fleet Foxes and it clearly hasn’t done them any harm. January is a fine time to go and see Deer Tick live. Now the Christmas wrapping paper is in the bin and there’s just a long, hard slog until Easter, their well-crafted melancholia is just the ticket. What’s more, in a recent interview, the band said that they much preferred playing small venues to big outdoor festivals so tiny Sidecar in Plaça Reial is sure to suit them. Wrap up warm against the cold and revel in the intensity of it all.--NY

Salvatore Adamo: Palau de la Música, 30th Deer Tick January 31st Sidecar

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his month sees a rare appearance from Joanna Newsom as part of the 12th Festival Mil·lenni. It’s only her second Barcelona gig and her first since showcasing 2007 album Ys. Returning to the city to Palau de la Música, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter will be playing old favourites along with songs from her new album Have One On Me, a winding three-disc odyssey already hailed as a masterpiece. Best known as a harpist, California-born Newsom started out learning piano and got her first harp at the tender age of seven. They quickly became inseparable, with Newsom often describing her instrument as part of herself. After years of writing her own material and self-publishing her first two records, she found fame on the US indiefolk scene with 2004’s The Milk-Eyed Mender, a spellbinding blend of intricate, twisting rhythms and dreamily poetic lyrics. The album gradually gathered accolades, leading to ‘Peach, Plum, Pear’ and best-known track ‘The Sprout and the Bean’ featuring on various TV shows and adverts. Follow-up, Ys—just five tracks long and inspired by Breton tales of the eponymous town swallowed up by the sea—was universally praised, becoming her first release to chart in

the US and named by UK newspaper, the Guardian as one of the 1000 albums to hear before you die. TV appearances and a spot of modelling work, for Armani no less, have also nudged her profile towards the mainstream in recent years. Newsom’s distinctive vocals have long been a talking point, described as everything from feminine and fragile to child-like and shrill. In any case, in 2009 she underwent surgery on the vocal nodules which had left her unable to speak, altering her voice forever and lending her a new, softer and quite possibly more commercial sound. Whatever you think of Joanna’s unconventional style, this month’s gig is a one-off chance to see her perform in front of the most fitting of backdrops. Unique, intricate and beautiful just for the sheer hell of it, the Palau de la Música Catalana could almost have been inspired by Newsom’s magical, fairytale music and seems more of a homecoming than a début. Whatever you do, don’t miss the chance to see her here, the venue she was born to play.--LM Joanna Newsom January 20th, 9pm Palau de la Música

ith festivities mostly done, the good food eaten and New Years’ resolutions forgotten, it’s easy for January to be a depressing slide back to normality. Here’s a thought though; why not have one last hurrah and set the tone for a tremendously stylish 2011? The theatre has always had a romantic feel to it, that buzz of sophistication that turns you into an intellectual for the night. So why not dust down your smart gear, book a table for dinner and get a pair of tickets to L’Arquitecte. Written by Scottish playwright David Greig, The Architect follows the rise and fall of Leo Black (his profession hopefully clear). Leo is an idealist and was responsible for a revolutionary housing scheme that may have been elegant on paper 20 years ago, but is now despised. Take a peek at his family life and you’ll see a similar pattern of steady decay and escalating problems. His wife is crazed by the pollution around her and the children, now in their twenties, feel imprisoned in the family home. The crumbling career and family life of Leo Black comes to the Barcelona stage under the guidance of Spanish director Julio Manrique. It will be performed in Catalan from January 12th to February 13th but don’t let that put you off. You could pretend to understand it or just play it safe and read the Castilian and English subtitles available at all Thursday and Saturday shows from January 20th. Purse strings will understandably be tight after the Christmas period but with tickets starting at €13 there’s really no excuse. A trip to the theatre is really just a movie night in with that extra touch of class. You may not be slouched on the sofa or dressed in your PJs and no, you can’t pause it, nip to the toilet and ask for an explanation, but at least you can still get some ice-cream.--DC Photo by Murdo MacLeod

L’Arquitecte January 12th to February 13th Teatre Lliure

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

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hen the end of the world comes, somewhere they’ll be a bar full of misunderstood lonely hearts and Godspeed You! Black Emperor will be on the jukebox. The needle will land on ‘Dead Flag Blues’ from their 1997 debut F#A#∞ and an eerie voice will say: “The car is on fire… and there’s no driver at the wheel… I said ‘kiss me you’re beautiful’…these are truly the last days”. GSY!BE have been away for seven years. A ragtag collective of publicity-shy musicians and anarchists, the band make experimental, apocalyptic prog rock that has the power to both scare the living daylights out of adults and soothe babies into a blissful sleep. After providing the world with a soundtrack for the angst-ridden aftermath of the Twin Towers attacks, they’ve resurfaced to watch an economic melt-down and a lot of red-faced politicians shake their fists at Wikileaks. They always did have an acute sense of timing. Like fellow Montrealers, Arcade Fire, GSY!BE fill the stage with musicians and instruments, but there the comparisons end. Nobody else makes music quite like this. To give you an idea of what we’re dealing with, the band’s third record Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven is an instrumental wonder made up of four, twenty-minute tracks. It’s orchestral, ambient and resolutely cinematic with long slow builds to angry bursts of guitars, strings and French horn. GSY!BE play Apolo on January 29th and let us say this as clearly as we can: this is not a gig for the fainthearted. Nor is it one to cajole your pop-loving friends into coming along to. The last question loyal fans want to answer is when there’s going to be a chorus. There’s not going to be one. The problem for GSY!BE is how to translate their ‘perfect for listening to at home’ sound into a live setting. Previously they played against a backdrop of film loops and they’ll need something similar now to stop you yearning for a mosh pit or a nice sit down. Like a never-ending car journey on a moonless night, GSY!BE can leave you feeling anxious, uplifted and lonesome. If you go to the gig, meet your loved ones after the show for cocktails and comforting hugs and ask the barman to make it a double.--NY Godspeed You! Black Emperor January 29th Apolo

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34 ON

Arts

amous for touring her personal library and activist archives, Martha Rosler gives us a lot to think about in her exhibition. Literally a room full of boxes and newspaper clippings, ‘If You Lived Here Still’ is a twenty-year collection of material about homelessness and tenant rights. Since its original presentation in 1989, American cities have hosted permutations of the exhibition, adding local material to Rosler’s. Now Barcelona has followed suit; half of the exhibition presents work by local activists who fight for the right to fair housing. I suggest you begin with the Barcelona resources. Move past the room primarily devoted to Rosler’s New York archive and sit down at Jordi Oriola and Laura Villaplana’s Roquetes: Memories that shape a neighbourhood and listen to how some Nou Barris residents hijacked a bus to get service to their barrio. Take a look at the comic book-style guide that explains how plans to put elevators in Barceloneta apartments will literally throw out 20 percent of a building’s population and learn about how Ciutat Vella inhabitants suffered four years of harassment by developers and how they’re fighting back with a criminal lawsuit, as witnessed in the documentary 29, Carrer Robador. Four Years of Tenant Harassment. Part of Rosler’s motivation to tour this exhibition is to bring such activist battles and victories to local light. She offers her archive as a model to create similar projects in other cities hoping to connect people with the issues of housing. To that end, Rosler’s original exhibition, part of the influential 1989 Town Meeting project in New York City, included four accompanying talks. In these forums, people engaged with the larger issues presented by her archive. However here, I would hazard a guess that Rosler’s audience are having trouble seeing this important work as more than a stack of papers. In part, due to the fact that La Virreina has failed to offer itself as a venue for conversation. During the launch, the centre hosted Rosler and a few local organisations for two public conferences. Though well attended, similar events have not been planned. Rosler is one of a growing number of contemporary artists working in the vein of research-based art practice, intended to turn the art gallery into a venue for discourse. In fact, If You Lived Here originated the form and these types of exhibitions aren’t going away anytime soon. Barcelona’s art institutions are obliged to not only help carry the torch, but to prepare their audiences, and themselves, for a new institutionalism.--SB If you lived here still... La Virreina Until January 30th

n the midst of its romantic atmosphere in a monumental Modernista mansion, the Casa Asia mounts exhibitions and hosts events, often of serious content. Until the end of March, the centre presents a curated exhibition of photographs and videos from Afghanistan, a country of undisputable moral and political weight. It is not surprising that Casa Asia’s L’Afganistan primarily features work culled from photo and print journalism that characterises Afghanistan as a dismal, bombed out and war-filled world. It would be inappropriate to leave out these details. After thirty years of war, the Afghanis certainly lead complicated lives. On the other hand, some of the images are playful and far from austere, offering glimpses into the humanity in the private Afghani life. The photos by Guillermo Cervera, a Spanish photographer based in Kabul, strike an affecting balance between the hard and light; members of the Afghani armed forces seated with guns in one photo and a young man in western dress posing aloofly in another. After nearly two decades in the country, Cervera accesses the intimate moments not possible with the on-assignment reporter. In a video that accompanies his colour prints, Cervera has included longer, extended moments, like, the captured instant of children grazing their fingertips across sand for a few seconds in time, where shadow and a shift of perspective turn the moment to home movie. Likewise, the video includes exchanges not included in the exhibition, including a man painting his face pale as he prepares to dress and dance as a woman. This work is moving and expository. Equally compelling are the collection of black and white portraits hand-tinted by Cyrille Moleux. The photos, though old in appearance, defy with content their making. Which is to say, these portraits could be quite new; men pose with flowers, birds and prayer beads, but also radios, modern guns and walkie-talkies. Afganistán is capped off with a four-channel video by contemporary Afghani writer, Atiq Rahimi. A Spanish man reads an excerpt from an autobiographical story about the author’s return to his exiled homeland. A triptych of photos accompany the spoken and written text and music sometimes overpowers the voice. Rahimi does not share a message of hope, but of powerlessness and subjugation. The war is far from over, least of all for the Afghanis.--SB L’ Afganistan Casa Asia Until March 26th

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IH BCN Metropolitan Advert Febrero 2010.pdf

12/2/10

14:08:11

ON 35

QUICK PIC(K)S SOME OF THE ART SHOWS ON NOW IN BARCELONA

WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE

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1. Zoomania Museu de Ceràmica Until March 27th www.museuceramica.bcn.es

3 Transmissions Part 1 Tasneem Gallery Until January 31st www.tasneemgallery.com

2. Ja tenim 600! Museu d’Història de Barcelona Until June 26th www.museuhistoria.bcn.es

4 Carnival Strippers La Virreina Until January 30th www.bcn.cat/virreinacentredelaimatge

FIND FULL DETAILS OF CURRENT EXHIBITIONS ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM

34-35 ARTS.indd 53

WIDE RANGE OF TEACHER TRAINING AND SPANISH COURSES ALSO AVAILABLE ON-LINE ALSO: ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, CHINESE COURSES, STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMMES & TRANSLATION SERVICES

C/Trafalgar 14, 08010 Barcelona. Spain 93 268 45 11 info@bcn.ihes.com www.ihes.com

12/17/10 2:03:33 PM

36 GASTRONOMY

Moments Restaurant Mandarin Oriental Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia 38-40 Tel. 93 151 8781 Open Tues-Sat 1.30pm-3.30pm 8.30pm-10.30pm Tasting menu €125 (inc. VAT but not wine) Main courses average around €40

Cutting the apron strings Raül Balam Ruscalleda flies the culinary nest to break out on his own.

By Tara Stevens. Photo by Melanie Aronson.

f you are the son of multi-starred Carme Ruscalleda your life is

Next you might get something Catalan to the core; espardenyes

likely to go in one of two directions. You will either run screaming

(sea cucumbers) for example, on a simple potato Parmentier with

from the kitchen to live out your days using food strictly as fuel,

ribbons of baby courgette and crisp snow peas. Then something de-

or you will breathe it in, embrace your fate and set about carving

signer, like vegetables wrapped in Joselito jamón raviolis inspired

your own culinary mark.

by Paul Smith. I’m not quite sure of the connection here. As far as I

Raül Balam Ruscalleda has spent many of his young years in the

know Paul Smith is best known for his stripes and natty tailoring.

kitchen with mama—both in her three-starred restaurant Sant Pau

Among this rally of taste explosions, the only ﬂaw was a ﬁlet of

in Sant Pol de Mar and at their two-starred restaurant in Tokyo—

dorada on a curry sauce studded with tiny squares of mango. The

keenly learning her art, honing it and experimenting until ﬁnally he

ﬁsh was impeccable but the curry seemed slightly out of place (eve-

was big enough to ﬂy on his own. And ﬂy he did; straight into the

rything else bore the hallmarks of Catalan ﬂavours and ingredients),

kitchen of one of the most prestigious hotels in the world, Mandarin

as if it had found itself there by accident, like people who end up in

Oriental’s restaurant Moments. Open for just a year, it has already

Puerto Rico when they think they’re going to Costa Rica.

been awarded its ﬁrst Michelin star. And so we sit there, my friend and I, and wait for the degustación de otoño to begin.

The pacing and portion sizes though were bang on. All this and still we wanted more. We took both of the ‘either-or’ meat courses:

It’s a serious kind of dining room, smooth and silent, mufﬂed by

smoky, pink venison with a wild berry ‘cake’, just sweetly acidic

cool, white linens and a curved ceiling painted in gold leaf, like a

enough to take the musk off the deer; and a bomba (potato stuffed

cowhide. Staff bustle about, tending to our every whim. The wine

with deeply savoury mincemeat) on a ‘football’ of more potato, car-

list is encyclopaedic, impressive but too long to actually read. You’re

rot and courgette.

much better off asking sommelier Judith Cercós for her recommendations. I wanted a wintry white. She delivered with Quinta Apolonia, a perky young Verdejo from Belondrade y Lurton, which worked so well with each dish that I didn’t bother to change it. First then a selection of aperitivos, pretty as petit fours: herb and pinenut ‘candy’, magdalenas of grass peas and hazelnuts, chawanmushi (Japanese savoury custard) topped with little wild mushrooms and a crunchy wild boar croquette. But how does one follow such culinary curios? To use Ruscalleda Jnr’s own words, you go on a journey. First with something sensible and true to roots, like escudella, a soothing, familiar broth of bones and chickpeas, ganxet beans and butifarra. Followed by something exciting, like crayﬁsh tails on a chayote suquet topped with violet potato crisps and succulent Maresme prawns on a velouté of artichokes.

At this point Raül and Carme appeared at our sides, beaming. “Are you enjoying it?” they asked in unison. We gaped. Carme Ruscalleda comes in on Thursdays to keep an experienced eye on things and has long been one of my favourites among the stars. “Yes”, we squeaked, beaming back, lost for words. Saved by the cheese and dessert—the former, a mighty combination of interesting pairings; Comté with celery jam, Bleu de Séverac with pears cooked in coffee and a weird partnering of Tupí with white chocolate ganache—the latter, refreshing sisho ice cream with coconut sorbet, followed by an extraordinary liquorice ice cream with cola and rose petals. As I said, if Mum is Carme Ruscalleda, great things can but follow. And Raül seems destined for greatness.

READ THE FOOD AND DRINK BLOG ON OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST GOURMET NEWS AND REVIEWS: WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM

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GASTRONOMY 37

RECIPE

Barley ‘gachas’ with cauliflower, Portobello mushrooms and smoky almonds

By Tara Stevens Gachas is an old Spanish dish, porridge-like, and traditionally made using almorta (grass peas) flour which you can still get in some health food stores. The recipe was inspired by Copenhagen’s Relae* where I ate recently. There they only use seasonal, local ingredients and seem to be raising vegetarian dishes to a whole new level.

200g barley, soaked in water overnight

1 litre vegetable stock

1 small glass white wine

1 Figueres onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

1/2 cauliflower, split into large florets

3 tbsp flaked almonds

1 tsp smoked pimentón

4 large Portobello mushrooms, cut into quarters

2 tbsp unsalted butter

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over a low heat until golden and sweet smelling. Drain the barley and add to the onion, stirring so that it’s well coated. Add the wine to the stock and heat through. Add the liquid, one ladleful at a time, to the barley, allowing it to absorb most of the liquid before adding the next one. It should take 25-30 minutes for the barley to absorb all the stock, by which time the grains should be moist and tender. Don’t let it dry out, if it’s not cooked by now, add a little water to help it along. While the barley is cooking, boil the cauliflower until al dente. Remove from the pan and cut into 1cm slices. Melt 1tbsp of butter in a pan until foaming. Next add the pimentón and the flaked almonds and fry until golden. Remove the nuts and fry the cauliflower slices for 30 seconds on either side until golden. Remove the cauliflower and add the rest of the butter. Add the Portobello mushrooms and cook until tender. Check the barley for seasoning and stir in the Parmesan cheese if desired. Split the barley into portions in shallow bowls, top with the cauliflower slices and mushrooms. Sprinkle with almonds and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. *www.restaurant-relae.dk

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12/17/10 2:02:29 PM

38 GASTRONOMY

Lunch with... Tara Stevens has a lunch date with some of the city’s most dedicated foodies, this month: Adam Colyer, co-founder of Cultura a la Carta and director of DJs Contra la Fam

‘

ou order,’ I say to Adam Colyer, co-founder of the NGO Cultura a la Carta and director of the festival DJs Contra La Fam, when we meet for lunch at La Tomaquera in Poble Sec.

So he does. Artichokes, snails, parrillada de carne, and an ambu-

lance, please. It doesn’t take me long to figure out why we might need an ambulance—sensational artichokes bursting with lemony, garlicky juices, snails bathed in rich and silky tomato and morcilla sauce, juicy meats and mountains of it—but today’s topic is rather more humbling. It’s about the great divide; those of us who have enough to eat and those of us who don’t. How did Cultura a la Carta come about? It grew out of three things. Firstly, we did DJs Contra la Fam (DJs Against Hunger), now in its sixth year which supports the renovation of 22 soup kitchens in Barcelona. Then we started working with PACAS (Programa de Actividades Culturales de Acción Social) which provides creative workshops like photography, music production, and video making for kids in danger of social exclusion. And we’ve just launched Con Mucho Gusto, which brings chefs into the mix. Tell me about it? Con Mucho Gusto involves 10 Michelin-starred chefs who are allocated 10 different soup kitchens around Spain. The aim is to develop five menus together with a nutritionist and within the kitchen’s usual budget. It is not to discredit what they are already doing, but to improve it. We’re most definitely not of the school where the rice has to be organic, but “

we do believe everyone has the right to eat tasty, nutritious food. Long term we want to publish a book with the proceeds going straight back into the soup kitchens. But right now, we need to build awareness that just around the corner, people are going hungry. We need funding and public support. Why did you choose La Tomaquera for lunch? Because the food is simple yet spectacular. Plus you told me you were squeamish about snails so it was a challenge. I think these are the best in town, don’t you agree? How can I not? To find out how you can get involved or contribute to any of Cultura a la Carta’s projects go to culturaalacarta.es Adam also recommends: Xemei (Passeig de l’Exposició 85. Tel. 93 553 5140). It’s the best Italian (Venetian) food in town. A little pricey, but well worth it, especially the spaghetti nero di seppia.

La Tomaquera Margarit 58, Poble Sec Tue-Sat 1.30pm-3.45pm, 8.30pm-10.45pm. Closed Sun & Mon No reservations. No credit cards

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main pages - Jan11 .indd 9

12/17/10 2:46:30 PM

Food&Drink

Bar Sand Bar4EIXAMPLE E Looking for somewhere new to watch the match or hear good music? Try the Sandbar.

4advertisers’ directory

Owned by a British couple, the sports and music bar opened in June 2010. Serving delicious Thai and European cuisine they have plans to hold comedy, jazz and live music nights. Happy Hour 5pm-7pm.

NEFW &D

Join them on facebook, www.facebook. com/sandbarbcn or check out their website: www.sandbarbcn.com

Under 20 / 20-30 / 30-40 / Over 40 / RV Reservation Advised /4new restaurant in food & drink

C/Paris, 38 | Entença-Hospital Clinic Tel. 934 190 512 | www.sandbarbcn.com Open every day 12pm-3am

Bagels 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’ll not come away disappointed.

C/Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I L6 and L7 Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com Mon-Fri 8am-4pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Sat 10am-4pm and 6pm-10.30pm

Bar - Live Music 7 Sins Bar and Lounge4EIXAMPLE e New food menu with an even bigger selection of American-style burgers, including chicken fillet and vegetarian options. Tasty tapas accompanied by one of our 7 beers on draught or 7 deadly cocktails for the ladies…? Entertainment every weekend in the basement club bar where you will find local & international DJs as well as live music acts. A great pre-club venue to get your weekend started. Big screen sports events over 2 floors. All Champions League games. Join them on Facebook “7 Sins Barcelona” to receive info on weekly events. C/Muntaner 7 | Universitat | Tel. 93 453 6445 www.7sinsbar.com | Mon-Fri 11am-3am, Sat-Sun 6pm-3am | RV

Located in Port Olympic, Dreams is the perfect place to unwind and relax. From 7pm to 11pm enjoy the luxurious outdoor covered lounge, where you can enjoy bottle service with brands such as Grey Goose Vodka as well as all your favourite cocktails, beers and hookah pipes. If you’re a sports fan, make use of their wide-screen TV, showing European football and all the action from the NFL and the NBA. From 11pm join the go-go dancers as they perform to the best house, R&B and Latino music.

Moll de Mestral 6-7, Port Olimpic I

L4 Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica

Margarita Blue 4BARRI GÒTIC

Michael’s tavern 4Sant andreu

Located in the heart of old Barcelona, Margarita Blue has become a classic in the city’s bar scene. Delight in the dishes from the ‘‘Mexiterranean” kitchen, such as a variety of tacos, amazing guacamole, fresh carpaccio and tomates verdes fritos or take pleasure in a drink or cocktail whilst appreciating new music and spectacular shows that alternate between theatre and performance art.

Located off the Paseo de Fabra i Puig, this traditional pub offers a huge selection of imported bottle and draft beers from all over the world, including Hoegaarden, Franziskaner, Leffe and Pilsner Urquell.

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

Food & drink_Jan10 .indd 44

Dreams4port olimpic

Whether you are visiting the area or live in the neighbourhood, this bar offers a warm atmosphere. They have a large section of tapas, sandwiches and burgers. There is also a fixed menu which includes drinks.

Concepción Arenal, 213 | Tel. 93 312 0358

Fabra I Puig

12/17/10 2:11:31 PM

FOOD & DRINK 41 Café – Ice Cream Shop Nit Borbo4barceloneta

ART I SA4BARRI GÒTIC

A fantastic bar located on Passeig de Borbó heading down towards the beach with lots of comfortable seating inside ideal for groups of friends. You can also relax with your favourite cocktails on the terrace which has great views of Port Vell.

Passeig de Borbó, 51 I

Natural and organic delicatessen, café and ice cream shop. • Fantastic selection of the most typical Catalan products, made in the most traditional and natural way. • Perfect as a treat for yourself, or a gift for a loved one. • Choose from a selection of different crêpes, sandwiches, cakes and natural ice cream for a truly original experience.

Barceloneta

Becool4Sarrià BeCool offers a great mix of Electronic, Indie & Rock music from Thursday to Saturday with a regular line up of live concerts by local & international artists. Main Room: Electro & Techno. Sala Redrum: Indie Electro Rock.

C/Colom 2 (Plaça Real) | Liceu | Tel. 93 186 3623 www.artisa.es | Every day 10am-10pm Joan Llongueras, 5 I

L5 Hospital clinic I Tel. 93 362 0413

Catalan cara bela4barceloneta

GRAN PARIS 4EIXAMPLE E

Cara Bela has one of the sunniest terraces on Port Vell with fantastic views of the Barcelona head sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein. They offer great sandwiches and tapas as well as freshly squeezed fruit juices and smoothies.

Discover the serene setting of Restaurant Gran Paris where the chefs invite you to sample luxurious Catalan cuisine. From the traditional, simple dish of baclao (Catalan cod) to the more complex, there is more than enough choice to satisfy your taste buds for the Mediterranean. The three separate rooms allow for a comfortable ambience suitable both for lavish meetings or family gatherings. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Pas de Soto Muralla, 3 I

Barceloneta I Tel. 697 152 215 I Mon-Sun 10am-2am

Food&Drink to advertise in this section, please call 93 4514486

C/ Muntaner 182 I 08036 Barcelona Hospital Clínic, FGC Provença Tel. 93 363 5252 / 93 363 5253 I Fax. 93 321 3479 restaurant@granparis.com I www.granparis.com Every day 1pm-3.30pm and 8.30pm-11.30pm

or email ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

Hungarian Delicatessen V.O.s Cinebar 4SARRIÀ & EIXAMPLE

Ever wished you could share a cocktail with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart here in Barcelona? Well now you can! Cinebar brings the golden age of cinema back to Barcelona with original version screenings of everything from Hollywood classics to French New Wave and Italian neorealism. While you’re there, enjoy a ‘cine sandwich’ made from a selection of rustic breads, a movie-themed salad, fresh juices, smoothies, proper Italian coffee or, of course, a cocktail.

V.O.s

an o you c btitles s u s h it Plaça Cardona 4 | Gràcia pw the backdro Diagonal Carrer Paris 200 | sic from ned as a ree1pm-11pm Tel. 651 970 971 / 93 002 2300 s| c Open ted mu c le e s y full the care ould c o enjoy u ls a o y hed ils Sixties. kta4Raval ver wis c s to the o e c Barraval ti ir a h n T arcelo orof the Raval quarter, h’ made share B Located uinrthenheart b andwic p s e e H in ‘c y a offers great Mediterranean and dre Barraval , enjoy gourmet4Eixample med d repaprika n. Catalanocuisine a trendy atcaalongside with Au u ovie-the u’re the o m y y a e , il s w h d Nomosphere and great cocktails.WTaste our brea Paprika Hungarian f rusticGourmet, Barcelona’safirst offee delicatessen is a treasury of culinary experiBogart? new ‘Tapas and Platillos’ menu. You can y ction oences, It lian c of Hungarian cuisine. It is conveniently located a block e le r e s h a the shopswindow opea rquintessence p r also stop at the bar for a great cocktail m p o m , fr u ie H ooththe Sagrada Familia. It offers a wide range of salamis, cheeses, jams, honeys and and listen to soul, , smfrom a Latin and R&B h juicesaway isjazz, naresident rdoby es a fr music played DJs.saPrivate C , chocolates all in a warm, welcoming environment. In the morning you can have an appetising d a z la la in P for breakfast cktail.with coffee and during the day you can enjoy the delicious “tapas a la húngara” with ’sgroups, parties INEBAR rooms are available o e C r c e d a e h , t n e , e s is r and special Every Wednesday ly op a glass of wine. Be our guest and taste the world of Paprika Gourmet! news events. r, of cou goodhave The new ‘After Office’ - enjoy aospecial and the we / s C n h fa it dish when ordercomplimentary chef’s (w vents, for film , 200Weekend r your e Paraisdrink. ing Lunch Special: / fo magnet C n n o o ti ca Paella Menu for 15. opening erfect lo wanky r branch is the p vals to s r ti a s b e fe anothe in . C film nth nd mini this mo nados) ken not ctions a C/Hospital, 104 (Rambla del Raval) a je r o G r p ic r ni – sha En ti r a Liceu / Sant Antoni | Tel. 93 329 8277 from M il, r it| ’s a Sagrada Familia | Tel. 93 433 609 221 400 | Wed-Sat ack ock|tawww.paprikagourmet.com C/Lepant 5709 hethe311 maforb7.30pm-2.30am, pagne c s. So wMon-Sat m f cinate1pm Sat-Sun open lunch | RV e a 7am-9pm Closed Sun o é h e ir C g o a a s or en . he gold s of ’re after t you kid brings t reening hat you t c r s a – b n d e oking a io e r s in lo r r C e ti ’s s v e l r a e r. H h origin ench t Cineba lona wit ics to Fr find it a s l s ’l la u to Barce c o y d woo Food & drink_Jan10 .indd 45 12/17/10 2:11:38 PM s are m Holly hing fro . All film

42 FOOD & DRINK French – Catalan PETIT PARIS 4EIXAMPLE E

GUT4Gràcia

Lose yourself in Paris in the heart of Barcelona. Petit Paris offers a romantic setting like a black and white movie. This restaurant offers a unique twist with its menu, which combines both French and Catalan cuisine. The house specialities are foie gras, langoustines served with espardenyes and potatoes and crêpes suzette. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen specialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an international twist and plenty of options for vegetarians. Try their quinoa and tofu burgers or a sinful home-made dessert. Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail and the friendly, respectful service. It’s the perfect place to have a drink and enjoy the night in good company. Try it for yourself and find out why everyone is talking about Gut.

C/ París196 | Diagonal, FGC Provença Tel. 93 218 2678 Every day 1pm-3.30pm and 8.30pm-11.30pm

C/Perill, 13 I Diagonal Tel. 93 186 6360 I restaurantgut@gmail.com

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

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

veg world4GRÀCIA Discover a world of sensations in a relaxed and homely atmosphere. Try vegetarian delicacies from all over the world such as delicious bread home-made in a Tandoori oven and south Indian dishes like Masala dosa and Idly. Daily continental and Indian menus, 9.50 inc. Free soup and salad buffet.

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

MOTI MAHAL4RAVAL

Conveniently located between the Rambla de Raval and Paral·lel, Moti Mahal offers an extensive menu of Indian cuisine, including madras and tika dishes, sheek kebabs, traditional soups breads and biryanis. A large variety of vegetarian dishes are also available. House specialities are the clay oven-cooked tandoori dishes and the tofu paneer pakora. Menu of the day is on offer Mon-Fri for 9.25. C/Sant Pau 103 | Paral.lel | Tel. 93 329 3252 | www.motimahalbcn.com Every day 12pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | Closed Tues Lunch | RV

International

Food & drink_Jan10 .indd 46

Hard Rock CafE4CIUTAT VELLA Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona offers an inspired, creative ambience with incredible rock‘n’roll memorabilia on display. Come and taste authentic American food. Their barbecue entrées slow cooked in the cafe’s hardwood smokers are delicious. Visit the bar to try a premium cocktail and check out the live music and special events on offer. Don’t forget to stop at the Rock Shop for fine, classic, cotton T-shirts or a collectable Hard Rock pin.

Delivery VITALI PIZZA Special Metropolitan offer: Buy 3 pizzas and get the 4th pizza FREE + a bottle of Lambrusco.

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

NEFW &D IN

ANDú4JAUME 1

SUSHI BOX

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

This great new sushi take-away has two locations in the city which offer free delivery for all orders over 25. They have a wide selection of Japanese cuisine including various vegetarian options. All food is freshly prepared to order in a beautiful artisan Japanese style. Impress your guests at home or in the office.

C/ del Correo Viejo I Mon-Sun 6pm-2.30am

C/Rosselló, 317 I Hospital Clinic C/Galileu, 246 I Les Corts I Tel. 93 116 2100 I delivery@sushibox.es Tues 7.30pm-11pm I Wed-Sun 12.30pm-4pm and 7.30pm-11pm

Jaume 1 I Tel. 64 655 3930

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FOOD & DRINK 43 indian - Modern Shanti4LES CoRTS

thai gracia4GRACIA

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

Expect authentic ingredients all imported from Thailand and cooked by experienced Thai chefs. The Pad Thai and green and yellow curries have excellent subtle flavours. Simply delicious! The special tasting menu for 21 is a huge hit and allows you to try all the exotic dishes Thai Gracia has to offer. An affordable 11 menu del dia is available during the week. The warm hospitality and attention to detail to every dish at Thai Gracia will keep you coming back for more.

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

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

vegetarian

Mexican vinDa4JAuME 1

aMaLtea4EIXAMPLE E

Vinda is a fantastic Mexican bar and restaurant that is famous for its amazing margaritas, daiquiris and mojitos. Located in the heart of the Gothic quarter, they offer an incredible selection of Mexican dishes and tapas that will put you in the mood for an unforgettable night out on the town. Ask the barman for cocktail recommendations!

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

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

C/ Regomir , 4 I Jaume 1 I Tel. 93 319 8956 Mon-Sun 6pm-2am I Vindabar@gmail.com

vietnamese

take-away PiM PaM Burger4BoRn Here quality is of the upmost importance, making it the best burger and frankfurter take-away in town. Special hamburgers, chicken burgers, bratwurst, frankfurters, home-made chips and stroganoff are also available and are all prepared on the premises.

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

thai thai thai4EIXAMPLE E Thai Thai restaurant invites you to taste and enjoy traditional Thai food with tropical ingredients from Thailand prepared by Thai chefs. They specialise in all kinds of Thai curries. Thai Thai has created a delicious tasting menu for only 24 and a fresh menu of the day is on offer for 9.50 during the week. C/Diputació 91 | Urgell | Tel. 620 938 059 | www.thaithai.es España | Tel. 663 126 398 | Every day 1pm-4pm, C/Princep Jordi, 6 | 8pm-12am | RV | www.thaithaibcn.com

Food&Drink

BunBo vietnaM4BARRI GÒTIC Satisfy your craving for fresh, healthy Vietnamese food just steps away from the Gothic cathedral. Sit under the leafy trees of the quiet terrace or inside the restaurant which is entirely decorated with bright colourful pieces straight from Saigon. Start with delicious fresh summer rolls, crispy Asian pork lettuce cups, followed by traditional Pho or Bun noodle dishes. Accompany your meal with a fresh and exotic cocktail like the sakirinha (caipirinha made with sake). The menu of the day is an affordable 10 inside and 11 on the shady terrace. The kitchen is open non-stop all day.

to advertise in this section, please call 93 4514486 or email ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

Food & drink_Jan10 .indd 47

C/Sagristans 3 |

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

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tha

Marketplace

Hairdressers

ď&#x20AC;´ Services Directory To advertise in this section, call: 93 451 44 86 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com See also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Beauty Health & Wellbeing

Home Services

Education

Services

Business

Employment

44-49 Jan.indd 44

Hairdressers Bodywork/Massage Dentists Doctors Veterinarian Pharmacy Chiropractors Acupuncure Chinese Medicine Life Coaching Psychologists / Psychotherapists HypnoBirthing Martial Arts Interior Design Plumbing Construction Real Estate & Accommodation Transport / Storage / Removals Rentals Language Schools Teacher Training Activities Translation Courses Piano Lessons Art Classes Design Computers Television Services Advertising Service Tax Services Legal Practices Financial Services Insurance Financial Coaching Job Opportunities

44 44 45 45 45 45 46 46 46 46 46-47 47 47 47 47 47 47-48 48 48 48-50 50 50 50 50 51 51 51-52 52-53 53 53 53-54 54 54 55 55-56

Bodywork / Massage

12/17/10 2:31:12 PM

Beauty | Health | Wellbeing 45 Dentists

English Dentist Dr. Nicholas Jones BDSLDSRCS Col. No 4090

FREE CHECK-UPS

General & Cosmetic dentistry Orthodontics Implants & Tooth whitening Smile makeovers Diagonal 281 (Sagrada familia L5/Monumental L2) Tel. 93 265 80 70 / Mob. 607 332 335 Open Monday to Saturday

nickteeth@hotmail.com www.nickteeth.com

Doctors

English Doctor Dr. Steven Joseph

Member of the Royal College of General Practioners U.K Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists U.K

General Practice · Mental Health Extensive range of primary care services Access to all medical specialists/investigations

medical centre

Pharmacy

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Tel 93 330 2412 • Mobile 627 669 524 Email: googol@hotmail.es www.googolmedicalcentre.com

Leila Catherine Onbargi, M.D.

OBSTETRICS and GYNECOLOGY

Col nº 38291

BSc, MBBS, DRCOG, MRCGP, MRCPsych (London)

GOOG

Veterinarian

Gran Via Carles III nº-37-39 08028 Barcelona Les Corts

Centro Medico Teknon American Board Certified C/Vilana, 12 • consulta 161 Barcelona • Tel: 93 393 3161 Email: dr.onbargi@gmail.com www.teknon.es/consultorio/onbargi Fellow, American College OB/GYN Diplomate American Board of OB/GYN

ENGLISH • SPANISH • FRENCH

Chiropractors

12/17/10 2:31:15 PM

46 Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing Acupuncture

Chinese Medicine

Life Coaching

Psychologists / Psychotherapists

Jonathan Lane Hooker Jonathan Lane Hooker Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Coach and Guide

Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Coach and Guide Help and support with: • • • • • •

FREE

Lack of Energy or Low Self-Esteem 20 MIN Expat Issues and Adapting to Change INTRODUCTORY MEETING Improving Family and Personal Relationships Feelings of Anger, Loneliness and Isolation, or Anxiety Achieving a Particular Goal or Finding a New Direction Changing Unhelpful or Destructive Habits or Patterns of Behaviour

jonathan.hooker@yahoo.com Read more about Jonathan and the above issues at

TEL 93 590 7654

MOB 639 579 646

www.jonathanhooker.com

Network of English Speaking Therapists Established since 2000

Connie Capdevila Brophy PhD Clinical Psychologist & Psychotherapist 934 670 650

Norma Alicia León, PhD Clinical Psychologist Psychoanalyst 680 971 468

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

Donna DeWitt MA Performance & Sport Psychologist 607 636 246

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

Jill Jenkins PsyD Child Clinical & School Psychologist 935 041 690

Emma Judge MA Licensed Counselor Psychologist 639 041 549

Nick Cross Reg. psychologist no. 17158

(Col·legi Oficial de Psicòlegs de Catalunya)

Psychologist Psychotherapist

Anna Jansen MA Dance Movement Therapist 657 183 542

Psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy can provide effective treatment for: • anxiety & fears • depression • problems adjusting • relational difficulties • loss • trauma • neuroses

Tel. 644 193 825 e.mail ncross@copc.es

44-49 Jan.indd 46

Manuel Isaías López, MD, PhD Claudia Ros Tusquets MA Clinical Psychologist Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst & Psychotherapist 934 102 962 / 657 570 692 686 991 742

Peter Zelaskowski UKCP Registered Psychotherapist 628 915 040

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

English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

12/17/10 2:31:18 PM

HypnoBirthing

Martial Arts

Interior Design

Construction

Beauty | Health | Wellbeing | Home Services 47

GRAHAM COLLINS PROPERTY CONSULTANCY INTER IOR DESIGN & DECOR ATION Puzzled by the property market ? Need a renovator that speaks your language ? Want that designed look on an Ikea budget ? C / CONSULAT DEL MAR 35, 3er BARCELONA t: 0034 678 75 75 11 e: grahamcollins@talk21.com

Plumbing

Real Estate & Accommodation

SPECtaCULaR HOUSE FOR SaLE tORRELLES dE LLObREgat

(only 17 km from Diagonal and 15 km from Esplugas)

LIVE CLOSE tO bCN aNd aIRPORt IN tHE PEaCE OF tHE COUNtRYSIdE. 330 sqm of designer space. Quiet and safe urbanization, all land in the front of the house zoned as parkland.

bEaUtIFUL gREEN VIEWS! The house has 3 bedrooms, a separate in law suite with own entrance, a garden with pool that has a spa waterfall, elevator, 3 car garage, 2 additional parking, central vac, leds in staircases, alarm, 40 sqm roof top terrace, wooden floors, master suite

44-49 Jan.indd 47

with double showers and sinks, satellite tv (SKY), design fireplace,totally equipped separate gym!!!

CaN bE SOLd FURNISHEd

Price: WaS €780 000

NOW €649,000

(for more info www.idealista.com ad number vw3165075)

MUST BE SEEN!! SELLING FOR RELOCATION CONTACT PETER

699 581 611

peterhulden@gmail.com

12/17/10 2:31:22 PM

48 Home Services Rentals

Transport / Storage / Removals

Language Schools

44-49 Jan.indd 48

12/17/10 2:31:25 PM

eDucation 49 Language Schools

iness Spanish Ă

44-49 Jan.indd 49

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50 Education Language Schools

Teacher Training

50-55 Jan.indd 50

Activities

Piano Lessons

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Education Art classes

| Services 51

Design

FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDS Contact: Aisling

BA in Visual Communication

Member of the International Society of Typographic Designers

e: ashcal.design@gmail.com t: +34 699 260 938

John French Associates Design & Communication Design, copy writing, photography and illustration

Bespoke means ‘made to individual order’, and we tailor each project to our client’s unique needs. With over 10 years of experience in graphic design we are passionate about communicating your message and provide an all round creative service.

FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDS For work samples contact:

info@johnefrench.com

t. 933 56 87 05 m. 634 78 30 71

m.667 906 721

e.david@bespokebcn.com

www.bespokebcn.com

Contact: Aisling

BA in Visual Communication

Computers e: ashcal.design@gmail.com t: +34 699 260 938

50-55 Jan.indd 51

12/17/10 2:21:22 PM

52 Services Television Services

50-55 Jan.indd 52

12/17/10 2:21:24 PM

Business 53 Legal Practices

Advertising Service

Tax Services

50-55 Jan.indd 53

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54 Business

Insurance

Financial Services

50-55 Jan.indd 54

12/17/10 2:21:28 PM

Business Business Coaching

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| Employment

Job Opportunities

12/17/10 2:21:29 PM

56 Employment Job Opportunities

56-57 Jan.indd 56

12/17/10 2:28:59 PM

A selection of the latest classified ads you can see on our website now Business for sale Art gallery and Wine shop located close to Plaça de Catalunya 80 m2 extremely well situated and beautifully renovated business very close to FIRA Montjuic. Double license for art gallery and wine shop. 7 year contract - 580€ per month rent. Contact: Michael, Tel. 680 90 40 66, obranan@gmail.com.

For rent One bed flat in central Born 1 bedroom flat in Born. 40m2. 550€ pm + bills. Fully furnished, good condition, heating and aircon. central quiet location. walk in shower, separate toilet. very large living, dining, kitchen area.2 balconies, high cielings, lots of light. 619908642 mick. Penthouse for rent in the center of Barcelona Nice, quiet and sunny penthouse of 75 m2 with big prívate terrace of 55m2 in front of the living room facing south-east and another terrace of 20m2 in front of the rooms. 2 Double rooms, bathroom with bath and a seperate restroom. Equipped kitchen. 8th floor and there are 2 elevators. Price 1500€ The area is full of shops, restaurants and bars. The appartment is close to the market, buses to the beach and other areas and at 3 blocks from the metro stations St Antonio and Paralelo. A 10m walk will take you to the ramblas and there are 20m till the old harbour. There are car-free bici lanes till the beach. Bart Olde Wolbers T 935186140 / 610458598 Beautiful penthouse with big terrace next to Parc Güell for rent Lovely penthouse for rent, located next to Parc Güell. 57 m2 and 23 m2 sunny terrace with views of Parc Güell and the city of Barcelona. The flat was recently renovated and has a modern style. Spacious living room, big kitchen, one bedroom and store room. Central heating. Completely furnished with modern furniture (2 years old) and fridge, washing ma-

main pages - Jan11 .indd 8

chine, oven and microwave). Quiet and green neighbourhood (3 minutes from Parc Güell and Creueta del Coll). It´s well communicated (metro L3, L5 and buses 28,92,87,N5) and all needed services are close by. It´s free from 1st January. The price is 900€/month (contract for 11 months with possibility of further extension). 2 months deposit is required. Call Katarina at 605 18 29 42 Sitges flat to let Sitges flat to rent.700 euros. One double bedroom, bathroom, livingroom, and fully furnisher kitchen. two balconies washing machine. Fully renovated.Heating and air-con. Next to train station and the beach. Contact 667907721 El Borne quiet 2 bedroom apartment 2 bedroom flat in born.50m2. 775€ pm + bills. Fully furnished, excellent condition, heating and aircon. quiet location. walk in shower, separate toilet. very large living, dining kitchen area.2 balconies, high cielings, lots of light. 619908642 mick. Large, sunny 2 bedroomed flat in Sagrada Familia Lovely, sunny furnished flat with two large sunny bedrooms to rent for 1 year from 1 Jan 2011. Also living room, dressing room (!), kitchen, laundry room Original Eixample tiled floors. Great location near Sagrada Familia and the metro station of the same name. 1000 euros per month plus bills (electric and water). Reply to: amkm2011@gmail.com.

Seeking Good companion To share the joys of life, wallks, talks, excursions, discoveries. Retired lady pining for male counterpart (not live-in): warm, sensitive, intelligent, active, fun, spiritual. Contact cassandra.bcn@gmail.com

Language Exchange Catalan guy looking for language ex-

change and friendship If you are interested in language exchanging doing interesting things send me a message to oscardedeu@ gmail.com Looking for language exchange group in Hospitalet Do you live or work in Hospitalet, and you are fed up (harto) with going to Barcelona to speak in English? I’m a man who wants to start a lenguage exchange revolution! What about meeting the ﬁrst monday of every month in the Porto Rico café at 19:30? (Porto rico is the cafe next to the town hall, metro or ferrocarril Av. Carrilet. We can change the time and the place if we need to.) I’m waiting for your answers. Write me at vgomez@patatesambsuc.com Catalan girl 42 barcelona looks to practise English only native english speakers help with spanish. I look to practise english i help with catalan or spanish. serious exchange. intersts horse riding music cinema socializing. travel dancing monbarrera2001@yahoo.es

For sale Volvo S60 D5, Silver UK registered Heading back to UK? We arrived a month ago and are looking to swap Volvo S60 D5 Manual in silver, 150,000 miles, 8 yrs old. Excellent condition for age, Full service history, cam belt just changed, new tyres/windscreen/aircon, Taxed and MOT until 6/2011, for roughly similar Spanish registered Volvo/Audi/BMW/ Saab equivalent. Diesel, manual preferred. Will consider other makes big enough to take family of 4, plus usual clutter. No rush and happy to make up any difference for the right vehicle in €. Charlie 664 079 369 chmsta@gmail.com Mountain Bike The make is ROCKRIDER.Price 125 euros.This attractive bike comes with front suspension and has a light weight frame.The condition is very

good. My email is laurensophiebarr@ hotmail.com IKEA (EXARBY) 3 seater, double, sofa bed! FOR SALE We have a IKEA (EXARBY) 3 seater, double, sofa bed for sale for only €20 (was €80 new). If you are interested then please contact me at andyref7@ hotmail.com or 934325400 Very comfortable softside queen size (160x200cm) waterbed in excellent condition Very good waterbed, extremely comfortable, 1 year old, white, 160x200 CM. 80% STABILIZED, making it stable and calm. One single mattress. SOFTSIDER, so you can get in and out of it like a regular bed. Normal bedding and sheets can be used. Only selling due to move abroad. Bought from professional waterbed company in South Spain, and for a fee they can move the bed and assemble it for you, under the warranty. It can of course also be done without the help of a company. No dustmites, and excellent support for back and body, no pressure points. Adjustable temperature. (Price new: €800.) PRICE: €300 OR NEAREST OFFER. Please respond by e-mail to Carina: credo33@hotmail.com

MOVING SALE Corner Sofa IKEA Ektorp + Footstool/ Seat IKEA Bromma, Light Beige in very good condition Corner sofa and matching footstool (can be used as seat or table) in very good condition, 1 year old. Made with sturdy fabric, easy to keep clean with removable cover. SOFA Made in 3 sections, which lock/unlock easily without tools. Depth 88 x Height 88 x Seat Depth 54 cm. (Price new €1000) PRICE: €400 OR NEAREST OFFER. Matching FOOTSTOOL has storage space inside. Width 82 x Height 44 cm. (Price new €150) PRICE: €50 OR NEAREST OFFER. PRICE FOR BOTH ITEMS TOGETHER: €420 OR NEAREST OFFER. Please reply by e-mail to Carina: credo33@hotmail.com

12/17/10 1:56:14 PM

58 BACK PAGE

STIFFENING YOUR RESOLVE

f you were thinking of giving up smoking

have separate areas for smoking or breathing,

miscreants—although in this case they would

as one of your New Year’s Resolutions, 2011

but anywhere with any character could opt to

be there voluntarily. And the glass walls would

could be the year to do it. Mind you, if you’re

be smoking or non-smoking. It was a similar

prevent the hurling of rotten fruit, which would

thinking of giving up smoking, it means you’re

choice to asking if they wanted to be profitable

have been a shame.

a smoker, and if you’re a smoker, the chances

or non-profitable; welcoming or unwelcoming;

The PP also wanted to redefine the concept of

are you’ve been thinking of giving up every year

open or closed. Now at least, they won’t be faced

“open-air”, so that anywhere with a view of the

since you started, making every year the year

with that Hobson’s choice. (Or is it a Benson’s

sky might have been a suitable smoking venue.

to do it. With the possible exception of the first

choice?).

Wisely, the proposed legislation will suggest that

year, when you were probably an awkward teen-

Inevitably, those arch-defenders of the free-

anywhere with more than two walls is not actu-

ager still trying to get the hang of it, and still

dom of the individual, the Partido Popular (PP),

ally “open-air”. It is what architects like to call

thought smoking was pretty cool.

tried to hang on to a few vestiges of smoky tra-

“a room.” And smoking in rooms is forbidden.

Whether you’re a serial giver-upper or a first

dition. They wanted designated cells for smok-

Ironically, under the new law, smokers are

time aspirant, this year the government has de-

ers, much like the ones that currently exist at

likely to become more obvious, rather than less.

cided to give you a late Christmas present/early

airports for newly arrived nicotine addicts. It’s

When they were confined to bars and cafés, they

Kings Day present by making it slightly more

a shame they failed. One of the pleasures of air

were easily avoided. Now they will be standing

inconvenient to smoke. Again. It’s happened be-

travel used to be making a detour to visit that

outside those same bars and cafés, blocking the

fore, but like someone who starts out with good

glass fish-tank full of ashen-faced smokers. Not

way with smoke and casual indifference. But

intentions, the government’s attempt to help the

to smoke, of course, but to gawp at the die-hards

once you’ve run that gauntlet, you’ll be able to

nation quit has lapsed in the past.

(in every sense) for whom nicotine patches are

enjoy a smoke-free venue. The downside is that

Back in 2005, the legislation was more a half-

no better than placebos, befogged by their own

bars will probably smell worse, without tobac-

hearted, fingers-crossed promise to reform rather

emissions like cattle in an over-flowing farm-

co to mask the inherent odours that emanate

than a cast-iron undertaking. So while smoking

yard.

around most drinking establishments, whether

in public places became illegal, it didn’t become

If the PP had won the day, similar cages

chemical (effluence) or man-made (flatulence).

very illegal. Sure, when you go to the bank, you

would have been erected in bars, turning smok-

But with all the smokers standing outside, you’ll

are no longer faced with a jaundiced employee

ers from social irritants to exotic, even endan-

be able to sit by the window and pretend that

blowing smoke at you and dropping ash on your

gered, animals. The pleasure of watching those

they’re locked up in those smoking cells. So if

paying-in slip. But when you went to a bar, the

poor, put-upon puffers lighting their way to an

you’re trying to quit, good luck. If you’re not,

chances are it would be full of smoke—precisely

early death could have been enjoyed in any town

wrap up warm. And stop complaining.

the state of affairs the 2005 legislation was hop-

or village around the country, without the need

ing to prevent.

to fly anywhere. It would have been like bring-

Cavernous bars and cafés were supposed to

HOROSCOPE

ing back the stocks, so society could laugh at its

by Nuria Picola

Aries There will be many developments this month. If you’re looking for work expand, your horizons, be ambitious and stay strong. This is a good time to go on a trip. Build your selfesteem.

Taurus Philosophical ideas

Leo You are devoted to others and they are on your side. Take care with coming across too bold. In these times your health may suffer so watch your diet.

Sagittarius This month the family seems to worry you and you have to be there for them. If you have children they will come to you in need of care and attention. There will be changes in your professional life.

--Roger de Flower

www.nuriapicola.com

Gemini This is the moment to build contacts; make arrangements and the rest will follow. If you’re looking for love this month, you might find love at first sight. Watch the pennies.

Cancer This month has much

Virgo It’s the start of the year

Libra You are a skilled socialiser and this month you’re going to have to be at your best. Be sure to manage the situation from afar and remain calm and relaxed when dealing with things.

Scorpio You should cut down on your expenses now that the purse strings are getting a bit tighter. As a consequence of your financial standing be prepared to live on the edge. You are in fine health.

Capricorn Happy days! You start the year feeling on top of the world. It’s a great time to redefine your self-image and the way you see yourself. If you have outstanding inheritance issues they will be resolved.

Aquarius You start the year

Pisces The year starts with some good fortune in your career. If you’re job hunting, success is on the way and if you’re employed then look out for a pay rise or promotion. Friendships may prove testing this month.

are catching your attention this month, broadening your mental horizons and adding more meaning to your life. If you study, you could make changes.

and it’s important that you move on and pay off those lingering debts from 2010. If you can’t do it all in one go then come up with a structured plan to reduce them.

with a very open mind allowing you to concentrate all your efforts on tackling a crisis. Your partner may be a touch temperamental this month so remember to have patience. A detox is on the cards.

change and crises that you must tackle head on, but at the end you’ll have success. Resolve each issue and don’t worry too much. This isn’t the time to change those things disagreeable to you.

scoop By Ben Rowdon

58 Back page....indd 90

12/17/10 2:21:05 PM

Lucas Fox offers the best quality properties for sale and rent, a professional approach, and an exceptional level of service

[

Sales

Barcelona • Sitges • Maresme • Costa Brava • Ibiza • Madrid • Lisbon

| Rentals | Commercial Property | Property Management | Relocation info@lucasfox.com

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]

| (+34) 933 562 989 |

www.lucasfox.com

14/8/09 09:18:56

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12/14/10 1:15:13 PM