DECEMBER 2014 Nº 215
10
Christmas
gift ideas
Made in Barcelona
tales A city of
GAME OVER?
Time is running out for the city’s oldest shops
Quality
Discover the many faces of Barcelona through its literature
L ÚLTIMO MOMENTO PARA ADQUIRIR BILLETES,
R C E LONA a me dianoche, PLUS!
LOS PRODIGIOS
E D UA R D O M E N D O Z A
HOMAGE TO CATALONIA GEORGE ORWELL
LA CIUDAD DE
S t u aurn a td e l aPs
INSIDEd e l P u t x e t ,
el Cementerio de los Libros Olvidados.
pullout events calendar
DESGRANABAN LOS PRIMEROS DÍAS DEL otro tiempo dominaban B como las colinas roma Roma, y aparecían cub TAPIZ DE VIVIENDAS y caminábamos por las calles de una Barcelona BURGUESÍA MEDIA, atrapada bajo cielos de ceniza y un sol de vapor dúplex para alta burgu QUE SE DERRAMABA SOBRE LA RAMBLA DE
vera n o d e 194 5
vinculada con los ant
Santa Mónica en una guirnalda de cobre líquido. DE LAS TORRES DEL
POR DIFICULTADES EN EL ÚLTIMO MOMENTO PARA ADQUIRIR BILLETES
LLEGUÉ A B A RCELON A a medi anoche
ART MUSIC Fashion restaurant reviews A PLACE OF MY OWN TRAVEL
QUE HABÍA ANUNCIADO, Y MO ME ESPERABA NADIE.
01 cover.indd 1
me llevó por
a l g r a t y G a r r a f, FORMAN UNA ESPECIE DE ANFITEATRO.
MERCÈ RODOREDA
EN UN TREN DISTINTO DEL QUE HABÍA ANUNCIADO, Y NO ME ESPERABA NADIE.
primera vez a visitar
a al retirarse un poco hacía el interior;
DEL DIAMANT
LLEGUÉ A BARCELONA a medianoche, EN QUE MI PADRE
uada en el valle que dejan las montañas
LA PLAçA
SANTIAGO RUSIÑOL L’AUCA DEL SENYOR ESTEVE
para adquirir billetes,
Todavía recuerdo
ESTABA EN PLENA FIEBRE DE RENOVACIÓN.
CARLOS RUÍZ ZAFÓN
EL ÚLTIMO MOMENTO
El año en que Onofre Bouvila llegó a
B a rcel o na l a c iud ad
•
Por dificultades en
aquel amanecer
LAFORET
NARCÍS
OLLER
D’OR
NADA
CARMEN
LA FEBRE
MANUEL VÁZQUEZ MONTALBÁN
•
Embrace the new wave of coffee culture
•
La sombra del viento
LOS MARES DEL SUR
•
in the cup
EN UN TREN DISTINTO DEL QUE HABÍA ANUNCIADO, Y MO ME ESPERABA NADIE. 11/26/14 5:52:31 PM
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C O N T EN TS {ISSUE 215} DECEMBER 2014
Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Andrea Moreno Editor Esther Jones Publishing consultant Tim Parfitt Art Director Aisling Callinan Account Executives Jalil Alui, Richard Cardwell, Aline Davis, Marta Rocamora Sales Assistant Malu Branda Editorial Assistants Laura Bonicelli, Rachel Huffman, Jessica Salter
What’s on 20 22 24 26
Design Assistant Hayley Cantor
Music Art Misc. Pullout Calendar
Contributors Johari Gautier Carmona, Miquel Hudin, Tara Stevens, Sam Zucker Photographer Hayley Cantor Illustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial: editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Advertising: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com General: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com.
Carrer de la Ciutat 7 2ª-4ª, 08002 Barcelona. Tel. 93 451 4486
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
10Christmas
Gift idEAs
Made in Barcelona
tales A city of
METROPOLITAN contributors
PLUS!
Embrace the new wave of coffee culture
HOMMAGE TO CATALONIA GEORGE ORWELL
DEL DIAMANTE
MERCÉ RODAREOLA
EN LA CIUDAD DE
LOS BRODIGIOS
E D UA R D O M E N D O Z A
SANTIAGO RUSVIÓL L’AVCA DEL SEÑOR ESTEVE
CARLOS RUÍZ ZAFÓN
para adquirir billetes,
LA PLAZA
LLEGUÉ A BARCELONA a medianoche,
S t u aurn a td e l aPs c eo l i nda s rq u eee nl l h a b í a v i v i d o e n u n a c a s a
InSIDed e l P u t x e t ,
EN UN TREN DISTINTO DEL QUE HABÍA ANUNCIADO, Y MO ME ESPERABA NADIE.
e n t r e M a l g r a t y G a r r a f, LLEGUÉ A BARCELONA a medianoche,
LA SOMBRA DEL VIENTA
MANUEL VÁZQUEZ
Por dificultades en
me llevó por
Esta ciudad está situada en el valle que dejan las montañas
de la cadena costera al retirarse un poco hacía el interior;
POR DIFICULTADES EN EL ÚLTIMO MOMENTO PARA ADQUIRIR BILLETES,
in the cup
•
EL ÚLTIMO MOMENTO
aquel amanecer
NADA
EN QUE MI PADRE
D’OR
B a r c e lo n a la c i u d a d
ESTABA EN PLENA FIEBRE DE RENOVACIÓN.
Food & Drink Health Business Shopping Jobs
Quality
•
primera vez a visitar
LA FEBRE
QUE DE ESTE MODO FORMAN UNA ESPECIE DE ANFITEATRO.
40 42 45 48 49
LOS MARES DEL SUR
•
•
El año en que Onofre Bouvila llegó a
Directories
GAME OVER?
Time is running out for the city’s oldest shops
Discover the many faces of Barcelona through its literature
OLLER
New in Town In the City A Place of My Own Travel Food & Drink Interview
NARCÍS
06 08 10 34 36 50
Todavía recuerdo
Regulars
DECEMBER 2014 Nº 215
LAFORET
13 Fashion Our pick of the best this month 14 REPORT: A CITY OF TALES Johari Gautier Carmona looks at the city through its literature. 28 Coffee culture Barcelona is turning on to the art of a great cup of coffee. 30 CLOSING TIME The city risks losing many of its oldest and most iconic shops. 33 BUY BARCELONA Our quick Made in Barcelona shopping guide.
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. Depósito legal: B35159-96
CARMEN
Features
el Cementerio de los Libros Olvidados.
pullout
DESGRANABAN LOS PRIMEROS DÍAS DEL otro tiempo dominaban Barcelona, como las colinas romanas dominan Roma, y aparecían cubiertas por un TAPIZ DE VIVIENDAS VECINALES PARA y caminábamos por las calles de una Barcelona BURGUESÍA MEDIA, MÁS ALGÚN ÁTICO atrapada bajo cielos de ceniza y un sol de vapor dúplex para alta burguesía, en ocasiones QUE SE DERRAMABA SOBRE LA RAMBLA DE
events v e r a n o de 1945 calendar
vinculada con los antiguos moradores
Santa Mónica en una guirnalda de cobre líquido. DE LAS TORRES DEL PUT XE T.
POR DIFICULTADES EN EL ÚLTIMO MOMENTO PARA ADQUIRIR BILLETES,
ART MUSIC FAShIon ReSTAURAnT PLACeEoF L L ERevIewS G U É A BA ARC L OMYNAown a mTRAveL e d i a no c he ,
EN UN TREN DISTINTO DEL QUE HABÍA ANUNCIADO, Y MO ME ESPERABA NADIE.
EN UN TREN DISTINTO DEL QUE HABÍA ANUNCIADO, Y MO ME ESPERABA NADIE.
This month’s cover A cityscape of typography inspired by Barcelona’s literature. Designed by Aisling Callinan.
JOHARI GAUTIER CARMONA
rachel huffman
SAM ZUCKER
Johari is a French/Spanish writer and journalist who now lives between Spain and Columbia. In 2009 he published his first novel, El Rey del Mambo, which explores the eccentrities of the two opposing worlds of modern-day Barcelona. Immersed in the world of words and stories, Johari’s passion is the search for the hidden tale that’s waiting to be told. His work has won several literary awards.
Originally from St. Louis, Rachel studied writing, literature and publishing in Boston. Not quite ready to start a career at a book publisher, she moved to Barcelona to teach English, travel and write. She has always wanted travel to be a part of her life, from trekking around the US for gymnastics to gallivanting around Europe when she studied abroad. Barcelona has proven to be an incredible home base while she absorbs inspiration and information from the city and other European cities she explores on weekend trips.
Sam is originally from Boston, Massachusetts in the US. He studied ecology, photography and Spanish language at Hampshire College (Amherst, MA). He then went on to train as a chef at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) and earn an introductory certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2013. He currently lives in Barcelona and works as a culinary tour operator and food/travel writer for several outlets, including his blog: Zucker & Spice Travel—zuckerandspicetravel.com
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new in town A peak under the big top
Papallona Circus Arts Shop. Av. Francesc Cambó 30-36. www.papallonacircus.com The Born’s newest gallery has a three-ring twist, combining art and the circus. Vicente Llorca, owner of the shop and director of Zirkolika, the first Spanish circus magazine, says, “I truly believe this shop is the only one of its kind in the world”. Works by nine different artists are exhibited. Each artist uses the circus as his or her main subject and inspiration, and every piece illustrates the animated, overthe-top, vibrant life under the big top. The screen prints, photographs, sculptures and hanging mobiles of twisting acrobats and dancing clowns “give people an exclusive insight into this bizarre lifestyle that is so far removed from normal life,” said Vicente. Materials to practise your own circus acts, such as juggling clubs, handmade clown shoes and unicycles, are also sold at the shop.
FOOD & CULTURE FUSION Naya. Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 459. www.naya-barcelona.com Step off the loud, congested Gran Via and into Naya, a new gastromusical space that strives to please all your senses. Lovers of music, food and art are all welcome. Naya’s live music programme boasts concerts ranging from flamenco fusion to soul and pop, as well as organised jam sessions. Rooms are available for acoustic performers on tour, and Naya hopes to become a locale for the festival circuits that come through the city every year. The space is also designed to provide an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere for a unique fusion of cuisine and other cultural activities. Diana Marcelino will be the head chef responsible for surprising customers with fresh, original dishes while they sit back and take in the paintings and photographs lining the walls or laugh at the monologue sessions and standup comedy acts that will be included in Naya’s schedule of events.
Cooking cows with care The Venue Steak House. Casanova 68. www.thevenuesteakhouse.com The Venue Steak House serves up quality beef cooked in the Rolls-Royce of ovens. Every week, the restaurant buys meat imported from a small slaughterhouse in Ireland. The beef comes from suckler cows—unweaned calves born from all beef cattle that naturally progress from the mother’s milk to grass. It’s then cooked to perfection in a Josper oven—no gas or electricity—and presented on a warm, organic stone. “We try to do things simply, slowly and properly,” said Colin, one of the three owners and a third generation butcher. “We want the product to be the main flavour so the chefs don’t manipulate the steaks that much or do a lot with sauces.” If the promise of some of the best steaks in town isn’t enough, then the décor—three black cows dressed in tuxedos and bow ties and adorned with red lipstick line the entrance, and cave paintings on a natural stone wall run the length of the dining room—will certainly bring out that carnivorous instinct.
Juan in a million Juan in a Million. Bruc 79. www.juanbarcelona.com This new English café gives expats a taste of home and locals access to great British cuisine. Served by a multilingual staff, you can fill up on traditional fish and chips, a hearty English breakfast and Sunday roast (served every day). But those aren’t the only comfort foods to be savoured at Juan in a Million. Owner Idan, born in Israel, has added some unexpected flavours to his menu—shakshuka, schnitzel, eggplant Parmesan and homemade meatballs, which are his personal favourite. He also takes great pride in his coffee, masterly crafting each cup behind the bar he built and installed. He renovated the entire restaurant himself—laying down a new floor, haphazardly painting the chairs in sea greens, light purples and oranges and nailing wooden window frames to the blank white walls—with the help of his brother. “I always wanted to open a small café—not a place to make me rich but to make me happy,” Idan said. “And I want to make people happy, with good food and real customer service.”
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THIS MONTH DON’T MISS... There are lots of ways to find interesting gifts in Barcelona that don’t involve battling the Saturday afternoon crowds. So, before you’re tempted to solve all your Christmas shopping online, take a look at our suggestions for some stress-free shopping and beautiful gifts.
Festivalet
Now in its seventh year, Festivalet only features goods that are certified handmade, and there are some truly lovely things on offer. From ceramics and cosmetics to clothes and toys, this fair is bursting with unique presents that you won’t find on the high street. December 13th & 14th. Museu Marítim. Entry is €1. www.festivalet.org
Fantastik Handmade Market
Another celebration of hand-crafted gifts, this market is designed for local Etsy sellers. Expect lovingly created toys, jewellery, cards and accessories. December 21st. University of Barcelona. www.fantasticbcn.tumblr.com
Shopping night
The stylish way to tick things off your Christmas list, even the most reticent of Christmas shoppers can have fun on Shopping Night. This year’s theme is ‘Hollywood, the Golden Age’ and there will be plenty of music, dance, drinks and food to add a touch of glamour to your evening and keep the shopping fun and pain-free. December 4th, 8pm-1am. www.theshoppingnight.com
Christmas markets
These pop up all over the city, with the biggest one being the Fira de Santa Llucía, which takes place in front of the Cathedral. There are plenty of craft stalls as well as umpteen stalls to buy decorations and all sorts of intricate additions for nativity scenes including, of course, a caganer to take to the folks back home. It gets crowded so try to get there early. www.firadesantallucia.cat
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THE INFORMER HIGHEST STANDARD OF LIVING IN SARRIÁ SANT GERVASI According to results from the recent Encuesta de Servicios Municipales 2014 residents in Sarrià Sant Gervasi (not surprisingly) enjoy the highest standard of life of Barcelona’s residents. Among other indicators they have the largest homes in the city, with an average of 100.7 square metres compared to the city average of 77.3 square metres.
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ARCHITECTURE PRIZE FOR THE BORN CENTRE CULTURAL The Born Centre Cultural, designed by local architectural studio Vora has won the Milanbased Archmarathon Award for urban design. PROSECUTORS BACK LEGAL ACTION AGAINST MAS The country’s top prosecutors support the taking of legal action against Catalan premier, Artur Mas, for going ahead with the consultation on self-rule on Nomember 9th which was deemed illegal by the Constitutional Court. NEW FINES FOR DISRESPECTING CYLISTS Honking a horn or driving too close to a cyclist will soon be penalised with a fine. In an attempt to get cyclists off the pavements, the Ajuntament is making an effort to improve safety for them on the roads. The exact sanctions have yet to be decided but will be included in the new ordenanza de circulación. SHOPS WANT TO OPEN ON SUNDAYS Barcelona’s shops want to increase the time period and number of hours that they can open on Sundays. They are currently allowed to open from 10am till 6pm in July, August and the first half of September, which, they feel, is insufficient for an international city.
THINGS TO DO in
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Hot, sweet, topped with whipped cream and thick enough to stand your spoon up in. Yes, the Catalans certainly know how to make a good hot chocolate, or suizo, as the cream-topped version is known. And the colder the weather, the better it tastes. Head to one of Barcelona’s most traditional granjas for the best suizos in town. Try Granja Pallaresa (Petrixol 11), Granja Banys Nous (Banys Nous 4) or Granja Viader (Xuclà 6).
get YOur skates On The weather is just too good for Barcelona to be the stuff of winter wonderland fantasies, but you can still give it your best shot. Pretend you’re in colder climes and go ice-skating this December. Try the rink on Roger de Flor 168 (www. skatingclub.cat) or head up to the FC Barcelona rink at Camp Nou (www.fcbarcelona.cat). Both cost about €14 including skate hire. Or, have a whirl on the outdoor rink that takes centre stage in Pl. Catalunya for the month of December (www.bargelona.cat).
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You can pick up a tree at any of the Christmas markets in the city. But, for a truly authentic experience, make your way to the town of Espinelves in the comarca of Osona from December 6th-14th for the Fira de l’Avet. Every year, this pretty Romanic town fills with stalls selling Christmas trees and artesanal products. See www.espinelves.cat for more information.
saVe YOur eurOs Christmas is an expensive time of year. Get through December without breaking the bank by enjoying all the wonderful free activities this city has to offer. Check out www.forfree.cat/en for exhibitions, concerts, screenings and other fun stuff, so you can save your euros for enjoying the holidays.
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TOP MARKS FOR BARCELONA’S BUSINESS SCHOOLS The new ranking of business schools in Spanish-speaking countries, published by the magazine América Economía, places Barcelona schools IESE in first place and ESADE in sixth. GRENADE DISCOVERED IN PARK GÜELL A Civil War grenade has been discovered in Park Güell. Still intact and hidden in a littlevisited part of the park, historians think it was abandoned during a conflict when that area of the park was still woodlands..
deck the tree
get cOOking Forget the turkey and impress your Catalan friends with some local fare instead. Barcelona Cooking is putting on a special Christmas menu with classes on December 25th and 26th. Among other delicacies, you’ll learn to make duck confit, turbot with mousse of langostine and pea purée, and a Christmas log with lemon and raspberry. www.barcelonacooking.net
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d by
METROPOLITAN people What is the worst Christmas present you’ve ever received? duncan
53, Director of Oxford House, England
My heart drops, but it’s got to be the socks. The idea of them is so bleak but if you’re a man, it’s basically the default present, isn’t it? That or soap on a rope, which I can’t believe was ever popular.
Natasha
25, Ibiza Bar Owner, England I once got a vibrator from a secret Santa at work. I had to open it in front of all my coworkers and never even found out who gave it to me. Everyone got such nice things, but my present was probably the most useful in the long run.
mike
36, English Teacher, New Zealand That has to be a summons to appear in court. I got pulled over for drunk driving, but the cops were super nice to me during the whole process that followed that night. When they let me go, they never told me what was going to happen. So a month went by, and I let myself stay optimistic. Then the notice came on Christmas Eve.
regine
34, English Teacher, England Last year, I got a gift card to a store that is totally not my style. I went into the store with every intention of finding something, anything, that would be somewhat useful to me. I didn’t like a single thing. So this year, to be honest, I’m gonna re-gift it.
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A PLACE OF
my own
C
arine Ferry hasn’t decorated her apartment in the typical sense of the word. Using paints, plaster, faux fur, black lights and vellum papers in every colour of the rainbow, she has singlehandedly created an imaginary world within the walls of her apartment. Over almost three years—drawing on inspirations such as Mozart’s Magic Flute and the paintings of Picasso and Matisse—Carine has transformed the dull, magnolia-white walls of her Gràcia apartment into fantastical scenes and imaginative recreations of her favourite works of art. “I want to go beyond painting, beyond being an artist. I want to live in my paintings,” said Carine with a giddy voice. This isn’t the first time Carine has used an apartment as her canvas.
Carine’s living room and terrace, which morph into a small theatre for plays.
Originally from Paris, Carine has lived in Barcelona for nearly 10 years and has turned every one of her apartments into a similar masterpiece. Beyond finding a new apartment with an inspiring vibe and decent potential, she admits she doesn’t start with a specific plan. For example, idly standing in her kitchen one day, she decided the three cabinets above the counter would symbolise the three gates—nature, wisdom and knowledge—that Tamino faced upon arriving at Sarastro’s temple in his attempt to rescue Pamina. And so, with
Carine poses with her life-sized replica of a Picasso self-portrait.
some additional plaster flames around the doorway, water splashes in various shades of blue vellum paper on the wall and the three main characters’ faces perched just below the ceiling, the kitchen became a setting for Mozart’s Magic Flute. “I don’t consciously make decisions. Creativity just flows out of me,” said Carine. “Once I’ve done one painting or made one portrait, I see something else that will complete the scene and add that to the space until every inch of my apartment is a piece of art.” Sometimes a statue or mural starts out as one thing, but ends up another. Walking in the front door, visitors are greeted by a towering sprite—representing Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream—that was formerly a pharaoh when Carine was going through her Egyptian phase. It would take days, weeks even, to note all the details of the apartment. The lion positioned above the living room entrance—its mane made of fake, hot pink fur stretching down the sides of the doorframe and tickling bare arms as they pass through—is hard to miss. But her intuitive twist on ‘The Son of Man’, the famous surrealist painting by Magritte, would more than likely go undetected until she pointed out his long, flowing blonde beard fashioned from construction paper. The faceless figure in the original painting has no facial hair, but Carine figures, “that was in 1964. His beard must have grown quite a bit since then”. Or a first-time viewer might fail to observe that rather than leave her replica of Picasso’s pianist from ‘The Piano’ (Velazquez) without a face, she chose to give her pianist the face of Mozart. A natural yet unprecedented combination of two of her most illustrious inspirations. Carine happily confessed that every time she looks at a painting by Picasso or Matisse she sees it through different eyes. That’s what she strives for when adorning her apartment. She wants people to say, “Oh wow! I didn’t notice that the last time I was here”. Friends and family who come to stay with Carine have quite the experience. They get to sleep with Matisse—dressed in blue and white pinstriped pyjamas—and his wife; shower with the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland; and brush their teeth with a floor-to-ceiling female character, who could easily star in a Tim Burton film, meeting you with her red laser eyes in the mirror. Then at night, when it is nearly pitch-black inside, she turns on the black lights scattered throughout the apartment. She has traced a number of paintings with reactive, fluorescent, acrylic paint so the outlines of her characters and scenery become illuminated, causing the visuals of the apartment to take on a whole new shape and style.
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er a .
Carine doesn’t like to keep her creations all to herself. She has begun opening up her apartment for small theatre productions—the audience sitting on the pink and white fur-covered couch and chairs in the living room, facing the terrace, which becomes the stage—and interactive, improv dinners through EatWith. The flat is a connection with the theatre that she has longed for since childhood. She said, “As a kid, I wanted to do sets for theatres and operas. What a wonderful job, to be able to create a space not of this world that goes beyond natural beauty”. Right now, she has essentially made that her job, transforming an apartment into a beautifully invented land that she can tweak and expand as inspiration hits her. Barcelona—the city itself—is a big inspiration for her, and she loves that no matter what she wants to create, she can find the materials here, and at a low cost.
“I want to go beyond painting, beyond being an artist. I want to live in my paintings.” With the finishing touches of her apartment complete, where does Carine plan to channel her creativity in the future? Her next project is to build a surrealist cruise ship in which artists design and create everything. The boat, the food, the rooms, the furniture, etc. will all be a work of art. Creative minds will do residencies on the ship and everyone, from aspiring sculptors to bloggers, families wanting to take a year hiatus from the suffocating corporate world to retired couples looking for something to keep them young, are welcome. Carine, who certainly has the passion to make her ambitious plans come to fruition, said, “I want to travel, but I also want to paint all day so I can’t be bothered with making travel plans, getting on airplanes, lugging my suitcases to hotels and all that. I want to paint, and then when my ideas have been drained, I want to look up from my canvas and be in a new, exotic location. So really there is no place on land I want to live right now.”
Matisse and his wife adorn a wall in Carine’s guest bedroom.
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INSTYLE
THIS MONTH WE WENT TO MIRA! FESTIVAL AT FABRA I COATS TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WERE WEARING IN THE EVENING...
Our pick
FEATHER EARRINGS €9,90 Accessorize Pelai 39
JUMPER €39,95 Zara Passeig de Gracia 16
PENCIL SKIRT €40 Asos (online) www.asos.com/es
JEANS €45 Celio
BOOTS €165 Camper
IOANA, 30, ROMANIA Ioana loves to travel and this is reflected in her quirky outfit. She chooses to mix styles from around the globe, with this gorgeous oriental top and pencil skirt combination.
Ronda de Sant Antoni 36 DAVID, 31, SPAIN David admits that he’s not one to shop until he drops, though this jumper from Zara particularly caught his eye for the festive season.
TRAINERS €65 Trust Nobody (Vans stockists)
Pau Casals 5
Glam up for the holidays
Clutch €45 & Other Stories
x
Save!
Tallers 1
Passeig de Gràcia 8
Dress €69.99 Mango
Passeig de Gràcia 36
Dress €265 Maje
Passeig de Gràcia 59
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Shoes €35.99 Bershka Portal de l’Angel 15
Earrings €45 Maje
Passeig de Gràcia 59
Splurge! 13
11/25/14 5:10:05 PM
Barcelona
A city of tales BARCELONA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A RICH SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR NOVELISTS. By JOHARI GAUTIER CARMONA
S
ince the times of Cervantes, when Don Quijote arrived in Barcelona and saw the sea for the first time, the city has held a fascination for writers and novelists. It has provided inspiration for countless novels and has been the setting for well-known tales of love, mystery, betrayal and intrigue. The city's ambition to occupy an important place on the world stage and its rich cultural heritage contrast with its difficult, and often violent, history. These apparent contradictions create a dramatic backdrop that is ripe for fiction. Johari Gautier Carmona takes a look at six Spanish novels and the different ways they portray the city and all its ambiguities.
into the neighbourhoods near the sea. The author describes a city with two distinct faces. In the quieter hours, it is the meeting place of workers, messengers, supply carts and servants. Later in the day, the Ramblas become an elegant place of leisure for a very different class of citizen.
La ciudad de los prodigios by Eduardo Mendoza
In his novel La claque, Juan Miñana portrays an eminently bourgeois city that is about to celebrate its first Universal Exhibition in 1888. The protagonist, a wealthy Frenchman who
Eduardo Mendoza describes the same coexistence of two different worlds in his novel La ciudad de los prodigios but in a more conflictive tone. A young man from the provinces, Onofre Bouvila, comes to Barcelona intent on improving his economic status. He is also coming to terms with the absence of his father, who has emigrated to Cuba. Unable to find a job, Bouvila joins a group of anarchists who use the first Universal Exhibition as a plat-
is determined to win back a lost love, has created a company of professional ‘applauders’ who bring the city’s theatre scene to life and whose presence can guarantee the success of any play. Barcelona is depicted as a cosmopolitan and refined city, highly preoccupied with appearances and good taste. Every day, ships arrive at the port, their passengers spilling out
form for their revolutionary ideas. Besides the enormous changes that the city undergoes in the late nineteenth century (technological advances, social divisions, urban growth, etc.), the author describes the complex relationship that Barcelona has with the rest of the country and, in particular, with Madrid. The city is involved in an ongoing, entangled compe-
La claque by Juan Miñana
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tition with Madrid. Many decisions depend on the capital yet that same dependency also disguises Barcelona's own inconsistencies and problems. The ambiguity of the relationship is both a problem and a solution depending on the context.
Nada by Carmen Laforet In her novel Nada (Nadal Prize, 1945) Carmen Laforet tells of Barcelona’s precarious situation after the Civil War. The protagonist is Andrea, a young student who has recently arrived in the city. She quickly discovers Barcelona's harshest side. Everything oozes emptiness, loneliness, anxiety and sadness in the life of this young woman, and the optimism of her early days in the city soon disappears. Nothing is what it seems, but appearances must be maintained,
Murcia, falls in love with Teresa, a young idealistic woman from a wealthy family. Besides the obvious differences of daily life between the city’s most marginalised barrios and its wellheeled neighbourhoods, the novel explores the ideological differences that characterise an era of real change. Teresa is a progressive young woman who, thanks to her family background and comfortable lifestyle, can afford to dwell on revolutionary issues. Pijoaparte, on the other hand, is interested only in improving his economic standing within the confines dictated by his social background. And so, the pragmatism of the lower classes comes face-to-face with the idealism of the upper classes. The resulting confrontation exposes the contradictions and hypocrisies of both.
In Los mares del sur Barcelona is portrayed as a cradle of rampant capitalism in which the working class collides with the wealthier classes. and there are few reasons for celebrating in the city the author describes. The Catalan capital manifests the isolation that Spain as a whole is suffering. Amidst stagnation and starvation, the prevailing image is that of the city’s dark streets and sad apartments. For just a while, as she studies at the university, the protagonist manages to forget the surrounding filth, violence and hatred. The Barcelona that Carmen Laforet depicts in Nada is a vivid portrayal of disappointment and emptiness, and marks the beginning of existentialist style in Spanish literature.
Ultimas tardes con Teresa by Juan Marsé In Juan Marsé’s celebrated novel, the Mediterranean city once more adopts a dualistic character. This time it is from the perspective of southern immigration and the bourgeois neighbourhood of Sant Gervasi in the 1950s. Pijoaparte, a working-class immigrant from
Círculos concéntricos by Carmen Matutes In Círculos concéntricos, Carmen Matutes describes Barcelona during the last years of Franco, when tradition and entrenched beliefs coexist with a new generation of idealists. Evaristo, a young student, is under pressure from his girlfriend to get married and doesn’t know what to do. During a period of separation he meets another woman who is more modern and progressive. The competition between the two women to seduce the undecided student demonstrates the conflict between modernity and tradition, but also emphasises the resurgence of a new femininity. Matutes's novel includes all the Mediterranean city’s most typical haunts, among which is a bar: the perfect place for creating and spreading rumours, meeting old friends and intriguing strangers, arguing and fighting or just playing dominoes and cards. >>
A CATALAN LITERARY GREAT: MERCÉ RODOREDA
M
ercé Rodoreda is considered by many to be the most important Catalan novelist of the postwar period. Born on Carrer Balmes in Barcelona in 1908, Rodoreda was an only child who, after leaving school at the age of 10 filled her time reading. At the age of 20 she married her maternal uncle, Joan Gurguí, who was 14 years her senior and a year later their only child, Jordi, was born. Rodoreda never accepted the marriage and her writing provided her with a way to escape her daily reality. Her writing career began at the start of the 1930s with the publication of her short stories in magazines. In 1938, the year before leaving for exile in France, she published her novel Aloma, which won the Crexells award. She was exiled in France during the Civil War and later in Switzerland. It was during exile that Rodoreda wrote what is probably the most famous novel ever written in Catalan, La Plaça del Diamant (In Diamond Square). It was published in 1962 and achieved huge popular and critical success and has been translated into 28 languages. La Plaça del Diamant was published at a time when the Franco dictatorship had slightly liberalised its economic and linguistic repression as Spain became less isolated in the world, and Rodoreda's novel was, to many, a symbol of Catalan literature emerging from the dark. Narrated in the first person by shop-girl Natalia (La Colometa), the book spans 25 years of Catalan history and is a compelling tale of life before, during and after the Spanish Civil War. Intense and evocative, Gabriel García Marquez called La Plaça del Diamant ‘the most beautiful novel published in Spain since the Civil War’. Rodoreda died in 1983 in Girona.
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Los mares del Sur by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Finally, the city’s recurring theme of inequality and confrontation between social classes also sets the scene in the novel Los mares del Sur by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. This time it is in the context of the country’s transition to democracy in the late 1970s. In his characteristic style, the detective Pepe Carvalho is investigating the death of Stuart Pedrell, whose body was discovered in Barcelona when he should have been travelling on the other side of the world. The victim’s obsession with escaping civilisation is an eloquent depiction of the frustrations of some of the city's upper class who crave something beyond the confines of material wealth. In this novel Barcelona is portrayed as a cradle of rampant capitalism in which the working class collides with the wealthier classes. Nothing is perfect in a society corroded by corruption, lack of solidarity and moral bankruptcy.
In each of these works, Barcelona is a prestigious and complex city, home to fierce social conflicts. In each of these works, Barcelona is a prestigious and complex city, home to fierce social conflicts. Like other major European capitals, it has a refined, elegant and romantic side. It strives for excellence, seeking to constantly reinvent and sell itself, always careful to present its good side to the world. The two Universal Exhibitions and, more recently, the Olympics and the Forum of Cultures took place within this context. The city’s ambition and pursuit of prestige are often labelled as regionalism that clashes with other autonomous communities and, in particular, with Madrid. In fact, these are the hallmarks of one of the largest cities on the Mediterranean coast that aspires to be a significant player on the international stage. From this city of contrasts arise the social conflicts that play such an important part in the works of Laforet, Marsé, Montalbán, Mendoza, Matutes and Miñana. The different faces of Barcelona also provide an open door to existentialism like Carmen Laforet’s, rooted in disappointment and disillusionment. Barcelona is an ideal setting for literary expression, the perfect reflection of constant renewal and the image of a modern city that embraces the best and the worst of humanity.
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10 STOCKING FILLERS FOR BOOK LOVERS Murder, romance or history, Barcelona's rich literary offerings mean there's something for everyone. 1. LA SOMBRA DEL VIENTO (The Shadow of the Wind) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001. Ruiz Zafón's international bestseller is set in post-Civil War Barcelona. Atmospheric and exhilerating, it follows the story of a young boy, Daniel Sempere, as he is led into the dark and secretive world of writer Julián Carax. 2. Catedral del Mar (Cathedral of the Sea) by Ildefonso Falcones, 2006. This classic adventure novel tells the story of a man who moves to Barcelona in the 14th century at the height of the Inquisition, with the construction of Santa Maria del Mar serving as a backdrop to the story. 3. The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax, 2007. In US writer Romano-Lax’s debut novel, the story of the Civil War and Franco-era Catalunya is told through the eyes of a child cello prodigy who moves to Barcelona at the age of 14. 4. El delantero centro fue asesinado al atardecer (Off side) by Manuel Vasquez Montalbán, 1989. For Barça fans and murder-mystery lovers alike, detective Pepe Carvalho is called to investigate the death of a new player on the team.
5. El laberinto griego (An Olympic Death) by Manuel Vasquez Montalbán, 1992. Another Pepe Carvalho mystery, this time set during Barcelona’s buildup to the '92 Olympics. 6. Diario de un hombre humillado (Diary of a Humiliated Man) by Félix de Azúa, 1987. This perversely funny and often horrifying novel reads as the diary of a man drifting through Barcelona’s underworld in a quest for meaning in his life. 7. Señas de identidad (Marks of Identity) by Juan Goytisolo, 1966 Banned in Spain until after Franco’s death, this elegant masterpiece describes the return of an exile to Barcelona after the Civil War and explores the dispossession felt by many Spaniards during that time. 8. The South by Colm Tóibin, 1990. Inspired by his time spent in Barcelona, Tóibin reveals the city from the perspective of an exile, a young Irish woman who is fleeing her home to start a new life in Barcelona. 9. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, 1938. Homage to Catalonia is George Orwell's moving account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, in which he served from 1936-1937 as a private for the POUM, the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification. 10. Barcelona by Robert Hughes, 1993. A must for anyone who wants to delve into the city’s past, this highly informed and often opinionated guide to Barcelona takes the reader on a journey through the city’s colourful, and often violent, history.
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FEATURE Interview
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A LITERARY LANDSCAPE ALX PHILLIPS TALKS TO EVA BOSCH, EDITOR OF THE ENGLISH VERSION OF CATALAN CLASSIC ELS SOTS FERESTECS.
J
ust an hour away from Barcelona, and slotted between the Bertí cliffs and Montseny National Park, lies the municipality of FigueróMontmany: a rugged rural terrain of extraordinary natural beauty. While the area is now popular with trekkers and climbers, through the first part of the 20th century it was an inaccessible backwater that experienced dreadful poverty and suppression. This contrast between beauty and obscurity intrigued one of the most acclaimed Catalan writers of the turn of the last century, Raimon Casellas. London-based artist Eva Bosch dedicated three years to editing an English translation of Casellas's classic novel, Els Sots Ferestecs (1901), which has been recently published under the title, Dark Vales. This strange, poetic novel is rooted both physically and psychologically in the landscape of FigueróMontmany, where Eva herself grew up. As she explained to Barcelona Metropolitan, the title refers to peculiar features of the zone: deep craggy ravines and potholes that bore into the earth and seem almost bottomless. These sots play a literal and symbolic role in Dark Vales, which was translated by acclaimed British scholar Alan Yates.
public life and in Casellas' own life. It was a time of great poverty in Spain and in Catalonia, where the issue of Catalan identity was very much in play and came to a head with the violence of the setmana tràgica uprising in 1909. Tragic Week is the name used for a series of bloody confrontations between the Spanish army and the working classes of Barcelona and other cities of Catalonia during the last week of July 1909. It was caused by the callingup of reserve troops to be sent as reinforcements when Spain renewed military-colonial activity in Morocco. Only the rich could pay their way out of the recruitment. The book was originally published as a series, but Casellas, a Catalan nationalist himself, had a major falling out with his publisher at Le Veu de Catalunya. In 1910, he died—and is thought to have killed himself. After his death, the book was lost. The Civil War and Franco era suppressed Catalan culture, and it wasn't until the 1980s when the late, great historian Jordi Castellanos brought Casellas back to life, publishing two remarkable books about him. Casellas is now considered one of the most important Catalan writers, and a pioneer in modernism.
Tell us about the author and his relationship with Montseny Casellas was born in Barcelona to a well to do family. He lost his father when he was nine months old and his mother rented a place in the village of Figueró-Montmany where they holidayed, or escaped there for health reasons—during the yellow fever epidemic of 1870, for example. Casellas knew the landscape intimately and this is reflected in the geographical accuracy and emotional engagement of his descriptions.
Who are the main characters? The main character is Father Llàtzer, a man who refuses to give up. His background is rather shady, he arrives in this godforsaken village having been banished for heresy, accused of egoism for not following the Catholic Church line. In one sense he is the archetypal Catholic who adopts the traditional authoritarian ways to convince the villagers. In another, he believes in love and that humanity is full of goodness. He searches desperately for an ounce of feeling among these godless, poverty-stricken people. This makes him a complex human character and very modern. It's interesting that there is an ambiguous relationship between author and character, also pioneering for this literary period.
What was your personal interest in the book? I felt I could relate to it: it takes place in the village where I grew up in the 1950s during Franco's era. Then the village was poor and repressed, but 1901, of course, was a much cruder era. I relate to both the physical and the psychological elements: take the title, the 'Sots', physically, if you look down into them you feel you're going to be sucked in! They're popular with climbers today, but I recall, when I was little, my father, often, used to collect dead bodies from them—youngsters who had tried to climb them without ropes and things and fell... They play a symbolic role in the book, too. They represent a state of mind: the darkness, dumbness of the villagers. Why is Casellas' such a dark portrayal of the area and its people? It's a landscape both poetic and psychological. The turn of the century was a period of trouble, both in
How well does the book reflect provincial, turn-ofthe-century Catalunya? Some of the other characters are archetypal Catalan villagers, really rooted in the period. Mariagna, for example—all she does is work, work, work and she's terribly kind but emotionless, as if she learned to be kind not chose to be. She met her husband, Josep, and married him because she was told to. Casellas presents her in an unsentimental way but with so much compassion. The way she wants to protect her linen from the rains... I was reminded of my own grandmother. An intriguing character is a prostitute we called Footloose (the untranslatable, 'La Roda-soques' in Catalan). We are led to ask: why does the priest
hate her so much? Why do the villagers desire her, give her their best cheeses and other produce and yet, at times they are so flabbergasted that they don't even have sex with her? I think it reveals their repression, that she's a dream rather than a reality. What relevance has the book to us now? While it is rooted in a particular time and place it is very contemporary, not only in the places mentioned, that still exist—though many of them are ruins—but in the whole feel of the book. The whole area is spectacular and well worth a visit. There's something about Figueró-Montmany that still attracts, let's say, 'eccentric' residents, even today, as if the landscape is in control, as if history repeats itself. But it's also a stunning place full of secretive spots: El Llac de les Fades (Lake of the Fairies), the Cingles de Bertí (Bertí cliffs), or the foothills of Montseny. These places are mentioned in the book, as are specific buildings: the Casa de les Puces (House of the Fleas), a reference to the women that once lived in it, and the Castell de les Moros (Castle of the Moors) beyond it. In addition to that, Dark Vales deals with conformity, the 'dumb masses', and an idealistic individual and his struggle to break through the deadness of society. These themes are timeless and universal. That extreme poverty, however, no longer exists, but the village does allow for isolation as it is a “sleeping village”, there is no industry, people have to travel to the city for work. In my village, temperatures can sink as low as minus 17 degrees. And if it's that cold in the village, imagine how cold it is at the bottom of a sot...
Els Sots Ferestecs / Dark Vales was translated thanks to a grant from Institut Ramon Llull. It is published by Dedalus Books (www.dedalusbooks. com) and is available in Llibreria Calders (Barcelona) or on Amazon. The village of Figueró-Montany is 40km from Barcelona and can be reached via train (C3 Cercanias Hospitalet - Vic), bus (Sagales), or by road - the C17. For more information about the zone see: www.elfigaro.net.
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MUSIC LEm festival
Until December 19th. Locations around Gràcia.
UNTIL
19th
0 editor’s pick
It’s the last month of international experimental music at the LEM festival. Over the course of three months, LEM has presented a total of 77 artists from nine different countries and there’s stilll plenty to enjoy in December. Visit Marc O’Callaghan’s exhibition of urban geometry which is based on 12 illustrations that correspond to the 12 original squares of Gràcia. Orlando Guillén and Andreu Subirats offer a session by the title of ‘Although he’s upright he was born flat’, which consists of guttural and magnetic cycles based on human and non-human voices. There will be music by Aida Nadeem, a bassoonist in Irak’s Symphony Orchestra, who explores the avant-garde sounds and rhythms of Baghdad street music and takes inspiration from modern-day Arab poetry. You can also catch the third and last Space-Time Encounter Meeting with Ferran Besalduch, Nuria Martinez-Vernis and Victoria Macarte, who feed off each other to create a show of friction and crossroads with untamed sounds of saxophones, and movement with no boundaries. And finally, don’t miss ‘Contort yourself against the fray’, a session with the poetess Anna Pantinat and poetry reader Josep Pedrals.
MARIANNE FAITHFULL December 9th, 9pm. Palau de la Música 4-6. Her musical career has often been overshadowed by a colourful, and at times tragic, personal life, but Marianne Faithfull, now in her seventh decade, is a survivor in every sense. Born in London in 1946 she began her singing career as a folk artist in coffee houses until she was discovered at a Rolling Stones launch party by Andrew Loog Oldham. Her first major release, As Tears Go By, written by Jagger, Richards and Oldham, was a chart success and catapulted her into the public eye at the tender age of 17. Faithfull became a fixture on the swinging London scene, and began a much-publicised relationship with Mick Jagger. The ending of the relationship and an increasing reliance on drugs sent Faithfull’s career and personal life into a tailspin. In 1979 she made a comeback with criticallyacclaimed Broken English, an emotional album in which Faithfull’s voice, gravelly from her years of drug abuse, is captivating nonetheless. In 1987 Faithfull once again reinvented herself with Strange Weather, an eclectic mix of jazz and blues and her first album after years of drug rehabilitation. Faithfull’s musical career rebounded for the third time during the early 1990s with the live album Blazing Away, in which she revisited songs she had performed over the course of her career. This concert is part of her 50th Anniversary Tour, celebrating half a century in the music business.
15th-17th
handel’s messiah December 15th-17th. Santa Maria del Mar. Plaça de Santa Maria 1.
9th
The Coral Cantiga of Lluïsos de Gràcia, accompanied by the 48-piece Terrassa Orchestra, will perform Handel’s Messiah in the unique setting of Santa Maria del Mar. Founded by Leo Masso, the choir includes choral singers of all ages and has worked with top orchestras and toured both in Spain and internationally. Over the years they have become one of the most prestigious choirs in the city. Their performance of one of the best-known choral works in Western music is a lovely way to get into the Christmas spirit. The lofty simplicity of Santa Maria del Mar is the perfect place for this majestic work to be heard at its best.
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IN CONCERT* 2nd. Shemekia Copeland Jamboree. Plaça Reial 17.
4th. Method Man & Redman Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
5th. Flux Pavillion
Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
5th. Richie Ramone
Sala Monasterio. Moll de Mestral 30.
6th. Elton John
Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.
8th. New Found Glory Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
9th. Marianne Faithfull
Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.
12th. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas L’Auditori. Lepant 150.
12th. Yelle
Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
12th. George Fitzgerald Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
13th. Owen Pallett
Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.
13th. Doc Daneeka & XXXY Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
14th. Fur Coat
Pacha. Passeig Marítim 32.
23rd. Joaquin Sabina
Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.
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ART
0 editor’s pick
INTERVAL. SOUND ACTIONS
Fundació Antoni Tàpies. Aragó 255. Until February 15th. Interval. Sound Actions, a new multimedia exhibition at the Fundació Antoni Tàpies aims to make visitors aware of the way they listen to sounds. According to Western musical tradition, we should listen to music in silence, but is that really a listening context? Interval. Sound Actions wants to challenge this way of thinking by making people listen to sounds in different spaces. How does music sound in a museum for instance? And how would the sound of the museum influence that same music? To answer these questions, a number of artists and musicians, including Brian Eno, Theo Burt, Susan Philipsz, Jaume Ferrete and Ainara Elgoibar have collaborated with this project which includes sound installations, videos, lectures, concerts and a series of radio programmes. Visitors will quickly learn that sound can be heard in many different ways.
UNTIL
Feb 15th
UNTIL
Feb 15th BARCELONA, NEUTRAL ZONE
12th
Fundació Joan Miró. Parc de Montjuïc. Until February 15th.
12th-13th BCN ART 2014
Casa Batlló. Passeig de Gràcia 43. December 12th-13th. Organised by the Global Art Agency, BCN Art 2014 (formerly Barcelona International Art Fair) promises a unique opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts to buy works directly from artists who have travelled to Barcelona for the occasion. Like all of the GAA’s events, the focus will be on promoting investment in contemporary art in a beautiful setting, making it a great platform for artists, galleries and collectors from around the world to mix with each other and form lasting connections. Friday is a private viewing day, reserved for VIPs of the art world who want to meet the artists face to face. On Saturday, the doors open to the wider public and the winners of the Global Art Agency Awards will be announced.
This new exhibition at the Fundació Joan Miró commemorates the centenary of the First World War. Barcelona, Neutral Zone highlights the social and creative effects the war had on Barcelona and explores the transformation the city underwent during that time. The art show includes over 500 works by 70 artists, including painter Léger Kubin and photographer Josep M. de Sagarro. Films, paintings, sculptures, drawings and a variety of documents make up the rest of the exhibition. Split into six different sections , including the Great War, The City of Ivory and Bourgeois and Proletarians, the show aims to show the artistic landscape in Barcelona during a challenging and tragic time.
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04/12/14 - 25/02/15
ART PICKS LAST CHANCE GALERIA MIGUEL MARCOS Black Box. This exhibition is held in collaboration with the Elion Art Gallery in Beijing with works from six artists from China and Europe. Until December 12th. Jonqueres 10 N2 GALERIA Kenichiro Taniguchi. An art show by Japanese artist Kenichiro Taniguchi whose work is based on the Japanese word ‘hecami’, which means cracks. Until December 19th. Enric Granados 61
JOAN MIRO Lithographies and Etchings
REIAL CERCLE ARTISTIC DE BARCELONA Brian Aris. This exhibition of work by English photographer Brian Aris includes iconic images of Madonna, Debby Harry and David Bowie. Until December 14th. Arcs 5 ARTS SANTA MÓNICA Traç. El dibuix con eina de coneixement. This art show explores how drawing can be a tool for knowledge and communication. Until December 7th. La Rambla 7
Aragó 268, 08007, Barcelona Tel. 93 215 6393 www.dolorsjunyent.com galeria@dolorsjunyent.com
ISABEL DE PEDRO Tattoo. A photography exhibition with a selection of works by Alberto Garcìa-Alix, Antonio Florez and Michele Curel, on loan from the Col·lecció Rafael Tous d’Art Contemporani. Until December 23rd. Rambla de Catalunya 54 CCCB World Press Photo. The tenth edition of the World Press Photo exhibition shows the 130 winning photographs from the prestigious photojournalism competition. Until December 7th. Montalegre 5 FUNDACIÓ FOTO COLECTANIA Pieter Hugo Kin. A collection of photographs about colonisation and racial and economic inequality in photographer Pieter Hugo’s native South Africa. Until December 10th. Julian Romea 6
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MISC. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF RECYCLING
UNTIL
Jan 4th
0 editor’s pick
CCCB. December 19th-January 4th. www.drapart.net The Drap-Art recycling festival showcases art trends that use found objects and discarded materials as a resource for creating art, sculpture and design. The non-profit organisation behind Drap-Art, which was founded in Barcelona in 1995, is dedicated to the promotion of creative recycling through festivals, exhibitions, markets and workshops. Drap-Art ’14, the International Festival of Recycling Art of Catalonia, is a platform for emerging artists, designers, craftspeople and other creative professionals from all over Europe who seek to do something a bit more useful and creative with their rubbish. Through group exhibitions of art and designer objects made from recyclable materials, a traditional art and design market, performances, workshops and environmental cinema, Drap-Art makes a statement for a sustainable planet. With every festival, every showcase, Drap-Art functions as a campaign to acquaint the public with the dangerous effects of overconsumption and encourages people to consume more responsibly by respecting the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.
UNTIL
Jan 3rd festival de la infancia
Fira de Barcelona. December 27th-January 4th. Back with its usual abundance of games and activities after celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, the Festival de la Infancia aims to provide a fun and educational environment for children to pick up values of solidarity, culture and sustainability through play. There will be lots of hands-on experiences: kids can learn to milk a cow and grow their own organic garden in the farm area, visit the section dedicated to understanding how a city functions or experience being a doctor, firefighter or police officer for the day. Other features include lots of different sports, dancing, theatre, music and cookery lessons. With so many activities to keep parents and children entertained for hours, the festival offers the perfect antidote to boredom over the school holidays.
TANGO FESTIVAL BARCELONA
UNTIL
Jan 4th
December 31st-January 3rd. www.festivalbarcelonatango.com Dance in the new year with style at the Tango Festival Barcelona. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, Barcelona was an entry point into Europe for many of Buenos Aires’ greatest tango artists—including the legendary Carlos Gardel—who would flex their musical muscles here before heading to Paris. World-renowned tango dancers Julio Balmaceda and Corina de la Rosa will be hosting classes and workshops throughout the festival, accompanied by music from the New Tango Orquesta Exilio. Plaza Hotel Catalonia will be the venue for the festival highlight: a New Year’s Eve dinner and the first milonga of 2015. Other events will be held in the Xalet on Montjuïc and the Hotel Catalonia Berna. Sign up for as many classes as you like on their website.
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31st
THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE
www.barcelonaworldrace.org The Barcelona World Race, organised by the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB), is the first and only double-handed (two crewmembers per boat), non-stop, roundthe-world regatta. The third edition of the regatta sets sail on December 31st from Barcelona and is forecasted to finish back in Barcelona at the end of March 2015. The starting line is positioned opposite the W Hotel, just outside the city’s port. This is an extreme sporting challenge that puts human limits to the test. Come and see the 15 ocean yachts—boasting cutting edge technology—that will cover approximately 24,000 nautical miles, as their skippers make their way through 12 climate zones and cross three oceans, as well as sailing part of the Mediterranean Sea.
31st CURSA DELS NASSOS
December 31st. Why wake up on January 1st with a hangover when you can enjoy the smug satisfaction of a new 10k under your belt? Join over 11,000 other runners to say farewell to the year in the Cursa Sant Silvestre (popularly known as La Cursa dels Nassos), which starts at 5.30pm on New Year’s Eve in Poblenou. By far the most fun of Barcelona’s 10k runs, there will be plenty of people in costumes and a general atmosphere of bonhomie. So, join the merriment by signing up at www.bcn.cat/cursanassos between December 5th and 19th. All proceeds go to Caritas.
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EPICA Dutch symphonic metal band. 7pm. Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.
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marianne faithfull See page 20. 9pm. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.
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public holiday La Inmaculada Concepción.
Shemekia copeland Daughter of the late blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland. 8pm-10pm. Jamboree. Plaça Reial 17. (2nd & 3rd)
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TUESDAY
THE PILLOWMAN Last night of this dark thriller by Jocular Theatre. Antic Teatre. Verdaguer i Callis 12.
Fira de santa llucia This Christmas market has been going strong since 1786. 10.30am-20.30pm. Avinguda de la Catedral. (Nov 28th-Dec 23rd)
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MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
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Shemekia Copeland
3
What's ON DECEMBER 2014
12 Joe lovano & dave douglas Grammy award winning jazz musician Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas play at L’Auditori. ROLLING ROOTS festival Itinerant reggae festival featuring Protoje & The Indiggnation, Danakil, and Yanis Odua.
Mira Festival
OPEN HOUSE Cocktails and open house at Mesa Bonita. 6pm-10pm. Gayarre 2 pral. www.mesabonita.es
Hayride festival Vintage rhythms and sounds from the 50s and 60s with blues, rockabilly, country and soul. La Capsa. Prat de Llobregat. (5th-7th)
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FRIDAY
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the shopping night Enjoy some late-night shopping in style. 8pm-1am. Pg de Gràcia.
Movin’ on weekend Barcelona’s longest running soul festival. Plaça Major. Poble Espanyol 9. (4th-6th)
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THURSDAY
swing session at the mnac Just turn up and dance. 4pm-6pm. MNAC. Palau Nacional. Montjuïc.
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elton john Sir Elton John will be in town with a concert of wall-to-wall hits. 9pm. Palau Sant Jordi. Passeig Olímpic 5-7.
public holiday Día de la Constitución.
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SATURDAY
Festivalet Independent handmade fair showcasing locally made products.
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Swing al parc Open swing and dance session at the bandstand in Parc de la Ciutadella. 12.30pm-2.30pm.
demanoenmano Barcelona’s monthly itinerant vintage market. 11am-9pm. Universitat de Barcelona. Gran Via 585. (6th & 7th)
7
SUNDAY
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
For more information visit our website
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the music moves us Benefit concert for multiple sclerosis organised by Fundació GAEM and played by the Orquestra de la Societat de Concerts de Barcelona. 8pm. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.
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15
Joe Lovano
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SonarKids
Cat Power
poble espanyol new year’s party It’s the 26th edition of this New Year’s Eve party. 10.30pm. Poble Espanyol.
woody allen Woody Allen opens the new Suite Festival with the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band. 8pm. Gran Teatre del Liceu.
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Joe Lovano
WORKSHOP AT THE MUSEU DE LA MUSICA Guided tour and workshop on building a musical instrument for children from the age of six. 10am. L’Auditori. Lepant 150.
joaquin sabina Iconic Spanish singer-songwriter. 9pm. Palau Sant Jordi. Passeig Olimpic 5-7.
Taboo burlesque night Featuring the Barcelona Big Blues Band. 9pm. Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.
24
Owen Pallett
GALA concert Expect all the fanfare and glamour of 19th-century Vienna with the Strauss Festival Orchestra and Ballet. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6. (Dec 21st, 25th, 28th, 31st & Jan 1st)
25 Merry Christmas!
IN SITu Contemporary dance exhibition. Arts Santa Mònica. La Rambla 7. (18th-20th)
Centre civic casa del rellotge last day of the Casa de Rellotge exhibition which includes many historical objects. Pz. Zona Franca 116.
Händel’s Messiah See page 20. Basílica de Santa María del Mar. (15th, 16th & 17th)
THE LIVING ROOM This free jazz trio presents its debut album, Still Distant Still. Free 8.30pm. CCCB. Montalegre 5.
18
Chicago
Joe lovano & dave douglas Grammy award winning jazz musician Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas play at L’Auditori. 8.30pm. L’Auditori. Lepant 150.
ROLLING ROOTS festival Itinerant reggae festival featuring Protoje & The Indiggnation, Danakil, and Yanis Odua. 8.30pm-11.30pm. Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.
Kid Ink
ARACALADANZA This Madrid dance company presents ‘Pequeños paraísos’, a spectacular children’s performance. 6pm. Mercat de les Flors. Lleida 59. (26th-30th & Jan 2nd-4th).
public holiday Dia de Sant Esteve
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JUice party Hip-hop club night. 11pm. Marula Café. Escudellers 49.
Festival de la infancia See page 24 Fira de Barcelona. Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina. (Dec 14th-Jan 4th)
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George fitzgerald House music DJ and producer. 1am. Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
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17
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23
The Original Wailers
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Finestres de la memòria Last day of this project that looks at the Eixample’s past, with workshops, lectures and tours. Casa Elizalde. València 302.
marianne faithfull See page 20. 9pm. Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.
public holiday La Inmaculada Concepción.
new found glory The pop-punk band’s first concert in Span in five years. 8pm. Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.
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8
son de la rambla Monthly cuban music night. 11pm. Harlem Jazz Club. Comtessa de Sobradiel 8.
SONARKIDS Two days of music and creative experimentation for the whole family. Cosmocaixa. Isaac Newton 26. (27th & 28th)
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Christmas eat street Street food festival. Pl. de les Glories Catalanes. (20th & 21st)
alabama gospel choir The Alabama Gospel Choir are in town for a Christmas concert. 10.30pm. Palau de la Música Catalana.
20
Owen Pallett Canadian born composer and violinist. 9pm. Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.
swing session at the mnac Just turn up and dance. 4pm-6pm. MNAC. Palau Nacional. Montjuïc.
13
swing at the apolo Swing jam with the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra. 7.30pm-11pm. Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.
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fantastic handmade market Handmade crafts market. 11am-9pm. Universitat de Barcelona. Gran Via 585.
buff epic run Fancy dress obstacle run. Castell de Montjuïc. Carretera de Montjuïc 66.
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Lost&found market Exchange and sell secondhand goods. Estació de França. Av. Marquès de l’Argentera. (13th & 14th).
Festivalet Independent handmade fair showcasing locally made products. 11am-8pm. Museu Maritim. (13th & 14th)
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from
Seed to cup The Third Wave of Coffee Culture is Breaking Over Barcelona. TEXT AND PHOTOS By SAM ZUCKER
“E
veryone in this industry would love to open their own little coffee corner,” says Elisabet Sereno, National Coordinator of Spain for the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). “But it’s not easy.” Elisabet has recently opened True Artisan Café coffee shop in Barcelona, just steps from the Arc de Triomf. Having formed a partnership with the La Marzocco brand of high-end Italian espresso machines, True Artisan Café is an espresso machine showroom, a SCAE-certified coffee education and training centre and, of course, a great place to enjoy some carefully-roasted and expertly-prepared coffee. “Growing and processing coffee is a very labour intensive process,” Elisabet says, “so to not respect the beans during the roasting, grinding and brewing process would be to not respect the long journey which the beans have taken, or the hard work that has gone into their production. The (La Marzocco) machines truly respect the coffee.” It takes an entire year for a coffee plant to produce one kilogramme of green coffee beans, which lose 15-20 percent of their weight during the roasting process. In the end, one kilogramme of roasted coffee yields between 120 and 140 cups of brewed coffee only; a lot of work for a product that is often mistreated in the final steps of its journey from seed to cup. “However,” Elisabet continues, “it is just so difficult to get the permits to open your own coffee shop or coffee roasting business in Barcelona that many people would just rather go to London.” There are two reasons why there
are so few ‘speciality coffee’ shops in this city. First, there is a scarcity of coffee education and knowledge among the coffee-drinking public. Second, there is a severe lack of assistance to entrepreneurs from the Spanish government. Currently, an individual applying for a per-
Skillful preparation at True Artisan Café
centuries and continues to become ever more focused on quality, both in business practices and in the cup. Little by little, the ‘Third Wave’ of coffee culture is dawning in Spain. The ‘First Wave’ of coffee culture upheld the Italian tradition of mixed beans of unknown
Elisabet Sereno and head barista Ionut Bindila show how they grind and weigh the coffee on a digital scale every time a drink is ordered. mit to open a coffee shop in Barcelona is forced to apply for the same type of costly permit required of someone interested in opening a bar; there is no ‘coffee shop’ category. David Abrahamovitch, co-founder of the extremely popular East London coffee shop Shoreditch Grind, sums it up perfectly; “All you need (in London) is a coffee machine!” Even so, coffee culture here has ridden various waves over the
provenance which have filled cups since Caffè Florian—the first coffeehouse in Europe—was opened in Venice, Italy in 1720. Starbucks ushered in the ‘Second Wave’ during the 1970s and 1980s, as the first large coffee company to bring ‘coffee origin’ to the awareness of the consumer. Now, the ‘Third Wave’ is here, focused not only on coffee bean origin but dedicated to full transparency in the sourcing process and ulti-
Weekly coffee tasting at Nomad
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mate freshness of the roasted beans. As a result, the new generation coffee houses are dedicated to propagating their respect and love for coffee to the masses. People want to know everything about the coffee, including who roasted it and when. True Artisan Café serves coffee from a different artisan roaster each month. So what accounts for the disconnect between the ‘romantic’ idea of a Barcelona coffee shop and the reality that most of the coffee served in the city is a bit lacking in character? Ever wondered why the café con leche (espresso with steamed milk) is so popular here? The answer, aside from lack of properly trained baristas in all but the most progressive establishments, is an unpleasant remnant of Spanish coffee’s past: torrefacto. Torrefacto is a process of roasting coffee beans with sugar, creating a shiny glaze on the bean that acts as a means of preservation and yields a dark, slightly bitter brew requiring the addition of milk and sugar to be palatable. Initially used by coffee importers and distributors in the early 20th century to keep their beans from going stale, torrefacto became indispensable in the era that followed the Spanish Civil War. Coffee shortages after the war were balanced by this roasting process, giving the sensation of a strong cup while using less coffee. Roasters adding sugar weight to coffee maximised profits (up to 15 percent in weight could be sugar) and masked the flavour of inferior quality coffee beans. Out of all the coffee that Spain currently imports, 70 percent of the beans are of the inferior Robusta species, which is easier to grow and has a noticeably more bitter taste. Using cheap Robusta instead of higher-quality Arabica beans was masked by the torrefacto process for years. During the Franco era, coffee came in three distinct levels of quality only: Popular, Regular, and Superior, the last being the best. Imports were strictly regulated by the government, and the coffee options were few. Over the decades, the people of Spain have grown accustomed to the flavour of this sugarroasted coffee. However, there is no longer good reason for the torrefacto process to continue. In the end, this product has shaped Spain’s perception of what coffee should taste like, leading to the belief that if a coffee isn’t strong and dark, it isn’t ‘good’. It may be hard for people to appreciate the more delicate flavour of light and medium-roast coffee, but the fact that lessroasted coffee actually maintains more caffeine is an easy selling point. So what makes a ‘good’ cup of coffee? At Nomad Coffee Productions—a coffee laboratory/roaster/coffee shop that has the whole city buzzing—founder Jordi Mestre loves sharing coffee knowledge with consumers, facilitating the spread of information and generating a more demanding coffee-drinking public.
Every Friday, Nomad hosts a coffee ‘cupping’; a tasting of six different coffees, sampled in the professional coffee evaluation format. Jordi explains the origins, roasts and flavour profiles of each coffee, which are prepared simply by pouring hot water directly onto coarse-ground coffee in a glass cup, no filter. “We do (the cuppings) for our own education at Nomad,” says Jordi, “and invite other people to join in.” The cuppings are informative events lasting about an hour and costing €15 per person, with a bag of coffee included. Jordi is a London coffee veteran who decided to move back to his native Barcelona and take his Nomad Coffee Cart business (founded in London in 2011) to the next level in February 2014 by opening Nomad Coffee Productions. A ‘concept store’, not a ‘coffee shop’, their main goal is coffee roasting and experimentation. Nomad offers four to five different coffees at any given time in their coffee shop/laboratory and they also supply many other shops and restaurants. However, the precise, expert final preparation found at places like Nomad and True Artisan Café is hard to match.
6 places to drink a great coffee in Barcelona Nomad Coffee Productions: Passatge Sert 12 True Artisan Café: Passatge Sant Benet 6 Onna Café: Carrer de Santa Teresa 1 Skye Coffee Co.: Carrer de Pamplona 88 Satan’s Coffee Corner: Carrer de l’Arc de Sant Ramon del Call 11 Cafés El Magnífico: Carrer de l’Argenteria 64
to the real thing and the latter’s commonly bitter taste. At the opposite end of the spectrum he ranks ‘drip’ coffee (filter cones, Aeropress and the like) and French Press pots as the best bet for a pleasing cup in the comfort of your own home. Jordi’s French Press coffee at home: 16 grammes of light roast coffee (coarse ground) and 230 ml of water at 94˚C degrees. Add the hot water to the press pot, stir, cover, and set a timer for four minutes. Finally, press the plung-
The coffee bar at True Artisan Café
At True Artisan Café, Elisabet and head barista Ionut Bindila show how they grind and weigh the coffee on a digital scale every time a drink is ordered. For a double-shot of espresso, the ground coffee weighs from 16 to 19 grammes (depending on the desired outcome). The top-of-the-line La Marzocco Strada EP (Electric Paddle) machine that adorns their coffee bar costs as much as a new Volkswagen and gives the barista absolute control over the coffee extraction. Their precision, and the importance of everything from the fresh local milk to the filtered water, puts these professional coffeeshops in a whole other league than the ‘slap and tap’ espresso at the typical corner café. At Nomad, Jordi offers some words of advice. To get the best cup of coffee without leaving the house, he ranks home ‘espresso machines’ and stovetop Moka pots as the worse options, for the former’s inadequacy compared
er down and decant the coffee to stop the brewing and avoid over-extraction. Enjoy. Just as fine wine, craft beer and artisan cocktail advocates in Barcelona have fought to build an attitude of respect, recognition, and perceived value from the consumer, so goes the campaign to brew a new era of coffee drinking culture in Barcelona and beyond. As coffee lovers, it is our task to become educated in coffee’s impressive journey from far-off plantation to cup and saucer. As we become more informed and demanding, the better the coffee culture of Barcelona will be. I propose that everyone go out and try one of these ‘Third Wave’ coffee shops for themselves and discover the full potential and complexity found in the little beans, once revered, that have since been left for dregs. Go out, order a coffee, ask questions; help build Barcelona into a true coffee city, one sip at a time.
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Closing TIME? barcelona has lost A NUMBER of its oldest shops and many more are at risk of closing. TEXT BY Jay collins. PHOTOS By HAYLEY CANTOR
T
he basement of Librería Canuda was once a favourite haunt of Barcelona’s bibiofiles. A McDonalds stands there now. At the end of Portal del’Angel, the inconspicuous, dusty-fronted Palacio del Juguete, which began selling toys in 1936, has been replaced by a sleek, bright Geox shop. In recent years, Barcelona has seen a number of its oldest and most iconic shops close, victims of a deep recession, new shopping habits and rising costs. Among other historic stores that have ceased to trade in the last year is the 170-year-old Jugueteria Monforte in Pl. Josep Oriol. At the end of this year, the city may bid a sad farewell to many more of these old, familyrun establishments. On December 31st, when decades of rent control end, these businesses will have to pay market prices for their enviable locations. Given that a number of these stores are located in the city’s most pricey areas and are already suffering from dramatic falls in sales, most will not be able to afford the hike in rents. Since 1964, when Franco introduced protected rents for shopkeepers, many places have paid well below market prices for their locations. Twenty years ago, the Socialist government passed the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU), effectively ending this practice. However, a number of shops were given a moratorium of 20 years, providing, in theory, plenty of time to prepare for the day they would face the harsh reality of modern-day rental prices. The Palacio del Juguete has been owned by the same family since 1936 and paid just 1,000 euros each month for one of the highest foottraffic locations in the city. Portal del Angel is Spain’s most expensive shopping street with rent per square metre currently at 270 euros per month. The only companies that can af-
ford these city-centre prices are international brands. The toy shop reached an agreement and moved the shop to a cheaper location. The Ajuntament has been left in a quandary. These beautiful historic shops, bars and cafes are an intrinsic part of the city’s fabric. Their names and ornate façades are familiar
terior fittings, but could not offer help to the businesses. Special measures to limit the ways in which these shops can be altered physically have been applied to nearly 400 establishments. Whether there will be any help from the Ajuntament for the businesses themselves is still under discussion.
At the end of this year, the city may bid a sad farewell to many more of these old, family-run establishments. to anyone who has lived in the city for any time and are as typically ‘Barcelona’ as the Sagrada Familia or the Pedrera. Walking through the doors of candle shop Cerería Subirà, music shop Casa Beethoven or fabric store El Indio is to go back 100 years, before the ubiquitous high street chains made every street look the same. You’ll be hard pushed these days to find anyone who buys candles at Cerería Subirà, stamps from Filatelia Monge or gets their shirts from Camisería Deulofeu, but no one is happy for them to close. And, of course, these places are the ‘real Barcelona’ that tourists like to look into from the outside. They are a key part of the city’s charm. In February of this year, despite insistences that the Ajuntament could not become involved in private matters, the mayor, Xavier Trias, was forced by the opposition to take action to protect the city’s patrimony. He promised protection for the shopfronts and the in-
According to many shop owners this is too little, too late. And, given that the deadline was established some 20 years ago it does seem that negotiations have been left to the eleventh hour. Some places had more foresight, including the Granja Viader near Santa María del Pi, Pastissería La Colmena in Pl. del Ángel and the Bolívar metal shop on Rambla Catalunya. These businesses have reached agreements with their landlords, enabling them to stay in their premises. A few others have got off lightly, such as the Cerería Subirà which is housed in a building owned by the government and has been given a 10-year extension on its lease. While the local government works out what to do, the clock keeps ticking. No one knows for certain what will happen at the end of December and whether any solution will be found that can keep everyone happy. One thing is for sure though, every shop that closes is a door closed on a small part of the city’s history.
For a full list of the city’s emblematic shops and information about their history, visit: www.emblematics.com 31
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main pages Dec 2014.indd 10
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Christmas gift
MADE IN BARCELONA
guide SOFTHEADS DEER HEAD
PRICE €99 www.softheads.net
GARDEN PLANT POT
Even the person who has everything probably doesn’t have one of these. Softheads offer a humorous take on taxidermy with hunting trophies of deer, horses, rhinos and even bulldogs.
PRICE FROM €15 www.gardencoworkingatelier.com This co-working space in Gràcia also sells products made in its workshops. Choose from designer hanging planters or eco gardening kits for the green-fingered.
HOMMU
HOME VINYLS PRICE €30 www.hommu.com The result of one artistic entrepreneur’s dream, Hommu creates wall vinyls of all sizes in bold, clean designs, using recycled materials. For a truly local gift check out the I Love Barcelona vinyl.
DO
TSHIRT
PINZAT
PRICE €28 www.do-barcelona.com
BAG
PRICE FROM €125 www.pinzat.org
This duo of fashion designer and graphic designer create limited series, handmade hats and t-shirts. All the garments are made in the ARED foundation, which trains people at risk of social exclusion
These handmade and hand-painted bags are made in Pinzat’s workshop in the Born using recycled materials. Each bag is unique and all have an adaptable strap for bike handlebars.
TIK
DOLL HOUSE KIT PRICE €34.90 www.thisiskarton.com These BCN made and designed cardboard kits are simple, light and leave plenty to the kids’ imaginations. Designs include a dolls’ house, a Nordicinspired house and toy kitchen.
UNIQBROW GLASSES
PRICE FROM €90 www.uniqbrow.com Mix and match different frames with just one pair of lenses. Uniqbrow design and manufacture all their glasses in BCN. They have partnered with educo.org to donate a free meal to a Spanish child living in poverty for every pair of glasses sold.
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TRAVEL WHETHER YOU’RE A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL OR AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR YOU IN CATALUNYA. HERE’S OUR QUICK GUIDE TO THE REGION’S 10 SKI RESORTS.
BEST FOR... ...FAMILIES Vall de Núria
...EASY TRAVELLING La Molina and Masella
The Vall de Núria resort lies in a peaceful valley 2000 metres above sea level and surrounded by dramatic peaks. It can only be accessed by a ‘zip train’ from nearby Queralbs, and the lack of cars and its compact size makes this a great option for families. There are just seven kilometres of pistes, many of which are for beginners. For younger non-skiers, the snowpark with sledging and tubbys (like big inflatable tyres) is close at hand. The resort has a large, reasonably-priced hotel with a restaurant and bar. www.valldenuria.com
With 53 skiable kilometres, La Molina is a popular destination for Barcelona residents as it’s one of the easiest to reach without a car (the train takes about two-and-a-half hours from Sants station). Non-skiers can also enjoy the Parc de les Arbres, a treetop adventure park which is open all year round. www.lamolina.com
Vallter 2000 Just a two-hour drive from Barcelona, in the green Vall de Camprodon, is the relaxed resort of Vallter 2000. Small and family-friendly, there are 18 kilometres of downhill skiing with plenty of beginners’ slopes. You can’t stay at the resort itself, but there are several picturesque towns nearby, such as Camprodon and Setcases a few kilometres away. Check the resort’s website for local accommodation suggestions. www.vallter2000.com
Port del Compte This is the closest resort to Barcelona and ideal for beginners and families. There are lots of easy runs through woodlands and it’s often less busy than some of its more popular neighbours. The two-star Hotel Serhs is perfectly positioned at the foot of the beginners’ slopes, making a family weekend easy to navigate. Non-skiing children (and adults) can have some fun in the snow with the tubbys. www.portdelcomte.net
...SNOWBOARDING Port Ainé Thanks to its location just below the Pic de l’Orri peak and with 95 percent of its slopes north-facing, Port Ainé enjoys excellent snow quality when other resorts are getting out the snow canons. There are 32 kilometres of pistes and a snowboarding zone which offers plenty of challenges even for the most advanced snowboarder. If you can afford to splash out, the Port Ainé hotel (the highest hotel in the Pyrenees) is conveniently located right at the foot of the slopes. www.skipallars.cat
Boí Taüll At 2,750 metres, and set in stunning surroundings, Boí Taüll is the highest ski resort in the Pyrenees. It offers a wide range of winter sports, including snowshoe trails and ice climbing. Located in the Vall de Boí, 270 kilometres from Barcelona, the resort is relatively quiet. www.boitaullresort.es
From La Molina you can reach neighbouring Masella by a telecabina which links the two. This larger resort has 68 kilometres of slopes, many of which glide through thick pine forest. There’s also a great snowpark, La Pleta, for snowboarders of all levels. www.masella.com
...GLAMOUR Baqueira Beret Thanks to its patronage by the Spanish royal family, Baqueira Beret is Catalunya’s most upmarket ski resort and frequently pops up in the winter editions of Hola. Its three separate ski bases, Baqueira, Beret and Bonaigua, make up the largest ski area in Spain, offering a total of 146 kilometres of long, wide runs. Located in the Vall d’Aran, 200 kilometres north of Barcelona, its westernly aspect ensures good quality snow and the longest skiing season in Catalunya. For those looking to relax a little after a hard day’s skiing, this resort also offers the most aprés ski options, with lots of good restaurants, bars and spas. www.baqueira.es
...EXPERIENCED SKIERS Espot Esqui Located in Pallars Sobirà, Espot Esqui enjoys an enviable position beside the lush pine forests of the Aiguëstortes and Sant Maurici National Park. The resort offers 30 kilometres of skiing including some steep black runs. Non-skiers can go sledging with dogs and take snowshoe trails. www.skipallars.cat
...CROSS COUNTRY Tavascán The small resort of Tavascán, nestled in the lush Mascarida valley, is the only Catalan resort that offers both alpine and cross-country skiing. Friendly and popular with skiers of all levels, Tavascán offers seven downhill runs, two of which are black. The eight-kilometre crosscountry track allows you to take things a little slower and enjoy the area’s incredible natural beauty. www.tavascan.net
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FIV E
WEEKEND ESCAPES
1
VALL DE NURIA FAMILY DAY OUT
2
Day trip to La Molina
3
Luxury IN BAQUEIRA
4
ROMANTIC WEEKEND IN PORT AINE
5
Scenic Getaway in Tavascan
Buy a family pack for an easy and unforgettable day in the snow. Pick from four different options that cater to skiers and non-skiers. All include the round trip to Nuria on the ‘zip’ train. Other combined packs also offer catering options for an easy lunch off the slopes.
If you don’t have a car, this is the easiest and cheapest way to get to the slopes. You’ll have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch either the bus or the train. The bus package costs 38 euros and includes the bus journey, ski pass and insurance. The train package costs 41 euros and includes the train journey and the ski pass. For an additional cost you can extend your ski pass to include neighbouring Masella.
The upmarket resort of Baqueira is ideal for a little pampering. Spend the weekend La Pleta Hotel’s Occitania spa where, after a hard morning’s skiing, you can pick from 15 types of massage including a massage with local Val d’Aran honey. Other facilities include sauna, aromatherapy, jacuzzi and hair salon. www.lapleta.com/en/
Add a little romance to your weekend. Do some star gazing and spot animal trails in the snow on one of Port Ainé’s guided nighttime snowshoe walks. A two-hour walk costs 28 euros. Keep things simple and stay at the three-star Port Ainé 2000 hotel at pié de pista. A double room for two nights in December costs from 240 euros. Check the resort website for special offers.
Stay at this mountain refuge in one of the most picturesque locations in the Catalan pyrenees. The stone house set on the slopes offers cosy simplicity and is the perfect location for a cross-country skiing excursion. Prices from 20 euros for accommodation and breakfast. www.tavascan.net/es/la-pleta/refugi-de-la-pleta/
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REVIEW
ABaC
JORDI CRUZ WORKS UP A CREATIVE STORM AT HIS FLAGSHIP RESTAURANT ON TIBIDABO. BY TARA STEVENS.
MORE INFO. Avinguda del Tibidabo 1. Tel. 93 319 6600. www.abacbarcelona.com. Open Tue-Sat 1.30pm3.30pm, 8.30pm-10.30pm. ABaC Tasting Menu €135 / €65 wine pairing; 16-course Grand ABaC Tasting Menu €165 / €85 wine pairing. ✪✪✪✪✪
R
ising star, chef Jordi Cruz, is a man on a mission. In May 2010 he took up the reins at ABaC as well as opening two other restaurants—Tens Barcelona and L’Angle—in the city centre. More recently he embarked on a TV career as one of the judges on Spain’s Master Chef, but ABaC is his flagship. It is well worth the high price tag, for Cruz is one crazybrilliant, mind-blowingly energetic guy who reminds me in some ways of a younger Ferran Adrìa. He’s got that same intense energy and mad passion for his craft that leaves you feeling almost bulldozed, but never less than awe-struck. It can only be a matter of time before he takes over the world, but for now he’s firmly Barcelona-based, with a repertoire of some 2000 recipes behind him, which go into creating his daily changing ABaC Grand Tasting menu. I need a nap just thinking about the kind of effort this takes, but Cruz is anything but tired. He’s like a juggernaut of creativity turning out dishes of such blazing genius it’s fireworks all the way, lessened only by an architecturally beautiful, but rather sombre dining room. When the food and service is this fun, stimulating and brave, why not the space? I guess it gives you breathing room to really focus on the food, which surely deserves your full attention. We begin with a pineapple pisco, a jaunty little shot that opens the taste buds just so, before launching into foie on toast alongside a crunchy pigeon croquette floating on a deeply savoury pigeon broth that is lifted by a cheeky streak of ginger, intensified by a thimble of quail jus.
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✪ NOT WORTH THE TRIP
Clever! We move onto raw navajas piled onto fresh shitake mushrooms that curl into flowers as a hot Thai consommé is poured over the top. It’s plump, salty, delicious and deftly paired with a pale ale from the Cabo de Gato that’s all hoppy, citrussy delight. This is followed by a natty little palette cleaner of ceviche of lulo (one of those mysterious South American citrus fruits) that is sharp and sour with hints of rhubarb and lime, and slickly contrasted by eel brioche with aioli and fresh wasabi grated at the table to cut through the rich, butteriness
partner to a crunchy German Riesling that’s a bit like sucking stones (in a good way) and wildly fresh. Rare is the occasion I’ve enjoyed a wine pairing this much, but the inimitable maitre, Pablo Sacerdotte, nails it every time. His choices are simply dazzling. The next dish is the only one that falls short. Steak tartar with herb mustard and cucumber flowers, which is too finely minced for me—I don’t like the mushy texture—but Cruz is back on form with Palamos prawns, romesco gnocchi and seaweed, a sort of homage to the Costa
He’s like a juggernaut of creativity turning out dishes of such blazing genius it’s fireworks all the way. of the eel. It’s devilishly good, though Cruz explains while grating that he used to use Japanese mustard, which he preferred. Evidently, the chap who supplied it died and he hasn’t been able to source it since. I ask if he’s ever been to Japan. He hasn’t, but believes that Catalan cuisine shares many of the same attributes, especially in terms of a deep respect for the product itself. With it we sip a biodynamic Garnacha Blanca by Frisach in the Terra Alta that’s transformative. I’ve never much enjoyed Garnacha Blanca, but this was sprightly and elegant, sort of grassy, like spring in a glass. Next up, comforting onion soup sweetened by an eel and foie spherico and ‘calamarisotto’ with caviar and toasted chufas (tiger nuts) that make a perfect ✪✪ COULD IMPROVE
✪✪✪ GOOD
Brava; roast sole with crayfish, leeks and coconut, crossed by whisper-thin spears of wild asparagus; salmonetes (red mullet) topped with the crunchiest prawn crackling, and silky grilled Wagyu sprinkled with sake ash, pairing it all with a vegetal Beaujolais that is light enough for the fish and big enough personality-wise to hold its own against the beef. The grand finale comes in the form of gin and tonic ‘bubbles’ with mango, white chocolate rocks with summer truffles (possibly the best petit four I’ve ever eaten) and a raspberry sorbet packaged up as lipstick lollipop. What can I say? Dining a la Cruz does not come cheap, far from it, but if you want to treat yourself to one mega gourmet experience this Christmas, this is it.
✪✪✪✪ VERY GOOD
✪✪✪✪✪ NOT TO BE MISSED
11/25/14 2:54:57 PM
RECIPE: CANELONS Boxing Day lunch in Catalunya uses the leftover turkey or chicken meat from the 25th to fill pasta rolls called canelons. It isn’t a particularly light option after Christmas Day but is a delicious tradition for the day known here as Sant Esteve. For the filling: ½ chicken/turkey, preferably white meat 1 chicken/turkey liver 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic 2 medium tomatoes, chopped ½ teaspoon mixed herbs 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon brandy 1 pack of canelon pasta sheets For the bechemal sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon butter, in pieces 1 small carton of cooking cream 2 tablespoons flour pinch of grated nutmeg 1 litre of whole milk grated Parmesan cheese Cut the chicken/turkey and liver into small pieces and season. Heat oil in a pot and add the meat, vegetables, garlic and herbs, and a pinch of salt. When the vegetables are cooked, add some water to cover everything in the pot and put a lid on it. Cook at medium heat for 35 minutes, adding water as necessary so the contents remain covered. Add the brandy and cook for another 10 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t burn. When the meat is tender, take off the stove and let stand so the mixture cools. Next, cook the pasta sheets according to the instructions on the packet. Once done, place the pasta on a damp cloth on a baking sheet and leave to cool. Finely chop the cooked meat and vegetable mixture. Take a pasta sheet and put about one tablespoon of the filling in the middle, then roll the sheet to close—you can use a little water on your finger to seal the edge of the pasta shut. Repeat for all the sheets. Place filled rolls in a baking pan. To prepare the sauce, heat the butter, a pinch of salt and chopped onion in a pan. Once the onion has browned, add the cream, stirring continuously, and then the flour and nutmeg. When the sauce has thickened, add the milk gradually while stirring, until there are no lumps. Cover the canelons with the sauce and Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven and cook au gratin (heat comes only from the top part of the oven) for 10 minutes, or the time needed for the cheese to melt and become golden brown.
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QUICK BITES
saÜc
CHEF XAVIER FRANCO KEEPS THINGS INNOVATIVE, SOPHISTICATED AND REAL. By Tara Stevens.
M
any moons ago my favourite place to eat in Barcelona was Saüc, when it was tucked away on a little passageway uptown and it felt buzzy and secret and special. A few years ago it gave all that up to move to the first floor of the Ohla Hotel, which is understandable given the challenges of owning restaurants these days, but suddenly it felt a lot more corporate. The lively atmosphere was replaced by the more sedate hush of a boutique hotel restaurant, though this one is sunshiney and light, with gaily painted works of art brightening the charcoal greys, glass and wood. It’s also somewhere I like to go alone, or just as two, and bag a spot at the bar table, which makes the perfect perch for watching the team at work in the kitchen. Thankfully some things never change, like Anna Doñate’s simply beautiful style of serv-
ice, and chef Xavier Franco’s understated, yet brilliantly sexy, sophisticated and seriously accomplished cooking. He got his first Michelin star a few years ago and he could have gone wild with the whole fine dining thing, but instead, he’s keeping it real, at lunchtime at least, with a great value set-menu that also happens to be one of the prettiest in town. Franco’s is the kind of innovatively satisfying food that makes you feel happy to be alive: smug even, if you happen to write about food for a living. For truly, who wouldn’t open themselves up to being seduced by dishes liked creamy espardenyes (sea cucumber) rice with saffron and marrow, duck cannellones with foie emulsion, pear and pinenuts, or confit of suckling pig with potatoes and shallots, rounded out with a hot cherry soufflé and homemade vanilla icecream. It would take a right old scrooge not to find their heart melted and stomach sated by at least one visit here before the end of the year. Merry Christmas, one and all.
MORE INFO. Via Laietana 49, Barri Gotic. Tel. 93 341 5050. Open daily 1.30pm-3.30pm, 8.30pm-11pm. Three course lunch menu, not including wine €37; Tasting Menu €82; Saüc Tasting Menu €112.
tastings
Miquel Hudin is originally from California but is now based in Barcelona. He founded the Vinologue enotourism series of wine books (www.vinologue.com).
‘Tis the Season
For those who love sparkling wines, this is a great time of year. For those who don’t or are just indifferent, the holidays will prove to be minefield of lesser bubblies just waiting to hurt your body and soul. Of course, the most well-known of sparkling wines is champagne and, while the quality of it can run all over the place (and it only gets interesting after
the€€30 level), it’s generally a safe bet. But why buy champagne when we have cava? Whether you’re a devotee or not, there is enough variety of good, deep cavas out there to keep you going through the holiday season. Those looking to delve in more can visit my wine website wineonsix.com for plenty more reviews.
Castell de Perelada Cuvée Rosé 2009
Juvé y Camps Reserva de la Familia 2010
An unusual Rosé of 100 percent Trepat grapes. It has dried figs and apricot to the nose as well as a touch of earthiness. Larger in the mouth than typical cava, it has wonderful acidity and additional dried fruit notes with a finish that goes on forever. €10
A complex nose with touches of the barrel aging but very even overall. A little bread and red fruits emerge as it decants. Even in the mouth, it holds a good, fresh acidity that carries through the finish. €14.50
Caves Mestres Visol 2007 A traditional blend of Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada, it shows lemon peel and a light, spicy perfume in the nose. The body is light, of medium acidity, and fresh in the mouth with a short finish at the end of an elegant and very refined bottle. €20
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FOOD DRINK
&
For more in food&drink visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking
IN
€ under 20 | €€ 20-30 | €€€ 30-40 | €€€€ over 40 Bar
NEFW &D
Discount for Metropolitan reaDers.
Japanese BIERFEST TAVERN4SAGRADA FAMILIA This cosy traditional pub has a fantastic range of draft and bottled beers as well as a wide selection of G&T’s. They have large TVs and it’s the perfect place to watch the match with friends. If you study at the UAB join them on Facebook for more info on their regular language intercambio nights.
NEWD IN F&
Barcelona’s latest and greatest Japanese restaurant, YOI YOI GION, is a completely authentic udon restaurant from Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto. YOI YOI GION offers delicious handmade, organic noodles in a modern Japanese atmosphere. Dine in at very reasonable prices and enjoy ingredients such as kelp, niboshi (small, dried sardines) and katsuobushi (dried, shaved bonito), which are combined for the stock of the noodles, with no chemical additives.
Gaudí 81 | Metro Guinardó, Sagrada Familia Tel. 99 348 0157 | www.bierfest.es | www.facebook.com/bierfest-barcelona
L'ENTRESOL4GRACIA
Located in the heart of Gràcia, just next to Plaça del Sol, L’Entresol is probably the coolest bar in the area. This relaxed place with a friendly atmosphere where locals and visitors get together is devoted to music and G&T. You’ll find more than 40 premium gins at L’Entresol, each one served in a different style with different ingredients. A perfect place for celebrations.
€2 Discount on DrinKs
YOI YOI GION 4EIXAMPLE
Diagonal 383 | Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 124 8701 | www.facebook.com/yoiyoigionudon Tues-Sat 1.30pm-4pm, 8pm-11pm . Closed Sun & Mon
Planeta 39 | Metro Fontana Tues-Thu 7pm-2.30am, Fri-Sat until 3am
Argentine
pint of stella €3
BELCHICA 4EIXAMPLE
9REINAS 4EIXAMPLE
Barcelona´s Belgian beer experience, serving up to 70 ales, lagers, fruity beers and other specials like gueuzes from the beer country for locals, students and expats. Multilingual staff, regular art exhibitions, live music and hip events complete the perfect Belgian bar experience. Also sports on SKY, Belgian German and Dutch tv. Free Wi-Fi and outdoor terrace, private parties possible: ask for conditions and offers at the bar.
Argentine restaurant Nueve Reinas has quickly become a favourite for discerning meat-eaters. Renowned for its excellent quality and value 9Reinas is specialised in meats from all over the world. The exquisite Argentina-inspired decoration offers an intimate and welcoming space where every visitor feels like a guest. The restaurant has two floors and a private room which can host parties of up to nine people.
Villarroel 60, 08011 | Metro Urgell, salida Villarroel Tel. 625 814 001 | belchica@gmail.com
Valencia 267 | Tel. 93 272 4766 www.nuevereinas.com/en
Ice Cream
Bakery MANNA GELATS 4BARRI GÒTIC
Homemade ice creams, waffles and crêpes in the heart of the Barrio Gótico. Their ice creams are inspired by family recipes, using the best products. The fresh fruit sorbets are made with marketbought products therefore boasting exotic varieties. Their passion is to please their customers with personalized attention.
Ban ys Nous 22 | Metro Liceu Tel. 93 342 7312
Food & drink Dec 2014 .indd 44
BE MY BAGEL 4GRÀCIA Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be My Bagel is the right place for you. They sell authentic bagels from Barcelona, just how you like them. They have an extensive range of bagels and cakes, from the more classic choices such as poppy and multigrain to delicious and innovative chocolate, almond and coconut bagels—you won’t come away disappointed.
Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I Metro Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Sat 10am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm, Sun 10.30am-2pm
11/25/14 5:44:38 PM
Spanish LOIDI RESTAURANT4 EIXAMPLE
NATA LISBOA4EIXAMPLE Heir to one of the most delicious confectionary recipes in the world thats spans two centuries, NATA was born to produce and spread the most deliciously sweet tastes from Lisbon to the four corners of the world. Pay them a visit to try their portuguese specialities and their sublime coffee blend.
Loidi is a contemporary bistro, in which Martin Berasategui makes his cuisine accessible to everybody. Cuisine prepared with the finest seasonal ingredients and presented with imagination that recalls and pays homage to the celebrated Basque chef’s traditional roots and origins. The menu features various dining options with dishes that vary on a weekly basis. The Restaurant is a very contemporary, warm and comfortable space frequented by a local and professional clientele. Head chef: Jordi Asensio. Maitre d’: Oscar Fernández.
Mallora 277 I natalisboa.com www.facebook.com/NATALisboaESPANA
Vegetarian/Vegan BAR CELONETA 4BARCELONETA Experience a huge variety of sangrias in this cozy place with a cool and chilled vibe where wine, fruit and spices are mixed with creativity and passion. It’s the first and only vegan/vegetarian tapas bar in the district where one can enjoy an exquisite brunch from 11am to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday. The atmosphere is casual and relaxingl, with alternative background music.
eaders.
NEWD IN F&
Sevilla 70 (near Carrer de Juici) | Metro Barceloneta | Tel. 93 172 2280 www.bar-celoneta.es | Open Wed-Fri 12pm-12am, Sat-Sun 10am-1am
Mallorca 248-250, 08008 Tel. 93 492 9292 Mon-Sat 1pm-3.30pm, 8pm-11pm, Sun 1pm-3.30pm, Closed Sun evening.
100 Montaditos 4POBLENOU
amaltea4EIXAMPLE
Visit Amaltea vegetarian restaurant, where a warm and welcoming environment allows you to fully enjoy a tasty and healthier alternative to your everyday meal. Dishes include cereals, pulses and vegetables with home-made puddings. The cuisine is creatively international with care taken to ensure that each meal is well-balanced and made with the freshest ingredients. Menu of the day 10.70, night and weekend menu 15.50. Diputació 164 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 | www.restauranteamaltea.com Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11pm, Closed Sun
Govinda (VEGETARIAN) 4BARRI GÒTIC
Founded 25 years ago, Govinda continues to thrive on a blend of experience and fresh innovation in vegetarian Indian cuisine. The international menu features talis, a salad bar, natural juices, lassis, pizzas and crêpes. Govinda offers a vegan-friendly, nonalcoholic and authentically-decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus.
NEWD IN F&
Plaça Vila de Madrid 4-5 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 318 7729 www.govinda.es | Tue-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11am, Sun-Mon 1pm-4pm
If you’re looking for a restaurant in Barcelona with a huge variety of cheap tapas and outdoor terrace, Cervecería 100 Montaditos is the place to go. It’s located in the Rambla del Poblenou, one of the Barcelona’s most characteristic neighbourhoods. There are 5 HD TVs with audio all around the bar making this the perfect venue for international football evenings with friends. Choose from tapas and pinchos and a “jarra de cerveza” at just 1.50. And don’t miss their excellent promotions. Monday is ‘half euro’ day with montaditos at 50c. On Wednesdays and Sundays enjoy Euromania and pick anything on the menu for 1. Rambla del Poblenou 76, 08005 Tel. 93 624 2910 I www.100montaditos.com
Juice bar SANO4SANTS
Fonda España4 Barri GÒtic
Sano Juice offers a healthy alternative choice with smoothies and juices, homemade bagels, paninis, wraps and a tasty lunch menu for 10.45. Our food and smoothies are made to order with fresh ingredients, no extra sugar, offering the best quality.
Located in the emblematic Hotel España, the Modernist dining room that was originally designed and decorated by Domènech i Montaner, houses Fonda España. Rich in patrimonial interest, the historic elements in this beautiful room inspire and enhance the new elements. Here, Gastronomic Director Martín Berasategui’s aim is to offer his well known culinary concept to diners looking for simple, balanced and delicious dishes that is a tribute to the renowned chef’s origins.
Sano Cuina Buenos Aires specialises in take-away salads, wraps and drinks, as well as healthy lunch menus that change twice a week. Eat better = Feel better.
Sant Pau 9-11 I Metro Liceu Tel. 93 550 0000 Mon-Sat, from 1pm-4pm and 8pm-11pm Sun, from 1pm-4pm, Closed Sun evening.
Buenos Aires 44 , 08036 | Cerca de la Plaça Francesc Macià Tel. 217 81 15 | Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm
Mexican
Indian / Tandoori TLAXCAL 4BORN
SURYA 4EIXAMPLE
Just a few steps from the new Born Centre Cultural, you will find the best and most authentic mexican restaurant in Barcelona. They offer fresh, homemade guacamole, nachos, enchiladas, tacos, spicy aguachile, ceviche, and deserts, all of which are made with top quality, fresh ingredients. Enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner in a cosy and modern place, with the best margaritas and micheladas in town. From Monday to Friday they offer a great lunch menu deal for just 11, including a starter, main course, dessert and drink.
Surya Barcelona, is an Indian restaurant that invites you to travel all the way to the streets of Mumbai, rich with colour, smell and exotic flavors. They offer a cozy and relaxed place where you feel at home, where you can drink, read a magazine, connect to the Internet, work and try out some of their delicious dishes.
Comerç 27, 08003, Metro Barceloneta, Jaume I Tel. 93 268 4134 info@tlaxcal.com | www.tlaxcal.com Mon-Fri 1pm-4pm, 8pm-midnight, Sat-Sun 1pmmidnight, kitchen open all day, Closed Tues
Food & drink Dec 2014 .indd 45
Pau Claris 92 | Tel. 93 667 8760 www.suryabarcelona.com
11/25/14 5:44:43 PM
HEALTH
Enric Pintado - DENTIST
&beauty DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS
Implants & teeth in one day
To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com See our online directory at
Dr. Enric Pintado is a specialist in implant surgery and fixed prosthetics, trained by the Universities of New York, NY and Loma Linda, California. At Dr. Pintado’s dental surgery, the treatment is personalised especially for you. All-on-4 procedures, flapless surgeries, zygomatic implants for low quantity of bone, without bone grafting and healing time. In all of these procedures, teeth are placed in the same day. Just everything, just Pintado! Dr. Enric Pintado, DDS Balmes, 295, 1º 2ª, 08006 T. 93 200 0808 recepciobcn@enricpintado.com www.enricpintado.com
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Nart Dental Clinic - DENTIST
Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST
This state-of-the-art clinic is located close to La Sagrada Familia and directed by English speaking dentist Dr. Jose Nart, USA trained and Chairman for the Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry at (UIC). He obtained his PhD in Dentistry with the highest degree. Their specialist team uses the latest technology to ensure the best possible results. Call now and ask about special Metropolitan reader discounts and offers.
New premises, new services and new state of the art equipment! For all your dental needs, a team consisting of their first-class professionals can offer you excellent treatment. They have more than 35 years of experience and are pleased to offer you their services in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Catalan.
NEW ADDRESS Josep Tarradellas 97 local, 08029 Metro: L-5 Salida Rocafort/Rosselló Bus: 15,27,32,43,54,59,66,78 T. 93 321 4005 susanacampi1980@gmail.com www.clinicadentalcampi.com
Padilla 368, 08025 Metro: Alfons X (L4) T. 93 456 7003 jose@nartperiodoncia.com www.nartclinicadental.com
Dr. Boj - DENTIST Dr. Boj and his team provide specialised, comprehensive pediatric dental and orthodontic treatment for children and teens. Dr. Boj also lectures about all treatments related to these age groups, including laser dentistry. He became a specialist at the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Rochester, N.Y., USA. Fast and friendly service in an international environment where we speak English.
Prats de Mollo 10, bajos B 08021 T. 93 209 3994 www.drboj.org
Orthoestetic - DENTIST The Orthoestetic Clinic is located in the heart of Barcelona near the Sagrada Familia. They have modern clinical facilities and equipment, which together with their dentists experience allows them to offer an integral quality dentistry, designed to seek the satisfaction of the patients. Dr. Holguin is a specialist in orthopedics and orthodontics for children and adults, and dental aesthetics. She is certified by the Invisalign system.
Platinum Provider
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Diagonal 341, loc 1. 08037 T. 93 512 4749 M. 638 545 555 Metro: Verdaguer (L4 ,L5) www.orthoestetic.es www.ortoesteticbcn.es info@orthoestetic.es
Abaden Dental Group - DENTIST Advanced Dentistry in Barcelona. Methodology: A primary distinctive at Abaden is the high value we place on group clinical consultation. During our 28 years of business our dentists across all specialities meet together regularly to collaborate and review patient cases. This group’s clinical case consultation system is a proven method that guarantees accurate patient diagnostics and higher quality service. Procedures: Implantology (single, multiple or full teeth recovery), aesthetics, orthodontics and general dentistry Languages: English, Russian, French and Portuguese.
Abaden Diagonal - Agustina Saragossa 9-11 (08017) Abaden Sants - Marques de Sentmenat 82 (08029) Abaden Vall d’Hebron - Arenys 89-93 (08035) T. 90 064 9162 (Toll-Free for national calls) Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-7pm www.dentistsbarcelona.com
11/25/14 5:53:11 PM
ICLINIC - DENTIST
AFTER
FREE CONSULTATION
Hestia - PSYCHOTHERAPY
Perfect teeth in just one day. At iClinic Pifarre. No unnecessary damaging teeth. No killing nerves. No anesthesia and all in one session. Cosmetic dentistry and composite veneers give our clients the lovely smile they always dreamed of. iClinic works only with specialists in cosmetic dentistry who have been trained in the most up to date and cutting edge techniques.
The Hestia International Centre of Psychotherapy has become a reference in the city. The professional team works with individuals, couples and families through psychotherapy, coaching, counselling, clinical hypnosis, art therapy, NLP and EMDR. They speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Swedish, and Catalan. The first consultation is free.
Muntaner 66, 08011 T. 93 451 8325 Open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, 4pm-8pm www.iclinicpifarre.com www.somostusdentistas.com
Av. Diagonal 343 2 º piso, puerta 3 ª Metro: Verdaguer (L5) T. 93 459 2802 info@hestia.es www.hestia.es
NEST - NETWORK OF ENGLISH SPEAKING THERAPISTS The Barcelona Network of English Speaking Therapists (NEST) is a multidisciplinary group of qualified and practising psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists who live and work in and around Barcelona. NEST members work in the English language and have their roots in training bodies and professional associations based elsewhere. A number of NEST members also work in Catalan, Spanish, Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Italian and Greek. For detailed information, please visit their website. www.barcelonaNEST.com
Jonathan Lane Hooker NEW CITY CENTRE OFFICE
PSYCHOTHERAPIST Jonathan Hooker can help if you’re looking for support, guidance or help with any aspect of your life. An English-speaking psychotherapist, counsellor, coach and guide, he is dedicated to helping people make sense of their lives. Jonathan provides one-to-one sessions or workshops for groups of four to 12 people. Metropolitan readers are invited to a free 20-minute introductory meeting.
BEFORE
T. 93 590 7654 M. 639 579 646 jonathan.hooker@yahoo.com www.jonathanhooker.com
Krishinda Powers Duff Bsc Hons - MIDWIFE Krishinda is a fully-qualified and trained British midwife offering home birth and home dilatation services. She also provides antenatal and postnatal care and support to mothers and babies for six weeks after birth. She is supported in her practice by a team of Spanish but British-trained midwives and alternative health care professionals as well as a breast feeding consultant/Doula. Midwife means ‘to be with woman’.
M. 665 143 437 krishinda@gmail.com www.barcelonamidwife.com
Pharmacy Serra Mandri -
DOCTORS BARCELONA - DOCTOR
CHEMIST
They are committed to provide a first-rate level of care and attention in the comfort of your own room environment. They are experienced, trained and equipped to diagnose and treat most acute or chronic medical problems and minor injuries. Available 24 hours including weekends and holidays. A 30 minutes arrival time to your destination is guaranteed by your Specialists (for Adults and Children). Their convenient visit fee is refundable by most insurance companies. All Specialists and best Hospitals available.
The helpful and qualified pharmaceutical staff at this wellknown Barcelona chemist can help and advise each client to ensure they get exactly what they need. They also stock a great range of products, including homeopathy, natural medicine, aromatherapy and organic cosmetics. The pharmacy is open 365 days a year and also offers a home delivery service.
Members of IAMAT (Intl. Assoc. for Medical Assistance of Travellers) 24H House Calls, 24H Emergencies Ambulances
M. 689 327 144 (24/7) www.doctorsbarcelona.com
42-44 Health Dec 2014.indd 45
Av. Diagonal 478 Chemist T. 93 416 1270 Open every day 9am-10pm
11/25/14 5:53:13 PM
Therapies Adam - THERAPIST Does a headache or migraine interfere with your daily life? Do you suffer from stress and anxiety? Is an old whiplash injury still causing problems? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you have jaw or eye tension? Are you looking for the right path and more peace and balance in your life? Do you suffer from depression?
€15 OFF
Make acupuncture your first choice, not your last resort! Acupuncture treats many conditions from pain, stress and depression to infertility and more. English, Spanish and German spoken. Call now to make an appointment and start feeling better. Enric Granados 133, 4-1 bis M. 644 322 161 info@taniaspearman.com www.taniaspearman.com
Plaça Dr. Letamendi 3/4, Passeig de Gràcia M. 639775218 www.terapias-adam.com
Panizo Institute CRANIOSACRAL OSTEOPATHY Osteopathy treats the body, mind and emotions as one. By working with the osteopath you can treat the more commonly known ailments of low back and neck pain, but also treat headaches, migraine, digestive problems and stress relief. Plaça Dr. Letamendi 3/4, Passeig de Gràcia M. 689 786 519 www.craneosacral-panizo.com
Tania Spearman - ACUPUNCTURE
English Doctor Dr. Steven Joseph - Doctor General Practice Mental Health MB, MRCGP, MRCPsych.
Dr. Steven Joseph - DOCTOR Established in 2005, Googol Medical Centre offers its patients comprehensive healthcare in a friendly, discreet and relaxed environment. UK doctor Steven Joseph provides a wide range of medical care with access to all medical specialties and tests. Gran Via Carles III nº-37-39 Metro Les Corts Mon-Sat M. 662 291 191 www.googolmedicalcentre.com
Born Wellness Center
Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR
Doctor for Adults
Mary D. McCarthy, M.D. Fellow American College of Physicians
- CHIROPRACTOR Daryn J.Wiese is an American trained and board certified chiropractor that directs one of the most well known practices in Barcelona-Vida Centro Quiropractico. The practice known for its quality service with a friendly and professional environment having a very high user-satisfaction rate. The care is specific, effective, and comfortable as it shows with practice members ranging from 15 days to 96 years of age. Diputació 168 Tda. 2, 08011 Metro: Urgell (L1) Bus 14, 20, 37, 59 T. 93 451 5301 quiropracticavida@gmail.com www.quiropracticavida.com
The Vital Touch - MASSAGE The Vital Touch Massage clinic helps you relax, energise, re-balance and improve your health and lifestyle with a therapeutic, holistic full-body massage. - Helps relieve tension, reduce stress, detoxify your body and boost your self-esteem. - We also visit offices and events around Barcelona helping stressed executives to relax and re-energise in their working day.
M. 659 995 657 nunu@thevitaltouch.es www.tvtbarcelona.com
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We have a beautiful studio, in the heart of El Born, providing restorative relief from the city. Our team of trained practitioners support you in finding the wellness practice that suits your needs, offering an uniquely integrated variety of services including Yoga, Pilates, Alexander Technique, Movement Therapy, Chiropractic and Massage. Born Wellness provides a highly personalized approach to assist you on your journey to wholeness and health. Sombrerers 27, 08003 M. 653 842 695 info@bornwellness.com www.bornwellness.com
Aribau 215 Pral. 1a T. 93 200 2924 M. 607 220 040 Metro Diagonal or FGC Gràcia
Centro Quiropráctico Vida
10% OFF
- HEALTH
Feel confident with Dr. Mary McCarthy, an American-trained doctor for adults. A native English speaker with over 20 years’ experience in Barcelona, Dr. McCarthy offers professional, private health care. She is a member of the American College of Physicians and is also certified as a Specialist by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
HAIR CUT €19 + HOT SHAVE €30
BCN Cuts - BARBER SHOP Directly from Boston to Gràcia comes BCN Cuts Barber Shop to offer you time to relax surrounded in a welcoming environment. With a drink in hand and jazz music playing in the background, you can have a hair cut or try their hot lather shave the classic way. BCN Cuts is a traditional barber shop with a contemporary atmosphere. You will keep coming back for the excellent service.
Gran de Gràcia 223 T. 93 611 1813 bcncuts@gmail.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm
Heaven - MASSAGE American-trained massage therapist Carrie Lewis has 15 years of experience soothing and releasing both muscular and emotional pain and tension. Her focus is deep-tissue massage, which she combines with reflexology, reiki, and other complementary techniques. She also specialises in pregnancy and postpartum massage. This excellent vocational massage therapist with years of training and experience will make a difference in your personal wellbeing. Chair massage for events and home visits available. Contessa de Pardo Bazán 24 M. 639 533 523
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BUSINESS SERVICES DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS
To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com See our online directory at
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Fletcher Consultancy Ltd -
CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE HERE
93 451 4486 Tessal - LEGAL SERVICES This Legal and business consulting firm offers the value-added services and resources you need to set up and develop your business. Assistance in each stage of legal paperwork and permit procedures, accounting, tax and labour obligations, e-commerce and data protection services to complete the running of your business in Spain. Perú 40-44, Esc. 2 2º A, 08018, T. 93 486 9451 info@tessal.com www.tessal.com Sánchez Molina -
CONSULTANCY
LEGAL PRACTICE
Fletcher Consultancy Ltd. now operates in Spain providing tailored training and development services for managers and employees, development and access to UK qualifications for ex-pats, HR services for development of competence based systems. Our UK business services blue chip clients in both public and private sectors. We have special offers for new clients, including free mystery shopping and training needs analysis.
The lawyers at Sánchez Molina speak English, Spanish, Italian and French. They can help with your business licensing services, legal defence and representation, registration under any form of ownership, accounting services and work and residency permits.
shirleydirect@aol.com M. +44 799 053 4331 www.fletcherconsultancy.co.uk www.nvqenespana.com
Gran Via Carles III, 84, 5 Metro: Maria Cristina (L3) T. 93 490 9669 javiergarcia@sanchezmolina.com www.sanchezmolina.com
Creategy Consulting SERVICES They help small businesses and entrepreneurs to increase their profit margin by sharing their marketing knowledge and creativity with them. How? By creating a successful brand, understanding the market dynamics, creating a marketing strategy and communicating effectively with the target audience. www.creategy.es
20% DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS GES40 - ENGLISH SPEAKING LAWYERS They are a law firm established in 1986. They aim to provide comprehensive legal counselling to both individuals and companies, in all areas of law. As a team they are highly specialized in a number of different legal areas, with high levels of training, experience and professional strength. They offer a fully personalised service, providing rapid, effective responses without compromising the quality of their service. They also offer their clients a 24-hour online consultation service. Through this online follow-up service, interested parties can access their virtual office to consult the information in their files anytime and from anywhere. “We devote our efforts to provide full support and assistance to conduct any personal or business activity in Spain with confidence”.
Calàbria 267, 3r 1a, 08029, T. 93 217 6414, ges40assessors@ges40.com mruiz@ges40.com www.ges40.com,
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Written communication, copywriting, editing, translation. They offer a unique blend of business knowledge, creativity and excellent writing skills, allowing them to create high quality content in Spanish and Catalan. www.textolia.net
Mac in Barcelona COMPUTERS Stéphane Clément is an Apple technician and consultant with over fifteen years of experience. Anna Piqué, a native from Barcelona, assists Stéphane with her business and communication background. Their focus is on providing good service and installations with clear communicative skills and personal advice. The aim is to solve your computer troubles and teach you how to improve your daily use of your Mac and its various accessories, giving you an opportunity for a more pleasant and safer computer experience. Cami de Mas Roig a Mas Fuster 47 Valldoreix, 08197, M. 608 994 599 info@macinbarcelona.com www.macinbarcelona.com
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Mrs.Q design studio -
Geo Mac - COMPUTERS
GRAPHIC DESIGN
BRANDING PACKAGES ·POSTER & FLYER design
Mrs.Q Design Studio offers a range of specialised services.Contact Mrs.Q for their competitive business packages which includes branding, stationery design and advertising for print and web. They also design promotional material such as flyers, posters and brochures. They specialises in bespoke invitations. Visit their Etsy page to see examples for their work www.etsy.com/shop/ MrsQdesignstudio. Designed with love! 10% off now!
BROCHURES wedding stationery
BOOK NOW FOR A FREE DEMO
George Cowdery is a freelance Mac technician who has been providing valuable support to the Mac community in Barcelona for over 15 years. Among the services he offers, George can help clients with maintenance and upgrades, hard drive replacement and ADSL setup. He can also provide consulting and tutorials according to his clients’ needs.
M. 699 260 938 mrsqdesignstudio@gmail.com www.mrsqdesignstudio.com
M. 606 308 932 machelp@geomac.es www.geomacbcn.com
Easi-Sat - TELEVISION SERVICE
Gusto Films - FILM
Specialists in satellite TV, HD, audiovisual and unmatched for quality and reliability throughout Catalunya for many years. Their professional team provides satellite television from across Europe, including Dutch, French, Italian and Russian, at unbeatable prices. They have solutions for loss of UK channels, with or without a dish. New IPTV is the solution to viewing UK freesat channels, BBC’s, ITV’s, Al Jazeera sports 1-10, and many more. Follow them on Facebook/Easisat and Twitter ‘@ PaulDuval15’.
Gustofilms is a production company specialising in promotional film. We dedicate ourselves to the creation and making of high-quality audiovisual content. We like to innovate, discover and imagine. We love style, down to the smallest detail. Nos gusta gustar.
T. 93 845 9874 M. 649 413 832 enquiries@easisat.net www.easisat.net
Corsa - DRIVING SCHOOL
Sant Quinti 47, 4º5ª, 08041 T. 93 007 4408 M. 636 611 029 info@gustofilms.es www.gustofilms.es
STOP N’ DRIVE DRIVING SCHOOL
Corsa driving school in Barcelona offers both theoretical classes and practical driving lessons in English. Their friendly and experienced instructors will give you the confidence to drive comfortably in the city and help you learn everything you need to know about Spanish road systems. They have both manual and automatic practice vehicles. Call now and ask about special Metropolitan reader offers!
Ask for the special Metropolitan reader offers
Beethoven 16, Bajos, 08021 T. 93 200 3324 www.corsa.cat/en/courses www.facebook.es/autoescuelacorsa
Bejar 67, 08014 (Between plaza España and Sants Estació) www.aestopndrive.com
BCN WINDOWS -
ARC97SL - OFFICE AND HOME IMPROVEMENTS
HOME IMPROVEMENTS Do you have a cold or noisy flat? High heating bills? Then BCN Windows can help! They can double glaze your traditional wooden windows and doors without changing the way they look. Their unique system offers noise reduction, energy saving comfort and is environmentally friendly. Visit their website for more information; it even shows you how to price your own windows. Call Michael on 619 908 642 and quote ‘Metropolitan’ for a free consultation..
M. 619 908 642 www.bcnwindows.es
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Stop by their driving school to learn about how you can get your Spanish (European) driving license in English and from home! Don’t let time be your excuse. Stop N’ Drive is the first driving school in Barcelona that instructs you through online videos and offers intensive courses lasting only two weeks, between 7.30pm to 10pm. STOP N’ DRIVE Driving school courses are low-cost, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with them and start your journey. Become a driver in Barcelona!
Do you want to build or renovate your office or flat? ARC97 specialise in the design and construction of new works and renovations. They are committed from beginning to end and take care of every detail of each project. They will tailor any project according to your specific needs, style, taste and interests. They guarantee that all work will be completed on time and within budget. Media and Marketing Assistant Jo Elizabeth Hardman M. 610 544 614 Pietat 8 baixos, 08002 arc97@arc97.com www.arc97.com
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10% DISCOUNT
BERLITZ - SCHOOL At Berlitz language school they have a teacher available for you whether you take face-to-face classes or through their virtual classroom with a huge range of courses available for English, French, German, Russian and Spanish. Their amazing online platform has more than 218 specialties which can be adapted to fit your needs. Their one-day business workshops can also add the finishing touch to your professional language needs. 10% discount with this advert. Av. Diagonal 382, 08037 Tel. 93 215 0100 barcelona1@berlitz.es www.berlitz.es Mon-Fri 8am-09.30pm
Coral - SPANISH TEACHER Reach a Spanish level that best fits your time, interests and needs! Try Coral’s personalised courses using interesting and effective methods that make learning easy. She will come to your home or business and provide the material. All levels; private or small groups (up to 3). 60-min class €25; 90-min class €35. If you need classes via SKYPE, she can also offer online lessons. She is a native, experienced and highly-qualified teacher.
M. 676 249 744 coral@coralprada.com
BCN L.I.P. - LANGUAGE SCHOOL BCN LIP language school is a small school located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter offering a wide variety of dynamic classes for those wishing to learn Spanish, Catalan, English, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Hebrew. The courses are intensive and extensive, varying from 4 - 30 hours a week, Monday to Saturday. The teachers are qualified native speakers, with several years of experience. They also offer specialised summer programs, excursions and cultural activities for the students. They can also help you with your student visa and finding a place to live.
Avinyó 50, 08002 T. 93 318 6591 info@bcnlip.com www.bcnlip.com
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
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SHOPPING
CONTACT US NOW TO ENQUIRE ABOUT OUR PROMOTIONS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN
To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com
For more shopping visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/shopping MESA BONITA OWN A PIECE OF BARCELONA! Gayarre, 2 Pral, 08014 · T. 627 230 824 · benedictebodard@gmail.com www.mesabonita.es · www.facebook.com/pages/Mesa-Bonita
24 KILATES
If you’re new to Barcelona and love its architecture or just looking for that perfect gift for your loved ones, Mesa Bonita has the answer: Bénédicte Bodard has been collecting antique hydraulic floor tiles in Barcelona, after cleaning and restoring them, she turns them into really gorgeous tables, frames, trivets and coasters made to order. Many are over 130 years old! Visit her studio in Sants where you can see her huge collection.
Located in the Born shopping area, this exclusive streetwear store has become internationally renowned thanks to its exciting design collaborations with many famous brands like New Balance, Stussy, Reebok, Lacoste, Puma, Asics, Nike, Saucony, Adidas, New Era and more. Definitely worth a look.
ECOOLOGY
BCN PAINTING ROUTE
Comte Urgell 28, 08011 · T. 606 53 54 93 · Mon-Fri 11am-7pm www.ecology.es
Carrer de Lledó 17 · T. 93 319 9178 bcnpaintingroute@outlook.es · www.facebook.com/BCNPaintingRoute
Wear the latest trends made in Barcelona with the best ecological fabrics. Now you can be fashionable and respect the planet, you can feel good and unique with limited edition eco fashion that matches your personality. Forget about dressing like everyone else, you are different. Ecoology is ethical, cool and trendy eco-fashion for your everyday lifetime.
New gallery in the heart of the Gothic quarter showcasing oil paintings on canvas and other works of art. High quality paintings starting from just €40 The perfect place to find the perfect painting of Barcelona.
PARRUP
OJALA!
Ciutat 14 · T. 93 601 1830 · www.ojala.es · Mon-Sat 10am-8,30pm
Banys Nous 17 · www.parrup.com www.facebook.com/ParrupBarcelona
OJALA! is the fashion brand by Paloma Del Pozo, hailed as one of today’s most original and creative Spanish designers. Her new Barcelona boutique is located on a charming street in the Gothic quarter, only 50 metres from the Plaça Sant Jaume. Del Pozo designs joyful, colourful and elegant quality garments that will make any women stand out in a crowd.
PARRUP brings together the best from local designers, carefully selected unique pieces, limited edition products and finely crafted clothes, jewellery, art and furniture.Why PARRUP? Because they love talented people. Because they want to showcase what they can offer. Because they believe in the local economy and production transparency. Because they don’t believe in the ‘made in Asia’ business. Nothing more but nothing less.
ARTSHOP
FURTIVO SKATEBOARDING
Sitges 7 · T. 93 676 2311 · www.facebook.com/Artshopbcn
Located close to Plaça Catalunya, the Artshop has a full range of artist supplies and a small family gallery. If you need a simple watercolour set or any other specialist items, they can be bought or ordered for you at the shop.
www.furtivoskateboarding.com
Furtivo Skateboarding is an online skateboarding shop with selected products of premium brands, offering hi-end skateboarding products. Pro-Models represent 80 percent of their stock. You can find: Plan B, Flip, Blind, Cliché, Darkstar, Enjoi, Element, BLVD, Toy Machine, Foundation and many more. They deliver world wide in 24 to 48 hours. Register now to take advantage of their offers and promotions.
BATEAU LUNE
KITSCH
Bateau Lune is a traditional toy shop for kids where you can find a large variety of traditional toys including; wooden bicycles, trains, also micro scooters, also kites and outdoor games and many more rare and original toys. Go visit them today and get ideas for special occasions such as birthday presents and Christmas gifts. Check out their free activities for children twice a month on the Virreina square in Gràcia!
Opened in 1978, Kitsch is Spain´s very first sex shop. The shop offers a wide range of toys from quality brands like LELO, Fun Factory, Iroha, Tenga and WeVibe, as well as condoms, books, lingerie, movies and more. The shop also arranges guided tours and talks by psychologists/ sexologists. They have an extensive online shop too.
Plaça Virreina 7, 08012 · T. 93 218 6907 www.bateaulune.com · info@bateaulune.com www.facebook.com/bateaulune
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Comerç 29 · T. 93 268 8437 · www.24-kts.com
Muntaner 17-19 (Eixample) L1/L2 (Universitat) · T. 93 453 2052 info@kitsch.es · www.kitsch.es Open Mon-Sat 10am-10pm
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JOBS
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR MORE JOB OFFERS @bcnmetropolitan #jobsbarcelona
To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com We also have a new job section on our FREE CLASSIFIEDS
www.classifieds.barcelona-metropolitan.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK AS A MODEL? We are looking for new models & actors for 2014. We are interested in candidates of all types and ages. You can drop by our offices from Monday to Friday: 10:00-13:00 & 16:00-18:00 Email your cv to : jma@modelos.net Visit our website: www.modelos.net Dolors Masferrer i Bosch, 20-22, entlo, 08028
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dara luskin bassist, dublin
scene started to grow and Irish bars began to open up in Barcelona, and all over Europe. The Celtic Tiger period was underway—the rapid economic growth in the Republic of Ireland that lasted from 1995 to 2000. I didn’t know about the Celtic Tiger, though, didn’t know what was happening back home since I was here. So the Guinness Company and the Irish pub companies exported the Irish bar scene all over, taking advantage of Ireland’s economy doing well. It became a big thing, and these bars required live music. We were playing for tourists, but Irish music was popular with Spanish people as well. Then the police came and told all the bars they had to stop playing live music, but luckily we were already in. We had been here for maybe a year and were established. Then we started touring the Irish bar scene. We did that for a couple years until we could record our first record, learn how the festivals and Festes Majors worked here in Barcelona, improve our Spanish and do all the things we needed to do to be established in Barcelona. That was always what we
By Ben Rowdon
scoop
I grew up in a suburb of Dublin. When I was in school, we set up a band—like in America, everyone had a band—and I knew at that stage that’s what I wanted to do. After school, I started playing the pub scene in Dublin. I was a 17-year-old kid playing with musicians in their 30s and 40s. Nobody wants to play bass, I don’t know why. I did. So I was able to play with these guys, and got a lot of experience from them, but by the time I was 22 or 23, I saw there weren’t gonna be a lot of options for me there to further my career. Ireland is a really small country, all the slots were already taken by musical families or more well-known musicians. But Irish people pretty much know that if you wanna do something, you gotta leave. I came to Barcelona because I had been playing in Mallorca and Andorra. This was ’94. My friend John and I came to see what was here and see if we could get our foot in the door and make a go at a music career. Los Stompers is my main group. I started it with John and Frank, the banjo player. In ’94 and ’95, the Irish bar
wanted: to live in Barcelona. What I loved about Barcelona when I moved here was the old-time feel it had. There were shops that just sold chicken or chickpeas, that sort of thing; all the old bars; the dirt-cheap midday meals. There was a lot of life on the street. I lived in the Born until 2009, so I witnessed all the changes that happened there. The Born in ’95 and around that time wasn’t that popular, wasn’t that touristy. It was a nice place to be. Even though when I left, I was sick of it and ready to move, I liked seeing the transformation of the neighbourhood. Then my wife and I decided to buy a flat and we came across Poblenou, another neighbourhood that had been growing and changing. We found a new flat with a swimming pool and everything. It was marvelous so we moved in. Now I live a totally different life. I used to live for the night. I went out every night, had a few pints with my friends, hung out at Pepa Club til dawn, and then crashed into bed. I think the most responsible thing I did was read. I’ve always been interested in history, and we had a sort of book club in the band when we first started and were out on tour. We would bring loads of books with us and read. Books about the Roman Empire, classics I never got around to reading in school, everything. It was a great life. I didn’t get up until two o’clock in the afternoon because I didn’t have to. Now, I have to get up to get my daughter up for school. I even know all the kids’ parents at her school. But it’s good. I like being a parent. And I’m lucky to have found someone who accepts the instability of a musician’s lifestyle and has a steady job herself. Even my daughter’s used to it. You know, it’s 10 o’clock at night, daddy’s off to work. That’s when I have a gig. But otherwise I’ve definitely calmed down from how I used to be. Realistically speaking, I never thought I was going to be famous with paparazzi following me around. Being famous is a job in itself. You have to dedicate yourself to becoming famous. One of our shining moments, though, was playing with Los Manolos, the famous rumba group who sang ‘All My Loving’ at the Olympic opening ceremony. In the mid-90s, when they got tired of being Los Manolos—with the colourful suits, patterned shirts and wearing sunglasses inside—when they wanted to do something more serious, they set up a record company, Ventilador Music. A series of circumstances led us to signing with them for three albums. We were able to use their studios and got them to play with us. So they play in our first album and appear in the music video dressed up as Los Manolos. We’re doing all the things that have to do with being famous without being famous, or rich, which is the only slight downer. But we’re on the radio loads, our videos are played on TV, and when we release an album people take notice. We play at festivals as Los Stompers and get to share our own music with the crowds there. So although we don’t have the rich bit, we’re content being Catalunya’s Irish group, the guiris’ Irish group, who when they hear Los Stompers mentioned, say, “Oh, we love them. They’re ours”.
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