Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 167 by Barcelona Metropolitan

DECEMBER 2010 | Nยบ 167 | Free

Pessebres

THE CRAFT BEHIND THE TRADITION

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Contents DECEMBER 2010 REPORT 14 Making a scene

Features 13 Interview 18 City focus Caputuring evil 22 Dispatches Living locally 26 Street life Carrer de la Palla 36 Food and drink Reviews and more

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

DIRECTORIES 40 Food & Drink 44 Marketplace

31. SOULWAX

From the Editor: It’s December and for many of us that means celebrating Christmas. Along with the festive lights and seasonal markets, a common sight here are the pessebres, the traditional nativity scenes. In our cover article Lauren Mannion visits one of the biggest shops still selling the figurines and investigates the age-old techniques behind the making of them. Nick Lloyd continues with his series on historical Catalan characters and takes a look at the life of a young man whose brave actions had a significant impact at the Nuremburg Trials. We give you some Christmas present inspiration in our Street life feature when we take a walk down Carrer de la Palla. In her interview, Nicola Thornton talks to Susie Hunt about her vocation as a dog listener whilst Tara Stevens relaxes in the newly opened Federal Café where they make it all too easy to stay all day. As ever our ON section is jam-packed with events, festive or otherwise, making sure you have the merriest month possible. Happy reading and to those that mark them, happy Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year! Katy MacGregor

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

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distribution point www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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06 YOU THE READER

Win a free flight! Metropolitan leisure survey

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Each month we have four return Ryanair flights to give away. To enter the draw this month, all you need to do is spend five minutes filling out our leisure survey. We’d like to know what foreign residents get up to in their spare time and what they think of the activities available in Barcelona. Besides helping us to help you better, we will also be sharing the conclusions with local businesses in the leisure market that are keen to improve their services ( please note that absolutely no personal information whatsoever will be shared with third parties). For your chance to win, look for the link on our homepage at: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Thanks to everyone who participated in the Metropolitan health survey and congratulations and bon voyage to the previous flight winners.

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

Win VIP New Year’s Eve tickets for the Matinee Winter Festival If you’ve not made any plans for the biggest night of the year yet, here’s your chance to spend it in style without spending an arm and a leg. We have two VIP tickets to give away for the Matinee Winter Festival on December 31st at the Pabelló Olímpic de Badalona. This massive event has all the latest light and sound technology, acrobats, DJS, live acts and dancers. The VIP tickets give you a bird’s eye view of the action, full use of the private bar, dance floor and relaxation area and a bottle of cava and some drinks vouchers to start you off. To be in with a chance of winning, email us your New Year’s resolution to: readers@barcelona-metropolitan.com by December 20th. Don’t forget to

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

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

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

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YOU THE READER 07

CITY SNAPSHOT

It’s the season of good will and festive cheer so in an effort to get into the spirit of things we hit the streets to find out what Christmas wishes our readers had.

JOANNA MARTIN, 18 AARON OLUMA, 29 SPANISH ENGLISH “LOVE AND PEACE.” “ A BALLERINA.”

JACK HUMPHREY, 18 AUSTIN WILSON, 20 ENGLISH AMERICAN “A MEXICAN “TO SEECHEF.” MY FAMILY ALL TOGETHER.”

ERICA MIRELLA THEODOSSIOU, 26 TIEDEMAN, 23 AMERICAN MADAGASCAN “TO RETURN TO BARCELONA.” “A BLUE POWER RANGER.”

FLORENCE CHAMP, 23 19 TANJA ZINZIUS, FRENCH GERMAN “A PAINTER.” “A ROUND THE WORLD TICKET.”

ANAIS GSCHWIND, 23 MARIE, 52 & VENDELA APELGREN,12 AUSTRALIAN SWEDISH “A SCUBA “ADIVER.” DOG.”

OVAIS HAI, 22 36 ANNA KLEIN, ENGLISH GERMAN ROCK “A SURF“A TRIP TO STAR.” BALI.”

ALFRED, 11 & ULYSSE MOLET, 8 FRENCH “A WII GAME & REMOTE CONTROL CAR.”

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DYLAN CLIVE, 20 ENGLISH “TO MEET JUSTIN BIEBER.”

CARLOS BACARIZO, 29 SPANISH “A JOB.”

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08 ON THE WEB

Interview On the web this month, Katy MacGregor interviews artist Guillermo Carrion. Founding member of the artists’ collective Barnstormers, Carrion’s most recent work is currently on show at the Montana Gallery in an exhibition entitled Las Ciudades Visibles. For more information go to: www.barcelona-metropolitan. com/carrion or to page 34 to read a preview of the exhibition.

Giving up bad habits From January 2nd, tougher no smoking laws will come into force across Spain. The new law means that smoking in all enclosed public spaces will be banned, including bars, clubs and restaurants. With this in mind we asked clinical hypnotherapist, Peter Sergio Allegretti about the methods currently available to those who want to kick the habit. For more information go to www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/smoking

Ask the expert For the months of December and January, our ‘Ask the Expert’ feature is with Barry Davys an independent financial adviser with 26 years experience. As well as an MBA, Barry’s professional qualifications cover areas such as taxation, trusts, pensions and investment management. His clients are English-speaking but are made up from many different nationalities. He has lived in Barcelona for 5 years. Barry is a partner in The Spectrum IFA Group, a pan-European business that advises individuals and small businesses on all aspects of financial planning. Please email any questions you have for Barry to: editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com

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ON THE WEB 09

The archive Barcelona Metropolitan has been helping its readers feel part of the local community for over 14 years and we’ve got a wealth of articles, interviews and reports hidden away in our archives. Click the archive tab on the website to have a browse and find everything from an explanation of the Catalan Estatut to an interview with local filmmaker Isabel Coixet. This month, we look back to December 2006 when Alice Ross investigated the possibilities of voluteering in Barcelona.

Volunteering—It takes a little time The festive season has a sneaky tendency to bring out the best and worst in people. It’s about gluttony and giving, spending time with the family and spending millions on gifts, food and partying. While the season awakens materialistic urges in anybody old enough to unwrap a present, it’s also the time of year when the prickles of conscience are felt most, and a desire to help those in need becomes more keenly felt than usual. Although this can take the form of a donation to charity, a gift of time and energy is increasingly popular in Spain. If the idea of volunteering evokes images of handing out gifts to happy, grateful orphans on Christmas Day, think again. Few of Barcelona’s charities take on volunteers for the festive season alone. However, if you’re prepared to give some time on a regular basis—even if it’s just a couple of hours a week—then there are thousands of good causes needing help. There are around 50,000 organisations in Catalunya alone, with over 600,000 active volunteers, said Joseph Vinceç Marín, of the Federació Catalana de Voluntariat Social. These range from tiny local groups to politically influential multinational organisations. The Federació has a database of volunteering opportunities on its website, offering a huge choice of activities from getting involved in human rights campaigning to teaching disabled kids football; from helping out a day centre for the homeless to maintaining the website of a local AIDS project. Most groups ask that their volunteers understand and speak at least a little Castilian, although fewer demand Catalan. Many larger organisations welcome international volunteers, especially those with translating experience. While an extra pair of hands is appreciated by almost every charitable organisation, there are plenty of opportunities to use specific skills such as database construction, teaching, research expertise, or knowledge of the law. To read the rest of this article go to www.barcelona-metropolitan. com/volunteering

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COLUMNS 11

Money talk

Wild Barcelona

By Edward Hugh

Text and photos by Lucy Brzoska

Treetop feast

ne of the last trees in Barcelona to shed its leaves is the nettle tree or the Almez in Castilian, which lines the streets of Poble Sec and the Eixample, among other neighbourhoods. Then for a week or so, usually around the día de la Constitución, which falls on the sixth day of December, the leaves rain down steadily,

Citizen Bond Christmas shoppers and into the January sales, the parakeets descend in disciplined formation to devour the sweet berries, showering the cars and pavements with discarded husks and seeds. They methodically strip the branches, often within arm’s reach. Then on a loud raucous signal, the whole squadron regroups in cacophonous flight, often heading towards Ciutadella Park, where the colony is based. Probably the main reason they haven’t taken over the city in the same way as the monks have is that, like most parrot species, they don’t construct nests. In their native South America they use hollow trees or crevices in cliffs. A pair of mitred parakeets has bred twice now in an old ventilation hole in one of Barcelona University’s buildings, but such spaces are usually already occupied. In this case, the couple waited patiently for a pigeon family to fledge.

Lucy Brzoska runs nature Mitred Parakeet eating neetle tree berries

settling in fragrant yellow heaps for pedestrians to rustle through. And up in the boughs, quantities of small dark berries are exposed—surprisingly enough, one of the contenders for the mythic lotus fruit. They taste of caramelised dates, though the amount of flesh coating each seed is frugal. The presence of pigeons flapping heavily in the trees is the first sign the feast is on and you know it won’t be long before the mitred squadrons arrive. These parakeets are not to be confused with the ubiquitous monk parakeets, famed for their colossal, communal nest structures. The mitreds are larger—think parrot-onpirate-shoulder size—with bold markings: scarlet heads, vivid green bodies and eyes strongly outlined in white. While stocks last, above the heads of

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

tours in Barcelona and writes for www.iberianature.com

Mitred parakeets canoodling

ond here. James Bond. Well not exactly, but the word bond has been on many a lip in Barcelona in recent days. And not all the sentiments that have accompanied it have been as soft spoken as those we are accustomed to hear from the lips of the legendary screen character. As well as the figurative bond created between the citizen and the government, ie. they elect to get into debt on our behalf—sorry, to run the kind of services they would really like to see but are not sure how to pay for—last month saw the Catalan government issue a financial one-year bond sold in the offices of many of Spain’s bestknown banks and caixes. It has a coupon of 4.75 percent, brings the bank selling it a commission of up to 3 percent, and costs the Catalan Treasury an arm and a leg to insure against lack of uptake. The problem is, as ever in these difficult times, how to pay for the hole left in public finances by the collapse of the housing boom and the drying up of all that lovely VAT revenue which flowed into the public coffers on the back of house sales. And in Catalunya, the issue is doubly complicated, since the region is not in deficit, but in surplus— it’s just that the surplus becomes deficit in the name of ’solidarity‘ as much of the revenue flows out to be redistributed to other parts of Spain. During the boom times, people became accustomed to a quality of life that seemed natural in a country apparently getting richer with each passing day, but now they find it hard to accept that this is no longer the case, and the harsh reality of that is they may actually be getting poorer. Not a popular message for politicians to put across, especially at election time. So rather than make cuts, which is what, unfortunately, the new government will inevitably have to do, the Catalan administration decided to kick the can a bit farther down the road, one last time, since failing to pay nurses or teachers their salaries was hardly the best move on the eve of the recent Generalitat elections. Most of the criticism of the bonds has been levelled at the heavy price paid (nearly Greek levels) to issue them. But really, with the financial markets closed to them and throwing themselves at the feet of the Spanish to ask for a bailout an unfeasible option at this sensitive point, the Catalan government was really left with little alternative but to put up or shut up. The latter was, as I say, unthinkable. Well, a citizen’s word is his bond, so all those whose patriotic spirit was touched by the moving appeal to their pockets better just hope that a government’s is too.

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INTERVIEW 13

SUSIE HUNT, Dog listener, Kenyan, 46 Susie Hunt came to Barcelona from Zambia almost four years ago and has been a qualified dog listener for three years. Listening is a bonding technique developed by English woman Jan Fennell who has studied canine behaviour extensively. Inspired by Monty Roberts, the renowned horse whisperer, Fennell devised a “non-confrontational, stress-free and gadget-free” way for dog owners to live in harmony with their pets.

Listening is communicating, not training. It means you communicate with your dog on a daily basis in a manner that it understands. The teaching is based around two visits to the home. A lot of people start it because they’ve got a problem and then forget it once the problem is solved, but if you do it for life, it’s just amazing and incredibly rewarding. We teach the owner to run their household like a pack. Fennell studied wolves and translated their language into something we can use with our dogs. Once you get that, it makes training very easy; wolves don’t say to each other “Sit!” or “Come on, let’s go for a walk!” for example! If you were a dog, I would have come in and just completely ignored you. I would have gone over here [moves to kitchen], with no eye contact, no talking, and just got on with doing something. The dog would then think “Oh, she’s confident, she knows what she’s doing, I feel quite safe” and usually lie down and relax. At that point, I would call him over and we’d ‘greet’ each other. Cats are different. With a cat, I wouldn’t mind catching his eye. To be extra friendly with a cat, you get down to their level and you blink a lot. If you stare at them, it’s seen as an aggressive stance. Cesar Millan [the dog behaviour specialist] has a gift. He has the right energy but he uses gadgets, like electric collars and sometimes forces the animals to do things. In our technique, we ask the dog to do something and wait until it’s ready. It’s very slow and you have to have a lot of patience, but anyone can do it with practice. There are currently 130 registered dog listeners in all four corners of the globe. We are strictly monitored and the service we provide is for life. The techniques work on all animals. It just depends on how traumatised they are as to how long it takes. It’s all about putting the animal at ease. I looked after some guinea pigs once and they have a flight response, just like a horse, so they wanted to run. I grew up on dairy farms in Kenya and Zambia. It’s tough to make a living but kids have a charmed childhood. You have hugely wonderful experiences just because of where you are. If you go down to the river, you are bound to see an elephant. It’s like it’s normal. I’ve always had pets and I definitely learnt things with them. I had a little Jack Russell that would ride with me on my saddle and she followed me everywhere I went. There’s something very African about Barcelona. They say Africa starts south of the Pyrennees. Barcelona’s very freeing and also frustrating, like Africa. I’m trying to start more hobbies, I love card games and I want to find some Canasta and Bridge clubs. We used to play poker all day in Zambia at Christmas time. I wouldn’t mind doing some Indian dancing and salsa. You can teach an old dog new tricks. You just have to know how to communicate and be very patient. Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.

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14 REPORT

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REPORT 15

making a scene They are a common feature of the Catalan Christmas but what is the history behind the traditional pessebre and who makes them? By Lauren Mannion. Photos by Lee Woolcock.

f you’ve spent any time at all in Barcelona during the run-up to Christmas, chances are you’ll have seen a typical Catalan pessebre, or nativity scene. From the life-size figures in Plaça Sant Jaume or the Cathedral’s cloisters to the jam-packed stalls at the Fira de Santa Llúcia, pessebres are big business. The traditional nativity scene has been around since the 12th century, when the first one is said to have been made by Saint Francis of Assisi. Spreading around the Mediterranean from Italy, the trend found a home in Catalunya—first in the large displays put up in churches and squares and later in the intricate scenes set up in houses all across the region during the festive season. Abel Plana is president of the Amícs del Pessebre de Santa María del Mar. Every year since 2002, his group have worked on the pessebre for El Born’s famous cathedral, which has grown over the years to become the huge 32m² display they have today. Working each weekend from October until early December, when the finished piece is unveiled and consecrated, the group choose a different theme each year. “This time it’s going to tie in with the sea,” Abel hints. In October this year the Amícs launched the Escola-Taller de Pessebres de Barcelona; the first of its kind in the city. Still without a permanent base, the school meets every Wednesday using borrowed spaces and teaches traditional techniques for modelling, painting and decorating pessebres. The finished models will be displayed in Casa dels Entremesos, with a step-bystep guide to how the models are made. “The good thing is that we have people of all ages, from 16 to 60,” Abel says. “And it’s not particularly a religious thing either. Of course, everyone in the group has their own beliefs, but pessebrisme is more about Catalan culture and keeping traditions alive.”

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Across town at the top of Passeig de Gràcia, Mireia Grisolia would be inclined to agree with him. She runs Reixach-Campanyà, a cavern-like treasure trove of religious art which has occupied the same spot for just short of 100 years and which comes alive each Christmas with a stunning display of nativity scenes. She says that pessebres are enjoying something of a resurgence thanks to parents who want to give their children the traditional Christmas they remember from their own childhoods.

“It’s not particularly a religious thing. Of course, everyone has their own beliefs but pessembrisme is more about Catalan culture and keeping traditions alive.” Mireia’s family business was founded by the sculptor Josep Reixach in 1874 and, after being sold to her great-grandfather in 1923, has been passed down through three generations of women in the family until Mireia today. Her father still pops in from time to time, while her 6-month-old daughter sleeps in a cot in a brightly wallpapered corner of the office.“At its peak under my great-grandad, there were 20 craftsmen working here,” Mireia says, waving an arm across the vast workshop. “But over the years demand fell and the workmen, one by one, retired or died. When I started out, we had no one making models here at all.” Since Mireia has been at the helm, production has started up again in the workshop. There is now a busy team of three, with Mireia herself dividing her time between model making and serving on the

shop floor. All of Reixach-Campanyà’s models are made of wood pulp, using age-old techniques. The figures are moulded in two halves, heads and extremities attached, eyes inserted individually from inside the head. “Each finger has a metal rod inside it so that if it gets dropped, it doesn’t break off completely,” Mireia notes, pointing out the attention to detail that goes into each piece. “It’s almost impossible to give a simple estimate of how much time it takes to make one figure,” she says, indicating a nearby statue of a youthful Jesus. “For example, this model perhaps took eight hours all in all. But obviously there is a lot of waiting between each stage in the process, and every little detail, like adding gold leaf or hand-painting these patterns on the clothes, can add hours.” Figures from Mireia’s workshop are sold on site as well as in other shops in Barcelona, Spain and the rest of the world. Incredibly, the iconic, hand-clasping baby Jesus that features in the most significant of all nativity scenes —that of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem—is an original Reixach Campanyà model, taken to the Holy Land in the Thirties by Franciscan monks. Today, Mireia and her team ship thousands of reproductions in 12 different sizes for sale there. “Sometimes people come back to Barcelona with one and bring it in to show us when they realise we made it. Strange to think that it’s been all the way to Jerusalem and back, isn’t it?” The shop is also full of models from other producers, both local and international, hand-made and mass-produced from plastic, resin, ceramic, metal and clay. Mireia points out the well-known figures from Martí Castells Martí, a hugely respected Catalan sculptor whose clay models are still produced by his grandchildren using his traditional methods. There are also nativity scenes from Spain, Germany, Peru

11/24/10 1:34:49 PM

16 REPORT

and Colombia, as well as other typical Christmas items from around the world; not forgetting the well-known caganers of Catalan tradition. Prices can range from €1.60 for a tiny model of the holy family, to perhaps €4000 for a full scene of three-foot figures. While Reixach Campanyà sells all kinds of religious art, icons, rosaries, chalices, crucifixes and figurines, pessebres are now the biggest part of their business. Mireia says business has changed greatly over the years, but that there’s still not a typical customer. “We have everything from old ladies who want us to fix the figurine they’ve had since their first communion, to Latin American immigrants who have a small shrine in the house, or passing tourists looking for a caganer out of season. The Fira de Santa Llúcia is only on for a short time each year, whereas we’re open all year round,” Mireia points out with a smile. But by far the biggest draw in recent years has been the shop’s colourful Christmas window display, which makes children beg their parents to take them inside, as well as attracting adults who want to recapture a lost part of their childhood. “We spend a long time working on it because it helps us appeal to a much wider audience. We’re aware that the shop can seem very serious to people who’ve never been inside, and particularly if they’re not religious,” concedes Mireia. “The tradition of pessebres had been declining for a long time, but I think there’s a whole generation of baby boomers who come here wanting to give their kids the same kind of Christmas they remember from when they were little.” “I’ll do the same when my little girl is a bit older, but I haven’t had a pessebre at home for years now,” Mireia confesses. “Christmas is such a busy time for us that I spend barely any time in the house, and besides, with so many here, why would I need one at home?”

Caganers The little figure of a barretina-wearing ‘crapper’ caught quite literally with his pants down is one of the most curious and enduring symbols of Catalunya at Christmas. Its origins are unclear, but it’s been documented as far back as the 17th century, and similar figures are also seen in parts of France and Italy. Caganers are usually tucked away in an unobtrusive part of the pessebre, far from the actual nativity scene. In fact, finding the hidden figure within the model has always been a popular game for children. There was outrage in 2005 when the Ajuntament de Barcelona chose to omit the famous figure from its nativity scene in Plaça Sant Jaume and the caganer was restored the following year. No one is sure why the figure of a man relieving himself should feature in the holiest of scenes, but there are many theories. Some say that he represents good luck or fertility, the equality of all people or the humanity of Jesus, while others claim that it simply makes the scene more downto-earth and realistic.

14-16.Religious-shops.indd 4

11/24/10 1:34:56 PM

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main pages - Dec 10 .indd 12

C/Independencia

P.Taulet-Bac de Roda

11/23/10 12:15:02 PM

18 CITY FOCUS

Photo courtesy of Museu d’Història de Catalunya i Amical de Mauthausen

Ramón Mercader Francesc Boix pictured at Mauthausen after its liberation

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CITY FOCUS 19

CAPTURING EVIL The story of a young Catalan whose acts of bravery would help convict key SS officers in the Nuremberg Trials. By Nick Lloyd

n the entrance to the Francesc Boix public library on Carrer Blai in Poble Sec there is a black and white photograph of a young man dressed in a greatcoat. A Leica camera hangs round his neck. Behind him are the barbed wires and barracks of a Nazi work camp. Just around the corner from the library, at Margarit 19, a plaque informs us that Francesc Boix i Campo was born here on August 14th 1920, and that he was “a photographer, fighter against fascism, prisoner at Mauthausen, and the only Spaniard to be called as a witness at the Nuremburg Trials against the leaders of the Third Reich”. Little is known of Boix’s early life. His father was a tailor and ran a shop (today an excellent bar) under the family home, where in the evenings he would host meetings with left-wing Catalanists. He was also an amateur photographer and instilled in his son a love of the camera. When the Civil War broke out in Barcelona in July 1936, Boix, just 15, joined the PSUC (Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya), the Catalan communist party and started to work for youth magazines as a photographer. He then volunteered as what we call today an embedded photographer and saw action on various fronts, including the Battle of the Ebro. As Franco’s forces closed in on Barcelona in January 1939, Boix headed for the French border, along with hundreds of thousands of women, children and the defeated remnants of the Republican army. The French government finally opened the frontier to the soldiers on February 5th, but instead of being treated as Republican brothers they were immediately imprisoned in concentration camps. Boix himself was sent to the Sept-

fonds Camp. Conditions were atrocious and disease was rife. Many died of hunger, cold and dysentery. With the threat of invasion, Boix, along with many Spanish refugees, was conscripted by the French army to build defences. Germany invaded in May 1940 and Boix was taken prisoner in June in Belfort in northern France, from where he was transferred to a prisoner of war camp. The Nazis saw the Spaniards as political enemies to be treated as such. Any reservations they may have had seem to have been dispelled after a visit to Germany by the Spanish Foreign Minister and Nazi-admirer, Ramón Serrano Súñer who was Franco’s brother-in-law (hence his nickname as El Cuñadísimo1). The Franco regime disowned the Republicans, allowing the Nazis to declare them stateless citizens (like Jews and Gypsies), and hence to be worked to death. The Spaniards who were deported back to Spain faced torture, concentration camps and ﬁring squads. As far as Franco was concerned, the Nazis merely helped by eliminating opposition. After passing through a series of prison camps, Boix, like most of the Republicans, was sent to the Mauthausen concentration complex in Austria, reserved for the most “Incorrigible Political Enemies of the Reich”, where the aim was extermination through labour in quarries, munitions factories and assembly plants. On their arrival, the prisoners were forced to strip and passed like cattle through showers. Then, they were given a striped uniform with a blue triangle used to identify foreign forced labourers, with an ‘S’ superimposed on top, to denote not ‘Stateless’ but ‘Spanier’. Boix, who had already man-

aged to pick up some German, was designated as works translator. At first the Spaniards were the largest group in Mauthausen. Many were forced to work in appalling conditions in the quarries. They also built much of the camp itself, leading a French survivor to proclaim “Every stone of Mauthausen represents a Spanish death”, most of those deaths occurred in the first year, many from malnutrition and overwork. With the arrival of other nationalities like Russians and Poles, the Spanish survivors gradually began to take over more ‘privileged’ positions, displacing the German common criminals. This was not because they were now treated any better, but rather because they were so well organised; held together by their anti-fascist political beliefs and in part by the discipline of the Communist Party. They managed to keep alive as many Republicans as possible, though favouring party members. They also organised acts of sabotage and resistance, the most important job of which fell to Boix. With his photographic skills and basic German, Boix managed to get a job in the camp photo lab. Together with another Catalan, Antoni Garcia2, he developed and printed photos taken by the SS of each prisoner on arrival and of each death. The photos were partly taken to feed the methodical bureaucratic obsession of the Nazis (five copies of each case), but also often as souvenirs for SS members. Boix made copies of 3,000 negatives, showing executions, the barbarous acts committed by the camp’s staff and, crucially, visits by top Nazis. The negatives were smuggled out by labourers who were sent each day to work in a nearby factory. There, they passed the negatives to an incredibly brave young Austrian

1. Cuñadísimo—A play on words between Generalísimo and cuñado (brother-in-law) 2. The two did not get along. Garcia was timorous and reserved, Boix rebellious and outgoing. Some accounts are highly critical of Boix’s role in discrediting the role played by Garcia in hiding some of the photos.

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11/24/10 1:35:49 PM

20 CITY FOCUS

The liberation of Mauthausen

woman called Anna Pointner, who hid them in the garden wall of her house. As the Allies drew closer, the final months in the camps painted a horrific scene. The SS, fuelled by their murderous madness and by a desire to cover up all evidence, set about killing all remaining prisoners, but they ran out of time and fled before the advance of the US army. Mauthausen was finally liberated by the prisoners on May 5th 1945, the only camp to be taken this way. The Americans were welcomed with a huge banner proclaiming ‘Los españoles antifascistas saludan a las fuerzas libertadoras.’ Boix himself set to work photographing the liberation. The death toll for the whole complex remains unknown, though the figure of 200,000 is often quoted. Russian and Polish prisoners were the biggest victims, along with Jews. Of

the some 7,200 Spaniards who entered Mauthausen, only 2,200 were alive by their liberation in 1945. Another 2,000 probably died in other camps such as Dachau and Buchenwald. Many were at the limits of their resistance and half were dead within a year. Most of the survivors who could not return to Franco’s Spain were given asylum in France. In late 1945 Boix moved to Paris where he began to work as a photo reporter for French left-wing press titles such as L’Humanité, Ce Soir, and Regards, which published photo stories of the negatives, the biggest collection from any camp. In 1946, he was called by the French prosecution as a witness in the Nuremberg Trials. Boix’s declaration, backed by photos taken by the SS, was short and harrowing. He described slave labour, torture, public executions enlivened by a gypsy band

forced to play polkas and how the SS guards received bonuses for shooting Jews. But most importantly, he testiﬁed to the presence at the camp of Heinrich Himmler, Albert Speer and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the latter of whom had denied any knowledge of the camps, and who was convicted directly as a result of Boix’s testimony.3 The same year Boix was also a witness at a second trial in Dachau against other Nazis from Mauthausen. He died in Paris on June 6th 1951 from tuberculosis which he had probably caught during his time in Mauthausen. He was 30 years old, a young man from Poble Sec, to whom history gave the role of documenting Nazi barbarity. -- Nick Lloyd leads Civil War tours in Barcelona with the Centre d’Estudis de Montjuic and runs www.iberianature.com

3. His complete testimony is available here: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/01-28-46.asp

18-20 Francisco Boix.indd 36

11/24/10 1:35:54 PM

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11/25/10 12:04:25 PM

22 DISPATCHES

LIVING LOCALLY Sara Blaylock lives the life of a locavore to find out how hard it is to consume only locally produced products. Photos and text by Sara Blaylock.

n the truest sense of the word, a locavore consumes food or drink made from products grown within a 100 mile (160 kilometre) radius of their home. Locavores contend that consuming within 100 miles of your doorstep not only reduces carbon emissions (by shrinking food miles) and farm waste (generally, local farms mean smaller farms) but also promotes community economies, food appreciation and food sovereignty. Since the Bay Area in San Francisco named it, locavorism has become a national movement in the United States. In a country where the average distance that food travels from farm to table is a staggering 1500 miles, Americans are embracing the locavore lifestyle as a means to shrink the consumer/producer gap. This means a resurgence in heirloom vegetables and unusual tastes. Purple tomatoes, dinosaur kale and dragon tongue beans are just a few examples of the delicious additions I made to my diet while hitting the local markets in California. City folk, country dwellers and suburbanites are catching on to the craze and dramatically reinventing not only the American way of eat-

Mantequería La Sierra

part I shopped at my local market (Mercat de Sant Antoni, Rda Sant Antoni, 18). The stallholders at Sant Antoni were thrilled to talk to me about their products but no vendor exclusively sold food of Catalan origin; however rarely was anything from outside the country.

ing, but also food economy and production. I spent a week in Octo-

Among the various highlights I bought over the week were a va-

ber living the locavore lifestyle in Barcelona to see how easy it would

riety of bolets fresh from the local forests. My partner prepared our

be in a country that hasn’t yet embraced the movement on any great

chanterelles and saffron milk caps in a cream sauce made primarily

scale. 100 miles from the city is, more or less, within the boundries of

of Ato dairy products (a Catalan brand found in any supermarket) on

Catalunya. Although I did not encounter anyone touting the locavore

top of hand crafted pasta from Pastes Sanmartí. We washed it down

name, it quickly became clear to me that most people shopping at the

with wine from Penedès, Catalunya’s most abundant wine region. We

markets, small grocery stores and butcher shops were already follow-

also could have, and often did, opt for any number of cavas and local

ing the guidelines of the movement. In fact, in pretty much every case,

beers to accompany our meals. One evening, we split a hefty bottle of

the grocers, bakers, butchers and produce vendors I asked were con-

a cold dark brew from Les Clandestines de Montferri, purchased at the

fused by my investigation. “Of course”, they said, “all this food comes

Xarxa de Consum Solidari. The XCS is a Barcelona-based organisa-

from Catalunya. Where else would we get our food from?”

tion that offers both Fair Trade international products and local ones.

A report on Catalan industry lists pork meat, mineral water, olive

In addition to their shop in Born, they also offer a weekly farm share

oil, wine and cava as products of the region. During my week I found

programme, where members can receive a box of fresh and seasonal

these products quite easily and in addition, I found flour, rice, pasta,

local products.

eggs, poultry, dairy products, fish, seafood, beer and a limitless supply

Drinking out was pretty easy, too. Most bars stock a variety of Cata-

of fruit and vegetables such as grapes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, let-

lan wines. Finding a local beer, however, was a bit more of a challenge.

tuce and green beans. Though I went to a variety of places, for the most

Moritz, I’m sorry to report, is no longer a Barcelona native. It hasn’t

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DISPATCHES 23

been brewed in the city since the 1966. But you can find some bars

Something I found during my experiment was that local vendors

that stock locally produced beers if you hunt around. I particularly

were always passionate about their food. Meeting Ramon Lasierra and

enjoyed the brews I found at Cervecería Jazz (Margarit 43), including

his daughter Núria in their family colmado Mantequería La Sierra

a sprightly little number from the Ca l’Arenys brewery called Guinea

was a definite highlight in my week. Ramon’s parents started the gro-

Antius and the Agullons Bruno Pale Ale, a hand-labelled number from

cery in the late Thirties and they continue to stock the old-fashioned

Masia Agullons.

establishment with the very best, primarily Catalan, products at good

One of my biggest sacrifices living as a locavore was in my morning

Sierra

prices. Ramon was eager to sell me his favourite oils, rice, cheeses and

Mercat de Sant Antoni

Honey from La Vall de Campmajor

or evening cup. I could not drink tea or coffee and the resulting head-

embotits. I came home with a few kitchen staples: Mallafré olive oil

aches were brutal. An option for addicts like me is Café Saula, which

(Tarragona) and Molí de Pals rice (Girona), as well as a few decadent

roasts coffee and teas at their factory in Sant Feliu de Llobregat.

inessentials: a semi-cured goat cheese from Fromatergies Montbru

I unfortunately found no remedy for my forced abstention from

(Moià) and a pink and fatty sausage so regional to be simply named the

chocolate, another daily and necessary habit. In a bid to temper my

butifarra Catala. You could tell that Ramon’s excitement over Catalan cuisine was more than just a professional

sweet tooth, I ate a lot more honey than usual. I came across an extraordinary variety of honey products made by A. Camprubí Santos, an apiary in La Vall de Campmajor, at a oneday market in front of El Molino theatre. The market also introduced me to mató, a fresh, ricotta-like cheese produced throughout Catalunya which is just perfect on buttered toast with honey. During the week we ate some lovely free-

“The heart of the issue is local shopping, rather than local consuming, focusing on supporting the local economy rather than production.”

range eggs from Sant Antoni market, cooked quite simply as an omelette one afternoon and

passion. At the end of the week, I visited El Mercat de Mercats, a weekend festival of Catalan food and drink. Despite the crowds I managed to buy a chewy pancetta from Embotits Artesans Gori de la Vall d’en Bas. We used our pancetta on both a hand-made pizza and as an added garnish to a Catalan lentil stew. Later in the week, we also enjoyed some local chicken. Our butcher prepared the cuts for both a roast and a stew, which we enjoyed

as a tortilla another. Though I’m generally not too fond of eggs, I will

with our rice from Girona and various veggies. In general, it was easier

say I noticed the difference. Those little brown beauties from Girona

to find meat than sea creatures from Catalunya; unbelievably it turns

had a fresher, less ‘eggy’ taste and were well worth paying the small

out that a lot of fish and seafood is imported.

increase in price for.

22-24. Locavore.indd 35

I was also surprised to find that more often than not bakers could

11/24/10 1:36:55 PM

24 DISPATCHES The economic philosophy behind supporting a family run business over a chain is that money stays in a community, rather than being sent back to corporate headquarters and redistributed. Another positive argument is that small businesses add character to streets, maintaining individuality in town centres and keeping them interesting. What’s more, in many cases, shopping at local businesses can benefit the environment, at least from the consumer’s standpoint. People who have access to a nearby town centre that is well stocked with small, local shops, it is argued, will reach for the trainers and not the car keys, thus, amping up the walking and keeping the car parked in the garage. To that end, I also spent my week in search of local items for the wall or wardrobe. This proved a bit more difficult. But I found that Gràcia has the greatest variety of boutiques that offer goods made locally. I especially recommend Carrer Torrent de l’Olla; it is chock full of shops selling clothes and accessories made here in the city. I was impressed with Anna Pous and Rosa Pueyo who run nu_u, a Japan-inspired, Catalan-made clothes shop and studio. Anna and Rosa sew as they sell, leaning over long tables filled with gor-

El Mercat de Mercats, Festival of Catalan food

geous Japanese fabric. Up the street, Madam Pum Pum has a cool variety of clothes and accessories

not tell me where their flour came from, or if they could, it was usually

by local designers such as Gris Piedra, Beatrit Furest and Nerea Lur-

from outside the region. I put this down to production. Though the

gain. Madam Pum Pum also sells the only locally crafted homewares I

breads at the corner store bakery may look, or even taste, better than

came across, by the Apparatu brand. Just around the corner, Roxana

at the supermarket, neither are more committed to using local ingre-

Rivas sells her own clothing label Olyva at her shop La Sastreria. You

dients. The difference, instead, is in recipes, freshness and quantity of

can also find locally made jewellery and accessories from labels such

production.

as Los Coleccionistas and Mon Carrusel. Roxana’s eye leans toward

Whereas the primary definition of the locavore diet relates to food and drink, it is also possible to apply it to other aspects of your life.

the mod and retro, and her shop is one of the most put-together I’ve seen in Barcelona.

A true locavore may consider it as important to buy locally produced

The key to being a true locavore is to eat and live like our grand-

honey as to only purchase CDs from local companies. The heart of

parents did; stick to the growing season, buy from your neighbour-

the issue is local shopping, rather than local consuming, focusing on

hood market and you’ll easily stay on track. If you’re stumped for

supporting the local economy rather than local production. In fact,

new ideas, ask at your local grocers, butchers or market. Get caught

because clothing or objects require more complicated production than

up by their passion for Catalan cuisine and get some new ideas for

food, it is almost impossible to guarantee 100 percent local origin.

your kitchen.

Further information 100milediet.org Els Casals Find your locavore radius bcn.cat - Find your nearest market xarxaconsum.net Xarxa de Consum Solidari Local beers: lesclandestines.net, calarenys.cat and masia-agullons.com Oil - mallafre.com Rice - arrosmolidepals.com

22-24. Locavore.indd 36

Cheese - mont-bru.com Embotits - Artesans Gori. Tel. 972 693 023 Mantequería La Sierra - Rosselló 160 Tel. 93 453 3575 Nu_u - nu-u.es. Torrent de l’Olla 23 Tel. 93 502 8038 Madam Pum Pum - Torrent de l’Olla 30 Tel. 93 457 3464 La Sastrería - la-sastreria.blogspot.com. Bonavista 25. Tel. 93 218 5108

11/24/10 1:36:58 PM

main pages - Nov 10 .indd 1

11/17/10 12:34:50 PM

L DU

26 STREET LIFE

C. P ERO T LO

C. BO TERS

DE LP I

PL. NOVA

Hydroponic (nº. 3) AV. DE LA CATEDRAL

C. DE LA PALLA

C. BISBE

A PALL OU S

E LA

PL. FELIP NERI

BAN YS N

C. D

ANS

ISSA

ELL

FERR

CAP

ORTA

C. DELS ARCS

LA P

LL A

C. DE

Joguines Monforte (nº. 2)

Carrer de la Palla

C. D

ELS

Text by Dylan Clive. Photos by Natasha Young

stone’s throw from the Cathedral, Carrer de la Palla in the Barrí Gòtic is a glorious mixture of old-fashioned shops, antique dealers and little boutiques, making it the perfect place to start your Christmas shop-

ping. On the corner with Plaça Sant Josep Oriol, Joguines Monforte is like Barcelona’s very own Santa’s workshop. Along with toys in the window that seem to have been there since the family run shop opened in 1896, you’ll find Gaudí jigsaws at €11.50, a Barcelona Monopoly set at €41 and a Catalan version of Scrabble—if you get your ‘ny’ on a triple word score you’re laughing. Urban outfitters Hydroponic (nº. 3) opened a year a go and their exclusive skate clothing brand make it the place to go for that impossibly tricky teenage gift. The store is also home to C/ Palla’s own mascot, Bernie the skater dog. Big enough to pull Santa’s sleigh, she’ll be on hand to help you choose a decorative skate deck for your living room. Alternatively, for slightly less cumbersome stocking filling ideas, head to Japanese fabric shop Nunoya (nº. 6). Kimonos and pillows can be made to order and if you’re handy with a needle

Nunoya (nº. 6) Petit Asia (nº. 77)

and thread, you can buy gorgeous fabrics by the metre. Their Japanese toe socks with a goldfish print at €7 make an ideal secret Santa pressie too. For the woman who has everything, take a gander at the window of quirky designer jeweller La Basilica Galeria (nº. 7). Their tarantula necklace may give you a fright but the price of ‘El Mil Del Poaig’ extra virgin olive oil over the road at Oro Líquido (nº. 8) will scare you more. The Chanel of the olive world, drizzling this on your pa amb tomaquet will set you back €130 a bottle. More affordable and a decent present to take home is a hamper of three oils from the Basilippo range for €40. If you’re looking for a more exotic offering, Nomada’s (nº. 9) is an Aladdin’s cave of worldly treasures. Find lamps and magical-looking carpets from Afghanistan, venture further and discover statues from Tibet, puppets from Myanmar and not top of the average Christmas list, a bag made from an udder from the Mapuche Indians of Chile. All that’s missing is a talking monkey wearing one of Nomada’s cashmere and silk Nepalese jackets, but you could always buy one of their genie lamps and wish for one for Christmas. Further up the street you begin to see why this is known locally as the

Nomada’s (nº. 9)

Oro Líquido (nº. 8)

Fira de

María Ubach Antigüedades (nº. 10)

26-27. Street life.indd 6

11/24/10 1:52:43 PM

STREET LIFE 27

Castelló Sabem de Música (nº. 7)

Seasonal gifts, Caelum

Cakes and marzipan treats, Caelum

The café, Caelum (nº. 8)

Heavenly cakes Christmas is the perfect excuse for ditching the diet and downing the calories and there’s no better place to eat cake than the spiritual and friendly Caelum (nº. 8). A Carrer de la Palla resident for 12 years, it would frankly be a sin not to sample their monastery-made marzipan treats. Positioned above 14th century Jewish baths, there are sweets, biscuits, a coffee shop and arguably the nicest smelling bathrooms in the city. Special Christmas goodies to look out for include Anguilas de Mazapán, Pan de Cádiz and Huesos de Santos. The beauty is that this den of delicacies is stocked with

offerings from more than 20 convents around Spain. Natália Mula

antique neighbourhood. Changing times and fashions, coupled with the current economic crisis, has meant that there are now less antique dealers than in the past but María Ubach Antigüedades (nº. 10) is still going strong. Packed with sensational pieces that are older than your in-laws, this may be beyond most Christmas budgets, but if you win the lottery a French cigar box from the 1850’s could be yours for a cool €5,000 and can be shipped to anywhere in the world if you so desire.

Once you’ve pulled yourself away from the potential gifts on offer and strolled past the Artur Ramon Art Gallery (nº. 25) there is one last festive surprise in store. The Fira de Santa Llúcia in front of the Cathedral (Plaça de la Seu and Plaça Nova) is a hive of activity in December and is a one-stop shop for a truly Catalan Christmas. Get all your pessebre figures, handmadecrafts and all things scatalogical; here’s the place to buy a Caganer or a Caga Tió; perfect for shocking the folks back home with.

explains: “the nuns are hidden from the world and bake as a way of bringing money in. We place our money in front of a revolving window and then are given whatever they have available.” With no way to place a specific order, Caelum’s stock is entirely in the hands of the nuns. What isn’t explained are the bottles of wine and absinthe stocked above the biscuits. Could it be that these same nuns, out of sight from everyone, indulge in a cheeky shot during breaks in the baking?

Caelum (nº. 8) Fira de Santa Llúcia

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main pages - Dec 10 .indd 8

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29 Cover copy 1.indd 1

CHRISTMAS CLUBBING

CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS

MARISCAL

DRAP-ART (PICTURED)

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30 ON

This month 18th 17th Keep the kids amused with a night of old-fashioned circus over at the Teatre Principal in Badalona. Don’t worry if your Catalan’s not too hot; there’ll be plenty of clowning, trapeze and music to jolly you along. Limbus December 18th Teatre Principal, Badalona www.badalonacultura.cat Worth the trip out of town, this collection of Fif-

If you were lucky enough to see the documentary about Motörhead’s likeable lead singer Lemmy Kilmister at last month’s In-Edit film festival, you’ll know that he’s a man of a thousand soundbites and he likes to play loud. And drive tanks. Your ears may never forgive you but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more rock and roll way to spend Christmas. Motörhead December 17th Sant Jordi Club (note change of venue)

ties and Sixties Catalan photography features some lovely insights into local life back then. Look out for the work of Josep M Casdemont, whose camera captured tights flapping on a breezy Barcelona balcony and other intimate moments. Nova Avantguarda. Fotografia catalana dels anys 50 i 60 Until January 16th Museo Abelló, Mollet del Vallès and on tour www.museuabello.cat

1st They may get dubbed a psychobilly band but The Creepshow are more like a punkier version of No Doubt. Either way, expect it to get sweaty down the front in the cosy environs of Sidecar. The Creepshow December 15th Sidecar www.sidecarfactoryclub.com

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Good Lord, it must be fun being in Kool & the Gang. All these years and the boys from Jersey are still going strong and looking good in slip-on shoes. This show, which is part of the Festival Mil·lenni, is likely to feature all the hits. Have a shuffle to ‘Jungle Boogie’, ‘Ladies’ Night’ and ‘Celebrate!’ for us. Kool & the Gang December 12th L’Auditori www.festival-millenni.com

12th 15th

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Live who’s on

OUR pick of GIGS IN december Imogen Heap: Bikini, 1st

Marnie Stern: BeCool, 14th

The Tallest Man On Earth: Razzmatazz, 2nd

The Pinker Tones: Apolo, 17th

OUR pick of GIGS IN OCTOBER Atari Teenage Riot: Apolo, 4th

30 Seconds to Mars: Sant Jordi Club, 18th

Horace Andy (pictured): Apolo, 9th

Maika Makovski: Apolo, 18th

Wovenhand: Apolo 2, 10th

Necro: BeCool, 18th

The 12 days of a Razzmatazz Christmas Razzmatazz is in the middle of one hell of a party. The reason? The venerable institution is 10 years young and they’re looking to celebrate. The guest list is impressive so you might want to clear your diaries. Here’s our pick of who’s on. Unless otherwise stated all gigs are at Razzmatazz.

2nd Soulwax. Sant Jordi Club

2nd Tiga. Sant Jordi Club

3rd Yelle

3rd Vicarious Bliss

3rd Acid Girls

4th Crystal Fighters

10th Desperate DJs

11th Aphex Twin

11th DMX Krew

12th Caribou

17th Yuksek

18th The Glimmers

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El Lago de los Cisnes Ballet Estatal Ruso de Rostov

Have yourself a classical Christmas

f you’re not in the Christmas spirit yet, help is at hand with a flurry of yuletide shows to put you in the festive mood. Kicking off at Palau de la Música Catalana, the Dnipropetrovsk State Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Choir of Belarus make themselves comfortable for a trio of shows over four days. On the 5th and 8th they perform a double bill of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and, arguably one of the finest pieces of choral music ever written, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Its opening O Fortuna has been used countless times and TV-loving Brits may well recognise it as the music played whenever a terrified Rodney saw his nephew Damien in Only Fools and Horses. Meanwhile, they give Handel’s stirring Messiah an airing on the 6th and on the 7th they play a double bill of Mozart’s Requiem and Symphony no. 40 in G minor. Also at the Palau, the Alabama Gospel Choir* throw their hands in the air on the 15th and 18th while the Strauss Festival Orchestra* perform some of Johann Strauss’s most popular waltzes, polkas and marches on the 19th, 25th and 31st. At L’Auditori, the Banda Municipal de Barcelo-

na play a selection of Brahms, Lizt, Guinjoan and Brotons for their Christmas concert on the 11th, but if it’s carols you’re after, you can see the Cor Vivaldi: Petits Cantors de Catalunya on the 18th or the Coral Cantiga dels Lluïsos de Gràcia on the 23rd. Both choirs will be performing a selection of traditional Catalan music. If funds are low, the Conservatori is the place to go. On the 18th, hard-working students will be performing 11 hours of music for free and there’s everything from chamber music to a percussion group and boys’ choir. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without someone putting on El Lago de los Cisnes (Swanlake) and young upstarts, the Ballet Estatal Ruso de Rostov don’t disappoint. Their traditional take on Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece at Teatro Coliseum on the 22nd/23rd/25th will delight ballet purists, as will their festive El Cascanueces (The Nutcracker) on the 27th to 29th at the same venue. Don’t expect any avant-garde oddities here; this is ballet by the book with tutus and white tights a-plenty. If ballet and popular classics just aren’t highbrow enough for you, there’s always the opera, and

if contemporary’s your thing, George Benjamin’s one-act Into the Little Hill has its Spanish premiere at Gran Teatre del Liceu on the 2nd and 3rd of the month. Performed by London Sinfonietta, the opera is loosely based on the Pied Piper and is scored for just soprano and contralto. As it’s a short piece, a selection of Benjamin’s chamber music rounds off the night. Giuseppe Verdi’s final opera Falstaff is the Liceu’s big December show with performances from the 9th to the 29th. Based on Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor, it’s a rambunctious comedy about a hard-up knight who tries and fails to woo rich women for their money. Praised for its orchestration, melody and libretto, this co-production with the Welsh National Opera is everything an opera should be—big, brash and beautiful. Tickets go from €9.50 up in the gods to €194 for the posh seats. So, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine, get your glad rags on and be sure not to miss curtain up.--NY * Also at the Liceu and L’Auditori

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

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veryone loves a good rags-to-riches story and they don’t get much better than this. The daughter of a Sri Lankan political activist, Mathangi Arulpragasam (aka M.I.A) survived a civil war, became a refugee in South London and only got accepted into art college after threatening to become a prostitute. It’s safe to say that this girl wasn’t exactly born with a silver spoon in her mouth. A gifted artist, M.I.A. once flogged one of her paintings to Jude Law at an exhibition on London’s Portobello Road before swapping her paintbrush for a microphone. The change of career has brought nominations for Academy Awards, Grammys and the Mercury Music Prize and if that wasn’t enough, she now has her own record label, dabbles in fashion and has funded school building projects in Liberia. When she’s not trying to save the world, the refugee icon is out touring it. Her electro rap ballads consistently get belted out to sell-out crowds; the reason being, if you haven’t already guessed, this girl is good. In her destructive raps you’ll find melodic vocals but harsh lyrics that tackle poverty, violence and globalisation from the point of view of the Third World. If you go and see her (and you should), expect a thunderous reception for ‘Paper Planes’ which even your mum will recognise from the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire. You’ll know it when you hear it; it’s the one with all the gunshots and the pinging cash registers that rattled round your head for weeks after you first heard it. A feriously talented individual, this left-of-centre ‘anti-pop’ star will leave you inspired, provoked and unable to dance to anything else.--DC

M.I.A. Razzmatazz—December 7th

ame a cool ginger singer. Go on, we bet you can’t. Mick Hucknall? Geri Halliwell? Tiffany? Not easy is it? But wait, here come Two Door Cinema Club with their freckly faced frontman Alex Trimble and suddenly it rocks to

be a redhead. Gingers everywhere must be offering silent prayers of thanks. Ok, so their cherubic wee faces might make you look old by comparison, but like all good pop bands, they make you feel like a teenager. When they get it right, their sound is pure jump up and down, ‘beat you to the dancefloor’ euphoria that quite simply reeks of teen spirit. Hailing from Northern Ireland, the electro-indie three-piece got together in 2007 and later jacked in university places to sign to the French label Kitsuné. Their debut album Tourist History was released earlier this year and their live shows have been packed to the gills with skinny jeans wearing-lovlies and record industry types wishing they’d signed them. However, despite positive reviews, it’s fair to say that Two Door Cinema Club are a singles band. ‘Undercover Martyn’ is their finest moment to date; a joyous, short, sharp, shock of a pop record with a bouncy singa-long chorus, plinky plonk keys and angelic vocals. If ever there was a soundtrack for your next drunken liaison in the darkest corners of Razzmatazz, this is it.--NY

Two Door Cinema Club. Razzmatazz—December 10th

urf Rock has got its mojo back but from the most unlikely of sources. Best Coast are a funny looking bunch. Lead singer Bethany Cosentino is so in love with her cat Mr Snacks that he’s practically a member of the band, appearing on album artwork and merchandise and sneaking into videos. Meanwhile, guitarist Bobb Bruno looks more like an out of shape Mr Miyagi than a rock star. The beauty is that this unlikely looking duo (plus new edition Ali Koehler on drums) make heavenly summer music that will have you day-dreaming of California beaches on even the coldest December day. They are not one of the most-hyped bands of 2010 for nothing. For newcomers to the group, check out the single ‘When I’m With You’. Symbolising everything the band is about, this is a slice of sunny nostalgia that is sure to either bring back wistful memories of summer romance or inspire you to get your groove on. If Cupid had an iPod, he’d be listening to this track. Taken from their album Crazy For You, the song combines Beach Boys basslines with fuzzy indie pop and is a masterclass in storytelling in its simplest and catchiest form. Follow up single ‘Boyfriend’ continues with the themes of love, longing and relationships and how it can all make you go a bit crazy. Put simply, Best Coast are likely to appeal to anyone with a heart who has ever longed for, lusted after, loved or lost. To transport yourself from the cold, rainy depression of winter to the searing heat of an Orange County summer, buy your tickets now.--DC

Best Coast. Razzmatazz—December 17th

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Arts

hen you take in the Mariscal exhibition at La Pedrera it occurs to you that, like Andy Warhol before him, Mariscal, it seems, finds it hard to turn down work of any kind. Indeed the difference between commercial work and personal art has been blurred in the mass production on show here. La Pedrera has been turned into a shrine that worships at the feet of Javier Errando Mariscal. As you walk in you’re immediately confronted with 1,500 sketches. Large sheets of Keith Haring-esque characters, doodles and drawings hang from the ceiling. Mariscal’s prolificity hits you physically as you walk through the panels to the other rooms. Round the corner you’re confronted by ‘Wall of Letters’, a large, 3D installment made from cardboard, wallpaper and wood and it’s here you grasp Mariscal’s talent with typography. His ‘Barcelona Alphabet’ is a beautifully realised, hand-drawn piece that displays his masterly way with the pen. Here you can also get an idea of the range of projects Mariscal’s vast portfolio covers. Walk around walls of magazine covers for titles as diverse as The New Yorker and El País Seminal, digest the designs for H&M bags and posters for Bancaja, take in the fabric patterns and the illustrated recipe books. Everyone has to pay the bills but for me the most charming works on show are the ones without a brand attached. His cutlery for the El País office or the Mariscal loo brushes left me a bit cold. On the other hand his utterly charming dioramas or the naïve but delightful ‘Dusk in the Pine Grove with Vespa’ were far and away the most beguiling pieces. These cardboard cut-outs on small, basic sets shown against simple soundtracks, cajole you into thinking Mariscal might be more than just a money-hungry, jack of all trades. You leave feeling the man can turn his hand to anything and he does, frequently. But, if designing napkins for fancy hotel chains leaves him enough financial freedom to make pieces like ‘Full Moon Night’ then all the better I say. Can you really begrudge an artist who seems to be actually making a successful living these days? You could argue, as Warhol once did, even department stores are museums these days.--KM

Mariscal a la Pedrera La Pedrera Until January 30th, 2011

o compare Spanish artist Guillermo Carrion and Italo Calvino could be overstretching things a little but both Carrion and Calvino use the city as a metaphor for human nature and as a theme within which to explore the microcosmic layering of human existence. The city, to both the writer and artist is an alluring entry point from which to question what it is like to be human. Cities to them are intricate webs where every walk of life is visible and every dream and nightmare a possibility. Carrion is a Madrid-born artist and he makes what his gallery is calling postgraffiti art. A dweller and voyeur in some of the world’s most important cities, he trained at the exclusive Cooper Union school in New York, which gives you an idea of the talent that lies behind this man’s creations. This is a solo show but most of the pieces were previously shown in a group exhibition with Barnstormers, the sprawling collective of which he is a founding member. The opening at the Joshua Liner Gallery in New York got a lot of people excited not least because it gathered a significant amount of work by the Tokyo/New York-based group in one place but because it included work from artists considered to be the best in their fields. Alone, Carrion’s art carries no less of an impact. The Montana gallery will feature his 3D city pieces for which he is becoming famous for; the demi-god benefactor Charles Saatchi has shown interest. A seemingly new style, his works mix sculpture and painting with layers of foam, paint and colour. His cities are full of the detritus of all cities; taxis, shop fronts, graffitied walls. His play on perspective gives you a birds-eye view whilst remaining on the ground. If you’ve ever lived in a city, you will no doubt have been hit by the sheer heaving vitality of the place at some point. Whether it was New York, Berlin or Rome, all cities carry with them an influential force that makes you wonder from time to time how it can be sticking together as one relatively harmonious piece. It is little wonder that writer and artist alike continue to be inspired by the metropolis. They are bursting, literally overflowing with inspirational sights.--KM Las Ciudades Visibles Montana Gallery December 10th until February 5th www.montanagallerybarcelona.com

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IH BCN Metropolitan Advert Febrero 2010.pdf

12/2/10

14:08:11

ON 35

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

WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE

LANGUAGE LEARNING & TEACHER TRAINING

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TEACHER TRAINING COURSES CELTA, CELTYL, CELTYL EXTENSION, DELTA, BUSINESS, DOSs, TRAINERS, MANAGERS, TRANSLATORS, YOUNG LEARNERS

SPANISH LANGUAGE COURSES INTENSIVE & EXTENSIVE, BUSINESS, DELE PREPARATION, INDIVIDUAL TUITION. All ages and levels.

1. Col·lectiva 10 d’art Espai Cultural Francolí December 2nd to December 31st www.teresarius.com

3. Ciència i Caritat al descobert Museu Picasso Until February 20th www.bcn.cat/museupicasso

2. Drap-Art Various venues December 17th to January 9th www.drapart.org

4. Catalitzadors. Accions reversibles Arts Santa Mònica December 18th to April 3rd www.artssantamonica.cat

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

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

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

11/24/10 2:09:18 PM

36 GASTRONOMY

Federal Café Parlament 39 Tel. 93 187 3607 www.federalcafe.es Open Tues-Thurs 8am-10pm Fri and Sat until 1am Sun 9am-5.30pm Approx €20 for 2 courses and a glass or two of wine

A league of their own Pared down design and all-day appeal make this café a winner for Tara Stevens.

By Tara Stevens.

ederal Café, for all its simplicity, has been the surprise opening of 2010, and arguably one of the hottest. It’s the creation of Christopher King and Tommy Tang who previously owned Papa Bubble, the sweet shop in the Barri Gòtic which they sold a couple of years ago. They’ve been dreaming up this Sydney-style café ever since and what a welcome arrival it is. One can only imagine it is going to transform the fortunes of Sant Antoni. From its corner perch on Parlament with Comte Borrell it opens into a cool, clean space of geometric lines, blonde wood floors and charcoal grey walls. A large communal dining table dominates the middle of the room, decked with sculptural flower arrangements by the same girl who does the flowers at the Hotel Arts and floor-toceiling windows which open directly onto the street to create natty, one-person banquettes, where you can sit, tray at your side and watch the world go by. Upstairs, there is more seating and table arrangements: some low slung and slouchy, others more sit-down formal and a staircase that leads to a smart, lushly planted roof terrace. Already it’s a massive hit with the yummy mummys of the barrio, who come with the kids at the weekend, or for a latte after the mid-week school run. People like me turn up with their laptops (free WiFi) mid-morning and treat it like a second office.

dish of homemade baked beans sprinkled with dukkah the Egyptian

The fact that Barcelona doesn’t yet have anywhere quite like it (I’m

many of the better burgers around town a run for their money. I have

sure the copycats won’t be far behind) adds to the allure, especially

a posher rack of lamb with a pistachio tapenade, which is pleasingly

since it’s at its busiest in the morning, ﬁlling what has, until now, been

pink and herby and picks up the nutty sweetness of the pistachios

a bit of a breakfasting void. It’s a place to linger over your coffee with

brilliantly. A bright carrot, kalamata olive and feta salad comes on

a useful stack of work-avoidance glossies (Architectural Digest, Wall-

the side.

dry mix of seeds, nuts, herbs and spices. When breakfast is better than dinner, you know you’re onto a winner. But this place is all about multi-tasking and the options for light, festive indulgence are seemingly endless: a cup of tea with a toasted lemon and poppy seed Madeleine in the afternoon after Christmas shopping, a civilised salad for a quiet lunch, or an early evening drink with the girls after work. There are cocktails you see—rose martinis, honeysuckle daiquiris, lemon gimlets—which must surely have been created with the ladies in mind and a short, nicely put together wine list showcasing interesting rather than crowd-pleasing bottles, much of it available by the glass. So it is that one lazy afternoon when I ﬁnd myself with not a great deal to do, tea and cupcakes soon turn into cocktails and dinner. The music turns jazzy and mellow, the lights dim and it’s all too comfortable to leave. Besides, my friend has spotted somebody else’s burger and refuses to leave until he gets one too. We order it with a side of potato wedges tossed in trufﬂe oil as, after all, it is nearly Christmas. When it comes it’s big—too big to comfortably cram in my mouth— very juicy, and bleeding beetroot juice. Beetroot and burgers seems to be very much an Aussie thing and an innovation I’d argue gives

paper*, Vogue) and the Spanish newspapers (El País, La Vanguardia,

With breakfast costing between 3 and 6, salads around 4.70, burg-

El Periódico) absorbed over cast-iron pots of baked eggs topped with

ers 9.50, and mains around 11.50 this is one local eatery I can see I’m

spinach and mushrooms, pancetta and a dollop of crème fraiche, or a

going to be spending a lot of time in. Happy Christmas everyone.

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

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GASTRONOMY 37

RECIPE Alpujarran Wild Boar Stew

By Tara Stevens This wild boar stew is rich and festive and was created when I was invited to watch a show that Rick Stein, the British television chef, was filming at a friends house in Andalucia. Unfortunately, the night before the shoot my friend got sick and asked if I could knock something up that he could then replicate on camera the next day. Fortunately it turned out rather well. Wild boar is very tough, so the longer you cook this, the better it will be.

• •

400g wild boar, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 small glass Malága Sack wine (substitute red wine for a less sweet result)

•

2 Figueres onions, finely chopped

•

4 cloves garlic, minced

•

2 tsp freshly ground cumin

•

1 tsp smoked pimentón

•

3 large strips orange peel

•

Juice of half an orange

•

3 tbsp plump, Moscatel raisins

•

3 cubes bitter chocolate (85 percent cocoa is best)

•

4 tbsp peeled, chopped tomatoes (or canned)

•

2 tbsp olive oil

•

3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

•

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss the meat in the wine and set aside. Sweat the onions and garlic in olive oil over a low heat until they are sweet and caramelised (for at least 20 minutes). Stir in the cumin and the pimentón and remove the onion mix from the pan. Next, drain the boar reserving the wine and brown it in the same pan that held the onions. When it is nicely coloured, return the onions to the pan, add the raisins, orange peel, and orange juice and stir in the reserved wine. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chocolate and tomatoes. Season and stir well to ensure the chocolate has melted. Leave to stew over a low heat for three to four hours (adding a splash of water now and then if it starts to dry out). Before serving check for seasoning, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve on a pile of aligot (garlicky mashed potatoes).

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38 GASTRONOMY

Lunch with... Tara Stevens has a lunch date with some of the city’s most dedicated foodies, this month: Genevieve McCarthy, CEO of Cellar Tours. www.cellartours.com

enevieve McCarthy is the CEO of Madrid-based Cellar Tours. We got together for a pre-Christmas blow-out at Embat recently where we tucked into a great value tasting menu of pancetta

wrapped scallops on celery puree and rich duck canelones, pigeon three ways (liver pate, roast legs, pan fried breasts) and slow-braised veal jowls with Llanega mushrooms. It’s not exactly light, but it’s easy to see why chefs Fidel Puig and Santi Rebés say autumn and winter are their favourite times for cooking. Tell me about your business. Why Spain? Spain has incredibly diverse wine country from volcanic vineyards in the Canary Islands to unique slate soils in the chic Priorat region, to sun-baked flatlands in the centre of the country where the native Tempranillo grape (called Tinta Fino in Ribera del Duero) thrives. My favourites at the moment are the red Mencía based wines of Bierzo (great value, old vines, balanced acidity and not over the top alcohol levels) and white Godello, especially from Valdeorras, which is a kind of underdog to Albariño but gaining more popularity all the time. And your lunch choice? Embat is a refreshing surprise. Barcelona can be so painfully aware of its coolness, so it is nice to be served inspired dishes in a friendly setting without “airs”. I think it’s a great lunch venue, especially for Saturdays when you can blow three hours sitting at the table sipping wine and sharing the dishes. My favourite dish today was the dessert (rosemary soup with lemon ice cream). It’s amazing how the flavours worked to-

“

gether and the fresh herbiness has totally pepped me up! What are we drinking? Vallegarcía Viognier is a very interesting wine made by the terrific Pago de Vallegarcía (www.vallegarcia.com) wine estate in the Montes de Toledo area in central Spain. It is not unlike a good Rhone Condrieu, with aromas of apricots and white flowers and a delicious, long citrussy mouthful. I’m impressed to see it on Embat’s list, as production of this wine is limited. Any other Barcelona recommendations? I love Fonda Gaig for its comfort food, stellar service and relaxed yet elegant ambience. Breakfast at Pinotxo in the Boqueria isn’t much of a secret, but it is always fun. I love their garbanzos and morcilla with a glass of cava.

Embat Mallorca 304 Tel. 93 458 0855 www.restaurantembat.es Tue-Fri 1pm-3.30pm, Sat 2pm-3.30pm, Thurs-Sat 9pm-11pm Weekly lunch menu e20. Tasting menu e34 and e42

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11/23/10 4:30:05 PM

Gourmet dining in Gràcia It may not have been open long but the word is already out about Gut in the bohemian area of Gràcia. The reason? Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen specialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an international twist. From prawn and mango curry to beef entrecote served with fluffy mash and leeks braised in honey and soy sauce, there’s an eclectic array of dishes on the menu, including several options cooked with love for vegetarians. New for the autumn are deliciously nutty quinoa and tofu hamburgers and Indonesian tamales. Sweet-toothed pudding lovers should take note too as special attention is paid to the home-made desserts, so much so that the chocolate and mascarpone pie already has its own fan club. Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail and the friendly, respectful service. And then there’s the restaurant itself. The clean, white decor and sunny dining room make it the ideal place to pop by for breakfast, lunch or a cup of tea and a cake. At night, the lights do down, while at weekends, the atmosphere changes with a surprising combination of lighting scenarios and great music. It’s the perfect place to have a drink and enjoy the night in good company. Try it for yourself and find out why everyone is talking about Gut.

C/Perill,13 t:93 186 6360 restaurantgut@gmail.com

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11/23/10 12:12:13 PM

Food&Drink

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

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

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

Bagels BE MY BAGEL 4GRÀCIA Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be My Bagel is the right place for you. They sell authentic bagels from Barcelona, just how you like them. They have an extensive range of bagels and cakes, from the more classic choices such as poppy and multigrain to delicious and innovative chocolate, almond and coconut bagels - you’ll not come away disappointed.

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

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

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

Moll de Mestral 6-7, Port Olimpic I

L4 Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica

Margarita Blue 4BARRI GÒTIC

Michael’s tavern 4Sant andreu

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

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

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

Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 44

Dream4port olimpic

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

Concepción Arenal, 213 | Tel. 93 312 0358

Fabra I Puig

11/24/10 2:50:53 PM

FOOD & DRINK 41 Café – Ice Cream Shop Nit Borbo4barceloneta

ART I SA4BARRI GÒTIC

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

Passeig de Borbó, 51 I

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

Barceloneta

Be cool4Sarrià BeCool offers a great mix of Electronic, Indie & Rock music from Thursday to Saturday with a regular line up of live concerts by local & international artists. Main Room: Electro & Techno. Sala Redrum: Indie Electro Rock.

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

L5 Hospital clinic I Tel. 93 362 0413

Catalan cara bela4barceloneta

GRAN PARIS 4EIXAMPLE E

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

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

Pas de Soto Muralla, 3 I

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

Food&Drink

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

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

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

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

V.O.s

an o you c btitles s u s h it IN Plaça Cardona 4 | Gràcia pw the backdro Diagonal Carrer Paris 200 | sic from ned as a ree1pm-11pm Tel. 651 970 971 / 93 002 2300 s| c Open ted mu c le e s y full the care ould c o enjoy u ls a o y hed ils Sixties. kta4Raval ver wis c s to the o e c Barraval ti ir a h n T arcelo orof the Raval quarter, h’ made share B Located uinrthenheart b andwic p s e e H in ‘c y a offers great Mediterranean and dre Barraval , enjoy gourmet4Eixample med d repaprika n. Catalanocuisine a trendy atcaalongside with Au u ovie-the u’re the o m y y a e , il s w h d Nomosphere and great cocktails.WTaste our brea Paprika Hungarian f rusticGourmet, Barcelona’safirst offee delicatessen is a treasury of culinary experiBogart? new ‘Tapas and Platillos’ menu. You can y ction oences, It lian c of Hungarian cuisine. It is conveniently located a block e le r e s h a the shopswindow opea rquintessence p r also stop at the bar for a great cocktail m p o m , fr u ie H ooththe Sagrada Familia. It offers a wide range of salamis, cheeses, jams, honeys and and listen to soul, , smfrom a Latin and R&B h juicesaway isjazz, naresident rdoby es a fr music played DJs.saPrivate C , chocolates all in a warm, welcoming environment. In the morning you can have an appetising d a z la la in P for breakfast cktail.with coffee and during the day you can enjoy the delicious “tapas a la húngara” with ’sgroups, parties INEBAR rooms are available o e C r c e d a e h , t n e , e s is r and special Every Wednesday ly op a glass of wine. Be our guest and taste the world of Paprika Gourmet! news events. r, of cou goodhave The new ‘After Office’ - enjoy aospecial and the we / s C n h fa it dish when ordercomplimentary chef’s (w vents, for film , 200Weekend r your e Paraisdrink. ing Lunch Special: / fo magnet C n n o o ti ca Paella Menu for 15. opening erfect lo wanky r branch is the p vals to s r ti a s b e fe anothe in . C film nth nd mini this mo nados) ken not ctions a C/Hospital, 104 (Rambla del Raval) a je r o G r p ic r ni – sha En ti r a Liceu / Sant Antoni | Tel. 93 329 8277 from M il, r it| ’s a Sagrada Familia | Tel. 93 433 609 221 400 | Wed-Sat ack ock|tawww.paprikagourmet.com C/Lepant 5709 hethe311 maforb7.30pm-2.30am, pagne c s. So wMon-Sat m f cinate1pm Sat-Sun open lunch | RV e a 7am-9pm Closed Sun o é h e ir C g o a a s or en . he gold s of ’re after t you kid brings t reening hat you t c r s a – b n d e oking a io e r s in lo r r C e ti ’s s v e l r a e r. H h origin ench t Cineba lona wit ics to Fr find it a s l s ’l la u to Barce c o y d woo Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 45 11/24/10 2:51:00 PM s are m Holly hing fro . All film

NEFW &D

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

GUT4Gràcia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hard Rock CafE4CIUTAT VELLA Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona offers an inspired, creative ambience with incredible rock‘n’roll memorabilia on display. Come and taste authentic American food. Their barbecue entrées slow cooked in the cafe’s hardwood smokers are delicious. Visit the bar to try a premium cocktail and check out the live music and special events on offer. Don’t forget to stop at the Rock Shop for fine, classic, cotton T-shirts or a collectable Hard Rock pin. Celebrate NEW YEAR’S EVE in a true ROCK STAR fashion! Special Christmas lunch and dinner menu. For reservations, call: +34 93 270 23 05 or email: barcelona_salescoordinator@hardrock.com

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

MOTI MAHAL4RAVAL

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

International

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

ANDú4JAUME 1 Andú offers an escape from Barcelona’s mayhem, without sacrificing the fun. The cool music and relaxed vibe draws a diverse and bohemian crowd making it a warm and spirited bar full of animated locals enjoying a great wine list and classic Spanish tapas, including fantastic Catalan cheeses and hams. C/ del Correo Viejo I Mon-Sun 6pm-2.30am

Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 46

Jaume 1 I Tel. 64 655 3930

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

11/24/10 2:51:05 PM

FOOD & DRINK 43 indian - Modern Shanti4LES CoRTS

thai gracia4GRACIA

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

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

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

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

vegetarian

Mexican vinDa4JAuME 1

aMaLtea4EIXAMPLE E

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

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

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

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

vietnamese

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

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

thai thai thai4EIXAMPLE E Thai Thai restaurant invites you to taste and enjoy traditional Thai food with tropical ingredients from Thailand prepared by Thai chefs. They specialise in all kinds of Thai curries. Thai Thai has created a delicious tasting menu for only 24 and a fresh menu of the day is on offer for 9.50 during the week. C/Diputació 91 | C/Princep Jordi, 6 | 8pm-12am | RV

Urgell | Tel. 620 938 059 | www.thaithai.es España | Tel. 663 126 398 | Every day 1pm-4pm,

Food&Drink

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

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

Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 47

C/Sagristans 3 |

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

11/24/10 2:51:09 PM

tha

Marketplace

Hairdressers

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

Beauty Health & Wellbeing

Home Services

Education

Services

Business

Employment

Fashion

44-49 Dec.indd 44

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

Health & beauty

44 44 44 44-45 45 45 45 45 46 46-47 47 47 47 47 48 48-49 48 49-50 51 51 51 51 51 51-52 52 53 53 53-54 54 54 55 55-56

Bodywork / Massage

11/29/10 1:29:23 PM

Beauty | Health | Wellbeing 45 Dentists

English Dentist Dr. Nicholas Jones BDSLDSRCS Col. No 4090

FREE CHECK-UPS

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

nickteeth@hotmail.com www.nickteeth.com

Doctors

English Doctor Dr. Steven Joseph

Col nº 38291

BSc, MBBS, DRCOG, MRCGP, MRCPsych (London) Member of the Royal College of General Practioners U.K Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists U.K

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

GOOG medical centre

Veterinarian

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

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

Pharmacy

Leila Catherine Onbargi, M.D.

OBSTETRICS and GYNECOLOGY

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

ENGLISH • SPANISH • FRENCH

44-49 Dec.indd 45

11/29/10 1:29:26 PM

46 Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing Chiropractors

Acupuncture

Chinese Medicine

Life Coaching

Psychologists / Psychotherapists

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

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

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

44-49 Dec.indd 46

FREE

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

TEL 93 590 7654

MOB 639 579 646

www.jonathanhooker.com

11/29/10 1:29:28 PM

Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing | Home ServiceS 47 Psychologists / Psychotherapists

Nick Cross Reg. psychologist no. 17158

(Col·legi Oficial de Psicòlegs de Catalunya)

Network of English Speaking Therapists Established since 2000

Connie Capdevila Brophy PhD Clinical Psychologist & Psychotherapist 934 670 650

Norma Alicia León, PhD Clinical Psychologist Psychoanalyst 680 971 468

Donna DeWitt MA Performance & Sport Psychologist 607 636 246

Psychologist Psychotherapist

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

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

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

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

Interior Design

Anna Jansen MA Dance Movement Therapist 657 183 542

Jill Jenkins PsyD Child Clinical & School Psychologist 935 041 690

GRAHAM COLLINS PROPERTY CONSULTANCY INTER IOR DESIGN & DECOR ATION

Emma Judge MA Licensed Counselor Psychologist 639 041 549

Puzzled by the property market ? Need a renovator that speaks your language ? Manuel Isaías López, MD, PhD Claudia Ros Tusquets MA Clinical Psychologist Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst & Psychotherapist 934 102 962 / 657 570 692 686 991 742

Peter Zelaskowski UKCP Registered Psychotherapist 628 915 040

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

HypnoBirthing

Want that designed look on an Ikea budget ? C / CONSULAT DEL MAR 35, 3er BARCELONA t: 0034 678 75 75 11 e: grahamcollins@talk21.com

English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

Construction

Plumbing

44-49 Dec.indd 47

11/29/10 1:29:38 PM

48 Home Services Real Estate & Accommodation

SPECTACULAR HOUSE FOR SALE

TORRELLES DE LLOBREGAT

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

LIVE CLOSE TO BCN AND AIRPORT IN THE PEACE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE. 330 sqm of designer space. Quiet and safe urbanization, all land in the front of the house zoned as parkland.

CAN BE SOLD FURNISHED

Price: WAS €780 000

NOW €649,000 (for more info www.idealista.com ad number vw3165075)

MUST BE SEEN!! SELLING FOR RELOCATION CONTACT PETER

699 581 611

peterhulden@gmail.com

1.2 page August 2010.indd 1

Rentals

11/23/10 1:23:03 PM

Transport / Storage / Removals

44-49 Dec.indd 48

11/29/10 1:29:40 PM

Home ServiceS

| eDucation

Transport / Storage / Removals

Language Schools

iness Spanish Ă

44-49 Dec.indd 49

11/29/10 1:29:42 PM

50 Education Language Schools

50-55 Dec.indd 50

11/24/10 2:16:15 PM

Education

| SErvicES 51

Language Schools

Teacher Training

Activities

Piano Lessons

FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDS Contact: Aisling

BA in Visual Communication

Member of the International Society of Typographic Designers

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

Design

Computers

FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDS Contact: Aisling

BA in Visual Communication

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

50-55 Dec.indd 51

11/24/10 2:16:17 PM

52 Services Computers

50-55 Dec.indd 52

Television Services

11/24/10 2:16:20 PM

Business 53 Advertising Service

Spain accounting Sept 2010.pdf

Legal Practices

19/8/10

17:52:03

Tax Services

50-55 Dec.indd 53

11/24/10 2:16:22 PM

54 Business Insurance

Financial Services

50-55 Dec.indd 54

11/24/10 2:16:25 PM

Business Financial Coaching

| Employment

Job Opportunities

50-55 Dec.indd 55

11/24/10 2:16:27 PM

56 Employment Job Opportunities

56-57 Dec.indd 56

11/24/10 2:15:44 PM

main pages - Dec 10 .indd 9

11/17/10 11:39:43 AM

58 BACK PAGE

THE NATIVITY SCENE THIEF

f all the characters in the Catalan Na-

it wasn’t Thomas Crapper who invented the first

is definitely a missed opportunity. He could be

tivity scene, there’s one that everybody

flushing toilet, it was John Harrington, godson

the butt of the comedy (quite literally) and an

adores. He gives context to the whole

to Queen Elizabeth I. Crapper was just a Tommy

endless source of digestion-related comedy po-

scenario and is the focal point around which all

come lately of the toilet trade. But having the

tential, in a scenario currently lacking decent

the other figures revolve. At all the stalls selling

name Crapper stamped all over ceramic ware in

laughs. A kind of Baldric meets the Bible, with

Christmas figures, he’s the most popular and the

the 19th century has certainly added to our lexi-

added scatology. Plus an effective deterrent to

most varied in size and style. No, not the infant

con. If the same happens here, the Catalan name

bad behaviour in the classroom:

in the crib—although he’s fairly important—but

for the figure (and the action) will soon be Roca:

the little squatting shepherd round the back of

I’m going for a roca, I need a roca, etc.

“Do that again, Jordi, and you’ll be playing the squatter in the nativity play.”

the stable, with his trousers round his ankles

With no descriptive word for the squatting

and a proud brown curl of satisfaction on the

figure ready to hand, either canonical or col-

What is surprising about the Christmas

ground behind him. If steam could be carved (or

loquial, a euphemism is required. De Floribus

Squatter is that he exists at all. If anyone tried

injection moulded), it probably would be.

“Oh no, Miss! Not again!”

Lexical Origination Services (DeFlos) suggests

to introduce him today, they would be accused of

One question for English speakers is what to

‘The Christmas Squatter’ and in the spirit of

disrespect, blasphemy even.

call the little figure. In Catalan, he’s the caganer.

seasonal generosity is happy to waive the usual

One word. One concept. No room for ambigu-

So what is he doing there in the first place? Why have a squatter at all? And why so graphic?

ity. In English, it’s more tricky, given the innate

Despite widespread popularity, the Christmas

There’s no dung under the donkey, for example.

British reluctance to discuss, or even mention,

Squatter is not to all tastes. He is notably ab-

In theory, the figure demonstrates the humdrum

things sexual or scatological. (In polite circles,

sent from the Nativity façade of the Sagrada Fa-

world into which Christ was born. The De Flori-

that is. There are several options in impolite cir-

milia, an omission that can’t be down to Gaudí’s

bus Institute of Theological Studies (DeFits) of-

cles).

squeamishness, given the prominence he gives

fers another interpretation: he’s a celebration of

The technical term should probably be

to slugs and to babies being impaled by centu-

life. After all, there’s nothing like a good squat.

‘The Defecator’, which sounds like an early

rions. Subirachs would have been less reluctant.

It’s not quite better than sex—at least most days

Schwarzenegger film and doesn’t really do the

He’s got a full-frontal Christ in pride of place on

it isn’t, though there are exceptions. But it’s one

figure justice. Neither do more colloquial terms.

the Passion façade, so a discreet squatter would

of life’s more reliable pleasures—and certainly

The most common option rhymes with bitter

have been simple.

one of the more durable ones. Unchanged since

and tends to confuse the figure with the room

The squatting figure also once failed to make

he might be sitting in (if flushable plumbing

an appearance at the annual nativity scene

had been invented). An alternative could be the

erected in Plaça Sant Jaume in 2005. That year

name popularised by the inventor of that flush-

there was all manner of life-size livestock and

able plumbing. In which case he would be called

locals, but no squatter.

‘The Harrington’—contrary to popular believe,

biblical times and beyond. And certainly worth celebrating at Christmas, if not all year round.

And no sign of him in the Nativity play, which

--Roger de Flower

HOROSCOPE

by Nuria Picola

Aries This month you are in your comfort zone and everything progresses quickly. Whether you are looking for a job or already have one, you are very concentrated on work issues.

Taurus This is the moment to free yourself from any excesses you have in your life. A detox before Christmas would be advisable. Get rid of old negative ways of thinking and feeling.

Gemini Everything moves very quickly, but this month you might not feel secure in your love life or perhaps there are problems at home. Be careful of any sudden unexpected expenses.

Cancer

Leo You start to ﬁnd clarity in love and feel more energetic and optimistic. It’s a good month for making important decisions. Try to get your Christmas shopping done before the 12th.

Virgo

Family is the centre of attention this month. It is also time to ﬁnd your inner harmony. There may be changes in your profession through a restructuring of the business.

Libra

This is a time of opportunity. Be ready to work objectively towards your goals and everything will go more smoothly. Finding emotional happiness will bring you peace.

Scorpio Your love life is going great, doubts have been resolved, and your partner is there for you and will stop at nothing to please you. If you are alone don’t worry; love will ﬁnd a way.

Sagittarius Congratulations! It’s the most productive time of the year for you. The cosmos conspires to bring you what you desire. You should look over what you have achieved and give yourself objectives for the coming one.

Capricorn You are entering into a moment in your life where you want to reconnect with your spiritual side and you shouldn’t be shy of expressing this. Now is not the time for making big plans.

Aquarius You will be very intuitive throughout the month, even more so than usual. You lose interest in the material world and your relationships become more spiritual. Give yourself time to relax.

Pisces This is the time to start new projects as you have a great creative energy inside you. Any building work being done at home could make family gatherings difﬁcult.

www.nuriapicola.com It would do you good to pay more attention to the built up tensions in your body; a nice massage would be money well spent. Your dreams will be very active and bring an important message.

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