Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 175

August 2011 Nยบ 175 FREE

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Contents

August

2011

14. BARÇA’S PAST UNCOVERED 32. GANDULES

Features 14 18 22

Barça’s ‘martyr president’ Pregnancy services in English Cerdà’s ignored ideas

Regulars 06 07 08 11 13 26 29 36 58

On our web An inside look The month Columns Interview: Jorge Estera Sanza M5: Beach essentials On Food and drink Back page

DIRECTORIES 40 44 53

Food & Drink Business Jobs

37. RECIPE: LEMON TART

From the Senior Editor: August once more. The month in the year when all one really wants to do is find the coolest spot in the house and lie there as still as possible for as long as possible. We understand and empathise entirely, so this month we’ve got a couple of excellent reads that will inform and entertain, but aren’t actually encouraging you to get up and do anything.

The first is Nick Lloyd’s story of Josep Sunyol, the president of FC Barcelona who was killed in the early days of the Civil War; the second looks at the ideas of Eixample creator Ildefons Cerdà that weren’t welcomed as warmly as his neighbourhood design by contemporaries.

While most of us struggle with the heat at this time of year, there is one group of women who will be feeling it 100 times more: those expecting a baby. We can’t help with the swollen ankles, but we can provide information about services in English available here to pregnant women and their partners. For those of you willing and able to get to the beach, we give you a hand with getting your essentials together with M5, and Roger de Flower has a few suggestions for enjoying the city on a shoestring this month. Take his thoughts as seriously as you want but above all else, stay as cool as you can.

Hannah Pennell

Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Senior Editor Hannah Pennell Editor Katy MacGregor Art Director Aisling Callinan Sales Director Rainer Hobrack Account Executives Richard Cardwell and Thomas McKeown Sales Assistant Goran Dimitrovski Editorial Assistant Iseult Larkin Design Assistant Jamilya Dosmailova Contributors Jonathan Bennett, Lucy Brzoska, Vera Ciria, Roger de Flower, Mary Fons i Fleming, Meredith Gales, Nick Lloyd, Tara Stevens and Nicola Thornton Photographers Lucy Brzoska, Richard Owens and Lee Woolcock Cover illustration Matthew McLemore 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: sales@barcelona-metropolitan.com. General enquiries: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Printer: Litografia Rosés. Depósito Legal: B35159-96 The views expressed in Barcelona Metropolitan are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Reproduction, or use, of advertising or editorial content herein, without express permission, is prohibited.

Find your nearest distribution point on www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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R E N TA L S

Fantastic modern town house of 500 m2 Tres Torres

Eight floor 159m2 apartment - Illa de Diagonal

Four-storey house with lift, five bedrooms and bathrooms. Solarium with pool, Gym area. Parking. Fully furnished. Price: €6.500 Ref. L0067ba

Living/dining room, equipped kitchen, three bedrooms, one bathroom. Unfurnished.

Price: €1.100 Ref. L0143ba

40m2 living room, four bedrooms, three bathrooms.

Two parkings. Unfurnished.

Price: €2.100 Ref. L0147BA

Beautiful 500m2 apartment - Turó Park

Nice 120m2 loft-style house - Poblenou

Unique design 290m2 apartment - Pedralbes

Large living room with fireplace, five bedrooms, three bathrooms, terrace with great views of Turó Park.

Unfurnished. Price: €5.500 Ref. 1035

Two-storey house, private 50m2 garden and pool, equipped kitchen, three bedrooms and one bathroom. Unfurnished. Price: €2.000 Ref. L0135ba

120m2 private garden, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, communal area, two parking spaces. Furnished Price: €6.000 Ref. L0144ba

Prestige Real Estate SL

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Nice 120m2 designer apartment - Eixample Recently refurbished seventh-floor apartment, open-plan kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Price: €950.000 Ref. V1171ba

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Renovated, open-plan kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, study area in a splendid gallery.

Price: €450.000 Ref. V1163ba

Selection of Brand new flats - Port Vell Flats between 65m2 and 90m2 with sea views from one to three bedrooms. Parking. Prices start from €300.000 and go up to €600.000. Ref. V1158ba

Please call for further properties 93 241 30 82

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06 INTERNET

on our web...

Cinema tickets The third year of Mecal Air is well under way, one of the many outdoor cinemas that spring up in the hotter months of the year. But what makes this one a bit special is that instead of big-budget blockbusters showing, you can watch some of the best innovative shorts from the Mecal Pro film competition that took place in April. Not only that but you can enjoy music, a barbecue and the lovely surroundings of Poble Espanyol every Friday and Saturday til mid-September.

We’ve got five tickets to give away to Mecal thanks to the kind organisers. The first five names to email info@barcelona-metropolitan.com will win—please state which night you want to attend (August only). Find out what’s on the programme at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/mecalair

DO YOU OR DON’T YOU? We’re talking about reading books in translation (of course.

What else?). The latest issue of Barcelona Ink, a journal featuring writers based in or inspired by the city, includes a heated debate on the matter. Jeff King gets the discussion started with his essay explaining why he has read next to nothing in translation for the last 20 years (his reasons include the inequalities of languages’ vocab and the difficulties that cultural in-jokes pose).

In reply, translator Peter Bush defends his trade and lays into King’s “insular plight”. To give you a chance to read the full exchange, along with a selection of translated and original version work (and save you €6), we have three copies of Ink to give away. Visit this page on our web and answer the astoundingly simple question there: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/ink

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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COVER 07

An inside look Illustrator Matthew McLemore I’m a native of California but have called Europe home for more than 15 years. My first love is illustration, but over the years I have also made my living as a designer and artist for films, theatre, restaurants and private homes. I’ve been lucky enough to have worked for the likes of Tim Burton, George Lucas and Lars von Trier. These experiences have helped fuel my creativity as well as paid the bills and for this I consider myself to be very fortunate. Since moving to Barcelona two years ago, I have turned my attention more towards my illustration work and mural (wall) painting. I love Barcelona and the like-minded people I have met here. I can’t think of a place I would rather be.

Barcelona is the place I now call home for so many reasons. Great architecture, food, people, the sea and the sun are but a few.

I never miss a chance to surf if there are waves.

I try to avoid the jellyfish in late summer as best I can (especially the big brown ones!).

If in need of inspiration I wander the medieval streets of the Borne and Gótico neighbourhoods, sometimes ringing a friend or two and meeting them for a beer at the tree-filled terrace of L’Antic Teatre.

The cover: My impression of the many fantastic seafood markets in Barcelona.

many he of the on munyol

e oou

www.mattmclemore.com

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08 THE MONTH

We know what you’re thinking, it’s too hot to go out. You might want to see friends but you also don’t want to leave your position in front of the fan. Well, here’s the solution: get the bar to come to you. Cocktails

August

people can sample two or three cocktails from a small menu for just 16 per person.

A great idea for those terrace parties and barbecues and one that will make you look like the perfect host. They speak English, bring all their own equipment and also do larger parties. www.cocktailsperquesi.com

In this feature, fashion writer Vera Ciria talks us through what’s on her Barcelona style radar.

What springs to mind when you think of your favourite literary character?

Can you imagine how he or she would be dressed, what fabrics and styles they would favour? A new exhibition, ‘20 Designs—Dialogues Between Fashion and Literature’ aims to delve into the creative link between the two disciplines, playing on aesthetics and the imagination.

This itinerant showcase has evolved according to the different stops it has made around the world, from Tokyo and Beijing to Milan and Brussels.

Having started this long journey in 2004, ‘20 Designs’ has finally set down in Barcelona’s Roca Gallery, where it will be open until October 16th.

Twenty Spanish fashion designers, all members of the Association of Creators of Spanish Fashion and including Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Ángel Schlesser, were invited to select a character from a favourite book or poem, either Russian, Spanish or South American, and represent this character through the creation of a special garment. Amongst the works chosen are Anna Karenina, 100 Years of Solitude and Barcelona classic La Plaça del Diamant. Each poem or novel acts as a source of inspiration for the fashion designer, enabling them to use the language of shape, volume and colour to bring their chosen literary figure to life. Fiction truly becomes reality.

Writers often provide a description of how their characters dress to aid the reader in placing their story in a specific time frame. Fashion tells us about the past and projects us into the future. Traditional frontiers and categorisations are becoming obsolete and the lines between one discipline and another, blurred. Creativity is the link that gathers the different areas together.

Ranging from the austere to the ridiculous, the fantastical to the strange, the pieces displayed do not leave one indifferent. Why not escape the summer heat, enter these glass walls and let yourself be transported to the world of literary fashion. 20 Trajes—Diálogos entre la moda y literatura. Roca Gallery, Joan Güell 211-213. www.rocabarcelonagallery.com

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at-home coctelería. Parties of eight to 12

Design by Devota & Lomba inspired by Gabriel García Márquez’s book, 100 Years of Solitude

Fashion

Perquesi offers you just that with their

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THE MONTH 09

Soap and glory

New York company Sabon has recently opened a new venture in Barcelona. Now you can get bath and body products made from delicate herbs and botanicals, and soap made from an ancient aboriginal recipe. A one-stopshop for soaps, oils, lotions, candles and organic cosmetics.

Sabon.València 260. www. sabonnyc.com

Dining alfresco

New restaurant Toffees opened in Sarrià last month and its greatest asset during these hot days and nights is surely the ample, verdant terrace. Serving bistro-style food made from market-sourced ingredients, it’s one to remember when you’re looking for a place to dine in the cool outdoors.

Vía Augusta 201. Tel. 93 481 3895

Cake O’Clock

There are days when only cake will do. Thankfully Barcelona seems to be a city that positively encourages this kind of gluttony. Sod the bikini diet and visit new Pastelería Mas for a hugely indulgent range of treats.

Pastelería Mas. Còrsega 398

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English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

7/18/11 1:34:35 PM

COLUMNS 11

Wild Barcelona Text and photos by Lucy Brzoska

Diary of an adoption

By Meredith Gales

Last year, Meredith Gales successfully adopted a girl from a West African country, a process that she wrote about for our website. Here she explains what life has been like for her new family.

Paper and presents

W

Mediterranean tree frogs

Montjuïc frogs

A

roar of outraged indignation would drift across Montjuïc and you’d know the referee had got it wrong once again. That was when Espanyol football club used to play in the Olympic Stadium, when on spring evenings the sound of their supporters would merge with the frog choruses mounting in equally impressive crescendos from the nearby Jardins de Verdaguer.

The Espanyolistas have moved on, but their amphibian competitors in decibel levels remain in full-throated swing. You can discern two distinct songs: the laughter-like reverberations of the Iberian water frog, and the raucous, startlingly loud call produced by the diminutive Mediterranean tree frog.

The park is on the site of an old quarry and its steep slopes have been landscaped into a series of square terraced ponds, the focus of amphibian activity. By August, the long, wild nights of frog singing have calmed down, but their fruits are much in evidence, as quantities of froglets emerge.

A splash and some bubbles are often the only signs of the water frogs, who’ll dive under the lily pads as you approach. The grass-green tree frogs, however, trust in camouflage, and a careful scrutiny of the pond vegetation will usually reveal them, attached securely to leaves, legs neatly tucked in.

Not as aquatic as the water frogs, their toes are less webbed and strong suction pads allow them to climb up and away from the ponds. In fact you can spot them all over the park once the breeding season’s over: in the ornamental flower beds, the middle of bushes, and even on leaves sticking right out of the park’s railings, by the funicular station.

Tree frogs are smoothly textured, and quite uniformly coloured, with a black stripe falling mask-like across their eyes. And very rarely—reportedly one in 25,000—a vivid blue morph crops up, like a vision from the Amazonian rainforest.

Lucy Brzoska runs nature tours and writes for www.iberianature.com

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e have just celebrated my daughter’s eighth birthday (her approximated age, see last column) with a glorious afternoon tea in the park. Birthdays are not a big deal in West Africa (they save the blowouts for funerals) and since starting school she has been fascinated with the flood of party invitations that has come her way, continually asking when her turn will come.

Although she didn’t realise it, out of the pencil cases, clothes, books and other sparkly pink paraphernalia, her best present was tucked away in a plastic file at home. It was a letter from Extranjería stating that her application for a NIE had been accepted. It’s the result of a long and costly process involving a specialist immigration lawyer, legal translations and a paperchase with school and medical authorities and a long list of others.

One would think that that when your child arrives, the papeleo stops. For many it does (or at least eases) but with adoption laws the way they are in Europe, expats fall into an Orwellian quagmire—which becomes even more surreal when you are non-comunitaria. Three months after arriving, when her single-entry Schengen visa expired, my daughter officially became an ‘illegal’. We had no problem getting access to healthcare, education and other services, but could not leave the country or even get a domestic flight (as I found out at Easter when we were bumped off a plane to Malaga by the world’s most hated airline) and in theory she could be deported at any moment. Subvenciones and other forms of governmental financial help were also inaccessible without a NIE. Whilst that’s solved now, her passport will be the next issue as adopted children generally lose the right to renew their birth country passports, leaving two options: get a Spanish one, only possible if one of the adoptive parents is native, or apply for one from your own country. This is not easy, involving time, money and navigating a whole new set of adoption criteria. The handful of other expat adoptive parents I know have simply had to live with the fact that that their child is stateless for years on end.

Do I sound jaded? I am, to a certain extent. I deeply resent the fact that adopted kids are not given the same status as bio kids. I resent the late hours spent poring over visa and immigration regulations on the internet and Euros spent on lawyers, legal translations, apostilles and the other ‘requirements’ of the bureaucratic money-making machine. Both of these scant resources would have been better spent on my child and our all-important first year.

As I watched the ecstatic look on her face as she blew out candles on a cake for the very first time I knew, of course, she was blissfully unawares of all this—and that’s just the way it should be.

7/20/11 1:43:35 PM

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INTERVIEW 13

Jorge Estera Sanza Business leader and writer, Barcelona, 66

After training to be a doctor in neurobiology and studying at the University of London, Jorge Estera Sanza returned to Barcelona to run the family’s furniture production business. When that had to close, he became director of ICI for South America for eight years, before returning to Spain once more to work for Osborne Domecq and Procter and Gamble. A seasoned business leader, he founded the ESEI business school in Barcelona in 1989 and has written four books on education and philosophy.

The reason we are in deep recession is because our young people have not been educated to be managers, they’ve been educated to work in the services sector. We have to let children be creative so they can develop new ideas and become more entrepreneurial.

Teachers should be better qualified. The ideal (as shown in the Finnish education system) is to have them train for five years in university, then do a Masters and put the crème de la crème in primary schools.

As a teacher, you project a model of learning, like a parent. Children are willing disciples; they love a subject because they adore the teacher, so the better the quality of the teacher, the better it will be for their education.

There is a tremendous lack of humanity in the world today. Politicians and leaders have become very twisted, they like power and money too much. Democracy has been injured by such people. To be a good leader, you must have empathy.

One of the most important lessons I have learnt is to be humble.

Whatever I learn, I am always willing to come back to point zero, to reorganise my ideas. I don’t believe there is one unique truth, there are just different perspectives.

My father was the greatest influence on my life. He was a tremendous businessman. My grandfather was a violinist and my father taught me to listen to classical music, to understand it.

I fail a lot. You have to accept failure because it helps form what will come next. My first school of thought was science, but after thousands of trials, it taught me to accept failure. I am good at golf, but in order to get good, I had to keep training and return to point zero. Only then do you do better and recover your rhythm.

I am a rebel. I rebel against a lot of things. I believe you should always do what you want to do, as long as you don’t hurt anyone and try and help others as much as possible.

I think Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world. When people are surrounded by beauty, they feel better. Walking between work and home, you see bright colours and feel the ambience, which means you arrive at home feeling happy.

Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.

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14 JOSEP SUNYOL

Over enemy In the early confusion of the Spanish Civil War, FC Barcelona’s president Josep Sunyol became one of its first victims. By Nick Lloyd.

A

black Ford saloon sporting a Catalan flag drives along a flat stretch of the La Coruña road in the pine-clad Guadarrama mountains, east of Madrid. In addition to the chauffeur, inside sits a militia captain, a journalist and a Catalan politician. The car is travelling at some speed, and shoots past several groups of soldiers, resting from the relentless sun, who are unable to warn it to stop. The four men confidently continue until they are finally stopped at a small building at Kilometre 52, known as La Casilla de la Muerte (the Little House of Death), because trucks bearing fresh seafood from Galicia to the Spanish capital regularly crashed in its vicinity. They get out of the car and salute the officers and soldiers with a ¡Viva la República!, explaining that they are on their way to visit the troops at the front. The officers return their fraternal greetings and invite them inside the hut for a drink.

The travellers reply they are in a hurry and move to return to the car, but the soldiers turn their guns on them, this time ordering them inside the hut. It is August 6th, 1936 and the group have inadvertently crossed into Nationalist Spain. Within a few hours they will all be dead: shot and buried in an unmarked grave by the roadside. Among them is Josep Sunyol, newspaper owner, member of the Spanish parliament for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and president of FC Barcelona.

Sunyol had been sent several days earlier by the Generalitat to liaise with the Republican government in Madrid. The war was much closer to Madrid than to Barcelona at this point, and he took the opportunity to pay a visit to the front lines so he could report to the Catalan government, offer his support to the men fighting and perhaps to engage in a bit of what could be termed ‘military tourism’. At the outbreak of hostili-

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ties, barely two weeks before, there had been a mad rush by both sides to gain the commanding heights and passes in the Guadarrama mountains, forever associated with the Spanish Civil War thanks to Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Gary Cooper’s performance in the film adaptation. The Madrid press was full of wildly optimistic accounts of how the fascists were being driven back. One newspaper even reported how hikers were returning to the hills, known by the Madrileños simply as La Sierra. The Ministry of War was also issuing propaganda to a similar effect, giving the impression that the area was very much safer than it really was. This may help to explain Sunyol’s cavalier attitude in trying to the reach the front. In reality the lines were changing every day, and it was the enemy who had the upper hand.

Josep Sunyol was born in Barcelona in July 1898 to a well-to-do Catalan family. His father had made a fortune after astutely investing in sugar beet plantations around Spain, following the loss of Cuba in 1898 to the US. Josep continued his father’s business interests and then expanded into the media. In 1930, he founded the weekly magazine La Rambla, which, under the motto of ‘sport and citizenship’, promoted a unique blend of sport and Republicanism. Its offices were at the top of the Rambles in front of La Font de Canaletes, where Bar Núria stands today. In an era before mass radio ownership, the paper took to publishing the results of the Spanish league on a large blackboard outside its offices. Men would flock here on Sunday evenings to see the scores, discuss football and celebrate FC Barcelona’s victories. Even today some older fans still come here to argue about the latest supposed refereeing scandals or the shortcomings of a player, but the tiny fountain is now more famous as the place where Barça fans congregate to celebrate the team’s latest triumph.

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JOSEP SUNYOL 15

lines

FC Barcelona’s old Les Corts stadium shown on the day of its inauguration in 1922. Image courtesy FC Barcelona

Sunyol became a Barça member in 1925 in support of the club when the Les Corts stadium, the forerunner to Camp Nou, was closed for six months after the crowd spontaneously booed the Spanish national anthem as a protest against the Primo de Rivera dictatorship. Like almost anything in public life in the Thirties, sport was highly politicised, and Barça witnessed a struggle for its control between conservatives and republicans, the latter spearheaded by Sunyol, who, assisted by his fame as proprietor of La Rambla, became president in July 1935 and quickly helped turn around the club’s financial situation. On the pitch, Barça won the Catalan Championship though they were defeated by Real Madrid in the 1936 final of the Copa del Rey, thanks to a legendary performance by Madrid’s goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora in his last ever game.

Four weeks later, the Spanish Civil War broke out and the train of events leading to Sunyol’s death had been set in motion.

There was much consternation in the Catalan press as to the fate of Sunyol. A week after his disappearance, news finally reached Barcelona of his murder, causing a major commotion at all levels of society. His death also marked the beginning of the most difficult period in the club’s history. The start of the war had unleashed a social revolution in which the CNT, the Anarchist trade union, set about collectivising most of the city’s industry and business. The CNT section of Parcs i Jardins (the Council’s parks and gardens department) soon set its sights on Barça. It was saved from takeover by employees of the club, who collectivised the club in the name of the far more moderate UGT, though none of them were actually members. Barça staggered through the war, with dwindling gate receipts and membership, just 2,500 members remained in 1939. Its headquarters in Consell de Cent were destroyed on March 16th, 1938,

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when Italian planes bombed the city. Many trophies and documents were also lost. Some players managed to get work playing in foreign leagues but most stayed with the club; as the military situation became increasingly desperate, they were all conscripted into the Republican army. Several were killed in the last months of the war.

>>

Within a few hours they will all be dead: shot and buried in an unmarked grave by the roadside.

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16 JOSEP SUNYOL

That day, Madrid went on to inflict the worstever defeat on Barça, stuffing them 11-1, aided by a scandalous referee.

Josep Sunyol. Image courtesy FC Barcelona

>>

When Francosim fell on the city, the Catalan flag in the club’s emblem was replaced by the Spanish flag, and the club was renamed Club de Fútbol de Barcelona, as part of the Castilianisation campaign. But the end of the war also represented the return of some form of normality, as football was one of the few growth industries in the ‘Years of Hunger’, as the Forties became known. The team managed to win the renamed Copa del Generalísimo in 1942, and the following year were paired with Real Madrid, which had recently been adopted by the regime, in the semi-finals. The first leg took place at the Les Corts stadium and Barça trounced Madrid 3-0. As the Barcelona team arrived at Chamartín (the forerunner of El Bernabeu) for the return leg, they were confronted by an incredibly hostile crowd of falangists, soldiers and other Francoist fauna.

Then, as the story goes, while the players were in the dressing room, in came the head of police, allegedly brandishing a revolver, reminding the Catalans that Franco had forgiven their perfidious treachery. That day, Madrid went on to inflict the worst ever defeat on Barça, stuffing them 11-1, aided by a scandalous referee.

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Although by the Sixties, Barça, or at least many of its fans, had gained a reputation as anti-fascists, as opposed to Real Madrid, the club itself was very much controlled by a Catalan elite with more or less close ties with the regime. With the advent of democracy, this elite morphed into dulcified Catalan nationalists, who quietly kept the lid on any uncomfortable memories of the past, refusing to pay homage to their murdered president. The 50th anniversary of Sunyol’s death was completely ignored by the club under the property developer Josep Núñez. It was not until 1996, 60 years after the event, that a vigorous campaign finally convinced the club to honour him, erecting a monolith in the Guadarrama mountains near the spot where he had died and hyperbolically elevating him to the pantheon of Barça heroes as the ‘Martyr President’.

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

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Bellamia HeladerÍa italiana …mmm….the best ice cream in town After a long day of exploring Barcelona, people queue up to taste Bellamia’s exquisite gelato. The reason: friendly staff, an excellent location, but most of all, delicious, freshly made ice cream that gets raving reviews from everyone who’s tried it. Bellamia’s ice cream is gluten-free and you can let them surprise you with some of their original treats like ice cream sandwiches and panne cotte.

Visit their lovely store in the heart of Born and you’ll be in for a tasty treat.

Address: C/Epaseria | 93 310 4210 | Metro Jaume I 50m from Santa Maria del Mar | Open: 1pm-midnight

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7/18/11 2:31:51 PM

18 PREGNANCY

Labour rights Barcelona has a growing number of services in English available to help pregnant women and their partners. By Nicola Thornton. Photos by Lee Woolcock.

P

regnancy. A time when most women, especially those who are pregnant for the first time, can feel strong and vulnerable in equal measure (and quite probably sick, tired and moody as well). For those away from family and in a country where they may not speak the language or understand the system, knowing what to expect and the options available for giving birth can be a bit of a minefield.

In Spain, medical intervention during pregnancy and labour is high compared to other EU countries, which can be daunting for those new to the system and new to pregnancy. According to the Barcelona Birth website, 85 percent of women here receive episiotomies (a surgical incision on the perineum and the posterior vaginal wall during the second stage of labour), while Caesarean sections are performed in 22 percent of public sector births, and 36 percent of private sector births. The EU Caesarean average is 17 percent.

When information and options are key components of a stress-free pregnancy, it’s reassuring to know then, that in Barcelona there is a wealth of services available for pregnant women and their partners, with Englishspeaking practitioners on hand to guide them through the process and offer natural birth alternatives.

Uby Muñoz is a trained doula, with two-and-a-half-years’ experience in the UK, as well as an acupuncturist and in charge of a successful Well Woman Clinic in the centre of Barcelona. A doula is a woman, usually a mother herself, who offers emotional and physical support during the pregnancy and labour. “When women come to see me, they are usually nervous, even if they have had a baby in their own country,” said Uby. “They feel more insecure, so I help them relax, get in touch with their bodies and then offer support throughout the pregnancy.

Uby Muñoz

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“What women want at this time is information. If you don’t understand what is happening, you feel helpless. Here, it can be difficult to get answers to your questions, so, having seen it all before, I can help with that. I know of one woman who was under a private obstetrician and every time she had a question, he said: “Don’t you worry, the baby will come out.” She just felt she didn’t have the right to ask anything.”

Esther Jones, who set up the Barcelona Birth website, believes an informed mother, with choices, is a more relaxed mother, and that the “medicalisation” of giving birth here can go against the natural order of things and create more stress for the mother.

“In hospital, there is a sense of being on a timetable. You are much more likely to be induced and given synthetic oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone that the body produces naturally to make the uterus contract and to help you bond with your child, to speed things up.

“This almost always leads to an epidural. Yet the body can usually do everything naturally if it is left to get on with it.”

Esther offers classes in hypnobirthing, a self-hypnosis process that aficionados claim gives them a joyful birth, rather than a horrific one. “Suffering does not have to be a natural part of labour,” said Esther, who used hypnobirthing for the birth of her second child. “The birth of my first child was long and hard work, but this method really helped me relax, feel good about the birth and, more importantly, feel in control. That is so often not the case and while a mother should be able to be direct and get what she wants, she often feels powerless.”

This is when a doula can be indispensable, as Viktoria Löwenthal, a doula from Sweden, notes. “The doctors are not trying to be mean when they are working,” she said. “They are professionals, and for them, [medical intervention] is the safe way, very fast and very clean, Monday to Friday, when everything is covered. When people have a doula at their side, however, they know they have somebody supporting them, giving them extra energy, someone speaking up for them, who knows what you want because you have spoken about it with her in advance.”

The husband or boyfriend also needs to feel relaxed, Viktoria says, which is why she offers classes for pregnant women and their partners to help them prepare, based on the Swedish ‘Annas Profylax’ concept.

“This teaches people what to expect in labour, breathing and relaxation exercises, massage techniques and also how coaching and visualisation can be used. It’s very focused and we always involve the partners as much as possible,” she said. “We go through the different phases of labour, looking at them in a calm way, and we look at the contractions as a positive force rather than something to be scared of. We all want to say “no, no, no” at first, but without them, you wouldn’t see your baby, so we focus on that! Labour is painful, there’s no getting away from that, but I try to separate the pain from suffering. When you get to the point where you want to quit, you know you are almost there!

“The men who come in are very positive. At first, they think they are coming to a hippy place and that we are all going to sit around pushing together, so I always make them feel safe and reassure them they won’t be made to feel stupid! I give them basic tools so that after the birth, the wife or girlfriend can say: “My husband was breathing with me, he was holding my hand.” Often, at the hospital, the midwife will sense the man is nervous and tell him to go to the bar! But you should never leave a woman in labour.

“The midwives may be angels, but they come and go, so a doula, or a well-prepared husband or boyfriend, can make all the difference.”

Amy Proszowski, a doula and yoga instructor from Canada, runs yoga classes for expectant mums. “Yoga is a very soothing way for women to commit to quality time with their baby. We also use meditation and visualisation to help them connect with their bodies at a time when they need

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(top) Esther Jones; (bottom) Viktoria Löwenthal

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to be intuitive and in touch with the sensations. Prenatal yoga also tones the pelvic floor, which helps during birth and also helps recovery.

“We seem to have lost that innate intuition about what is actually happening with our bodies. Pregnancy, labour and birth have become physiological processes: we are not even a part of it anymore. The people in my classes are worried before they go for ecos [ultrasonogram], and they are worried they are going to have to have an episiotomy. I just help them focus on a baby that is healthy and fully nurtured by the mother who has a healthy and positive attitude.”

Things are changing slowly within the Spanish system, however. At least three Barcelona hospitals are now open and prepared for natural births and more women, local and foreign, know what the options are.

Home births are also on the rise.

Krishinda Powers is a British-trained American midwife who advocates home birthing from her clinic at the MareNostrum Centre de Salut Familiar. “Women in labour need time, peace, security and space, and home is the one place you can have privacy and feel safe. You won’t, for example, have a medic popping his head round the door asking a colleague if they want to go for lunch in a minute!” she said.

“As a midwife, I’m dealing with individual women, individual babies and individual births. I work with the mother and baby before it is born. I get to know it with my hands and it is always a very special moment when the baby comes out and I think: “So that’s what you look like!”

“During labour, we are fully trained to know when things are going wrong, and of course get that mum medical assistance if necessary. They are not failures if they need extra help. But most of the time, women are more than capable of doing the one thing they were put on this earth to do, without medical intervention.”

Krishinda Powers

MORE INFO: Uby Muñoz—Barcelona Well Woman Clinic, Bruc 38. Tel. 622 720 499. clinic@bcnwellwoman.com; www.bcnwellwoman.com Viktoria Löwenthal—Tel. 667 546 194, maremeva.catalunya@gmail. com, www.maremeva.net Amy Proszowski—Prenatal yoga classes every Thursday at 6.30pm at Well Woman, as well as private classes at home or at Well Woman. Birth preparation workshops twice a month at La Mama Vaca or private workshops at home. amyproszowski@gmail.com; www.yogadoulaspain.com Marenostrum Centre de Salut Familiar—Fontanella 16 pral. Tel. 93 302 2915. www.marenostrumcsf.com Monthly pregnant women get-together To help English-speaking women navigate the available childbirth choices in Barcelona, several birth professionals have got together to offer an informal monthly meet-up for pregnant women. Meet-ups will take place on the last Thursday of each month at Mujer in the Born. Carders 28 (Metro: Jaume I). Tel. 93 315 1531 or mujer.carders28@gmail.com.

Barcelona Birth—www.barcelonabirth.net For more details about doulas: www.doulas.es PERSONAL EXPERIENCE—TAMARA BLACKMAN, 38 Overall, I had a really good experience of the maternity health service in Barcelona. I had both my children at the public hospital Sant Joan de Déu, the most recent in 2009.

For the prenatal care I had regular check-ups, scans and tests at the hospital (my labour was classed as high risk due to a minor medical condition I have, so I couldn’t do these check-ups at my local doctor’s surgery with the midwife, which I think I would have preferred). I did feel like a cow at times: queuing, then entering the obstetrician’s room, asked to open my legs while they inserted something. I did have to stop them many times and say, “hold on, what are you doing? Can you explain please?”, then they explained the type of test or check. I guess not many people ask.

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I was not told at any stage about any alternative birth methods [such as using a birthing pool], I guess you have to apply for them specially. No formal birth plan either... except deciding if I wanted an epidural or not. I was surprised that I could have only one person during the birth—my mum would have liked to have been there too—but I’ve heard this depends on the hospital.

However, when I was scheduled to have my baby (overdue by 11 days so my hospitalisation was programmed and room reserved), I was treated very well and was ecstatic with my single room with view of Barcelona, sofa bed for hubby, all mod cons for bathing baby, wardrobe, en suite bathroom, etc! I described it to family and friends in the UK as a three- or four-star hotel room with good room service, a far cry from the large shared maternity wards in UK. The birth was quite quick and my waters broke just after a touch and no need for inducement.

When my daughter was born she was put on my chest, then after a quick wash and few checks they gave her back to me and a nurse encouraged me to breastfeed and showed me how to get the baby to suck. I was taken back to my ‘hotel’ room with my baby and over the following few days, various nurses and doctors came in doing checks, showing me how to wash and look after my girl. Sant Joan de Déu are proud of their maternity care and believe it is paramount that all the checks and tests are done in the room with the mother. I couldn’t even walk out the door of my room with my baby in my arms down the corridor! I was confined to my room but happy.

My husband stayed each night on the sofa bed next to me then left me in the day to visit our toddler who was with grandma. You have to stay about 36 hours in Spain because they do all the vital checks in hospital and the heel test to scan for cystic fibrosis cannot be done before 48 hours of life. The big difference here is that you don’t get home visits after, so they want to do everything in hospital; then five days after leaving hospital you make your first visit to your local paediatrician (children’s GP, basically). The post care once at home I found good as well. I had to make regular visits to the paediatrician for check-ups, every week then every month then every two or three months, but I was quite a confident mother so did not want anything else.

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Ildefons Cerdà c. 1863-1875 © Fundació Urbs i Territori Ildefons Cerdà (Institut d’Estudis Territorial)

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Seemed like a good idea We all know about Ildefons Cerdà’s Eixample design, but other plans including a metro system, electric clocks at every crossroads and large-scale sewers were ignored by authorities. By Mary Fons i Fleming.

H

ave roadworks ever pounded your brain to pieces? Every time the pneumatic drills start to carve your street open yet again—fiber optics two months ago, gas repairs today and a longplanned new water mains next week—remember Ildefons Cerdà, the civil engineer who in 1855 conceived of a single service duct, a tunnel for all these pipes and wires to run through, large enough for utilities to be maintained and repaired without stopping traffic. He eventually dropped the idea, but imagine if it had been implemented then, instead of 1992 when the Vila Olímpica was built!

Think of Cerdà, the brains behind Barcelona’s Eixample, as a 19thcentury progressive geek with a cause: to banish sickness, encourage trade and communication, and provide adequate living conditions for all, especially in cities. His plan? Flow, flow, flow: the flow of people, goods and information, the inflow of clean air and water (and sunlight)—and the outflow of runoff, disease-bearing waste and ‘miasma’.

Cerdà’s plans for “excessively” wide streets all over town were ferociously criticised by many landowners who planned to make a killing as soon as the city walls came down. But to him, wider streets meant more sunlight and air for all buildings, easier flow of traffic and plenty of room underground for water mains, gas lines, even telegraph wires—and sewers large enough for future needs.

Cerdà thought big and thought ahead. Realising that his ideas required deep pockets, he decided that human waste (night soil) should continue to be sold to farmers for manure. This was already an established industry at the time and would provide much-needed income to offset development costs. Besides, keeping it out of the sewers would help prevent flooding and epidemics, as long as proper sealing and equipment prevented leaching and contained the stench.

However, the early Eixample still had many old-fashioned cesspits and small, patchy, or poorly-built sewers; Cerdà’s recommendations were ignored by local lawmakers (who also happened to own a lot of the land to be developed) as was also the case with many of his other plans. Thus, instead of public gardens at the centre of each block, there were workshops and warehouses. Separate lanes for trams, carts, carriages, porters and unburdened pedestrians never happened, while railways were only sunk below ground level many decades later. His huge intermodal road-rail-shipping terminal failed to materialise. An electric clock at every intersection? Even now, our newest airport terminal lacks large, highly visible indications of the time.

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Fortunately, Cerdà won his main battle: the grid plan he laid out for the Eixample largely held. Twenty metres is the minimum street width, ample pavements are the norm and every intersection is expanded by signature truncated corners, or chamfers. These are not mere eye candy: plenty of turning space averts traffic jams, drivers who can see what’s coming at them cause fewer accidents and, while not really what he had in mind, short-term parking possibilities on some of those corners are nothing to be sneezed at nowadays.

Think of Cerdà as a 19th-century progressive geek with a cause.

Roller-bladers and skateboarders swooshing down Rambla de Catalunya are experiencing one of the practical features of Cerdà’s layout: his street alignment provided the maximum practical slope for our ‘vertical’ streets, so that the sewers wouldn’t clog easily. At the same time, when skating, cycling or even walking uphill, you can bless this detail-obsessed techie for specifying that the climb should never be too steep!

Incidentally, traditional maps of Barcelona point northwest rather than north, so what we call ‘vertical’ streets actually run northwest to southeast. Thanks to Cerdà, Barcelona natives ignore the terms north, south, east and west, instead orienting ourselves in terms of mar and muntanya (the sea and the ‘mountain’ of Collserola, not Montjuïc) for south and north, and either ‘Llobregat’ and ‘Besòs’ (our main rivers on either side) or ‘Tarragona’ and ‘Girona’, to represent east and west.

Despite his defeat on the drainage front, Cerdà’s wide streets set at meticulously planned heights eventually provided ample room for large sewers under the streets of the Eixample. Also because of Cerdà, gravity,

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not pumping, drives most of the sewers—as important today as it was then, thanks to rising fuel costs and global warming. Furthermore, as angles and flat surfaces easily cause blockages, sewer floors had to be round, just like the ones being built in Paris at the time. Cerdà borrowed the Parisian cross-section in his own proposals and, eventually, round-

I have memories of walking home ankle-deep in rainwater never knowing what else I was wading through. bottomed designs prevailed worldwide, highlighting Cerdà’s vision.

It was another civil engineer, Pere García Faria, who finally secured approval for his own sewer scheme in 1891, years after Cerdà’s death yet acknowledging his visionary general principles, which are obvious, common-sense ideas, if you think about them. For instance, any gently

sloping sewer sections had to be large enough for manual cleaning and unclogging just before stormy seasons, to avert flooding. You can just hear his opponents whining, “But it’s too expensive to build a sewer large enough for a worker to walk through.”

Gràcia’s sewers were connected to the Eixample’s by García Faria after Gràcia was absorbed by Barcelona in 1897. However, this, too, had been part of Cerdà’s plan earlier in the century. Glance at his topographical survey map of the city surroundings from Montjuïc to the Besòs river— the first-ever use of contour lines for Barcelona—and you can see how this made perfect sense, despite the added complication of involving two councils and not one. So Cerdà’s ideas finally prevailed, though some streets in the Eixample had to be dug up after 30 years to lay new sewer pipes, just because of previous short-sightedness.

Underground, though, Gràcia had much less room for proper sewers.

The Festa Major de Gràcia taught me that in the early Eighties: every year I would traipse off in my traditional espadrilles to dance on decorated streets until the equally traditional August downpours. I have memories of walking home ankle-deep in rainwater, never knowing what else I was wading through. Downstream, the Eixample never flooded at these times.

Derided as an engineer by many architects in his day, viciously slandered by the Modernista architects of the following generation, Cerdà did more for everyday life in our city than any of them ever did: he imposed a few important principles and practicalities over monumental approaches. The beautiful Modernista buildings, like diamonds and rubies, get most of the attention but the crown in which most of them are set—the Eixample—is, on a day-to-day level, arguably more important, thanks to Cerdà’s carefully crafted design.

Cerdà cared deeply about the fate of the city’s inhabitants. As he laid down the principles and started to draw the lines that would determine quality of life in Barcelona for a long time to come, responsibility weighed upon his soul. He wrote: “And could there be any professional so bereft of conscience and so heartless that he does not tremble at drawing these lines, unless the conviction of justice directs and strengthens his hand?”

We all know the answer, don’t we?

MORE INFO: La Fàbrica del Sol schedules two sewer tours a month and organises group tours on demand (note that the tours are not in English).

Booking for scheduled tours starts two weeks before the date of the visit at 10am. www.bcn.cat/agenda21/crbs/index. htm

You can visit the exhibition ‘La revolució de l’aigua a Barcelona.

Aigua corrent i ciutat moderna 1867-1967’ at the Museu d’Història de Barcelona until September 25th. www.museuhistoria.bcn.es

Lithograph of Barcelona showing Cerdà’s plan for the Eixample, 1860. Source: Arxiu Cerdà de l’Institut d’Estudis Territorials

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five

Plan for your time on the platja with our guide to getting your beach essentials.

By Iseult Larkin, Goran Dimitrovski and Jamilya Dosmailova.

Wilde If you want to stand out on the beach this summer, then a trip to this treasure trove is a must. Wilde hosts an impressive selection of vintage designer sunglasses from the Fifties up to the Nineties, each individually chosen from markets and collections worldwide. Wilde has also designed its own eponymous range and at the recent opening of their Formentera shop, the straightframed Oscar model was firm favourite amongst celebrity guests including Barça captain Puyol and tennis champ Rafael Nadal.

Joaquím Costa 2 Metro: Sant Antoni (L2) www.wildestore.com

Farmacia Clapés You’ve heard it over and over again: don’t be caught in the sun without sunscreen.

The reason everyone keeps repeating it is because it’s true—even those who live in a sunny city like Barcelona have not grown resistant to the danger of the sun’s rays. At this open-all-hours chemist’s, conveniently located right in the centre of town, you can get sunscreen for your day at the beach, at literally any time. Not only are they open 24 hours, but they also have an online store, through which you can order your suncream and have it delivered the next day before 7pm.

La Rambla 98 Metro: Liceu (L3) www.farmaciaclapes.com

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Espartería Lluch The straw bag is undoubtedly the must-have of the summer season, but who wants to be seen with the same high-street version as everyone else? This charming shop in Sants specialises in straw goods and has a vast array of beautiful bags in various sizes and designs on offer. With prices beginning at €5.50, you can be sure to pick up a bargain.

They also stock a large selection of men and women’s straw hats that are perfect for ensuring you keep your cool in the heat of the summer.

Gran Vía 339 Metro: Espanya (L1 & L3)

Collector Librería In order not to get bored at the beach, it’s always best to bring something to read. Instead of risking your e-book reader in the sand or lugging a 600-page bestseller with you, though, why not treat yourself to a magazine at this specialised newsagent’s and bookshop? If flicking through a glossy is your kind of thing, you’ll find practically any type and in many different languages at Collector. Pick your interest, whether it’s women’s or men’s fashion, geography and travel, sports or celebrities, and find editions from all over Europe and the world (anyone interested in the current winter fashions in Australia?).

Pau Claris 168 Metro: Diagonal (L3 & L5) www.collector-libreria.com

Sombrerería Obach When in the sun all day, it’s important to protect your head, so why not do it in style?

Sombrerería Obach is a small, classic hat store in Barri Gòtic where you can find Italian-made hats that never go out of fashion. Open since the Twenties, the styles here are plentiful: panamas, fedoras and traditional floppy sunhats, with prices that range from €12 to several hundred. With headwear from Orbach, you’ll look great and enjoy your day sunbathing knowing you’re protected and more original than all the rest who bought theirs from one of the beach vendors.

Call 2 Metro: Liceu (L3) Next month: CELEBRATING SEPTEMBER 11TH

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On FESTA MAJOR DE GRÀCIA P. 30

BUSKER’S FESTIVAL P. 31 IDC P. 32 DEVORAR PARÍS P. 33

Vivre sa vie. Gandules. P. 32

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3

the edit

We trawl through the month’s cultural events and pick our favourites

25th

15th

18th

27th The Festa Major in Gràcia is arguably the best, (but don’t say that to any residents of Sants who celebrate their festa from August 20th to 28th).

Up in Gràcia there are seven days of open-air concerts, competitions, balconies festooned and streets dressed up in (sometimes) astonishing decorations. During the day, you can saunter round getting good views of the decorations, but at night it’s a totally different affair. Grab a beer from one of the many street-side stalls, join the crowds packed through the narrow streets and take in the party atmosphere.

A distinctly Argentine flavour comes to Barcelona this month with the one-day festival Tango.cat, the star of which is Franco Luciani. A master of the harmonica, instrumentalist and composer, he’s considered one of the most talented musicians of his generation, tackling both traditional and contemporary music.

Also appearing are Mario Maeso, singer Romina Bianco, another member of the new tango vanguard, and guitarist Claudio Cesar, who started his musical career in Buenos Aires.

Festa Major de Gràcia

Tango.cat

August 15th to 21st. www.festamajordegracia.cat.

Music Hall. www.tango.cat

the gigs

Delorean

Jean-François Dichamp

Calcinha Preta

Razzmatazz, 5th

La Pedrera, 6th & 7th

Up & Down, 20th

The Crystal Ark

Kenny Garrett Quartet

Jeff Ballard Trio

Razzmatazz, 6th

Jamboree, 10th

Jamboree, 27th

Dave Samuels

Tom Harrell Quintet

The Glimmers

Jamboree, 6th

Jamboree, 12th

Razzmatazz, 27th

ON Contributors: Tyler Andrews, Iseult Larkin, Colin Lawson and Lucy Wright

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Follow the summer tourist trail through Barcelona’s most famous streets and you’ll encounter an abundance of artists. Painters perch next to mime artists, singers compete for crowds and break-dancers get spectators going. But a constant presence on the street corners and the sweltering, underground warrens of the metro, is the ubiquitious busker; they’re a permanent fixture.

Returning for its seventh year, the Busker’s (sic.)

Festival continues to put the spotlight on some of the world’s most underrated musicians; as organisers put it, the festival`s objective is to “reclaim” the street musician.

While the event is undoubtedly a laid-back affair, it is far from an amateur production. Audiences are treated to a diverse line-up of international artists, who perform on different stages around the port area (see website for more details). Musicians will be armed with drums to didgeridoos in order to deliver an eclectic array of shows.

In true busking tradition, performers are not paid, meaning each act takes home only what the audience thinks they deserve—so expect some all-gunsblazing busking. Audience participation is encouraged, giving the festival added appeal for families.

My advice? Head to the Busker’s Festival with an open mind and an open wallet, and enjoy one of Barcelona’s lesser-hyped festivals.--LW Busker’s Festival. August 4th to 7th www.buskersfestivalbarcelona.org

”We are Motörhead, we play rock‘n’roll” rasps the unmistakable welcome from a natural frontman.

A man who is as unique as they come. The iconic Lemmy. The only consistent member of Motörhead and possibly the most robust individual the world of rock has ever seen. If Ozzy Osborne is the Prince of Darkness, then Lemmy is king.

In the late Seventies, Motörhead was born, kicking and screaming. Their music is suitably reflective of the lifestyle out of which it was born and, as Jarvis Cocker once said, “Lemmy is the vocal equivalent of a sandstorm.” A tall, imposing figure, his presence is all-powerful, as he aims at an angled microphone, shouting in verse as if cursing the Almighty.

Adorned in demonic cowboy boots, German military memorabilia, a cigarette and facial hair, Lemmy is not about to quit anytime soon. In fact he’s going strong, currently touring on Judas Priest’s farewell tour (along with Saxon) and starring in the acclaimed 2010 documentary, LEMMY: 49% Motherfucker.

51% Son of a Bitch.

Motörhead have even got new material out, so expect some unfamiliar athems along with the classics when you get on board the pirate ship and join the legendary group of renegades who helped influence the birth of punk and heavy metal.--CL

4th

Busker’s Festival Various venues

2nd

Motörhead

Pavelló Olímpic Badalona

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There is something paradoxical about a high-brow film festival whose audiences have to tackle the sometimes dangerous and always slouchy charms of deckchair seating, but that pretty much sums up this year’s Gandules event. To add to the

2nd

anomaly, it feels like the antithesis of what other outdoor, summer film festivals are doing, focusing as it does on the havenots of the world along with the concept of money as the root of all evil, with not much that could be called easy viewing on the agenda. One might almost think that the organisers had been inspired by the Plaça Catalunya indignados in their earnest choice of themes, although surely the timing is not quite right for that.

Turning to the programme, stand-outs include 1970’s cinema version of The Go-Between, about a hot English summer at the turn of the 20th century during which the lives of children and adults, and servants and masters collide (August 3rd), and The Exiles, Kent MacKenzie’s 1961 production that created a fictional film based on the actual lives of those performing in the movie, a group of young Native Americans who were no longer living on a reserve but instead in Los Angeles (17th).

Marginalised groups including prostitutes, orphans and immigrants feature, respectively, in Jean-Luc Godard’s Vivre sa vie (1962), Japanese work Children of the Beehive from 1948 and French film-maker Claire Denis’s 35 rhums (35 Shots of Rum) from 2008 (in order, they are showing the 4th, 9th and 10th).

Finally, both the inaugural and closing-night movies are accompanied by shorts specially made for Gandules: the first an anti-money affair based on a text by Spanish poet Agustín García Calvo, and the second exploring the idea that money invariably makes us its prisoners. Gandules. CCCB. August 2nd to 18th, 10pm, free entry. Films are shown in their original language with Castilian subtitles, except Vivre sa vie, which has Catalan subtitles. www.cccb.org

Gandules CCCB

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

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5th

You started out as an indie-dance DJ in London, what made you change your musical direction?

It’s just been an evolution rather than a distinct change of direction, a continuation of mixing genres and keeping things fluid. My club of that time, ‘Popscene’, had the tag line ‘the dance club for people who like bands’ and so it was a mix-up including Chemical Brother remixes, early Fatboy Slim, Big Beat and early bootleg mixes of my own. So what I do now is really just further down a path of ‘no borders’ music.

You regularly played at club nights like Nagnagnag. Can you describe the clubbing scene in those days?

Well I only played at Nag twice but both times the crowd and people who ran it were really cool. But at the same time there was an explosion of similar clubs around Europe that enabled me to play a lot outside of the UK for the first time. It was very exciting to see a kind of flowering of expression that had the real feel and look of a movement/moment in lots of different cities.

Have you ever been a vinyl user and do you think that the art of mixing has suffered thanks to the availability of new technology?

I started by carrying beer crates of vinyl records to clubs! But as soon as I could I moved over to CDs, which I use now. I think laptop DJing is just a bit too prog rock. If anything, technology has added too many elements to ‘the art of mixing’ and put the emphasis on how clever someone is with some piece of equipment. I think DJing is all about simply picking the right tunes for the occasion and putting them together in the best way.

You’ve played Razzmatazz over 30 times, what makes it such a special gig for you?

It’s special because it has five rooms and so pulls together many people who like different styles of music. It’s also very special because of the lovely people involved in it, like Javi who is the main man/booker, and Silvia and Sergi who welcome you at the airport.

I’m lucky enough to be able to call them all my friends.

Two thousand and eight saw the release of your first album Overthrow the Boss Class. How different to recording in a studio is DJing and which do you prefer?

In many ways it’s similar, basically playing around with sounds and being based around a mixing desk, but of course in the studio you’re actively creating new things to try and stand as fixed points in time. I play guitar and bass and other instruments, so it’s good fun to do that in the studio.

Who do you make your music for?

For the glamourous, the gorgeous, the good and the guilty.

What’s next for IDC? My second album is out in August, then I’m playing some UK festival dates including Bestival and then comes a third SE Asian tour before the end of the year. Hopefully I’ll be visiting South America for the first time next year. I’ve also just got my first track placed on a big games release, which is pretty exciting.

If you’re not going to reveal what IDC stands for, tell us another secret.

There’s a secret Sala 6 at Razzmatazz, but you can only enter if you know the magic word.

IDC

Razzmatazz

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34 ON

Pablo Picasso. Autorretrato con paleta © 2010 Philadelphia Museum of Art

Devorar París. Picasso 1900-1907 Museu Picasso. Until October 16th

La publicidad en la historia de los medios de transporte.

Espai Merce Sala. Until October 7th

When he arrived in Paris in 1900, Pablo Picasso hadn’t yet become the

The TMB’s (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) role in the community,

‘Genius of Malaga’ or even Picasso for that matter. The 19-year-old

as defined by its advertising, has changed significantly over the years. But

student of the brush and pencil was, to the few friends he had, Pablo, a

perhaps change isn’t the right word; it’s more of an awakening. In an attempt

painter of portraits and drawings in the Realist style.

to plumb the history of public transportation and marketing, this retrospective

In 1900, Paris was already crowded with the likes of Cezanne, ToulouseLautrec, Bonnard, Rodin, Steinlen, Gauguin and, at the height of his mastery, Van Gogh. To an artist of limited genius, this environment may have

chronicles, in photographs, over 120 years of advertising in public transportation in all its forms.

Early adverts, as one would expect, were simple product placement bill-

been overwhelming, even maddening; but this was Picasso, a man whose

boards atop horse-drawn trolleys and on the side of cable cars; these images

propensity to absorb and integrate artistic styles was boundless. ‘Devorar

inspire a sense of wonder for the time and place more than for the ads them-

París (Devouring Paris) brings together the work of Picasso along with

selves. As Barcelona approached the middle of the 20th century, and with the

work from his Parisian contemporaries during this time period to showcase

introduction of the double-decker bus and trolley, advertisements changed.

this propensity. For those fascinated by his frenetic stylistic changes, this

Taller vehicles with space well above eye level gave advertisers a new, unclut-

exhibit offers great insight into the Blue and Rose Periods—if anything,

tered frontier and the photographs from this period show a distinct increase

‘Devorar París’ radiates colour—and some of his early experiments with

in advertising’s magnitude. For the next 50 years, pizzazz took centre stage;

perspective and point of view; for fans of Paris and La Belle Époque, they

large-scale pieces with top brands as public transport in all its facets became

will also find this exhibition a treat in its portrayal of the sumptuously emo-

sheer surface area for some serious brand marketing.

tional life of the city in the early 20th century.

Picasso fed off the ideas of the painters around him and the enticing

Today, advertising on public transport bears little resemblance to any of its previous phases. Now there’s a complex discrepancy. What the viewer imme-

life of the city. Looking at these early paintings, that much is obvious.

diately acknowledges when looking at modern campaigns is the emphasis on

The observer can see an almost literal translation of Toulouse-Lautrec in

technology and multimedia displays. However, this alone doesn’t constitute

Picasso’s Jardin de Paris, while the pieces comprising his Blue Period pay

the main difference between today’s advertisements and those of yesterday.

homage to a moribund Paris that moved him deeply. What becomes clear

With its environmental initiatives, community contests and socially-conscious

more slowly, what is perhaps the most compelling element of the entire

ads, today’s TMB makes its point clear: we’re members of the community,

exhibit, is that over the same period of time, Picasso’s work fundamen-

and we provide a service. There’s a visible shift from product placement

tally changed the artists around him. In seven short years, he matured

(although it is still plentiful) to community-mindedness and the TMB has taken

from a young and voracious student of painting to the magnetic pole and

its new role to heart. This exhibition is an interesting survey of Barcelona at

standard-bearer for one of the richest artistic communities in modern

the nascency of its artistic development, well before the city had established

history.--Tyler Andrews

itself as a leader in design and marketing.--Tyler Andrews

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ON 35

quick picks

Jean-François Rauzier. Museo Diocesano. Until September 11th. bcn.es

Thursday, Friday & Saturday From 23h to 03h Free entrance Borne area, Av. Marqués de l’Argentera, 27 Metro: Barceloneta, Jaume I Estació de França

Passeig de Picasso

Dancefloor Jazz, Funk, Soul, Hip Hop & Latin Kicks Parc de la Ciutadella

Av. Marqués de l’Argentera Estació de França

3 El POUM. 75 años de historia. Museu d’Història. Until September 25th.

www.es.mhcat.net

Pierre Huyghe. CaixaForum. Until August 14th. obrasocial.lacaixa.es

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7/21/11 11:15:27 AM

36 GASTRONOMY

Uptown tapas I

like going to Sarrià. It always feels like going to a classy, quiet country town somewhere; provincial without being prissy and good for browsing the kind of stores that sell organic kids clothes, tea from Fortnum and Mason, and hand-stitched patchwork quilts. It’s genteel, in other words, and a far cry from the throngs that mob the Rambla this time of year. It’s true to say there are few tourists of any kind in Sarrià and it’s a charming place to escape to a sunny plaça and quietly watch the world go by and, of course, get some good eating done, which is the main reason I go anywhere.

So it was myself and a couple of friends who headed uptown one sunny evening in July to check out the newly-opened Bar Canalla —one of the new breed of Quimet i Quimet-style places that put emphasis on resurrecting a distinctive Catalan style, as opposed to the ‘designer’ sameness of so many places that look identical from Bangkok to Bognor—and headed by the reassuring pedigree of chef Ignacio Saibene, formerly of Comerç 24 and Tapas 24.

On first inspection, it is a proper bodega with wine bottles lining the walls and old tin lanterns hanging over a bar laden with conservas. Only on venturing further into its depths do you realise there is a small, informal dining room at the back, papered with yellowing newspapers, while upstairs is a more glitzy affair with dark wallpaper emblazoned with magnolias, a leather Chesterfield against one wall and abundant candles: great for a date or a gathering of friends.

My favourite place when eating tapas, though, is at the bar, so we squeezed into a corner and ordered vermut, only to discover they only stock Martini rosso. A bit odd for a place so clearly focused on preserving the Catalan spirit, frankly, but it did the job, especially with a side of boquerones and anchoas.

Since moving to Barcelona 10 years ago, I’ve become passionate, verging on obsessive, about both these versions of the humble anchovy since my only experience of them prior to this was of the thin, hard, slimy and greyish variety you got in tin cans back in England. My first L’Escala anchovy was a revelation and so I urged

one of the friends I was with—a self-confessed anchovy-hater—to at least try one.

“They’re not bad,” he agreed with a tight smile, which coming from someone who is anti-anchovy is high praise indeed. I’m here to tell you they were excellent: plump, pink, not too salty, dense and fleshy, just as they should be and the boquerones weren’t bad either.

The oysters, I’m assured (alas I’m cursed with an allergy to them so can’t report on these), were just the right balance of richly creamy textures and ozoney juiciness.

We had some more Martini. After all, when things begin this well in a tapas bar, your only option is to keep ordering and so we called for croquetes (jamón), which had satisfyingly crunchy shells and a wickedly unctuous hammy middle that felt quite decadent to eat; they certainly had more initial ‘wow’ factor than the patatas bravas. “Are those crinkle-cut chips?” says I, eyeing the dish in front of us that was drizzled with brava sauce and allioli. “I haven’t seen them since the early Eighties.” I can report they’re not, though they were definitely chips in the British sense, nicely fried, hot and golden and better, I’d argue, somewhat controversially, then those of the legendary Bar Tomàs down the road.

I ordered two tomato salads, one with sweet onions, the other with ventresca tuna, which wasn’t the best move. The tomatoes weren’t massively flavourful though the oil was excellent, but really this is the kind of dish you only want lots of if the tomatoes are in tip-top form.

Still there’s no doubt this is tapas that’s a cut above with lots of appealing stuff to go back for: aubergine with honey, coal mussels— whatever they are, they were off the menu at the time of my visit, unfortunately—tomato tartar (as seen on the menus of both El Bulli and Tickets this season), eggs with foie, wild turbot and Palamós prawns, all making another trip uptown well worth the effort.

Bar Canalla—Major de Sarrià 95 (Sarrià). Tel. 93 205 8806.

Open: Tues-Sat, 1-4pm and 8pm-midnight; Sundays, 1-4pm.

Tara’s rating: ✪✪✪

Read TARA’S food and drink blog for the latest gourmet news and reviews: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

36-37. food & drink PDF.indd 56

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

Head north to Sarrià for a higher class of tapas. By Tara Stevens.

Photos by Richard Owens.

7/21/11 11:34:04 AM

GASTRONOMY 37

Recipe

by Tara Stevens

Photo: Julius Honnor for Clock Book: recipes from a modern Moroccan kitchen

LEMON TART (SERVES FOUR)

W

hen it comes to summer puddings in the baking heat of August I’m not generally one for much more than a platter of fresh fruit, with one notable exception: this bright, zingy, ultra tart, lemon tart. Don’t be fooled by the sugar and butter content; it’s light and easy on the palate and leaves you feeling refreshed rather than heavy.

Ingredients FOR THE PASTRY · 250g plain flour · 175g butter · 75g sugar · 1 egg · pinch of salt

Ingredients FOR THE LEMON CURD · · · · · · · · · ·

200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons) 200g caster sugar 180g butter 4 egg yolks 2 whole eggs zest of two lemons 2 tbsp cornflour pinch of salt icing sugar for dusting raspberries (optional)

Method STAGE 1: PASTRY—Preheat oven to 200ºC. Rub together the flour and butter to form crumbs. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to form a dough. Chill for one hour before using.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured surface then press into a 12-inch pie dish (or individual ramekins) and prick with a fork.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden, and leave to cool before chilling once again in the fridge.

STAGE 2: LEMON CURD—Melt the butter and sugar together in a pan, then add the lemon juice and heat until gently bubbling. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, eggs, lemon zest, salt and cornflour and whisk with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. Fold into the hot lemon juice mixture, turn the heat down low and cook for five minutes or so until thick—do not allow to boil. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared, chilled tart case (or ramekins). Cover with cling film, chill overnight in the fridge and sprinkle with icing sugar and raspberries, if desired, to serve.

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38 GASTRONOMY

Lunch with...

This month, Tara Stevens gets together with Sarah Stothart, former head chef at Tapioles 53, to talk about her new projects.

S

arah Stothart was the head chef at Barcelona’s first clandestine supper club and restaurant, Tapioles 53, which sadly shut earlier this year. Never one to sit on her laurels, she let us in on where she’s going from here.

The lunch: Can Kenji Duck harumaki with summer shoots, creamy octopus bunyols, sardine tempura with anchovy miso and aubergine purée, secreto Ibérico with Ponzu sauce, beef tongue with artichokes.

stored with truffles and are heavenly. Soft boil them to just set and serve with toast soldiers slathered in salty French butter.

Can Kenji Rosselló 325, tel. 93 476 1823, www.cankenji.com. Approx €25 per person based on several shared dishes and wine. Open daily: 1pm3.30pm, 8.30pm-11.30pm.

What’s next after Tapioles 53?

Right now I’m focused on being a mum after the birth of my second child, but I’m also keen to start a blog—also named Tapioles 53— that will talk about my foodie upbringing, how my parents influenced me and taught me how to cook. I want to give a flavour of my own style and how I see food, and of course I’ll offer plenty of recipes along the way. Long term, I’d love to see it turned into a book.

What do you think about the Barcelona dining scene right now?

To be honest I am a bit out of touch...having a two-month-old babe does that, but I do think it’s a hard time to have a restaurant. Food prices are shooting up yet the prices in restaurants are the same, if not dropping and I still hear people complain about prices. The effect of the rising food prices is that the quality of the restaurant food is dropping. A few years ago, by mid-July the only tomatoes to be bought in the markets came from local gardens, deep red beauties bursting with a rich tomato aroma, but now it’s all cheap southern tomatoes, red but hard as rocks, and they are everywhere simply because they are cheaper.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in Barcelona in terms of food?

The Chinese community is growing fast, and they are bringing their food culture with them. There are going to be some great places opening up if you keep an eye on them.

Why did you choose Can Kenji for lunch today?

I really like this place. They do great food, simple clean flavours, but always something different, like shitake mushroom caps stuffed with a prawn mix, monkfish roe and tofu, or tempura of dried squid.

They also have a short but good wine list. I tend to go for an Italian white...and I also like the space; it’s simple but pleasant with an open kitchen and opposite the kitchen, hanging on the wall, is a large and very beautiful painting by a Japanese artist.

Sarah’s top tips I love the Santa Caterina market in the Born. Specifically there is a stall called Huevería Gomez-Maldonado run by a woman called Encarna Maldonado García who just sells eggs: chicken, ostrich, duck, pretty much everything. But her best eggs are those that have been

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main pages - August 11 .indd 3

7/18/11 1:31:46 PM

Food &Drink

For more in food&drink NEFW &D IN

visit our online directory

Bar 7Sins Bar and Lounge 4EIXAMPLE e If you’re looking for a friendly and good value place to get a bite to eat, 7Sins is the place you’re looking for! Their menu has a vast selection of dishes to share as well as a large choice of gourmet 100% beef burgers. After your meal there’s an elegant lounge with Chesterfield sofas and impressive decor, ideal for having a drink or cocktail. 7Sins also has a terrace where you can enjoy a meal or a drink outdoors. You can see their full menu at www.7sinsbar.com

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking UNDER 20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | OVER 40 RV Reservation Advised | NEW in food & drink this month

C/Muntaner 7 | Metro Universitat | Tel. 93 453 6445 www.7sinsbar.com | Mon-Fri 11am-3am, Sat-Sun 6pm-3am | RV

Bagels 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 neo-realism. 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.

E

V.O.s

Plaça Cardona 4 | Metro GràciaCarrer | Paris 200 | Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 002 2300 | Open 8am-3am n

a o you c btitles s u s h it w e ackdrop from th d as a b d music te screene c le e s refully y the ca flaherty's4BARRI GÒTIC could u lso enjo a o y d he es. ls the SixtiSince it was established in 2001, Flaherty’s ver wis cocktai a hirties to n T o l e c BE MY BAGEL 4GRÀCIA ar has become one of Barcelona’sm best known ’ ade ichoffering share B burn or and busiest Irish food andwBy p e e spubs.

H in ‘c y a e y Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be My Bagel is the right place for you. They sell authentic all (including enjofrom 10am til midnight udr A med re,day . e e h h n t -t th a i c e ie v ’r w bagels from Barcelona, just how you like them. ou mo our popular Full as well as s, a Breakfast w you adIrish While y stic bre live satellite sports art? No ffeebig group g of rumenus), coon o n n B a o li ti y a c It e le r They have an extensive range of bagels and cakes, from the more classic choices suchm asppoppy hr screens, WiFi,ieas,sunny and a pool propeterrace om a se fr u H th o o you can also play darts, not and multigrain to delicious and innovative chocolate, almond and coconut bagels - you’ll not room where es, sm ona is a esh juicto mention its very spacious premises, come away disappointed. laza Card salad, fr P in R .

A B re’s cocktail has rightly become known as Flaherty’s ed CINE s is, the ourse, athe pub that has it all! w c ly open e f w n o e d n r, o o e Th d the go C/ fans an vents, 00 (with for film t e n g r your e a /Paris, 2 fo m C n n o o ti a g ky ect loc openin to swan the perf r branch ebar is festivals anothe in .

C lm th fi n i o in m and m dos) this ken not jections c Grana ni – sha rti from pro C/Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I Metro L6 and L7 Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.comEnri a M a ’s | Metro Drassanes PlaçahJoaquim Xirau ack ocktail, Open from Mon-Fri 9.30-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm, ether it SoTel.w93 pagne c inema b . c s m f e a o 412 6263 é h Sat 10am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm, Sun 10.30am-2pm e ir C g o a s er or olden a kid. gs of ou’re aft gs the g g at you screenin – that y bar brin n d e io e in rr rs C e ti ’s lookin s v International Bar - Live Music l re a e in H g r. ri a ho nch Cineb lona wit nd it at ics to Fre to Barce you’ll fi od class o w Margarita Blue y ll o H GUT4Gràcia films are ing from 4BARRI GÒTIC sm. All everyth eo-reali n n a li a It Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finave and Located in the heart of old Barcelona, New W est quality ingredients, the kitchen speMargarita Blue has become a classic cialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an in the city’s bar scene. Delight in the dishes from the ‘‘Mexiterranean” kitchinternational twist and plenty of options en, such as a variety of tacos, amazing for vegetarians. Try their quinoa and tofu guacamole, fresh carpaccio and tomates ar or a sinful home-made dessert.

Cinebburgers verdes fritos or take pleasure in a drink Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail or cocktail whilst appreciating new a 4the friendly, respectful service. It’s the rdonand music and spectacular shows that alterPlaza Ca sperfect 200 place to have a drink and enjoy the ri a P nate between theatre and performance r Carre night in good company. Try it for yourself art.

970 971 Tel. 651 0 and find out why everyone is talking about 0 3 2 2 0 0 3 9 Gut.

C/Josep Anselm Clave 6 | Metro Drassanes Tel. 93 412 5489 | www.margaritablue.com | Mon-Fri 1.30pm-4pm, 8pm-2.30am, Sat-Sun 6pm-2.30am | RV VOS Bar Dec 2010.indd 1

Food & drink aug 2011.indd 44

C/Perill, 13 I Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 186 6360 I restaurantgut@gmail.com 11/2/10 12:25:47 PM

7/21/11 12:54:56 PM

FOOD & DRINK 41 Café – ice Cream shop

Juice and smoothie Bar sano 4GRàCIA - BARRI GÒTIC

CafeterÍa Vil·la florida4SARRIà A little oasis in Barcelona’s Zona Alta Cafetería Vil·la Florida is situated in the San Gervasi civic centre, in a beautiful, stately building surrounded by gardens.

During the week they offer á la carte or a menú whilst at the weekends there’s brunch and tapas.

Breakfasts, premium teas, fresh natural juices, and cakes and biscuits plus healthy, home-made deserts.

C/Muntaner 544 | Metro Putxet | Bus: 64 (stop Muntaner); Bus: 22, 75 (stop Pl. Bononova) Mon-Fri 9am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Want a healthy, tasty alternative? Try a refreshing smoothie like Antioxidant, Mango & Passion Fruit or Coco Muesli ( 3.80) or a delicious juice made only with fresh blended fruit and no added water, milk or sugar ( 3.60). Can’t decide? Try one of their convenient combos from 4.50.

Gran de Gràcia, 16 | Metro Diagonal | Tel. 93 217 8115 | Jaume I 1, | Metro Jaume I | Tel. 93 310 3247 Every day 10am-8pm | info@sanojuice.com | www.sanojuice.com

food &drink

to advertise in this section, please call 93 451 4486 or email ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

delivery BellaMia heladeria italiana4 BORN After a long day of discovering Barcelona, people queue up to taste Bellamia’s exquisite gelato. The reason: friendly staff, an excellent location, but most of all, delicious, freshly made ice cream that gets raving reviews from everyone who’s tried it. Bellamia’s ice cream is gluten-free and you can let them surprise you with some of their original treats like ice cream sandwiches and panne cotte.

Visit their lovely store in the heart of Born and you’ll be in for a tasty treat.

NEFW &D IN

C/Epaseria 14 | Metro Jaume I, Tel. 93 310 4210 | 1pm-midnight (50 m from Santa Maria del Mar)

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

C. Paris, 109 I Metro Hospital Clinic I Tel. 93 444 4737 Gran Via, 931 I Metro Clot | Tel. 93 303 0735 C. Taxdirt, 13 I Metro Joanic/Gracia | Tel. 93 285 41 95 www.vitalipizza.com

sushi on the BeaCh

Two boys put their heads together and came up with a great idea!

Sushi delivered to you while you sunbathe on the beach, 7 days a week. Choose between two 8 menus. 4 Prawn Makis with cream cheese, strawberry, salmon, teriyaki sauce and black sesame + 4 Futomaki of salmon and mango + 4 California rolls You’re just a call away from fresh sushi, made daily with love, delivered to you while you sunbathe.

Tel. 672 917 174

sushi SUSHIEXPRESS4EIXAMPLE

NEFW &D IN

If you want to enjoy the best sushi service in the city, this is your place! Sushiexpress takes great pride in using top quality ingredients to ensure excellent sushi. They are conveniently located in two places in the city: l’Eixample and Santaló, and they can deliver it to your home or hotel. Delivery is from 1pm-3pm and from 8pm-11pm.

You can choose individual pieces of maki, nigiri, sashimi, temaki, menus, combos, and other Japanese specialties from an extensive menu that you can check on their website. If you eat at any of their locations at noon the menus are accompanied by a free drink.

Consell de Cent, 255, | Tel. 93 451 5454 Open 12pm-4pm, 7pm-11pm 365days/year!

Delivery 1pm-3pm, 8pm-10.30pm

nakashita4 BORN Nakashita is Barcelona’s newest sushi restaurant, a cosy place where you can enjoy the best Japanese food and freshest seafood. Located close to the Arc de Triomf, the restaurant feels like an authentic Japanese tavern with a very intimate atmosphere. Enjoy your delicious food along with wine, Japanese beer or sake.

NEFW &D IN

Food & drink aug 2011.indd 45

C/Rec Comtal, 15 | Metro Arc De Triomf, Tel. 93 295 5378 | www.nakashitabcn.com Mon-Sun 1.30pm-4.30pm, 8.30pm-12am

gourMet eXPress4BARCELONA ‘Lunch Box’ by Gourmet Express. The best alternative to pizza or Asian food. A new concept in Barcelona; they are specialists in delivering high-quality food to your home or office at reasonable prices. They can deliver within 30 minutes, exquisite menús, made by our own chefs using only the freshest products. Traditional Catalan and Mediterranean food to satisfy the most discerning palate, thoughtfully served with all you might need, including metal cutlery and glasses. All so you can enjoy food in the comfort of your home or office. Free delivery to readers of Barcelona Metropolitan.

C/Pasaje Milans 28 | Tel. 93 260 0789 | www.gourmet-express.es

7/21/11 12:55:05 PM

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

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

Mediterranean

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.

Plaça Catalunya 21 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 270 2305 | www.hardrock.com/barcelona | Restaurant: Sun-Thurs 12am-2am, Fri, Sat and hol eves 12am-3am | Rock Shop: Sun-Thurs 10am-1.30am, Fri, Sat and hol eves 10am-2am

Indian - Hindu Govinda (VEGETARIAN)4 BARRI 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 vegan-friendly, non-alcoholic and authentically decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus.

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

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 | Metro Paral.lel | Tel. 93 329 3252 www.motimahalbcn.com Every day 12pm-4pm, 8pm-12am Closed Tues Lunch | RV

Food & drink aug 2011.indd 46

Romero4 EIXAMPLE D Located in the centre of the city, just a few streets from Passeig de Grácia, this exquisite and charming restaurant serves fresh, organic produce sourced directly from local markets.

The staff are determined to share their love for Barcelona and its culinary wonders and only use the best ingredients to create their delicious dishes. The idea behind the restaurant was to create a unique space where good friends could come together and enjoy great Mediterranean food and wine. The chef at Romero, José Antonio Camacaro León, has an unmatched passion for food and offers his guests creative, natural dishes based on Mediterranean cuisine. With options for vegetarians and gluten-free menu items, there’s something to suit all tastes. Be sure to check out the great value set menus and daily specials too.

C/Bailén 115 | Metro Verdaguer or Girona | Tel. 93 457 0640 info@romerobcn.com | www.romerobcn.com | Mon to Sat Lunch starting at 1pm Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm, Thu-Sat Dinner starting at 8.30pm

Sukur4BARRI GÒTIC Located right in the centre of the Gótic area, this delightful restaurant invites you to enjoy a wide and tasty selection of Mediterranean and Greek specialties.

Their extensive bar and cool atmosphere makes it a perfect place to unwind and relax with a delicious cocktail.

Superb quality and price - highly recommended.

C/ Avinyó, 42 | Metro Liceu | Tel. 93 218 3000

7/21/11 12:55:10 PM

FOOD & DRINK 43 indian - Modern thai thai4EIXAMPLE E

shanti4LES CORTS 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).

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 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 620 938 059 | www.thaithai.es C/Princep Jordi, 6 | Metro España | Tel. 663 126 398 | Every day 1pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | RV | www.thaithaibcn.com

Vegetarian aMaltea4EIXAMPLE E 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/Agustina Saragossa 3-5 (in front of CC L’Illa) Metro 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/Diputació 164 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 | www.amalteaygovinda.com | Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8.30pm-11.30pm, Closed Sun

Vietnamese shanti4CALAFELL This exciting new restaurant opens its doors in the quaint beach town of Calafell.

They serve authentic Indian dishes using traditional recipes but with a modern presentation. Come and enjoy their terrace which has fantastic beach views.

Ave. Sant Joan de Deu 43, Calafell Playa, Tel. 97 769 3901 I info@shantirestaurant.com. www.shantirestaurant.com

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 Metro Jaume I Tel. 93 315 2093 burger@pimpamplats.com I www.pimpamplats.com Every day 1pm-12am

Bun Bo ViÊtnaM4BARRI 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.

C/Sagristans 3 | Metro Urquinaona | Tel. 93 301 1378 | www.bunbovietnam.com | 1pm-1am Every day

thai thai graCia4GRACIA 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 menú del diá 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/ Còrsega 381 | Metro Verdaguer / Girona Tel. 93 459 3591 | www.restaurante-thai-gracia.com Every day 1pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | RV

Food & drink aug 2011.indd 47

food &drink

to advertise in this section, please call 93 451 4486 or email ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

7/21/11 12:55:18 PM

44 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

HAIRDRESSER • MASSAGE

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

Taller - HAIRDRESSER

KERATIN SMOOTHING TREATMENT Now available

What sets apart an Aveda beauty professional? Their mission is to bring out their client’s natural beauty. Aveda partners with salon and spa professionals around the world. They see beauty as a craft and believe that authentic beauty is one that works in harmony with nature. Authentic beauty cares for the environment we inherited and that we’ll leave to the generations that follow us. Authentic beauty cares about society, creating harmony in the way we live and the way we interact with one another as human beings. Taller lives this mission to the full, offering gentle and natural hair and beauty treatments in a unique and beautiful space in the heart of the Born.

Pescateria 8, Born T. 93 315 0980 Metro: Barceloneta (L4) Open Mon 2pm-8pm; Tues-Sat 11am-8pm

Kinki - HAIRDRESSER Anthony Llobet English Hair Salon - HAIRDRESSER Don’t let your Spanish come between you and your hair. Anglo-Catalan Anthony Llobet has over 20 years’ experience in hairstyling and a passion for excellent client service. Anthony leads a dedicated team of stylists who specialise in a variety of services, including Afro hair, extensions, straightening and make-up (and speak over 11 languages between them).

The original retro interior and friendly staff create a very special atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy a stylish cut. Put your trust in Anthony and the team, who are strongly committed to providing you with outstanding service at affordable prices.

Gràcia, C/Ros de Olano 19 T. 93 218 0449 / 639 931 555 Raval, C/Sant Pau 122 T. 93 441 3177 / 645 257 506 Eixample, C/Córsega 364 T. 93 457 4211 / 691 330 188 El Born, C/Carders 34 T.93 295 4871 7 645 257 628 Gòtic, C/Avunyó 34 T. 93 301 4513 / 691 676 363 www.anthonyllobet.com

La Hair Boutique -

HAIRDRESSER

Trained by Toni & Guy London, Veronique runs a friendly salon with a dedicated team who speak English, Spanish, French and Swedish.

La Hair Boutique is a relaxed and cosy salon that offers progressive cuts and colours and great style advice too. They are especially talented at creating new, personalised looks using the latest techniques.

Plaça Regomir 5 Metro: Jaume 1 (L4). T. 93 269 1937 M. 699 643 462 www.hairboutiquebarcelona.com

MP 44-49 aug.indd 44

Kinki peluqueros is an international hairstyling group from Holland with over 40 salons in their home country.

They put their heart and soul into cutting and colouring the most beautiful hairstyles, from the latest trends to classic cuts. If you bring a friend for a full treatment they will give you both a 15% discount and a free glass of cava. English, Spanish, Dutch, German and French speaking.

Pintor Fortuny 14, Raval Metro: Catalunya (L1, L3) T. 93 302 3379 www.kinkipeluqueros.es Open Mon 4pm-8pm, Tues-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 10.30am-8pm

The Vital Touch - MASSAGE Relax and de-stress with a therapeutic full-body massage. Nunu Roney at The Vital Touch offers treatments to help women and men relax, energise, re-balance and improve their health and lifestyle. Hot stone massage also available. Central Barcelona location.

Book today and take advantage of a 10% discount for Metropolitan readers.

T. 659 995 657 nunu@thevitatouch.com www.tvtbarcelona.com

7/21/11 11:48:40 AM

BODYWORK · VETERINARY CLINIC · DOCTORS · DENTISTS · CHEMIST

Bonavet - VETERINARY CLINIC Professional and friendly, the Bonavet veterinary clinic is run by a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons of London. They provide veterinary consultations, surgery, analyses, x-rays and diet advice. The clinic is located in Plaça Bonanova and also offers pet grooming.

Pharmacy Serra Mandri

CHEMIST

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

Plaça Bonanova 10 T. 93 211 0204

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

Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR

Dr. Steven Joseph - DOCTOR

Feel confident with Dr. Mary McCarthy, an American-trained doctor for adults. A native English speaker with over 20 years’ experience in Barcelona, Dr. McCarthy offers professional, private health care. She is a member of the American College of Physicians and is also certified as a Specialist by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Established in 2005, Googol Medical Centre offers its patients comprehensive healthcare in a friendly, discreet and relaxed environment. UK doctor Steven Joseph provides a wide range of medical care for the English-speaking community in Barcelona.

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

Gran Via Carles III nº-37-39 Metro: Les Corts (L3) T. 93 330 2412 M. 627 669 524 googol@hotmail.es www.googolmedicalcentre.com Open Mon-Sat

Dr. Nicholas Jones - DENTIST

Tingsvall & McCarthy

Any fears about going to the dentist or a possible language barrier are diminished here with the caring, relaxed atmosphere. Dr Nicholas Jones’ clinic keeps up to date with the latest developments in dentistry in order to provide the best care possible, at affordable prices. Free check-ups.

- DENTIST

Dr. Stefan Tingsvall offers general dentistry, orthodontics, prosthodontics and endodontics, whilst Elena McCarthy is a qualified dental hygienist and specialises in comprehensive preventative care and tooth whitening Bright Smile. Together, they aim to provide a relaxing and pleasant experience for the patient.

Diagonal 281 Metro: Sagrada Familia (L5) Monumental (L2) T. 93 265 8070 M. 607 332 335 nickteeth@hotmail.com www.nickteeth.com Open Mon-Sat

Castellnou 47 T. 93 205 1903 M. 636 312 522/696 664 430 FGC Les Tres Torres (L6) Bus: 16, 30, 66, 70, 72, 74 tingsvall_mccarthy@hotmail.com www.tingsvall-mccarthy.com Open Mon-Sat

Dr. Christian Eickhoff deutsche zk - DENTIST

Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST

Deutsche ZK dental clinic believes that a well-informed patient is a happy one and so offer all their clients free check ups and x-rays. They aim to always meet the needs of each client, and recognise the importance of a trusting relationship between the client and their health provider. They are proud to be at the forefront of dentistry.

Consell de Cent 249, bajos Metro Universitat (L1 + L2) T. 93 323 9629 info@deutsche-zk.com www.deutsche-zk.com

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY 45

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

Rosselló 95, local, 08029, Barcelona Metro: Hospital Clinic (L5) Entença (L5) T. 93 322 9114 Fax. 93 322 0220 campi@coec.net

7/21/11 11:48:42 AM

46 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

CHIROPRACTOR · LIFE COACH · PSYCHOLOGISTS

American Chiropractic Center - Doctors of Chiropractic

Isabel Solanich - LIFE COACH / COUNSELLOR

Do you suffer from problems such as lower back pain, sciatica, neck pain, headaches, shoulder and articular pain, discal hernia, fibromyalgia, or stress?

Dr Chiappinelli and his team pride themselves on providing friendly and professional chiropractic care, with the clear aim of improving the patient’s health. The clinics, located in Barcelona and Sitges, have individual treatment rooms which are equipped with the most up-to-date and innovative technology. Dr. Chiappinelli and his team qualified from the top American and French universities and have worked for 20 years to ensure and provide an unbeatable service. They speak English, French, German and Italian.

Make an appointment at either of the clinics and let the team help you to reach your maximum health potential.

As a trained life coach, counsellor and reiki master, Isabel will help you to change situations you don’t like in your life. Isabel can help and guide you to take control of your emotions to achieve personal satisfaction. Face to face, by telephone or via Skype.

Barcelona: Pau Claris, 139 3o 2a T. 93 487 5035 Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L3, L5) Sitges: Rafael Llopart 74, T. 93 811 0101 www.bcnchiro.com

T. 676 698 529 consulta@tubienestarpersonal.com www.yourpersonalwellbeing.com

Coach Bing - LIFE COACHING

NEST - PSYCHOLOGISTS

Kick-start your life with coaching and create positive change in your personal and professional life. An expat life coach is an excellent support, and especially helpful in a newly adopted country. Coach Bing is a member of the International Coach Federation.

NEST is a dedicated team of Englishspeaking therapists who provide professional services to individuals, families, schools and companies.

They include highly-qualified, licensed psychologists, psychotherapists and educational specialists who live and work in Barcelona and offer their outstanding services to the Englishspeaking community in the city.

For more details of our practitioners, visit our website or see our advertisement in the main pages.

Network of English Speaking Therapists Established since 2000

T. 93 811 2227 M. 656 932 468 bingkohner@limitbusters.net www.limitbusters.com

www.barcelonanest.com

Nick Cross - PSYCHOLOGIST

Hestia - PSYCHOTHERAPY

-PSYCHOTHERAPIST

The Hestia International Centre of Psychotherapy has become a reference in the city. The professional team work with individuals, couples and families through psychotherapy, coaching, counselling, clinical hypnosis, art therapy, NLP and EMDR. They speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese and Greek and the first consultation is free.

Nick Cross is a registered psychologist, specialised in psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy can help you with the causes of distress and unhappiness and it provides treatment for anxiety, fears, relationship difficulties, depression, problems adjusting, loss and trauma.

T. 644 193 825 ncross@copc.es

Manuel Isaías López, MD, PhD Claudia Ros Tusquets MA Clinical Psychologist Child and Adolescent Passeig Sant Joan 180 Pral 2a Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst & Psychotherapist Joanic 934 102 962Metro: / 657 570 692 (L4) T. 93 459 2802 686 991 742 info@hestia.es www.hestia.es

www.barcelonanest.com

All NEST professionals are Licensed / Certified

MP 44-49 aug.indd 46

English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

7/21/11 11:48:44 AM

PSYCHOLOGISTS · CONSTRUCTION · INTERIOR DESIGN · SECURITY · MOPED RENTALS · RENTALS

Eugenia Espinosa PSYCHOTHERAPY

Eugenia is a dedicated professional who specialises in psychological issues related to immigration. She offers effective treatment for mood and anxiety disorders as well as couples and family therapy. The first consultation with Eugenia is free.

Jonathan Lane Hooker - Psychotherapist

Jonathan Hooker can help if you’re looking for support, guidance or help with any aspect of your life.

An English-speaking psychotherapist, counsellor, coach and guide, he is dedicated to helping people make sense of their lives. Jonathan provides one-to-one sessions or workshops for groups of four to 12 people.

Metropolitan readers are invited to a free 20-minute introductory meeting.

T. 677 090 479 genaespinosa@yahoo.com

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

tProject - CONSTRUCTION

Inysi - CONSTRUCTION

Looking for help without the worry of getting lost in translation? This experienced team of builders provide a range of services, including renovations, bespoke carpentry, kitchens and bathrooms, decoration, shopfitting, electrical installations, IT networks, satellite TV, architectural services and exhibition stands. Get in touch with tProject for an obligationfree quote.

The Inysi Industrial team are professionals in plumbing and electrical services, air conditioning and satellite installation. Providing services for over 60 years to households and companies, no job is too big or too small for them. If you’re looking for someone reliable that you can trust, then get in touch today.

Contact: John Steven Thorp T. 93 460 7803 M. 691 664 806 john@tproject.eu

Graham Collins Interior Design

Graham Collins is an experienced interior designer and property consultant and can help with everything concerning property, design and decoration. So, whether you need help working out the property market or are looking for someone to renovate your home, Graham is here to help you.

Alcolea 42, Bajos Metro: Plaça de Sants (L1, L5) T. 657 994 630

Locksmith - SECURITY Experts in security, Mastercerrajeros can help you keep your property secure. From a simple lock change to metal shutters, safety doors or installing the most advanced security system on the market, they will ensure you get the security solution you need. Their service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Consolat del Mar 35, 3er Metro: Barceloneta (L4) T. 678 757 511 grahamcollins@talk21.com

T. 607 886 622 info@mastercerrajeros.com

Via Vespa - MOPED RENTALS

Van - Removals

Explore Barcelona in style with Via Vespa. Rent a new and automatic Italian Vespa LX 50 and go from the beach to the hills, dive into the city centre and find your way through the charming little streets of Barcelona.

Rent your vespa by the hour or take a tour with friends. The coolest way to see the city.

VanBCN offers experience, good service and inexpensive rates to make your move or removal safe and easy.

Whether you are looking for man with a van for a quick move or if you want to do a complete removal, just call or send your request online. VanBCN adapts its service to your needs.

They can pick up your stuff or take it to the port, airport or storage. Deliver home your purchases from IKEA or any other shop. Move your office, your room or your house. Just contact VanBCN. They know how to do it.

Princesa 56 T. 93 319 6754 M. 656 860 471 barcelona@via-vespa.com www.via-vespa.com

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY 47

T. 93 426 7684 M. 647 533 344 www.vanbcn.com

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48 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

REMOVALS · LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Corase - REMOVALS Corase specialise in international removals and have a worldwide network of agents. You can trust them with any type of move, big or small. Their staff are attentive to each client’s needs and are trained to ensure that you get quality, speed and security. Corase also offer a range of other services, including storage facilities. They will be happy to give you a free quote.

Spanish for foreigners

Languages4Life -

LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Check out Languages4Life. The Spanish teachers are native speakers with experience and offer intensive Spanish classes. The classrooms are equipped with the best technology and are large, light and have beautiful mosaic floors. Simply a very nice place to be and study.

Av. Diagonal 249 Metro: Monumental (L2) T. 900 702 270 (free) info@mudanzascorase.es www.mudanzascorase.es

València 275 3o Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 487 5116 learn@languages4life.com Skype languages4life

Versión Original -

BCN L.I.P. - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

The experienced teachers at Versión Original are thrilled to share their enthusiasm for the Spanish language and culture. This small city centre school, with classes of no more than 10 students, is devoted to languages, especially Spanish. There’s a great atmosphere here and a 5% discount for Metropolitan readers.

BCN L.I.P. Languages is a small school with a warm and welcoming atmosphere in Barcelona’s old town. They offer both intensive and extensive courses and it’s the perfect place to ensure success in your language immersion. The centre is equipped with the most advanced facilities to enable you to succeed in your chosen language.

Gran Via 636, 1o 1a A Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 412 4576 info@versionoriginalbcn.com www.versionoriginalbcn.com

T. 93 318 6591 info@bcnlip.com www.bcnlip.com

LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Bindung - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Centros de Estudio de Español - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Learn Spanish with them in Barcelona, it’s easy! There are new courses starting every month and you can choose between 10, 20 or 30 hours a week in the morning or afternoon. The school promises small groups, and conversational or business classes are also available. They have over 50 years experience and guarantee the best teaching quality to achieve successful results. Those at Bindung consider themselves to be a leading reference for any cultural, entrepreneurial or formative action between cultures. One of their main purposes is to create a meeting space to encourage Spanish learning and facilitate communication between cultures.

Their courses aim to train students to achieve a good command of Spanish by focusing on reading, listening, writing and speaking.

Learn Spanish with Centros de Estudio de Español from just €95! The centre prides itself on being a school of excellence, dedicated to helping every student in their quest to learn Spanish. They offer many programmes, such as small groups, evening classes or intensive programmes, built to ensure that every student achieves their potential. The classes are available for all levels, so whether you are a complete beginner or would like to top up your Spanish, the CEE will have what you’re looking for. They also offer DELE exam preparation and courses in many other languages. Registration is free with this ad!

Ausiàs March 26 Metro: Urquinaona (L1) T. 93 311 5824 info@bindungbarcelona.com

MP 44-49 aug.indd 48

CEE, Roger de Llúria 123 (Provença) Metro: Diagonal (L3, L5) or Verdaguer (L5) T. 93 488 0080 info@cursos.org www.cursos.org

7/21/11 11:48:50 AM

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS · ART THERAPY · CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 49

BCN Metropol - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Speakeasy - LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Study Spanish in one of Spain’s most established and prestigious language schools. Since 1982 Metropol have provided high-quality language training to students of all nationalities. The school is right in the heart of Barcelona city centre and it’s a great place to learn or improve your Spanish. It’s a popular and specialised school, with more than 27 years of experience and they offer great value Spanish courses for all levels. In order for every student to have the best experience possible, the qualified teachers use the Prisma method which is recognised by the Instituto Cervantes. The material is modern and effective for small groups and there is also free internet access. Metropol promises high quality at low prices and registration is free with this ad.

Right in the heart of Barcelona, Speakeasy Language School offers highquality intensive Spanish courses at attractive prices. Founded in 2001, Speakeasy is committed to being one of the best Spanish language schools in Spain. A quality service is guaranteed with a combined staff of Spanish and foreign internationals. Students come from all over the world and there are never more than 10 students in each group. Speakeasy has modern AV equipment available to aid learning and also spacious, air-conditioned classrooms. The highly-qualified and experienced teachers, together with the excellent course plan, are the keys to their success and the reason why more than 99% of their students recommend Speakeasy.

Pau Claris 87, 1o1a Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 301 8241 www.bcnmetropol.com

Ronda Universitat 7, 1o 3a Metro: Universitat (L1, L2) T. 93 342 7197 www.speakeasybcn.com

One-to-One -

Kingsbrook - LANGUAGE

Learn exactly what you need with one-to-one Spanish classes in the office or at home. Focus your classes on the language and vocabulary that best serves you according to your own personal or professional needs. Business Spanish and small group classes are also available. Get confident in Spanish with Pilar.

Kingsbrook have been helping people learn Spanish in a simple, pleasant and fun way since 1985. The school is located in the heart of Barcelona and has a team of experienced and dedicated staff. In order to create an optimal learning environment, the school ensures that classes have only between 7-10 students.

T. 610 057 266

Trav. de Gràcia 60 Metro: Diagonal (L3, L5) T. 93 209 3763 info@kingsbrookbcn.com www.kingsbrookbcn.com

Metafora - ART THERAPY

Collage - CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Metafora is a non-profit organisation which has worked with contemporary art and art therapy for over 10 years.

They offer full-time workshops and classes in studio arts, as well as a wide range of cultural, educational and therapeutic activities.

Collage was founded in 2005 as a multi-disciplinary learning centre.

Collage is an art, language and dance education centre, dedicated to handson learning and individual expression for people of all ages. Programmes include private or group language, dance and art classes. They also provide a cultural meeting point for community events and celebrations.

SPANISH CLASSES

Papin 29 T. 93 330 0089 www.metafora.org

MP 44-49 aug.indd 49

SCHOOL

Gràcia T. 93 284 6520 collagebarcelona@gmail.com www.collagebarcelona.com

7/21/11 11:48:53 AM

50 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PIANO CLASSES · COMPUTERS · TELEVISION SERVICE

Geo Mac - COMPUTERS

Libby Barnes -

PIANO LESSONS

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

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

Ever dreamed of playing the piano?

Now you can, with enthusiastic teacher Libby Barnes. Libby has over 15 years’ experience and can teach a variety of styles, including classical, jazz, blues and rock. Everybody from complete beginners to the advanced can improve with every session. It is never too late to learn, and Libby’s classes are available to all ages, at all levels.

T. 606 308 932 machelp@geomac.es

T. 679 796 281 barnes.libby@hotmail.com

Easi-Sat - TELEVISION SERVICE

To advertise in our business directory call:

Easi-Sat are specialists in satellite TV, HD and audio-visual installations and are unmatched for quality and reliability. The professional team provides satellite television from across Europe and a personal, efficient and friendly service.

Contact them now for a free quote and special offers.

93 451 4486

email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com See also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

PC Solution - COMPUTERS Do you need a professional computing service with personal support that can solve your computer problems quickly? Then PC Solution is what you are looking for. The team consists of experienced, professional and friendly PC technicians who provide a reliable and confidential service. With the Home Office Callout Service, they will help solve any technical problem and provide free health check-ups for your business. They also offer on-site installation, IT security solutions and software installation in English. The professionals at PC Solution work hard to provide an excellent service and can assist with any computer queries: laptop, PC and server repair or advice about anything concerning the internet, wireless and networking. All of this at the most competitive rates in town!

T. 686 294 240 pcsoln@gmail.com

MP 50-52 aug.indd 50

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

Smartsat - TELEVISION SERVICE Want to watch UK television? Smartsat was set up in 2002 to offer people living in Spain the choice of watching their favourite UK TV channels including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five and the entire FreeSat platform. They have since gone from strength to strength and have installed systems for hundreds of satisfied customers. They’ll build a package perfect for you, whether it’s an individual satellite installation for your home, or multiple installations for offices. Based in Barcelona, the team can go to homes and businesses across Catalunya. Choose from a variety of packages including Standard, Plus (integrated hard drive) and Plus HD (High Definition). A full after-sales service is available and all of the equipment provided is guaranteed. Get in contact with Smartsat today, for all of your satellite needs.

T. 610 092 848 tv@smartsat.tv www.smartsat.tv

7/21/11 11:50:53 AM

TELEVISION SERVICE · TELEPHONE SERVICE · TAX & ACCOUNTING SERVICES · LEGAL PRACTICE

BUSINESS DIRECTORY 51

Europa Digital - TELEVISION SERVICE

BritSat - TELEVISION SERVICE

Tired of being out the loop on the best documentaries or are you a secret soap fan? Or, maybe you’re just missing your favourite television programmes from home. There’s no need to miss out anymore—now you can see all of your favourite channels here in Barcelona! Europa Digital are licensed and fully insured to install all satellite systems, including a whole range of channels from BBC HD, Freesat, itv hd, Sky, Sky 3d, Sky Sports and many more. They can also supply all European systems and viewing cards. They were the first company to start operating in Catalunya and, as well as private installations, they have worked for hotel groups and put multi-systems in apartment blocks.The experienced and professional team give friendly advice to ensure that you receive the best package to suit your needs. They are the only company of their kind with a registered office and a 24-hour helpline. Visit their showroom before you buy or call them now for a free quotation. They are fully licensed and insured.

BritSat offer great television packages so you’ll never have to miss your favourite TV programmes again. Craving a bit of classic comedy, your favourite soap or just fed up of feeling out of the loop of the best TV at home?

BritSat will install the full package you choose for a great price. Take your pick from some of the best television in Europe as they install British, Dutch, German, Italian and French satellite TV. The team will create tailor-made installations to suit your requirements, always aiming to find the most discreet location for the dish and cables. BritSat provides excellent customer care and can also incorporate sound systems and multi-screen viewing.

T. 649 605 917 info@britsatlive.com www.britsatlive.com

Floridablanca 78 Metro: Sant Antoni (L2) T. 93 325 1797 M. 666 556 452 www.europadigital.tv admin@europadigital.tv

Freespeech TELEPHONE SERVICE

Tax & Accounting -

Freespeech offers the solution to expensive overseas calls. Their great prices allow you to ring internationally at the same price as to anybody in Spain. In just three easy steps you can call home for the cost of a local call. 1) Dial local number 640 199 975. 2) Call the international number (00 + country code + number). 3) Talk!

Qualified UK accountant with 25 years experience in Spain offers: · Tax services for freelance ‘autónomos’ & companies · Income tax returns for employees & non-residents · Registration of ‘autónomos’ & company incorporation (SL) · Practical advice on setting up a business in Spain · Fast, reliable email service

www.freespeech.es

ASR - LEGAL PRACTICE Alvaro Silva Rojas Lawyers is an English-speaking lawyers’ office which provides full legal services.

The committed team is dedicated to looking after each client’s individual needs at cost-effective prices. Call today and they will be more than happy to advise you.

Aragón 335 1, Metro: Girona (L4) T. 93 207 7241 M. 697 683 054 F. 93 207 4785 alvaro@icab.es www.abogados-asr.com

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Tax & Accounting services

Call David Cook (34) 678 702 369 Visit www.spainaccounting.com Email info@spainaccounting.com

Sánchez Molina -

LEGAL PRACTICE

The lawyers at Sanchez Molina speak English, Spanish, Italian and French.

They can help with your business licensing services, legal defence and representation, registration under any form of ownership, accounting services and work and residency permits.

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

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52 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

LEGAL PRACTICE · INSURANCE · FINANCIAL ADVICE · FINANCIAL COACHING

Legal Quelle Avocats -

Gabinet Jurídic Tessal -

LEGAL PRACTICE

LEGAL PRACTICE

- Foreign trade (export/import) - Commercial/civil law - Non resident income tax/ corporate tax - Legal defence (litigation/arbitration) - Transfer pricing - Tax consultancy (capital markets,...)

- Business start-ups - Inheritance law

Founded in 1983, Gabinet Jurídic Tessal is made up of a small team of highly-qualified professionals. They can help with all types of law including property, construction, accident, damages, family and immigration. They are also experts in business law for accounting services, taxes and social security. They can discuss your legal matters in English and French. Ask for Esther Maya.

We speak English and German Passeig de Gràcia 118, ppal 08008 Barcelona T. 93 125 8799 M. 651 820 276 lqa@lawyer.com

Perú 40-44, Escala 2, 2ºA Metro: Glòries (L1) T. 93 486 9451 F. 93 486 9452 emaya@tessal.com www.tessal.com

Grupo Catalana Occidente -

Hyperien - INSURANCE

An expert in the insurance field, Dagmar Schittenhelm provides his services to many satisfied customers in German or English. Contact Dagmar if you’re looking for free, professional insurance advice with no obligation. Dagmar is a member of the prestigious Grupo Catalana Occidente.

Based in Malaga, Hyperien Insurance is an insurance agency that caters specifically to people who live in Spain and are comitted to providing you with a friendly, first-rate customer service.

The policies they offer include motor, house, travel, pet and medical. They can offer you a competitive insurance quotation quickly and efficiently over the telephone or via email.

T. 93 630 2190 / 93 630 1637 Afternoon T. 93 371 3868 M. 617 320 323 d.schittenhelm@terra.es

T. 95 289 5216 www.hyperien.net

INSURANCE

Green Bean Coaching BUSINESS Coaching

Green Bean coaches entrepreneurs and business owners proven business techniques that have helped thousands of businesses boost their sales, increase profits, and hit their business goals. We will guide you to implement the strategies you need to move to the next business level. Call us for a noobligation chat to learn more. Or visit our website to receive our Free Emini Series – Your Road Map To Business Success.

T. 93 268 9544 M. 693 940 701 explore@freegreenbeans.com www.freegreenbeans.com

The Spectrum IFA Group - FINANCIAL ADVICE The Spectrum IFA Group creates and provides financial planning solutions for expatriates and foreign residents. Our experienced and qualified team in Barcelona can help you with all aspects of finance including: • Pensions/ Retirement Planning • Savings & Investments • Life Cover • Health Insurance • Currency Exchange • Mortgages • Tax Planning • Asset Management We are regulated financial planners with offices in seven European countries, dedicated to providing the best advice and solution for each individual client.

Please email or call us to arrange an initial, no obligation introductory meeting.

Paseo de Gràcia 63, Principal 2A T. 93 665 8596 barcelona@spectrum-ifa.com

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To advertise in our business directory call:

93 451 4486

email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com See also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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Job directory To advertise in this section, call:

93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

See also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Nordic SaleS PeoPle WaNted!

Do you want to work in a positive environment with a great salary anD unlimiteD possibilities?

We are currently expanding our Scandinavian sales department and are looking for highly motivated sales people. You don’t have to be experienced in the sales field but you have to have the right attitude and a desire to become a good sales person. You have to be fluent in one of the following languages: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or Finnish. we sell marketing to the scandinavian market and only contact companies. office hours 8:30-16:00. we offer a high fixed salary and great comission + bonuses. please send your Cv to info@jenandcompany.com or call 687 77 2912

SALES PROFESSIONAL Company specialising in property sales and rentals to foreign executives needs a new SALES PROFESSIONAL for their rental department. We need a sales person with negotiation and commercial experience and good communication skills. The candidate should have good knowledge of different Barcelona neighbourhoods, PC experience and is able to travel around the city by motorbike. If you want to work in a nice atmosphere, are fluent in other languages, are a dynamic and responsible person and looking for a stable job then send your CV to info@mrbdcn.com or call 669 40 70 50.

Corporate Sports Sales Executive a marcus evans company

(Barcelona /Madrid/ Brazil)

Do you want to attend the Brazilian World Cup? With 55 global locations, THG/SMG is the world largest organizer of Executive Sports Entertainment at more than 350 major sporting events such as London 2012, Brazil WSC 2014, Champion’s league...

Due to our future openings of our Latin American Offices and and unprecedented growth in both of our Barcelona and Madrid offices, we are interviewing for Bilingual Sales Executive that will be responsible for building a client base by contacting exclusively top level decisions makers, in addition to cultivating and maintaining long term relationships with them.

You may already have 1-2 years experience in business-to-business sales or are looking for your first corporate role following graduation. Either way we can assure you the very best in training and development that will give you fast track promotion and unlimited earnings within the first 12 months as well as overseas posting.

You must possess:

Our commitment to you:

► A burning desire to work within sales. ► A strong determination to succeed. ► An ability to work both on your own and within a team. ► The drive to work beyond the traditional 9-5 in a challenging role. ► Fluency in English while other lenguage are a plus

► The opportunity to work for a fast pace, inspiring company ► Interesting career opportunities within our 55 worldwide offices ► Continual internal training and development. ► Unlimited earning opportunities (OTE 40k-80K)

Please send a covering letter and C.V in English to alexp@thguk.com and mention ref/Metro

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54 EMPLOYMENT

Are you experienced with the AMADEUS reservation system? If so, we have fantastic opportunities to work in our bustling Barcelona European Hub Center.

American Express Barceló Viajes is a travel management company that is looking for talented people with multiple language skills. In particular we are looking for travel professionals who are native and/or fluent in German, English, French and Spanish.

Interested in becoming part of our team?

Please send your CV to

recruitmentbcn@amexbarcelo.com We are looking for: • Native speakers in English, German, French (fluent in English for the German and French candidates) • Knowledge and experience in AMADEUS Travel reservation system is a MUST • Previous experience in Customer Service roles • Excellent communication and customer relations skills • Previous experience in travel related services.

• Microsoft office knowledge • Flexibility to work in rotating shifts

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We offer a job as a travel consultant. In this role you will: • Make travel arrangements for customers that are traveling on business and are looking for advice and support.

• Join a multicultural team that embraces and integrates diversity.

• Work in a comfortable and modern work environment • Have a competitive salary • Have a permanent contract immediately with 2 months probation period.

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EMPLOYMENT 55

How to write a Spanish CV If you’re applying for a job in Barcelona, make sure you know what has to be included (and left out) on a Spanish CV. - Include an up-to-date photograph.

- In Datos Personales (Personal Information) include name, date of birth, DNI/passport number and your marital status.

- Your Formación (Education) can be quite simple. You should include all educational institutions you have attended and any additional diplomas or degrees. Computer skills may also be important, depending on the job, and are worthwhile including.

- Idiomas (Languages) are extremely important. All languages you speak, and your levels of proficiency should be included in the CV. - Experiencia Profesional (Employment History) is evidently an important part of your CV. When listing the various companies for which you have worked, include dates, but also job title, tasks and specialisation. Any additional skills or achievements relevant to the desired position should also be mentioned at the end of your CV. - When sending a CV in Castilian, be sure to have it thoroughly proofread by a native speaker, so as to avoid any embarrassing mistakes, either in language or grammar. A Spanish CV would initially impress, but any basic errors will take away from your application.

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58 BACK PAGE

Barcelona and broke

W

elcome to the De Floribus Guide to Barcelona on a Shoestring. Forget that weighty paperback you bought in a panic at the airport, those website print-outs you made at work or the fabulous smartphone guide that, with roaming charges, will work out more expensive than a first edition of Don Quixote.

Whether you’re a new arrival or a long-term resident, this brief guide is all you need to make the most of the city in times of economic crisis.

Getting There: You’re already here. You can skip this section.

Accommodation: If you’re on a shoestring, camping is your best option. The good news is that a new campsite opened recently, close to the city centre. Plaça Catalunya, to be precise. It closed down in June, but could reopen at any time, especially in August when most politicians and other killjoys have fled to their ‘village’.

Like most campsites, there are a few rules. Unlike most campsites, these don’t refer to making noise after 11pm or keeping your pitch tidy. Actual tents are frowned upon. Yurts, teepees and improvised marquees are advised, and must be adorned with slogans; a public meeting should be held once a day, and communal food prepared.

Bean and tomato slop is recommended, though

HOROSCOPE

there is a plentiful supply of pigeon. If you don’t fancy the idea of eating pigeon, they can be used as bait for catching cats in the nearby Raval.

Transport: Bicing is free, right? So help yourself ! Just wait for the light to flash. You might find someone has prior claim to the bike in question, both morally and legally—the card-holder, for example—but you’re on holiday, when traditionally morals and ethics are relaxed. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you. And make sure you return the bike within 30 minutes, if you don’t want to cloud the issue.

Language: Most visitors add por favor to the end of every sentence, unless someone has just handed you something, in which case they add gracias. The bad news is that this doesn’t count as making an effort. If you want to really blend in, add si us plau.

This doesn’t count as making an effort either. But at least it doesn’t count in a more sensitive way.

Food: If bean slop, cat tapas and pigeon paella aren’t your thing, and in the absence of any swanky exhibition openings offering sweaty nibbles and warm wine, the next best option is to head for the festivities in Sants and Gràcia. Check the programme for anything that says popular. Paella

popular, Sardinada popular, etc. Then be prepared to jostle the pensioners. Popular means free and free means popular. Obvious, really. All for a charred sardine or half a scoop of crunchy rice with an empty mussel shell.

Culture: Are you kidding? It’s August! Unless you mean shopping. That’s culture, right? But you’re broke, so shopping is out, and shop-lifting is in, which comes under Entertainment (see below). Unless someone catches you doing it, in which case it comes under Sport. And possibly Food and Accommodation, depending on the judge.

Sport: Are you kidding? It’s August! Unless you mean swimming. Though you might want to consult your dermatologist before venturing into the water. Or perhaps your toxicologist.

Entertainment: Where to start? Think Fellini in full colour: family rows on the Rambla, stunt flirting at the beach, spot-the-pea con artists everywhere. For something more structured, there are those stalwarts of free entertainment, buskers and human statues. But technically, the former aren’t free.

And the latter aren’t entertaining.

by Nuria Picola

--Roger de Flower

www.nuriapicola.com

Aries It seems that everything is running late and you can’t act with total independence; you’ll have to wait for the decisions of others. On the other hand, it’s a good time for personal pleasure.

Taurus Be more attentive to

Gemini There may be shortterm conflicts in your love life; you might not feel satisfied with your partner. If you’re on holiday, try not to completely disconnect.

Cancer You’re in a rest period to renew yourself, and although you have work responsibilities, you should take a break. If any issue comes up, everyone will call you. Try to do some sport.

Leo Congratulations! You feel splendid and rejuvenated. It’s a good time for holidays, but it’s not wise to carry out any financial activity; investments need more time.

Virgo You don’t need others so

Libra The trend of sudden financial changes continues and seems unlikely to stop; you need true economic freedom, and have to take drastic measures. Your partner gets involved.

Scorpio You don’t have your usual energy level; although there’s no important problem, it’s advisable to carry out a detox diet. Your emotional state is important—avoid negativity.

Sagittarius If you’ve been more productive in recent times, this now bears fruit. Try to get on well with colleagues, including those below you. There are unexpected journeys.

Capricorn You are stronger

Aquarius As your health isn’t strong, rest and relax. Try to have fun, because happiness is a wonderful healer. It’s a good idea to do some physical exercise.

Your finances are calm.

Pisces It’s a wise idea to take holidays from yourself sometimes and pay more attention to others. This is a gift you have. You’ll go out more and go to more parties.

your health; it’s very important that you choose the right diet.

Although romantic relationships are harmonious, it’s not the time to take important decisions.

much and are at your maximum level of independence. It’s a good time to create what you want and desire in life; let the world adapt to you and it will.

and full of energy. In romantic and social matters, you are more disposed to start a new adventure. If you have a partner, there may be power struggles.

scoop

By Ben Rowdon

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