September 2012 Nยบ 188 Free
01 cover.indd 1
8/20/12 11:32:14 AM
main pages Oct 2011 .indd 11
9/20/11 2:24:40 PM
main pages August 2012.indd 12
7/3/12 1:22:09 PM
Contents
September
Features 14 20 24
Cross-cultural marriages When Himmler visited Barcelona
19. INTERVIEW
The bullfighting controversy continues
Regulars 06 07 08 11 13 19 22 28 58
On our web An inside look What’s new Fact-checker: Gegants Fashion: Autumn looks from Catalan labels
33. BARCELONA COMEDY FESTIVAL
Interview: Helen Vass Photo collage: Summer in Barcelona Ideas: Culture, Gastronomy, Escape the city... Back page
Directories 41 47 55
Food & Drink Business Jobs
From the Senior Editor: While Barcelona’s ethnic mix has exploded over the past two decades, for centuries the city has played host to, and been the birthplace of, a wide spectrum of people. From Roman settlers, Columbus and Cervantes to immigrants from southern Spain, northern Europe and beyond, its appeal has long spread far and wide. This eclectic facet of the city is well reflected in the many different people included in this issue. Our features look at: marriages between locals and people from abroad, discovering the pros and cons of such unions; the visit of Heinrich Himmler here in his search for the Holy Grail; and the continuing controversy over Catalunya’s bullfighting ban, where we hear from the two sides in the debate. Elsewhere, read about Glaswegian Helen Vass’s passion for baking, visiting comedy stars Séan Hughes and Rich Hall, and some of the last works of Antoni Tàpies now on show. And don’t forget to look out for the nudist abuelo. Like I say, this city plays host to a big mix of people... Hannah Pennell
14. CROSS-CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Senior Editor Hannah Pennell Art Director Aisling Callinan Account Executive Richard Cardwell Financial Manager Andrea Moreno Editorial Assistants Samantha Alzuria and Rupert Crookenden Sales Assistant George Hawken Sales Administrator Clara Davies Design Assistant Ieva Sliziute Contributors Lynn Baiori, Jonathan Bennett, Roger de Flower, Nick Lloyd, Jamie Melbourne-Hayward, Will Shank, Tara Stevens and Nicola Thornton Photographers Vanessa Murray, Richard Owens and Lee Woolcock Cover photo Catherine Hart Illustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial Office: Ciutat 7 2º 2ª-4ª, 08002 Barcelona. Tel. 93 451 4486, Fax. 93 451 6537; editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Advertising: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com. General enquiries: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Printer: Litografia Rosés. Depósito Legal: B35159-96 The views expressed in Barcelona Metropolitan are not necessarily those of the publisher. Reproduction, or use, of advertising or editorial content herein, without express permission, is prohibited.
Find your nearest distribution point on www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
4. contents PDF.indd 1
8/22/12 11:01:59 AM
R E N TA L S
Charming 170m2 apartment – Eixample
Loft-style apartment with sea views – Passeig Marítim
100m2 penthouse with 100m2 terrace – Eixample
Fantastic 150m2 designer house – Gràcia
Living/dining room with gallery area, equipped kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Unfurnished. Excellent central location. Price: €1.850 Ref. L0455ba
Stunning sea views, upper level, totally exterior, open space of 77m2 with one bedroom and bathroom. Furnished. Price: €1.700 Ref. L0446ba
In classical building, luxurious private 100m2 terrace with small pool and shower. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms. Unfurnished. Price: €2.700 Ref. L0451ba
Three floors, two bedrooms, three bathrooms, exterior patio of 35m2. Rooftop terrace with Jacuzzi. Top quality materials. Furnished. Price: €2.450 Ref. L0407ba
115m2 apartment in Modernista building – Eixample
Homely 92m2 apartment – Passeig Sant Joan
Family apartment of 210m2 – Pedralbes
Family apartment of 180m2 – Eixample
Three bedrooms and one bathroom. Beautiful details such as old tiled floor and high ceilings. No lift in building. Unfurnished. Price: €1.000 Ref. L0447ba
Living room with gallery, fully equipped kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. In excellent condition. Furnished. Price: €1.350 Ref. L0109ba
Very light apartment with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Beautiful communal area with pool. Parking. Unfurnished. Price: €3.500 Ref. L0421ba
Eat-in kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. In classical building close to Passeig de Gràcia. Furnished. Price: €2.500 Ref. L0452ba
SALES
Brand new flats in classical building – Passeig de Gràcia
Brand new flat – Barceloneta seafront
93m2 loft with lovely 35m2 terrace – Francesc Macià
Penthouse of 100m2 with large 100m2 terrace – Sagrada Familia
From one to three bedrooms. Luxury finishings. Fully equipped kitchen. Price: from €575.000 Ref. V1314ba
Top floor flat of 110m2 with two bedrooms. Lots of light. Perfect condition. Price: €470.000 Ref. V1312ba
Open space with living/dining area, open kitchen, master bedroom with en-suite, office space with shower room. Price: €500.000 Ref. V0359ba
Stunning views of Sagrada Familia. In good condition. Ideal for investment as you can get very good yield from short-term rentals. Price: €725.000 Ref. V1316ba
Please call for further properties 93 241 30 82 Avda. Diagonal, 433 3º 2ª - 08036 Barcelona www.johntaylorspain.com
main pages Sept 2012.indd 9
info@johntaylorspain.com
8/20/12 10:51:45 AM
06 INTERNET
on our web
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
US VOTERS TAKE NOTE
Through the keyhole If you’re an entrepreneur with a great idea for a new business, there is always a lot of stress to deal with to bring that idea to fruition, not least searching for the perfect premises in which to base your new enterprise. That stress can be multiplied significantly when having to carry out the hunt in a foreign language and unfamiliar culture. What’s the deal with visiting places you’re interested in? Does the estate agent work for you or the vendor/leaser? What’s the etiquette about bargaining over prices? Help is at hand from Heather Anderson, who has just gone through the sometimes painful process of locating an ideal space for her new yoga studio (see above)—you can find her Dos and Don’ts for renting business property at: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/ businessideas
With this year’s presidential elections in the US rapidly approaching, time is running out for those citizens yet to register who want to take part in the vote and have their say as to whether it will be Obama or Romney for the next four years. A change to the law means that any voters living abroad must re-register every election year if they don’t want to lose their right to participate. The organisation Vote From Abroad runs registration events (pictured above) and a website that make it straightforward for US nationals to take the necessary steps to get their absentee ballot. Be aware that the deadline for registering and voting varies by state; however, as with most things in life, the sooner the better, so check our website for more details and make sure you have your say. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/uselections2012
Photo by Lee Woolcock
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SUE WOODCOCK
6-7. Web + photo PDF.indd 6
Regular readers of the magazine will remember the interview we ran with the Reverend Sue Woodcock back in June 2010—born in the UK, educated at Oxford and ordained in Bolivia, Sue worked for the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church in Sabadell for many years and was the first female priest in the diocese. Sadly, after a valiant fight against cancer, she passed away on July 25th; a memorial service is due to be held this month at her church in Sabadell, the Church of Christ, Carrer Sol 28. Although the final details were not available at the time of going to press, you can find information on the church’s website: www.esglesiadecrist.org. Read Nicola Thornton’s interview with Sue at: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/suewoodcock
8/22/12 11:03:19 AM
COVER 07
An inside look Photographer Catherine Hart
www.streets-of-barcelona.com I first came to Barcelona more than 30 years ago and (like many other ex-pats) fell in love with Catalunya. Since the Eighties, I’ve been taking photos of buildings in the city streets, especially of details in windows, doors and balconies. People tell me they have seen this or that beautiful door, or waited for a bus under that balcony but never really noticed it! A selection of my favourite images is included in my book, Streets of Barcelona: Looking But Not Seeing. The camera I currently use is a Canon 600D and I spend many hours manipulating my photos in Photoshop, trying to restore the works of architects and artisans to their original appearance. I then use the images to create greetings cards and souvenirs for business customers, tourists, shops, event organisers and charities. Barcelona is at the end of the rainbow. I never miss the chance to sneak inside one of the vestibules in the city if the door happens to be open. If the concierge is about, and allows me to take a few photos, I always take them a few of the resulting cards as a gift. I always avoid going on the underground. It is very fast and efficient, of course, but not exactly the best place to see the streets of Barcelona. A view: Barcelona from the plane, coming home after a trip, especially at dusk. A building: There are so many beautiful buildings to see but I especially recommend the pharmacy on the corner of Bruc and Ronda de Sant Pere for the tiles outside. An inspiration: I am inspired by the Museum of Catalan Modernism (MMCAT) at Balmes 48. This delightful museum is small enough to enjoy in just a few hours and is a paradise for anyone who loves Art Nouveau. A place to go with friends: Llar de Foc. This is a recent (and inexpensive) discovery, with traditional Catalan food and excellent service. You’ll find it at Ramon i Cajal 13 in Gràcia. On my to-do list: there are so many things. Life is too short to see everything in Barcelona! Just recently, two different people have mentioned the Chocolate Museum… so that’s next. About the cover: Nothing stilted about this royal procession in the streets of Barcelona, as the giant figures dance their way along among the crowds.
Interested in featuring your photographs or illustrations in our magazine? Email us at design@barcelona-metropolitan.com
6-7. Web + photo PDF.indd 7
8/22/12 11:03:22 AM
08 THE MONTH
September
WHAT’S NEW IN TOWN by Rupert Crookenden
Shop ‘n’ drop Due to open this month at the top of the Maremagnum shopping centre, Alegra Barcelona is set to provide welcome respite to leagues of fatigued shoppers. Encompassing no less than 1,200 square metres, the restaurant/cocktail bar consists of both a spacious indoor area and a terrace (complete with panoramic views over Barcelona), so even on those days when it feels as though every other barceloní has decided to hit the shops, there’s sure to be space to rest those aching legs and wallets. Pop in for traditional Mediterranean cuisine (the restaurant serves paellas and Menorcan stew, for example) or a couple of cocktails. Although we’d advise against more than a few (cocktails) or else you may find yourself spending a little too frivolously as you meander your way back down through the shops... www.alegrabarcelona.com
Photo by Pau Fabregat
Gaudí café Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the opening to the public of one of Gaudí’s best-known architectural feats, Casa Milá (otherwise known as La Pedrera), a new café has been opened within the confines of the quirky creation. Located on the mezzanine, the design of the Cafè de la Pedrera is a harmonious blend of Modernista architecture and that of a traditional Catalan fonda (inn). In keeping with the quintessentially Catalan environs, the café serves only food and drink that are synonymous with the region and makes use of carefully selected local produce. A varied programme of events is also scheduled at La Pedrera to celebrate the centenary of its inauguration on October 29th, 1912: these include an exhibition, lectures, shows and concerts, family activities (such as workshops aimed at children), and activities aimed at raising awareness about the conservation of beautiful public buildings. Find more details about what’s happening on the website. www.lapedrera.com
8-9. This month PDF.indd 6
8/21/12 12:21:46 PM
THE MONTH 09
A new look at Barcelona The brainchild of Blanca Rosa Roca (the founder of publishing company Roca Editorial), Barcelona eBooks is a new digital publishing house that aims to disseminate Barcelona/Catalan themed literature to English-speaking people around the world. What differentiates Barcelona eBooks from its many competitors is its unique catalogue. For example, its first publication, Noah Gordon’s The Winemaker (a novel set in the vineyards of Catalunya during the Carlist War), had not previously been published in English (although the Castilian version of the book flew off the shelves in parts of Europe and South America). English-language editions of A Barcelona Heiress, Things that Happen To You in Barcelona When You’re Thirty, Dr. Pearson and The Street of the Three Beds have also been published, giving readers the chance to re-discover the city and its surrounding areas through local writers and writing. Barcelona eBooks are available from Amazon.com, Apple iBookstore, BarnesandNoble.com, Google/IndieBound, Kobo Books, OverDrive and the Sony Reader Store. www.barcelonaebooks.com
8-9. This month PDF.indd 7
8/21/12 12:21:48 PM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 1
8/21/12 2:01:59 PM
FACT-CHECKER 11
(ALMOST) ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: GEGANTS • The origins of the gegants (giants) can be found in the Catholic Church’s efforts in the Middle Ages to share Bible stories with an illiterate public, which gave rise to theatrical representations of key concepts and feastdays, such as Corpus Christi. They included dragons (representing evil), eagles, lions and oxen. On the human side, David and Goliath featured, along with the four Evangelists and Saint Christopher carrying a child. • Costumes were quite basic in the beginning with furs worn to represent animals and wings for angels. They became more sophisticated over time, with the eventual creation of the carcassa—the structured frame for each character inside which a person carries the gegant. • For some time, the female giant was a fashion trendsetter, with bourgeois women waiting to see what she would wear in the Corpus Christi procession, then buying an outfit accordingly. The city council spent a lot of money on bringing clothes and tailors from Paris. In contrast, the male had to wear the same items year after year. • In the 19th century, trade organisations (gremis) and other associations started to take over responsibility for gegants from municipalities. • At an international level, 89 countries have some kind of gegant culture, with around 10,000 giants between them; in Catalunya, there are an estimated 4,000 gegants and in the rest of Spain around 7,000.
LA CARASSA
This capgros (‘big head’—a gegant alternative that is human size but with an outsized head) was designed to represent a Moorish man and was originally incorporated into church organs; the organist would then operate it in such a way as to make its eyes move and tongue stick out. In Barcelona, the Cathedral and church of Sants Just i Pastor still have an organ carassa, with the former dating from the 16th century. In 1988, a ‘mobile’ carassa was created to take part in street processions. His busiest time of year is in December, when he appears on various days of the Christmas Santa Llúcia market.
“A small giant sells for €3,000 to €4,000 and a large giant, €5,000 or €6,000. A lot depends on the clothing and hair. A wig [made from real hair] is very expensive, and can cost up to €1,500.” Giant-maker Jordi Grau in an interview with Genevieve Shaw for Metropolitan in 2008.
11. Fact-checker REPDF.indd 6
1424
the year that the gegants of Barcelona are first mentioned in writing.
The gegants of Sant Pere de Ribes. Photo by Aisling Callinan
A GIANT HISTORY
Jaume I and Violant d’Hongria the names of Barcelona’s gegants, which were changed to Ferdinand and Isabella (the Catholic Monarchs) during the time of Franco WHEN TO SEE GEGANTS IN ACTION in barcelona
• Every Saturday afternoon in September (except 22nd) in front of the Cathedral, as part of the Festa Catalana de la Cultura Popular. • October 7th: the neighbourhoods of SarriàSant Gervasi and Eixample Esquerra celebrate their festa major around this time of year, and ‘giants’ will be there for the occasion. On October 21st, it’s the turn of the Sagrada Família. • On New Year’s Eve, l’Home dels Nassos (the man of the noses) can be seen in different parts of Barcelona.He is said to have up to 365 noses, but only shows one for each day of the year left. • Each year on February 12th, the feast-day of the city’s ‘other’ patron saint, Eulàlia.
8/22/12 11:02:30 AM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 2
8/20/12 11:10:22 AM
STYLE 13
fashion
YERSE
To mark La Diada, Catalunya’s national day, on September 11th, we look to the new fashion season by putting the spotlight on various Catalan brands.
FASHION PILLS Clockwise from top left: Yellow leopard print collar dress (€35), peep-toe platform heels (€30) and red knuckle-duster clutch (€54), all from Fashion Pills; campaign shots from Yerse’s A/W collection, which leans towards striking, practical creations; Barrio Santo’s new range goes grey while Escorpion’s A/W catwalk collection features eye-popping red outfits.
BARRIO SANTO
ESCORPION 13. Fashion PDF.indd 6
A/W 2012-13 8/21/12 12:25:51 PM
14 MIXED MARRIAGES
Mixing it up A growing number of marriages in Barcelona occur between cross-cultural couples. By Lynn Baiori. Photos by Richard Owens
L
ast August, after a 14-year courtship and the birth of two children, my Catalan boyfriend and I got married. Romantically, I like to consider our cross-cultural bonding pioneer. But in fact, we are part of a growing minority. In a report on mixed marriages compiled back in 2006 by The Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, the percentage of marriages comprised of one local and one foreign partner in Spain was as high as 11.76 percent. And that number is based solely on registered partnerships. With the enormous influx of new immigrants to Barcelona in the past decade, love across cultural and geographical borders is flourishing. But it’s not without its difficulties.
▲ Kolbrún Rut Ragnarsdóttir (Reykjavic, Iceland)
Alex Ruiz Pallach (Barcelona) Kolbrún first came to Barcelona in 1997 to study anthropology as an Erasmus student. “We are used to travelling,” she explains about Icelanders as we sit in her kitchen drinking coffee and eat-
14-16. Couples PDF.indd 2
ing home-made carrot cake. She and Alex met one November night in 1998 in Plaça Reial, while out with friends. They began dating but in February of the following year, Kolbrún returned to Iceland to finish her studies and she also started working as a flight attendant. Alex’s friends and family thought the relationship was, to quote Cole Porter, just one of those crazy flings, and like many longdistance affairs, it wasn’t expected to last. But he and Kolbrún felt differently. “When we met, it seemed like we knew each other. I guess that’s why we kept the contact,” says Kolbrún. Alex saw the distance and the time apart as constructive, allowing them the space to consider where it was going. “You can see if you want to be with this woman or not,” he tells me. In September of 1999, he spent a few weeks in Iceland and in January 2000 Kolbrún made the move to Barcelona. “I always knew that there was something more to this; that’s why I came back,” says Kolbrún. It wasn’t always easy. Things as basic as meal schedules to more complex family expectations had to be rethought and adjusted. And then there was communication and the complications of discussing their feelings without a common native language. Both Kolbrún and Alex feel that being from minority cultures makes them especially aware of the need to respect each other’s background. Catalan, Castilian and Icelandic are spoken in the home. Local and Icelandic traditions are shared with their three sons. Alex sees the culture and the person as part of the same package, and his love for Kolbrún is extended to her country. He says knowing her has facilitated his relationships with people of diverse communities and viewpoints. “I’ve changed,” he says. “I’ve opened up more to the world. I knew it was something I would have to do to continue to be with Kolbrún.” When I ask Kolbrún what she misses she is quick to answer: “Family events, friends, the culture.” She shows me a box of chocolate Easter eggs she brought back from Iceland for her children, a small symbol of devotion she hopes to pass on to her boys. They see her parents frequently and often spend summers in Iceland. And what do her parents think about her raising a family abroad? Kolbrún’s expression grows solemn. “The most important thing is that you are happy, they said.”
8/21/12 1:07:01 PM
mixed marriages 15
east-west union, and is a reflection of Barcelona’s rapidly growing cosmopolitanism. Now the couple have a son. Jing Jing visits China with him each year so that he can see his Chinese family and better understand his Chinese roots. At home, she speaks to him in Chinese. But according to Chinese law, the boy is not entitled to dual nationality. When Jing Jing has a problem she is careful not to concern her parents. “Because my parents will feel I’m alone here and they will worry. Now we have our son and my parents, they miss a lot. We cannot meet every month, every day; maybe once a year.” But both she and her husband are open to the idea of spending more time in China. “Maybe in the future we will move to China. I didn’t change my nationality. I am Chinese. My son and my husband, they are Spanish.” Despite the difficulties, both Jing Jing and Ambròs recognise the benefits that come from exploring together. Even though he had been to China many times, knowing Jing Jing has given him a deeper understanding and appreciation of her homeland. Now when they visit China, Ambròs sees it through Jing Jing’s eyes. “I also explain things that happen here in Catalunya, our traditions and the cultural ways of doing things. We enjoy that a lot.” Another thing he enjoys is learning to see life from a fresh perspective. “This for me is very important; you start from scratch. Most of the things are different, the way of thinking is different. And when everything is different, I would say it is easier to...” Ambròs stops to consider how it is easier. Jing Jing waits. “The longer you stay here, you will feel a big difference between two cultures,” she tells me later, as we sit just the two of us sipping tea. I ask if that makes the relationship grow more difficult with time. “No,” she answers. “Because both of us talk a lot.” We sit quietly for a moment, watching people pass on the street. Over soft Chinese music, Jing Jing adds, “We have a lot of ideas we exchange. It’s good. It’s interesting.” ▲ Jing Jing Yuan (Beijing, China)
Ambròs Genís (Agullana, Catalunya) Jing Jing Yuan and Ambròs Genís met at Pudong Airport in Shanghai. She was flying to Barcelona to study Castilian as part of a master’s degree, he was returning home from a business trip to China. They exchanged email addresses before boarding. “After my studies, I needed to go back to Shanghai and find a job but finally, I stayed here,” says Jing Jing. The year was 2003. Jing Jing tells me this in English and when the phone rings she quickly switches to Castilian. Later, she returns to her mother tongue to greet an elegant Chinese woman with a young child who have come through the door of the tea shop Jing Jing and Ambròs own together. Ambròs continues, explaining their courtship in Barcelona, “I was studying Chinese because I enjoyed China and I wanted to practise Chinese so I sent an email to her and we met two or three times.” “But we never talked Chinese!” Jing Jing points out, laughing. In 2005, they opened their business, Tetere. It is the realisation of a dream of Ambròs to have his own business. And for both he and Jing Jing, it is a way to share something they both love. “We saw that there was no real Chinese culture here,” says Jing Jing. Despite its location on Carrer Saragossa, once inside it seems plausible that you have crossed a portal into East Asia. Among the delicate Chinese décor hangs a portrait of the couple together in traditional Chinese clothing, he in a cheongsam, she in a qi pao. Like their relationship, the shop is a perfect blend of their
14-16. Couples PDF.indd 3
Koos Kroon (Heemskerk, The Netherlands) Sonia Fort (Barcelona) Even for polyglots like Koos and Sonia, language can present certain obstacles in a cross-cultural relationship. She speaks five languages. He speaks six. “In the beginning, neither of us was speaking our original language,” Sonia explains. They met one summer on the Costa Brava, and their romance began in French. “To get to say something would be so difficult. But it’s also the beginning of the love so you have all the time, all the patience,” she remembers. Both were in their early 20s. They were both students. When he returned to the Netherlands, they travelled back and forth in order to be together. Two years later, a decision was made. “We were visiting each other every three or four months. It was terrible. So we decided to live together and she came to Amsterdam,” explains Koos. Sonia told her family she was leaving. “[My parents] had met him and they thought there was a lot of love and they said, ‘OK, if you have any trouble, you can always come back.’” She and Koos married in Holland where they worked and finished their studies while Sonia learned to speak Dutch. Eight years later, they moved to Catalunya. “She was homesick and we decided to come back. It was also always the intention to go to Barcelona,” says Koos. In Holland, Koos was a photographer. He knew it would be difficult to continue his profession here so, with the support of Sonia’s family, he took his passion for bicycles and turned it into a business, opening a retail bike shop called Bike Gracia; the busi-
>>
8/21/12 1:07:03 PM
16 mixed marriages
>>
ness has since grown to include a wholesale division. Koos speaks fluent Catalan, while Sonia keeps up her Dutch and wants their three children to identify with their Dutch heritage. “Every time I go to Holland I try to bring things home that are very typical Dutch things…personajes de cuento, cookies…I want them used to the Dutch details, so if they ever want to go to Holland to live there, they feel at home.” Though strikingly tall and Germanic, Koos fits right in. “I think I’ve adapted myself quite well,” he says, matter-of-factly. “I don’t think I will go back. I really like it here. The climate is good and it makes relationships with other people really different.” He feels being part of a multicultural home has made him more flexible and has ultimately made life easier. “It’s a very rich experience.” ▲
Lynda Trevitt (Sydney, Australia) Xavi Margarit (Barcelona) Strange luck and determination brought Lynda and Xavi together. Going through the message board at the University of Barcelona, Lynda came across Xavi’s notice for a language exchange. He was a journalist, as was she. “I thought, at least we’ll have something in common,” says Lynda. Their first encounter was over the phone, in Castilian. When she told him she was Australian, he said he wasn’t interested. He’d been in Bali where he’d heard the accent and found it impossible. So she switched to English to say goodbye. As she was about to hang up she heard him say, “Wait, I can understand you.” That was 20 years ago. “It was touch and go. If I hadn’t changed into English at that moment, I would have hung up the phone and we would have never met.” They lived together for six months but Lynda was just passing through. Longing for home, she packed her rucksack and returned to Sydney. But in April of 1994, Xavi realised he missed Lynda too much to end the relationship and in a burst of romantic adventure, he went to Australia. There, the relationship was rekindled. Lynda says the couple chose to live in Barcelona because it seemed easier for her to find work here than for Xavi to begin again in Sydney, not because she had any intention of returning. Xavi has a different impression. “I don’t think I had to persuade her to come to Barcelona. She wanted to come.” It took Lynda a long time to get used to living here. “If Barcelona had continued to be the same as it was in the early Nineties, maybe we would have left and gone back to Australia,” she says. Now, as a family of five, trips home require savings and planning. Lynda works as a translator and says she loves her job. As her youngest child, Max, climbs a tree and our husbands talk, we watch the children playing in the park. We talk about the transformation the city has made in the last 20 years, how it is we find ourselves still here after two decades. “Barcelona’s changed and I’ve changed too, I suppose, at the same time,” she says. “And once you have children, then you’re really settled somewhere. You’re really beginning to put down roots. At least that’s the way I feel.” I nod in agreement, knowing just what she means.
14-16. Couples PDF.indd 4
MORE INFO - Both civil and religious marriages require a marriage certificate and have to be registered with the state. Information on civil weddings in Barcelona can be obtained through the Registro Civil: Plaça Duc de Medinaceli 2. Tel. 93 412 0474. Contact your local house of worship for details about religious weddings. - To register the marriage in your home country, contact your local consulate. - As of January 1st, 2011, a new law is in effect to simplify the recognition of una pareja estable (domestic partnership). Information can be obtained from your district Ajuntament.
8/21/12 1:07:05 PM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 10
8/20/12 11:49:34 AM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 3
8/22/12 11:49:37 AM
INTERVIEW 19
Helen Vass Baker and cooking course tutor, 29, British
I’m from Glasgow, which is a really great city, but I do love being here. I came in May 2007 to live. I did an intensive Spanish course three years earlier and fell in love with the city. We all do, don’t we? After the course, I worked in Pals in the Costa Brava as a campsite courier. It was the worst job ever but lots of fun and I moved to Barcelona after that. I’ve been baking since I was 10 years old. My mum’s a nurse but she was always baking when I was little and she used to teach me, saying it was a good skill to have. When I was about 10 or 12, I used to sell cakes to the neighbours for pocket money. Mum taught me how to price everything, including the electricity, so I guess she is responsible for my entrepreneurial side! Until last year, it was always a hobby, but now I run lots of classes and workshops in Barcelona to help people learn how to bake. I’ve always been told that I’m good at it. I would always be the one in charge of puddings and desserts and cakes for people, for example, so when people say that, you start to think “well, maybe…” I teach good, old-fashioned British recipes, including cakes, bread, biscuits and, more recently, cupcakes and afternoon teas. People have the perception here that British cooking is bad, but it’s actually really tasty if you use good quality ingredients. I’ve tried so many different things jobwise and it’s taken me a long time to realise I was passionate about making baking a career. I have a successful blog and Facebook page, and I make up my own recipes. I’ve done it all without a professional qualification. I believe that if you are good at what you do, it sells itself. I hardly ever eat what I bake. The best thing for me is seeing someone enjoy something I’ve made. Most days I try and bake something, whether it’s bread or biscuits and then just hand it out to people,
19. interview PDF.indd 24
mainly my bosses and my friends. The joy is in the baking and the smell. I got in touch with a London-based TV producer in June to see if they’d be interested in me doing a little programme about cooking as a Brit abroad in a Barcelona context, and he loved the idea. I picture myself going off to the Boqueria to pick up eggs and butter and then making something nice from my kitchen. I’m very confortable in front of the camera. I do my classes in English and Spanish through the Ayuntamiento, at the Centre Civics. They are very participative and we have a lovely atmosphere. On one of the last courses, we had a student who used to bring in a magnum of cava every week, so we’d eat our cakes or whatever, and wash it all down with some bubbly. I’m always inspired by people who have turned their love of baking into a successful job. I love The Great British Bake-off [a BBC show where guests compete to become the best home baker], and the winner of that, Jo Wheatley, is now a Facebook friend. It’s a very close-knit online community and we’re not at all competitive. I think there’s room for everyone. I’m going to a Cake and Bake show in the UK this month and everyone will be there. I would love to meet acclaimed cookery writer and ‘Queen of Cakes’, Mary Berry.
I couldn’t be without my Kenwood Chef, although in the workshops I use a normal hand-blender. Another essential thing is an oven thermometer. Your oven could say it is 200 degrees but the thermometer says 180...once you have your temperature correct, it all should be fine. Get one! I turn down cake commissions a lot because of the time element. Doing the fondant and wraparound cakes takes up a lot of time. Last September, my chocolate wraparound cake won first prize for presentation at [the annual cake-making competition of] Gastronomia Activa. I’d been working on it for ages in the summer heat, getting up at three in the morning to make sure it would come out OK and to stop the chocolate melting. I make my bread by hand. I want to show people you don’t need special equipment; with your hands you can make things easily, you just knead it and that’s it. Breadmakers are expensive and a lot of the time it comes out like a brick. People love them though, and obviously there’s a place for everything, but for me, making bread is all about feeling the textures. Find Helen’s recipes, course details and blog here: http://thediaryofacakemaker.com
Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.
8/21/12 12:27:02 PM
20 HIMMLER IN BARCELONA
Search for glory Heinrich Himmler thought that he could find immortality and victory for Germany at Catalunya’s sacred setting of Montserrat. By Nick Lloyd
O
n the evening of October 22nd, 1940, Heinrich Himmler was enjoying a sumptuous banquet at the Barcelona Ritz in a city in which the Nazi party enjoyed considerable power and influence. Officially, he had come to check on the dense network of Abwehr and Gestapo agents and commercial interests built up by the Nazis here. During the supper, doubtlessly distracted by the attentions of his hosts and the highclass prostitutes hired for the occasion, the Reichsführer of the SS had his document case pinched. MI5, the French resistance and anarchists have all been blamed. Whoever it was, the thieves may have only gained some strange maps detailing the cave network in Montserrat as Himmler had come to Catalunya, in part, on a rather unusual tourist visit. Himmler had flown to El Prat after checking security for Hitler’s conference with Franco, an event at which the two dictators toyed with the idea of Spain entering the Second World War. They met, face-to-face for the first time, at Hendaye train station on the French Basque frontier on October 23rd, 1940. They did not get on. Hitler famously warned he would “rather have three or four teeth pulled” than go through another meeting with the Spaniard. No agreement was reached but, ultimately, rather than it being a case of saving Spain from the Second World War, Franco had asked for too much. He wanted Gibraltar, which might have been acceptable, but also French Morocco. Hitler did not want to upset Vichy France and refused. Meanwhile in Barcelona, the day before the meeting in Hendaye, the local authorities welcomed Himmler with open arms,
20-21. Himmler PDF.indd 2
festooning the streets with numerous swastikas, while a large crowd of local fascists acclaimed him in the newly Castilianified Plaza de San Jaime. He was also taken to the Pueblo Español (sic.) where he was entertained with regional dances from around Spain, before being driven to the Hotel Ritz on the now renamed Gran Via de José Antonio Primo de Rivera after the Falangist leader. Nazi influence in Catalunya had been considerable in the Thirties, but the network had been broken up at the start of the Civil War in 1936. With Franco’s victory, it was quickly re-established and by the early Forties, there were an estimated 20,000 Germans living in the region, making it the largest, most active and wealthy community of foreign residents, and representing half of all Germans living in Spain. Many were prosperous, middleclass upwards and sympathetic to the ideas of National Socialism, but the Nazis wanted to be sure about their loyalties and set about systematically observing and controlling the Germans living in the country, often in tight collaboration with the Falange, the Spanish fascist party. In Barcelona, this function was carried out from offices at Carrer Avinyó number 2, effectively the headquarters of the Gestapo in Barcelona. But the Nazis also had considerable commercial and industrial interests in Catalunya, and used them to exert as much political and economic influence as possible. Moreover, Barcelona also functioned as a staging post for the Nazi party for the whole of South America, which would serve them well in their bid to escape from the Allies after 1945. It was a key location in their operations, and much of the big business was conducted in the luxurious rooms of the Ritz. Opened in 1919, the Hotel Ritz (now renamed Hotel Palace after a legal dispute in
2005) quickly became a symbol of wealth and privilege for bourgeois Barcelona, boasting the most opulent restaurant in the city staffed by an army of tuxedoed waiters and kitchen staff, including, curiously, a young Ramón Mercader who worked here in the early Thirties and who would later take an ice pick to Trotsky to assassinate him. After the defeat of the military coup in the city in July 1936, the hotel-restaurant was collectivised, renamed ‘Hotel Gastronómico número 1’ and turned into a worker’s canteen. The waiters continued to dress in their crisp uniforms, but now served cheap meals to militia members, cabaret artists and factory workers, people who just a few weeks before would never have dreamed of entering the building, at least as customers. The revolutionary’s dream was not to last. When the Franco regime won the war, the Ritz was, unsurprisingly, returned to its old owners, becoming a focal point for moneyed Nazis. Himmler was on home territory when he stayed here, though this did not prevent his attaché case being robbed. The morning after the banquet, he awoke, presumably dismayed to have lost his maps; however, determined to continue with his mission, he was driven to Montserrat in a convoy of Gestapo agents. Montserrat had entered the German imagination through great thinkers such as Wilhelm von Humboldt and Goethe, who, imbued in the ideals of Romanticism, had marvelled at its sublime nature. Esoteric Germans had later become aware of the mountain after Richard Wagner had published his opera Parsifal in 1913. The work, steeped in racial mysticism, suggested that the Holy Grail, the chalice supposedly used by Christ at the Last Supper, could be hidden in “the marvellous castle of Montsalvat in the Pyrenees”. Wagner was prob-
8/21/12 12:27:58 PM
HIMMLER IN BARCELONA 21
(Left) Portrait of Heinrich Himmler, 1929. Courtesy: German Federal Archive. (Right) Himmler in Barcelona (third from right) in October 1940 pictured in a txeca (premises used by political police). Photograph by Pérez de Rozas. © Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona
ably himself inspired by the writings of the 13th-century troubadour Wolfram von Eschenbach who claimed he knew where the sacred chalice lay hiding. Moreover, like all esoterics who are always on the look-out for concealed clues where nobody else has apparently looked, Himmler also hit on the fact that the first authorised performance of the opera was at the Liceu in Barcelona. Spooky, eh? Himmler arrived mid-morning at Montserrat, where the Abbot, aware of the repression of the Catholic Church in Germany, refused to greet him, instead passing the job onto a young monk who was the only member of the congregation who spoke reasonable German. But Himmler was more interested in the hidden secrets of the mountain than the abbey. If he could only find the Holy Grail, it would help Germany win the war and, moreover, give him supernatural powers. Evidently, Himmler found nothing of merit on the mountain. He returned to Barcelona and flew back to Germany later that day, and over the next few years continued to take a leading part in the greatest mass murder in history. His brief, ignoble trip to Catalunya was soon forgotten, though perhaps a certain movie by Steven Spielberg took some influence from it.
20-21. Himmler PDF.indd 3
Anti-Nazi Germans Despite the influential presence of Nazis here in the Thirties and Forties, clearly not all Germans living in Barcelona in the Thirties were Nazis or, for that matter, wealthy. According to police estimates, in 1935 there were around 5,500 ‘illegal’ German immigrants in Barcelona, many of whom were political or Jewish refugees, but there were also economic migrants who arrived after the 1929 crash and who made their living hawking wares in the streets. They faced the constant threat of deportation by the Republican authorities, often resulting from complaints by local shopkeepers. Many of the political refugees were anarchists, members of DAS (Gruppe Deutsche Anarchosyndikalisten im Ausland—the German anarchist organisation in exile), which had moved to Barcelona after the rise of Hitler in 1933. (Many anarchists from Italy, Portugal and Argentina also came here, escaping their own fascist dictatorships.) The Germans came under the murderous gaze of the Gestapo who, from their Avinyó headquarters, would on occasion order their abduction; this would see them whisked onto boats moored in Barcelona harbour to then be sent back to Germany and the camps. During the revolutionary tumult of July
1936, a group of DAS members and Spanish anarchists stormed the German consulate (then at Passeig de Gràcia 132). Not only did they manage to seize a stash of arms—including a machine gun—they also chanced upon the membership list and numerous documents of the Nazis in Spain. This would prove vital in breaking up the secret network the latter had developed. Despite this, the German consulate remained open throughout the most revolutionary period in Barcelona’s history, as the Republic and Germany maintained diplomatic relations until the latter broke them off in November 1936—even though the Condor Legion had been aiding Franco since almost the outbreak of the war. The seized documents were later displayed to the press. A journalist from the British newspaper the News Chronicle inspected them and reported being filled with feelings of “dismay, indignation”. The anti-Nazi German residents who survived the Civil War faced a very uncertain future. Many crossed the border into France in 1939. Some ended up in the concentration camps, while others fought in the French resistance.
Nick Lloyd runs Civil War tours in Barcelona and runs the website www.iberianature.com
8/21/12 12:28:01 PM
22 PHOTO COLLAGE
SUMMER in the city
Clearly all the photographers in Barcelona were on holiday last month, as we only got submissions from one person on the topic of ART! So instead, we’re featuring a few shots of the city from the recent warm months and we’ve put back the Art theme to run in next month’s magazine. Send your photos of street artists, murals, statues and the like to editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com by September 17th. Find all the practical info at: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/photocollage
Wendy Taylor
Michaela Xydi
22-23. Collage PDF.indd 34
8/21/12 2:18:28 PM
PHOTO COLLAGE 23
Wendy Taylor
Andrea Moreno
Andrea Moreno
22-23. Collage PDF.indd 35
Michaela Xydi
8/21/12 2:18:31 PM
24 BULLFIGHTING BAN
Opposing views: animal rights supporters protest outside La Monumental (top) while inside a full house watches the end of bullfighting in Catalunya
24-26. Bullfighting REPDF.indd 34
8/22/12 11:58:17 AM
BULLFIGHTING BAN 25
Looking back A year after Catalunya held its last official bullfight, some people are still hoping for a reverse of the ban. By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward. Photos by Vanessa Murray
S
erafin Marin is one Catalan who likes to kill bulls. And he is not alone. In March this year, matador Marin and his colleagues delivered a petition with 590,000 signatures to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in Madrid with the goal of classifying bullfighting as national heritage and overturning the ban in Catalunya on bullfights here, which came into effect on January 1st this year. Of those signatures, 150,000 are of people from the region. “If you ask why the Catalan people don’t like bullfighting, then you don’t know the Catalan people,” says Marin, who was responsible for killing the last bull at Barcelona’s Monumental bullring in September last year. Since that final official bullfight, Marin and other matadors such as Santiago Martín have worked to collect the necessary signatures in their campaign to see corridas (bullfights) continue here. “My role is to show people the reality in Catalunya, where we found over 150,000 supporters, more than those opposed [to bullfighting].” Marin’s love of bullfighting stems principally from the fact that his parents came from Andalucía, although he thinks of himself as Catalan. “I live in Barcelona, it’s a place I have a lot of affection for. People often criticise me for my profession, sometimes in very strongly worded emails, but it’s best not to pay attention to those kinds of people.” Marin says the ban is hypocritical and influenced by Catalan politicians who are more interested in separating the region from Spain than bullfighting itself. “I fight bulls in France, so why not in Catalunya?” Symbolically, last September, Marin kneeled down to kiss the sand at the end of the final fight in La Monumental. “I felt a great sadness, because that might have been the last one ever.” With the matadors’ petition still having to pass through the Junta Electoral Central and the Mesa del Congreso, this summer there have been no bullfights at the Monumental for the first time in many years. Many Catalans, such as former deputy mayor of Barcelona Jordi Portabella, hope it stays that way. Portabella is the current president of the municipal group of political party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) in the
24-26. Bullfighting REPDF.indd 35
Barcelona city council, and in 2010 published the book L’engany de la corrida (The deception of the bullfight). The book attempts to debunk some common ‘myths’ surrounding bullfights, explaining that corridas are supported by public funds. “If they were not backed by central government funding, they would no longer exist,” Portabella told Metropolitan. This monetary relationship with the government in Madrid harks back to Francisco Franco’s era, when the dictator imposed national unity by both suppressing local culture and promoting certain activities such as bullfighting and flamenco. In his book, Portabella introduces the idea that some traditions are bound to have an end point, and suggests that while technology and science have evolved rapidly, human ethics are lagging behind. “One of the most important myths is that bulls don’t suffer. More and more people are realising that human beings shouldn’t enjoy seeing an animal suffer—we need an ethical shift,” he says. “Human beings need to see themselves as part of a whole and not above any other creature on Earth.” He believes la corrida is a “cruel show” in which the bull is “tortured with different kinds of instruments.” “People say the matador’s movements are just like a choreography; well, I would add this is a cruel choreography.” Animal rights group Prou! (meaning ‘enough’ in Catalan) organised the Iniciativa Legislativa Popular (ILP) that garnered 180,000 signees to bring the issue of a bullfighting ban before the Catalan parliament, where it passed in July 2010 with 68 votes in favour, 55 against and nine abstentions. Prou! spokesperson Alejandra García says the matadors’ petition manipulates the figures and is not a true representation of support for la corrida in Catalunya. “They were given nine months to gather the numbers in all of Spain, and then given another three months because they didn’t have the required amount,” she says. Prou! had just four months to gather 50,000 signatures for the ILP, but ended up collecting 180,000—all residents of Catalunya. Even if bullfighting is classified as national heritage—and considering the conservative People’s Party is now in power, this isn’t a totally unthinkable possibility—García says the ban cannot be overturned. “We are an autonomous community and the state has no power to legislate on these issues.”
>
8/22/12 11:58:17 AM
26 BULLFIGHTING BAN
>>
Bullfighting has a long history in Catalunya, and was so popular during the early 20th century that Barcelona was the only city in Spain to have three working bullrings open simultaneously. However, Portabella says those aficionados are long gone, and comments that in recent times 85 percent of the Monumental’s spectators were tourists. He notes that another “Catalan factor” in this debate is the contrasting popularity in certain local towns and villages of correbous festivals, where a bull, often with flames attached to its horns, is pursued by people with lances and knives, although not ultimately killed. “Shows and festivals with animals that involve fights and torture go back into the ancient civilisations such as the Minoan culture,” says Jordi Portabella. “And it is indeed a deeply rooted tradition in Catalunya, but this is not the point.” Echoing Portabella’s argument regarding the development of human ethics, in their ILP petition, Prou! quoted Mahatma Gandhi as saying, “The evolution of a nation can be seen in the treatment that its animals receive.” While watching Barcelona’s final—and my first—bullfight at La Monumental last September, one particular Ernest Hemingway quote resonated: “The beast at the bullfight is the crowd.” The US writer was an avid corrida aficionado and this sentiment, taken from his 1932 book Death in the Afternoon, that it is in the crowd that you start to understand the popularity, or revulsion, of the bullfight certainly felt true to me that day. Cigar smoke filled the air, along with chants of “Viva España, Catalunya y su fiesta nacional!” But by far the loudest call was for “libertad” or freedom, chanted in Castilian not Catalan. Fans saw the ban as an attack on their democratic right to attend a bullfighting spectacle. I asked a Catalan man at the bullfight whether he felt any sadness for the bulls. He nodded in agreement—or perhaps acknowledgment—and went on to point out that the bull has had it good for the five years prior to its being led into the ring. “He has
24-26. Bullfighting REPDF.indd 36
been well fed and kept in perfect health. He has had no work to do, and has lived like a king! And now, just 20 minutes of suffering for a glorious death. It’s a pretty good deal, no?” There are discrepancies about how many bulls die in Spain each year, with different sources offering up figures ranging from around 10,000 to 40,000 bulls killed in bullrings here—whatever the true number, they certainly don’t all die “gloriously”. Aside from the lancing of the bull by mounted horsemen, the most disturbing part is the final stage, when the matador takes a sword and thrusts it into the heart of the bull. Sometimes he gets it right the first time, and we have our “glorious death”. But other times he misses and has to pull the sword out and try again, and again, while the bull shudders with pain, bleeding profusely, awaiting its death. Killing bulls in the bullring is a highly emotional issue. Some say it’s a burden Spain carries from its macho, warring past, while for others, it’s a badge of cultural pride. “Bullfighting is not part of our culture,” one Catalan and Prou! protestor outside La Monumental last year told me. “Culture is to dance, to paint a painting. This is torture, and if Picasso liked it, well, that’s his problem.” Like Hemingway and Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso was one of the contingent of famous figures who supported la corrida, although they also have their counterparts in those celebrities who are not in favour of bullfights such as the current Queen of Spain and poet Manuel Vicent, who famously wrote: “Admito que el toreo sea un arte si a cambio se me concede que el canibalismo es gastronomía.” (“I will admit that bullfighting is an art if, in exchange, it is agreed that cannibalism is gastronomy.”) Undoubtedly, though, even Hemingway saw the end coming. “Anything capable of arousing passion in its favour will surely raise as much passion against it,” he wrote in Death in the Afternoon, pointing out that, “the whole bullfight is indefensible; there is much cruelty, and there is always danger...and there is always death.”
8/22/12 11:58:24 AM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 4
8/20/12 1:32:09 PM
28 IDEAS
MAKING PLANS
A few suggestions about things to do tonight, this weekend, later on...
Festival days La Mercè 2012. September 21st to 24th. www.bcn.cat
THEESatisfaction
It’s a telling sign of the times that this year’s Mercè festival only lasts for four days. It used to be (or at least feel very like it) that as soon as the flags came down from marking La Diada on September 11th, Barcelona would switch straight into festa major mode, with free concerts from big-name bands, stalls set up in the city centre and regular encounters with Catalan traditions, such as gegants, correfocs and sardanes. This year, there will be all that, just on a much-reduced scale. Amongst the highlights, you’ll find: an expanded Mercè Arts de Carrer (art street festival), with events taking place day and night at the Ciutadella (including a giant karaoke event) and Montjuïc; a light and music show projected onto the Sagrada Família by representatives from this year’s guest city of Montreal (21st to 23rd); and the traditional end-of-Mercè fireworks at Plaça Espanya, with a special feature commemorating 20 years since the Barcelona Olympic Games. Barcelona Acció Musical returns with a compact line-up dedicated to alternative music that includes US artists Grey Filastine, THEESatisfaction and Howlin Rain.
Birthday party Exposició del 5º aniversario de la Fundació Suñol. September 28th to March 9th, 2013. www.fundaciosunol.org
While in human terms, your fifth birthday might not compare to your 18th, 50th or 100th, when it comes to institutions—especially in this day and age—pure survival from one year to the next means whooping it up when a ‘milestone’ is reached. The Fundació Suñol, dedicated to showcasing contemporary art from its prime location in Passeig de Gràcia, is rolling out the big guns to mark its fifth anniversary. Organisers have turned to the collection of founder Josep Suñol with the aim of explaining the practical role of art in society, and their walls will feature works by no less than Picasso, Warhol, Dalí (shown left) and Man Ray. The 70 works are divided into simple themes such as Faces, Landscapes and Expressionism, but with such high-quality artists on display, you will come away from this particular birthday party with more than just a piece of cake.
28-29. Making plans PDF.indd 6
8/21/12 12:29:09 PM
IDEAS 29
Joan Vidal Sextet (Thursday 20th at Centre Cívic Can Deu)
Jazz hands 22è Festival L’Hora del Jazz. Various venues. September 9th to 26th. www.amjm.org
Up on stage Some of the concerts happening this month in Barcelona
Jack White—Sunday 2nd at Sant Jordi Club Joan Manuel Serrat and Joaquín Sabina—Thursday 13th and Friday 14th at Palau Sant Jordi Norah Jones (above)—Thursday 20th at L’Auditori Miguel Bosé—Thursday 27th at Palau Sant Jordi
Barcelona is a city of jazz lovers and one of the leading annual events for aficionados of the genre is the L’Hora del Jazz festival, which returns this month for its 22nd edition. As ever, it focuses on home-grown talent, with jazz and modern music performers from around Catalunya, new and established, taking part in the event that is hosting concerts in both Barcelona and Vilafranca del Penedès. A mix of daytime and night-time concerts is programmed, with the former focused on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia; shows there will take place on the three middle Sundays of the month (9th, 16th and 23rd). The night-time venues this year expand to include the Milano Cocktail Bar, which hosts the final concert of the festival featuring the Ignasi Terraza Trio (8.30pm, €8 including drink).
The right place Corner Festival. La Plataforma (Pujades 99). Friday 14th, 7pm. Entry costs €5, which includes a drink. www.thecornerfestival.com
As summer winds down, get your post-holiday season off on the right foot at the fourth edition of the Corner Festival. This arty party is dedicated to creativity in its many forms, with music, cinema, photography, illustration and dance all part of its remit, giving you the chance to enjoy them in a live and eclectic environment. For this latest edition, highlights include work by the “visionary” Milos Tomić and music from the soul/ spoken-word duo Beatspoke, along with regular features such as upload cinema, cocktails and food. It also marks the start of a weekend of Open Workshops (Tallers Oberts) in Poblenou, so you can keep enjoying the creative vibe even after the party finally winds down.
28-29. Making plans PDF.indd 7
8/21/12 12:29:15 PM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 5
8/22/12 10:47:54 AM
IDEAS: ART 31
BODY OF WORK
Members, 2002
O
Two bodies, 2008
All images © Fundació Antoni Tàpies/Vegap. Photos © Gasull Fotograifia, 2012
On show now at the Fundació Antoni Tàpies is a series of figurative works by the eponymous artist that were created during his later years. By Will Shank.
Legs, 2001
ne thinks usually of Tàpies as an abstract artist, so it
oversized sock on the terrace level of the Tàpies Foundation
is refreshing to view this examination of his figurative
called Mitjó. The metal sculpture betrays a sly sense of humour
work. His deeply incised lines within the plaster-and-
creeping into his often sombre work. Tàpies’s frayed sock seems
sand matrix serve him well as he explores the human figure. His
to be channelling Claus Oldenberg, and while it is not a part of the
subtractive techniques of gouging and scraping his medium are
figurative exhibition downstairs, it does meet its theme handily,
used to create the most basic human forms—a naval, a vagina,
or footily. Mitjó was supposed to be a colossal installation in the
a mouth—while letting his abstracted shapes and earthy palette
central courtyard of MNAC as part of the 1992 Olympics, but a
swirl around them. Wonderful images prevail in the Tàpies
conservative board of directors shot the idea down. That decision
Foundation’s galleries, from the painting of horizontally stacked-up
turned out to be Barcelona’s loss, but the maquette survives and
limbs that ambiguously form a pattern across the panel (Members,
the 1991 piece was installed at the Tàpies Foundation when it
2002) to works on paper like the Skull of 2010, which cannot
re-opened in 2010. Its twisted metal interior, which protrudes here
be dismissed as the likely musing of an 87-year-old on the final
and there from the sock shape, shares a lively dialogue with Cloud
chapter of his life.
and Chair (1990), on the Foundation’s rooftop.
It is extraordinary to see the late work of a man in his dotage
On the other hand, there is a category of Tàpies’s oeuvre that
still so obsessed with human sexuality. The exhibition covers the
falls completely flat, at least for me. Among the works currently
last 13 years of his active creative life, starting at age 75 and
on view in the galleries are several that combine found objects
ending shortly before his death at 88 earlier this year. The rear
with his more usual manipulation of paint and plaster. The pile
gallery is filled with Tàpies’s exploration of the use of latex as
of underwear that forms the lower design of one ‘painting’ looks
a medium, specifically how it mimics the colour and texture of
like a failed attempt at Sixties’ Beat assemblage, and elsewhere,
freshly ejaculated sperm (Latex Series, 1999). Elsewhere, vaginas
the inclusion of three-dimensional elements, such as black
explode with activity and at least one panel suggests, in the
cords for armpit hair, or an out-of-scale pair of panties wrapped
boldest possible visual terms, with a brown-smeared newspaper
around the leg of one of the Legs (2001) make these works looks
beneath a splayed pair of legs, scat.
amateurish. Art history will not look kindly on this kind of art school
In spite of the strength of the paintings and drawings, I
experimentation, which may come to be viewed as a decline in the
actually prefer Tàpies’s three-dimensional work, which is richly
late work of a great artist.
represented in Barcelona by installations such as his Homage to Picasso at Ciutadella park and the large over-the-entrance
Antoni Tàpies—Caps braços cames cos. Fundació Antoni
assemblage at MACBA. One of his most successful works is the
Tàpies. Until November 4th. www.fundaciotapies.org
31. Art review PDF.indd 6
8/21/12 12:39:24 PM
Find everything you need here! + N O E
T
P
M
Map
In our online directory of English-speaking businesses in Barcelona
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/directory
main pages Sept 2012.indd 12
8/20/12 2:17:45 PM
IDEAS: FESTIVALS 33
FESTIVAL FRENZY
This month sees two English-language festivals take place, one a new kid on the block, the other already well-established—we compare and contrast.
Séan Hughes is one of the star turns at the Barcelona International Comedy Festival
Put yourself on the stage with Barcelona’s first English Drama Festival
BARCELONA INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL
1st annual ENGLISH DRAMA FESTIVAL
his year sees the fifth edition of the Comedy in Spain-created festival dedicated to comedy performed not only in English but also in a variety of other languages, which this year are Catalan, Castilian, Swedish and Dutch. The whole event was actually put at risk a few months back, thanks to the government’s decision to raise VAT on tickets to cultural happenings such as this from eight to 21 percent, but, as the organisers say, “we feel this festival was never as important to help break free of the gloom”, to which we respond with a loud “hear hear”. Although the final line-up was still being prepared at the time of going to press, two major stars have so far been confirmed: Séan Hughes and Rich Hall. Other features include a return for the everpopular Logan Murray comedy workshop and two special standup shows, including a free event from the Stand Up Comedy Kills (S.U.C.K.) group. The other main news for this year’s festival is the BCN Funniest Ficer Award. With so many great acts (including Hughes, courtesy of the Perrier) gaining fame as a result of award initiatives, it’s probably no surprise that our city festival is launching its own amateur English-language comedy competition. There will be three initial heats, all with free entry (Stoke Bar, Saturday 29th; 7Sins, October 4th; Carders Public House, October 11th). These culminate in a big final (October 18th, Las Cuevas del Sorte) and the selection of a winner who will have the chance to take part in the festival’s Gala event alongside Rich Hall. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a comedy star, send an email to funnyficer@gmail.com to arrive by September 14th.
he English-language drama scene in Barcelona has had its ups and downs in the past, with ad hoc performances put on whenever hard-working producers, directors and actors could manage it. But it seems that we are now in something of a boom time, with more shows being put on by different companies that explore varied aspects of the theatrical genre (this year so far we’ve had one-act plays, adaptations of classics, a musical and a murder mystery). And on the back of this success, this month sees the first English Drama Festival in Barcelona. It brings together some of the leading lights in Barcelona’s current English-language theatre movement: Julian Wickham, the man behind the English Drama School, which is organising the festival, and husband-and-wife team Hunter and Georgina Tremayne, whose skills include directing, acting and writing. They have created a varied programme that offers different opportunities to get stuck in to the thrills, stresses and rewards of the theatre world. For those who fancy the chance to get up on stage, there are both improvisation and comedy workshops available—the former will be followed by a performance of the show created during the class. If you prefer to be the person in charge behind the scenes, Hunter will be taking a directors’ masterclass, and will also join forces with Georgina for a class specially created for the younger actor, with a kids’ drama workshop aimed at nine to 12 year olds. If you don’t really have thespian aspirations, but are interested in developing your public speaking skills, there is a workshop that focuses on just that. So, whatever your interests, this new festival is the ideal chance to let your dramatic side shine.
September 27th to October 20th. Various venues and prices. www.barcelonacomedyfestival.com
September 13th to 16th. English Drama Theatre, Nou de Sant Francesc 20. www.englishdramaschool.com
T
33. English festivals PDF.indd 6
T
8/22/12 11:14:20 AM
34 IDEAS: ESCAPE THE CITY
TRIED AND TASTED Foodies prepare yourselves—cook, taste and eat your way around Catalunya, learning about traditional cuisine from the best chefs in town.
Top: a cookery course at Lo Paller del Coc; bottom: red mullet salad made at an Espai del Peix workshop
By Samantha Alzuria ESPAI DEL PEIX Located on the coast of Girona province, Palamós is home to the Costa Brava’s last fishing fleet that is also one of its primary sources of income. First and foremost a fishing town, the area is known for its seafood. It’s no suprise then that its fishing museum is working in conjunction with the local Espai del Peix to uphold the town’s strong fishing heritage. Set on the edge of the stunning Costa Brava bay around which Palamós is built, the Espai del Peix offers workshops that are led by local chefs. You will learn the art of cooking and preparing seafood, the secret to a good broth and how to make an authentic picada. But the best part is still to come! After learning expert techniques you’ll get to taste the fruits of your labour. What’s more, each weekly session has a different theme so check their online schedule for one that appeals. Workshops last two and a half hours and cost €20. In addition, the Espai del Peix also offers a range of other activities, which this month includes tours, seafood tasting, cooking classes for petits xefs aged 8-14 and ‘Show Cooking’, a live demonstration of seafood cooking, implementing the traditions of the Baix Empordà county in which Palamos is set. GETTING THERE: By car, Palamós can be reached via the AP-7 motorway (with tolls), while the Sarfa bus company goes from Estació del Nord to Palamós bus terminal in around two hours. The service runs seven times a day and costs €15 one way. WHERE TO STAY: Minutes away from the Espai del Peix is Hotel Trias, a beachfront hotel and restaurant. Double rooms start at €115 for this month and if you’re driving, for an extra €15.50 you have full use of the car park. Use this hotel as your starting point and visit nearby attractions such as the beaches of La Fosca, Cala Castell and Cala Margarida, as well as the medieval town of Pals.
34-35. Escape the city PDF.indd 56
PAELLA WITH CATACURIAN What could be more ‘typically Spanish’ than a paella? Catacurian’s culinary breaks in the El Priorat county of Tarragona specialise in just that on their four-day gourmet paella and rice get-away. Visitors will learn the secret to making an excellent paella and how to cook rice to perfection. As well as daily cooking classes, various excursions are on offer, including to: the Delta de l’Ebre, to see how artisan bomba rice is produced; the Casters del Siurana winery in Gratallops; and the Scala Dei Monastery and its winery, the first of its kind in the region. Both winery tours include full wine tasting, and the sampling of local olive oil, a key ingredient in Mediterranean cooking, has also been included in this package. A total of six cooking classes focus on Catalan cuisine and the hands-on learning of students. Meals and a complimentary Catacurian recipe book are included. To make a reservation, a form must be filled out and either faxed or e-mailed to the company, and a €400 deposit will also be required. The full price for two guests in a double room is €1,600. GETTING THERE: One of the bonuses of Catacurian’s culinary vacations, and there are several, is that transport is provided. There’s no need to worry about petrol, parking the car, paying tolls or getting lost because a bus service will pick you up on day one at Plaça Espanya outside the Plaza Hotel at 10.30am, and drop you off on day five at the same place at around noon. WHERE TO STAY: Make no mistake, this is a complete package. During your culinary escape you will be staying in double rooms at the Catacurian rural hotel in the town of El Masroig. The hotel is a fourth-generation family masía, built in stone and fully restored. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms and communal areas give it a homely feel.
8/21/12 12:50:08 PM
IDEAS: ESCAPE THE CITY 35
LO PALLER DEL COC For a complete escape from the city, look no further than the idyllic Pyrenean landscape surrounding Lo Paller del Coc, a cluster of apartments in the picturesque village of Surp on the edge of Lleida’s Àssua valley. Their Espai Gastronòmic offers themed cooking classes several times a month. A five-hour programme on September 27th, for example, focuses on haute cuisine for the health-conscious and costs €70, including breakfast. They offer other cooking talleres on a more regular basis, such as ‘La Cocina del Queso’, focusing on artisan cheese; the literary-inspired ‘Cocina de Novela de la Vall d’Assua’; a ‘Taller de Tapas y Montaditos’, a must for lovers of the Spanish tapa; and ‘Tradicional del Alt Pirineu’, focusing on traditional cooking of the region. Prices range from €60 to €80 and the courses last between four and five hours. For those who want to immerse themselves completely in the traditional rural lifestyle of Surp, DIY homewear and craft making workshops also take place at Lo Paller del Coc. GETTING THERE: The three to four-hour car journey is by far the best option. Not only because public transport to Surp is limited, but bringing the car also affords you the freedom to explore the surrounding areas and take more provisions with you, as the town is somewhat isolated. WHERE TO STAY: At Lo Paller del Coc, accommodation is just around the corner. Its three apartments—La Llar, La Coberta and El Desvàn—are all fully-equipped for a self-sufficient getaway. La Llar is a two-floor house with two double bedrooms, La Coberta includes access to a courtyard and El Desvàn is a smaller, cosier apartment for two to four people. Prices for a three-night stay at one of their apartments start at €322. Package offers are a great way to make the most of your time there, with some including excursions. WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES IN THE CITY If you don’t have the time or inclination to travel out of Barcelona but are still interested in honing your culinary skills, there are plenty of gastro classes available right here—here’s a tiny range: 4 CAPELLANS The 4 Capellans restaurant, part of the Hotel Barcelona Catedral, holds cooking classes on the first Wednesday of every month for groups of up to 15 people. Prices are €50 per person and the classes are two and a half hours long. The restaurant also offers ‘Cooking Team Building’ workshops aimed at executives and businesspeople. www.barcelonacatedral.com COOK & TASTE Half-day cooking workshops are Cook & Taste’s speciality. Hands-on workshops for small groups of participants explore local, seasonal food with the expert help of experienced chefs. Classes cost €65 per person while an optional tour of La Boqueria market is an extra €13. www.cookandtaste.net MATAMALA This restaurant offers cooking workshops and tastings specifically tailored to you. The Matamala sommeliers will guide you through a bespoke menu and help you make the most of a customised culinary experience. All you have to do is let them know when you want to go and how many will take part. Prices are available upon consultation. www.matamalarestaurant.com MORE INFO Espai del Peix—www.espaidelpeix.org Hotel Trias—www.andilanahotels.com/es/Hoteles/hotel-trias Catacuria—www.catacurian.com Lo Paller del Coc—www.lopallerdelcoc.com
34-35. Escape the city PDF.indd 57
8/21/12 12:50:09 PM
36 IDEAS: GASTRONOMY
YES
A BIG
As the weather turns autumnal, head to Nonono for some delicious comfort food. By Tara Stevens. ✪ - NOT WORTH THE TRIP, ✪✪ - COULD IMPROVE, ✪✪✪ - GOOD, ✪✪✪✪ - VERY GOOD, ✪✪✪✪✪ - NOT TO BE MISSED
I
f you have ever sat down to eat a whole osso bucco, you will know that it’s a monstrous thing—a bit like eating the femur of a slowly cooked dinosaur—that is also, if I might say, absolutely delicious. I can’t understand why we don’t eat beef this way more often: slowly roasted in a low oven with a sweet, sticky glaze of beefy juices clinging to its skin while the meat falls from the bone as though it were moulting. Osso bucco is Italian for ‘bone with a hole’ and is often cooked the Milanese way as cutlets braised in white wine, stock and finely diced vegetables. It is completely delicious too, no doubt, but I imagine not quite so sensational when placed in the middle of the table as this glorious beast was. I was at Nonono—a hip little bistro on the Passatge Lluís Pellicer—which I think they should rename Yesyesyes. I ate there twice in a week and believe me, this is something I rarely have the time or inclination to do. But there is something very appealing about Nonono—its retro tables and chairs, the newspaper-covered walls and friendly, well-trained staff who seem to know and care about the food and are happy to share this knowledge with you. My first visit was over lunch with Ana Manresa of anandpitu. com, who provides gastronomic consultancy for restaurants and had suggested I should check this one out. Aside from a few odd combinations—I found the cucumber shot overly salty, and couldn’t get conserved herring paired with cantaloupe melon to work in my head, never mind my mouth—the menus were interesting: a granita-style beetroot and watermelon gazpacho inspired by a Negroni cocktail made a nice
36-37. food & drink PDF.indd 56
little precursor to a sweet tomato salad mixed with pimientos padrón, while my pork loin with roasted peaches and onions was impeccable: soft as butter, deeply flavoured and a perfect pairing with the peach. Owner Marcos Acosta told me that he believes people should walk out of his restaurant with a “clear head and light legs.” Given his philosophy, it’s no surprise he favours simple food or that his chefs have been tasked with creating dishes that are healthy and balanced as well as imaginative. It has the neighbourhood joint appeal of a proper bistro, yet it feels fresh and modern, without walking the path of the ‘bistronomia’ movement. There are no aspirations to be new wave here: it’s just solid cooking based on top-flight ingredients and you can’t go far wrong with that. It is also currently the only restaurant in Catalunya that is 100 percent organic. A fact Acosta could have used to hike up the prices, but because much of the produce comes direct from farms and gardens scattered around the region he hasn’t needed to. Indeed, this could prove a useful blueprint for a more sustainable and self-sufficient restaurant of the future. It’s got to be a no-brainer, hasn’t it? Local, organic food that doesn’t cost a fortune. Accordingly, the compact wine list that goes with it is also organic and we’re promised a growing number of productcentric treats to sharpen the appetite as and when they are sourced, like the deliciously sharp sheep’s cheese we got to nibble with our wine when we went back for dinner. This is all very commendable, but what really caught my eye
8/21/12 12:47:11 PM
IDEAS: GASTRONOMY 37
L-R: Salad of cor de bou tomatoes and cherries; lamb chop; bar of Nonono. All images courtesy Nonono restaurant
over lunch were the giant slabs of meat being set down for entire tables to share: racks of lamb and beef ribs, pork loin and osso bucco, guineafowl and duck, all roasted, grilled and stewed. It was this that lured me back a couple of nights later for supper with friends. They were not as busy as they deserved to be—I hasten to add it was the last Friday in July when half of the city had already left for the summer—but it was great. We had a glass of freshly-made ajo blanco (a chilled soup of almonds and garlic from Andalucia), a salad of kumato beef tomatoes and juicy yellow pear varieties with no dressing, just the bright, fresh flavours of the fruit, and then this hunk of meltingly tender beef, which at first we carved gracefully and then tore at with our hands, revelling in this deep, primal connection to the food. As summer turns to autumn, we all agreed, Nonono will make a very happy alternative to the English country pub meals we miss from home.
Nonono, Passatge Lluís Pellicer 12; tel. 93 444 9901. www.nonono.es. Open Mon-Sat, 9ammidnight. Three courses plus wine about €35. Weekday lunch menus from €10.50, evening menu including wine from €25. Tara’s rating: ✪✪✪
36-37. food & drink PDF.indd 57
8/21/12 12:47:12 PM
38 IDEAS: GASTRONOMY
quick bites EATING, LIVING AND DREAMING IN BARCELONA By Tara Stevens.
Clockwise from left: Sophie Ruggles in her kitchen; Thai green papaya salad; Sophie’s kitchen garden. Photos courtesy Sophie Ruggles
S
ophie Ruggles is probably one of the most dynamic food lovers in Barcelona. She arrived here from Australia 10 years ago and immediately set about opening the city’s first Australasian eatery, Emu, while continuing a cookery writing and teaching career that she’d started back home. Emu shut a few years ago, but her latest book—My Barcelona Kitchen: Eating, Living and Dreaming in Spain—is due out on September 13th and is, if you like, a tribute to Ruggles’s culinary adventures in her adopted home. “It’s a collection of my own recipes and those I’ve gathered, like the one for migas which required generations of knowledge to get right,” she says. “A family I know in the Penedès took me under their wing and I spent a lot of time with them cooking, eating and gossiping in the shade of a big old plane tree.” The book is a delight to read with Ruggles sharing her memories and foodie experiences, taking the reader on a sensory journey that makes for transporting reading. The recipes are great, too, ranging from techniques for making the perfect pa amb tomàquet to dinner party dishes that put Ruggles’s own special twist on classics like stuffed monkfish tail. Her other current enterprise is Boca a Boca, an intimate cooking school at her home in Sants where, for just €45 per head, you can learn a range of cooking styles from modern Australian to Spanish
38. Quick bites PDF.indd 42
and South East Asian. “As a cook I rarely follow a recipe and vary my dishes according to whim,” she explains as we sit sharing a glass of cava in her sunny kitchen. “What I have learned from cooking with people who have a very solid traditional cuisine is that their food and recipes tend to be very strict and unchanging. It’s so important to learn those fundamental qualities of a cuisine and then adapt from there. And that’s what my cooking classes are all about: giving people the basics but encouraging them to roam free with a better understanding of the products.” Classes are taught in Castilian and English for four to six students at a time and are followed by dinner; if the weather permits, this takes place on the terrace where Ruggles grows many of the ingredients she uses. Each class features three to four different dishes as well as discussions about the background to ingredients, knife skills, and cooking techniques such as blanching and boning. Shopping trips to the markets of Barcelona can be incorporated for a supplement of €15 per head. www.sophieruggles.com For more Barcelona quick bites, follow my tweets: @taralstevens
8/22/12 12:01:22 PM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 7
8/22/12 11:13:37 AM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 11
8/20/12 1:37:43 PM
FOOD & DRINK 41
Food&Drink For more in food&drink visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking
NEFW &D IN
under 20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | over 40 RV Reservation Advised | NEW in food & drink this month
*READER DISCOUNT
* Discount for Metropolitan readers.
American THE ORIGINAL AMERICAN SUPERMARKET 4Sant Gervasi Good news from Taste of America! All of the products you miss from the U.S.A., from BBQ sauces to breakfast treats, are now in Barcelona. Cheerios, Hershey’s chocolates, peanut butter and jelly, Newman’s Own sauces, Wilton, root beer, Peperidge Farm, marshmallows, macaroni & cheese, bagels and more are just some of the goodies that await discovery. Go visit, you’ll be amazed! And for your convenience, there is public parking right at the rear of the store! New opening in Sant Cugat! Balmes 322 I FGC Sant Gervasi I Tel. 93 211 9792 C/Plana Hospital 18 I FGC Sant Cugat Tel. 93 187 5070
biergarten4Les Corts To celebrate the eighth year of the Biergarten, the first traditional German terrace in Barcelona, why don’t you and your friends try the real taste of Bavaria? The space recreates the legendary beer gardens, with German music, typical Bavarian food and beer, wooden benches and excellent service from waiters wearing costumes from the region. The Biergarten is the ideal place to come and have a great time while watching your favourite football. Pl. Pius XII, 4 I Metro Mª Cristina Tel. 93 5081 000/676 477 094 psofiabiergarten@expogrupo.com www.princesasofia.com Open every day from noon to midnight
Bagels BE MY BAGEL 4GRÀCIA
NEVERMIND4Barri gÒtic
Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be My Bagel is the right place for you. They sell authentic bagels from Barcelona, just how you like them. They have an extensive range of bagels and cakes, from the more classic choices such as poppy and multigrain to delicious and innovative chocolate, almond and coconut bagels—you’ll not come away disappointed.
Nevermind is a cult place for those looking for a more alternative scene in touristy Barcelona. Mixing large amounts of grunge music, graffi tti and urban sports, they serve up amazing cocktails, special! house shots, cheap beer, Happy Hour till 10pm, free freshly-made popcorn, authentic decoration, skate videos and much more.
Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I Metro Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com Open Mon-Fri 9.30-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Sat 10am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm, Sun 10.30am-2pm
Escudellers Blancs 3, 08002 | www.nevermindbcn.com | Open every day from 7pm
SWEET REBEL BAR4Barri gÒtic Located in the heart of the Gothic quarter, this cool ‘beach bar’ is the place to enjoy the sweetest reggae music 365 days a year. Chill out with a beer or try a Jamaican cocktail made from natural fruits and sweet rum. Its comfortable surroundings and ambiance. make it a great place to relax. Beers 2 Cocktails 5. Ample 54 | Open every day from 7pm-3am
Bar macarena mar4 BEACH BAR Mac Arena Mar is an authentic beach club located on the sand near Port Forum. They have a top programme of international DJs playing throughout the summer, so you can enjoy an Ibiza vibe right here in Barcelona. Relax at the beach and enjoy their exquisite range of dishes, including seafood dishes, gourmet hamburgers, sandwiches and tapas. They also have a fantastic wine menu to accompany your ‘al fresco’ lunch.
Tel. 679 888 836 I Playa Port Forum, Sant Adria de Besos I Metro Forum (L4) I TRAM Central Térmica reservas@macarenamar.com www.macarenamar.com
Food & drink Sept 2012.indd 45
Barraval4Raval Barraval is located at the top of the Rambla de Raval where they have a fantastic terrace for you to enjoy great, seasonal Mediterranean food. On Friday and Saturday nights, they have a live DJ so you can enjoy tasty cocktails in a trendy atmosphere. Weekend menu 12.95 Hospital, 104 (Rambla del Raval) | Liceu / Sant Antoni | T. 93 329 8277 M. 609 221 400 | Wed-Sat 7.30pm-2.30am, Sat-Sun open at 1pm for lunch | RV
MANCHESTER BAR4Barri gÒtic Manchester Bar brings together friends and music fans to enjoy great tunes from the Eighties and Nineties. From Joy Division to Placebo to The Smiths and all the way through to the Happy Mondays, Manchester Bar has it all. A must-visit place for anyone who knows and loves their music! Milans 5 | Metro Jaume I | Every day 7pm-3am Tel. 627 733 081 | www.manchesterbar.com
8/22/12 10:33:25 AM
42 FOOD & DRINK RED ROCKET4Barri GÒtiC
SPECIAL
Red Rocket was opened in 2008 and has become the OFFER cradle of musicians and DJs in rock scene here in Barcelona. They offer the most authentic rock sessions with top DJ’s in a friendly and authentic environment. Metropolitan readers get fantastic drink offers like 1 beers and 5 mixed drinks. Calle Codols 21, Ciutat Vella | Metro Drassanes | www.facebook.com/bar.redrocket Open every day 7.30pm-10pm
Delivery
VITALI PIZZA4 BarCeLona Gourmet pizza delivery from 3 locations offering 50+ thin-crust, homemade pizzas. With specials like three large cheese pizzas for 15 and the option to pay by credit card, it makes for an affordable meal at home without all the fuss. Special offer: 2X1 on every Monday home delivery!
LILIbURGER4eiXaMPLe You can choose from four types of burger: classic, cheeseburger, barbecue as well as bacon cheese, for 8 to 9.50. Sides include fries, bbq chicken wings, chicken nuggets and salads. Free delivery. Tel. 93 458 0710 I Tue-Sun 1pm-4pm and 7pm-11pm www.liliburger.com
bREAD & CIRCUSES bARCELONA 4GrÀCia Bread & Circuses creates delicious, inexpensive, creative sandwiches showcasing American technique and style combined with incredible Catalan ingredients. The first truly American-style sandwich shop and delivery service in Barcelona. Try their lunch box special for your office, picnic in the park or day at the beach. Follow them on Facebook.
Congost 13, 08024 I FGC Gràcia Tel. 610 898 494 I Delivery from 1pm-4pm
Paris 109 I Metro Hospital Clinic Tel. 93 444 4737 Rosselló 270 I Tel. 93 458 0710 Taxdirt 13 I Metro Joanic/Gràcia Tel. 93 285 41 95 www.vitalipizza.com
GUT4GrÀCia
*FREE GLASS OF CAVA
Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen specialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an international twist and plenty of options for vegetarians. Try their quinoa and tofu burgers or a sinful home-made dessert. Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail and the friendly, respectful service. It’s the perfect place to have a drink and enjoy the night in good company. Try it for yourself and find out why everyone is talking about Gut.
Perill 13 I Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 186 6360 I restaurantgut@gmail.com
burger 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.
Sabateret 4 - Bor I Metro Jaume I Tel. 93 315 2093 I burger@pimpamplats.com Calle Bigai 1, Bonanova, 08022 I Tel. 93 211 5606 www.pimpamburger.com I Every day 1pm-12am
Cocktails PALAU DALMASES COCKTAIL bAR4 Barri GÒtiC At the heart of La Ribera neighbourhood, on Carrer Montcada, the Dalmases Palace is one of the most notable city palaces from the 16th century. This gorgeous palace of Baroque influence is a testimony to the artistic, political and cultural life of Catalunya. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the most exciting cocktails, and they also have the best opera music live every Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm.
Montcada 20 I Tel. 93 310 0673 espaibarroc@gmail.com I Open every day from 7pm
Food & drink Sept 2012.indd 46
8/22/12 10:33:29 AM
FOOD & DRINK 43 Japanese - Sushi SAKURA-YA4LeS CortS
SUSHIEXPRESS4EIXAMPLE
Sakura-Ya is a serene-yet-busy little joint that combines a Japanese restaurant, bar, souvenir shop and food store. Located in L’illa shopping centre, at lunchtime it offers the very best traditional Japanese cuisine and take-away. The quality of the food is excellent, and so is the service. SakuraYa definitely lives up to its standards, so whenever you are in the mood for some shopping and good food, treat yourself to a Sakura-Ya experience.
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 deliver to your home or hotel. You can choose individual pieces of maki, nigiri, sashimi, temaki, menus, combos, and other Japanese specialties from an extensive menu 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, 08011 | Tel. 93 451 5454 Open Mon-Sat 12pm-4pm, 7pm-11pm Sun12-3pm, 7pm-11pm 365days/year! Delivery 1pm-3pm, 8pm-10.30pm
Diagonal 557, 08029 | Metro Mª Cristina/Les Corts Tel. 93 405 2645/93 430 48 90 | Fax. 93 430 3743 Restaurant Mon-Thurs 1pm-5pm, 6pm-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 1pm-9.30pm Shop Mon-Sat 9.30am-9.30pm
Calle Santaló 55, 08021 Tues-Sat 9pm-3am Tel. 93 200 9293 www.sushiexpress.net
Indian TOYO - SUSHI TRAIN4GrÀCia
NAMASTE4EIXAMPLE E
Among the youth it’s the most sought after Sushi Train Restaurant in Barcelona. It’s the absolute place to be if you’re in with the in crowd and always packed five minutes after opening. It has a quality buffet with super fresh food prepared daily, Toyo is the place to go. Not only do they have a huge amount of different types of dishes, but you can also eat as much as your heart desires. Choose what you like while it passes in front of you, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get great service. Toyo gives you amazing food for a good price. The midday menu is only 10 and the evening one is 15.
Namaste was the first Indian restaurant in Barcelona. You will be able to enjoy authentic North Indian food in a lavish and exotically decorated interior. The secret of Namaste’s rich and authentic cuisine lies in the finest selection of delicate condiments cooked by professional Indian chefs, using the Tandoor cylindrical oven of Northern India—the best oven for keeping the juices and flavours of cooked food. Namaste has also carefully selected the best wines to accompany Indian food, including Indian wines. For beer lovers, Namaste has a wide range of European brands and Indian beers and liquors.
Torrent del Olla 10 | Tel. 93 459 2630 www.restaurantetoyo.com Open 1.30pm-4pm, 8.30pm-Midnight Closed Mon night
Villarroel 70 | Tel. 93 451 4027 www.restaurantenamaste.com Open 1pm-4 pm, 8pm-12pm
Indian - Hindu VEG WORLD INDIA4 GrÀCia
NAKASHITA4Born 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.
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, 9.95 inc. free soup and salad buffet in the lunchtime menu.
Rec Comtal 15 | Metro Arc de Triomf Tel. 93 295 5378 | www.nakashitabcn.com Mon-Sun 1.30pm-4.30pm, 8.30pm-12am
Bruniquer 26 | Metro Joanic Tel. 93 210 7056 | Tues-Sun 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11.30pm
Italian ICHO4LeS CortS Icho restaurant blends authentic Japanese cooking with the best Mediterranean products. This is an unequalled, exquisite and innovative gastronomic option, totally unique in Barcelona. The tasting menu is pure gastronomy fantasy—you will delight in an emotional journey beyond your senses. This restaurant breaks the mould of the existing impressions of modern Japanese gastronomy in Spain.
Deu i Mata 69-95, 08029 | Metro Maria Cristina Tel. 93 444 3370 | reserves@ichobcnjapones.com www.ichobcnjapones.com Mon-Sat ,1.30pm-4pm and 9pm-11.30pm
Food & drink Sept 2012.indd 47
TRATORIA 4CUitaDeLLa viLa oLiMPiCa This new stylish and sophisticated restaurant presents the best of Italian cuisine with an international touch, based on extensive experience from working in London, New York and Miami. Whether you’re looking for a place to go with friends or your date after catching a film at the nearby Yelmo Icaria, or starting your evening out at the Port Olympic with an unbeatable value meal, La Trattoria del Mare is the place to go. Avinguda d’Icària 132 | Tel. 93 221 9369 Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica www.trattoriadelmarebarcelona.com
8/22/12 10:33:35 AM
44 FOOD & DRINK Juice and Smoothie bar SANO 4GrÀCia Barri GÒtiC - SantS
MAGNOLIA 4 Barri GÒtiC
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.
In the heart of the Gothic quarter, Magnolia offers exquisite signature cuisine from chef Gianni Fusco at affordable prices. With its warm and loungy interior, it is the place of choice at any time of the day. During the week, breakfast and lunch menus attract huge crowds thanks to their great quality and reasonable prices. During the afternoon, clients can choose from a variety of tapas or enjoy mojitos for just 3.50. Breakfast from 2.70, Lunch from 9. Dinner menu 17.95 (Sun-Thurs) 25 (Fri-Sat) Ciutat 5 | Metro Jaume I | 93 304 2376 | 691 504 942 noche@magnoliabarcelona.com | www.magnoliabarcelona.com | www.facebook.com/magnolia.rna Mon-Thurs 9am-1am, Fri 9am-3am, Sat 1pm-3am, Sun 1pm-1am
Gran de Gràcia 16 | Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 217 8115 | Jaume 1 | Metro Jaume I Tel. 93 310 3247 | Creu Coberta 50 Metro Espanya | Tel. 93 117 0891 Every day 10am-8pm | info@sanojuice.com | www.sanojuice.com
JUICY JONES 4Barri GÒtiC
FAbULA4 PoBLe SeC
Barcelona’s emblematic juice bar now also serves vegan breakfast that includes tortilla de patata, muesli with raw cashew yogurt, muffins, waffles, coffee and tea. Chill out in the bar for smoothies or enjoy a sandwich or a full meal in the restaurant.
SPECIAL OFFER
Located in a trendy new area of the city, this restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine. They have a great three-course menu del día for 10.20 (and at night you can enjoy traditional Spanish dishes and half rations from la carta.) Their special ‘afterwork’ offer lets you enjoy two excellent promotions: A glass of wine together with a special Fabula toast for 4.50, and/or a glass of cava (Brut Nature) alongside a duo of salmon and anchovies for 5. They also have a private room that is available for group bookings.
Cardenal Casañas 7 | Metro Liceu | Tel. 93 302 4330 Every day 10am-midnight
Mediterranean bARNAbIER4Port oLÍMPiC Located at the base of the Mapfre tower at Port Olimpic Barnabier specialise in Mediterranean cuisine, paellas, fresh seafood, tapas and have a great list of international beers. Their fantastic menu also includes salads, grilled meat and pasta with something to suit all tastes. For group reservations consult their website for the complete menu.
Parlament 1 | Metro Poble Sec | Tel. 93 292 6209 info@restaurantefabula.es www.restaurantefabula.es
Marina 16 | Metro Port Olimpic Tel. 93 221 0212 | www.barnabier.com
Mexican VINDA4Barri GÒtiC Vinda is a fantastic Mexican bar and restaurant that is famous for its amazing margaritas, daiquiris and mojitos. Located in the heart of the Gothic quarter, they offer an incredible selection of Mexican dishes and tapas that will put you in the mood for an unforgettable night out on the town. Ask the cocktail barman for recommendations!
Regomir 4 I Metro Jaume 1 Tel. 93 319 8956 Mon-Sun 6pm -2am I vindabar@gmail.com
Tapas / Mediterranean PATXOCA 4Born This fantastic restaurant has tapas and traditional dishes that use local and seasonal produce, including vegetarian options, all prepared in a home-cooking style. Enjoy a daily menu from Monday till Saturday, and brunch on Sunday! Patxoca also has a beautiful terrace on a pedestrianised street, with a child’s play area just next door. They don’t use MSG.
Tel. 93 319 2029 | Mercaders 28 Close to Santa Caterina market Mon-Sat 10am-2am, Sun 10am-3pm, 8pm-midnight
Food & drink Sept 2012.indd 48
8/22/12 10:33:39 AM
FOOD & DRINK 45 Thai Thai gracia4GRÀCIA 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 día 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.
Còrsega 381 | Metro Verdaguer / Girona Tel. 93 459 3591 | www.restaurante-thai-gracia.com Every day 1pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | RV
Vegetarian amaltea4EIXAMPLE E
Visit Amaltea vegetarian restaurant, where a warm and welcoming environment allows you to fully enjoy a tasty and healthier alternative to your everyday meal. Dishes include cereals, pulses and vegetables with home-made puddings. The cuisine is creatively international with care taken to ensure that each meal is well-balanced and made with the freshest ingredients. Menu of the day 10.70, night and weekend menu 15.30. Diputació 164 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 | www.amalteaygovinda.com Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11pm, Closed Sun
Govinda (VEGETARIAN) 4BARRI GÒTIC
Founded 25 years ago, Govinda continues to thrive on a blend of experience and fresh innovation in vegetarian Indian cuisine. The international menu features talis, a salad bar, natural juices, lassis, pizzas and crêpes. Govinda offers a vegan-friendly, nonalcoholic and authentically-decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus.
Plaça Villa de Madrid 4-5 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 318 7729 www.amalteaygovinda.com | Tue-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11am, Sun-Mon 1pm-4pm
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.
Sagristans 3 | Metro Urquinaona | Tel. 93 301 1378 | Every day 1pm-1am Dels Angels 6, 08001 | Tel. 93 412 1890 | Mon-Thurs 1pm-12am, Sat-Sun 1pm-1am www.bunbovietnam.com
Winebar JUICY JONES – VEGAN RESTAURANT 4Raval
Disset 17 Graus4BORN
Barcelona’s best vegan restaurant , Juicy Jones never compromises on freshness or quality. They serve a range of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine with a funky ambience they also offer a large variety of freshly squeezed fruit juices and smoothies. Don’t be fooled by imitations. Go Juicy!
The new wine temple in Born—a unique space in Barcelona offering a wide range of quality wines. Just opened, you can come and enjoy the cosy, local and welllaid-out bar, surrounded by shelves full of original and interesting wines. Affordable to all, the bar offers wines from all over the world, specialising in Spanish, French and Portuguese wines. Also don’t forget the special drinks menu of gin and tonics, cocktails, whiskies, beers and other drinks.
Hospital 74 | Metro Liceu | Tel. 93 443 9082 Every day 12pm-5pm, 8pm-1am
Vietnamese la vietnamita 4GRÀCIA La Vietnamita is a new food concept in the heart of Gràcia, offering fresh and healthy Vietnamese inspired cuisine. They serve light and nutritious dishes such as traditional ‘Pho’ soup, the typical rice noodle dish ‘Bun Xiau’ and classic ‘Goi Cuon’ spring rolls. All their dishes are prepared in the moment and served with ingredients that are naturally full of flavour. Veggies and vegans: they have a lot to offer you, too! So what are you waiting for? Torrent de l’Olla 78 | Metro Diagonal | Tel. 93 518 1803 | www.lavietnamita.com
Addis Abeba 4sants This fantastic restaurant offers wholesome food served in the traditional Ethiopian way. Importing fresh ingredients and using top-quality local meat, the food is prepared with an exciting range of over 25 herbs and spices creating an incredible range of tastes and flavours. Their combination plates offer an excellent way for groups to try a variety of dishes to give you the true taste of Ethiopia. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll love the huge selection of dishes on offer too.
Vallespir 44 | Metro Sants Estacio | Tel. 93 409 4037 Mon-Fri 8pm-12am, Sat 2pm-4pm, 8pm-12am
Food & drink Sept 2012.indd 49
Antic de St Joan 3 Tel. 93 268 1987 | Tue-Sun 7pm-2.30am
Cercle d’Amics 4EIXAMPLE Enjoy high level gastronomy at this classy new restaurant headed by chef Jani Paasikoski and offers an exciting blend of traditional Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine with an exciting modern style. By using fresh produce and seasonal flavours, they create interesting and delicate dishes which are sure to arouse your senses. At night, the soft lighting and comfortable surroundings provide the perfect atmosphere for you to relax and enjoy their fantastic cocktails. Daily menu 16. Rosselló 209, 08008 | Metro Diagonal Tel. 93 237 8902 Open every day 1pm-4pm, 8.30pm-11pm Closed Sat lunch and Sun
8/22/12 10:33:46 AM
main pages August 2012.indd 7
7/23/12 2:36:11 PM
HAIRDRESSER · BEAUTY
BUSINESS DIRECTORY 47
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 Scissors of London BRITISH HAIRDRESSER
Tim aspires to listen to your needs and suggests how they might be met in distinctive and exciting ways. Style is unique and Tim will craft you a look achieving a harmony of shape and style. Tim has been hairdressing for over 12 years. Having trained, taught and worked in London’s top salons including Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon. Opting out of salon life, Tim works to fit in with the modern pace of life and offers a one to one service orientated around your needs. Carrer Viladomat 45-47, Atico M. 633 382 787 timbulmer@btinternet.com www.scissorsofldn.com
*READER DISCOUNT
* Discount for Metropolitan readers.
Kinki - HAIRDRESSER Kinki peluqueros is an 15% OFF 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
Hairdates HAIRDRESSER
€5 OFF
Their guide will help you find the best hairdressers and stylists in the city, all sorted by area for your ease. Just three clicks and you can easily book your appointment and check out reviews then pay when you arrive at the salon. Leave your review and you’ll gain free points to exchange for free services! Join Hairdates now and discover this week’s Hot New Hairdresser!
www.hairdates.com
The Vital Touch 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. Barceloneta, Almirall Churruca 8 T. 93 221 1612 / M. 619 224 695 Gràcia, Ros de Olano 19 T. 93 218 0449 / M. 692 371 307 Raval, Sant Pau 122 T. 93 441 3177 / M. 692 371 308 El Born, Carders 34 T.93 295 4871 / M. 692 371 404 Gòtic, Avinyó 34 T. 93 301 4513 / M. 692 371 405 www.anthonyllobet.com
MP 47-52 Sept 2012.indd 43
MASSAGE
*READER DISCOUNT
The Vital Touch Massage Clinic helps stressed women and men, to relax, energise, re-balance and improve their health and lifestyle with a therapeutic, holistic full-body massage. - Deep tissue massage with Japanese acupressure points. - Helps relieve tension, reduces stress and removes physical strains. - Hot stone massage also available - Central Barcelona location. *10% off for Metropolitan readers. M. 659 995 657 nunu@thevitaltouch.es www.tvtbarcelona.com
8/22/12 11:41:54 AM
48 BUSINESS DIRECTORY
VETERINARY CLINIC · CAT SITTERS · CHEMIST · DOCTORS · DENTISTS
VeterCat Melisa Oddo
CAT SITTERS
The best at-home veterinary care for your pet in the province of Barcelona. French and English-speaking veterinarian. Vaccination, general medicine, behaviour problems, emergencies, etc. Thanks to her love for animals, Melisa Oddo offers you the best vet service in your home. Try it for yourself and be impressed.
They are experienced and trustworthy cat sitters, and can provide your cat with the love and care you usually give them every day. In your home cat sitting only. First visit to meet you and your cat is free! They operate only in Barcelona.
M. 620 157 753 melisa@vetercat.es www.vetercat.es
M. 615 359 256 www.weloveyourcat.com weloveyourcat@gmail.com
Pharmacy Serra Mandri
CHEMIST
The helpful and qualified pharmaceutical staff at this wellknown Barcelona chemist can help and advise each client to ensure they get exactly what they need. They also stock a great range of products, including homeopathy, natural medicine, aromatherapy and organic cosmetics. The pharmacy is open 365 days a year and also offers a home delivery service. Av. Diagonal 478 Metro: Diagonal (L3, L5) Chemist T. 93 416 1270 Homeopathy T. 93 217 3249 Open every day 9am-10pm
Dr. Steven Joseph - DOCTOR Established in 2005, Googol Medical Centre offers its patients comprehensive healthcare in a friendly, discreet and relaxed environment. UK doctor Steven Joseph provides a wide range of medical care for the English-speaking community in Barcelona with access to all medical specialties and tests. His practice includes mental health. 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
Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR
Clínica Dental Image -
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.
A great new clinic, 20% OFF just opened, offering 20 percent discounts on all treatments, 25 percent off dentures for elderly patients and teeth whitening with a 2 x 1 offer. The first visit and first diagnosis are free. Great design, charming staff and excellent service.
DENTIST
Aribau 215 Pral. 1a T. 93 200 2924 M. 607 220 040 FGC Diagonal or Gràcia
Sardenya 502 T. 93 192 4050 Metro: Alfonso X (L4) Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-2pm, 4pm-8.30pm
Dr. Christian Eickhoff deutsche zk - DENTIST
Clínica Caballero Friedlander - DENTIST
Highly recommended among the international SPECIAL community, they use OFFER the latest in dental technology like digital prosthetics and orthodontics. The whole German team is English speaking and the doctor has an American training in implantology and orthodontics. Check-ups and X-rays are free. Centrally located.
If you’ve always wanted to have a beautiful smile, but don’t want to wear visible metal braces, they have the solution for you. They’ll be pleased to help by creating an ideal treatment concept for you using Incognito® invisible lingual braces or invisalign® clear braces. Call them for a free evaluation visit:
Consell de Cent 249, bajos Metro Universitat (L1/L2) T. 93 323 9629 info@deutsche-zk.com
MP 47-52 Sept 2012.indd 44
We Love Your Cat -
HOME VET CARE
Puigmarti 33, Local 2 T. 93 237 0287 info@clinicacf.com www.ortodoncia-barcelona.com www.clinicacf.com
8/22/12 11:41:55 AM
DENTISTS · ACUPUNCTURE · HERBAL PRODUCTS · NUTRITIONIST · PSYCHOTHERAPY
Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST 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 www.clinicadentalcampi.com/ susanacampi1980@gmail.com
InnOrbit - HERBAL PRODUCTS Their infusions taste delicious and complement a healthy lifestyle. They have created four blends using 100 percent naturally-grown herbs and spices. The recipes are based on Ayurvedic medicine and endorsed by modern science. UP&GO: Ideal for sport and exercise. YOUNG&FUN: Enhances memory and promotes concentration. CALM&RELAX: Relieves stress. SLIM&FIT: Helps to maintain a healthy weight.
Tingsvall & McCarthy -
DENTIST & DENTAL HYGIENIST This eco-friendly clinic promotes great patient care using natural products. The Swedish-trained dentist Dr. Stefan Tingsvall is on hand to provide a very caring way of treating people—he solves the problem and gets the job done. Qualified USA-trained dental hygienist Elena McCarthy provides education on preventive care using effective herbal rinses and essential oils. She also offers the leading teeth whitening treatment ‘Brite Smile’. 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@gmail.com www.tingsvall-mccarthy.com
Tania Spearman -
acupuncture
€15 OFF
Make acupuncture your first choice, not your last resort! Tania is offering all Metropolitan readers a 15 discount on first appointments with this voucher. Acupuncture treats many conditions from pain, stress and depression to fertility and more. Call now to make your appointment or to see if acupuncture is right for you. Tania is a UK university trained acupuncturist with her own clinic in the centre of Barcelona. English, Spanish and German spoken.
T. 93 814 0287 andy@innorbit.com www.innorbit.com
Enric Granados 133, 4-1 bis 08008 M. 644 322 161 info@taniaspearman.com www.taniaspearman.com
Ana Barredo - NUTRITIONIST
Hestia - PSYCHOTHERAPY
Do you want to improve your nutritional health? Ana can help you, as a nutritionist with many years of experience. All you need is a consultation and if you want, she can monitor your progress. Change your lifestyle and improve your health, because we are what we eat!
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.
Sant Hermenegild 26, 4o 2a 08006 M. 679 743 274. ana.bm79@gmail.com
Passeig Sant Joan 180 Pral 2a Metro: Joanic (L4) T. 93 459 2802 info@hestia.es www.hestia.es
Jonathan Lane Hooker -
Nick Cross - PSYCHOLOGIST /
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.
Nick Cross is a registered psychologist, specialising 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.
Psychotherapist
T. 93 590 7654 M. 639 579 646 jonathan.hooker@yahoo.com www.jonathanhooker.com
MP 47-52 Sept 2012.indd 45
BUSINESS DIRECTORY 49
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
M. 644 193 825 ncross@copc.es
8/22/12 11:41:58 AM
50 BUSINESS DIRECTORY
PSYCHOTHERAPY · MIDWIFE · LASER TREATMENT · INTERIOR DESIGN
Paloma Azpilicueta -
Krishinda Powers Duff
English-speaking clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. Forty years of professional experience with adults, children and adolescents. She has worked in both the public and private sectors in mental health as well as in education and social issues. Psychodynamic orientation.
Krishinda is a fully-qualified and trained British midwife offering home birth and home dilatation service. She also provides antenatal and postnatal care and support to mothers and babies for six weeks after birth. She is supported in her practice by a team of Spanish but British-trained midwives and alternative health care professionals as well as a breast feeding consultant/Doula. Midwife means ‘to be with woman’.
Barcelona: T. 93 415 6646 Mataro: T. 93 799 6596 solazpi@ya.com www.centrepsicologiamataro.com
M. 665 143 437
Clustermedica Laser treatment
Terraza Barcelona -
Psychotherapist
The B-Cure laser provides relief and treatment for a wide range of orthopedic problems in the neck, back and joints that generally result from bad posture, excessive use of a computer keyboard or sports injuries. Now you can stop pain and heal the source with just a six-minute treatment, twice a day. It’s ready to use anywhere, lightweight and rechargeable. If you’re suffering from this type of injury, then call now or visit their website for more information. T. 90 210 6989 Vidal i Guash 13 clustermedica@clustermedica.com www.clustermedica.com
Bsc Hons - Midwife
Marenostrum Centre de Salut familiar
Fontanella 16 Principal, 08010 krishinda@gmail.com
CaRpentry
Dirk has a passion for creating affordable carpentry designs for both interior and exterior spaces. From terrace decks to planters, pergolas to storage sheds, he will impress you with the quality of his work. Wooden furniture for: garden, terrace, balcony, living, bedroom, bathroom, office - you name it, he makes it! Everything is custom made - choose from one of his designs or bring your own ideas. Please contact Dirk for an obligation-free quotation. M. 657 452 279 info@terrazabarcelona.es www.terrazabarcelona.es
Vanessa Pascual interior designer
Vanessa Pascual a trained interior designer from the School of Design, University of Vic. Her projects are tailored to the needs of each client under the concept of functionality, beauty and design for everyone. Since 2008 she has run her own firm with a strong team of technical, industrial and design staff, who work closely together, offering their customers a wide range of options and solutions to make their dreams come true.
Find everything you need here!
T. 93 841 8021 www.vanessapascual.com
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.
Consolat del Mar 35, 3er Metro: Barceloneta (L4) M. 678 757 511 grahamcollinsbcn@gmail.com www.grahamcollinsbcn.com
MP 47-52 Sept 2012.indd 46
In our online directory of English-speaking businesses in Barcelona
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/directory
8/22/12 11:42:03 AM
PROPERTY · REMOVALS · LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
Lugaris - PROPERTY
Aspasios Rentals & Services - PROPERTY
The best option to live and work in Barcelona. Brand new, modern furnished and bright apartments. In Poblenou, a few metres from Bogatell beach and very close to the 22@ district. Privileged services such as swimming pool, parking, security, cleaning and free WI-FI, to make your stay more confortable. Use this promotional code to get 10% off your next booking. Code: 20CM12
Staying at Aspasios in Barcelona and Madrid is the perfect way to enjoy Spain. Feel at home in a new city while staying in a luxurious furnished apartment. Aspasios provides accommodation for days, months or years. They offer check-in at any time and day of the year as well as a 24hr phone service. Aspasios has multicultural staff willing to welcome you in different languages.
Vidal y Valenciano, 14 T. 93 221 9159 info@lugaris.com www.lugaris.com
Adriana Romero T. 93 304 1448 info@aspasios.com www.aspasios.com
Spaces for rent - PROPERTY
Van BCN - REMOVALS
Hotel Onix offer a range of rooms and spaces for rent at a low price. Perfect for a variety of classes and events like yoga, theatre, dancing, business meetings, seminars and rehearsals. They have different sized rooms at Liceu, Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Espanya that are both clean and comfortable with central heating, A/C, tables and chairs to suit your needs. You can rent their space by the hour, half or full day, weeks or months. For more information please call Jubran.
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. T. 93 426 7684 M. 647 533 344 www.vanbcn.com
T. 93 303 4154 events@hotelsonix.com
Benjamin Franklin -
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL The Benjamin Franklin International School in Barcelona offers a differentiated American curriculum from nursery to grade 12, which includes English language preparation for college education, foreign language programs and learning support. It is fully accredited with strong academic programs, such as the American High School Diploma, Spanish Baccalaureate Certificate and the IB Diploma. It also has an active parent-teacher association and a welcoming global community. Martorell i Peña 9 T. 93 434 2380 F. 93 417 3633 www.bfischool.org
BCN L.I.P. LANGUAGE SCHOOL
UP TO 40% OFF
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.
T. 93 318 6591 info@bcnlip.com www.bcnlip.com
MP 47-52 Sept 2012.indd 47
BUSINESS DIRECTORY 51
Versión Original -
Spanish for foreigners
LANGUAGE SCHOOL
5% OFF
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.
Gran Via 636, 1o 1a A Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) T. 93 412 4576 info@versionoriginalbcn.com www.versionoriginalbcn.com
One-to-One -
SPANISH CLASSES 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.
M. 610 057 266
8/22/12 11:42:05 AM
52 BUSINESS DIRECTORY
LANGUAGE SCHOOLS · COMPUTERS · GRAPHIC DESIGN · SAILING COURSES
Idiomplus-
BCN Metropol LANGUAGE SCHOOL
Idiomplus offers a revolutionary new method of learning languages by utilising social media as an additional online tool so you can learn the content you are most interested in. Their courses are designed especially for professionals, entrepreneurs and managers who require the command of new languages. By practising with relevant content and conversations that fit your interests and work needs you will quickly be able to put your new skills into practical use.
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.
T. 93 445 1791 Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 583 5ª www.Idiomplus.com info@idiomplus.com
T. 93 301 8241 Pau Claris 87, 1o1a Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, L4) www.bcnmetropol.com
Geo Mac - COMPUTERS
Kingsbrook -
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.
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.
MULTIMEDIA LANGUAGE SCHOOL
LANGUAGE SCHOOL
Trav. de Gràcia 60 Metro: Diagonal (L3, L5) T. 93 209 3763 info@kingsbrookbcn.com www.kingsbrookbcn.com
M. 606 308 932 machelp@geomac.es www.geomacbcn.com
Mrs.Q design studio - GRAPHIC DESIGN Mrs.Q Design Studio offers a range of specialised services from branding to graphic design, web design, ceramics, photography and bespoke invitations. Whether you have a new concept in mind that you want to see brought to life or need assistance rebranding your company, contact Mrs.Q design studio. They are happy to help you every step of the way to make sure you get the exact look you’re looking for. They specialise in bespoke wedding invitations, tailor-made to suit the style of your wedding. Match your wedding invitations with save the dates, menus, place cards and thank you cards to create a polished look. At Mrs.Q design studio they love to design creative, engaging brand identities that help their clients flourish. They will help you bring some of your personality to your brand and use their knowledge of colour, passion for typography and creative flair to create an identity that engages your customers.
M. 699 260 938 mrsqdesignstudio@gmail.com www.mrsqdesignstudio.com
MP 47-52 Sept 2012.indd 48
MT Sailing - SAILING COURSES RYA Sailing and powerboat courses. Always wanted to get on the water, but didn’t know how? Now you can! MT Sailing is an RYA training centre right here in Barcelona, offering theory and practical courses at all levels from Start Yachting or Powerboat all the way to professional Yachtmaster Ocean. Internationally recognized qualifications are taught and examined in English. During classes, support is available in Spanish. Their flexible course schedules include intensive, weekend and evenings. To discuss your sailing ambitions, call Michael 695 806 029 or Stephen 646 654 067. Start your adventure today!
T. 695 806 029/646 654 067 sail@mtf.com www.mtf.com.
8/22/12 11:42:07 AM
TELEVISION SERVICE · TAX AND ACCOUNTING
BUSINESS DIRECTORY 53
BritSat - TELEVISION SERVICE
Easi-Sat - TELEVISION SERVICE
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.
NEW! NEW! NEW! Not allowed a satellite dish? Now we can supply all your favourite uk tv channels including all sports and films over the internet. No dish needed! Specialists in satellite TV, HD, audiovisual and unmatched for quality and reliability. For a personal, efficient and friendly service call the specialists. Our professional team provides satellite television from across Europe at unbeatable prices!
M. 649 605 917 info@britsatlive.com www.britsatlive.com
T. 93 845 9874 M. 649 413 832 enquiries@easisat.net www.easisat.net
Spain Accounting -
Tax AND Accounting services
UP TO 20% OFF
Qualified UK accountant with 25 years experience in Spain offers: · Tax services for freelance ‘autónomos’ & companies · Income tax returns for employees & non-residents · Registration of ‘autónomos’ & company incorporation (SL) · Practical advice on setting up a business in Spain · Fast, reliable email service
Call David Cook 678 702 369 info@spainaccounting.com www.spainaccounting.com
Europa Digital - TELEVISION SERVICE
Brumwell Brokers -
INSURANCE AND TAX SERVICES
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.
They not only care about your wellbeing, they “insure” it. With over 20 years of experience under their belts they can help you with all your insurance needs. Working with most insurance companies they guarantee you the best quote and best cover for what you need. They can even insure your bicycle!! Brumwell Brokers’ service team can also help you with tax, accounting, legal and labour laws. (Set ups, Autonomos).
Floridablanca 78 Metro: Sant Antoni (L2) T. 93 325 1797 M. 666 556 452 Sant Josep, 32, Sitges T. 93 894 72 99 www.europadigital.tv admin@europadigital.tv
Pl. Gal-la Placidia 1-3 08006 T. 90 262 7810 F. 90 262 7811
MP 53-54 Sept 2012.indd 49
8/22/12 11:44:18 AM
54 BUSINESS DIRECTORY
INSURANCE · LEGAL PRACTICE · BUSINESS COACHING · SERVICE · FINANCIAL ADVICE
Cogesa - INSURANCE Don’t wait until it’s too late! Do you feel secure in Barcelona? Are you still insured in your home country? Do you travel? Spanish not fluent yet? Do you want to feel safe and carefree in Barcelona no matter what? Cogesa makes sure to find you personalized and price worthy insurance solutions for your every need. They also speak Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, German and French.
Continental Wealth Management WEALTH MANAGEMENT
The group has over 30 years’ experience of giving professional, customtailored financial advice to expatriates on a global basis. They handle all aspects of wealth management, including investment portfolios, QROPS pension transfers and insurance. Their team of advisors can provide a no-obligation review to assess your circumstances and help you to make the right choices for a secure and profitable future.
Diputació 262 T. 93 342 4896 foreignresidents@cogesa.es www.cogesaforeignresidents.es
Av. Del Pla, 128 2 - 202 03730 Javea Alicante T. 96 646 2875 M. 665 362 944 www.continentalwealth.com
Sánchez Molina -
Green Bean Coaching -
The lawyers at Sánchez Molina speak English, Spanish, Italian and French. They can help with your business licensing services, legal defence and representation, registration under any form of ownership, accounting services and work and residency permits.
Green Bean coaches small and medium-sized business owners and entrepreneurs proven business techniques that have helped thousands of businesses boost their sales, increase profits and hit their company goals. They will coach you to implement the strategies you need to move to the next business level.
LEGAL PRACTICE
Gran Via Carles III, 84, 5 Metro: Maria Cristina (L3) T. 93 490 9669 javiergarcia@sanchezmolina.com www.sanchezmolina.com
BUSINESS Coaching
T. 93 112 6757 M. 693 940 701 explore@freegreenbeans.com www.freegreenbeans.com
Barcelona’s Guest - PERSONAL ASSISTANTS
This company provides assistants who can help you with daily tasks and provide language support if you are not confident speaking Spanish. You can delegate your chores, however large or small, to their staff with total confidence, giving you complete confidence and peace of mind about the organisation of all your appointments and events. They have impeccable references from their clients. Contact them today to discuss your requirements. Ganduxer nº14, Desp 9 08021 T. 93 539 6106 M. 666 816 168 christian@barcelonasguest.es www.barcelonasguest.es
The Spectrum IFA Group - FINANCIAL ADVICE The Spectrum IFA Group creates and provides financial planning solutions for expatriates and foreign residents. Their 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 They 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 them to arrange an initial, no-obligation introductory meeting.
T. 93 665 8596 Passeig de Gràcia 63, Principal 2A barcelona@spectrum-ifa.com
MP 53-54 Sept 2012.indd 50
8/22/12 11:44:21 AM
EMPLOYMENT 55
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
For the latest jobs for English speakers in Barcelona, follow us on Twitter @WorkInBarcelona
MP 56-57 Sept 2012.indd 53
8/22/12 11:33:00 AM
56 EMPLOYMENT
MP 56-57 Sept 2012.indd 54
8/22/12 11:33:03 AM
main pages Sept 2012.indd 6
8/6/12 11:57:00 AM
58 BACK PAGE
Wain’s world
I
t’s easy to sympathise. Elderly widow falls on hard times in the current crisis and is forced to sell off a few knickknacks to keep her in lurid tights and dog food, despite the fact that some of those knick-knacks could be considered family heirlooms. It’s just that hauling an old brooch off to the pawnbroker, or struggling down to the antique shop with a woodworm-riddled chair doesn’t usually attract international attention. But then the elderly widow in question doesn’t usually own several hundred of the world’s most valuable paintings, and the heirloom in question isn’t usually worth €27 million, which is what Baroness Carmen ThyssenBornemisza, fifth (and last) wife of the late Baron, sold a painting for recently. The sale raises important questions. Notably: why don’t we all have an old painting in the attic worth €27 million? It’s something of an oversight, and one that is going to be difficult to rectify unless you happen to be a former Miss World contender and can find a billionaire art collector knock-
ing around with a generous nature and a weak heart. The masterpiece in question, The Lock by John Constable, is one of more than 250 works the Baron left the Baroness directly, rather than the 1,600 he left to the Spanish state. Painted in 1824, it is one of a series of six paintings Constable made of the English countryside, including the better-known The Hay Wain, which is particularly famous for the fact that no one in England knows what a wain is, in the same way that no one knows what Mona means. (In contrast, everyone knows that Lisa is a common girl’s name. eg. Lisa Simpson.) You can understand the Baroness’s motivation. She needs to eat, the painting was just lying around and she wasn’t receiving anything in return for generously allowing people to admire it at the ThyssenBornemisza Museum. And it was only a Constable. Imagine if she’d been trying to offload a Goya. Or a Picasso. If she had a collection of bicycles or cars or horses, and she lent them out in return for main-
tenance and nothing more, no one would have said a word when she let one of her less favourite ones go. They would praise her generosity for allowing people to ride the others. But with art it’s different. Each painting has a personality, and it’s like trying to work out which of your children you would sell into slavery. None, you would insist. Though if pressed, you’d probably go for the sickly, whining one who is never going to amount to anything and just aggravates his brothers and sisters. Or would you go for the robust, charismatic one, who is more likely to survive the rigours of slavery and return a free man? Tricky decision —so now you know how the Baroness must have felt. Of course, she could equally have sold her yacht. But then where would she go for her holidays? Or one of her luxury houses —but if you sell a house, you reduce your wall space, so hanging your paintings becomes an issue. No, the Constable had to go. Now, about those Gaugins. --Roger de Flower
HOROSCOPE Aries You’ll dazzle people with your thinking and innovative ideas and you may make some extra money as a result. A romance from the past is rekindled, but tread carefully—it may not be what you need.
Taurus Life just feels good this
Gemini Relationships will be full of happy surprises and big frustrations; brace yourself and try to keep a balance. Communication is key so avoid crossed wires. An interesting work offer should be considered.
Cancer You’ll feel pressure at work as you’re given more responsibility. You’re ready for the challenge so go for it and prove yourself. Romance may come from an unexpected source so keep an open mind.
Leo This is a busy time, so nurture yourself and keep your expectations reasonable. Home is your quiet refuge and most of your socialising will be done there. Be prepared: someone close may disappoint you.
Virgo There’s lots of support for
Libra A sociable month ahead as you’re very much in demand. The reconnecting after the holidays will give you a renewed sense of purpose. If moving has been on your mind, take this month to reassess things.
Scorpio This month is dominated by financial concerns. Plan your spending well and your situation will soon improve. Opportunities arise for creating new friendships which will add significantly to your life.
Sagittarius You’re feeling
Capricorn You may feel
Aquarius You’re in a party mood, but there’s work to be done too, so try to keep a healthy balance. Your career is on your mind and if you’re looking to make changes, now would be a good time.
Pisces There’s the chance of a small windfall this month if you play your cards right. Work may be a little stressful but that’s temporary and things will straighten out soon. Make time for enjoying your friends.
dynamic and purposeful—you’ll tackle some things you’ve been thinking about for a long time. Someone close will provide you with some enlightening insights, so keep an open mind and ear.
month. Your financial prowess is proving useful and you can allow yourself some treats. It’s also a great time to plan a party, enjoy the friends you have and make some more.
you in your career right now, so make the most of it. This is a great time to plan for the future and see where your ambitious plans could take you. A close friend needs some help.
unsettled after the summer. Don’t worry, as by mid-month you’ll be into the swing of things again and living life to the full. This is an excellent time to enjoy a creative hobby.
scoop By Ben Rowdon
58. Back page PDF.indd 90
8/21/12 12:51:50 PM
A real German beer garden in the centre of Barcelona
Information and bookings: Tel: 676 477 094 Email: psofiabiergarten@expogrupo.com Pl. Pius XII 4, 08028, Next to the hotel Princesa Sofia Monday to Sunday from 1pm to midnight
main pages June2012.indd 11
‘Biergarten’ refers to the traditional German terraces where beer and sausages are served in a friendly and sociable outdoor area. The Hotel Princesa Sofia pays homage to this German custom to bring the most traditional Bavarian flavour to everyone in Barcelona. Live music, the most authentic atmosphere, typical Bavarian dishes, genuine German style decoration and excellent service by waiters and waitresses wearing traditional costumes from southern Bavaria and who are very familiar with the beer tradition and culture—all this makes it the only terrace in Barcelona that perfectly recreates the atmosphere and special characteristics of the original outdoor beer gardens in Germany. With the slogan “200-percent German”, the Biergarten celebrates its eighth season in high style. This is based on the high quality of the German products imported from Bavaria: the best local beer, real German sausages, traditional regional bread… Thanks to having such items on offer, each year, more and more people come to enjoy this original concept in Barcelona. Guests can try traditional dishes, such as Kartoffelsalat (German potato salad with onions, herbs and vinegar), Obatzda (delicious cheese soup seasoned with paprika) or different kinds of sausages, from the Bavarian speciality Weisswurst to the spicy Debrecziner. If you and your friends are sports fans, at the Biergarten you can also enjoy the sports broadcasts of the Spanish league games, the Champions League matches and the Olympic Games from London on giant TV screens, which, along with its traditional German products, make this event a real experience. The only ‘200-percent German’ terrace in Barcelona is an outdoor area where you can try authentic German sausages and dishes. Open every day from April to October, from 1pm until midnight, with meals always available.
5/21/12 1:57:30 PM
main pages August 2012.indd 3
7/17/12 2:24:26 PM