Barcleona Metropolitan Issue 260

SEPTEMBER 2018 Nº 260

ALICIA MÚSICA ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER MUSIC PUBLICISTS IN THE COUNTRY

CELEBRATING LA MERCÈ THE CITY'S PATRON SAINT

LA GARROTXA VOLCANIC LANDS

TORI SPARKS

HOW THE NASHVILLE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER MADE IT IN BARCELONA

PLUS! ART

MUSIC

BEST OF

NEW IN TOWN

STARTUP

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

TRAVEL

CONTENTS

ISSUE 260 · SEPTEMBER 2018

9 CELEBRATING LA MERCÈ Barcelona’s streets and plazas are transformed in celebration of the city’s patron saint

16 TORI SPARKS

How the Nashville-based singer-songwriter made it in Barcelona

IN THE CITY 06 09 10 12 15

20 ALICIA MÚSICA

How a young journalist became one of the most sought-after music publicists in the country

New in town Five things Streetlife Best of History

WHAT’S ON

32 LA GARROTXA

22 24 26 28 30

Land of volcanoes

Music Art Calendar Misc Art review

TRAVEL

32 La Garrotxa 35 Ribera d’Ebre

WORKING LIFE

36 Startup of the month 38 A day in the life

FOOD & DRINK 40 Food feature 42 Quick bites

All Those Food Market, P28. Photo by Mònica Figueras.

METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTORS

Publisher The Noise Lab S.L. Art Director Tara Shain Marketing Director Jalil Alui Account Executives Richard Cardwell Sales Assistant Daniel Vaenerberg Business Manager Marina Piegari Contributors Hannah Pennell, Celine Shepherd, Héctor Cols, Will Shank, Kirsten Foster, Lynne Werner, Adina Rose Levin IT Consultant Héctor Cols Illustrator Tara Shain Cover Photo Desi Estevez

Duc 6, 08002 Barcelona Tel. 93 451 4486 editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com The views expressed in Barcelona Metropolitan are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Reproduction, or use, of advertising or editorial content herein, without express permission, is prohibited. Depósito legal: B35159-96

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HÉCTOR COLS

Born and raised in Caracas, Héctor landed in Barcelona in 2003. Before moving to “la Ciutat Comtal” he studied Computer Science at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas where he worked as a software developer and later founded Invéntica Soluciones. His work has taken him to Curaçao and Fort Lauderdale. Héctor is fluent in Catalan and shares his time between tech, culture, friends and activities of the American Society of Barcelona.

ADINA ROSE LEVIN

Born and raised in Chicago, Adina left her heart in Barcelona in 2006 and finally made her way back to “Barna” in 2018. In the meantime, she lived in New York, where she graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University, built a career writing ads for Broadway shows, served as Executive Director of the Catalan Institute of America and more. She speaks fluent Catalan and takes ballet and hip hop dance classes every week. Find more at adinaroselevin.com.

TARA SHAIN

Tara is a freelance graphic designer for print and digital publications. She moved to Barcelona in 2005, when she became General Manager of the American Society of Barcelona.

Originally from Nebraska, Tara completed her BFA in photography with a minor in Spanish at the University of North Texas, and later studied design at Valencia College. Tara is a voracious reader, avid hiker and aspiring cake-builder. She speaks English, French, Spanish, some Catalan and a bit of Mandarin.

IN THE CITY

new in town

FIne Dining CEBO AT LA TERRAZA DEL CLARIS. C/PAU CLARIS 150.  HOTELCLARIS.COM “CEBO has come to La Terraza del Claris to stay,” says chef Aurelio Morales. His restaurant in Barcelona is located on the roof of the Claris Hotel & Spa. Among Chef Morales’ emblematic creations are the calçot de primavera, los callos or el boquerón and Costa Brava rice with shrimp from Palamós.

Located next to the swimming pool on the hotel’s rooftop, La Terraza del Claris is the perfect place to enjoy summer or winter nights in a glass-enclosed restaurant that offers spectacular views of central Barcelona and Mediterranean-inspired signature cuisine with a variety of set menu and a la carte options.

Photo courtesy of CEBO.

Clandestine Memory CASA RÀFOLS. RONDA SANT PERE 74.  CASARAFOLS.COM For almost 100 years, this building was home to one of the most emblematic hardware stores in the the city. During the Spanish Civil War, it hosted a secret dining room in its basement, where it developed a clandestine spirit and a jazz soul. Recently reopened under the name Casa Ràfols, this restaurant specializes in select beers, wines, sausages, fish, preserves and other local products, using the same precision with which it formerly offered nails, bolts and screws back in its hardware store days. Featuring comforting and uninterrupted cuisine from 9:00 am until midnight Monday to Sunday, the kitchen of Casa Ràfols is bustling with copious and succulent breakfasts, casual lunches and snacks for those who do not want to follow schedules. Faithful to its history, Casa Ràfols keeps several secrets inside — its inverted vaulted ceiling from 1871 is just one of them.

Photo courtesy of Casa Ràfols.

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Photo courtesy of The Perfumery.

Le Parfum THE PERFUMERY. C/SANT PERE MÉS ALT 58.  THEPERFUMERYBARCELONA.COM Located in the heart of the Sant Pere neighborhood, The Perfumery Barcelona, offers extraordinary fragrances in a unique and contemporary, warm and welcoming atmosphere. While the shop offers creative niche and in-house scents, their focus is on the fascinating and intriguing connection that is established between the perfume and the individual. All fragrances are on display in an innovative and functional way to offer a truly sensory experience at all levels, one that allows for establishing an all-encompassing and personal relationship with each and every one of their distinctive perfumes. You’ve got to smell it to believe it!

FIVE THINGS

CELEBRATING LA MERCÈ Barcelona takes on a new life towards the end of the month, when its streets and plazas are awash with festivities in celebration of the city’s patron saint. According to legend, Our Lady of Mercy (La Mercè) protected the city from a plague of locusts in 1687, and an annual festival has been held in her honor ever since.

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RUN FOR IT!

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Cursa de la Mercè. Attracting nearly 14,000 runners every year, the Mercè 10K run is one of the most popular in the city.

Inscription is only 5€ and all proceeds are donated to NGOs such as UNICEF, UNESCO and Movimiento por la Paz, among others. If running isn’t your thing, the festival also hosts a beach rugby tournament and a beach volleyball tournament.

September 16th.

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TRADITION REIGNS

Festivities kick off with giants and dragons in Plaça Sant Jaume, and for the following days the city is filled with fire-breathing dragons, capgrossos (big heads), esbarts (traditional dance groups), bastoners (stick dancers), trabucaires (ancient armed bandits) and gegants (giants). You’ll come across all these colorful characters and more in parades that take place each day throughout the city. The central parade, La calvacada de la Mercè is a spectacle for the whole family. Effigies of kings, queens and other courtly figures spin and dance through the streets, towering above the crowds.

Measuring up to four meters high, the gegants parade is a sight not to be missed. Then, you can set your sights even higher as the castellers build their dizzyingly tall human towers up to 10 levels high!

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NEW GROOVES

With over 20 years in the game, Barcelona Acció Musical (BAM) is an integral part of Barcelona’s La Mercè celebrations. BAM adds a unique range of music to the mix, exploring new and imaginative sounds, bringing together the best independent local and Spanish talent, as well as a few quality international acts. But that’s not all for music; running alongside BAM is another series of free concerts taking place on public stages around the city and spanning a range of different genres. Jazz, soul and funk take center stage at Plaça Reial, with other venues such as Plaça dels Àngels, Plaça del Rei, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Arc de Triomf and Antiga Fàbrica Damm hosting live performances as well.

Illustration by Tara Shain.

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OPEN DOORS

If the festivities of La Mercè get to be a bit too much and you feel like taking a culture break, head to one one of the city’s many museums observing the holiday with a jornada de portes obertes (open doors). Museums and sites with free entry on September 24th include: MNAC, MACBA, Museu del Disseny, CCCB, Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Museu de Ciències Naturals, Museu d’Història de Catalunya, Castell de Montjuïc, Palau Güell, Palau de la Generalitat, the Ajuntament and many more. If your little ones get restless, the festival offers theater workshops, storytelling sessions, children’s concerts and many other family activities in Parc de la Ciutadella.

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NIGHT LIGHTS

Though a relatively new tradition, the correfoc (fire run) has become emblematic of the festivities and is one of its most popular events with as many as 70,000 people in attendance. Devils, dragons and other bestiari de foc (fire beasts) run through the streets spewing sparks and flames in spectacular fashion. If you want to keep your distance from the fire, you might prefer to take in one of the light projection shows offered every night on City Hall’s façade at Plaça de Sant Jaume, or spread a blanket on the beach for the fireworks show on the 21st and 22nd. On the final day of festivities you can view the grand finale firework display while music plays and the fountains dance at Montjuïc.

The full program of activities of La Mercè will be released about two weeks before it starts so keep checking the calendar in the run up to the event. lameva.barcelona.cat/merce/ca/

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IN THE CITY

streetlife

PASSATGE SERT Steps away from Urquinaona is a narrow pedestrian pathway — a quiet oasis from the traffic of Trafalgar and tourists of the city center — that dates back to a 19th-century textile factory.

ICI ET LÀ

No 5

At the nexus of design, arts and crafts, you’ll find Ici Et Là, featuring handmade art, furniture and more — all made in Barcelona. At Passatge Sert, you’ll find their galleryshowroom, where you can get a sample of their beguiling, bespoke creations, which are used for private and hotel/commercial projects alike. Our favorites from their online store include the “Tea Light” floor lamp, the small ant wire sculptures and, of course, the “Fat Ass” armchair. icietla.com/en

No 6

GRILLED CHEESE STUDIO + FINESSE FILMS No, this isn’t another cheesy American restaurant in Barcelona. At first this space comes off as an art gallery, but within actually lies a small open-floor office and in-house studio, which serve as headquarters for two production companies: Grilled Cheese Studio and Finesse Films. The former specialize in photography and videos for commercials and more, with a Latin Grammy nomination to boot. The latter are masters at shooting in highspeed to deliver larger-than-life cinematography. grilledcheesestudio.com • thefinessefilms.com

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c/ Sant Pere Mės Alt

No 49 CASA LOLEA Recognized worldwide and bubbling with irresistible red and white polka-dotted branding, Sangría Lolea is the gold standard for quality bottles of the popular Spanish drink. Home to much more than sangría, however, is Casa Lolea, the company’s very own restaurant, whose tables pour into a dining room that looks into Passatge Sert. Enjoy gourmet tapas and plates over cocktails featuring their signature sangrías, five in total. If you thought you didn’t like sangría, clearly you owe a visit to Lolea. casalolea.com

c/ Trafalgar

No 23 No 12 NOMAD COFFEE LAB & SHOP Unique seasonal favorites like “sangria espresso” and “pa amb tomàquet espresso” prove that Nomad is by no means an ordinary cup of Joe. Roasted in Barcelona, the company touts freshly harvested, single origin coffees and is dedicated to the art and science of coffee. True to its wandering name, Nomad is can be found all over the city. Here on Passatge Sert is where they experiment with recipes and preparation methods. In Poblenou, they offer training courses, and in El Raval they’ve set up another small shop too. nomadcoffee.es/en

TALISMAN BISTRO BAR Coming out of Passatge Sert on the Trafalgar side and it’s hard to miss the royal blue awnings of Talisman. Tall ceilings give away to a polished bar that recalls the Blue Bar at New York’s Algonquin Hotel. “Cocktail hour” meets “bistro chic” here, with Mediterranean-inspired dishes, Spanish and Catalan tapas, over 70 wines from 10 different countries, as well as 15 kinds of cava and champagne. In the evening, this classy space doubles as an intimate concert venue. Follow them on Instagram for their upcoming music schedule! talismanbarcelona.com

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IN THE CITY

best of

BAKERIES

DELVE INTO THE CITY’S BEST BAKED GOODS, FROM FRESH BREAD AND GLUTEN-FREE PASTRIES TO TRADITIONAL CATALAN TREATS

LA BESNÉTA Barcelona’s first vegan bakery sells everything you’d expect to find in a conventional bakery, while being environmentally friendly, low in gluten and crueltyfree. Owner Daniela Calcagno Perucho came to Barcelona with husband Albert to continue a family tradition of pastry-making which began with her great-grandmother, Clelia in La Plata, Argentina in 1911. The besnéta (great-granddaughter) of Clelia, Daniela set out to provide artisanal, vegan pastries that are made entirely from locally sourced, seasonal and natural ingredients. Their sustainable bakery in Gràcia has a laid-back, cozy feel with pastries and cakes laid out in colorful rows along a wooden table, as well as carry-out cake samples sold in glass jars (to be recycled later). Torrijos 37. labesneta.com Photo by Carlos Gonzalez Armesto.

LA FABRIQUE A hidden gem on an inconspicuous street in Poble Sec, La Fabrique provides the intoxicating aromas of fresh bread and pastry with rows of golden-brown, colorful crusts, all organic and handmade. Famous for their buttery French croissants and unusual grains, all of their products are made using traditional methods — grinding their flour with stone to preserve the nutritional benefits of the grain and opting for a longer fermentation process.

Their aim is to provide Barcelona with healthy and nutritious bread that is affordable, tasty and wholesome. With a sustainable approach to baking, they use the premises’ original stone furnace and follow a zero kilometer produce policy by locally sourcing ingredients. Radas 35. lafabrique.cat Photo courtesy of La Fabrique.

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PASTISSERIA LA COLMENA Originally called Ca l’Abella (place of the bees), after its owner Rosendo Abella in 1849, La Colmena (the hive) is one of the oldest pâtisseries in Barcelona.

Offering the sweeter side of baked delights, their selection of traditional Catalan pastries and cakes for Saints’ days are made following the same recipes that were used over a century ago. The pâtisserie has been in the Roig family since 1927, and today is run by the grandson of Josep and Francesc Roig Manubens, Josep Maria Roig, who is committed to keeping its history alive. Their famous artisanal sweets — the oldest in Spain — and Torró de Crema Cemada, are handmade in the kitchen below the shop by Maria Roig’s son, Toni Roig. Despite the years that have passed, you can still find the same products sold over a century ago, from bolados to cocas and turrones. Pl. de l’Àngel 12. pastisserialacolmena.com

Photo courtesy of La Colomena.

JANSANA

LE PAIN D’ÉRIC & BENJAMIN

Six years ago, Jansana decided that after 75 years, they would dedicate themselves exclusively to providing celiacs in Barcelona with gluten-free bread and pastries. It is one of Catalunya’s first gluten-free bakeries and offers a range of products that are also free of lactose and dried fruits. With the world’s celiac community growing every year, the bakery wanted to provide all the joys of a chocolate covered croissant, éclair and ensaïmada without compromising on taste.

Customers are often surprised to discover that sweet treats they haven’t been able to eat in years are readily available and delicious. One of their most popular products is their fresh bread, a range that includes baguettes, pa de pagès, and crusts with a variety of toppings from seeds and nuts, to olives and quinoa — all of which are made fresh on-site daily.

Balmes 106. glutenfree.cat

Tucked away in the Eixample is this little French bakery that sells freshly-made, organic bread and described by its customers as a panadería para toda la vida (bakery for life).

Benjamin Brabant came to own it over a year ago, when, after shadowing Éric Bonnet — a baker of 25 years — for eight months, he decided to take matters into his own hands and open Le Pain d’Eric & Benjamin. Bread has been made in the same spot for over 60 years, and it’s not only the black and white photographs that pay tribute to this, but also the original, Juan Ferre Matheu S.A. oven, which is still used to this day. All of their products are made on-site by a team of five using organic French flour. They even offer gluten-free versions, as well as a selection of pastries. Consell de Cent 348. facebook. com/EricAndBenjamin

Photo courtesy of Jansana.

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HISTORY

WHEN THE BOMBS FELL A LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS BENEATH BARCELONA’S CITY STREETS SHELTERED THOUSANDS DURING THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.

By Hannah Pennell

Photo courtesy of Biblioteca MUHBA.

“I do not at all underrate the severity of the ordeal which lies before us; but I believe our countrymen will show themselves capable of standing up to it, like the brave men of Barcelona...”

— Winston Churchill in his “Finest Hour” speech to the British House of Commons on June 18, 1940

W

hen Churchill spoke those words, he was referring to the imminent danger of bombing attacks on British cities by the German air force.

He singled out Barcelona not only because it was an early victim of urbicide during the Spanish Civil War from 1936–1939, but also because the response of its citizens to this threat was proactive and practical.

At first, the war’s impact on Barcelona was largely characterized by food shortages, the arrival of refugees from elsewhere in Spain and the movement of soldiers to the front. All of this changed when Franco’s Fascist allies, Italy and Germany, began dropping bombs on the city through air raids. For them, Barcelona and other Spanish cities like Guernica presented an opportunity to test the strategy of attacking civilians, and the Italians even sent a plane equipped with a camera to document the results.

At that time, planes were still relatively new and when they flew overhead, people went out onto the streets to see what was happening, until they realized these planes were not engaging in friendly flight. That’s when the people of Barcelona took matters into their own hands.

By constructing more than 1,300 underground public air raid shelters, refugis aeris, ordinary citizens went on to save thousands of lives. The Generalitat and city councils provided some funds and civil engineers provided the designs. One in particular, Ramón Perera, is now credited as the principal architect of Barcelona’s shelters. The actual building work, however, was left to women, children and the elderly in the neighborhood associations, as most of the men were already fighting in the war.

A trip to an air raid shelter, such as Refugi 307 in Poble Sec, can provide an idea about what it was like to have lived through this terrible moment in

Barcelona’s history. Open on Sundays, the site has been transformed into a Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA) in which visitors can explore the winding passageways where in this one space over 1,500 people sought refuge some 80 years ago.

Despite the important role they played, for a long time the refugis were forgotten and/or ignored, and many were destroyed. For example, during Franco’s dictatorship, a glass factory was built on Refugi 307 and the shelter was not discovered until the factory closed. And while several refugis continued to be uncovered, these discoveries did not mean that the city was prepared to confront their significance in the context of its past.

In 2004, the historian Andreu Besolí Martin wrote an article in the magazine Ebre about the shelters, describing them as invisible to the citizens of Barcelona, a consequence of the “incomprehensible pact of silence” that came out of the transition to democracy in Spain. He lamented that while places like London and Berlin had created museums and educational centers dedicated to wartime air attacks, in Barcelona there was a lack of both institutions and publications that could tell people about the shelters and their importance.

In 2008, Besolí told Metropolitan, there have been shifts in attitude in regard to the refugis “not only in Barcelona, but also in Catalunya and the rest of Spain.” The 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the war in 2006 resulted in the renovation and opening of various other shelters (Sant Adrià and La Garriga among others).

While shelters such as Refugi 307 helped protect people from the 194 total air raids carried out over the city, there were still approximately 2,500 casualties and thousands more were injured. However, in a population of a million — and considering the revolutionary nature of the raids — it could have been much worse. It was all a forerunner of how other European cities would react to air raids just a few years later in the Second World War. Yet despite Churchill’s belief that Britons would follow Barcelona’s example, it was not to be. Ramón Perera, a refugee from the Nationalist forces, was spirited to the United Kingdom by British authorities who were interested in his designs for underground shelters. However, ultimately, the government decided that creating such public shelters could make people “cowardly and lazy,” and felt that the community spirit that had motivated the citizens of Barcelona to make their shelters did not exist in Britain. Confidential reports later expressed regret that the Perera model had not been adopted. In London alone, some 40,000 people died in air raids.

This article was updated from a 2008 article in Barcelona Metropolitan by the same author.

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Photo by Luis Lecumberry. Dress by Thembe Fashions.

FEATURE

Tori Sparks

Wait No More HOW THE NASHVILLE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER MADE IT IN BARCELONA

By Celine Shepherd

N

early 10 years ago, an American singersongwriter played a concert in a small club in Barcelona while touring in Europe. She didn’t speak Spanish or Catalan; she didn’t know anyone here. She had been told that Barcelona was a beautiful city, that there was a “huge church that’s never been finished,” and not much else.

Fast-forward to 2018, and Tori Sparks has become a household name in Barcelona and beyond. She has released two — soon to be three — flamenco fusion albums in collaboration with local musicians, has a house in the residential neighborhood of Horta and has a cat from the Raval known as "Bad Kitty."

She speaks fluent Spanish and is a fixture on the local and national rock scene. Sparks is here to stay.

"Things were good in Nashville, I had a life and a career there, but it was more ‘career’ than ‘life.’ I didn’t have many ties because I was touring constantly."

On September 14th, Tori Sparks and her musical collaborators Calamento and El Rubio will present a special show at local concert hall Luz de Gas. They will record the show live and release a selection of songs on a limited-edition vinyl record called Wait No More. The album will come out on April 20th, 2019, in honor of next year’s Record Store Day, and will include songs from their albums El Mar (2014) and La Huerta (2017), plus some new compositions. This will be Sparks’ seventh album, the third that she has recorded in collaboration with El Rubio and the musicians from flamenco fusion trio Calamento (Javi Garcia, percussion; Ramon Vague, bass; and Pepe Camacho, Spanish guitar).

Who is Tori Sparks and how does a Nashville-based singersongwriter end up in Barcelona?

Seven years ago, Tori was touring non-stop in the United States and parts of Canada. She was self-managed, averaging 200 or more concerts per year and had released four albums on her own small record label, Glass Mountain Records.

Sparks was also a sought-after public speaker at universities and music conferences on the topics of women in the music industry and the DIY (“do-it-yourself”) business model.

“I learned so much in Nashville,” Sparks says. “I had the opportunity to work with some of the best musicians and engineers in the world. Living there is like taking a 24/7 master class in music and in the music business.” Her second, third and fourth albums were co-produced and engineered

by David Henry — who has worked with R.E.M., The Cowboy Junkies, Widespread Panic and more — and her musicians included, among others, multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin, who later went on to tour with Jack White.

“Things were good in Nashville, I had a life and a career there, but it was more ‘career’ than ‘life.’ I didn’t have many ties because I was touring constantly. I’m not sure if I got burned out from simply overdoing it, or if after a while everyone just needs a personal and professional change,” she says.

Sparks turned her eye towards Europe. After a few successful tours, she decided to try living overseas in order to seek out new experiences and tour the European continent more extensively. In 2011, Tori packed up her laptop, some clothes, and two guitars, and boarded a British Airways flight to Barcelona. "'Why Barcelona?’ I get that a lot,” Sparks laughs. “It might have made more sense to have chosen London or Berlin where there is more infrastructure when it comes to the [music] industry. I can’t explain it, I just felt like this was where I should be. In hindsight it was one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made, personally and professionally, because the end result was this musical collaboration that has taken me in so many new directions. On a personal level, there’s also a sense of community here that I never found in Nashville.”

Sparks and Calamento ran into each other at a benefit concert for the local food bank. What started out as a justfor-fun side project between a rock/blues singer and an instrumental trio turned into their first record together, El Mar, in 2014. The addition of electric guitar player El Rubio to the recording session transformed the band into a quintet. The

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Photo courtesy of HospitaletTV.

rarely says no to a benefit concert or volunteer project and is a strong proponent of social justice and music education. Tori is known for being politically and socially active and is one of the most visible faces in the Spanish/Catalan movement for freedom of speech called No Callarem.

When asked about her activism, Sparks replies that she’s never been a political artist. “Helping raise money for the Ronald McDonald House or for refugees isn’t political,” she says. “It’s having the humanity to use your electrically-amplified voice to call attention to a cause that needs it.

It makes me happy to help in the way that I’m able. A movement such as No Callarem could be seen as more ‘political’ because it would require government support to change the way that certain laws are applied, but the right to freedom of speech in a democratic society is so fundamental and important that I couldn’t help but get involved. If that makes me seem controversial or political, so be it.”

Tori Sparks and Calamento’s upcoming concert at Luz de Gas will not only be a live album recording, but will also support the causes she cares about. Families and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House are invited to come to the show for free, and a portion of the proceeds will go to support No Callarem.

As to why record a live record, especially in today’s digital musical environment where fans seem to prefer easily digestible singles, Sparks replies: “This musical project is, at its core, a live band. The interaction with the audience is as important as the music in our live shows. It’s almost impossible to capture the crazy energy of a concert in the closed environment of a studio; we wanted this third album to reflect that.” Anyone who has ever seen Tori Sparks play knows what she means. At the end of the show, she usually ends up drenched in sweat, high heels off, exhorting the audience from in the middle of the room with no microphone, with the crowd singing and screaming along to the band’s driving rhythm.

Invited guest artists will include singer Alba Bioque, recently tapped to tour with Cirque de Soleil, and other special guests to be announced in the days preceding the event.

“We might have belly dancers,” Sparks confesses with a devious smile. “We might. You’ll have to come to the show to find out!” Stage clothes for the concert will be created by local designer Thembe Fashions.

Tickets for the concert are available at Ticketea.com, on ToriSparks.com or the Luz de Gas website.

bilingual project was an unexpected international success that was hailed as "adventurous, pushing the envelope" (Rolling Stone), "defies comparisons” (Rockdelux) and “pure art” (Los Conciertos de Radio3, RTVE2). The band went on to tour in Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and beyond.

Tori thinks that the album was well received both locally and internationally because the band went into it with no expectations, which made the music sound organic and fresh.

“There was no plan to sound more or less flamenco, more or less commercial, or more rock, et cetera. We liked how the music sounded and didn’t force it into a box. I think the audience can tell that we are having fun, so they have fun.”

Two years later, Tori Sparks + Calamento returned to the studio to record their second studio album, and Tori’s sixth record, La Huerta, which combines original songs with unexpected versions of Led Zeppelin and Camarón de la Isla.

On this album, the electric guitar played a bigger role, slowly pushing the band further into rock territory, but without losing the flamenco fusion base. “The idea was to risk more on this record, not to make a repeat of the last one,” Sparks says.

The music magazine Popular1 named Tori Sparks one of the female artists of the year in 2017, and she was asked to appear on late night television show LateMotiv with Andreu Buenafuentes, but professional success doesn’t necessarily translate into integrating into the local community. Tori has worked hard to build her life here. Learning the language(s) has enabled her to collaborate with local musicians such as Luz Verde, A Contra Blues, Dani Neŀlo and Alma de Boquerón, to interact with her audience and to form close friendships with people who have become more like family.

Another element that has endeared Sparks to the local community is her habit of giving back through music. She

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ONE WOMAN SHOW HOW A YOUNG JOURNALIST BECAME ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER MUSIC PUBLICISTS IN THE COUNTRY

By Celine Shepherd

A

licia Música is the name of a local music and event publicity company with an international reputation. Put it this way, when Van Morrison or Jackson Browne play in Barcelona, they call Alicia to manage their promotion.

The firm has handled communication for festivals such as Sonar, Primavera Sound and Visorfest, as well as cultural installations such as the David Bowie Is exhibition that came from London to the Museu del Disseny in Barcelona last year. This might lead one to assume that Alicia is based in a high-profile office in Gràcia or Poblenou, with several fulltime publicists on staff who throw company Christmas parties every year and so on...

Wrong. Alicia Música is one person: Alicia Rodriguez. Her office is her kitchen table in Santa Coloma. She sometimes hires part-time assistants but is essentially a one woman show.

So how did this young journalism major transform her passion for rock and roll into a career that’s made her one of the most sought-after music publicists in Spain?

“Some of the people at the radio stations where I now promote my artists once had me as an intern or were my professors in

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college. Some of the bands that are now touring all over the place were once local acts that I grew up with,” Alicia says. “I started with what I knew and the contacts I had, and built on them.”

Alicia Rodriguez started out as a freelance journalist, contributing to magazines, newspapers and radio stations such as Ruta66, El Periodico, Mondosonoro and Radio4. At the same time, she started working at the PR agency Musa Comunica, promoting local bands and record labels. Six years ago, she decided to strike out on her own and formed her own one-person promotion company: Alicia Música.

“I think that in the beginning, artists responded to me because they could see that I cared about the success of their projects as much as they did,” she says. She explains that the most rewarding part of her work is growing along with bands who trust her to handle their various projects in the beginning and then decided to stick around over the years, often becoming good friends in the process. Artists such as A Contra Blues, Tori Sparks, Ramon Aragall and the Slingshots took their chances on her — who was then a lone publicity agent with passion and energy — rather than spending huge sums of money on bigger

or more established representation.

As Alicia worked to grow these and other artists’ reputations, her own reputation grew along with them. It’s not unusual to see her answering work emails or reposting articles about her clients on social media via her phone while at the beach on a Sunday. Her unrelenting perseverance has paid off in the form of winning the trust of the local and national media, which means access and visibility for her clients.

“I think that in the beginning artists responded to me because they could see that I cared about the success of their projects as much as they did.”

Photo courtesy of Alícia Rodriguez.

Alicia insists that part of her great reputation comes from making no promises — except that she’ll work as hard as possible to promote each project. “Blowing smoke is what bad PR people do and there are a lot of bad PR people out there,” Alicia says. “You can get away with doing it once, but if you want to continue to work, you have to create realistic expectations.”

She believes that another key to her success is diversity. “A band doesn’t have to play my favorite style for me to recognize that what they do is good,” Alicia says. “I’m passionate about music and I want to serve the artists I work for, period.”

Alicia is also a writer and in 2016 released her first book of poetry, Fenix (66 RPM Edicions). “It’s a book about hope,” she says. “It’s about getting back up when you’re knocked to the ground.”

In January of this year, right in the middle of putting together a massive benefit concert at Sala Razzmatazz, Alicia lost her father to cancer. When asked what got her through a year filled with difficulties, from personal losses to an unstable political and economic environment, she says: “The music, of course. It’s my job, it’s my hobby. It’s everything.”

Somewhere in between album campaigns, Alicia still works as a freelance journalist and donates time to local causes (including Veu Animal animal refuge and the Sufragettes feminist association) and acts as PR liaison for various nonprofit events.

You can find Alicia Rodríguez on www.aliciaweb.es.

21 Photo by Desi Estevez.

Photo by Desi Estevez.

music

IN CONCERT

2nd. La Flauta Màgica Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4–6.

8th. Nits de Jazz al Terrat.

La Pedrera. Provença 261–265.

10th. Pop Bar. Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

11th. Salvador Brotons.

L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

13th. Joan Manuel Serrat.

Teatre Auditori Sant Cugat. Plaça de Victòria dels Àngels 1.

14th. Tori Sparks.

Luz de Gas. Muntaner 246.

Photo courtesy of Ivan Kovacevic.

RHYTHM & BLUES

15th. Maluma.

Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpc 5–7.

18th. Gustavo Dudamel.

Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4–6.

BARCELONA BIG BLUES BAND. SALA JAMBOREE. SEPTEMBER 9TH.

The Barcelona Big Blues Band, lead by double bass player Ivan Kovacevic, combines a group of talented musicians who create an energetic sound that is capable of being wild, raw and sophisticated at the same time. In his arrangements, Kovacevic ombines his experiences from playing in small combo bands and his love of early R&B music. The final result is a driving, powerhouse sound, following the in line of musicians like T-Bone Walker and Johnny Otis. To make each concert unique, Barcelona Big Blues Band plays with a number of special guests from around the world such as: Dani Neŀlo, Blas Picón, Big Dani Perez, Drew Davies, Ray Gelato, Mike Sanchez, Agusti Burriel, Myriam Swanson, Mark Tortorici, Knock Out Greg, Lluis Coloma, Barbara Clifford, Pere Puertas, Steve Lucky and Carmen Getit.

19th. L’Esperit de Casals.

L’Auditori. Lepant 150.

20th. Clarence Bekker.

Jamboree. Plaça Reial 17.

23rd. Yngwie Malmsteen.

Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

26th. Joshua Hyslop.

Sidecar. Pl. Reial 7.

28th. Raphael.

Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5–7.

ROCK EN ESPAÑOL

DAVID OTERO. SALA BARTS. SEPTEMBER 28TH.

Photo courtesy of David Otero.

22

David Otero is a Spanish singer, guitarist and composer. He was a member of the pop-rock group El Canto del Loco (1994-2010), with cousin Dani Martín.

Influenced mainly by other Spanish groups of the 1980s and with five studio albums, El Canto del Loco has sold more than one million copies, becoming one of the most important musical groups of the current Spanish music panorama. Together, they won two of the three nominations in the category of best artist or Spanish band at the MTV Europe Music Awards, and were awarded three Onda Music Awards as Best Artist or Live Group and best Spanish group. In mid-2009 they separated to start their individual solo careers.

After the split David Otero used the pseudonym El Pescao, but currently uses his own name. At the age of 48, he’s released five albums as El Pescao and two as David Otero, including songs such as “Una Vez Más,” “Buscando el Sol” and “Aire.”

Photo by Paedro Ferreira.

FADO

KATIA GUERREIRO. SALA BARTS. SEPTEMBER 29TH.

Katia was born in South Africa and soon after her birth her family moved to São Miguel Island, where she was raised. At the age of 15 she played the local instrument violin da terra (a special kind of guitar) in the folk band Rancho Folclórico de Santa Cecília. It was the start of her musical career. When she graduated from high school she went to Lisbon to attend medical school. She became a doctor in 2000, but her academic years were also spent as the vocalist of a rock band Os Charruas. In October 2000 she went on stage on a tribute concert to Amalia Rodrigues in Lisbon and she delighted the audience with the best performance of Fado that night. In that moment, her career as a Fado singer came to life. Nine albums later, she’s become one of the most important voices in the world of this traditional Portuguese music.

art IN DEFENSE OF CHILDREN

CARME SOLÉ VENDRELL: PER QUÈ?

PALAU ROBERT. UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24TH.

Photo courtesy of Palau Robert.

Organized by the Generalitat de Catalunya, Per què? describes the journey of internationally renowned, Catalan illustrator Carme Solé Vendrell as a person and as an artist. It reveals the craft of illustration through her drawings — depicting characters in a story, how they dress, what they do, what they feel, where they are — everything that makes reading an illustrated narrative book like attending a theatrical performance. The exhibition highlights 50 years of the artist’s professional achievements, characterized by her defense of children’s rights, and showcases the importance of children’s book illustration in Catalonia, which has captivated generations of children by skillfully combining entertainment with educational messages. Free admission. Open Monday–Saturday 9:00 am–8:00 pm and Sunday 9:00 am–2:30 pm.

AN ART IN ITS OWN RIGHT

“CREATIVE” PHOTOGRAPHY IN CATALONIA (1973-1982).

LA VIRREINA CENTRE DE LA IMATGE. UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24TH.

“Creative” Photography in Catalonia (1973–1982) presents the rise of a generation of photographers that demanded that the institutional and artistic system of the time recognize photography as an art in its own right. It ranges from the opening of Spectrum — the first gallery in Spain to specialize in photography, inaugurated in Barcelona in 1973 — to Primavera Fotogràfica (Springtime of Photography), held in Barcelona in 1982.

Several documentary archives as well as a significant portion of this generation’s artistic production have been recovered for the exhibit. Free admission. Open Tuesday– Sunday Noon–8:00 pm.

Photo by Tony Keeler. Dreams on a Sabine Tree, from the series Ibiza a Dream, circa 1973.

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Saul Leiter, Snow, 1960. ©Saul Leiter Foundation.

Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE.

PRECURSOR OF COLOR

SAUL LEITER: IN SEARCH OF BEAUTY. FUNDACIÓN FOTO COLECTANIA. UNTIL OCTOBER 21ST.

Leiter combined photography and painting all his life and continued painting daily until his death. But the camera became the medium through which he managed to capture and interpret the life of New York City as no one had done before. The dynamic between painting and photography had an impact on Leiter’s artistic gaze, and he created a new visual rhythm.

His typical photographic language is one of abstraction; he compresses spatial dynamics, obstructs sight lines and gives up a centered perspective. Leiter’s painterly sensibility is clearly visible in the soft and unsaturated contrasts in his photographs.

Moreover, his use of reflection makes his compositions more shattered, more tangled. Included in this exhibition are 130 color and black and white photographs. His black and white photographs capture the energetic street life of New York City in the late 1940s and ’50s, reflecting his unique perspective on the places and people he encountered. Conversely, his nudes and intimate portraits reflect a more quiet sense of beauty, illuminating a close collaboration with his subjects in which they feel free to reveal their true selves. Free admission. Open Monday–Friday 11:00 am–2:00 pm and 4:00 pm–8:00 pm.

JAZZ MAESTROS Get your jazz fix at JazzSí Club, as it dedicates one session per week to the genre’s great maestros.

JazzSí. 8:30 pm.

Full Stack Fest is a week-long, language-agnostic conference for curious developers that want to gaze into the future.

Auditori AXA. Until Sep 7th.

3FULL STACK FEST

M ONDAY

PIROMUSICAL FIREWORKS DISPLAY (24th)

OCEANS, THE LAST WILD TERRITORY Dive into the deep blue sea with this fascinating audiovisual tour of the sea bed, the product of 75 exhibitions and seven years of work.

Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona. Until September 24th.

Camel, a band formed by Colin Bass, Denis Clement, Peter Jones and Andrew Latimer, performs Moonmadness, an album originally released in 1976.

Sala BARTS. 9:00 PM. CARME SOLÉ VENDRELL Exhibition of the internationally renowned Catalan illustrator Carme Solé Vendrell to celebrate her 50 years of professional achievements.

Palau Robert. Until September 24th.

El Dirty is the party theme that fills up Razzmatazz every Wednesday, with DJs Purpur & Perotutehasvisto and the dancers..

Sala Razzmatazz.

5EL DIRTY

WE DN ESDAY

PIROMUSICAL FIREWORKS DISPLAY (24th) MÚSICA ALS PARCS

4MOONMADNESS

.

TUE SDAY

BACILOS The six-time Latin Grammy winner pop-rock band Bacilos is coming to Spain in 2018, 10 years after their split, with new music.

Luz de Gas. 9:00 pm.

PROGRAM At this 60-minute talk by Alicia Ribas, you will discover the three biggest mistakes that 99% of entrepreneurs make.

Utopicus Coworking. 9:00 am.

6FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR

FRIDAY

PACO MONTALVO For the first time in Barcelona, one of the best violinists in the world will be interpreting work by Paco de Lucía, Falla and even the Beatles.

Gran Teatre del Liceu. 9:00 pm.

The film tells the story of a chorus girl given a chance at stardom when she is offered an opportunity to be a highly paid cover girl.

Filmoteca de Catalunya. 7:00 pm.

SUN DAY

CLASSICAL MUSIC AT MEAM The works of classical masters, such as Bach and Mozart, are showcased in this series of music performances at MEAM — a museum exhibiting some of the finest artwork in Barcelona. MEAM. 5:30 pm.

In the summer, the roof terrace at La Pedrera turns into an outstanding setting to enjoy the evening, with the best live music of the current jazz scene.

La Pedrera. 8:45 pm.

DIADA CASTELLERA AT FESTA MAJOR DEL POBLENOU See one of Catalonia's most famous traditions — the castells (human towers) that can reach heights of up to ten stories. Parc del Centre del Poblenou. 11:30 am.

MUSICA FOR FAMILIES Go on a journey of discovery into the history of music with this guided tour designed for families.

Museu de la Música, L’Auditori.

11:00 am.

TODO A 1€ MARKET Embrace sustainability and buy from the Todo a 1€ second-hand market, which sells everything from clothes and accessories to books and household goods.

L'Ovella Negra del Poblenou.

7:00 pm.

PSYCHEDELIC ROCK A night out with The Black Angels featuring a diverse style of rock music originated in the 1960s.

Sala Apolo. 8:00 pm.

9GUIDED TOUR OF MUSEU DE LA

One of the most acclaimed operas around the world, by W.A. Mozart, is Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).

Palau de la Música Catalana.

6:30 pm.

The city's design museum, Museu del Disseny de Barcelona, hosts guided tours of one of Catalunya's protected heritages, Casa Bloc.

Casa Bloc. 10:00 am.

1GUIDED TOURS OF CASA BLOC 2THE MAGIC FLUTE

SAT URDAY

7RITA HAYWORTH IN "COVER GIRL" 8NITS DE JAZZ AL TERRAT

GEGANTS AT LA MERCÉ CELEBRATIONS.

T HURSDA Y

SEPTEMBER 2018

THIS MONTH

18

17 LINDY AL PARC

MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA The orchestra will be performing Schubert’s Symphony no. 4, in C minor, D. 417 and Brahms’ Symphony no. 4, in E minor, op. 98.

Palau de la Música Catalana.

8:00 pm.

LA MESA NARANJA Every month, like-minded Dutch and local entrepreneurs in Barcelona can head to the Mesa Naranja for a networking lunch and business pitch.

Maestró. 2:00 pm.

RITA HAYWORTH "PAL JOEY" "Pal Joey" is a 1957 American Technicolor musical film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name.

Filmoteca de Catalunya. 9:30 pm.

CASALS' SPIRIT The Barcelona and National Symphony Orchestra of Catalonia presents a new record, recorded last summer, around the figure of Pau Casals.

L'Auditori. 8:00 pm.

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POBLENOU FESTA MAJOR Poblenou has a long festive tradition dating back to 1800. For two weeks music, art, dance and sports are celebrated throughout the neighborhood.

Poblenou neighborhood. Until Sep 16th.

Offering activities of all kinds, including dances, concerts, children's activities, community meals, sporting events and more!

Horta neighborhood. Until Sep 16th.

LA MERCÉ PIROMUSICAL FIREWORKS DISPLAY This spectacular fireworks show set to music and accompanied by the dancing fountains of Plaça de Espanya closes La Mercé festivities.

Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina.

10:00 pm.

LA MERCÉ See one of Catalonia's most famous traditions — the castells (human towers) that can reach heights of up to 10 stories.

Plaça Sant Jaume. 12:30 pm.

BLUES JAM SESSION Led by Hernán ‘El Chino’ Senra, transform your Tuesday evenings with this weekly blues and swing session at Harlem Jazz Club 10:30 pm.

Embrace your musical side at this vibrant session celebrating jazz and traditional Spanish Flamenco.

Robadors 23. 8:00 pm

CORREFOC.

UNA CIERTA OBSCURIDAD This latest exhibition at CaixaForum examines the juxtaposition of physical art with the mere concept of art itself.

CaixaForum. Until Jan 5th.

CATALONIA An exhibit of photography by a generation of Catalan photographers who demanded that fine art photography be recognised as an art form in its own right.

La Virreina. Until Sep 30th.

24 25 26 CASTELLERS AT THE DIADA DE JAZZ AND FLAMENCO SESSION CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY IN

KADER ATTIA EXHIBIT The latest winner of the Joan Miró Prize, Kader Attia presents a selection of works which center around the notion of repair.

Fundació Joan Miró. Until Sep 30th.

Join Parc de la Ciutadella's open swing session at the bandstand.

Parc de la Ciutadella 12:00 pm.

RITA HAYWORTH "YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER" A 1942 Hollywood musical, romantic comedy film set in Buenos Aires, starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.

Filmoteca de Catalunya. 9:30 pm.

POP BAR In this edition, Las Cinco collaborates with the FUNDACIÓN PRIVADA AUTISMO GURU. Las Cinco await you full of music to dance and celebrate a night to remember Razzmatazz. Midnight.

FESTA CATALANA

AL BORN See one of Catalonia's most famous traditions — the castells (human towers) that can reach heights of up to ten stories.

Plaça del Comerç. 11:30 am.

A fascinating free photography exhibition of 300 photos exploring the relationship between the interior and the exterior.

Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona. Until October 27th.

10 11 12 CARME GARCIA DES DEL TERRAT CASTELLERS AT DIADA NACIONAL FESTA MAJOR D'HORTA

DAVID OTERO After three discs under the pseudonym of El Pescao, the former guitarist of El Canto del Loco has decided to step forward and recoed an album under his own name.

Sala BARTS. 9:00 pm.

DE L'EXAIMPLE You will find are the gegants (giants) and capgrossos (big heads) parading through the streets as well as dancers, community meals, concerts, talks, sports competitions, workshops and more. Various locatoins in the neighborhood. Until Oct 7th.

28 FESTA MAJOR DE L'ESQUERRA

HA*ASH Ashley and Hanna Pérez will present their new album in Barcelona on their second Spanish tour.

Razzmatazz. 9:00 pm.

With a mix of big name artists as well as new/next talent, WAKE UP CALL at W Barcelona will include performances by: Black Coffee, Robin Schulz, Martin Solveig and many more.

W Hotel. Until Sep 23rd.

KATIA GUERREIRO Katia Guerreiro is one of the most important voices of Portuguese traditional music Fado.

Sala BARTS. 8:30 pm.

The works of classical masters, such as Bach and Mozart, are showcased in this series of music performances at MEAM — a museum exhibiting some of the finest artwork in Barcelona.

MEAM. 5:30 pm.

29 CLASSICAL MUSIC AT MEAM

CASTELLS.

BEHIND THE ENIGMA This the first international show dedicated to Gala Dalí, rather than the artists that she inspired.

MNAC. Until Oct th.

The Symphonic Orchestra of el Vallès, conducted by David Niemann, will perform Shönberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw and Beethoven’s Symphony no.9. Palau de la Música Catalana. 8:30 pm.

22 BEETHOVEN

EL GRITO Poble Espanyol welcomes the Mexican, Catalan and international community to celebrate with music, tequila, tacos and other Mexican delights.

Poble Espanyol. Until Sep 16th.

A market celebrating people with a passion for good food. Each event showcases some of Barcelona’s greatest artisans, entrepreneurs, cooks, farmers and food enthusiasts.

Teatre Nacional de Catalunya. Until Sep 16th.

15 ALL THOSE FOOD MARKET

MAGIC NIGHTS Visit Casa Batlló and round off your day with an open-air concert with views over the city; discover Casa Batlló’s roof terrace at sunset and enjoy live music Casa Batlló. 8:00 pm.

The book fair offers books of all kinds from children's books to rare and out of print books for the collector.

Passeig de Gràcia. Until Oct 7th.

30 67TH SECOND HAND BOOK FAIR

PICASSO'S KITCHEN This exhibition brings together nearly 200 pieces from various museums and private collections, offering a chronological overview of the artist’s life and relationship to the kitchen.

Museu Picasso. Until Sep 30th.

A collection of photography based on daily life in New York in an abstract and intimate style that made the artist famous.

Foto Colectania. Until October 21st.

23 SAUL LEITER

CASTELLERS AT FESTA MAJOR D'HORTA See one of Catalonia's most famous traditions — the castells (human towers) that can reach heights of up to ten stories.

Parc de les Rieres d'Horta. 12:00 pm.

Barcelona’s Vintage Market returns with everything from books and homewear, to shoes and the best vintage fashion.

La Nau Bostik. 11:00 am.

16 BARCELONA VINTAGE MARKET

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEBSITE BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM

IMPRO SIDE STORY The Onyric Club of Teatre Condal proposes the show Impro Side Story, the improvisation show of musical theater.

Teatre Condal. 10:00 pm.

The Barcelona Music Jam is inclusive, collaborative and welcoming — artists hoping to jam just need to speak with the event host on the night.

Craft Barcelona 9:00 pm.

27 BARCELONA MUSIC JAM

JAMBSOUL A regular singer at the big soul and jazz festivals in Europe will perform at the Jamboree Jazz Club.

8:00 pm.

TOUR This tour provides betweensix and seven gin tastings per person over the course of approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Various locations. 7:30 pm.

20 GIN ROUTE: ARTISAN DRINKS

21 WAKE UP CALL FESTIVAL

BORN STREET FOOD Once again Pla de Palau square will be filled with gastronomy and music. The square becomes a great open-air gastronomic market where Barcelona Born Gourmet partners cook their best dishes live.

Pla de Palau. Until Sep 16th.

POBLENOU FESTA MAJOR Poblenou has a long festive tradition dating back to 1800. For two weeks music, art, dance and sports are celebrated throughout the neighborhood.

Poblenou neighborhood. Until Sep 16th.

TORI SPARKS (14TH).

Photo by Desi Estevez.

Tori Sparks and the band will present a special concert in Luz de Gas in Barcelona, and they will record it live.

Luz de Gas. 9:30 pm.

14 TORI SPARKS

Mediterraneo Da Capo is the title of the new show by Joan Manuel Serrat.

Teatre-Auditori Sant Cugat. 9:00 pm.

13 JOAN MANUEL SERRAT

misc

EL GRITO

MEXCAT. POBLE ESPANYOL. DE CATALUNYA. FRANCESC FERRER I GUÀRDIA 13. SEPTEMBER 15TH–16TH. El Grito de Dolores is considered the act that initiated the war for Mexican Independence. On September 15th and 16th, Poble Espanyol transforms itself into a Mexican colonial pueblo, welcoming the Mexican, Catalan and international community. Performing artists include: Nayelli Abrego, Línderman Díaz, El Charro Puro Corazón, Karen Lazo, Roberto Aguilar, BCN City Ballet and many more. Mexico is known for its delectable cuisine and you’ll have opportunity to taste the spectacular offerings from a wide variety of vendors, including: El Rincón de Carmencita, Cielito Lindo, Chilakiller, La Antigua, Tu Cachapa, Chilapa, Taco Alto, Sabor Mexicano, Santíssimo Agave, Panchito, Corazón de Agave, La Costeña, Quesito Lindo, Ferilandia, Amaranto Fresh & Mexican Fusion and Nagual. In addition to great music and amazing food, there will be tequila, Lucha Libre, dancing and many more surprises! bcnvivemexico.com/feria-2018

A FOODIE’S DREAM FESTIVAL

ALL THOSE FOOD MARKET. TEATRE NACIONAL DE CATALUNYA. PLAÇA DE LES ARTS 1.

SEPTEMBER 15TH–16TH.

Photo by Mònica Figueras.

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All Those Food Market celebrates people with a passion for good food. Each event showcases some of Barcelona’s greatest artisans, entrepreneurs, cooks, farmers and food enthusiasts in a maze of food and drink stalls with a festive atmosphere. The market champions local produce and independent businesses, providing visitors with an opportunity to meet the creators behind each dish and to take an interest in its origins. Participants include the young team of Casa Xica, Aiueno’s chef Kenji Ueno or Rafa Peña from Gresca restaurant among many others. allthose.org

HELLO BARCELONA!

HOLA BARCELONA! COCKTAIL. PALAUET ALBÉNIZ. AV. DE L’ESTADI 65.

SEPTEMBER 13TH. Organized by Barcelona Global in conjunction with the City Council, the Hola Barcelona! Cocktail welcomes international talent that have chosen to live and work in Barcelona. Barcelona Global is a private, non-profit organization made up of 146 of the city’s leading companies, research centers, entrepreneurs, business schools, universities, cultural institutions and more than 800 professionals aiming to make Barcelona one of the world’s best cities for talent and economic activity. Their four main areas of action are: to make the city more friendly to the international community; to make the city more business friendly; to create business opportunities; and to develop the Barcelona brand. This year marks the 6th annual Hola Barcelona! Cocktail, welcoming the city’s international talent. barcelonaglobal.org

WAKE UP!

WAKE UP CALL FESTIVAL. W HOTEL. PLAÇA DE LA ROSA DELS VENTS 1. SEPTEMBER 21ST–23RD.

The WAKE UP CALL festival at W Barcelona goes well beyond the music, serving up the W experience every step of the way. The W is throwing out the festival playbook and creating an experience that is as fabulous as it is fun. WAKE UP CALL takes the festival experience off the field and onto luxury hotel grounds. wakeupcallfest.com

ART REVIEW

Will Shank reviews “Gala Salvador Dalí.

A Room of One’s Own in Púbol.” at the National Art Museum of Catalonia until October 14th

T

he exhibition currently at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), ostensibly a celebration of the life and accomplishments of Gala Dalí, wife of the celebrated Catalan Surrealist artist, tries hard not to be a show about Salvador Dalí. It doesn’t entirely succeed because it is burdened with the long shadow cast by one of the 20th century’s most brilliant technicians.

The galleries at the heart of the installation, in fact, form a sort of mini–museum, with many of the works on display on loan from the Museu-Teatre Salvador Dalí in his hometown of Figueres.

Surrounding that core of well-known works, including the much-reproduced 1944 painting, One Second Before Awakening From a Dream Provoked by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate, are galleries that tell the story of the Russian-born woman who married Dalí and promoted his career. If this mistress/muse and wife/agent was the model for a given painting, was anywhere in the vicinity of a painting or was the one who helped sell a painting, said painting is probably in this exhibition.

The somewhat illegible text printed the walls and mirrors in the first galleries suggests that the culmination of the eccentric and colorful partnership between the Dalís was the renovation of the beautiful castle in Púbol (near the Costa Brava) that became her — not his — home in the 1970s. The story of the castle is an interesting one, and it will probably attract many more art-lovers to this tourist destination in the Empordà. But the focus on the building, rather than its inhabitants, distracts the MNAC visitor from the central theme: Gala, who was born Elena Ivanovna Diakonova in Kazan, Russia, in 1894. In several instances, the curators insist that she was not only brilliant and talented, which she almost certainly was, but that she was beautiful, which she was not.

What’s missing from the exhibition is a sense of how much fun these wacky, self-promoting people probably were to be around. There is one black-andwhite newsreel that shows them both performing in outrageous garb designed

by Dalí, as well as an enticing series of photos of their joint installation at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. But otherwise we must accept Gala as a fashion icon — and it is fun to see, among other bits of haute couture, the Elsa Schiaparelli “shoe” that she wore on her head — and as an artists’ agent. (Did fellow Surrealist painter Giorgio De Chirico follow through on his offer to hire her

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Salvador Dalí. Portrait of Gala with two lamb chops in equilibrium upon her shoulder. C. 1934. © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, VEGAP, Barcelona, 2018

to represent him? We do not learn the answer here.)

Was she a gold-digger or a brilliant artist in her own right? There is no evidence that she ever picked up a paintbrush, although her husband signed many of his works with both of their names. Her greatest talent seemed to be identifying and romancing talented young men, like American painter Max Ernst, French poet Paul Eluard (whom she also married in 1918) and of course Salvador Dalí. A video toward the end of the exhibition sheds the most light on her motivation. Like a traditional Russian wife, she saw her role as to stand by her man and to make sure that his needs were met. Along the way, she acknowledged, she would like to be remembered “as a legend.” And with the MNAC show, so she is.

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TURBULANCES Works of art that act as a trigger

Ana Garcia-Pineda. (Sabadell, 1982) The Curve of Oblivion (La corba de l’oblit), 2015 Vídeo HD, 16:9, color, 4 min 34 s.

CaixaForum’s Turbulances brings together twenty works which shake the spectator and bring diverse views on the contradictions of contemporary society.

A

ll turbulence provokes, shakes and unsettles. It is a sudden movement that awakens our conscience and sharpens our senses. Starting with the state of sudden unrest created by turbulence, this exhibition explores the role of contemporary art in the face of the conflicts and instabilities that characterize our globalized world; in it, the artists launch a critical look at the world we live in, and examine its contradictions.

Curated by Nimfa Bisbe, head of CaixaForum’s art collections, the exhibition presents twenty works, a number of which have entered the permanent collection in recent years and half of which had never been on display before in Barcelona. The artists included are: Equipo Crónica, Walter Dahn, José Damasceno, Smadar Dreyfus, Dionís Escorsa, Nir Evron, Harun Farocki, Pedro G. Romero, Ana Garcia-Pineda, Thomas Hirschhorn, Anselm Kiefer, Guillermo Kuitca, Antoni Muntadas, Paulo Nazareth, Damián Ortega, Walid Raad, Sophie Ristelhueber, Juan Ugalde and Bill Viola.

Many artists have asked themselves, “What is art capable of?” To do this, they shape their observations, interests and speculations with a great capacity to produce some kind of critical awareness. Artists detach themselves from prejudice to transcend traditional boundaries of art. In this way, they delve into social and cultural reality and offer points of view that are provocative and surprising. Artists cannot change what they dislike of our world, but their works can act as triggers capable of opening our eyes — which is just what turbulence does as well.

The critical development of the representation of reality by art in recent decades has led artists to question traditional war iconography and to speculate on the visualization of violence (Walid Raad). However, the “game of war” is

found in the origins of our visual culture and its formalization experiences an infinite evolution. If chess is the ultimate abstraction of confrontation and control of terrain (José Damasceno), new technologies have transformed war into virtual reality. Animation programs and video game — which are used to train troops and/or provide therapeutic treatment for soldiers — have turned the terrible violence of a battle into fictional imagery. Computer-simulated combat reduces the anguish and anxiety that is produced by any type of destruction, resulting in indifference (Harun Farocki). In a text about the work of Farocki, the French essayist Georges Didi-Huberman asks why and how the production of images participates in the destruction of human beings In the middle of the reverberation of these images, rises the installation Mother’s Day, which concentrates the emotional impact on the sound of the voice. Created as a sound environment, the image acts as a pause for silence, and the darkness acts as an insulator for words that express the conflict of imposed separation. These voices are those of a population that lives divided by a border, their identity negated and nationality unrecognized. Artist Smadar Dreyfus does not comment on the conflict; she tries to allow the reality of this community to penetrate the consciousness of the viewer through the intimacy of listening. On another screen, artist Ana Garcia-Pineda talks about the life of words. They draw the memory of a forced exile and create a biographical account that is part of our collective history.

Artists are witnesses of their time, and the history of art is witness to their observations. Some artists use irony to warn about the vulnerability of the current global economy. Others point to the erosion of nationalist ideals or depict the suffering and loneliness in cities. Despite the shadows cast by these works, the artists underscore the fragility that lies behind marginalization. They point out the solidarity that allows us to overcome the turbulence of our world and reveal the redeeming power of the artistic metaphor.

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TRAVEL

Land of

VOLCANOES

La Vall d’en Bas, La Garrotxa. Photo by Tara Shain.

LA GARROTXA IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL REGIONS IN CATALUNYA. LOCATED AMONG THE FOOTHILLS OF THE PYRENEES IN THE PROVINCE OF GIRONA, THIS SPARSELY POPULATED, FERTILE LAND IS FILLED WITH HIGH RIDGES, DEEP VALLEYS, RIVERS AND FORESTS AND BOASTS OVER 40 VOLCANIC CONES. ITS NUMEROUS SMALL VILLAGES AND FARMS THAT DOT THE LANDSCAPE STILL PRESERVE A RURAL LIFESTYLE AND A RICH CULINARY HERITAGE.

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mong Catalunya’s comarques (counties), La Garrotxa is a shining star. Unassumingly situated in the midst of six other counties, this mountainous, northern region offers visitors an impressive roster of must-see sights (not to mention must-eat foods as well). Though passed over by some for its lack of beach-holiday amenities, the area attracts numerous visitors who come for its spectacular natural parks, the culture and beauty of medieval towns like Santa Pau and Besalú and the region’s highly prized gastronomical tradition.

The Roman road of Capsacosta is as good a place as any to start a cultural exploration of Garrotxa. Built around 200 BCE, it formed the main artery from the Pyrenees to the northern Catalan coast for some 2,000 years, an indispensable transport link for generations of farmers, soldiers, traders and civilians.

From the Vall de Bianya, an area that forms part of Garrotxa’s

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Lamb shank with rossinyol mushrooms. Photo courtesy of Es Casa Teva.

volcanic park, there are various routes to try. For example, a 15-kilometer excursion that loops from the town of Sant Salvador de Bianya to St. Pau de Segúries and back again should satiate anyone’s appetite for following in Roman footsteps.

Moving through the centuries, the towns of Besalú and Santa Pau highlight the beauty of medieval art and architecture. Though today a modest place, Besalú was for centuries a seat of great importance — first to the Romans and then to the various independent earldoms that followed, and it still boasts a plethora of Romanesque structures, including the 12th-century Monestir de Sant Pere, with its unique ambulatory, and the iconic fortified bridge with its seven irregular arches. Records also indicate the

SEPHARDIC BESALÚ A WALK THROUGH ITS MEDIEVAL STREETS REVEALS CLUES TO ITS JEWISH PAST Catalunya’s Besalú’s most recognized monument is the impressive 11th-century Pont Vell, the fortified medieval bridge that leads into the town. However, its most significant historical treasure is the 12th-century mikveh (Jewish ceremonial bath), discovered by chance during excavations in 1964. From a public square, a set of stairs descends into the impressively well-preserved, underground enclosure that captures the river’s waters. Guided visits are offered through the Tourist Office for 2.25€ per person.

Pont Vell, Besalú. Photo by Miki Pons.

presence of a significant ancient Jewish community, yet the only physical remnant is the 12th-century El Miqvé, a ritual bathhouse made of stone.

Santa Pau, which sits in the midst of the Volcanic Zone National Park, is a medieval village with an old quarter marked by gateways, arches, cobblestone streets and wooden balconies that drip with flowers. (You might recognize it from “Ocho apellidos catalanes,” the sequel to hit Spanish movie “Ocho apellidos vascos.”) The Plaça Major (or Firal dels Bous), the arcaded main square that is presided over by the Santa Maria church, narrows into the many twisting alleyways that lead to the Portal del Mar, which in turn offers lovely views of the surrounding valleys and Romanesque churches. Many of these can be reached by foot and offer fabulous volcanic vistas.

Garrotxa’s capital, Olot, has a fine example of Renaissance architecture in its Claustres del Carme, but its importance to Garrotxa’s cultural heritage is most notably comprised by two artistic movements: the Olot School, a 19th-century trend in landscape painting that produced many excellent works now housed in the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa; and Modernisme, the 19th-century architectural movement that saw the streets of the city transformed by architects like Lluís Domenech i Montaner and Josep Azemar. Interested visitors can follow the Ruta del Modernisme, a walking route mapped out by the Olot town council to show off the highlights of the movement’s effect on the city.

From the 40-plus volcanoes in the south to the dramatic cliffs and

Oficina de Turisme de Besalú Carrer del Pont 1 Tel. 972 59 12 40 Mon–Sun 10:00–14:00 & 16:00–19:00 besalu.cat

gorges of the north, the comarca’s landscape is a wonderland for nature enthusiasts. The Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa is best explored on foot, and those with enough self-motivation and leg muscles to match will find that the 28 trails of this natural park lead to some spectacular natural sights (extinct volcanoes, towering oaks and beeches) as well as cultural ones (Romanesque hermitages, first-millennia churches). Most of the paths are sign-posted and many join up with the extensive Itinerànnia footpath network, which consists of more than 2,000 routes from Ripollès to Garrotxa to Alt Empordà.

In the north, the Espai Natural de l’Alta Garrotxa has five hiking trails that pass through some of the most phenomenal landscapes in all the Pyrenees, most of which coincide with the Itinerànnia paths. The cliffs’ harsh rock façades are complemented by formidable forests, wildlife (the many rare bird species in the area will be of particular interest to some visitors) and deep green valleys. Archaeological sites and farmhouses are often all that attest to human activity in this wild landscape.

WHAT TO EAT The gastronomy of the Garrotxa is a huge draw, with its enticing blend of both the traditional cuina volcànica — making use of locally grown black turnips, truffles, beans and buckwheat — and the creative volcànica nova movement that focuses on innovation through unique flavor combinations.

New interpretations of classic dishes are the order of the day, and there is a somewhat intimidating number of restaurants (several with Michelin stars) carrying this off successfully.

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DAY TRIP

RIBERA

D’EBRE OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS…

Overlooking the Ebre river and Església de Sant Jaume from the Castell de Miravet. Photo by Xavi López.

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a Ribera d’Ebre is one of the four comarques that make up the area known as the Terres de l’Ebre in the south of Catalunya. Its name comes from the Ebre (also referred to as Ebro) river, which enters La Ribera from the west and forms its backbone. The comarca boasts stunning scenery and many high points — including the Serra de Berrús, Rovelló and the Serra de Cardó — which provide panoramic views over the river, valleys and surrounding forests.

The Ebre river has always been a valuable resource and attracted settlers from prehistoric, Iberian and Roman times to the Moorish era and the Middle Ages. It has also been witness to great tragedies recently, most notably during the Spanish Civil War when many lives were lost in the Battle of the Ebro.

Today, in some towns people still make their living by working out in the orchards and almond and olive groves, weaving baskets from reeds and palms or crafting ceramics by hand. But the region has always changed with the times. Now power stations and hydroelectric and electrochemical industries provide many with a source of income.

SITES

The region’s most famous landmark is the magnificent Castell de Miravet, which stands on a rocky hilltop in the south, above the west bank of the Ebre.

The castle is Moorish in origin and dates back to the ninth century. In the 12th century, it became the property of the Knights Templar who extended the original construction and turned it into a regional command center.

Just below the castle lies the town of Miravet, which also has Moorish roots and a few sites worth visiting. The old stone houses that line the narrow streets, the Aljama (the former Judeo-Muslim quarter) and the old Baroque church are among the most representative. From Miravet, the easiest way to travel to the other side of the Ebre is by taking the ferry across the river. Once on the eastern side heading away from the river you’ll hit Tivissa. This small town has a lovely historic center with some remains of the original medieval walls, the old entrance (Portal de l’Era) and the Església de Sant Jaume.

On the way there, however, is an interesting archaeological site: Castellet de Banyoles. This Iberian settlement from the fourth century BCE is situated on a plateau overlooking the river; three of its areas have been excavated, including pentagonal towers at the entrance and living spaces.

Heading north leads to Móra la Nova, where an arched bridge crosses the Ebre to the regional capital Móra d’Ebre. In the Middle Ages, like other towns in the region, Móra d’Ebre was home to many Moriscos (Muslims converted to Christianity) as well as Christians and Jews. Places to visit there include the partially-ruined Moorish castle and the 19th-century Convent de les Mínimes.

Tivissa from Castell de Sant Blai. Photo by Angela Llop.

EXCURSIONS

One of the best ways to explore the county is by following the hiking routes that cross many areas of natural beauty. One of the most challenging itineraries is the Ruta del Teix, which runs for almost 18 kilometers along the PR-80 in the south of the comarca and features ancient yew trees, a Bronze Age settlement, a spring, caves and woodlands. The Camí de Sirga (Tow Path) follows in the footsteps of the men who used to tow their loads along the river from its banks and takes in some charming traditional villages, as well as historic monuments.

For classical rock climbing, there are around 200 routes in the limestone peaks above Tivissa. Complete beginners might like to try climbing on a via ferrata, where cables and steps have been built into the rocks for added security. Water sports like canoeing, kayaking and sailing can be enjoyed on parts of the Ebre and the Pantà de Riba-roja is also a popular spot for fishing.

EATS

Savory dishes range from grilled or roasted meats and Catalan classics like escalivada to more inventive creations like clotxa, a piece of hollowed out bread stuffed with sardines and roasted vegetables.

The region is probably best known for its soft fruits like cherries and peaches. Locally grown produce makes for popular pastries such as cherry cake, fig bread, capsetes (almond cakes) and heavier offerings like sweet pastissets filled with cabello de ángel and flavored with anise. Regular and fortified wine and olive oil are also part of the local output.

This text was adapted from an article that appeared in Barcelona Metropolitan in 2009.

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WORKING LIFE

startup of the month

TECHBUDDY MARC MIRALDA, HEAD OF OPERATIONS OF TECHBUDDY IN SPAIN (As told to Héctor Cols)

Nowadays, consumer electronics serve a lot of different functions and it’s easy for everyday consumers to get lost. Often they need help fixing things, to activate or take advantage of features on their devices or to simply make them start working. Most of the issues that we resolve for our customers are technically simple, but what’s missing is the instructional element.

TechBuddy provides on-demand tech support at customers’ homes and what makes us different is that we are focused on the people. All of our “buddies” have been trained in how to teach others — and how to be patient with them too. When they assist our customers at their homes, they sit down with them and provide explanations in detail so that consumers understand how devices work and must be maintained.

Suppose you just moved to the city and need technical assistance or advice. You can book a service through our app, social media, website or by phone and specify what kind of service you need, along with your address.

Immediately, the service appears in our system and all nearby “buddies” with the appropriate skills for the requested task are notified. Once a “buddy” takes the task, the customer is contacted to arrange the visit. It’s that easy!

I’m a Spaniard but lived part of my life in Sweden, where the idea of TechBuddy was born in 2016 and the company was launched shortly thereafter. From that moment on, we started getting a lot of traction and calls for service so we began to offer installation and support for

Photo of courtesy of TechBuddy.

existing electronic products, as well as support before making purchases. It all grew so fast that I quickly realized we were dealing with a global need.

Spain is the first market we are expanding to and I have been responsible for bringing the project here. Scandinavians are very “techy” but I find that Spaniards are are tech savvy too. The local circumstance of high unemployment rates here as well make us believe that our service can be of great benefit here. In one corner, we are creating opportunities for people who are passionate about technology to get some source of income, and in the other, we are helping people who are new to or even afraid of new technologies to understand them and be part of this technological change.

Last June TechBuddy launched a partnership with Media Markt and, at the moment, we are operating in nearly 50 cities in Spain. Given the success we had partnering with Telco companies in Sweden, we are working on partnerships in Spain’s Telco sector as well. With the increasing market of internet access, wifi, networks and technologies of the sort, there are a lot of customers who need our services. Our idea is to cover the whole territory in the next months and, at the same time, expand TechBuddy to different countries.

GET INSPIRED...

FACEBOOK ADS FOR STARTUPS

OneCoWork, Carrer d’Estruc 9.

September 20th. 9:00–18:30.

Patrick Wind & the AdsAccelerator-Mentors come to Barcelona with their 6th full day workshop about Advanced Facebook Ads for Startups. Learn how to lower your Cost per Acquisition and increase your Return on Ad Spend for your Facebook & Instagram Ads! adsaccelerator.com/

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PURPOSEFUL LEADERSHIP

Cloud Coworking, Carrer de Sardenya 229.

September 20th. 19:00–21:00.

Learn about purposeful leadership from Barcelona’s top leaders in business. Speakers will discuss this leadership style that focuses on positive work culture and happiness.

Develop your skills as a leader and network with others that are making an impact in business.

FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM

Utopicus Coworking, Ronda de Sant Pere 16.

September 28th. 9:30–13:30.

A four hour workshop aimed at female entrepreneurs willing to create their own businesses, providing support to sell and tools to help prioritize clients and sales. Learn about the close relationship between pricing and selfesteem and what you can do about it. aliciaribas.com

startup of the month

WIFITAKEAWAY

Photo of courtesy of Wifitakeaway.

WIFITAKEAWAY IS A PORTABLE WIFI HOTSPOT FOR TRAVELERS THAT PROVIDES FAST AND RELIABLE INTERNET WHILE YOU TRAVEL, CONNECTING YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION, YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND HELPING YOU GET WORK DONE WHILE YOU’RE ON THE GO. At 2:30 am we received a call from a bar owner in Badalona (a city just north of Barcelona) who told us that a “Chinese” couple wanted to speak to us; we were puzzled. When he put me through, I was shocked to learn that our Airbnb guests from Korea were left stranded by a taxi driver and they didn’t know where they were! With no data plan to use their smartphone — and in a country with a completely different alphabet — they felt unsafe and lost. What they needed was a reliable way to connect to the web immediately upon arriving, without having to desperately search for a place with wifi.

Wifitakeaway was born out of this overwhelming need for an affordable and easy to use solution that travelers can use to stay connected while discovering cities all over Europe.

Our COO Vivianne and I have hosted more than 500 guests in our home and we know firsthand that people feel safer, have more fun and enjoy a better travel experience when they have uninterrupted internet access, without having to wander around from café to café, only to feel forced to use unreliable, unsecured and slow internet connections.

Expats and students have been rapidly booking our service as well.

Looking for a soft-landing when coming to Spain, they find themselves extremely frustrated when they discover that Spanish IDs are usually

required to install internet at home, as well as create a Spanish bank account.

Moreover, they hate the idea of having to be locked into a contract for 12 months with an operator they know nothing about.

Wifitakeway completely eliminates this infuriating and time consuming process; our customers call our plug-and-play, pay-as-you-go wifi hotspot a lifesaver! They just order it online and if they’re in Barcelona they receive the device same-day and 48 hour delivery if they’re in the rest of Spain. And since the device can host up to 10 simultaneous connections, it is fantastic for families and friends too! Our 24/7 customer service in English and noquestions-asked replacement policy in case of malfunction are a relief when traveling abroad.

No more worrying about whether WhatsApp or Google Maps will stop working whether you are in Barcelona, Badalona or Budapest! And when you are ready to go home, just send back the device or drop it off in Barcelona.

We envision a future where travelers enjoy more freedom and safety than ever, an experience where cities become a playground to discover, share and have fun, seamlessly connected and happy. Stay tuned as we have some super-exciting developments that we’ll be announcing at the 2019 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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WORKING LIFE

A DAY IN THE LIFE

OLIVIER BRACARD, 33, FRANCE, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER AT HOSCO

Olivier is the CEO and Co-founder of Hosco, the professional network specifically designed for the hospitality industry. It currently connects +250,000 qualified hospitality talents and +250 schools with +3,000 worldclass companies around the globe.

Photo courtesy of Hosco.

7:20 AM Still in bed, before the alarm rings, I check my Slack and emails. Our Dubai office is two hours ahead of us, so there’s always a business update for me to look at.

professionals who are ambitious, passionate and want to have an impact on the organization. I’m extremely committed to maintaining our company culture.

5:30 PM I check my WhatsApp, maybe for the first time in the entire day.

7:30 AM I get out of bed and take care of Felipe, my four-month-old son.

Being a dad is my newest venture, and I love spending time with him before going to work. Even if it’s only to change his diaper.

6:00 PM Ping-Pong meeting with Carl, Hosco’s COO and Co-founder. While we play, we discuss business issues or brainstorm ideas. For us, these meetings really work.

8:30 AM I walk to Hosco as it’s just 15 minutes away from home. One of the many things I love about Barcelona is that the weather allows you to stroll to work. We’re lucky!

6:30 PM I call my wife to see if she needs anything or would like to go for a walk with Felipe.

8:45 AM I arrive at the office, make a coffee, and chat with some of the team.

That’s something I really enjoy. There are around 50 people in the Barcelona office so I try to catch up with everyone.

9:00 AM Time to start the day!

9:30 AM I look at the most relevant business metrics and share my suggestions with the team leaders across our three offices (Barcelona, Dubai, and Geneva).

10:30 AM We’re looking to close our third round of funding by early 2019, and therefore liaising with existing and potential investors takes most of my time.

This funding will take Hosco to the next level, allowing us to open offices in the USA and Asia.

1:30 PM Lunch break on the terrace with the team.

2:00 PM I meet with a team manager to discuss progress, challenges, and plans.

4:00 PM I’m interviewing someone. We’re looking for 16 people to join us before the end of the year; I’m very involved in the hiring process. Part of my responsibilities is to ensure that we bring the right people on board. We hire

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7:30 PM I head home. My wife is Swiss, so there’s a constant fight about what time we should have dinner.

9:00 PM I put Felipe to sleep.

10:00 PM We watch a movie and relax a bit before going to bed around 11:30 pm. Final check of Slack and emails - more to come at 7:20 am the following day :)

ABOUT HOSCO Founded in 2011, headquartered in Geneva with offices in Barcelona and Dubai, Hosco currently connects hundreds of thousands of professionals with thousands of first-class companies worldwide. For the industry, it offers an ever-growing pool of the world’s best talent through its partnerships with top hospitality schools across all continents. Also, for hospitality schools, it provides career and alumni management solutions, which gives them access to international employment opportunities, connections and industry insights.

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FOOD & DRINK

SAY CHEESE

The first cured, farmhouse-made Mahóns of the season will be appearing in stores this fall, after 150 days of carefully tended ageing. These box-shaped cheeses, with their distinctive rounded edges, fold-like markings and beautiful deep orange-gold rinds are one of the gastronomic jewels of the Balearic islands, and have long been so.

By Kirsten Foster

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rchaeological remains suggest cheese was made on Menorca as early as 2000 BC; in the 11th century, the Arab historian Ashashaskandi praised Menorca’s “good cattle and vines that are used to make good cheese and wine.” The Crown of Aragon’s archives document the importance of cheese production on the island from the 15th century. Its trade had increased so significantly by the 18th century that there were four ships dedicated to transporting the Menorcan cheese from the natural harbour in Mahón to ports throughout the western Mediterranean. Though much of the cheese was actually made elsewhere on Menorca, because the port of origin was Mahón, it came to be known as “Mahón cheese.”

It was not until the 19th century that the art of ageing the cheese was truly perfected, with the emergence of professional “cheese maturers” or “master curers.” These were usually agricultural merchants who traveled the island selling items such as seeds and tools. In return, they would often receive freshly made cheese as payment. The master curers would then take them to their houses where special curing cellars had been built, enabling control of the ageing conditions down to the minutest detail. The curers could even tell when a wind was good or bad for the cheese and open or close the cellar windows accordingly.

This long and unique history was finally given official recognition in 1985, when Mahón cheese was awarded its own Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) certification by the government.

But what actually makes Mahón so distinctive? For a start, the island of Menorca has a microclimate that is markedly

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Many producers still use traditional farmhouse methods handed down from generation to generation through the centuries.

Photo by Manuel Martίn Vicente.

RECIPE

CLASSIFICATIONS There are three types of Mahón cheese, classified by age. Tierno (matured 21-60 days) has the palest, softest, most elastic flesh and mildest flavor: buttery, lightly acidic and slightly salty. It’s good for making light creamy cheese sauces in savory dishes.

Semi-curado (matured two to five months) is still fairly mild, with a flesh that retains some elasticity, but shows signs of maturity in its golden color and slightly piquant flavour, contrasting with nutty and buttery notes. The cut flesh should show a number of irregular holes. Its balance of sweet and savory flavors makes it a favorite ingredient in inventive desserts.

Mahón curado (matured more than five months) is the version with the biggest personality. Its deep orange to toffee-brown flesh is harder and crumblier than its younger siblings, with crunchy lactose crystals in the older versions. Its aromas and flavours suggest wood, smoke, leather, caramel, nuts and spice. It’s a wonderfully intense tapa or dessert, simply cut in slices and served with fruit and nuts.

EGG CRÊPES T WITH MAHÓN CHEESE & JAMÓN (SERVES 6)

By Lynne Werner

hese light, fluffy, egg crêpes are a new favorite at our house. Made using a few simple ingredients, it’s a good goto recipe when time is tight. The crêpe base needs only about 15 minutes to prep and cook, can be made in advance and refrigerated, and then assembled and warmed about 30 minutes before you are ready to eat. They can be eaten plain or stuffed with your favorite seasonal fillings — but this is my current favorite stuffed with tender-crisp green beans, jamón and Mahón cheese.

INGREDIENTS • • • • •

3 large eggs 1/2 c water or milk 120 g flour (about 1 c) 1/2 tsp sea salt 4 tbsp chopped green onion or chives

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil • 200 g shredded tierno or semicurado Mahón cheese • 300 g lightly steamed, fresh green beans • 6 slices of your favorite jamón

METHOD

1. Combine eggs and 1/2 cup water or milk in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until egg is just combined with the liquid.

2. Sift in flour and whisk until fully combined and there are no lumps in the mixture.

Batter should be very thin. Then, add salt, green onion and mix well.

3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet until warm. Swirl the skillet and use a spatula to spread oil over every inch of the bottom of the pan. Use a small ladle to add about 4 tbsp of batter to the skillet and immediately swirl the skillet to spread the batter into a thin, round-shaped crêpe.

4. Cook over medium heat until bottom is just set, about 30 seconds. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side until just cooked through, about 30 seconds.

Immediately transfer the crepe to a plate and set aside. Continue to cook the rest of the crepes in the same manner. If the batter becomes too thick to spread, add 2 tbsp water to the batter, mix well and try again.

5. To assemble, divide evenly among the crepes the shredded Mahón cheese, jamón and green beans.

6. Crêpes can be placed in a warm oven for a few minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.

Serving suggestions: Top with smokey paprika aioli, fresh chopped herbs, sautéed mushrooms, argugla or avocado slices.

IN SEASON

different from that of its neighbors. It is the wettest Balearic island, with high rainfall, high atmospheric humidity and mild temperatures. This, and its relative flatness, make for good grazing land; cows graze freely in fields separated by the island’s traditional, dry stone walls.

One of the most interesting things about Mahón cheese is that many producers still use traditional, farmhouse methods. Called “Artisanal Mahón-Menorca cheese,” it is made with raw milk in authorized, artisanal dairies. These producers are often small farmers who have been making Mahón for generations, according to methods handed down through the centuries. They’ll make cheese twice a day, after each milking, from late September to early June.

The curd is made with animal rennet and put into cloth moulds called fogassers. It’s then hand-pressed to get rid of excess liquid and tied as tightly as possible with a special tie called a lligam. After that it’s pressed mechanically for a few hours. Pressing leaves an imprint of the cloth on the cheese known as mamella — one of Mahón’s distinctive hallmarks.

After pressing, the cheese is soaked in a highly concentrated brine for one to two days; then, it is cleaned, dried and left to air before it is taken to be matured.

During the ageing process the cheeses are turned, and the rind may be rubbed with olive oil or butter and sometimes paprika, which helps preserve it and adds color.

SEPTEMBER

GREEN BEANS, TOMATOES, EGGPLANT, ZUCCHINI, GRAPES, APPLES, AND POMEGRANATES

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QUICK BITES

BAO BAO THIS POPULAR ASIAN STREET FOOD IS AN UNASSUMING, FLUFFY LITTLE STEAMED BUN STUFFED WITH EXPLOSIVE FLAVORS.

MORE INFO

Riego, 23 T. 937 82 34 71 Mon–Fri 4:00 pm– midnight Sat 1:30 pm–4:30 pm, 8:00 pm–midnight Sun closed

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Photos courtesy of Bao Bao.

n exciting gastronomic project inspired by Asian street food, Bao Bao Barcelona has quickly become the “sandwich of the moment” in the city.

The magic of this sandwich lies in the secret recipe of the Asian bao bread, also known as bun-baozi, which is prepared in authentic bamboo steamers, giving it a spongy and fluffy

texture.

This Vietnamese take on a typical sandwich is not ordinary in the least. It’s slightly sticky and pairs well with all things sweet,

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savory, sour and spicy. The result is a unique explosion of exotic flavors and textures. The special bao buns are the creative work of North Vietnamese chef, Thang Pham, who regularly changes the menu, ensuring that every visit is memorable.

Bao Bao strives to create a fusion of quality food, attention to detail and affordable prices. The stylish restaurants create the perfect backdrop to enjoy time with friends, accompanied by good music and an extensive list of cocktails.

Bao Bao also has a food truck in the city, delivering a unique taste of Asia to customers far and wide.

THE BENEDICT BCN4 BARRI GÒTIC The Benedict BCN can be found in the heart of the city’s Gothic quarter.

A cozy place full of charm, it has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and features a distinctive vintage design.

Start your day with the best brunch in Barcelona - the house speciality, the eggs Benedict, aren’t to be missed! Or grab your friends and spend evenings together enjoying their exquisite Latin food with an exotic cocktail in hand.

Gignás 23. 08002 Tel. 93 250 7511 www.benedictbcn.com Brunch: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm Sat-Sun 9am-5pm Dinner: Thurs-Sun 7pm-11pm Cocktail bar: Thurs-Sunday till 2.30am

BAR CENTRO4 EIXAMPLE Bar Centro offers a unique experience when you indulge in one of their burgers. 40-day aged beef of Galician ‘Vaca Vieja’ cooked on the grill is a must-try. Eight craft beer taps go hand in hand with their gastronomic proposal. Don’t miss all four versions of their pulled pork, the homemade nachos, the chilli or the bravas!

Everything is handcrafted.

Casp 55. 08010 Metro Tetuan/ Urquinaona Tel. 93 192 5255 www.barcentrobcn.com barcentrobcn@gmail.com Mon-Wed 1pm-11pm Thurs-Fri 1pm-11.30pm Sat 8pm-12am

D9 BAR4 POBLENOU Whether you are an Erasmus student, a football fanatic or a music lover, D9 Bar has a night for you. Equipped with a terrace, D9 offers a wide range of tapas, beers, cocktails and shots for every night of the week.

With American Day on Wednesdays, Erasmus parties on Thursdays and music-themed parties on Fridays and Saturdays, there is always something for everyone.

Pallars 122, 08016 Tel. 93 309 9202 I www.denou.bar Sun-Thurs 6pm-2.30am Fri-Sat 6pm-3am

NICE SPICE4POBLENOU Specialists in Tandoori. Typical halaal with high quality dishes. See the chefs prepare and cook your food ,which is all made with fresh ingredients. Boasting a Bollywood musical ambience, Nice Spice is an excellent choice for traditional indian food in Barcelona.

NEFW &D

FOOD DRINK

& IN

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under 20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | over 40  food&drink visit our online directory www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking

To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com

MANNÀ GELATS4 BARRI GÒTIC Mannà Gelats offers homemade ice creams, waffles and crêpes in the heart of the Barrio Gótico. Their ice creams are inspired by family recipes, using the finest products.

The fresh fruit sorbets are made with market-bought products, and boast a range of exotic varieties. Their passion is to please their customers with personalised attention.

Banys Nous 22 | Metro Liceu Tel. 93 342 7312 Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm Fri-Sat 11am-11pm www.mannagelats.wordpress.com

BAO BAO4SANTS “Bao”is one of the most delicious Asian street foods and is hugely popular in countries right across the continent.

At Bao Bao, innovation is merged with tradition to provide a gourmet, fusion touch to this light and spongy bun; you’re invited to embark on a journey of taste through flavours from around the world.

Riego 23 | Tues-Sat 8pm-2am | www.baobaobarcelona.com

GOVINDA (VEGETARIAN)4BARRI GÒTIC Founded over 30 years ago, Govinda continues to thrive on a blend of experience and fresh innovation with its vegetarian Indian cuisine. The international menu features thalis, 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 Vila de Madrid 4-5 | Metro Catalunya | Tel. 93 318 7729 Tues-Sat 1pm-4pm and 8pm-11.30pm, Sun-Mon 1pm-4pm | www.govinda.es

AMALTEA4EIXAMPLE

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 and homemade puddings. The cuisine is creatively international with care taken to ensure that each meal is well-balanced and made with the freshest ingredients. Their menu of the day costs 10.90, while their night and weekend menus cost 15.80.

Diputació 164 | Metro Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm and 8pm-11pm, Sun closed | www.

restauranteamaltea.com

HAWKER 454EIXAMPLE

FREE DESERT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

Pujades 207 | Metro Poblenou Tel. 93 308 9548 www.restaurantnicespice.com Open everday 12pm-4pm, 8pm12pm

Former banker-turned-chef Laila Bazahm has taken Barcelona by storm with her deliciously creative fusion cuisine, lovingly crafted from the Southeast Asian and Latin American flavors of her childhood. Hawker 45 respects and cherishes classic street food but elevates it to a higher gastronomic level. The result is pure multicultural foodie heaven.

Casp 45 | Tel. 93 763 8315 | Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm and 8pm-11pm, Sun 1pm-4pm www.hawker45.com

HEALTH &BEAUTY

Dr. Steven Joseph - DOCTOR An English doctor in Barcelona, Dr Steven Joseph is a member of The Royal College of General Practitioners and The Royal College of Psychiatrists. He offers a wide range of medical care, including family medicine, sexual health, mental health and access to all specialists and tests. Physiotherapy and chiropractic services are also available. Googol Medical Center provides comprehensive healthcare in a relaxed, friendly and discreet environment. Dr Joseph is happy to take your enquiries directly.

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

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Gran Via Carles III 37-39, 08028 M. 662 291 191 www.englishdoctorbarcelona.com

Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR

Doctor for Adults

Mary D. McCarthy, M.D. Fellow American College of Physicians

Narayn Yadave -

AYURVEDIC DOCTOR

Feel confident with Dr. Mary McCarthy, an American-trained doctor for adults.

A native English speaker with over 20 years’ experience in Barcelona, Dr. McCarthy offers professional, private health care. She is a member of the American College of Physicians and International Association for Medical Assistance for Travellers, and is also certified as a Specialist by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Narayn is an expert in digestion disorders, diet and nutrition at Ayurveda Barcelona, an Ayurvedic Health Centre located in the “Les Corts” district behind L’Illa Diagonal.

The centre provides Ayurvedic consultancy, Ayurvedic treatments and massages, detox programmes and ongoing training in Ayurveda.

L’Aviacio 11, 08029 T. 93 494 29 28 / M. 639 325 756 ayurvedabarcelona.net@gmail.com www.ayurvedabarcelona.net.

Open Mon-Sat 10am-8.30pm

Aribau 215 Pral. 1a T. 93 200 2924 M. 607 220 040

ServiDigest - HEALTH ServiDigest have more than 40 years’ experience working in the health industry and are pioneers in colorectal cancer prevention. Nowadays, colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and prevention is the best treatment. Detecting symptoms at earlier stages is the key to a good outcome. However, if it is discovered at an advanced stage, it has a five-year survival rate. They have two important digestive screening programmes: the Colorectal Prevention Programme and the Digestive Cancer Prevention Programme.

Balmes 334, 08006 T. 93 415 3464 / 93 545 0990 Mon-Fri 9am-2pm and 4pm-9pm Sat 9am-2pm, Sun closed uad@servidigest.com www.servidigest.com

Eugenia Espinosa - ENGLISH SPEAKING PSYCHOLOGIST

Eugenia is a licensed psycologist (col.

18602) and therapist for individuals, couples and families, who specialises in issues related to migration. Trained in Mexico, New York and Barcelona, she has a wealth of experience in treating individuals dealing with the complexities and stress of building a new life in a foreign country. She also offers comprehensive treatment for people going through depression, divorce or any other life-altering event.

50% DISCOUNT ON FIRST VISIT

Dr Bassas - DERMATOLOGY

Santa Perpetua M. 677 090 479 genaespinosa@yahoo.com

Hestía - PSYCHOTHERAPY

The Javier Bassas Dermatology Centre is a well-renowned dermatology and surgical centre equipped with the latest technology. The medical team, led by Dr. Javier Bassas Bresca, consists of surgical dermatology and venereology specialists with vast clinical and surgical experience. Their goal is to provide specialised, rigorous, efficient and accessible care, with the highest quality and ethical standards. Diagnosing and treating skin diseases is their priority, as well as offering the latest advances in dermoaesthetics.

Hestía International Psychotherapy Centre has become a reference in the city, due to its high quality multidisciplinary and multilingual profile. Their professional team works with individuals, couples and families through a variety of services and approaches to therapy and personal development. They speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Swedish, Russian and Catalan.

The first consultation is free.

Consulta Balmes 24 1º1 T. 93 412 6602 Teknon, Marquesa de Vilallonga nº12 Consulta nº 34 1ª 08017 T. 93 290 6434 www.drbassas.com

Diagonal 343, 2º 3ª T. 93 459 2802 info@hestia.es www.hestia.es

FREE CONSULTATION

Orthoestetic - DENTIST

Platinum Provider

Turo Park- MEDICAL AND

The Orthoestetic Clinic is located in the heart of Barcelona near the Sagrada Familia. They have modern clinical facilities and equipment, which together with their extensive experience, allows them to offer an integral quality dentistry, designed to seek the satisfaction of the patients.

Dr. Holguin is a specialist in dental aesthetics, and orthopedics and orthodontics for children and adults.

She is certified by the Invisalign system.

DENTAL CENTER

Diagonal 341, loc 1. 08037 T. 93 512 4749 M. 638 545 555 www.orthoestetic.es www.ortoesteticbcn.es info@orthoestetic.es

Francesc Perez Cabrero 19-21 08021 T. 93 252 9 729 contact@turoparkmedical.com www.turoparkmedical.com

Dra. Susana Campi -

Goldie Uttamchandani -

New premises, new services and new state of the art equipment! For all your dental needs, their team of first-class professionals offer excellent treatment. They have over 35 years’ experience and provide services in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Catalan.

Goldie is a bilingual ICF Certified Youth & Family Coach. It is her belief that in your teen years, you can truly unlock your highest potential as a human being. She is focused on accompanying this age group on navigating through this challenging and exciting journey to help them attain their goals. Try a complimentary first session and begin your journey on connecting with your true greatness.

Turó Park Medical Center is an international practice in Barcelona for foreign residents, tourists and locals alike. Its team of 15 dental and medical specialists speaks fluent English.

Opened in 2017 by resident orthodontist Dr. Madeleine Smit, the centre already has 900 affiliated patients. Its prevention service includes general health checkups, and it accepts reimbursement policies of more than 200 insurance companies.

LIFE, BUSINESS AND YOUTH COACH

DENTIST

Josep Tarradellas 97 local, 08029 Bus: 15,27,32,43,54,59,66,78 T. 93 321 4005 susanacampi1980@gmail.com www.clinicadentalcampi.com

READER OFFER

Dr. Boj - DENTIST

Emma Ruiz -

GESTALT THERAPIST

Dr. Boj and his team offer specialised, comprehensive dental and orthodontic treatment for children and teens. Laser dentistry and invisible orthodontics are provided. Dr. Boj lectures on dentistry related to these age groups. He studied at the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Rochester, NY, USA. This is a fast and friendly service in an English-speaking, international environment.

Prats de Mollo 10, Bajos B, 08021 T. 93 209 3994 www.drboj.org

Dr. Alistair Gallagher DENTIST

The British Dental Clinic has a patient-friendly philosophy that combines aesthetics, youthful appearances, and a commitment to total oral health. Conveniently located in Barcelona, they offer orthodontics including Fast Braces and Inman Aligner, implants, cosmetic dentistry, whitening and general family dentistry.

Their talented, conscientious and friendly staff will help ensure that you comfortably receive the healthy and beautiful smile that you deserve.

Diagonal 281 T. 93 265 8070 M. 607 332 335 info@thebritishdentalclinic.com www.thebritishdentalclinic.com

M. 669 788 508 Skype: goldieuttam goldieuttam@gmail.com www.goldieuttam.com

Are you ready to thrive?

I can help you with . . .

• Relationship issues • Grief / Loss • Feeling stuck • Finding your life purpose • Reconnecting with yourself Don’t wait any longer to be the best version of you

50% OFF 1ST CONSULTATION UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH

Còrsega 218 M. 659 126 877 emma@gestalttherapyinbarcelona.com www.gestalttherapyinbarcelona.com

Konstantina Karas HOMEOPATHY, EAR ACUPUNCTURE

Konstantina uses homeopathy to boost your immune system, allowing you to be a part of your own healing. It is an effective, non-invasive, holistic system of healing, which can treat a number of physical problems and help overcome mental/emotional ailments, such as fears or anxiety. Konstantina also offers ear acupuncture; an effective treatment for reducing withdrawal symptoms of smoking cessation or substance abuse while detoxing the body.

M. 655 666 618 konstantina@nyhomeopath.com www.nyhomeopath.com

Estudio 3 Pilates Reformer

First session free for new clients.

Rambla Catalunya 66, 1º F 08007 T. 93 215 2393 recepcion@estudio3pilates.com www.estudio3pilates.com

Sombrerers 27, Principal T. 93 268 3070 M. 622 772 623 oliver@bornquiro.com www.bornquiro.com

Our studio gives professional instruction to improve full-body flexibility and strength–without adding muscular bulk. Sessions are personalised to individuals or groups of up to five people, run by expert coaches trained in Reformer Pilates.

We offer monthly subscriptions for 1, 2 or 3 sessions a week with flexibility to fit our clients’schedules, and also offer one-off classes for occasional visitors.

FIRST SESSION FREE

Oliver Dawson -

CHIROPRACTOR Oliver Dawson is a chiropractor who focuses on the direct relationship between spinal structures and health.

Through specific spinal realignment and structural correction, better neurological connections are established throughout the nervous system. The result is less pain, more vitality and better health. Every Thursday from 8-9pm, Oliver offers free health activation workshops about the benefits of chiropractic and the key principles.To attend the workshop, please confirm by email and quote ‘Metropolitan’.

- PILATES STUDIO

Kamen B. Petrov - PSYCHOTHERAPIST Kamen is an experienced Jungian Psychotherapist, Lecturer and Psychologist, Member of the British Psychological Society, Professor at Metáfora Barcelona. He works with individuals, couples, children and families and offers supervision to psychotherapists. To learn more or to book a free introductory session, please visit his website.

M. 603 490 498 www.InnerWisdomQuest.com

Mind & Soul Barcelona - INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF DEPTH PSYCHOTHERAPISTS A group of certified psychotherapists with extensive experience in the field of psychology and psychotherapy. They focus on issues of change, conflict and relationship difficulties, offering individual and couple psychotherapy with flexible hours and affordable fees adjusted to individual income. Visit their website for more information or to book a session. www.mindandsoul.world Jonathan Hooker - PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Jonathan specialises in helping people to deal with change. This may be aspects of their life they would like to change or unexpected changes that they are dealing with. An English-speaking psychotherapist, counsellor, coach and guide, he helps people to improve their relationships and make sense of their lives.

M. 639 579 646 jonathan.hooker@yahoo.com www.jonathanhooker.com

Cecilia Frigerio - HOLISTIC HEALING Cecilia Frigerio is a holistic therapist channeling her passion for nature into her healing sessions. Offering a variety of treatments, including therapeutic massages, Reiki and tantric massages, a session with Cecilia is the perfect way to take a break. Clients receive a personalised experience and find serenity through a combination of holistic techniques.

M. 605 625 938 ceciliafriholistica@gmail.com www.ceciliafrigerio.com Yoga con Gracia - YOGA

An enchanting neighbourhood studio and community space with two locations in the heart of Gràcia.

Founded in 2004, you will find a friendly, international vibe in the gorgeous loft-style studios. YcG has something for everyone, from Hatha, Sivananda, Kundalini, Jivamukti (a fast-paced Vinyasa) to English, pre-natal and Mum and Baby yoga classes. www.yogacongracia.com

Pharmacy Serra Mandri - CHEMIST The pharmacy is open 365 days a year and offers a home delivery service. The staff 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.

Av. Diagonal 478 T. 93 416 1270 9am-10pm www.farmaciaserra.com

Sanz Pancko Dental Clinic DENTIST

Sanz Pancko Dental Clinic in Barcelona and Terrassa provides excellent oral care in an Englishspeaking environment. Dr Nancy Pancko, an American dentist trained at Columbia University in New York, is an American Board-certified orthodonist.

Dr Javier Sanz is an American Boardcertified periodontist and implantologist who lectures on periodontal technologica advancements and leads research projects at the university.

Together, they provide comprehensive and affordable dental care.

Rogent 40, local 2, 08026 Metro: Clot (L1, L2) T. 93 246 9043 www.clinicadentalsyp.com Open Mon-Fri 9am-8.30pm

The Pink Peony BEAUTY SALON The PEONY de SY facial is a complex recovery treatment for mature skin that combines organic Dr. Hauschka products, non-abrasive ultrasonic exfoliation, detoxifying lymphatic stimulation and collagen-regenerating LED Light therapy. The result is a luminous, visibly repaired complexion and an ongoing stimulation of collagen production.

When making your facial reservation, quote ‘Metropolitan’ for a free eyebrow and upper lip threading worth €35.

Passeig de Gracia 100, Pral. 2ª Mandri 62 T. 93 487 8464 Whatsapp: 648 248 744 www.thepinkpeony.com

The Vital Touch - MASSAGE The Vital Touch help people to focus better and feel re-energised. They come to your office or event and set up their ergonomic chairs, which you can relax into comfortably and fullyclothed for an effective energising massage. You emerge 20 minutes later with increased vitality and all tensions released.

Benefits of the massage include: de-stressing, relaxation, revitalisation, tension release, detoxification, immunity boost and improvement in posture. Contact Nunu by phone or email for more information.

M. 659 995 657 enquiries@thevitaltouch.es www.tvtbarcelona.com

AFT IURE LEGAL Spain Accounting-

LAWYERS TAX & BUSINESS SERVICES

AFT I URE LEGAL ABOGADOS LAWYERS RECHTSANWÄLTE

Albert Forment offers legal services Qualified UK accountant with 30 years to the Barcelona community experience in Spain offers: in English, German French. He • tax services for and freelance specialises in civil, criminal “autónomos” and small SLsand tax law, but extends his practice to other • income tax returns for employees areas, such as family, administrative, and non-residents employment, and real estate.up a • practical advice on setting Drawing from a wealth of experience, business in Spain Forment ensures reliability and • registration of “autónomos” and clarity for clients, and holds sincerity company incorporation (SL) and honesty at advice the core his tax • personalised onofyour services.

Contact him today for a free obligations in Spain introductory in-house consultation.

• fast, reliable email service Contact David M. 616 614 764 Cook on M.93 678 702 T. 321 11369 55 info@spainaccounting.com btforment@gmail.com www.spainaccounting.com www.aftiure.com/

BUSINESS SERVICES DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

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

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Klev & Vera -

Barcelona Accounting -

This firm specialises in attending to the legal needs of international clients in Spain. They have multilingual team of lawyers with international backgrounds, specialising in different areas of legal practice including: • Real Estate • Business Set Up • Spanish Residence • Family Law • Litigation • Tax Planning

Need help with your small business finances? Barcelona Accounting can create an efficient financial system for a start-up or existing business, convert you to a modern cloud accounting solution, organise and/or update your bookkeeping, manage your compliance and run financial analysis to help grow your business.

LAW FIRM

READER OFFER

Valencia 281, 2-2 T. 93 176 0190 info@klevvera.com www.klevvera.com

BUSINESS SERVICE

READER OFFER

Sánchez Molina -

NIE Barcelona

LEGAL PRACTICE

- BUSINESS

NIE Barcelona is a service that helps foreigners resolve all the paperwork needed for living and working in Barcelona. Their main focus is on helping to secure the NIE for EU and NON-EU citizens in a fast and efficient way. They can also help with other administrative procedures, such as social security numbers, empadronamiento, autónomo set up, and change of driving license.

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.

Gran Via Carles III, 84, 5 T. 93 490 9669 javiergarcia@sanchezmolina.com www.sanchezmolina.com

M. 603 209 403 info@niebarcelona.com www.niebarcelona.com

BCN Seguros - INSURANCE

Barcelona Women’s Network - NONPROFIT

This local Barcelona insurance agency provides complete personal and business insurance services (home, car, health, commercial, public liability, life, motor, yacht, travel, etc.). They offer a 30% cost-saving guarantee by keeping insurance coverage identical. Advice is available in Spanish, English and German.

Supported charities 2016 - 2018 M. 636 465 010 rainerhobrack@gmail.com www.bcnseguros.es

M. 670 405 727 info@bcnaccounting.com www.bcnaccounting.com

BWN offers support, friendship and networking opportunities to internationally minded women residing in, or just arriving in Barcelona. They are unique in that they are a social group with a social purpose - raising funds for community organisations through various activities and events, with the help of their community sponsors. Connect with like-minded women while giving back to the community. Find out more about membership via their website membership@bcnwomensnetwork.com

president@bcnwomensnetwork.com www.bcnwomensnetwork.com

PWN Barcelona - NON PROFIT

Coccinelle - PRIVATE STAFF

PWN Barcelona is part of a global movement working towards gender balanced leadership through professional development and a range of networking options: in-person, online, cross-industry, and international. They offer Mentoring programmes and an EU Business School certified virtual programme for entrepreneurs. Regular events include 2nd Tuesday Networking Drinks and professional development workshops. “Let’s advance how men and women work together”.

Coccinelle specialises in providing highly-skilled, experienced domestic staff in Barcelona and surrounding areas. Their expertise and rigorous selection method ensures they are able to provide seasoned professionals for both permanent and temporary positions, where over 700 families have trusted in their services. Call them today and quote ‘Metropolitan’ for a free consultation.

www.pwnbarcelona.net members@pwnbarcelona.net www.facebook.com/pwnbarcelona/

Pau Claris 151 T. 93 010 9758 info@coccinelle-agency.com www.coccinelle-agency.com

Radix -

REAL ESTATE PERSONAL SHOPPER

Radix is a Property Finding Service that works exclusively with buyers. Ideal for locals or people living abroad lacking the time to dedicate to their property search.

Customized to your needs, budget and location. Let Radix save you time and guide you through a smart purchase.

Dream. Find. Enjoy.

M. 647 588 569 info@radixbcn.com www.radixbcn.com

RECRUITMENT

Geo Mac - COMPUTERS George Cowdery is a freelance Mac technician who has been providing valuable support to the Mac community in Barcelona for over 15 years. Among the services he offers, George can help clients with maintenance and upgrades, hard drive replacement and ADSL setup.

He can also provide consulting and tutorials according to his clients’ needs.

M. 606 308 932 machelp@geomac.es www.geomacbcn.com

Handyman - HOME SERVICES Mark offers honest, transparent, efficient, English/Spanish/Swedish speaking handyman services. He can help you hang a mirror, paint a room, install reverse osmosis, hang blinds or curtains, do home repairs, assemble Ikea furniture and he can even fix up your place, assiting the process of retrieving your “fianza” from your landlord. Hourly rates. Real time updates.

M. 645 691 475 mark@handymanbarcelona.com www.handymanbarcelona.com Facebook handymanbarcelona74

Yacht Point Barcelona - Online navigation theory courses and sailing tuition.

- Obtain your Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster with us!

- Courses for beginners to advanced sailors.

- Day Charter trips for private groups.

We want to share our passion with you, we are more than a Sailing School!

T. 93 004 5707 info@yachtpointbcn.com yachtpointbcn.com/en/ryatrainingcentre/

FOR THE BEST ENGLISH-SPEAKING BUSINESSES IN BARCELONA, SEE OUR ONLINE DIRECTORY Lawyers - Accountants - Language schools Business schools - Computer technicians Real estate - Insurance - Electricians Plumbers - Graphic design Driving schools - Sailing schools Babysitting services - Translators International schools - Printing services

Language Surfing - LANGUAGE

Highlands School Barcelona - SCHOOL

Highlands is a private Catholic school for students aged between one and eighteen. Students follow a high-quality, multilingual curriculum delivered mainly in English, with some classes in Spanish and Catalan.

They also have the option of learning French and German. The school is accredited by Cambridge International Education, a world leader in education for international schools. Highlands offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities and works together with the Conservatori Liceu.

Manuel Florentín Pérez 26, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat www.highlandsbarcelona.es www.colegiosrc.es

Barcelona is your classroom and its streets are your books.

FIRST CLASS FOR FREE

Entença 34 enslo 1, 08015 Metro Rocafort M. 663 563 720 www.language-surfing.com

Spanish with Angeles -

Oak House - SCHOOL Founded in 1968, pupils at Oak House are taught according to the UK national curriculum in early years and primary education. Secondary pupils follow a multilingual programme, with a firm emphasis on English. Oak House offers IGCSE qualifications to help prepare students for university courses in English. The school also offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in English, as well as the National Bachillerato programme. The school’s modern installations are conducive to an active learning style. Their motto is ‘building futures’.

Sant Pere Claver 12-18, 08017 T. 93 252 40 20 www.oakhouseschool.com

Language Surfing is a revolutionary learning approach where students practice in real life situations and accelerate their learning by having lessons in real bars, parks & museums.

Our teachers are native and professional, who love to explore the city with you, so you can take in the culture and practice in a fun and exciting environment. It’s the end of boring lessons!

FREE TRIAL CLASS

LANGUAGE Do you want to speak Spanish well?

With Angeles, you can make incredible progress in your language learning, becoming a confident speaker with a solid understanding of grammar and good writing and reading skills. Angeles’ lessons focus on conversation and are tailored to every student’s individual needs.Angeles is a professional, native Spanish-speaking tutor with more than 12 years of experience, who believes in the importance of providing custommade materials and guidance. Her personalised lessons are the most effective way to help students reach their goals.

M. 647 626 487 info@spanishwithangeles.es www.spanishwithangeles.es

Corsa International - DRIVING SCHOOL

Corsa driving school offers theoretical classes and practical driving lessons in English. Their experienced instructors will give you the confidence to drive comfortably in Barcelona and help you learn about Spanish road systems. They have both manual and automatic practice vehicles.

Gran via de Gracias, 266, 08022 T: 934885221 international@autoescuelacorsa.com www.autoescuelacorsa.com

BritSat - SATELLITE TV Missing out on British TV? Not to worry. With their latest equipment, extensive experience and fantastic aftersales service, they provide all UK and European TV via satellite and Internet installations. So don’t miss out on all the summer sporting action, phone or email Britsat for a competitive quote and expert advice.

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

Ibex - INSURANCE SERVICES Ibex have been in operation since 2000 and have grown to be one of the largest insurance providers for the expatriate community in Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar. They can insure your car, motorbike, home, pet, health, holiday home, boat, travel, business and provide funeral plans and more. ibexdirect@ibexinsure.com T. 900 102 527 www.ibexinsure.com

Language Deaprtment - LANGUAGE SERVICE

Language Department is a global language service provider offering translations, adaptations, localizations, voice-over and subtitling services and more for businesses around the world. Our team specializes in recurring language projects for business, legal, medical, marketing and the technology sector. Save10% on your first order!

C/ Sardenya, 299. Planta 5 T. 93 380 1061 www.languagedepartment.com

BCN L.I.P. - LANGUAGE SCHOOL BCN LIP language school is a small school located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter offering a wide variety of dynamic classes for those wishing to learn Spanish, Catalan, English, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Hebrew. The courses are intensive and extensive, varying from four - 30 hours a week, Monday to Saturday.

The teachers are qualified native speakers, with several years of experience.

They also offer specialised summer programmes, excursions and cultural activities for the students. They can also help you with your student visa and finding a place to live.

Avinyó 50, 08002 T. 93 318 6591 info@bcnlip.com www.bcnlip.com

IN THE CITY

OUT AND ABOUT Dear Sam, I can’t seem to have constructive conversations. Every time I want to talk about something that’s bothering me, get something off my chest or confront a situation at work, it ends up exploding. I’d like to think it’s the other person, but if I’m honest with myself, I’m the common denominator in each of these situations. I don’t have a particularly combative personality I just can’t seem to tell people what’s on my mind or how I’d like Karen anda situation Mark without things getting to change out of hand. Conversations usually end with someone walking away, a door being slammed or someone hanging up the phone and saying they need space. Any feedback on how to have better, more constructive and less volatile chats would be greatly appreciated.

Jordi

Thanks so much, Ticking Time Bomb

Oscar, Lucia, Angie and Marina

US Navy League sunset cruise Sam Mednick is a professional life and executive coach based in Barcelona (www.blueprintcoaching.ca). A Canadian native, she’s been living in the city for eight years working with companies and individuals focusing on transitions, communication, leadership training, time management and productivity, as well as emotional intelligence development. For more coaching tips, tune into Sam’s podcast: blueprintcoaching.podomatic.com

Inca the mini sausage dog 50

Tori, Tara and Jessica