Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 244

MAY 2017 Nยบ 244

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BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM

16 YEARS OF MUSIC PRIMAVERA SOUND IS BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER

REPORT: REFUGEES WELCOME PUIG I CADAFALCH, A MODERNISTA MAESTRO TANGO NIGHTS GIRONA IN BLOOM

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MUSIC

SHOPPING

NEW IN TOWN

STREETLIFE

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

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W

30 YE AR S

Patek Philippe - F.P. Journe - Ulysse Nardin - Girard Perregaux Chronoswiss - Zenith - Bremont - Baume et Mercier - Bell & Ross TagHeuer - Cuervo y Sobrinos - Oris - Vulcain - Junghans - Ball Sevenfriday - Qlocktwo - Suuntoto

e opened on Diagonal, corner of Ganduxer in 1987 and remain as the only store dedicated exclusively to the world of wristwatches. We offer a wide selection of watches, from collector’s limited editions to fashionable up-to-date brands. We dedicate ourselves to our clients, accompanying them in the selection of their timepieces. We also offer an after sales service which includes maintenance and a wide selection of straps and watch winders.

The complications in watchmaking require time, patience and expertise. We are proud to represent many independent brands, large and small, who each have a story to tell.

During the last 30 years we have dedicated time and space to all watch enthusiasts. These years have been very exciting and full of changes in the watch world. Our clients, staff and suppliers have collaborated in this success story, which still has many chapters pending.

Diagonal 626 • 08021 Barcelona • (+34) 93 414 3711 w w w. t h e w a t c h g a l l e r y. e s

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 244 · MAY 2017

Features 20 REPORT: REFUGEES WELCOME The city is ready to receive asylum seekers, but few are arriving

26 BEAT THAT

IN THE CITY

16 years of Primavera Sound

06 08 11 12 15 16 19 25 82

44 PUIG I CADAFALCH Barcelona dedicates this year to the prolific Modernista architect

48 TANGO NIGHTS Discover Barcelona’s vibrant and varied tango scene

New in town Streetlife Five things A place of my own History Best of Shopping Balcony herb garden Out & About

WHAT’S ON 32 Music 36 Art 40 Misc

WORKING LIFE 53 Startup of the month 54 Coworking spaces 56 A day in the life

TRAVEL 58 Girona flower festival 62 Rafting

FOOD & DRINK 64 Review 66 Quick bites

METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTORS Publisher The Noise Lab S.L. Founder Esther Jones Managing Director Andrea Moreno Editors Rachel Huffman, Carol Moran Art Director Aisling Quigley Sales Director Jalil Alui Client Care Manager Aminah Barnes Sales Guillem Agusti, Guillermo de Mingo Torres, Sander Vanheel Digital Analyst Richard Cardwell Editorial Assistants Sally Hargrave, Priyankaa Joshi, Marta Nicita Design Assistant Jonne Rutten Contributors Eimear Corrigan, Catherine Howley, Andrej Klemencic, Sam Mednick, Will Shank, Tori Sparks, Tara Stevens, Sam Walker-Smart, Sam Zucker Cover photo Primavera Sound Illustrator Ben Rowdon 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

AMINAH BARNES Aminah graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in Sociology, then travelled in South America and Italy before relocating to Barcelona. She started as an English teacher, and after working as an editorial assistant for Metropolitan, has become a client care manager at the magazine.

Having always had a keen interest in culture, Aminah enjoys getting to know Barcelona and its people a little better every day.

ANDREJ KLEMENCIC After working as a film and classical music critic, radio and TV presenter, foreign correspondent, agency and newspaper journalist and editor in Europe and the US, Andrej moved to Spain where he developed a group of programmes, including coaching and focused message. He finds the colours and shapes of Barcelona to be an enticing backdrop for professional and private life and, as many of its residents, looks forward to constant discoveries.

RACHEL HUFFMAN Originally from St. Louis, Rachel studied writing, literature and publishing in Boston. In 2012, she moved to Barcelona to teach English, travel and write. Travel has always been a part of her life, from trekking around the US for gymnastics to gallivanting around Europe when she studied abroad. She sees a future for herself in Barcelona, working for Metropolitan and continuing to explore the city and beyond.

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IN THE CITY

new in town EGG-SQUISITE

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espai eGG. riereta 15.  ESPAIEGG.COM Australian Ella Galt and Italian Alberto Zanrosso are the power couple behind food experience company Bear on Bike. They met through EatWith, a communal dining website where they were both hosts and, five years later, the pair have a new project in the form of Espai EGG, an event space in the Raval. “Our concept is to promote a food philosophy of sustainability, using local, seasonal and organic produce,” explained Galt. The first element of the space is a large, fully-equipped kitchen, which functions as a coworking area for local chefs. Up front, The Deli Kitchen is a cafe run by Lucy Cheyney, whose decadent desserts make it hard to believe you’re eating responsibly.

And the final ingredient is Espai EGG’s diverse programme of events, from life drawing classes and yoga brunches, to a vegan ‘cheese’ workshop and pop-up dinners. “We thrive off the collaboration that happens in the space,” said Galt. “Working with so many interesting people, there’s never a dull moment.”

A SLICE OF NAPLES Bellillo. enric Granados 15.  BELLILLO.ES The latest opening on Carrer d’Enric Granados serves up gourmet Neapolitan pizza in line with the slow food movement, which began in Italy in the Eighties. Walking in, the first thing you’ll notice is the smell of freshly baked dough wafting from the gaping brick pizza oven in plain sight behind the bar. The menu, which details where the ingredients are from, begins with a selection of traditional Neapolitan starters including arancini rice balls stuffed with ragù. The star of the show, however, is undoubtedly the pizza. Classics such as the margherita are topped with artisan fior di latte cheese and olive oil from the hills of Salerno, while more unique creations include the restaurant’s namesake, the Bellillo—a tempting mixture of minced beef, onion, Provolone cheese, Parmesan and basil.

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FRESH FROM THE SEA la Barra. pG. Joan de BorBó 19.  CARLESABELLAN.COM A Michelin star and eight other restaurants weren’t quite enough for Carles Abellan, one of Barcelona’s top chefs. He recently inaugurated La Barra in Barceloneta, which specialises in locally-caught fish, cooked on the grill, tapas-style or in hearty stews. Pickled cauliflower and octopus, anchovy tortilla, and stingray stew made with chickpeas and chicken broth are just some of the other creations on offer that demonstrate Abellan’s culinary talent—applying contemporary techniques to reinvent old recipes. As the name suggests, two barras, separated by an open cooking station, are at the centre of the restaurant, and kitchen cameras show diners every dish in the making.

AN APPLE A DAY turó park Medical center. Francesc pérez caBrero 19-21.  TUROPARKMEDICAL.COM This practice in the upmarket district of Sant Gervasi, offers a variety of healthcare treatments including general health checkups, speech therapy, orthodontics and aesthetic treatments such as Botox. Founder of the centre and resident orthodontist, Madeliene Smit explained the aim of the project: “It’s unnerving having to go to a doctor who doesn’t speak your language. I wanted there to be a place in Barcelona dedicated to English and French-speaking medical professionals where clients who spoke those languages would feel comfortable discussing their health.” It has an online appointment system and there’s a telemedicine app in the works to keep you feeling fit as a fiddle.

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IN THE CITY

streetlife

CARRER DE GALILEU

Discover a mishmash of shops and places to eat in Les Corts

No 252 El Pa Sencer

Housed in one of the oldest buildings on the street, with exposed brick walls and rustic wooden fixtures, this cafeteria is the headquarters of the Ateneu Popular de les Corts, a social, cultural and political project founded by a group of neighbours. Although a meeting place for local progressives, the cafe caters to a wide range of customers, from office workers to students. “We want everyone to feel welcome,” said owner Josep Ribas. On the menu you’ll find ecological coffee and pastries, as well as artisan beer and tapas, and all its produce is locally sourced whenever possible. facebook.com/ElPaSencer

No 306

Esenzia Ecològic

Susana Iglesias, owner of Esenzia Ecològic hair salon, uses only sustainable, natural and ecological products, which avoid animal testing and are free from parabens, perfumes and other synthetic ingredients. Special treatments include a restructuring hair mask fused with essential oils such as orange, eucalyptus, lavender and cinnamon, and a clay mask for the scalp. Recycled wood flooring, bamboo-clad walls and a big selection of teas to sip on during your appointment create a soothing atmosphere where you know your hair is in good hands. esenzia-ecologic.com

No 318

No Elements Tattoo BCN

Run by artists Oscar Voltio, Alex Treze, Raquel C.hita and Andrew Tattoo, Elements Tattoo BCN gives customers what they want, whether it’s a simple design, elaborate creation or entire sleeve. They once obliged a customer by tattooing a Ninetiesstyle Nike Air Max shoe on his calf with ‘Run.Da.City’ written underneath. Another asked for a rainbow cupcake with a candy heart stuck in its icing saying ‘Eat Me’ on her forearm. “You can always come here for advice or to have someone help you sketch an idea,” said regular customer Sara, 27, from Barcelona, “and because of their amazing skills, your tattoo will come out just as you imagined it.”

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dospalillos.com

WHERE THE BEST CRAFT BEER AND GREAT FOOD COME TOGETHER...

DON’T MISS OUT!

No 326 Chennai Masala Dosa

Specialising in dishes from the south-eastern city of Chennai, this family-run restaurant stands out from the mostly northern Indian cuisine found in the city. “We were the first restaurant in Spain to serve food from Chennai,” said waitress Amritha Rajkumar.

Customers can opt for one of 25 varieties of dosa or try a little bit of everything with a thali, a typical Indian meal made up of a selection of curries, spicy sambar, rice and raita. The dosas are made from a rice flour and lentil batter—meaning they’re vegan and gluten-free— then stuffed with a variety of tasty fillings including mutton, prawns, paneer and mixed vegetables. Wash it all down with a refreshing mango lassi or fragrant masala chai. facebook.com/Chennaimasaladosa

HOURS

Mon-Thurs 12pm-12am Fri, Sat 12pm-2am Closed Sunday

CONTACT

Diputació 223, 08011 Reservations T. 93 408 91 62 NEW Napar BCN_quarter page.indd 1

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No 337 Arc Iris

With vibrant green ‘grass’ on the floor, fruits and vegetables mounted on canvases adorning the walls and a real orange tree taking pride of place by the bar, Arc Iris is like a garden. In fact, it’s a vegetarian restaurant, and this is one of three branches in the city. Manager Ekaterina Shturmina explained, “We want people to be able to eat healthily all the time.” With its creative takes on traditionally meaty meals, as well as limited-edition menus based on the cuisines of different countries, a visit to Arc Iris never has to be the same.

This is a good alternative to the often expensive veggie and vegan restaurant options in the city, with a half menú (two courses, plus dessert) for €7 and a full menú (three courses, dessert, bread and a drink) for €9.50. arcirisrestaurant.com

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SUMMER ENGLISH PROGRAM Interactive English Classes and engaging activities for children ages 3 to 16

Monday, June 26 - Friday, July 21 Classes and activities in English from Monday to Friday Qualified Native Teachers Sports, swimming, video making, computers, art and more Transportation included in both programs

American School of Barcelona C/Jaume Balmes 7 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat

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• Morning Program: from 9:30 to 14:00 • Extended Program: from 9:30 to 17:00 (Lunch included in the extended program) Informative Sessions: • April 26th from 18:30 to 19:30 • May 22nd from 18:30 to 19:30

More information and registration Email: english@asbarcelona.com Tel. 93 371 4016 https://elc.asbarcelona.com

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FIVE THINGS

a day at the museum This year marks the 40th anniversary of International Museum Day. On May 18th many of Barcelona’s museums will be free for the occasion and will host activities and performances for visitors. Here are five of our favourites

1. Fundació Joan Miró

Established more than 40 years ago by Joan Miró, this foundation houses famous works by Barcelona-based painters alongside Miró’s own private collection. Designed by Spanish architect Josep Lluís Sert, the building itself is a work of art, with a futuristic roof and natural light streaming into its rooms. fmirobcn.org

2. Museu de la Xocolata

It’s no surprise that Barcelona’s Chocolate Museum is popular among all ages. Here you can explore all things chocolate, from the history of the world’s favourite indulgence to intricate sculptures of landmarks such as the Sagrada Família, all of which are completely edible. They also hold dessert and chocolate-making workshops. museuxocolata.cat

3. El Rei de la Màgia

4. Museu Blau

The Museu Blau is a must-visit for science buffs, with more than 9,000 square metres of exhibition space dedicated to the natural world. Be sure to check out the temporary exhibition ‘Spinosaurus: The lost giant of the Cretaceous’, which features a full-scale replica skeleton of the world’s largest known carnivorous dinosaur. museuciencies.cat/en/visitans/museu-blau

5. Museu Frederic Marès

Housed in what was once the royal palace of the Counts of Barcelona, this museum is worth a visit for the historic building and tranquil central courtyard alone. Inside, works collected by the Spanish sculptor Frederic Marès throughout his lifetime include sculptures, paintings and a ‘Collector’s Cabinet’, and provide a glimpse into Marès’ life. w110.bcn.cat/museufredericmares

El Rei de la Màgia was founded in 1881 and is one of the oldest magic museums in the world. Lose yourself in the world of card tricks and disappearing assistants as you peruse the artifacts on display, including magic props, posters, costumes and more. Wannabe Houdinis can pick up a whole host of magical paraphernalia at its adjoining shop. elreydelamagia.com

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IN THE CITY

A PLACE OF MY OWN

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INTERIOR DESIGNER DONNA KELLEY’S ECLECTIC-YET-REFINED STYLE SHINES THROUGH IN HER SANT GERVASI HOME

riginally from Columbus, Ohio, interior designer Donna Kelley moved to Spain in 1971, with her husband Julio Velázquez, whom she met whilst studying for her undergraduate degree at Ohio State University. After a four-year stint in Valencia, the pair moved to Barcelona in 1975, and settled in the city amidst the turmoil of

Franco’s death and the end of the dictatorship.

Yet despite these somewhat inauspicious beginnings, Donna and Julio have lived in the city ever since. “From day one, I felt at home in Barcelona,” explained Donna. “The climate is obviously a huge positive, but I also love that the city really does have something for everyone.”

After a number of years spent living in a modern rental apartment, Donna began looking for a place that she and Julio could make their own. “I found a beautiful flat while my husband was away on business.

He arrived back while I was out and I’d left him a note saying ‘I’ve found our future apartment’.” Donna was right—almost 40 years later the couple still call that very same apartment in Sant Gervasi home.

The design project that Donna took on when they bought the apartment in 1980 would turn out to be the first of many.

Discovering she had a flair for decor, in 1989, after many years spent working as a teacher, Donna returned to university to study for a degree in interior design.

Since then, her design studio Kelley Interior Design has worked on an impressive list of projects, including hotels, a bookshop and many residential redesigns. “Clients always ask about my personal style, but I tell them that that isn’t important,” she said. “I love

the challenge of working to create someone else’s vision.”

In her own home however, Donna’s unique sense of style shines through. On the top two floors of a luxury block of apartments, Donna and Julio’s place is both refined and full of character, blending an eclectic collection of contemporary touches with a few well-chosen antique pieces. “I don’t like things to be too matchy-matchy,” said Donna. “I love incorporating unexpected items to make my home feel more personal.”

And as for Julio’s input? Donna jokes that her husband’s laidback approach to their home is what has kept them happily married for 46 years.

The first thing that Donna fell in love with when she looked around the flat was the spacious terrace. She has made the most of the calming space by filling it with leafy potted plants and an elegant set of wrought iron garden chairs. Glass doors leading to the terrace from the sitting room create a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors, filling the living area with natural light. Inside, classic architectural features such as a white stone fireplace and cornice moulding on the ceiling are offset

by Donna’s other passion—art. A triptych by the Barcelona-based artist Gabriele Fettolini brings a touch of muted colour

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Warm colours and unexpected touches combine to create a welcoming space

to the wall above the sofa, and elsewhere in the apartment Donna incorporates works by artists that she has developed a relationship with during her years working as an interior designer.

Upstairs, in what was once the porter’s accommodation, Donna has created an area which functions as both her office and a guest bedroom. “I always try to make the most of a space,” she explained. “I like to live in all of the areas of my home—after all, a home is supposed to be lived in.” Here, the focal point is a large smudged painting by Carmen Bueno, while a stylish grey sofa can be pulled out into a bed.

Asked about her favourite room in the apartment, Donna doesn’t hesitate. “My favourite colour is red, so it would have to be the reading room,” she revealed. “I love to sit in that room and read a book or watch TV, and at Christmas time it’s where we put the tree, so it always brings back positive memories for me.” Looking at the apartment as a whole, it’s clear that Donna has achieved her goal of creating an elegant, inviting home. No wonder then that she has been so successful in turning her passion into a career.

If you have made yourself an interesting home from home, please send an email to editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com.

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HISTORY

THE BABY HATCH LOCATION: CARRER DE LES RAMELLERES 17

DURING THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, LOW WAGES AND BAD LIVING CONDITIONS FORCED SOME FAMILIES TO LEAVE THEIR CHILDREN AT THE ORPHANAGE

By Catherine Howley

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n Carrer de les Ramelleres, in the heart of the Raval, is a building with an inconspicuous circular hole in its facade. This building, now partly occupied by city council offices, was once home to the Casa dels Infants Orfes (the House of the Infant Orphans). The wooden inlet was one of its most used facilities. When someone came to leave their baby, they placed him or her inside the wooden hatch and rotated it, allowing the anonymous and safe delivery of the child to the orphanage.

To the left of the baby hatch, at eye level, there is a small slot that was used for almsgiving.

Founded in 1583, as the Casa de la Misericòrdia—a charitable institution for people living in poverty—the building was later converted into an orphanage. The demand for orphanages was particularly high during the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries when the majority of Barcelona’s working class lived in deplorable conditions.

No social support or childcare, coupled with long hours in the factory, meant that options for struggling families were few and far between.

Abandonment was, in a sense, a strategy for survival—by the 19th century, it was practically impossible for a worker to maintain a family with the wages earned at the time. The lack of social acceptance of illegitimate children also contributed significantly to the demand for the orphanage.

Most of the women who gave up their babies wanted to be able to identify their children in the future. For this reason, some infants were marked with symbols on their thighs made with knitting needles or red-hot irons before being passed through the baby hatch. The Sisters of Charity, who ran the facility, also ‘identified’ each baby by placing a piece of rope around his or her neck with a note registering the date of the child’s arrival.

Although many hoped to one day reclaim their children, the harsh reality faced by the working class meant that the majority of babies left would never have contact with their parents again.

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BEST OF

BETWEEN BREAD

THESE BARCELONA EATERIES PAY TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLE AND UNDERRATED SPANISH SNACKS: THE bocadillo CONESA

Ask anyone who works near Plaça Sant Jaume where they go when they’re in the mood for a bocadillo and they’ll likely say Conesa. Since 1951, this iconic sandwich shop has been serving homemade hot rolls, pressed on its own trademarked griddles. When it was founded, the majority of Conesa’s customers were civil servants from the nearby city hall and Generalitat headquarters who came to drink a chatito de vino with their ham or cheese sandwich. Since then its clientele has grown to include four generations of Barceloneses as well as newcomers to the city and day-trippers. However, it’s still a family business, with Don Pedro Conesa’s son, Josep, now working hard to indulge locals and visitors alike.

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BÓ DE B

It’s a rare occasion when there isn’t a line snaking out from the takeaway window at this tiny sandwich shop. Here, simple, fresh baguettes are filled with grilled chicken, beef, tuna, salmon or tortilla, and topped with all the fresh veggies and feta you want.

After paying just €3-€5, stake out a spot across the street on the sunlit steps of Barcelona’s main post office—an unexpectedly majestic backdrop for such a casual meal. And once your jaw is tired of chewing, treat the pigeons to your leftover bread.

Fusteria 14 FACEBOOK.COM/BODEBCN

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LOUISE SE VA

Elvis, Lou Reed, The Beatles, U2, Queen, Kiss, Oasis—Louise se va has all the musicians you know and love, just not how you’re used to seeing them. This local haunt, tucked away in the neighbourhood of Horta, has named all 53 of its sandwiches after famous performers. So many choices may be overwhelming, but with the average price per sandwich under €4 you won’t break the bank by coming back again and again to try something new.

There’s a general consensus among patrons that the service here is unusually fast and friendly, and it’s a great place to gather with friends any night of the week.

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SAGÀS

Although a modest-looking joint from the outside, Sagàs is “possibly the world’s best sandwich bar”, according to condé nast traveller.

Oriol Rovira (of Michelin-starred restaurant Els Casals near Vic) set up shop on the edge of the Born to provide hungry passersby with a high-quality product made from healthy ingredients—free from additives, colouring and preservatives. ‘From the land to the table’ is his philosophy, and vintage black-and-white images of Rovira's farming family decorate the walls of the space to remind diners just where their meal has come from. Sagàs’ menu changes four times a year, but the house speciality—strips of bacon covered in capers, figs, arugula, fresh cheese from the small Catalan town of La Quar, olive paste and carquinyolis vinaigrette—is always available.

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Photo courtesy of Chivuo's

CHIVUO'S

‘A homage to the working class hero’, Chivuo’s prides itself on its menu of street food and craft beer. All three of its locations have a cosy, communal feel, inviting you to sit back and enjoy a sandwich from its shortlist. The pulled pork— slow-cooked at a low temperature and served on a soft, buttery bun—has been a customer favourite since the first of its restaurants opened in Gràcia almost three years ago. Waiter Daniel Zambrano explained that all the staff at Chivuo’s, like founders Alejandro Bringas and Juan Andrés Latuff, are Venezuelan. “Where we come from, we say ‘chivuo’ to men who haven’t shaved in two or three days,” he said, which is why the company logo is an artsy drawing of a beard. “Informally, people also call God ‘The Chivuo’, and we believe that here, as in God’s paradise, there should be plenty of good food and cold beer.”

Pintor Fortuny 15. VaLència 204. torrent de L'oLLa 175 CHIVUOS.COM

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SHOPPING

Flower power

MACBOOK COVER €48.40 WOOUF! woouf.com

BRACELET €295 LOEWE Pg. de Gràcia 35

SHORTS €39 PINYA Baixada de Viladecols 2

SPRING IS IN THE AIR AND IT’S TIME TO SHOP ACCORDINGLY EARRINGS €44 MONTSE LIARTE Banys Vells 5

VINTAGE FAN €39 BON VENT Argenteria 41

ESPADRILLES €55 IVORI Mirallers 7

SOCKS €9 HAPPY SOCKS Argenteria 59

BOW TIE €25.50 LA PAJARERÍA CONDAL Ramón y Cajal 49

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REPORT

REFUGE CITY

BARCELONA HAS EVERYTHING IN PLACE TO RECEIVE REFUGEES BUT VERY FEW HAVE ARRIVED AND FRUSTRATION IS GROWING

By Aminah Barnes

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n February 18th, more than 160,000 people marched through the centre of Barcelona, calling for Spain to open its doors to more refugees. Under the umbrella slogan 'Volem Acollir' ('We want to receive'), protestors, including the city’s mayor, Ada Colau, expressed their frustration at the central government for its slow response to the crisis and for not meeting its quota of refugees. The march was the largest demonstration in Europe in favour of accepting refugees and attracted media attention across the continent.

The European migrant crisis began in 2015, when millions of migrants and refugees crossed the borders into Europe. Fleeing from war-torn homelands such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, many sought safe passage across the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching European shores. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than one million migrants arrived in Europe by sea in 2015. Many lost their lives on the journey and images of bodies found washed ashore, such as that of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, prompted calls for an immediate response to the situation.

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Residents took to the streets in support of open borders

"We are not afraid of increasing multiculturalism in our city or of having more refugees.”

Sofia Duffo, from Refugees Aid Barcelona

Europe has struggled to find the best way to manage the growing influx of asylum seekers. Through a quota system, many of its nations pledged to receive between 15,000 and 19,000 refugees to relieve countries such as Greece, Italy and Hungary, which saw the majority of migrant arrivals. Under this system Spain committed to receiving around 16,000 asylum seekers, yet, according to a report by CEAR (Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado), by the end of 2015, Spain had accepted just one percent of its quota.

The country has now taken in 887 people, far lower than the EU average, further provoking concerns over whether it will fulfil its quota before the end of the year.

The reaction from Catalunya was arguably faster. In September 2015, Colau launched a municipal plan to facilitate the arrival of refugees to the region. The ‘Barcelona, Refuge City’ plan integrated international development, training programmes and NGOs to ensure the city was equipped with the necessary services. Despite promising efforts, the plan didn't go as hoped. A year after its inception, fewer than half of the allocated accommodation vacancies for refugees were occupied, according to the Generalitat de Catalunya.

“The plan is perfect,” claimed Sofia Duffo, communications coordinator of Refugees Aid Barcelona. “We have everything in place here and are ready to accept more, but we are still waiting for them to come. We can prepare our city as much as possible, but at the end of the day, the final decisions and actions are with the Spanish government and the European Union.” Duffo was among the protestors at the Volem Acollir march. She believes that the strong reaction from Barcelona stems from the region’s suffering during the Franco era. “The people of Catalunya have clearly shown their support for welcoming refugees in Spain,” she said.

“We are not afraid of increasing multiculturalism in our city or of having more refugees.”

Pascale Coissard of CCAR (Comissió Catalana d’Ajuda al Refugiat) also believes people in the region are more aware than in other places across Europe. “The people of Catalunya were essentially refugees during the Spanish Civil War, and I think that has enabled the region to be more sensitive to the crisis.” She also draws on Barcelona as a hub for social movements, where there is a strong network of NGOs. “I think Barcelona has a culture of volunteering and the Catalan civil society is strong.” Organisers of the march, Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra (Our house is your house) were also pleased with the mass response of the city. “So many people went out in the streets to join us,” said campaign director Ruben Wabensberg. “It clearly shows how a lot of people in Barcelona want to get involved when given an opportunity.”

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Language classes at the Fundació Bayt al-Thaqafa are designed to facilitate cultural integration

Wabensberg praises the commitment of local people, believing it is key to the success of his organisation. Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra began with just two people who were working in the refugee camps located between Greece and Macedonia. They realised that people in their hometowns didn’t know much about the crisis, and sought to raise awareness about what was happening at the camps. In a short space of time, the organisation grew to 80 people, with more than 1,000 volunteers. “The number of volunteers in just a few months says it all,” claimed Wabensberg. “The government won’t do anything unless we mobilise, and when you create opportunities for action, people respond.”

“It’s even more frustrating for the refugees who are still in the camps. Some have been there for a long time now.” Pascale Coissard, from CCAR Refugees Aid Barcelona was also born from the need to provide people in the city with a platform to take action. It was launched in September 2015 using social media, and attracted more than 1,000 followers in just two weeks. Within a few months of being active, the organisation already had 15 clothing collection points across the city for sorting donations. “One individual independently collected more than 10,000 winter items filling 280 boxes, but wasn’t sure how to get them to the refugee camps,” described Duffo. “He then contacted us and we organised for them to be stored and sent.”

Though she believes that the pleas of Barcelona residents will lead

to more migrant arrivals, she worries the current response is too slow. “Though there were a lot of people on the streets at Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra’s march, the government still hasn’t responded.”

She urges people to continue pressuring the government. “The march was successful and it was good to see so many people, but I want to see everyone. We need to keep pressing and make it clear we are not afraid to have more refugees right now.”

It remains unclear as to why Spain is struggling to receive more refugees. Director of Fundació Bayt al-Thaqafa, Daniel Ibarz Pérez, believes that economically, Spain is capable of receiving more. “The Spanish government is actually increasing the allocated budget for taking in more refugees, but this alone is not the solution.

The reception strategy needs to be amended to provide a quicker response, with a stronger focus on short-term plans.” He draws on the approach of Germany as a model. The country granted refugee status to more than 250,000 people in 2016, according to Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (the federal office for migration and refugees).

Pérez also believes there is a need for more integration between national and regional policies in Spain. The state programme provides financial aid and accommodation to people applying for asylum in the country. After six months of enrolment, individuals are expected to find their own accommodation, and then employment after a further six months. The Catalan Refugee Programme (CRP) is aimed at providing assistance to those who are not financially independent upon completion of the state programme. Pérez’s organisation works alongside newly-arrived immigrants and understands the difficulties they encounter when trying to find a job or rent a flat. He stresses that many people have fled devastating circumstances and suffer from psychological trauma, making the process of personal independence even more challenging. “Practically, the CRP would be more beneficial if implemented before an individual has completed the state programme, providing more assistance at an earlier stage,” he said. “We need to see increased decentralisation and allow regional programmes to be implemented as necessary.”

Coissard also discusses the challenges asylum seekers face in attaining autonomy, and names housing as the biggest issue.

“Barcelona is expensive generally, but asylum seekers have

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additional difficulties.” She draws on the fact that people are less willing to rent to ‘foreigners’. Pérez, on the other hand, has observed differing perceptions of immigrants depending on their nationality, where there is evidently more sympathy towards the Syrian community than some others. Both CCAR and Fundació Bayt al-Thaqafa aim to promote cultural integration and awareness in the hope of addressing the increase in racist behaviour in Spain. “I hope if more refugees come, there won’t be a backlash,” Coissard said. “It can sometimes be the case that asylum seekers become the scapegoat for anything that happens.” She regards the Volem Acollir march as powerful, as it drew attention to several ongoing conflicts and the need to open all borders, particularly the southern Spanish border facing Morocco.

Despite calling the march an “incredible achievement”, Pérez highlights the fact that there are still only 553 refugees (as of March 23, 2017) enrolled on the state programme in Catalunya.

Spain has received only six percent of its quota, which it was due to fulfil in September 2017, and continues to frustrate those people working to assist the reception of refugees. “In 2015, a lot of people reacted to the crisis and wanted us to develop plans and organise our cities to receive refugees. So we did and everyone expected them to arrive. When they didn’t, there was certainly a lot of disappointment,” Coissard said. “It’s even more frustrating for the refugees who are still in the camps. Some have been there for a long time now and have even had children, expecting a change and waiting for something to happen—but nothing does.”

Reflecting upon the reception of refugees across Europe, Coissard believes Spain’s slow reaction is due to “a lack of political willingness”. She further points out that the European Union only expects to meet 25 percent of the quota agreement. “The EU is lacking strength and needs to act more towards defending the right of asylum. Some people are even returning to their home countries such as Afghanistan or Iraq out of desperation.” The CEAS (Common European Asylum System) is preparing a new set of directives in the hope of achieving a more effective and coherent asylum system in Europe. Coissard hopes that with more action and increased awareness things will change. “I hope the people will continue to pressure the government, and that we will see more refugees in our city, country and across Europe.”

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED VOLUNTEER Many of the non-profit organisations designed to help refugees rely on the help of volunteers. Refugees Aid Barcelona receives many donations from people in the city, which then require sorting and packaging to send abroad. It holds events, such as its ‘Shake the Borders’ dance performance, which you can get involved in as well. Fundació Bayt al-Thaqafa has various roles for volunteers, such as tour guides and language teachers. The Federació Catalana de Voluntariat Social (Catalan Federation of Social Volunteers) has a volunteer training programme and offers a number of recognised courses linked to volunteering. CCAR also invites volunteers to get involved, allowing you to select the services/programmes you would like to collaborate on, including first reception services, social programmes, employment and training, and interpreting.

SOLIDARITY INITIATIVES CEAR advocates using events, such as birthdays, weddings or parties to raise money to help refugees in Spain. CEAR can assist and advise you in organising the event. Follow Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra through its website and social medial channels, and join its next protest or campaign. Businesses can also collaborate with CCAR by sponsoring projects and programmes.

DONATE MONEY OR GOODS Refugees Aid Barcelona asks for financial contributions towards transporting goods to refugee camps, as each truck costs approximately €3,600. It also contacts refugee camps directly to source the most needed products. For example, its campaign #OperacionAceite delivers olive oil to camps. Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra also sells products such as T-shirts, bags and banners, with profits funding their campaigns and activities.

DISSEMINATION There is no better way to spread information quickly than through online channels. Following organisations on social media and sharing their posts can help them grow and make their projects more successful.

Fundació Bayt al-Thaqfa also provides services to help young immigrants

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URBAN REMEDIES CREATE A MEDITERRANEAN HERB GARDEN ON YOUR BALCONY

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romatic, tasty and easy on the eye, fresh herbs are a cheap and simple way to bring more greenery to your home and flavour to your cooking. Thanks to Barcelona’s climate, the smallest city balcony can be transformed into a sweet-smelling herb garden that needs minimal maintenance. The best plants to pick are Mediterranean herbs as they thrive in hot temperatures and nutrient-poor soils, and insects and pests generally dislike them. Choose containers that drain well and allow the soil good circulation (sandy soil with a neutral pH works best). You can try growing your herbs from seeds or using clippings but, for a quick start, buy them as young plants from your nearest garden centre.

OREGANO (OrĂŠgano) A lover of balmy weather, oregano is native to the Mediterranean. For strong flavour, ensure it is placed in full sun. Give the plant sporadic but thorough waterings so it is able to soak up moisture at its roots. Regular trimming will help your oregano plant branch again and avoid it thinning out.

ROSEMARY (Romero) One of the easiest plants to take care of, rosemary can go for long periods without water. Take care not to overwater as it is sensitive to root rot and mildew. Look for shrub and creeping varieties which look great hanging down walls and balconies. Rosemary is hardier than oregano and will survive the winter months too.

SAGE (Salvia) Favoured by Greeks and Romans for food preservation, sage is the hardiest of the Mediterranean herbs. It loves full sunshine but can also tolerate cold, and is content in partial shade. The leaves can be dried and stored for long-term use. Try a purple or tri-coloured variety to add different hues to your balcony garden.

THYME (Tomillo) Thyme is a small but powerful plant that can put up with high temperatures as well as severe cold. A well-established thyme plant will need little attention, just a sprinkling of water once a week or so. In dry weather, it may need more regular watering.

BASIL (Albahaca) Originally Asian, this herb made its way to Europe through trade. Basil likes it hot and will flourish in the summer so now is a good time to get it started.

Water the plant when the soil is dry to the touch and try to water at its base, rather than over the leaves. Pinch off leaves and stems for cooking, avoiding the use of a knife, as contact with metal oxidises the plant.

In Barcelona, watering plants on balconies that overhang the street is regulated. Avoid the ire of your neighbours by sticking to the approved timetable, which is between midnight and 8am. Also, if you are making use of railings, make sure that pots are securely attached.

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THE SOUND OF SUCCESS PRIMAVERA SOUND’S EVOLUTION IN 16 YEARS FROM SMALL INDIE FESTIVAL TO MAJOR MUSIC EVENT HAS BEEN SPECTACULAR

By Sam Walker-Smart

M Elza Soares

ore than 200,000 revellers will descend on Barcelona for one week this month as the entire city reverberates to the sound of one of Europe’s best-loved festivals. Primavera Sound has spent the last 16 years carving its place into the crowded diary of the music faithful, and its name has become synonymous with an ever-growing trend of immersive urban festivals. This year’s festival will host a spectacular line-up, including Aphex Twin, Glass Animals, Grace Jones, Mac DeMarco, Saint Etienne and Van Morrison. So just how did Primavera Sound grow from being a discreet indie festival on the European circuit to a globally-renowned music showcase?

Primavera Sound’s four founders always knew they wanted to create a new breed of festival—an unashamedly urban festival that was an integral part of the city. Although Primavera Sound took place on a small scale during the Nineties, the festival as we know it today began in 2001. The one-day event took place on April 28th at Poble Espanyol and hosted 19 acts, including Armand Van Helden, Bent and cult-stars UNKLE. Just 7,700 people attended that first edition, but it was a hit and plans were made for a bigger, more inclusive bash the following year.

While the selection of acts for 2001 had been a thoughtfully curated mix, 2002’s two-day festival upped the ante, while introducing an indie core that still remains today. Britpop icons Pulp were impressive headline material, The Moldy Peaches played what was to be their only ever Spanish show and electronic pioneer Aphex Twin unleashed his unclassifiable audio experimentation. Continuing the good times, 2003 became a rocker’s paradise, with performances

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Belako

by cross-generational guitar heroes Sonic Youth, Television and The White Stripes. A big sponsorship deal with Estrella Damm and a phenomenal set from a then-unknown LCD Soundsystem helped elevate the Primavera Sound brand to heady new heights.

By 2005, the growing festival needed more space and moved to Parc del Fórum, a decision that allowed organisers to keep the same nine stages while allowing attendees more space to soak up the music. More than 46,000 fans flocked to the biggest year yet, an edition marked by the return of the long absent Iggy and the Stooges. By now, word of the festival’s eclectic line-up and sunkissed atmosphere had begun to gain traction abroad, particularly among festival lovers in the UK. By 2006, roughly 30 percent of the audience came from abroad to see more than 150 global acts, as well as the cream of local independent talent. The festival was both broadening its appeal and consolidating its week-long presence in the city with the introduction of new initiatives. The Digital Music Conference, organised with the Catalan Institute of Cultural Studies created a forum for an open discussion on the future of the music industry in the digital age and its often-uneasy marriage with business. Primavera Club, baixa el Metro and al Parc saw the festival’s influence spread into other areas of the city, and the organisers opened the doors to a younger crowd with the family-friendly minimúsica concerts.

While the banking crisis hit Spain harder than most, Primavera Sound weathered the storm, even managing to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2010 by breaking the 100,000 visitor mark. Legends such as the Pixies returned, drawing the biggest crowd in the festival’s history, while that year also saw the creation of Primavera

Pro. Taking advantage of its growing stature and increasing popularity as a meeting place for the industry, Primavera Pro presents talks from a wide selection of artists, journalists, record reps and anyone with some hard earned wisdom, and is a magnet for eager networkers.

In 2011, a leap in venue size and crowd numbers, and two extra stages brought discontent in a city already bearing the strains of booming tourism along with a harsh economic climate. The inclusion of VIP tickets and price hikes left many locals feeling priced out of a festival on their own doorstep. In response, the following year a number of free concerts and activities were organised around the city to help spread a spirit of goodwill and community. Back at the main event, more than 200 acts took to the stage—including a mammoth three-hour set by The Cure—cementing the gathering as Europe’s greatest indie festival.

More than 2,000 concerts later, Primavera Sound is still independently-run and has no intention of selling out. It receives little public funding and manages a mega budget of more than €11 million. It’s not a stretch to say the growth of the festival has gone hand in hand with the growth of Barcelona itself. The musical bonanza has helped shape the image of Barcelona as a young vibrant city for many visitors.

Key to its success is the relatively small team still running things, not to mention organisers who are passionate enough to prioritise a great mix of groups over increased profit. It’s a winning recipe that, despite many successes and awards, has not changed since year one. It may be a real player on the global circuit now, but it’s still Primavera Sound. See you at the front.

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BURSTING WITH BEATS Sorting through more than 200 acts is not for the faint of heart. So here’s a lowdown of the top performers at Primavera Sound this year

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etting the bar high from the get go, British folk band The Wave Pictures will open Primavera als Clubs on Monday, May 29th.

Tuesday kicks off with ambient pop from American quartet Cigarettes After Sex, followed by local hiphop group 7 Notas 7 Colores on Wednesday. At the Fòrum, you can catch Nineties electronic pop legend Saint Etienne and Local Natives on stage.

The electronic contingent is strong on Thursday with DJ Aphex Twin pulling in the punters, alongside Belfast DJs Bicep, with their blend of Detroit techno and Italo disco. If you’d prefer to start off slow, Bon Iver will be showcasing his latest work 22, A Million (2016), which embodies his experimental sound.

Bringing more diversity to the music-heavy lineup, wordsmith Kate Tempest will be performing her spoken-word poetry. In keeping with the poetic theme, Sleaford Mods will be spitting their angry lyrical rhymes on Friday while Frank Ocean makes waves with his R&B sounds. Since his recent uncompromising album Blonde (2016) shot to the top of American and British charts, the New Orleans artist will likely draw a big crowd.

Saturday’s concerts promise to leave any music fanatic in awe. Van the Man will play his legendary back catalogue of folk and soul sounds, while fans pack in for Jamaican singer-songwriter Grace Jones. Her performances are powerful, with her hula-hooping skills alone making her worth a watch. Finishing things off in style, world-renowned DJ John Talabot will be moving away from his signature beats to churn out soul and disco for the last ones standing.

If you have any energy left on Sunday, the festival will host more concerts around the city, including Primavera regular Shellac and Canadian punk band Japandroids.

For the full line-up, visit primaverasound.com.

Van Morrison

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main pages MAY 2017.indd 1

4/19/17 11:04 AM

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SUMMER SCHOOL Spanish course included!

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Classes + workshops + activities!

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WHAT’S ON

BON IVER (PRIMAVERA SOUND MAY 31ST-JUNE 4TH)

THE BEST OF THE MONTH AHEAD

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music

WAITING ON FAME

FUTURE ISLANDS. RAZZMATAZZ. PAMPLONA 88. MAY 6TH. Shooting to stardom after their 2014 performance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Future Islands were a reminder that looks can be deceiving. The Baltimore boys gave off an air of a wedding band, looking slightly out of place in a slot which, in the past, had been filled by some of the biggest names in the industry, including The Pixies and Bob Dylan.

Misconceptions vanished when the synth-pop intro to their single ‘Seasons (Waiting on you)’ began to fill the studio. As lead singer Samuel T. Herring unleashed the power of his vocals along with his dance-like-nobody’s-watching moves, there was a sense that something of a musical revolution was taking place. This was the moment the world met Future Islands. And after more than 10 years touring music-deprived parts of America, they went from cult band to international success overnight. Retweeted by Coldplay, the YouTube video went viral and an unexpected future of sell-out gigs and screaming girls lay ahead. Still touring their preLetterman back catalogue of material, their ability to pull a crowd has not wavered. Back for their third performance in the city, Future Islands will be hitting up Razzmatazz with their brand of melodramatic pop and passionate energy. salarazzmatazz.com

MODERN MUSIC

SHAWN MENDES. PALAU SANT JORDI. PG. OLÍMPIC 5-7. MAY 12TH. Madison Square Garden is a venue associated with the cream of the musical crop. Its stage has been graced by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and even Elvis Presley. Last month saw another young star added to the list, 18-year-old pop sensation Shawn Mendes. The epitome of a contemporary pop star, Mendes taught himself guitar using YouTube videos at the age of 13 and soon after began posting videos of cover songs on Vine (for any technophobes, this is an app that loops six-second videos). His short clips of pop classics such as Ed Sheeran’s ‘Don’t’ and Beyoncé’s ‘Drunk in Love’ were enough to bag him a record deal with Island Records, sending him on the road to international fame. Now, with more artistic freedom, Mendes can focus on original pieces. Often singing about the trials and tribulations of young love, he has also broached edgier subjects such as domestic violence.

Following an incident during a recent interview when Katy Perry touched him inappropriately, the young star made it clear that he believed harassment of any kind “is not a joke”. In an industry where objectification is the norm, Mendes might be just what the younger generations need. Having released his second album, Illuminate (2016), he is filling his time touring, breaking teenage hearts and spreading his message of equality worldwide. palausantjordi.cat

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LOCAL HEROES

ELS AMICS DE LES ARTS. BARTS. PARAL•LEL 62. MAY 4TH, 5TH & 6TH. Ten years on and now signed to Sony Music, Els Amics de les Arts spoke to Metropolitan about working with the Scottish producer Tony Doogan, new material and their upcoming shows this month. Feeling their sound needed a bit of a shake-up, the Catalan musicians turned to their Scottish brethren for inspiration. “There were various reasons for choosing to work with [Tony Doogan],” explained guitarist Ferran Piqué Fargas. “The first was his discography. We loved a lot of the records he worked on and what he brought to them. He’s also quite versatile. He has worked on Mogwai records as well as the soundtrack to Romeo and Juliet. We felt he was the guy to take on our music as we play many different genres and are quite eclectic.’’ Listening to their latest album, Un Estrany Poder (2016), it’s clear they made the right choice. Doogan has breathed new life into their music, helping them achieve their goal of making an album of singles.

“Happiness and energy” are his words of choice when asked to describe the group’s sound. Lead singer Joan Enric Barceló suggests a more pragmatic approach: “The best way to describe it is to stick ‘El Seu Gran Hit’ on Spotify and just give it 30 seconds of your life”. Wise words as the infectious intro will get stuck in your head in no time. On the topic of their live performances, the boys believe first timers will be surprised by their strong following of fans. “The audience knows all the words—people sing so much that they bother others. For us it’s great because we never feel alone.” Playing three dates at BARTS this May, the group guarantees its show will be an eye-opening glimpse into what the Catalan music scene has to offer. barts.cat

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music GET CARRIED AWAY

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ. TEATRE TÍVOLI. CASP 8. MAY 1ST. The sweet sounds of the bygone years of bossa nova flow through the latest work by ArgentineSwedish folk singer, José González. Inspiration for his new album, Vestiges and Claws (2015), came from Brazilian musicians such as João Gilberto and Caetano Veloso as well as from tropicalism, a movement which merges Brazilian and African rhythms with rock and roll. González has put his own twist on tropicalism, merging its rhythms with his unique folk style. He produced and recorded the entire album on his laptop and it has a rawness that is captivating. Well-known for his covers, this album showcases González’s ability to produce high-quality music of his own.

‘Let It Carry You’ will carry you away in a haze of beautifully soft guitar and hypnotic vocals, while ‘Leaf Off/The Cave’ is the perfect example of his melange of world rhythms and influences. grupbalana.com

LA VIDA LOCA

RICKY MARTIN. PALAU SANT JORDI. PG. OLÍMPIC 5-7. MAY 16TH. Teaching us how to shake our bon bons and learn a bit of Spanish while we were at it, Ricky Martin brought some much-needed spice to a pop scene dominated by squeaky clean Nineties boy bands. He was bringing sexy back when Justin Timberlake was still a curlyhaired teen. After the unprecedented success of his self-titled album Ricky Martin (1999), musically things calmed down for the Puerto Rican star—a well-earned break, having been in the limelight since he was 12 years old. He has since become a father to twin boys through surrogacy, come out as gay, gotten engaged and released five more studio albums. Martin is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, having set up the Ricky Martin Foundation in 2002 after he rescued three young girls destined to be sold as prostitutes in India. His One World Tour is not only about the music but also a chance for Martin to increase awareness of human trafficking.

Supporting him at Palau Sant Jordi are Latin America’s answer to One Direction—CNCO. Winners of TV talent show La Banda, CNCO have already played various dates on the One World Tour. On top of everything else, Martin is also a judge and producer of the talent show.

Here’s hoping he has enough time in his busy schedule to make it to the show. palausantjordi.cat

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IN CONCERT

1st. José González Teatre Tívoli. Casp 8.

2nd. Kristian Bezuidenhout Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

2nd. Piccola Orchestra Gagarin Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

4th. Homeshake Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

4th, 5th & 6th. Els Amics de les Arts BARTS. Paral·lel 62.

5th. Los Tres Tenores Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

5th. Freenetiks Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

6th. Future Islands Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

8th. Mark Padmore and Paul Lewis Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

10th. The Toasters Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

11th. Reckless Love Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

12th. Beto Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

12th. Shawn Mendes Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.

13th. Booka Shade Razzmatazz. Pamplona 88.

14th. Adrià Puntí Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

16th. Ricky Martin Palau Sant Jordi. Pg. Olímpic 5-7.

17th. Bubaseta Sala Apolo. Nou de la Rambla 113.

18th. Rufus T. Firefly Sidecar. Plaça Reial 7.

25th. Christopher Park Palau de la Música. Palau de la Música 4-6.

26th. Lluís Coloma Trío Nota 79. Vallirana 79.

27th. Davy Lions Sidecar. Plaça Reial 7.

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art

REVIEW

A NEW PERSPECTIVE Will Shank visits Museu Picasso’s latest exhibition ‘Picasso. Retrats’. Until June 25th.

A NEW TAKE ON VIDEO ART

(Re)watched, (Re)visited. a ReReading of the Beginnings of spanish video aRt. aRts santa Mònica. La RaMBLa 7.

May 2nd-28th.

This exhibition, curated by Albert Alcoz, provides a contemporary reading of the work of three pioneers in the field of Spanish video art, namely Eugènia Balcells, Antoni Muntadas and Carles Pujol. The artists investigate different aspects of video production. Balcells explores the use of seduction strategies in cinema and television, Muntadas studies the ideological mechanisms used by the mass media and Pujol analyses the various aesthetic possibilities of analogue video. The exhibition begins with a collection of more than 70 documents, in a section entitled ‘35 items to document the irruption of video art in Spain, 1974-1990’. Projections, video installations and single channel videos dating back to the Seventies make up the rest of the exhibition.

Revisiting these artists’ oeuvre—an initiative that aligns with the efforts of LOOP Barcelona, a platform dedicated to the study and promotion of the moving image—gives us an understanding of the value of their pieces within Spain’s video art heritage. artssantamonica.gencat.cat

W

hat a pleasure to be presented with seven galleries of paintings, drawings and sculptures by Picasso that make you consider his work from a new perspective. Curator Elizabeth Cowling has tackled an enormous theme in Picasso’s oeuvre—his depiction of mostly recognisable human figures—while focusing on relatively few pieces (33 drawings, 24 paintings, six sculptures and a handful of engravings and photographs) that perfectly illustrate her thoughtful consideration of his portraiture. The exhibition was first shown last winter at London’s National Portrait Gallery.

Picasso was never commissioned to paint anyone’s portrait, but rather he chose to depict those in his immediate circle: his wives, his many lovers, his children, collectors, gallerists and several other famous artists pictured here such as Igor Stravinsky and Jean Cocteau. Because so many people came and went through Picasso’s life, it is a treat to see one corner of this exhibition devoted to a constant thread: his childhood Catalan friend Jaume Sabartés, who became his long-time secretary. Whether caught with his pants down as a caricature in a brothel scene, or re-invented with a ruffled Flemish collar, Sabartés shows up here as Picasso’s Sancho Panza in different guises between 1904 and 1957.

On view are a number of works rarely seen in public.

Among these are an astonishingly contemporary-looking painting of his first wife Olga, from 1923, a moment that ushered in his Neo-classic period, as well as a Cubist portrait of Fernande from 1909-1910, on loan from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

A gallery devoted to ‘Color’ shows Picasso working in a circus-like palette appropriate to images of his toddler children, but more curious when applied to serious adults such as photographer Lee Miller or his by-then (1935) bitter wife Olga, who was about to separate from Picasso for good, but who would never divorce him.

Elsewhere we see Picasso bouncing among such wild swings of styles that it would be impossible for the uninitiated to accept that one person had created all of the works in the gallery. In one year (1938), for instance, he portrayed his eccentric lover Dora Maar with a spider-like line, but he muted the outline of the gentle Marie-Thérèse Walter so completely that she appears to be half-human, half-cloud. Gallerist Vollard is a series of soft smudges, but composer Stravinsky is a riot of sharp Cubist planes that open like a Spanish fan.

In the final gallery the curator explores the expatriate artist’s recurring Spanish themes through the use of pairings that are not immediately obvious, but Cowling weaves these threads from different eras together beautifully. Black-clad portraits of Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Roque both recall enthroned Spanish nobility. Two painted sheet-metal portraits of Sylvette David from the Thirties are placed as comparisons to Picasso’s Velázquez studies from the Fifties. The exhibition ends with an Infanta from the museum’s ‘Las Meninas’ series, placed next to a similarly triangular composition of Picasso’s family (Françoise with young Paloma and Claude). Such thoughtful juxtapositions provide the viewer with insightful moments about the complex visual associations that were constantly at work inside Picasso’s head.

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STARMAN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

david Bowie is. Museu deL disseny. pLaça de Les gLòRies cataLanes 37-38.

May 25th-JuLy 30th.

After its commencement and success at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013, ‘David Bowie Is’ took off on a worldwide tour and this month comes to Barcelona—the only city in Spain that will host it. The exhibition zooms in on Bowie’s creative processes as a musical innovator and cultural icon, tracing his shifting style and constant reinvention over the course of five decades. It demonstrates how he was both an influencer and the influenced due to various artistic collaborations within different movements of art, design, music and theatre. Granted unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archives in order to curate the first retrospective on this pioneering performer, ‘David Bowie Is’ includes hand-written lyrics, original costumes, personal instruments, album artwork, music videos and photographs. ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museudeldisseny

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art MARKET LIFE born: mEmoriEs oF a markEt. El born Cultural CEntrE. until novEmbEr 26th.

Forty-five years since the Born market closed, this photographic exhibition aims to bring it back to life in the city’s collective memory. As a symbol of the city’s vitality and community, few other places can compete with the Born’s longevity and influence.

Since the late Middle Ages, the square where the market building stands today was the bustling heart of the old city and a place for trade. In 1876, following the creation of the Ciutadella park, the market—constructed from wrought iron and glass, and designed by Antoni Rovira i Trias—became the first of Barcelona’s network of iron-structured markets. In 1921, the Born market was made the city’s main fruit and vegetable wholesale market in order to ease congestion around La Boqueria.

Although this was meant to be temporary, the wholesale market stayed there until 1971, when Mercabarna was created. Plans were then to demolish the building, but it was saved by local residents and underwent some restoration in the late Seventies. It then stood empty until it was turned into the cultural centre that it is today. This exhibition brings together drawings from the time of its construction and photographic memories from its life as a market. There will also be a number of parallel activities from round-table discussions to concerts and conferences. elbornculturaimemoria.barcelona.cat

ART AND METAPHYSICS

Camins EnContrats—antoni miralda. Works: 1977 and 2003-2007. FundaCió suñol.

Pg. dE gràCia 98. may 17th-sEPtEmbEr 2nd.

With this project the Fundació Suñol pushes the limits of its exhibition space to see how it can influence the way an audience experiences art. The second show in this vein brings together two installations

by Antoni Miralda. Taken together and individually, the pieces are meant to work as a catalyst for viewer reflection on artistic practices. Originally from Terrassa, Miralda is considered one of the most versatile and witty of the Spanish avant-garde movement of the last 40 years, and his work is renowned for its spontaneity and playfulness. The pieces on display will be ‘Fest für Leda’ (1977) and ‘Cuarenta y cinco huesos’ (2003-2007). fundaciosunol.org

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EXHIBITIONS

OPENINGS GALERIA SENDA Anna Malagrida: Cristal House Winner of the 2016 Carte blanche PMU, Barcelonaborn photographer Anna Malagrida presents her most recent project, which penetrates the intimate life of her models. Opening May 17th. Trafalgar 32.

LAST CHANCE MUSEU MARÍTIM DE BARCELONA Carrilho da Graça: Lisboa Curated by Marta Susana Sequeira, this exhibition shows projects and models by Portuguese architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça that have gained international recognition.

Until May 14th. Avda. de les Drassanes 1.

FUNDACIÓ JOAN MIRÓ Self-Organization This show provides a genealogy of artists from the Sixties who have been developing strategies to regain control over their artistic production in an attempt to avoid external interpretation.

Until May 21st. Parc de Montjuïc.

MNAC Uprisings This display focuses on themes of collective emotions and political events by featuring nearly 300 images of riots, civil disobedience, political turmoil and revolutions of all kinds.

Until May 21st. Parc de Montjuïc.

ARTS SANTA MÒNICA Miguel De Cervantes o el Deseo de Vivir Photos by José Manuel Navia capturing the places visited by Miguel de Cervantes throughout his life are on display to honour the 400th anniversary of the author’s death in 2016. Until May 21st. La Rambla 7.

CASAL DE BARRI CONGRÉS-INDIANS Dona i Salut An exhibition dedicated to women who have contributed their strength and wisdom to the field of medicine and to taking care of others.

Until May 26th. Manigua 25-35.

ARTS SANTA MÒNICA Legible - Visible This project explores the relationships of continuity, complementarity and dialectics, which are established between artists’ publications and audiovisual works. Until May 28th. La Rambla 7.

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misc GIRL POWER

BRUNSWICK SQUARE. TINTA ROJA. CREU DELS MOLERS 17. MAY 6TH-14TH. ProjectB has been entertaining the city’s English-speaking community with its original short plays for over five years.

This year, however, marks a turning point as the group puts on its first full-length play. Written by Daniel Jacobs, originally from the UK and a founding member of the group, Brunswick Square tells the tale of five women between the ages of 30 and 65, who meet regularly to share their life stories. “It’s rather unusual that a play all about women was written by a man, but Dan is extremely perceptive when it comes to the female psyche,” assured cast member Mary Kopecky (who plays Rosie). So what can theatre-goers expect from the performance? While the cast are cautious not to give too much away and spoil any surprises before opening night, according to Carrie Lillie (who plays Deb), an emotional rollercoaster is in store. “The play provides insight into these women’s lives, their highs and lows. It’s very realistic— anyone with a strong group of girlfriends can identify.”

Throw in some Spice Girls and Grease references for good measure, and you have the makings of a real crowd-pleaser. projectbtheatre.com

PEDAL TO THE METAL

AUTOMOBILE BARCELONA. FIRA MONTJUÏC. AVDA. DE LA REINA MARIA CRISTINA. MAY 11TH-21ST. Timed to coincide with the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Montmeló circuit, this month Barcelona will host a revved up version of the biggest showcase in the automotive world. Featuring two events in one—the Connected Hub on May 11th and 12th, and the Automobile Motorshow May 13th to the 21st—this edition of Automobile Barcelona brings together technology, mobility and new business models. During the Connected Hub event, people will have the opportunity to attend talks by key figures in the field and to participate in interactive workshops and networking sessions. At the Automobile Motorshow, vehicle enthusiasts can see the latest models from brands such as Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, BMW and Tesla, and learn about the newest developments in engines. The event will also include a showroom where demonstrations of the most advanced technologies applied to vehicles will take place, while those interested in buying a new ride can head to the Test Drive area and take their car of choice for a spin around Montjuïc. automobilebarcelona.com

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MADE IN BARCELONA

MYBARRIO CLUB POP UP. SOHO HOUSE. PLAçA DEL DUC DE MEDINACELI 4. MAY 6TH-7TH. After the huge success of its last three editions, which attracted more than 5,000 design-savvy shoppers, MYBARRIO’s curated design market is back in a brand new location—the uber-hip Soho House.

Promoting the ‘shop small’ movement, the team at MYBARRIO handpicks a selection of the best ‘Made in Barcelona’ products, providing a platform for local designers to showcase their creations.

The fourth edition is set to feature a whole host of carefully curated products, from high-end skincare by Alex Carro to Ball Pagès’ handmade espadrilles. Meanwhile, Soho House’s Cecconi’s will be serving up its classic Italian cuisine. mybarrio.es

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PHOTO

ELS AMICS DE LES ARTS (5TH)

PHOTO

NOVA ZEMBLA IN BIKINI An exhibition by artists Erich Weiss and Nils Nova involving music, painting, sculpture, video and photography. Hans & Fritz Contemporary. Until May 6th.

RRSS Artist Ana Riaño explores the meeting of two different phenomena—the construction of identity as an artist and social networks. Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo. Until May 13th.

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KRISTIAN BEZUIDENHOUT The award-winning South African fortepiano artist offers a series of concerts dedicated to Beethoven.

8.30pm. Petit Palau.

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JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ The one-of-a-kind ArgentineSwedish singer plays his indiefolk songs as part of the Festival Mil·lenni. 9pm. Teatre Tívoli.

TUESDA Y

1

MONDA Y

MAY 2017

THIS MONTH

11 SALÓN DEL AUTOMÓVIL This nine-day show attracts over 700,000 vehicle enthusiasts, and unites technology, mobility and new business models.

Fira Montjuïc. Until May 21st.

CARRILHO DA GRAÇA A retrospective exhibition of the most important Lisbon-based projects by Portuguese architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça.

Museu Marítim. Until May 14th.

SHADOW TO LIGHT An exhibition by photographers from different generations with two common denominators: photojournalism and commitment.

Fundació Setba. Until June 22nd.

NOVOS TRABALHOS, VELHOS TERRITÓRIOS José Pedro Croft’s fourth solo exhibition explores different colours and materials.

Galeria Senda. Until May 17th.

CHIKI LORA The musician from Málaga comes to Barcelona to present his first album Sumando live.

9pm. Sidecar Factory Club.

OPERA AND FLAMENCO Sensual flamenco choreographies and the most famous opera arias alternate in this show that tells a stormy love story. 9.30pm.

Palau de la Música.

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T HURSDAY

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RESPECTA’M Photographs by a group of women who aim to raise awareness about bullying.

Casa Elizalde. Until May 11th.

DINNER AT THE DORCHESTER Conceived as the third and last act of an opera, this exhibition revolves around the actions of the world’s economic elite during a private dinner. adn galería.

Until May 10th.

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WED NE SDAY

SHAWN MENDES The Canadian singer-songwriter comes to Barcelona as part of his Illuminate World Tour.

7.30pm. Palau Sant Jordi.

BEJO Among the best musical discoveries of 2016, Bejo brings his Canary Island sound to Barcelona for one night.

9.30pm. Sala Apolo.

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BIOCULTURA Spain’s biggest fair dedicated to ecology and responsible consumption features more than 700 exhibitors. Palau Sant Jordi.

Until May 7th.

ELS AMICS DE LES ARTS One of the most important Catalan folk-pop bands of the moment plays songs from its latest album.

9pm. Sala Barts.

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FRIDAY

PRIMERA PERSONA A festival with a rich programme of life stories in the form of monologues, concerts, readings and shows. 7pm. CCCB.

TAPAS. SPANISH DESIGN FOR FOOD This exhibition explores the role of design in relation to food and gastronomy in Spain. Museu del Disseny. Until May 21st.

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COSMOSOUL Spain’s most refreshing exponents of nu soul come to the city for their debut.

8pm. Jamboree.

FUTURE ISLANDS The American synth-pop band, known for its crooner frontman, performs songs from its fifth experimental album.

9pm. Razzmatazz.

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SAT URDAY

SELF ORGANIZATION Works by various artists feature in this exhibition that focuses on the theme of reclaiming control over the artistic production. Fundació Joan Miró. Until May 21st.

BEBE REXHA The American singer performs songs from her latest EP All Your Fault for her first European tour.

8pm. Razzmatazz.

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TWO MARKET Treasure hunters will be in heaven at the city’s cheapest secondhand market.

10am. Ovella Negra.

VISUAL GRAVITATION Bilbao artist Patrik Grijalvo presents his seven-year project focused on the process of sculpting photography.

Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo.

Until May 13th.

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SUN DAY

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RICKY MARTIN A jaw-dropping light display and five high-definition screens will accompany Ricky Martin’s live performance.

8pm. Palau Sant Jordi.

UPRISINGS Images of riots, civil disobedience, political turmoil and revolutions of all kinds feature in this exhibition.

MNAC. Until May 21st.

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PHOTO

BLACKOUT This exhibition traces the multidisciplinary career of Catalan artist and researcher Tres. Palau de la Virreina.

Until June 18th.

À TOUTE ÉPREUVE An exploration into Miró’s connection with poets of the Twenties who influenced his visual language. Fundació Joan Miró. Until July 2nd.

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GAVIN DEGRAW The American artist delivers an intimate, acoustic performance of some of his greatest hits and unreleased songs.

8pm. Sala Bikini.

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LOS TRES TENORES The three tenors from Opera e Lirica sing the most famous opera arias and Spanish songs, accompanied by alluring tango choreographies. 9pm. Petit Palau.

VOYAGE An exhibition of video installations by artist Robert Cahen explores the notions of voyage, landscape, portrait and time. Palau de la Virreina. Until June 25th.

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LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT This comic opera tells the story of Marie, a young orphan who has been adopted by a regiment of soldiers.

8pm. Gran Teatre del Liceu.

ZOETROPE A display of works by Frederic Amat, one of the leading figures in the contemporary Catalan art scene. Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera. Until July 16th.

VIRGINIA AND THE WOOLFS Taking inspiration from blues and soul of the Fifties and Sixties, this band performs with intense energy and great charisma.

10.30pm. Harlem Jazz Club.

PRIMAVERA SOUND Festival season is here and the city’s five-day music festival, featuring a killer line-up, kicks off with major artists’ performances.

Parc del Fòrum. Until June 4th.

LEGIBLE - VISIBLE An exploration into the relationships of continuity, complementarity and dialectics in artists’ publications or audiovisual works. Arts Santa Mònica.

Until May 28th.

ABEL PINTOS One of the best voices of Argentina and an important representative of the melodic song, Abel Pintos presents his 11th album. 9pm. Sala Barts.

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JACK BROADBENT Considered one of the best bluesmen of his generation, the British singer ignites the stage with his voice and guitar.

9pm. Sala Bikini.

CAMINS ENCONTRANTS. ANTONI MIRALDA Two works created in different contexts by installation artist Antoni Miralda are presented in the same space. Fundació Suñol.

Until September 2nd.

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DONA I SALUT An exhibition that focuses on women who have made contributions in the field of medicine. Casal de Barri Congrés-Indians. Until May 26th.

DAVID BOWIE IS (25TH)

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PATRICK BRUEL With a 30-year career under his belt, the French singer and actor takes the stage for another night of live music. 9pm. Sala Barts.

MELENDI Performing songs from his latest album Quítate las Gafas, the charismatic, Oviedo-born musician is sure to satisfy his fans. 9.30pm. Palau Sant Jordi.

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PHOTO

BEBE REXHA (14TH) 19

COPA DEL REY FINAL With 28 Copa del Rey titles to its name, current champions Barça takes on Alavés in the Copa del Rey final. 9.30pm.

CRISTAL HOUSE A photography project by Barcelona-born Anna Malagrida, who explores the intimate life of her models from behind the lens.

Galeria Senda.

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LE MIE PAROLE Ketty La Rocca, a pioneer in the field of visual poetry, provides insight into performance and video art. Palau de la Virreina.

Until June 18th.

FORENSIC ARCHITECTURE This exhibition explores how research group Forensic Architecture applies research methods to investigate human rights abuses.

MACBA. Until October 15th.

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ACT 37: MARC LARRÉ In this exhibition Larré explores the material and spatial character of photography.

Fundació Suñol. Until June 25th.

BRUNCH IN THE CITY Jeremy Underground and Black Coffee will play their best tracks for this edition of the city’s biggest daytime party.

4pm. Poble Espanyol.

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DISORDER A display of images reflecting social unrest, political turmoil and problems related to climate change by 12 world-renowned photographers.

Palau Robert. Until May 28th.

BENNY GREEN TRIO Elegantly mixing old and modern sounds, master of jazz Benny Green performs live with his partners. 8pm. Jamboree.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM

BIOCULTURA (5TH)

INNOVATION POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY A lecture by Linda Weiss on the impact that Trump’s new policies will have on high-tech hegemony, international trade and the free flow of data. 6.30pm. CCCB.

DAVID BOWIE IS An exhibition of more than 300 objects traces the career of this pioneering performer. Museu del Disseny. Until July 30th.

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BEETHOVEN AND MAHLER: QUINTAS A programme that brings together two fifth symphonies: Beethoven’s, written between 1804-1808, and Mahler’s, written between 1901-1902.

8pm. Palau de la Música.

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY To celebrate the occasion, museums across the city organise special activities and allow free entrance. Various locations.

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@ Gareth Lloyd-Evans

AN ARCHITECT’S VISION THIS YEAR THE CITY CELEBRATES JOSEP PUIG I CADAFALCH, ONE OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT, BUT OFTEN OVERLOOKED, ARCHITECTS

B

By Rachel Huffman ased on the number of buildings and projects by Josep Puig i Cadafalch in Barcelona, he is the city’s most prolific Modernista architect, and yet he is often overshadowed by his contemporaries, Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner. However, to honour the 150th anniversary of the birth of the architect from Mataró, the Generalitat de Catalunya has named 2017 ‘The Year of Josep Puig i Cadafalch’. The Ministry of Culture has contributed €300,000 to organise conferences, seminars, exhibitions and tours in celebration of the occasion and to give Puig i Cadafalch the recognition he deserves.

Among the planned events, the most noteworthy are a congress to be held in Barcelona and Mataró in October; the exhibition ‘J. Puig i Cadafalch. Architecture, history, art and politics’, co-organised by the Museu d’Història de Catalunya and the Arxiu Nacional de Catalunya (National Archive of Catalunya); and a documentary to raise awareness of his multifaceted character, promoted by the Ministry of Culture and TV3.

Besides impacting on the architecture of the region, Puig i Cadafalch was an art historian and a politician. This commemorative year also coincides with the centenary of his presidency of the Mancomunitat de Catalunya (Commonwealth of Catalunya). And a decade before, in 1907, the Barcelona Museums Board was set up under his leadership—he took charge of the organisation of the library of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), applying the international rules for the classification of material. In his many roles, Puig i Cadafalch stressed the importance of Catalan art and fought to make his culture more resilient.

Living at a time when his country was aware of its past, but open to innovative advancements of the present, allowed Puig i Cadafalch to thrive as an architect while staying true to his values. He involved Catalan nationalist symbols in much of his work and showed an elevated level of craftsmanship influenced by the Industrial

Revolution. The amalgam of old and new that he advocated made him a major part of the Modernisme movement.

Catalan Modernisme is one of Barcelona’s most defining features.

It goes beyond architecture, expanding into a cultural movement championed by Catalan intellectuals, artists and writers who believed a cultural revamp of Catalunya was the only way to get their society on par with its European neighbours. This movement fed off the previous Renaixença, an early 19th-century romantic revivalist movement which, like most other Romantic movements, was noted for its admiration of the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was the golden age of Catalunya and, nostalgic for past glory days, Puig i Cadafalch relied heavily on architectural details from that time such as Gothic arches, spires, towers, and sculptures cut from stone with precision. Instead of the archetypal gargoyles peering out from a building’s sides, though, he used more earthly figures such as fish, other animals and people that still stretched out from the walls with their mouths open in typical fashion.

Catalunya’s romantic renaissance recovered the distinctive personality of Catalan art, along with the image of Sant Jordi. Less than a decade later, Modernista architects were using the patron saint of the Crown of Aragon and the dragon he slayed as a theme throughout their work. The legend of Sant Jordi represents bravery in the face of opposition and standing firm to defeat fear and save the future of a civilisation, and Puig i Cadafalch especially exploited it as inspiration for his design.

In terms of architecture, Catalan Modernisme was also characterised by organic forms derived from nature, experimentation with different mediums and materials, vibrant colour, elements of Islamic and Gothic architecture, and curved rather than straight lines, among other things. Although Puig i Cadafalch took some liberties with his own style, all the various influences of the time led him to create the arresting structures that can still be admired throughout Barcelona today.

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This imposing structure, nicknamed the ‘House of Spikes’, was built between 1903 and 1905, for the three daughters of Bartomeu Terradas i Mont. The Terradas family was part of the proud bourgeoisie around the turn of the 20th century, having acquired its wealth from the textile industry. When the father died, he named his son as heir, but left a small monetary fortune to the women of the family as well. This inheritance helped finance the construction of Casa de les Punxes.

The brother commissioned his friend Josep Puig i Cadafalch to design a home for his sisters, Àngela, Josefa and Rosa. The architect envisioned three separate houses seamlessly blended together to look like one massive medieval castle along the lines of the Wagner-inspired fashion of northern Europe. It was decided that they would buy the entire block where Casa de les Punxes sits today, in order to accommodate Puig i Cadafalch’s grandiose idea. This location—six corners coinciding with the intersection of the three surrounding streets, Avinguda Diagonal, Carrer Rosselló and Carrer Bruc—was irregular since Ildefons Cerdà’s plan for the gridded neighbourhood of Eixample was already underway, and Puig i Cadafalch had to adapt the layout of the building to fit the unusual shape of the land.

The two main facades of the building that face Passeig de Gràcia and Avinguda Diagonal (where the most important members of society took their walks) are ornately decorated, with nature scenes depicted in three materials—wrought iron, stone and stained glass—while the other facades are plainer. The less striking facade along Carrer Rosselló does have a ceramic-tiled panel of Sant Jordi that draws attention, however. Underneath the picture of Sant Jordi in his armour, standing triumphantly over the dragon, is the phrase ‘Sant Patró de Catalunya, torneunos la llibertat’ (‘Patron saint of Catalunya, give us back our freedom’), and along the border Puig i Cadafalch sculpted a portrait of himself.

While most Modernista architects deleted straight lines, Puig i Cadafalch focused on the triangle in his design of Casa de les Punxes. Only the towers on the edges of the main facades are curved. He also chose to show off his innovative construction techniques adopted from the Industrial Revolution inside the houses. Iron columns supporting the weight of the building are exposed on the ground floor and in the attic, and sleek poles slice through the middle of the six towers, revealing the basic framework of the building as well as providing an aesthetic that you won’t find in any other Modernista architect’s work. Because of his occasional deviations from the defining characteristics of Modernisme, some consider Casa de les Punxes the last house of Modernisme and the first of Noucentisme.

Casa de les Punxes opened to the public in August 2016, for the first time in 110 years. People can now visit the ground floor of Àngela’s house, which includes the reception area, gift shop and cafe, one section of the main floor and the entire roof. Tours of the house aim to explain its history, promote the life and work of Puig i Cadafalch and keep the legend of Sant Jordi alive.

@ Gareth Lloyd-Evans

CASA DE LES PUNXES

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CASA MARTÍ At 28-years-old, Puig i Cadafalch was commissioned by the in-laws of textile magnate Francesc Vilumara to complete his first major project in Barcelona. Casa Martí is a brick building with large pointed arches lining the street, containing simple stained glass windows—more northern European than Catalan in appearance. Nestled on the narrow Carrer Montsió just off Portal de l’Àngel, views of this house are more obscured. Don’t miss the stone sculptures by Eusebi Arnau, the wrought ironwork of Manuel Ballarín, including the slinky steel dragons holding up lanterns over the two side entrances of the main facade, and Josep Llimona’s statue of Sant Josep on the corner. Below the statue is another reference to the Modernista theme of Sant Jordi. Here the hero seems to be tangled up in the scaly body of the dragon, but he has managed to jab his sword straight down the beast’s throat.

Housed on the ground floor of Casa Martí is Els Quatre Gats, opened on June 12, 1897, by Pere Romeu and painters Santiago Rusiñol, Ramon Casas and Miquel Utrillo. The cafe had a strong resemblance to the Le Chat Noir cabaret in Paris and quickly became a regular meeting point for the artistic, ideological and cultural vanguard of the city. Participants included such illustrious figures as Gaudí, Isidre Nonell, Enric Granados and a 17-year-old Picasso, who had just moved to the Catalan capital and would hold his first solo exhibition in the restaurant in 1899.

Els Quatre Gats was not entirely about reflection and thought, however. As Santiago Rusiñol would say, the most important thing in life is to “feed the spirit”.

Pere Romeu reflected this in his careful preparation of the food he served. Only after his clients were full and happy would he sit down with them to discuss how to save the world. The restaurant is still open to the public and contains much of its original decoration.

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Casa Amatller Casa Amatller sits on Passeig de Gràcia between Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and Domènech i Montaner’s Casa Lleó Morera, on the ‘mansana de la discòrdia’ or block of discord, so-named because it features buildings in sharply contrasting styles. Chocolate manufacturer Antoni Amatller i Costa commissioned Puig i Cadafalch to transform an existing building into a residence for his family. From 1898 to 1900, Puig i Cadafalch worked to make what was essentially a block of flats appear to be a single urban Gothic palace.

Under the architect’s supervision, Casa Amatller’s facade was demolished and rebuilt with a variety of colours and decorative sculptural iconography. There are allusions to the family name such as flowering almond tree branches twisted into capital A’s, traditional references to Sant Jordi and the dragon, and around the three balcony doors one of Puig i Cadafalch’s hired artists painted an allegorical

portrait of Antoni Amatller using symbols to depict the three fields that best defined him: industry, the arts (especially photography) and his collection of archaeological glass. Puig i Cadafalch also altered the distribution of the main floor, refurbished the staircase, added an electric lift to the building and installed a rotating platform for the owner’s automobile.

The renovation of Casa Amatller again defied building criteria established in the Cerdà Plan. Puig i Cadafalch went against the main classicist rules of symmetry and regularity; the singular stair-like top that crowns the building and integrates the photographic study built on the roof surpassed the 22-metre height limit of city structures; and he added the concept of colour as a prominent feature in a sea of greyscale urban surroundings. With one house, he redefined a district rooted in uniformity and brought Modernisme to the Eixample.

MET PEOPLE What’s your favourite building in Barcelona?

HUMBERTO Age 39 From Cuba Profession Entrepreneur My favourite building is Casa Batlló. On April 23rd they cover it with roses for La Diada de Sant Jordi, which makes it look even more incredible.

VALERIE Age 33 From California Profession Behavioural therapist I like Casa Amatller because its architecture is interesting and the windows facing the street look like small confessionals.

HECTOR Age 51 From Venezuela Profession Programmer The CCCB is my favourite structure because it encapsulates the mixture of different historical periods and cultures in the city.

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TANGO

IN THE NIGHT

BARCELONA IS A TANGO-LOVING CITY AND THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF PLACES TO LEARN AND PRACTISE THIS SENSUAL ARGENTINE DANCE

By Andrej Klemencic

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wo women in a tight tango embrace glide across the dance floor of Susurro, a large space where cartoon-graffitied walls contrast with the classically-dressed dancers, mostly aged between 30 and 50. Avoiding the cabeceo—a short, clear look with which you invite your desired partner to dance—is not easy if you want to take in the atmosphere and observe the people blending with tango on a Saturday night.

Barcelona has long had an intimate relationship with the tango. The dance dates back to 19th-century Buenos Aires, but crossed the Atlantic in the early 20th century, easily seducing European audiences with its brazen sensuality. Barcelona at that time was a major city of culture in Europe, known for its progressive thinking and cosmopolitan way of life. It was a keen adopter of the Argentine dance, becoming the leading city in Europe for tango, after Paris. The dance’s popularity in Barcelona further grew in 1925, with the arrival of Carlos Gardel, tango’s most famous singer. He debuted in the Teatro Goya, and was a frequent visitor to the city. In recent years, the large number of Argentine immigrants has given the scene a fresh boost, resulting in a wealth of tango clubs, classes and milongas.

Back at Susurro, a serious-looking woman is sitting on one of the sofas, waiting for an invitation to dance. In the world of tango, it is men who do the inviting. If asked to dance, she will spend the next four songs—the duration of a tanda of classical tango—with her partner, who may well be someone she knows from one of the city’s many dance nights. Here, the usual rules of communication give way to a system of nods, embraces and steps.

The usual rules of communication give way to a system of nods, embraces and steps

After four tandas, there are three milongas, the fastest of the three tango rhythms. The dance floor empties and only the brave or quickfooted remain. Looking at the couples it is easy to see differences in the way they interpret the music, but the levels more or less match.

On average, it takes about two years for a man to learn tango well and about six months for a woman. The dance evenings—also called milongas—are usually attended by people who have several months of classes under their belt.

At 1am, an hour or so before it closes, a woman with a dog walks into Susurro to remind the dancing couples that, despite it feeling like an alternative universe, we are still in Gràcia.

At around 10pm on a Monday, Omar, a tall man in a suit with a lilting Argentinean accent, finishes giving a class to around 20 people. There are empanadas on wooden plates and white sweets in a basket. The teacher becomes the DJ, and moves from the dance floor to the stage.

A man with a long ladder changes white light bulbs for red. A sweet darkness comes over the parquet of the Centro Gallego in the lower part of the Raval. As the students take out their wallets to pay the €6 entrance fee and other people start to come in, organiser Claudio Frost makes sure that all the tables are ready for the start of the milonga. “It has been running for 12 years and the ratio of 70 percent local residents to 30 percent foreigners reflects the cosmopolitan spirit of Barcelona,” he said. Frost likes to keep things dynamic. There is a different DJ every Monday and the teachers change on a monthly basis. The clicking of dance shoes mixes with the early 20th-century tango melodies. Elegant women talk to their friends, and men talk to men.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Tango was born in the cultural melting pot that was Buenos Aires in the late 1800s and early 1900s. More than two million immigrants—mostly penniless young men—had arrived in the city from all over Europe (half came from Italy and a third from Spain) seeking a better life. They brought with them their music, instruments and dances, their violins, bandoneons, waltzes and polkas. In the seedy port areas of the city, these men mixed with settlers from other South American countries and elsewhere, European melodies blending with the Cuban habanera and African candombe rhythms. Women were in short supply and, out of this turbulent mixture of poverty, music and desire, the tango emerged as a mating dance in the city’s sleazy bars and brothels. By 1910, the tango had found its way to Paris, by way of well-heeled young men from Buenos Aires’ rich families, who had learned the dance on their escapades to the rough parts of town. The tango’s raw passion both shocked and entranced Parisian society, leading to a craze that quickly swept across Europe.

Back in Buenos Aires, high society was willing to be more accepting of this poor man’s dance now that it was fashionable in Paris salons. It began to lose its rough reputation and be seen in a more glamorous light. By the Thirties however the dance had fallen out of fashion in Europe and was suppressed in Argentina, following a military coup. In the Forties, blessed by Juan and Eva Peron’s populist movement and regarded as an expression of Argentine culture, the tango was reborn and enjoyed a Golden Age, which lasted into the Fifties. The dance’s current revival dates back to the Eighties, and tango music and dance can now be found all over the world.

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@ Luca Boldrini

A red-haired woman sitting next to me takes off her shoes and socks and puts on high heels, an integral part of the female tango wardrobe. Standing up, she removes her glasses and assumes a tango pose. A few moments later, she puts her glasses back on, perhaps to see if anyone is inviting her to the dance floor with a cabeceo.

Although the age range of the dancers is similar to that of Susurro, the milonga at the Centro Gallego feels more formal. Diana, a woman in her late 20s, is here every Monday. She says that she is a regular not only because of the quality of the milonga, but for something far more comprehensive. “We are a community, everybody knows everybody.

To someone on the outside, it would be hard to understand why we skip birthday parties, dinners and going out with friends just for this feeling of togetherness.”

Nou Pipa Club is located in Plaça Reial, up a winding flight of stairs and through a small red door. Until 2015, this was the home of the mythical Pipa Club, which welcomed Barcelona’s pipe smokers for more than three decades. A barman opens the door to a set of large rooms that are empty on a Wednesday evening. Beyond the glass and sliding wooden door there is a room where the black-grey ceramic floor reflects the black ceiling adorned with golden decorations. Inside are a man and a woman giving instructions to five couples. They show a simple step and talk about the angles of the elbows.

Barcelona’s longest-standing milonga takes place in Casa Valencia in Gràcia on Thursdays. “We have played only the classical tango since we began in 1999, and those who expect a more traditional atmosphere come here,” said Antonia Barrera, the organiser. Despite there being mainly couples in their late 50s, she said that the younger visitors come after midnight when the older dancers start going home.

Although each milonga, club and class has a different atmosphere, the tango community of Barcelona finds its coherence in the mixture.

It enriches Barcelona evenings in a way that unites friendship, dance and music, and opens the door to a place where people from different backgrounds can share the beauty of tango.

WHERE TO DANCE TANGO MILONGA SUSURRO Sala Susurro. Quevedo 29 Milonga: every Saturday, 10pm-2am CENTRO GALLEGO DE BARCELONA Rambla 35-37 Pral.

Milonga: every Monday, 10.30pm-1.30am Classes: Beginners on Monday and Tuesday, 8pm-9.15pm Intermediate and advanced on Monday and Tuesday, 9.15pm-10.30pm Courses last 10 weeks and give free entry to the Monday milonga.

MILONGA CASA VALENCIA Còrsega 335 Pral.

Milonga: every Thursday, 10pm-1.30am Classes: Beginners on Thursday 8pm-9pm Intermediate and advanced on Thursday, 9pm-10pm For more information, tangoenbarcelona.es lists milongas and classes throughout the city.

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WORKING LIFE

startup of the month

YUME_HUB Saperas (left) with co-founder Patricia Jordà Morillas

CO-FOUNDER MERCÈ SAPERAS AYMAR, 35, BARCELONA It’s Friday night, you’ve tried on half your wardrobe and you’re still not sure what to wear. With the fashion app YUME_HUB, you can quickly upload a photo of yourself in each outfit and receive real-time feedback from our community. Anyone on the app can indicate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on your outfit, and because it’s all anonymous, you’re more likely to get honest answers. This approach also works when you’re shopping alone. If you aren’t convinced that an item of clothing looks good on you and don’t know if you should buy it, upload a picture from the dressing room and before you get to the cash register, you’ll have your answer.

This is not a social networking platform. YUME_HUB isn’t a place where you’ll get followers and follow other people. There’s no chatting on the app either, so there’s no risk of anyone saying hurtful things about people’s photos, nor of cyberbullying. We’re just helping users look their best.

I don’t have kids, but I feel like this app is my baby. I came up with the concept when I was living in New York. My mom, who was here in Barcelona, is the only person in my life who will tell me honestly if I look bad in an outfit. So all the way from the US, I was still sending her WhatsApp messages asking ‘Hey, should I buy this?’ or ‘Do you think this skirt is appropriate for dinner with clients?’, etc. However, the six-hour time difference meant she wasn’t always able to give me feedback when I needed it. I thought it would be cool to have an app that could help me with any fashion dilemmas in real-time.

I have experience in fashion and e-commerce, and I was pretty sure I wanted

to start my own company at some point—the way I see it, my reality guided me to YUME_HUB. Once I had solidified my vision—after about a year of analysing different business models—I reached out to my co-founder, Patricia Jordà Morillas, and moved back to Barcelona to be near her. Part of our strategy moving forward involved me spending three months looking for the right development team. They are now in charge of developing the app for both Android and iOS, as well as developing algorithms and capturing and analysing big data.

By the end of 2017, our users will be able to get feedback from professional stylists. There are other directions in which we can take the app, but we want to make sure any features we add are useful for our audience. In June 2016, when we first launched, we immediately saw that a few aspects of the app were far too complex. People weren’t using all the features, so we decided to remove them.

My advice to other entrepreneurs is to keep an open mind. Observe the world around you to understand the needs of your potential customers and have a plan in place to measure your results. Also, brace yourself for criticism because you need to know the truth, and it’s not always pretty. Everyone has something to tell you about your product or e-commerce and it’s important to listen to them. This business is not about having an idea and making it a reality based on your needs, wants and opinions. In order to successfully solve a consumer problem, there has to be a conversation between you and them.

To download the app, visit yumehub.com.

GET INSPIRED...

AMERSOC HAPPY HOUR

ANGELHACK GLOBAL HACKATHON

BLOGGING ACADEMY

Open to all, the American Society of Barcelona’s monthly drinks evening is a great opportunity to mingle with the city’s English-speaking community in a relaxed environment.

Venue TBC. May 10th. 8pm. See www.amersoc.com for more information.

The AngelHack series returns to Barcelona for its 10th global hackathon. Over 24 hours, aspiring entrepreneurs will work alone or in teams of up to five people to execute their innovative ideas from scratch.

IronHack Barcelona. Pamplona 96.

May 20th-21st. 9am.

Performance marketing expert Frank Ravanelli will lead a workshop advising bloggers, webmasters and business owners on how to monetise their web traffic.

A short talk will be followed by a question and answer session, then some time for networking.

Space Up. Provença 385. May 24th. 7pm.

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WORKING LIFE

MORE THAN JUST A DESK BARCELONA IS HOME TO A DYNAMIC COWORKING COMMUNITY

FOR DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURS Talent Garden Muntaner 239. barcelona.talentgarden.org Talent Garden targets digital and creative entrepreneurs and has locations around the world. The space is light and modern with plenty of meeting rooms as well as a games area and a busy agenda of activities to take part in.

Price: €250 per month Neighbourhood: Eixample

FOR THE ECO-FRIENDLY Apocapoc BCN Passatge Hort dels Velluters 5. apocapocbcn.com This bright, airy space is housed in an old grain factory in the Born and was created by three French entrepreneurs. Most of the furniture was handcrafted by the owners themselves from recycled materials. When you need a breather, step onto the lovely terrace and admire the impressive plants and fruit trees.

Price: €200 per month Neighbourhood: Born

FOR ART LOVERS Nidok Carrer d’en Grassot 97. nidok.com Alongside Nidok’s coworking area, there is also a gallery space and a 50m2 photographic studio that

can be rented by the hour. The coworking space is small but bright with good lighting.

Price: €240 per month. Rental of photographic studio from €15 for two hours.

Neighbourhood: Gràcia COR23 Cortines 23. cor23.com This beautifully remodelled space, with exposed brick walls, pretty terrace and a warm vibe combines a coworking space with an art gallery that showcases up-and-coming artists.

Price: €240 per month Neighbourhood: La Ribera TALENT&CO Llibertat 13. talentandco.com Talent&Co encourages creativity and collaboration among its members, and provides inspiration with its small gallery space. Original features such as the brick walls give the place a warm touch.

Price: €250 per month Neighbourhood: Gràcia

FOR A COSY ATMOSPHERE Espai Born Vigatans 11. espaiborn.com Housed in a converted bakery, this is a welcoming space that accommodates just 20 people. Most

of Espai Born’s members work in the creative industries, and it encourages the sharing of ideas and projects between co-workers.

Price: €199 per month Neighbourhood: Born Felisa CoWork Rosselló 295 Bajos. felisacowork.com This cheerful space offers programmes to help members thrive in their professional lives. Services include personal coaching, skills training and breakfast brainstorming sessions.

Price: €230 per month Neighbourhood: Eixample RavalCo Sant Vicenç 21. ravalco.org This is a quiet, low-key space in the heart of the Raval. Although less equipped than larger spaces, RavalCo is great value for money and newcomers quickly feel at home here.

Price: €135 per month Neighbourhood: Raval Zamness Zamora 46. zamness.com Founded by Nook Architects, this converted warehouse has a designer touch to it. Bright and contemporary, it houses 26 workstations and has meeting rooms, showers and a funky bar area.

Price: €200 per month Neighbourhood: Poblenou

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O

ver the last 10 years, Barcelona has witnessed the vertiginous rise of the coworking space and is now home to over 100 such spaces. When the first of these opened in 2007, they were widely seen as a logical response to the economic crisis, creating a way for freelancers to have a place to work from without the fixed costs of renting their own office. Now, as more jobs become location-independent and Barcelona enjoys its coveted status as a magnet for digital entrepreneurs and freelancers, the coworking culture has become an integral part of the city’s digital ecosystem. For the people who use them, they provide more than a desk and the use of a meeting room. They also offer the chance to work in a fun and stimulating environment and meet like-minded people. According to research by the Harvard Business Review, people thrive in coworking spaces for many reasons. In particular, they pinpointed the feeling of belonging and the mix of people with different skill sets, which is both intellectually stimulating and likely to lead to interesting collaborations.

Social events and communal kitchens allow members to get to know their fellow coworkers, and creative collaborations are actively encouraged. The bigger places offer more variety in terms of space, including chillout rooms, games rooms and even panoramic terraces.

But all of the city’s most popular coworkings understand that an attractive environment fuels creativity, and great design is a feature common to all. You can pick the place that inspires you most, from a cosy renovation in the Born to a funky converted warehouse in Poblenou.

Costs vary according to the services you contract. Prices start at around €200 for full access, although there are some cheaper options. Many spaces also offer flexible and short-term packages, from day passes to night-time only.

Left Zamness Above Espai Born, Talent Garden

FOR THE BUZZ Betahaus Barcelona Vilafranca 7. betahaus.es Located in a six-storey converted warehouse, this place is all about community. There are two workshops for creators, comfy sofas, a photography studio, silent zones, two terraces, a panoramic rooftop view of Barcelona and an in-house cafe.

Price: €179 per month Neighbourhood: Gràcia Crec Blesa 27. crec.cc This light and spacious converted warehouse in Poble-sec is home to 200 coworkers who have the use of meeting rooms, chillout areas and a photographic studio. There’s lots going on here, with regular courses and events. Pets are welcome.

Price: €230 per month Neighbourhood: Poble-sec Valkiria Hub Space Pujades 126. valkiriahubspace.com This spacious coworking with a bar-restaurant on the side has a coworking area plus rooms for small businesses to work in and an impressive

event space. It hosts conferences and activities for members and non-members.

Price: €200 per month Neighbourhood: Poblenou

FOR SOCIAL PIONEERS transforma bcn Consell de Cent 394. transformabcn.com Transforma bcn is for people who want to be part of a dynamic community. With 70 coworking spaces, it promotes social transformation through collaboration. When you’re tired of your desk, play some table tennis, relax in a hammock or head for a snack at the bar-restaurant Vivant. The space runs activities every week for its members.

Price: €185 per month Neighbourhood: Eixample

FOR PARENTS Happy Milk Casp 46. happymilk.org For parents who need to get back to work but want their young ones nearby, Happy Milk offers the best of both worlds. Mums and dads can work in a happy space, while their children have fun in the multilingual Play School, just a lift ride away.

Price: €250 per month (the Play School is an additional €250 for five mornings) Neighbourhood: Eixample

FOR MAKERS MOB // Makers of Barcelona Bailen 11. mob-barcelona.com Makers of Barcelona (MOB) is housed in a former textile factory. Its philosophy of creative collaboration runs through the space, which brings people of many disciplines together. There’s 3D printing available at the Fab Cafe in the entrance and a coffee shop that’s open to the public.

Price: €130 per month Neighbourhood: Eixample

FOR CAFE LOVERS Coco COFFICE Manso 17. cofficebarcelona.com Coco COFFICE is Barcelona’s first ‘coffice’, a cross between cafe and coworking space.

Although there is a monthly price, Coco Coffice is designed to be used by the hour. For just €4 (€3 for subsequent hours) you can settle in and help yourself to the buffet of coffee, tea, cookies, fruits and snacks.

Price: €210 per month Neighbourhood: Sant Antoni For more coworking spaces in Barcelona see: coworkingspain.es comunidadcoworking.es

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WORKING LIFE

A DAY IN THE LIFE

TRACY FONTANA, 52, AMERICAN, OWNER OF SWIIT GELATO SHOP

Tracy and her husband Giovanni

9AM Our day starts early with the kids getting ready for school, but by 9am I’m on my way back home. I try to buy provisions for the shop early—cups and napkins, cookies and milk—because these trips can easily eat into the day later on.

10AM Swiit opens in the afternoon, but there always seem to be a million things to do before then.

I spend this time working on marketing material and packaging, organising the shop, and posting on our social media accounts. I love Instagram (follow us @swiitbarcelona), as photography has been a love of mine since the analogue days when I used to develop black-and-white photos in my father’s darkroom. Now I like to mix photos of ice cream and our shop with images of the city as it keeps things fresh and not too commercial.

12PM The two hours before opening are devoted to getting the shop ready and contacting suppliers. We meet regularly with our wonderful gelataio Alessandro to discuss new flavours and ingredients. Be it choosing the farms we source our organic milk from or researching suppliers for organic açai, the tasks each day are different and exciting. We also devote a lot of energy to the look of our shop: we’ve incorporated antique doors in the ice cream display, new light fixtures overhead and have old-time jazz playing softly in the background.

2PM It’s time to open. This requires folding back the enormous doors lining the front of the shop and dismantling the window panels, which are original to the space. The building, a former printer’s workshop in the Gothic Quarter, is nearly 200 years old and we were very careful to preserve its historic details.

2-8PM The rest of the day is devoted to our customers. The best part of my job is watching people come in and see their eyes get big as they look at the gelato on offer. How many jobs are there where you get to deal with happy people all day long?

8PM By evening we start to wind down and close up shop as the last customers head home. At the moment we close early so we can have more family time and enjoy a relaxing dinner together, but we’ll be testing later hours as summer looms.

Before falling asleep, I often think about what a wonderful experience this career change has been for us. We usually get the itch to move on to something or someplace else after seven or eight years, but lately we’ve been thinking: “Where would we go?” Life here in Barcelona is so good.

Tracy and her Italian husband Giovanni have lived in Milan, San Francisco, Sardinia and now Barcelona, where they have been for eight years. They have three teenage children and have run many businesses together, including a travel consulting firm in the US and a design and communications studio in the Costa Smeralda.

Find Swiit at Baixada de Viladecols 2c, Bajos 2 (swiitbarcelona.com).

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TRAVEL

A CITY IN BLOOM DON’T FORGET TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES THIS MONTH AT GIRONA TEMPS DE FLORS

By Rachel Huffman

T

he city of Girona will undergo a botanical makeover from May 13th to the 21st. Offering more than a hundred individual displays, Temps de Flors (the Girona Flower Festival) turns streets and squares into living art installations, accompanied by music, light shows and the intoxicating scent of thousands of blooms. A gift for all the senses, visitors will see how an ancient city becomes one giant canvas for artistic expression, where the beauty of floral compositions blends with its architectural and historical heritage.

Since it was first held in 1954—when it was organised by female volunteers from the local Falange Española Tradicionalista (the sole legal political party under Franco)—this exhibition has bedecked some of the city’s best-known landmarks. The 90 stone stairs ascending to Girona Cathedral are typically covered in elegant, formal arrangements. Oversized water lilies float in the river Onyar, their stark white flowers a contrast to the multicoloured facades of the houses along the water.

And the central pool of the Banys Àrabs (the city’s Arab baths) spills over with blossoms as leafy vines curl up the slim columns supporting the cupola overhead.

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Photos courtesy of the CRDI of the Girona City Council (@Pere Duran i Serrats, 2016)

More sites have been added over the years as renovations to the Medieval Quarter have made it more attractive to tourists, and in 1993, the floral show became an official route. Visitors now have the opportunity to enter the patios and gardens of cultural centres and buildings that are normally closed to the general public. In past editions, the cloisters of the Benedictine abbey of Sant Pere de Galligants have been packed with huge wicker baskets, tipped on their sides to release an endless carpet of pink and purple dahlias; colour and action returned to the Cinema Modern, where audiences went to watch films from the Forties to the Nineties; and a tableau of flowering bicycles and model cars took on new meaning when spectators realised they were in a courtyard dedicated to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travellers. Displays have also incorporated photographs, fountains, games—such as a Scrabble board spelling out the names of flowers featured around the barrio— and even old tyres, spruced up with a coat of bright orange paint and stuffed with carnations and gerberas of various springtime hues.

Who knows what the city has in store for this next edition.

A native of Girona, Pilar Rodríguez Soriano has been attending the festival with her mother and grandmother for as long as she can remember. “Back then, all the work was done by volunteers, but today Temps de Flors also attracts professional florists, artists, architects, designers and creatives in general, who have raised the festival’s artistic standards,” she said. “This in turn generates more interest and greater economic gain for the city.”

Beyond the designated stops, you’ll notice that the whole town takes part in the festivities. Some residents choose to line their windowsills with simple planters of marguerite daisies or rest bunches of sunflowers and poppies in their doorway, while the majority of storefronts exhibit displays as bright and colourful as

Carnival—a testament to the close-knit community here. Rodríguez is one of the many residents who take a hands-on approach to the festival. “I collaborate with one of the four associations that organise the event, Associació Amics de les Flors de Girona.” Although she had no previous experience working with flowers, Rodríguez is an architect and joined the group 15 years ago to have a more significant role in the celebration.

In her opinion, the most impressive installation was created three years ago for the 59th edition. Hundreds of metallic human figures sat amongst potted flowers occupying the stairs of the cathedral, in memory of the founder of the festival Maria Cobarcí, who passed away the year before. The stationary figures had no distinguishing marks in order to represent the anonymity of the collective effort behind the affair—of both the people who work to make it possible and those who enjoy it. “Cobarcí was known for her humility and wisdom, and the design recognised her unparalleled ambition to enrich the city’s public spaces and provide activities for the whole community,” said Rodríguez. The importance of moments like these coupled with the joy a beautiful bouquet can evoke, make the anticipation for the 62nd edition of Temps de Flors that much higher.

If you don’t want to go it alone, Guide Girona offers two special tours for the occasion. Each tour highlights the main points of the route, while explaining more about the history of the city. English tours start at 10.15am every day and cost €12 per person. Visit gironatempsdeflors.cat for more information.

No matter how you choose to see Temps de Flors this month, it’s all great fun for a family weekend or romantic outing away from Barcelona. Even if you’ve been before, the exhibitions and displays are always fresh, so wander along the cobblestone and let yourself get lost among Girona’s blooming nooks and crannies.

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GIRONA EATS All these sights and smells are bound to leave you with an appetite. Here are a few places to stop whether you’re in the mood for a festival-themed menu, a savoury snack or a sweet treat CASA MARIETA Restaurant Casa Marieta is recognised by the Círculo de Restaurantes Centenarios de España. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was divided into a boarding house and restaurant, while next door was the area for guests to leave their carriages and cattle. Today the livestock has to stay on the farm, but the restaurant still offers more than 40 home-cooked, traditional Catalan dishes—something for every member of the family.

Plaça de la Independència 5-6

OCCI Although small, OCCI restaurant has a distinct personality.

Using innovative techniques and seasonal products, its team of professionals works hard to translate its passion for the kitchen into elaborate dishes in the hopes of strengthening patrons’ appreciation of gastronomy. During Temps de Flors, the courses of its menú del día are kept simple and garnished with edible flowers. The chefs are careful not to add too many flavours to one plate, so as not to overpower the delicate taste of the florets.

Mercaders 3

ELS JARDINS DE LA MERCÈ One of the best interior courtyards in Girona, this restaurant masters the challenge of making people of all ages feel welcome. Although lavishly decorated, with an air of sophistication, it’s still a good place to chat casually over drinks or enjoy the nightly menú for €25, including wine.

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EL PRIMER GLOP Translated from Catalan as ‘the first sip’, it’s obvious that El Primer Glop is the place to go if you want to enjoy a good beer, served with the right amount of foam, at the perfect temperature. A blackboard shows the recommendations of the day and barrels are changed regularly, so you can try pale and red ales, IPAs, Pilsners and more on tap, or choose a bottle from brewers around the world. If you need something else in your stomach, order a few of the house tapas such as chistorra, tortilla or a toasted bocadillo.

Barca 23

ROCAMBOLESC ‘There’s no sincerer love than one’s love of ice cream.’

Jordi Roca, the mastermind behind the sweet side of El Celler de Can Roca’s menu, started this ice cream shop with that belief in mind. Here he combines artisan ice cream-making techniques with processes perfected in other fields by pastry chefs, graphic designers and scientists. On any given day, customers can choose from six different flavours—baked apple ice cream, pumpkin and mandarin sorbet, and coconut with violet sorbet being some of the most imaginative—and add all the toppings they want, from chocolate cake and shortbread, to guava jam and roca de miel.

Santa Clara 50

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ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER

CATALUNYA IS HOME TO SOME OF SPAIN’S BEST WHITEWATER RAFTING

A

s the snow melts on the Pyrenees, the Noguera Pallaresa river in Lleida comes into its own as a centre for whitewater rafting adventures. Descending from 2,000 metres above sea level, the river is at its fullest and fastest in the spring and early summer, attracting adrenaline junkies from all over Spain and beyond. Most rafting centres can be found in and near the little town of Sort, which the Noguera Pallaresa runs through. From Sort there are 42km of navigable water, which include sections suited to different levels, from gentle to fastflowing. Rafting is an exhilarating way to enjoy some spectacular nature and as you descend the river you’ll take in the dramatic valleys and ravines of the Pyrenean landscape. Rafts carry six to eight people and the guide sits at the back to steer and tells you when to paddle. Don’t worry if you have no previous experience—you’ll be fully kitted out and receive some basic training before you get into the water.

LA RAFTING COMPANY

This rafting centre is known for its friendly, expert guides.

Prices range from €45 for the morning outing, which covers a 17km-stretch of the river, to €85 for a day’s rafting along the whole 42km. An afternoon option for families is the 14km route from Arboló to Figuereta, which costs €45 for adults and €30 for children. laraftingcompany.com

RUBBER RIVER RAFTING SORT

Besides morning (€45) and full-day (€85) rafting outings, Rubber River offers a 5km stretch just for children which costs €25. The centre is based at the Flòrido hotel, a small country hotel with a garden and pool. Weekend packages include accommodation and a combination of rafting and other river sports, such as kayaking and canyoning. They also offer paintball and horse riding for when you’re ready to dry out. raftingsort.com

RAFTING LLAVORSÍ

Lots of activities are available here, from all things river-related, such as rafting, kayaking, bus bob and hydrospeed, to other adventure sports, including climbing, horse riding and a park with zip lines. Rafting Llavorsí offers weekend packages that include several activities and a night in local accommodation, from hostel-style rooms, self-catering apartments or hotels.

Rafting costs €25 for a shorter child-friendly outing, to €41 for a morning or €80 for a full-day. raftingllavorsi.cat

GETTING THERE

It takes about three hours to drive to Sort from Barcelona.

Alsa (alsa.es) has a service between Barcelona and Sort with one bus a day in each direction.

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restaurant review

RESTAURANT REVIEW

LOMO BAJO IN THE LAND OF PORK AND FISH, BEEF FINALLY FINDS A PLACE IN THE SUN

By Sam Zucker

O

rdering hanger, rump cap, brisket or skirt steaks may seem like a shot in the dark for those without a bit of carnal knowledge. Yet, virtually anyone who enjoys the simple pleasure of char-grilled beef can tell you that the lean and tender ‘loin’ is a safe bet when perusing the offerings of the local butcher—a cut that runs along the animal’s back, from the hip to just at the start of the ribs. In Spain, this large piece is divided into the upper and the lower loin (lomo alto and lomo bajo), which also happen to be the names of the upstairs and downstairs dining areas of this new Barcelona beef paradise. While Lomo Alto offers arguably the best quality beef in the city, grilled over coals for their patrons in the upstairs dining room, Lomo Bajo focuses on one of my favourite food groups: the sandwich.

In the event that diners desire further education in the edible anatomy of a steer, they need to venture no further than the entrance of Lomo Bajo, where a 1,500kg ox from Leon, split down the middle, hangs on hooks beside the reception desk in a 0-degree dry-ageing chamber. (Note: you might want to leave your squeamish friends at home). Over the course of this behemoth’s 500-day ageing process (the normal primal cuts received by the restaurant are aged a still-impressive 150 days), it loses almost 50 percent of its weight through evaporation, and finally comes to your table at Lomo Alto at a fork-dropping €800/kg.

Luckily, for those of us who don’t have the bankroll for such a delectable extravagance, the 150-day aged beef from Rubia Gallega cattle, bred in the green pastures of north-western Spain, is also served in burger and tartar form in the casual-but-classy downstairs dining room.

We sat down to lunch after a cursory tour of the place. We started with the dining areas (from the owners of El Nacional and equally well-decorated), moved on to the custom-made meat refrigerator (all the meat is meticulously catalogued and stored by the chef, local gastronomy icon Carles Tejedor), and landed in the kitchen with its Josper grill, cranked by hand to raise and lower the meat over the fire, tempering it gently to a succulent medium-rare.

The menu of Lomo Bajo is divided into six parts. To begin, the sharing section features a couple of salads and a homemade croquette of cecina. We ordered the typical tuna confit with tomato salad to add a little lightness to the meal. The quality of the tuna and tomato was excellent, but I quickly forgot about this ‘old faithful’ tapa when the overflowing bun of spicy steak tartare arrived.

The ‘Rock & Rolls’ are buttered and grilled hot dog buns stuffed with the likes of steak tartare (spiked with Tabasco and topped with dollops of egg yolk cream), cecina, sobrassada or grilled pork. The tartare was delicate with a nice amount of spice, and the distinct, almost-buttery flavour of the 150-day aged beef was the star.

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The burgers section offers three options: normal (made with ground veal), the ‘Sibarita’ (made with veal and topped with foie gras and apple) and the ‘Supreme’ (made with the 150-day aged Rubia Gallega beef). Of course, I ordered the Supreme and, though the €14 price tag was a bit steep for the size of the burger, once you take into account that you can’t taste a burger quite like this one anywhere else in the city, it’s worth the trip and the tariff. The pretzel bread is a touch of genius, too.

I can’t move on from the burger without paying homage to one of the best moments of the entire meal—when the chips arrived! I love waxing poetic about an outstanding Michelin-star tasting menu as much as the next guy, but give me these fries with every burger I eat for the rest of my life and I’ll die a happier (and fatter) man. Perfectly crisp and standing at attention, these chips put most others in the city to absolute shame. Dipped in the spicy (or regular) ketchup and mayonnaise supplied in squirt bottles on the table, they might have been my favourite bite of the entire meal. We ordered a small sample of the onion rings in molasses as well, which were light and crunchy, with just a thin layer of batter, but the humble chip won the battle of the side dishes.

To finish, we devoured a classic pepito—the ubiquitous steak sandwich of Spain—composed of grilled veal loin with grilled green peppers, cheese and a meat mayonnaise, served on a rustic ‘black bread’ roll made with carob. The pepito was without fault, but was overshadowed by the other dishes on the table in my opinion. At €16 it was the largest of the three sandwiches, but the least interesting.

Taking into account the tab for a Supreme burger (€14), chips (€3.50) and a caña (€3), it’s not the cheapest place to get a burger in town, but it is unique.

MORE INFO

Aragó 283-285 T. 93 519 3000 lomoalto.barcelona ✪✪✪✪

Photos courtesy of Lomo Bajo

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

While Lomo Alto offers arguably the best quality beef in the city, Lomo Bajo focuses on one of my favourite food groups: the sandwich 65

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QUICK BITES

KAIKU

SMOKY RICE IN THE SUN By Sam Zucker MORE INFO

Plaça del Mar 1 restaurantkaiku.cat Tel. 93 221 9082 Tues-Sun 1pm-3.30pm Closed Monday

A The chefs of Kaiku add a little flair and flavour to their handful of rice dishes with the help of wood smoke

s the summer season approaches, so does the season of beachside lunching on lazy weekend afternoons. There are countless options (many of which I have yet to try), both traditional and modern, for seafood and rice along the busy waterfront strip of the Barceloneta, but this month I revisited a classic that I have always loved: Kaiku.

Just a dozen metres from the beach, the terrace of Kaiku is easily missed in the bustling Plaça del Mar. Almost always fullybooked, especially on the weekends, the simple array of tables and umbrellas under the shade of swaying palms is one of the best places, in my opinion, to enjoy a paella within sight of the water.

This isn’t your classic paella—the chefs of Kaiku add a little flair and flavour to their handful of rice dishes with the help of wood smoke. These smoked rices come in the typical marinero variety, as well as with octopus, pork ribs, squid ink, artichokes and more.

Much of the produce served by Kaiku comes from its own gardens, and the fish is sourced from the Barceloneta pier, just 200 metres away. The menu isn’t huge, but there are more than enough options to make anyone happy who is looking for a satisfying lunch in the sun that isn’t overpriced or touristy. The salads and other starters, particularly the duck ham salad with berry vinaigrette, are ideal warm-ups to the rice, which is the true main event.

Kaiku does have some larger plates of sautéed fish or grilled meat, but I have yet to try them, as those smoky bits of crispy rice stuck to the bottom of the paella pan always call my name the loudest. Make sure you call ahead, otherwise you might be out of luck, or at least show up right at 1pm when the restaurant opens and try to score a table. A view of the Mediterranean in the shade of palm fronds, a bottle of local white wine on ice and an excellent paella for under €20 per portion—it doesn’t get much better than that.

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tour

BORN TORO Occasionally, being a tourist in your own city can be fun, especially when food and drinks are involved.

D

ublin-native Misty Barker launched Born Toro Food Tour last month, to share her passion for local cuisine. The tour includes 15 tastings at seven family-run businesses. To start off, Misty asks each of her groups what food they think of first when they think of Barcelona. “Patatas bravas.” “Octopus.” “Jamón.” “Botifarra.” “Cava!”

People usually name classic dishes, all of which they will then get to try throughout the day.

The first stop on the tour is Brunells (Princesa 22), a thirdgeneration bakery open since 1852. Besides producing homemade chocolate treats, Brunells’ makes one of the best xuixos in town.

A deep fried pastry covered with crystallised sugar and filled with crema catalana, the xuixo originated in Girona. Rumour has it that many years ago an acrobat—known in legends from the area as ‘el Tarlà’—fell in love with the local baker’s daughter. He was visiting her in secret one night when her father came back to the bakery with a bag of flour. The acrobat hid but wound up sneezing and giving away his hiding place. To appease the baker’s nerves, the acrobat promised to marry his daughter and to give him the recipe for a special type of pastry, which he named after the sneeze that gave him away that night. There is still an annual parade to celebrate its deliciousness, which takes residents on a walk through Girona’s streets and ends with them receiving xuixos prepared by some of the city’s most talented pastry chefs.

Next is the Santa Caterina market (Avda. de Francesc Cambó 16) for two types of jamón and a banderilla. At Olives i Conserves Torres, the men behind the counter are constantly creating different varieties of these bites on a stick, mixing and matching flavours and ingredients such as white anchovies, olives, pickles, baby onions and sun-dried tomatoes. You never know what will be available before you get there.

The tour continues through decades of family histories and culinary traditions. Sip cava while learning the steps to make the perfect pa amb tomàquet at Granja Camprodon (Giralt el Pellicer 6), sample olive oils in the refined shop La Chinata (Pg. del Born 11) and learn to love vermouth at bar-restaurant Story (Pou de la Cadena 8). James, from Quebec, owns Story, which is technically also a library (the only one in the city you can get drunk at), and isn’t very forthcoming with his recipes for the two vermouths he serves (one dark and one white).

When asked if he wants to share his secret ingredient, he simply answers, “Nope” and his right-hand woman chimes in, “Love”.

Misty ends the tour on the peaceful terrace of chic&basic Born (Princesa 50) with a chilled glass of sangria. There’s no rush to leave straight away. You can sit back and touch base with your taste buds to see what you enjoyed most from the day.

Tours currently run on Fridays and Saturdays, for roughly four hours, and cost €70 per person. Book at torofoodtoursbarcelona.com.

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RECIPE

BEAN, CHORIZO AND CHICKEN STEW (serves 6)

A

lthough May is a time when we typically start thinking about summer, there’s still a chance of a cold blast now and then. For me this stew combines sunshine in a bowl and warmth in your belly for those moments, and the fact that it’s an easy mid-week supper doesn’t hurt. Cured meats are not often thought of as being seasonal.

However, traditionally the matanza (pig slaughter) would take place between November and the beginning of March—when the air was cool enough to keep the meat from spoiling—and the porcine products eaten a few months later would have matured to their best. Modern-day animal husbandry means this system is no longer relevant, but should you find yourself in the region of, say, Vic or Olot at a Saturday morning farmer’s market, now is as good a time as any to stock up on jamón, chorizo, salchichón and the lot.

INGREDIENTS 250g cooking chorizo, skin removed, sliced into thick chunks 500g cooked chicken (leftover roast chicken is ideal for this), skin and bones removed, shredded 500g cooked white beans 250g baby new potatoes, halved 2 onions, sliced into thin half moons 4-5 fat cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 2 cans chopped tomatoes, or 1kg fresh tomatoes, chopped 500ml chicken stock, or plain water Salt and pepper Parsley or coriander to garnish Olive oil

IN SEASON

MAY: GARLIC, ONIONS, TOMATOES, APRICOTS, CHERRIES

METHOD 1. Fry the onions, garlic and potatoes in a good glug of olive oil over medium heat.

(You want them soft and translucent, not coloured.)

2. Add the chorizo and keep cooking until it starts to brown at the edges and its juices have turned everything else a vibrant red.

3. Add the beans, tomatoes and chicken stock slowly (you may not need it all), stir well to combine and check for seasoning.

4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes to let the flavours amalgamate and the liquid reduce to a thick, stew-like consistency.

5. Stir in the cooked chicken and heat through for about 5 minutes.

6. Make a final check for seasoning, ladle into bowls and garnish with roughly chopped parsley or coriander.

7. Serve with crusty bread, or over rice or pasta.

Tara Stevens is a food writer and cook who splits her time between Barcelona and her little cooking school in the Fez Medina. Passionate about Spanish and Moroccan cuisine, she takes traditional recipes and gives them a modern makeover using local and seasonal ingredients.

Follow Tara on Instagram @courtyardkitchenfez and Twitter @taralstevens.

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NEFW &D

FOOD DRINK

& IN

Bar 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.

DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

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

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

To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com MALPASO4EIXAMPLE

MENEGHINA4BORN

This restaurant offers traditional Mexican cuisine. For starters, don’t miss the excellent house nachos, served with cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream, or Vuelve la Vida, a seafood ceviche with avocado, tomato and lime.

Other dishes include the Arrachera, a grilled US prime hanger steak served with baked vegetables, as well as the Atún Moctezuma, a pan-seared tuna battered in Mexican spices, served with pico de gallo, avocado and mint sauce.

Mexican brunch is also available at the weekend.

Located on a quaint side street close to the convent of Sant Agusti in El Born, Meneghina offers an exciting and innovative combination of Italian and Catalan flavours, tempting desserts and an extensive selection of wines in a relaxed atmosphere. The menu features fresh seasonal produce, which changes on a daily basis.

Girona 59, 08009 Tel. 93 461 3060 Mon-Thurs 8am-12am Fri-Sat 8am-3pm, Sun 9.30am-12am

Tiradors 2 I T. 93 119 2221 hola@meneghina.es I www.meneghina.es www.facebook.com/meneghinas Tues-Sun 1pm-3.30pm, Tues-Sat 8.30pm-11.30pm

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

BAR DOS BILLARES4 RAVAL This well-kept secret is located in the basement of Casa Camper Hotel, where jazz, culture and billiard lovers can relax and enjoy an exclusive cocktail. This club offers a programme of cultural and music events for the most creative public. It is the ideal space for escaping the crowds or hosting business clients.

Elisabets 11 | Metro Liceu Tel. 93 342 6280 Tues-Thurs 4pm-12am Fri-Sat 4pm-2am www.club.casacamper.com

Food & drink May 2017.indd 44

BLACKLAB BREWERY4 BARCELONETA Blacklab have a huge range of American Style craft beers made on premises with a Minnesotan brewer. They experiment with their brews like a beer lab. They have four beers all year around, 16 rotating seasonals. Their beer is poured directly from the tanks and you won’t find anything fresher. Their kitchen is non stop and doesn’t close during opening hrs. They serve tasty American Food with Asian touch.

Beer tour and beer tasting with their brewers every Sunday at 17h. Also available for big groups at any day.

Palau de Mar, Plaça Pau Vila 1, 08039 Tel. 93 22 18 360 hola@blacklab.es www.blacklab.es

4/25/17 12:30 PM

FONDA ESPAÑA4 BARRI GÒTIC

MANNÀ GELATS4 BARRI GÒTIC

Located in the emblematic Hotel España, the Modernist dining room, designed and decorated by Domènech i Montaner, houses Fonda España.

Rich in patrimonial interest, the historic elements in this beautiful room inspire and enhance the new elements. Here, Gastronomic Director Martín Berasategui’s aim is to offer his well-known culinary concept to diners looking for simple, balanced and delicious dishes that are a tribute to the renowned chef’s origins.

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

Sant Pau 9-11 I Metro Liceu Tel. 93 550 0000 Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm and 8pm-11pm Sun 1pm-4pm

Indian / Tandoori CAFÉ MENSSANA4 CIUTAT VELLA

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.

At Menssana, a creative and healthy cuisine is combined with gracious and knowledgeable service. There is something for everyone, with vegan and vegetarian options, created using flavours from across the globe. They also offer a carefully selected range of local wines and beers, as well as smoothies and fresh juices. Their aim is to nourish your body and mind with delicious meals, served in a vibrant and friendly atmosphere.

Sardenya 48, 08005 Tel. 93 624 3505 Mon-Sat 9am-12am Sun 9am-6pm www.facebook.com/menssanabarcelona

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

BRITTA’S NORDIC DELI4GRÀCIA

SÚPER COFFEE & FOOD STORE4POBLENOU Take Away Shop Healthy food cooked in store to take away.

Their food begins with ingredients that have been sourced for their freshness and quality. They support local ecological providers. Their dishes are a representation of the seasons and they strive to provide fresh dishes prepared on a daily basis.

Check the website for the current menu.

Business Catering Súper is specialised in catering for business events and meetings of any size.

Contact info@superbcn.es for a detailed overview.

Roc Boronat 102, 08018 | Tel: 933 099 838 Mon - Fri: 8am - 6pm | www.superbcn.es | @ superbcnes

Britta’s Nordic Deli is the first and only Scandinavian deli in Barcelona.

Here you’ll find the most delicious sandwiches and smørrebrød in town.

Moreover, they offer all kinds of specialities to take away from a wide charcuterie, including smoked and marinated wild salmon, hot smoked salmon, marinated herring, homemade salads, smoked deer, organic cheeses, Danish seaweed caviar and a lot more.

Bonavista 29 | Tel. 93 461 7362 | Mon 5-9pm, Tues-Fri 11.30am-3.30pm and 5pm-9pm, Sat 11.30am-3.30pm, Sun closed | www.brittas.es

Delivery FOODIES BARCELONA4POBLENOU Foodies Barcelona is an online restaurant that prepares wholesome and fresh meals, delivering to your office, business or party. Whether you want a healthy lunch for a meeting or daily catering, they’ve got you covered. Order online or contact them for a menu.

Sant Joan de Malta 131 | Tel. 93 266 4271 Mon-Fri 8am-11am | www.foodiesbarcelona.es

Vegetarian/Vegan BE MY BAGEL4GRÀCIA

GOVINDA (VEGETARIAN)4BARRI GÒTIC

Do you dream of great bagels? Then Be My Bagel is the right place for you. They sell authentic bagels from Barcelona, just how you like them. Offering an extensive range of bagels and cakes—from the more classic choices such as poppy and multigrain to delicious and innovative chocolate, almond and coconut bagels—you won’t come away disappointed.

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, non-alcoholic and authentically-decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus.

Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) | Metro Fontana or Gràcia Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com Mon-Fri 9.30am-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm Sat 10am-2.30pm and 6pm-10pm Sun 10.30am-2pm www.bemybagel.es

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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

4/25/17 12:30 PM

LOIDI RESTAURANT4 EIXAMPLE

TAP DE SURO4EIXAMPLE

Loidi is a contemporary bistro, in which Martin Berasategui makes his cuisine accessible to everybody. Prepared with the finest seasonal ingredients, his cuisine is presented with an imagination that recalls and pays homage to the celebrated Basque chef’s traditional roots and origins. The menu features various dining options with dishes that change on a weekly basis.

The restaurant is a very contemporary, warm and comfortable space frequented by a local and professional clientele. Head chef: Jordi Asensio. Maître d’: Oscar Fernández.

Tap de Suro is an intimate place dedicated entirely to the world of wine. Here you can experience delicious Mediterranean meals accompanied with an authentic wine collection.

They offer a diverse menu of Catalan wines and cavas, ranging from local Spanish grapes to the best international wines. They also provide a sales service in which they can advise you in finding the perfect flavour for every occasion.

Mallorca 248-250, 08008 Tel. 93 492 9292 Mon-Sat 1pm-3.30pm and 8pm-11pm, Sun 1pm-3.30pm

Mallorca 202, 08008 Tel. 93 461 4853 info@tapdesuro.com Mon-Sat 12pm-5pm and 7pm-11.30pm

CHICKEN SHOP & DIRTY BURGER4 BARRI GÒTIC Roast chicken and burgers – is there anything more appealing? This recently opened restaurant serves both! Their chicken from the Empordà region is marinated and cooked over coals by Chef Iñaki Moreno. They have some amazing Burgers on the Menu, with vegan and gluten free options too. Don’t forget to try their craft beers and cocktails! DJ sessions every Friday and Saturday from 8pm onwards.

Duc de Medinacelli 2, 08002 Tel. 93 220 47009 christian@chickenshop.com Mon-Fri 1pm-12am and Sat 12pm-12am Sun 12pm-11am www.chickenshop.com www.eatdirtyburger.com

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FOR THE BEST BARS, CAFES, AND RESTAURANTS IN BARCELONA, SEE OUR ONLINE A-Z DIRECTORY

4/25/17 12:30 PM

HEALTH &BEAUTY

Mary D. McCarthy - DOCTOR

Doctor for Adults

DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

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.

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

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

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

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

Dr. J. E Batista - UROLOGIST

Dr Bassas - DERMATOLOGY

Dr. Jose E Batista is a specialist in Urology who trained in the UK and the USA. Together with his team (Uroclinica Barcelona), he covers all the fields of Urology, with special interest in prostatic diseases, laser surgery, enuresis (bed wetting) and urinary incontinence. The team has worked at Centro Médico Teknon since 1996 and also offer specialists in pediatric urology, as well as English speaking physiotherapists for pelvic floor disorders.

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.

Vilana 12, Office 24, Consult. Marquesa, C M Teknon T. 93 390 6940 Valencia 247, Barcelona Central Office T. 93 390 671 info.urologia@gmail.com www.teknon.es/web/batista

Consulta Balmes 24 1º1 T. 93 412 6602.

Teknon, Marquesa de Vilallonga nº 12. Consulta nº 34 1ª 08017 T. 93 290 6434 www.drbassas.com

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.

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

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.

ServiDigest. Thinking of people. Fostering prevention.

Medical and Surgical Center ServiDigest

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

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Narayn Yadave AYURVEDIC DOCTOR 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.

Carrer de 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

4/25/17 12:27 PM

FREE CONSULTATION

Dr. Boj - DENTIST

Orthoestetic - DENTIST

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.

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.

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

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

Platinum Provider

Hestía - PSYCHOTHERAPY

Goldie Uttamchandani LIFE, BUSINESS AND YOUTH COACH

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.

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.

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

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

NEST - NETWORK OF ENGLISH SPEAKING THERAPISTS

NETWORK OF ENGLISH SPEAKING THERAPISTS

The Barcelona Network of English Speaking Therapists (NEST) is a multidisciplinary group of qualified and practising psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists who live and work in and around Barcelona. NEST membersare English speakers that have their roots in training bodies and professional associations based elsewhere. A number of NEST members also speak Catalan, Spanish, Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Italian and Greek. For detailed information, please visit their website. www.barcelonaNEST.com

Eugenia Espinosa - ENGLISH

Dra. Susana Campi - DENTIST

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.

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.

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

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50% DISCOUNT ON 1ST VISIT

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

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Yoga con Gracia - YOGA

Barcelona Quiropractic

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.

- CHIROPRACTOR Barcelona Quiropractic and its professional team have been serving the Barcelona community since 1995.

They value quality service, efficiency and dedication, delivering the best results in the shortest time possible.

The team provides a professional, yet friendly and family-oriented environment, catering to a wide range of patients. They aim to promote the integration of chiropractic into your lifestyle, to maintain health and wellbeing. Contact them for more information.

www.yogacongracia.com

Bikram Yoga - HOT YOGA

READER OFFER

Bikram Yoga has two centres in Barcelona with over 50 classes a week and options for children. Providing the ideal solution for back pain, stress, weight loss and other problems, their international team brings over 18 years’ experience. Reader offer: €25 for 10 days of unlimited yoga.

Pau Claris 97, Pral, 08009, T. 93 302 5130 Caravel•la la Niña 18, 08017, T. 93 205 0281 www.bikramyoga.es

Pl. Urquinaona 7, 08010 T: 934123433 M: 601059849 info@barcelonaquiropractic.es www.barcelonaquiropractic.es

Stefan Becker - CHIROPRACTOR English-speaking, Australian-trained Chiropractor working in Barcelona. He specialises in specialises in gentle, comfortable techniques. He has over 23 years of experience managing back pain, neck pain, headaches, disc protrusions, and sciatica, but also with health and wellbeing. Emergencies on weekends.

30% OFF FIRST VISIT

Caponata 3, 08034. M. 646 684 402 Info@sarriaquiropractica.com http://sarriaquiropractica.es/

READER OFFER

Janeth Solá - MASSAGE Janeth Solá Ayurveda Massage Therapies Centre offers treatment for back and joint pain, stress, fatigue, insomnia and Vata related disorders. This centre, located in the Sants district, is the ideal place for those looking to improve their physical health and state of mind, practise relaxation and receive nutritional advice and dietary coaching from an Ayurveda viewpoint.

Galileo 82. Sants. M. 655 560 162 janethsola@gmail.com www.janethsola.com

Canvis - PSYCHOLOGIST

Tatiane Canário

Canvis offers an international environment, where you can be assisted in English, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Spanish & Catalan. They provide psychological assessment and treatment to families, adults, adolescents and children. Their committed team can help you through difficult periods and guide you to emotional well-being. Free introduction session.

M. 616 099 328 / 654 389 074 / T. 93 487 46 66 psicologia@canvis.net www.canvis.net

Pilates and muscle activation in a beautiful, fully equipped studio in Gracia, run by Pilates professionals with more than 15 years of experience. Classes available for individuals and pairs, first class is free.

Bring this ad and receive a 10% discount when you sign up for the first three months.

- PILATES

T. 93 217 3025 info@tatianecanario.com

Benedicte Taillard - HYPNOSIS, COACHING, REFLEXOLOGY, MASSAGE Benedicte provides you with the tools for, and helps you make the changes you need to enjoy a healthy, purposeful and fulfilling life on a daily basis. She guides you through accomplishing your aspirations, and becoming your best self-help.

M. 654 538 506 benedictetaillard@gmail.com www.reflexologybarcelona.com www.barcelonahipnoterapia.com

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

READER OFFER

Emma Axelsson - THERAPIST & COACH

Symmetry Pilates - PILATES

Emma is a certified therapist who helps you handle life’s ups and downs, specialising in self-esteem and anxiety-related issues. The first introductory session is free of charge. She also provides group therapy for self-esteem. Visit her website for more information

Premium Pilates - NOT ‘get in, get knackered, get out!’

Most of the day we are sitting down at our computers, or in our cars. But, have you ever asked yourself whether you are sitting properly? Most back pain starts from the way we sit and from sitting for too long. Learn to sit correctly and your quality of life will improve. Unlike other forms of exercise, Pilates is targeted at those parts of the body where either correction – too long huddled over a computer for example – or strength is needed, as well as building up a strong core.

People who do Pilates know it’s all about quality not quantity, so the benefit is felt after only a few sessions. So, sign up at this trendy new city-centre studio (yoga & physio also available) and enjoy a complimentary massage.

Enric Granados 111 (entlo 2º) T. 93 531 3620 M. 637 693 073 info@symmetry.cat www.symmetry.cat

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READER OFFER

República Argentina 19, 08023 M. 685 837 223 em@owning-it.com www.owning-it.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

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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’.

FREE REJUVENATING ROSEHIP MASK

Georgina Weinstein VOICE COACH

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

Georgina offers “Tone of Voice Coaching” to speakers, teachers, executives, singers, coaches, and anyone who wants to improve their abilities to communicate clearly.This includes techniques to achieve more volume, pitch, stage presence and confidence while practicing texts, songs and/or subjects that interest the student. Her combination of skills and experience help clients boost their confidence while preparing a repertoire, a presentation, or improving their diction. Classes are available in Spanish and English.

M. 626 255 792 info@georginaweinstein.com www.georginaweinstein.com

The Vital Touch - MASSAGE

Tàctum - HAIR SALON

What is Japanese Facelifting Massage? Japanese Facelifting Massage uses a sequence of massage techniques which act as a natural face lift with no need for surgery, helping make you look and feel younger. This combination of techniques helps improve the complexion, remove toxins from the face, prevent and remove facial wrinkles, reduce and release any muscle tension in the face and jaw.

Facelift Massage is to help prolong natural, true health and beauty, and to prevent disease. It makes you feel fantastic. Special discounted packs!

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

Located in Gràcia, this friendly and welcoming salon has everything you need to feel special. They work together with clients to create a look that reflects their individual style and personality. They are experts in curly hair, hair colouring and above all the use of progressive vegetable hair dye, which harnesses the purity of water.

They can also advise you on the cut that best suits you.

10% DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

Torrent de L’Olla 85 (Metro Joanic) T. 93 217 9316 tactum@tacum.cat Tues-Thurs 10.30am-8.30pm Fri-Sat 9.30am-8.30pm www.tactum.es

Heaven - MASSAGE Ready to feel fantastic for spring?

Time to say ‘Adiós’ to muscular tension and stress? Interested in organic, 100% fresh products based on Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and European herbal ‘pharmacy’?

Let American-trained massage therapist Carrie Lewis draw on 15 years of experience and training to soothe you with deep therapeutic massage in conveniently located studios or in your home!

FREE REFLEXOLOGY TREATMENT WITH ORGANIC PRODUCTS

M. 639 533 523 carrielewisbcn@gmail.com facebook.com/heavenbarcelona www.HeavenlyEco-Boutique.com

Lovecycle FITNESS LOVECYCLE is a 45 minute highintensity, high-energy, cardio dance workout for the entire body (with signature core exercises and hand weights). Inspiring instructors, customised playlists and choreographed routines with a candlelit atmosphere will guide you through an invigorating fitness experience. It’s something you must try if you love music, dance and working out. See you on your bike!

READER OFFER

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FOR THE BEST ENGLISH-SPEAKING HEALTH & BEAUTY PROFESSIONALS IN BARCELONA, SEE OUR ONLINE DIRECTORY Doctors - Dentists - Psychologists Chiropractors - Therapists Yoga - Pilates Reflexology - Massage Fitness - Hair salons

Via Augusta 10 (Diagonal) T. 93 541 3149 hello@love-cycle.com www.love-cycle.com

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BUSINESS SERVICES

BCN Seguros - INSURANCE 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.

DISCOUNT FOR METROPOLITAN READERS

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

M. 636 465 010 rainerhobrack@gmail.com www.bcnseguros.es

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Spain Accounting-

Barcelona Women’s Network - NONPROFIT

TAX & BUSINESS SERVICES With over 30 years’ accounting experience in Spain, this qualified UK accountant offers various services, including tax services and registration for freelancers and small SLs, income tax returns for employees and non-residents, practical advice for setting up a business in Spain, and personalised advice on tax obligations in Spain.

The non profit organisation unites its two popular fundraisers, the Book and Bake Sale and Spring Secondhand Sale, for a special event. All proceeds go towards local organisations, Fundació Concepció Juvanteny and Mujeres Pa’lante. For more information about the event or donations, contact Rocío Vaenerberg.

Contact David Cook on M.678 702 369 info@spainaccounting.com www.spainaccounting.com

vp2@bcnwomensnetwork.com.

Casa Orlandi, Jaume Piquet 23, 08017

READER OFFER Klev & Vera - LAW FIRM

Sánchez Molina LEGAL PRACTICE

This firm specialises in attending to the legal needs of international clients in Spain. It understands that starting a business in a foreign country can be daunting, especially in Spain, where the system is complicated and taxes can be a hindrance.

This is where their experience in advising international clients how to set up businesses in Spain can help you make smarter decisions, saving you thousands of euros in the long term.

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.

They have a multilingual team of lawyers with international backgrounds, specialising in different areas of legal practice including: Real Estate, Business Set Up, Spanish Residency, Family Law, Litigation, Tax Planning.

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

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

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CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

Step Up With V -

Corsa International -

CAREER COACHING

DRIVING SCHOOL

Coaching services for global-minded professionals who want to take their career (and life!) to the next level.

Find clarity, purpose and focus, and create your ideal work-life balance.

Develop confidence, leverage your strengths and unique value proposition, communicate effectively and increase your opportunities! First consultation free of charge.

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

Call now and ask about special Metropolitan reader offers!

Beethoven 16, Bajos, 08021 T. 93 200 3324 M. 619 022 676 stepupwithv@gmail.com www.stepupwithv.com

international@autoescuelacorsa.com www.autoescuelacorsa.com www.facebook.com/CorsaInternational/

Coral - SPANISH TEACHER

PWN Barcelona - NON PROFIT

Reach a Spanish level that best fits your interests and needs! Coral is a native, experienced and highly-qualified teacher. Try her personalised courses, which use effective methods to make learning easy. All levels; private or small groups. For a private, 60-min class €25; 90-min class €35.

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”.

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

M. 676 249 744 coral@coralprada.com

Home Orden Frustrated with the mess in your home? Have no time?

Don’t know where to start? Moving soon? Just moved in? Her goal is to help you get your place in order and implement strategies to stay organised, working side by side or alone, for a one off project or over a longer period according to your needs.

FIRST CONSULATAION FREE

M. 625 204 328 stephanie@homeorden.com

Act Habitat - ARCHITECTS They can help…

Create your perfect living or work space. Get the most out of your investment. Acheive a healthy and sustainable environment. Deal with paperwork and permits. Manage the building works and costs. Choose the best firm for the job. Coordinate with the neighbours. Get in touch for more information.

Avinyó 6, 1º 2ª, 08002 T. 93 318 7121 info@act-habitat.com www.act-habitat.com

Yacht Point Barcelona - SAILING SCHOOL

Handyman - HOME SERVICES

Yacht Point RYA Training Centre is a leading provider of online navigation theory courses & sailing tuition in Barcelona.

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.

They offer: - Online navigation theory courses & 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.

Their courses are suitable for complete beginners to advanced sailors.

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

info@yachtpointbcn.com 0034 93 0045707 http://yachtpointbcn.com/en/rya-training-centre/

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

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Mac in Barcelona -

Garment Printing - BUSINESS

COMPUTERS Stéphane Clément is an Apple technician and consultant with over fifteen years of experience.

Anna Piqué, a native from Barcelona, assists Stéphane with her business and communication background.

Their focus is on providing good service and installations with clear communicative skills and personal advice. The aim is to solve your computer troubles and teach you how to improve your daily use of your Mac and its various accessories, giving you a more pleasant and safer computer experience.

MOB / Bailen 11, Bajos, 08010 M. 608 994 599 info@macinbarcelona.com www.macinbarcelona.com

Garment Printing is a printing company based in Barcelona and the UK. They offer printed clothing with personalised logos for fashion brands, staff uniforms and promotional clothing. Printed promotional products, such as flyers, business cards, printed pens, and banners are also available—anything you could want customised with a logo! Whether you’re a business or an individual, they can help you fulfil your branding and printing needs. Contact them today.

Garment Printing Roger De Flor 289 T. 93 393 8194 www.garmentprinting.es

Fábrica de Flyers - BUSINESS

Geo Mac - COMPUTERS

Fábrica de Flyers brings the successful concept of high class printing and design to Barcelona at competitive prices and provides a quality service to match. Eight years of experience in the German market made them one of the leading printing agencies, with clients all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Fábrica de Flyers is not an advertisment agency, but the best partner to create your publicity!

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.

Pujades 74-80, 3º 7ª, 08005 T. 93 485 6422 info@fabricadeflyers.com www.fabricadeflyers.com

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

Coccinelle - HOME SERVICES

Mrs.Q Design Studio - GRAPHIC DESIGN

Do you need a nanny, housekeeper or chauffeur?

Coccinelle specialises in providing highly-skilled, experienced domestic staff in Barcelona and the surrounding areas. Due to their expertise and rigorous selection methods, they are able to provide seasoned professionals for both permanent or temporary positions to suit your needs.

Mrs.Q Design Studio offers a range of specialised design services. Their small business package includes branding, stationery design and advertising for print and web. They also design promotional material such as flyers, posters and brochures. Mrs. Q designs bespoke invitations for weddings and special occasions. Their designs are inspired by watercolour paintings merged with contemporary design. If you would like a custom painting, designed especially for you, they can create a design that you’re sure to love. Visit their Etsy shop to view her work www.etsy.com/shop/MrsQdesignstudio.

Coccinelle is a reference in the domestic staff sector, that’s why more than 700 families have trusted in their services.

You can arrange everything from the comfort of your own home.

Call them today and quote Metropolitan free consultation

Pau Claris 151 M. 93 010 9758 Info@coccinelle-agency.com www.coccinelle-agency.com

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mrsqdesignstudio@gmail.com www.mrsqdesignstudio.com Instagram #mrsqdesignstudio

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Oak House - SCHOOL

BCN L.I.P. - LANGUAGE 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’.

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.

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

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

CIBERVIRREINA - COMPUTER SERVICE Open until 11pm every day of the week, they can repair your computer in 24/48 hours using well-tested procedures. Repairing software and hardware failures, saving your personal files and returning your computer fully operative. In addition to having internet access they do printing, copying and binding jobs.

D'Astúries 78 (Plaça de la Virreina, Gràcia).

T. 93 368 5770 serviciocliente@cibervirreina.com

BritSat - SATELLITE TV Missing out on British TV? Not to worry. With our latest equipment, extensive experience and fantastic after-sales service, we 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.

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

ibexdirect@ibexinsure.com T. 90 010 2527 www.ibexinsure.com

Connecta Languages - TRANSLATORS Professional translation and proofreading services based in Barcelona. Performed by qualified linguists, at affordable rates and with quick turnaround. Contact them today and say goodbye to language barriers.

M. 691 543 312 mlopez@connecta-languages.com Skype: mlopez_connecta www.connecta-languages.com

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JOB

DIRECTORY To advertise in this section call: 93 451 4486 or email: ads@barcelona-metropolitan.com We also have a new job section on our FREE CLASSIFIEDS

www.classifieds.barcelona-metropolitan.com

SAM SAYS...

FIND A WAY TO FOCUS Dear Sam, I’m always distracted and it’s affecting my work. I’m lucky to have a job where I can work from anywhere, which gives me flexibility, but I know I’m not being as productive as I could be. Recently my boss told me that I need to be more “on top of things” while also giving more thought to the bigger picture and creating a vision for my direct reports. The problem is, I’m so involved in the smaller day-to-day jobs that I wouldn’t even know where to find the time to focus on creating a vision for my team. I need help in being more efficient, streamlining my work and not letting lesser distractions take over my life.

Thanks so much, Failing to Focus

Hi Failing to Focus, I hear you. It can be hard for anyone to focus, and some cities, jobs and work environments make it more challenging than others. But before we delve into some practical tips, I think it’s worthwhile to explore what’s causing you to be so distracted.

For example: • Do you respond to every email as soon as you get it?

• Are you taking time to answer WhatsApp conversations on your phone?

• How often are you checking social media?

• Are you getting up and wandering around, looking in the fridge, making snacks or too many cups of coffee?

Take note of every time your mind wanders to something other than work (during the times you’d like to be working), as this will help identify not only what’s diverting your attention, but will give you insight into what your work patterns are as well as how you operate.

Once you’ve gained more clarity surrounding the WHAT, let’s delve into the HOW. How can you remove yourself from the day-to-day and focus more on the bigger picture?

Here are a few ideas that might help limit distractions, give you more control over your time and better focus your energies: 1: Delegate: People who don’t delegate often don’t trust their team, feel the need to micro-manage or don’t believe that anyone else can do it ‘as well as them’. This causes you to spend time on things that aren’t serving you or your company in the best way.

Task: Before every single work-related thing you do, ask yourself: Can someone else do this instead of me? Be honest and if the answer is yes, hand it over immediately.

2: Chunk Tasks & Time Box: Whether it’s email or something else, take one project or task and focus on only that for a set period. Make it no longer than 45 minutes and if you want to continue after that you can keep going!

TASK: Choose one thing from your to-do list and schedule 30 minutes to do it, while keeping your phone off and email closed.

3: Schedule ‘You Time’: It might sound counterproductive to add something else to your plate, but scheduling ‘you time’ is one of the best ways to gain clarity, increase productivity and see the bigger picture. No matter how much you have going on, when you consciously decide to remove yourself from the daily minutiae, you’re giving yourself the chance to see things from a different perspective and refocus.

TASK: Schedule some ‘you time’ in your agenda every week and stick to it.

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

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OUT AND ABOUT INTERVIEW

metropolitan 20 years CASA DE LES PUNXES. APRIL 6TH

RIbEl

ANN, lUCAS, ElENA AND KAtE

thE MEtRopolItAN tEAM

amersoc happy hour COCOVAIL BEER HALL. APRIL 12TH

JIll, ISAbEllA AND EVA

MARC, RUAIRÍ AND KIM

brunch in the city POBLE ESPANYOL. APRIL 9TH

ClARA AND VICtoR

By Ben Rowdon

SCOOP

SoNIA AND KARlotA

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