Barcelona Metropolitan by Barcelona Metropolitan

JUNE 2011 | Nยบ 173 | Free

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Contents

June 2011 38. LUNCH WITH 14. STREET LIFE

Features Living on the streets

Knitted together

Paral·lel lines

26. M5

From the Senior Editor:

Regulars On our web

An inside look

The month

Columns

Interview: Mertxe Hernández

M5: Summer fashion essentials

Food and drink

Back page

DIRECTORIES Food & Drink

Marketplace

We’ve all been affected by the financial crisis that is costing Zapatero his job along with more than four million others, whether it be through a (temporarily) cheaper T-10, friends heading home or living with an ever-growing number of local shops showing ‘to rent’ signs, but some will inevitably be hit harder than others. Where Barcelona doesn’t seem to be seeing a big knock-on effect, though, is in its homeless population, which, as Richard Schweid discovers, has hardly risen since 2008. Elsewhere, Nick Lloyd takes us on a historic stroll down Avinguda Paral·lel, which has been earmarked to recover some of its former cultural glory, although perhaps not so much of its anarchism. Johanna Bailey looks at the growing popularity of knitting in the city, a trend that shows the pastime is no longer the sole preserve of women of a certain age. And if it’s trends you’re looking for, check M5 for our suggestions to looking cool in the summer heat. In Food and Drink, Tara Stevens introduces us to the wonderfully-named chef Dani Lechuga who, paradoxically, is a prophet of meat. Look out too for another book giveaway, our new columnist and an A-Z of Sónar. Hannah Pennell

Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Senior Editor Hannah Pennell Editor Katy MacGregor Art Director Aisling Callinan Sales Director Rainer Hobrack Account Executives Richard Cardwell and Thomas McKeown Marketing & Communication Manager Jade Anglesea Sales Assistant Clare Bleasdale Financial Assistant Kim Kalter Editorial Assistant Iseult Larkin Design Assistant Santiago Amaya Contributors Johanna Bailey, Jonathan Bennett, Lucy Brzoska, Vera Ciria, Roger de Flower, Meredith Gales, Nick Lloyd, Richard Schweid, Tara Stevens and Nicola Thornton Photographers Melanie Aronson, Lucy Brzoska, Alejandro Jaimes Larrarte, Richard Lee Owens and Lee Woolcock Cover illustration John French Illustrator Ben Rowdon Editorial Office: Enric Granados 48, entlo. 2ª, 08008 Barcelona. Tel. 93 451 4486, Fax. 93 451 6537; editorial@barcelona-metropolitan.com Sales: sales@barcelona-metropolitan.com. General enquiries: info@barcelona-metropolitan.com. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Printer: Litografia Rosés. Depósito Legal: B35159-96 The views expressed in Barcelona Metropolitan are not necessarily those of the publisher. Reproduction, or use, of advertising or editorial content herein, without express permission, is prohibited.

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

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Check out Barcelona’s newest Language School: Languages4Life! Opening in June 2011 for intensive Spanish classes. Spanish teachers are native speakers with experience. Classrooms equipped with Interactive Digital Whiteboards, Mac computers with DVDs, Internet access and Full Stereo Audio. The school is in a charming Modernista building in the heart of the Eixample district, very close to the Passeig de Gràcia metro stop. The classrooms are large, light and with beautiful mosaic floors. Simply a very nice place to be and to study!

Free Enrollment, Competitive Prices C/València, 275 3o, 08009 Barcelona <Metro> Passeig de Gràcia info@languages4life.com Tel. +34 93 487 5116 Skype languages4life

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06 INTERNET

on our web...

WIN a book In the spirit of doing things for themselves, five international women got together, after meeting at a writers’ workshop, and decided to pool their considerable writing talents. The result is 5, an anthology that includes poetry and short prose written by the women, who all come from different walks of life. We have five(!) copies to give away. Just email readers@ barcelona-metropolitan.com and tell us in five words why you should win a copy. On our web, Iseult Larkin interviews Claire Basarich, Anjali Chugani and Laura Nogués, three of the contributors, about the idea behind the project and future plans. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/fivewriters

New articles As for many of you here, space is an issue at Metropolitan. Pages are limited, so in order to fit in all the interesting articles we receive, we have to put some of them on our website. This month we have three new features for you: Liza Fitzpatrick urges you to visit Barcelona’s former industrial heartland running along part of the Llobregat river; Calvin Holbrook walks you through the best ways to move all your things here; and Hugo Steckelmacher reveals the new English-language functions of Barcelona Activa—a hub for entrepreneurs and jobseekers. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

Kids welcome A topic close to many readers’ hearts is life abroad with children. Our newest blogger, Johanna Bailey, aims to tackle just some of the issues, trials and tribulations facing you when raising children here. Writing about her personal experiences, as well as inviting others to write in with their stories and thoughts, Johanna hopes to make the blog as interactive as possible. An American with three years in Spain under her belt, she has two sons, Nico (six) and his younger brother Luca (21 months), and aims to share valuable practical information as well as inter-

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

views with various people involved in raising children. Follow her funny, candid and informative blog on our web: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/familymatters

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COVER 07

An inside look Illustrator John French

left Melbourne in the Eighties, and somehow never managed to get back there. Like a lot of Australians, I wanted to see the world and at 20 years old, after three years working in a factory, I realised that my career choice of fitter and turner was an unwise decision. In 1985, I arrived in London, lived in a squat in Brixton, spent a lot of time in the Tate Gallery and started to draw and paint. Since then, I have had over 25 solo shows in the UK, Spain and Australia. I eventually studied graphic design at Kingston University in London and since then I have worked as a freelance illustrator, designer and photographer. A lot of my work has been for NGOs and environmental and global justice causes. I now live in Poblenou with my wife and two children. My favourite art is tribal/indigenous art especially from Australia/Oceania. But I also like the old school Modernists—I’m a big fan of Kurt Schwitters and Joaquín Torres García. Photographers too, like Walker Evans, have been an influence. Among my favourite illustrators are Jeff Fisher and Isidro Ferrer. A place in Barcelona: I like Poblenou, especially the Rambla. Right on the doorstep, I recently stumbled across Can Framis, a new museum of Catalan painting, which is well worth a look. It’s great how they have redeveloped the area while retaining the old industrial features. The Pompeu Fabra campus across the road from the museum is also impressive. An essential item: Around town, I always travel by bicycle, and I always carry a notebook, pencil and my camera. The cover: Along the seafront from Barceloneta to Fòrum Mar there are some great places to visit: bars and restaurants where you can have a drink, eat some tapas and enjoy the atmosphere.

www.johnefrench.com

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08 THE MONTH

June Fashion

yourself pushing a buggy instead of making shapes, then help is at hand in the form of Sónar Kids. Now in its third year, the day gives kids the chance to streetdance or do DJ workshops, get their portrait done with lasers or watch animated shorts from the Belgian children’s ﬁlm festival Jeugdﬁlm, whilst letting mums and dads feel that they can still be involved in one of the biggest festivals of the year. A win-win situation, no? CCCB/MACBA, June 19th, 11am-7pm. www.sonarkids.com

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

Every year, the same phenomenon occurs in Barcelona. As the temperatures gradually creep up, the sun starts to shine incessantly every day and summer proclaims its triumphant presence, the level of elegance and amount of clothes worn seems to decrease exponentially. The heat appears to trigger some internal rationalisation that less is definitely more. Mirrors seem to disappear from houses, as the vast majority of people, both tourists and locals alike, couldn’t possibly have checked their appearance before stepping out on the street. We are all guilty of throwing elegance to the wind when the sun’s rays beat down unmercifully, yet with the amount of style-conscious garments populating the high-street stores, this type of situation is easy to avoid. I have several pet peeves when it comes to the never-ending throngs of lobster-red tourists that swoop down on the city each summer. Who deemed it acceptable to wear socks with sandals? Bright-white socks, not cute, coloured socks with wedge heels. Is the sock and shoe combo even comfortable? Which leads us to another terrible summer nightmare, the flip-flop. Such terrible displays of gnarled toenails. The flip-flop should be kept for the beach and poolside. There are so

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If the lure of Sónar is still keenly felt but you ﬁnd

many pretty sandals for women and gorgeous leather options for men, so why keep insisting on the Havaianas? Visible bathing wear, such as bikini tops, or men with bare chests in the city garners a whole round of inward groans from those of us who actually live here. But don’t think for a minute that just because we inhabit the city, we deal with the heat any better. Flip-ﬂops abound and the short shorts can’t get any shorter—they will become belts at this rate. Rather than wearing a pair of minuscule shorts, why not try going out directly in your underpants? It’s sure to be cooler than those ubiquitous shorts cutting into your bum. You know the ones, with the pocket lining showing in front, below the hem...?! With stores regularly turning over their stock, on an almost weekly basis in some cases, there are myriad options for summer such as block-colour or printed sundresses for women and urban shorts and T-shirt combinations for men. Is it really necessary to fall prey to summer negligence and look bedraggled and almost-naked all the time? Yes, summer is an excellent time to show some more skin, get a lovely tanned glow and feel a bit more sexy, but this can be done without losing your poise and urban elegance.

Don’t lose your elegance in the summer

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THE MONTH 09

Studying the form El Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM) is a new initiative from the Fundació de les Arts i els Artistes and opens this month in the 18th-century palace, Palau Gomis, just a few steps from the Museo Picasso. MEAM hopes to be unique in its celebration of ﬁgurative art, a discipline maligned or somewhat forgotten in contemporary art. The ﬁrst exhibition to be held there will be Arte Contemporáneo Siglo XXI and will have nearly 200 paintings and sculptures. Check out their website for activities for children and future exhibition news: www.meam.es

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Liberian women On June 9th, the charity Women for Women International will be screening the award-winning Pray the Devil Back to Hell as a fundraising event at the Institut d’Estudis Nord-Americans. With a minimum donation of €5 to view the ﬁlm, the event hopes to raise money for female victims of war in the developing world. The documentary shows the remarkable actions of a group of Liberian women who came together to try to end the bloody civil war in their country. By staging a silent protest outside the Presidential Palace, their presence became key in the decision to resume stalled peace talks. June 9th, 1pm. Institut d’Estudis Nord-Americans, Via Augusta 123. www.praythedevilbacktohell.com

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COLUMNS 11

Wild Barcelona Text and photos by Lucy Brzoska

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

New arrival

“A

Discarded nymph skin

A new generation of damselflies

Newly-emerged western willow spreadwing

hey were dotted all over the wall, colourless, multi-legged forms, stuck firm to the concrete. A robin flew down to peck at one, but must have been disappointed to find it was merely an empty husk that floated weightlessly away. It was Pedralbes park and early that June morning, before the gates were open, a generation of damselfly nymphs had emerged en masse from the pond and burst out of their unravelling skins. The park pond is a stronghold of a diminutive damselfly with a long name, the western willow spreadwing. The whispering bamboo grove along one side provides a perfect site where they can lay their eggs in autumn. On hatching the following spring, the nymphs drop from the conveniently overhanging stems straight into the water. Biology students monitor the pond life and have found three types of tadpole (water frog, tree frog and midwife toad) and various damsel and dragonflies. But not a sign of mosquito larvae. The spreadwing nymphs, who are a mainstay of this aquatic community, do a formidable cleaning job, their claw-like lower lip flicking out to snatch passing prey. After the mass metamorphosis, most damselflies had dispersed, but I found one still clinging to its discarded skin, wings neatly folded together, not yet spread open in the characteristic position for which the species is named. You couldn’t help being struck by the small size of the translucent husk, abandoned only a few hours before. The slender abdomen, with its green metallic gleam, also seemed impossibly long. When half emerged, the damselfly pauses and, like a balloon filling with air, its wings and abdomen are inflated into shape with hemolymph, the insect equivalent of blood. It’s a vulnerable moment, as the insect waits for its wings to dry out and harden before it can leave its watery habitat definitively behind and take to the air.

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

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re we in abrochi yet?” Abrochi means ‘abroad’ in West African pidgin, and my newly-adopted daughter was asking me if we had reached the ‘promised land’ whilst the plane was still taxiing down the runway. She was incredibly excited, but I was hoping she would sleep. It had been a hectic couple of weeks organising her visa to come home with me, and bad weather meant that we didn’t have much of a holiday (as planned) in between the long waits for stamps, verifications and document legalisations. But here she was, sitting next to me and fascinated by all the moveable gadgets of the aircraft and, despite our 2am start, she slept not a wink the whole way. There was no one to meet us at the airport (I have always been a bit horrified at those documentaries that show adoptive parents with babe in arms arriving to a barrage of friends and family members at the gate—the kid always looks scared to death) and we humbly got a cab to my apartment and our new life together. People often ask me what she found the strangest when she first arrived. For other adopted kids, I have heard it’s refrigerators or escalators. For my little girl it was free stuff—brochures, flyers, cards that sit on shop counters and at checkouts. She couldn’t go out the door without coming home with a bunch of them; she still does. Bringing home an adopted child is sort of like tuning in at the second season of a tv show—in my case, the third, as evidence pointed to her being aged at least seven. Despite my regular contact with her over the three-year adoption process, there were so many holes to fill. I found out what I could about her background whilst I was there (not much) and live in hope that one day, when she is ready, she will fill me in on the rest. That said, it was August and we had plenty of time to get to know each other better. Yet, despite my regular calls and visits during the three-year adoption process, I found out that I really didn’t know her at all. I had always thought of her as being shy and retiring, so was quite stunned at our first social gatherings when I realised that she was outgoing and extrovert, a social animal who loved being the centre of attention. She would systematically go around to everyone in the room and charm the pants off them. That is, everyone but me. In the beginning, I didn’t feel like a mum, I felt like a babysitter or a ‘sugar mummy’—and it would take quite some time for that feeling to change.

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INTERVIEW 13

Mertxe Hernández Fashion Designer, Barcelona

When I was young, I used to really enjoy dressing my dolls, deciding which outfits they were going to wear, and which piece of fabric would go best where. I also used to like anything that involved using my hands. Much later, I had to decide whether to do fine arts at university, or fashion, so I decided on fashion. I am a very determined person. Once I get something into my head, I completely go for it. As part of my fashion and design course, I had to work in different companies, but as soon as I finished, I knew I wanted to launch my own collection. I was about 23. I started working at home on the dining-room table and selling to other shops, and took part in a fashion fair that they used to have here every year to promote designers called Espacio Gaudí, but at the age of 28, I found my own space in the Born. Eleven years later, I’m still here! My style has changed a lot. In the beginning, my designs were quite radical and avant-garde, but over time they’ve evolved to become a little bit more conventional. It’s not easy, you know, because it’s not a style that suits everyone. There are people that say they like it but they wouldn’t wear it. I don’t normally do commissions, but I did design some T-shirts for the Cirque du Soleil, which was a great collaborative experience. I work in the studio downstairs. Depending on the piece, it can take me as little as a day to make something. The range includes bags, skirts, T-shirts, tops and party dresses, something for every moment of the day. Every two months, I exhibit a new artist’s work in the shop, because I really enjoy the fusion between art and fashion. Of course, I watch trends, but I also like to offer something that has the personal touch. My trademark item is the collar with dangly strips. I always think, “if I would wear it, it’s ok.” I make all my own clothes, except jeans! For me, London is the best city for fashion. I can’t really define why, but it is cool and bold, and I always like the clothes I find there. There is a great culture of young designers there and whichever market I go to, I think “Wow!”. I love the designs of Balenciaga who was around at the same time as Chanel. He was from the País Vasco but lived in Paris. More contemporarily, I like Alexander McQueen, and Hussein Chalayan, a Turkish Cypriot designer living in London. My clients tend to be 50 percent local and 50 percent tourists. Many are foreigners who live here; they find there is more of a culture here to buy from smaller shops. I love the Born. It has changed a lot since I’ve been here. It used to be very dangerous 15 years ago, and on this street (Rec), for example, there weren’t any shops or boutiques. Custo opened a shop and then gradually little artisan shops started to set up. But really, it has changed beyond belief. www.mertxe-hernandez.com Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.

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14 HOMELESS

Street life

Despite the financial crisis, Barcelona’s homeless population has scarcely grown—but can an ambitious plan eradicate it once and for all? By Richard Schweid. Photos by Lee Woolcock.

iven that Barcelona is in the midst of a financial crisis and that foreclosures have increased dramataically over the past two years, an observer might expect to find rapidly rising numbers of people living in the city’s streets, but it hasn’t happened. On any given night, some 1,500 people in Barcelona are experiencing homelessness, only about five percent more than in 2008. Of those people who were homeless here on a cool night in March 2010, when the latest count was taken, some 650 people were sleeping rough, and some 850 would sleep in one of the city’s shelter spaces. Of the 1,500 people counted that night, however, none were children. The city maintains a careful system to guarantee that families will not find themselves living in the street. And, even the 1,500 people counted that evening represented a low number. Other, comparably-sized cities in Europe have four or five thousand people in their streets each night. “The most important reason for the low numbers here is the safety net of solidarity that people have with their extended families,” said Ricard Gomà, at the time of writing Barcelona’s second deputy mayor and director of a department in the Ajuntament called Acció Social i Ciutadania (Social Action and Citizenry), un-

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der which falls responsibility for people experiencing homelessness. “The support network from extended family in Barcelona is as close-knit as you’re likely to find anywhere, and much stronger than you’ll find in an Anglo-Saxon society.” The city has worked hard to design alternatives for those who do not have a family on which to rely. Five years ago, four people worked fulltime with those who were homeless or in danger of winding up on the streets. Today, 50 people do so. “During the past five years, we have built a network between City Hall and various entities,” said Gomà. “We have a goal of social inclusion, and to move toward it we have professionals in the streets every day, identifying homeless people in the initial phases of their problems. In Rome, with five thousand people in the streets, they don’t have socio-educational programmes, nor preventive programmes. I think this is the big difference.” After the sun goes down, two-person teams go to various districts of Barcelona to make contact with newcomers sleeping rough and let them know what services—shelter, food and showers—are available, as well as to check on the people who live outdoors for weeks or months or years. One cold night in March this year, Valentin Hîncu, a native of Rumania, and Khalid Ghali, originally from Morocco, were walking their rounds of the Les Corts district. Both are fluent in Catalan and Castilian, as well

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HOMELESS 15

Five years ago, four people worked full-time with the homeless. Today, 50 people do so.

as their native languages. At one street corner, an old mattress is tucked away behind a rubbish bin. It belongs to an alcoholic male from Bulgaria, Hîncu said, who has been sleeping there for two years. The team has stopped by to see how he’s doing. He’s not there, so they know he is in the bar at the corner, where he spends his waking hours, but rather than try and talk with him in the bar they’ll stop by again later in the week. The next stop is the Jardins de Màlaga where a heavily bearded Catalan man named Antoni is sitting on a bench in the dark, wearing three heavy sweaters beneath a filthy gabardine. In front of him is a complicated wheeled cart, packed high with many things, out of which he pulls a vacuum cleaner body with no hose, which he had found that day. “I’ll keep it and maybe a hose will turn up,” he said. The team admires the useless vacuum cleaner, checks on his legs, which have been bothering him, and chat for a few minutes. After a while, they move on. During the course of their eight-hour shift, the pair may walk 25 kilometres, said Ghali. “It’s not easy, but it’s a gratifying job. For instance, there’s a Portuguese guy who’s kind of paranoid; he would have nothing to do with anyone, but now he’s gotten to know us and he’ll let us take him for a shower, and he’ll go to the comedor (shelter canteen). These are small changes, but they make a big difference in a person’s life.”

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In addition to the habitually homeless, the recession has created a need for emergency housing for those people who have lost their own place to live. In 2005, the city had such housing in only one of its 10 districts. By 2010, emergency housing had been opened in every district. “This is a resource for families with a high risk of losing their housing and who have no social or family support,” said Ricard Gomà. “In 2010, we have provided emergency housing to a thousand people through about 150 units. We also have a network of inclusion housing with social workers who are working toward getting these families or individuals into a normal rental situation and stable housing. We have some 300 units of social inclusion housing that serve about 1,500 people who will be in them between six months and a year.” In 2005, an undertaking called ‘A Citizen’s Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona’ was subscribed to by 450 social action agencies, charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which, together with the city council, created eight networks dealing with aspects of social inclusion: assistance for those living in homelessness; socially responsible businesses; job training; centres for infants and adolescents; assistance in receiving and integrating recently-arrived immigrants; foster families; accessible housing; and cultural events for social inclusion. The first of these, homelessness, is dealt with by La Xarxa d’Atenció

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16 HOMELESS

a Persones sense Sostre (The Network for Attention to People without a Roof), which is made up of 24 different charities and NGOs, and the Ajuntament. The Network provides both day and night services. The day services include a place to leave belongings, a meal, showers, workshops and common rooms. The night services include an evening meal and a bed. The 2010 survey counted a total of 1,108 persons using the day-

A heavily bearded Catalan man named Antoni sits on a bench in the dark, wearing three sweaters beneath a filthy gabardine. time facilities, and 842 using night-time services. In addition to providing these services, the Network has undertaken an ambitious campaign to end homelessness in Barcelona by the year 2015. This was Barcelona’s response to the European Union’s designation of 2010 as the ‘Year of the War on Poverty and Exclusion’. The slogan for Barcelona’s campaign is “Imagine a 2015 with no one living in the street”. It will not be an easy goal to reach. “For this to happen, the citizens need to convert themselves into a pressure group on the public powers to insist that, even in times of economic crisis, social inclusion has to continue as a priority,” said Ricard Gomà. The most critical factor in Barcelona’s formula to combat social exclusion is local government, he added. “These days, there’s no doubt that government is the main engine in public health and education. Five years ago, this wasn’t happening when dealing with social exclusion. This was the territory of charities and NGOs. We believe that in the fight against social exclusion, the principal engine has to be the public administration. Once that is established, the public administration will work with, and count on, the charities and NGOs.” HOMELESSNESS IN THE WORLD - An estimated three million people are homeless in Europe (Source: Red de Apoyo a la Integración Sociolaboral, 2010) - Homelessness in Greece rose from 17,000 in 2009 to 20,000 in 2010 (Source: European Observatory on Homelessness) - It is estimated that by 2015, there could be 24.4 million homeless people in Nigeria (Source: UNHCR) - In the US, 1.37 million of the overall homeless population are under 18 years old (Source: International Journal of Psychosocial Research, 2008)

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18 KNITTING

IFIL

All You Knit is Love

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KNITTING 19

Knit one, purl one The click-clack of knitting needles is getting louder in Barcelona. By Johanna Bailey. Photos by Melanie Aronson.

orld Wide Knit in Public Day takes place every year in June, since being created by uS knitter Danielle Landes in 2005. I participated a few years ago when I joined a group of Spanish women who were knitting in the park. It would have been relaxing had it not been for all the double-takes that were thrown our way by various passersby. Judging from their expressions of incredulous wonder, you would have thought we were out there churning butter. We could have started rubbing our knitting needles together to try and start a fire and they probably wouldn’t have been any more amazed. It was clear that they still viewed knitting as a traditional pastime engaged in only by grandmothers. Having just come from New York City, where there are dozens of wool shops and weekly knitting groups filled with hip young women and men, this came as a bit of a surprise to me. The knitting revolution has been slow in coming to Spain but there are signs that this is changing, at least in Barcelona, where more and more wool shops and knitting groups (sometimes called ‘stitch and bitch’ groups) have started popping up in the past couple of years. American Jennifer Callahan and her Catalan husband Miquel Saurina, were ahead of the game when they opened their shop ‘All You Knit is Love’ in the Born in 2006. “At the time, knitting wasn’t fashionable yet and the bank director who was giving us the loan for the store looked at us like we were crazy!” said Saurina. “He asked why we were starting a knitting store when so many others were closing down.” But Callahan and Saurina had something entirely different in mind

from the typical Barcelona wool shop. They set out to sell products that couldn’t be found anywhere else—natural yarns instead of acrylic and local products such as Xisqueta wool from the Catalan Pyrenees. “We also wanted people to be able to come in and touch the yarns rather than just look at them from behind the counter” said Callahan. This last comment struck a chord with me. I’ve always found the process of buying wool in Spain to be intimidating. Traditionally in Spanish mercerias (shops where they sell craft and sewing supplies), most of the wool is kept behind a counter. Also behind the counter, there typically lurks a hawk-eyed saleswoman who looks less than thrilled that you’ve deemed it necessary to saunter into her realm. “Puedo ayudarle?” she pounces, before you’ve had a moment to regain your senses and work out why you’re standing next to a display case featuring 800 pairs of baby-blue booties and a cross-stitch of two mournful-looking horses. At this point you must indicate which wool you are interested in, and then, with what seems an exaggerated show of patience, the saleswoman will retrieve it for you and then proceed to stare at you expectantly until you make a decision. Apparently, it is actually these women who are used to being the ones making the decisions. The way things traditionally work here is that the knitter first tells the saleswoman what she wants to knit. The latter then devises a pattern, chooses the yarn and ‘guides’ the customer in making the garment. This process generally entails numerous trips to and from the yarn shop as each step is completed and further instruction is needed. “We have older women coming in all the time who say that although they’ve been knitting for 40 years, they don’t know how to read a pattern by themselves,” said Callahan. All You Knit is Love, on

BBA /MBA > Small classes > All courses taught in English > Excellent mix of theory and practice > International environment > Global campus network

www.euruni.edu Business Education

INFO SESSION: JUNE 10th AT 5PM BARCELONA CAMPUS EU Barcelona

Ganduxer 70 - 08021 Barcelona, Spain Tel: +34 93 201 81 71 - info.bcn@euruni.edu Bcn Metropolitan 195X64.indd 1 18-20 Stitch and bitch PDF.indd 35

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20 KNITTING

the other hand, is entirely autoservicio. Callahan and Saurino are there to help but they encourage customers to choose both their own yarn and patterns. In October 2010, Silvia López and Carmen Garcia de Mor opened the Gràcia wool shop IFIL with the intention of catering to a new kind of knitter. “Our objective is to get people to stop associating knitting with something difficult that only older people can do,” said López. IFIL provides knitters with dozens of seasonally changing patterns (developed by Garcia de Mor), all of them clearly marked with level of ability, wool required and estimated knitting time. Since about 80 percent of their customers are people who are just starting to knit, their focus is on simplicity. IFIL aims to be more than a knitting store, however. “We believe in more than just yarn,” said López. “Knitting empowers you when you see that you can create something. You can then take that empowerment and apply it to other parts of your life—maybe you’ll break up with your idiot boyfriend or leave a job you don’t like.” The biggest indication that the knitting trend has come to Barcelona is that the typical customer at both IFIL and All You Knit is Love is under 35 years old. Clearly a marked change from the bootie-knitting abuelas of yore. So why now? Is it just another American trend that has made its way over to Spain, riding on the top of a big frosted cupcake? Or are there are more factors at work here than just trends? Feminism came late to Spain and the country’s women have spent the past 30 years reacting against the traditional gender roles so beloved by Franco. Perhaps only now are women starting to feel that they can engage in hobbies such as knitting and still be liberated at the same time. The economic crisis probably has something to do with it as well. “The crisis has helped us to see that not everything is about money,” said Silvia López. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, if you’re interested in knitting, there are plenty of options for finding like-minded folks in Barcelona. You can take a class at All You Knit is Love or IFIL (both have Englishspeaking teachers). Or you can participate in a local knitting group. Most of the groups are Catalan- and/or Castilian-speaking but they welcome foreigners, as well as novice knitters. Not only is it a relaxing way to knit in company, but also a great way to meet Barcelona natives and practise your foreign language skills! For those who feel that knitting is tough enough without having to conjugate the subjunctive at the same time, there is also a new English-speaking knitting group that recently started up at the ‘Fish and Chips’ café in the Raval. World Wide Knit in Public Day will take place on June 11th this year and both All You Knit is Love and IFIL are planning fun events. Judging from what I’ve seen of the burgeoning knitting scene in Barcelona, I expect there to be a lot more knitters and a lot fewer stares than the last time I participated!

MORE INFO All You Knit is Love—Barra de Ferro 8; www.allyouknitislove.com IFIL—Torrent de l’Olla 161; www.ifilbarcelona.wordpress.com Merceria Santa Ana—Portal de l’Ángel 26. Go here if you want to see the traditional knitting system in action. Head to the second floor, Monday to Thursday from 10am to 1pm, and you’re likely to see a group of women sitting around the counter, knitting and being guided by the saleswoman. Ravelry—Join this site and look in the ‘Groups’ section under Barcelona. You’ll be able to see the recent activities of and news from a number of Barcelona knitting groups, shops and forums. www.ravelry.com World Wide Knit in Public Day—www.wwkipday.com. Find out more about founder Danielle Landes at www.daniellelandes.com Barcelona Knitting Groups KCS (Knitting, Crochet, Sewing) Barcelona—http://kcsbarcelona. blogspot.com Teixicomanes de Barcelona—http://teixicomanes.blogspot.com Fish and Chips English-speaking knitting group—Rambla de Raval 26; www.fishandchipsbarcelona.com

join us and have fun!

summer july Information and enrolment +34 93 894 20 40 information@escaan.com

18-20 Stitch and bitch PDF.indd 36

The knitting group at Fish and Chips—photo by Alejandro Jaimes Larrarte

...for children from 1 to 14 years old...

sports trips languages workshops

5/24/11 12:45:23 PM

jazz R&B music

GILCO PRODUCTIONS

in collaboration with The REIAL CERCLE ARTISTIC presents:

and the MICHELE FABER QUINTET jazz, rhythm and blues and contemporary music

Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 8:30 p.m in the Sala d’ACTES of the

REIAL CERCLE ARTISTIC

(C/. Arcs 5, Barcelona (near the Cathedral). Entrance fee €20 for non-members with a 20 % discount for members of the REIAL CERCLE ARTISTIC GWEN PERRY is a vocalist, interpreter and international show woman who has been dubbed “The Lady of Song and of Music”. Her repertory ranges from jazz to rhythm and blues to beautiful ballads. Gwen will perform well-known standards as well as several pieces from her new CD “MELLOW”, to be released soon. The CD was recorded in Barcelona with Michele Faber-piano, Fredrik Carlquist-sax/clarinet/flute, Pere Loewe-upright bass, Joe Smith-drums and Dave Mitchell-electric guitar.

For more information: gilcoproductions11@gmail.com

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main pages - June 11 .indd 1

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22 PARAL·LEL

Guns, sex and anarchy Over the years, Avinguda Paral·lel has hosted an eclectic mix of cafés, erotic shows and political radicals. By Nick Lloyd. Photos by Richard Lee Owens.

oday it is easy to see Avinguda del Paral·lel as a noisy thoroughfare lined by undistinguished apartment blocks, but for decades the street was the centre of the city’s nightlife with a dozen theatres, numerous music halls and cafés peopled by cabaret artists and bon viveurs; a steamy mix of eroticism and anarchism. The avenue was originally laid out in 1859 as part of l’Eixample, Ildefons Cerdà’s great project for expanding Barcelona. After planning the characteristic blocks of his grid pattern, he then grandly drew two great avenues perpendicular to the grid: La Meridiana (running north-south) and El Paral·lel (running east-west). Cerdà himself seems to have named the avenue, noting that, unlike any other street in Barcelona, it ran parallel to the Equator (41º22’34’’ north). He had intended it as a fine ceremonial boulevard like Gran Via or Diagonal, but its proximity to the port and because it cut through the workingclass quarters of El Raval and Poble Sec meant that it was always destined to become the centre of Barcelona’s popular, if not sleazy, nightlife. Since the Middle Ages, the city’s working

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-class entertainment had been centred on the area around where Plaça Catalunya is today, and along the old road connecting Barcelona to the village of Gràcia, but with the building of Passeig de Gràcia came gentrification and stalls and fairs gravitated towards the new plots opened up along Paral·lel. When the street was officially opened in October 1894, it was already home to a burgeoning entertainment industry of cafés, music halls and, particularly towards the port end, brothels. By the early 20th century, it had as many as 10 theatres and several music and dance halls along a stretch of barely 300 fun-laden metres, leading to the avenue’s nickname of the ‘Montmartre barcelonés’. One particularly rough-and-ready tavern, which would become the most famous building on the street, was called La Pajarera, a haunt of drunken sailors and unruly workers. Its owner grew tired of their antics and sold the business to an Andalusian who had recently arrived in the city with the aim of making his fortune. He set up a precarious platform at the back of the bar, initially offering flamenco shows, but soon expanded the repertoire to include zarzuelas (Spanish musical comedy) and the performances of a remarkable ventriloquist.

The hall was sold again in 1905 and renamed the Gran Salón del Siglo XX, which alternated variety shows with the latest technological wonder: a cinematograph. Three years later, its name was changed again to the Petit Moulin Rouge. The idea was to bring Parisian-style cabaret shows to the city. In 1929, coinciding with the International Exhibition, the façade was renovated, whimsically adding the sails of a windmill, which have become its trademark. During the Civil War, the waiters, ticket sellers and other employees, who were members of the Anarchist CNT trade union, collectivised the Moulin Rouge, and established the same salary for all employees, much to the annoyance of many of the dancers and vedettes. The hall continued to offer somewhat piquant shows, though the artistes now performed as scantilydressed militia fighters. When Franco occupied the city, not only was Catalan repressed, but foreign languages were also suspect, and Moulin was ‘Castillianified’ to El Molino while Rouge was dropped due to its communist connotations. But while Francoism imposed a terrible yoke on the city, at least at El Molino the show went on, its eroticism a small but welcome relief in the repressed, grey city of the victors, though it had

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PARAL·LEL 23

Yesterday and today: (left) image by Barcelona photographer Frederic Ballell in 1913 showing audiences leaving the theatres; (right) Les Tres Xemeneies flanked by modern buildings

to deal with censorship, including a law against cross-dressing artists, and raids by the police (who could often later be found frequenting the premises as clients). With the advent of democracy and permissiveness, the theatre fell on hard times and eventually closed its doors in 1997, remaining shut for more than a decade, despite a colourful campaign for the authorities to step in. Finally, in 2010, it was bought and restored by a group of companies, and although it has lost its original 1929 windmill, the new kitsch façade has quickly blended into Paral·lel’s streetscape. El Paral·lel reputedly once had the longest stretch of street cafés in Europe, including the

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still surviving El Café Español and perhaps the most notorious bar in the history of Barcelona, the remarkably inappropriately named La Tranquilidad, which stood at number 69, next to the Teatro Victoria, until it was demolished in the Forties. As a haven for gangsters, police spies and, above all, anarchists, anything but tranquillity reigned here. During the period of pistolerismo in the early Twenties, Barcelona was awash with guns smuggled from France after the end of the First World War. Weapons were sold openly in La Tranquilidad, which also organised raffles, with the winner taking home a Star pistol. Anecdotes about La Tranquilidad abound. In the early Thirties, the legendary

Anarchist leader Buenaventura Durruti and his friends were habitués of La Tranquilidad. One story relates how a young beggar with a defeated air came into the bar asking for money. When he approached Durruti’s table the bar went silent. Durruti looked the man intently in the eyes, and then pulled out his revolver and slammed it on the table, saying “There, take my gun. Go to the bank.” Another great of symbol of the avenue and Poble Sec are Les Tres Xemeneies, built between 1896 and 1912, and known popularly as ‘La Canadenca’, after the Canadian company that financed them. The power station here was the origin of one of the most successful working-

5/23/11 12:12:55 PM

24 PARAL·LEL

These days much of Paral·lel has lost its glamour and notoriety, and as one moves towards the Plaça Espanya end of the avenue, one is faced with a dull and uninspiring series of residential blocks. However, just off Paral·lel is the unusual Casa

The owner built the house after coming across a stash of gold while looking for snails on Montjuïc.

The new incarnation of El Molino

class actions in history when eight office workers were sacked in February 1919. Beginning with a call by the CNT to reinstate the workers, the strike spread rapidly, and evolved over 44 days into a general strike demanding lower working hours that paralysed much of the industry of Catalunya. Among the consequences of the strike was that the Spanish government was forced to limit the working day to eight hours, one of the first such laws anywhere in the world, though it was soon to be repealed. Not surprisingly, the association of El Paral·lel with such activities, led to another nickname, ‘the Anarchist Boulevard of Barcelona’, among radical circles in Europe.

dels Cargols (House of Snails) at Tamarit number 89. Legend has it that the original owner had the house built after coming across a stash of gold while looking for snails on Montjuïc. In thanks to these gastropods, he covered the façade of the building in snail motifs. Or that was his story, anyway, for covering up some early 20th-century dodgy dealing. In addition to El Molino musical hall, today just three theatres remain: Apolo, Condal and Victoria, but the city council has recently purchased (from the Chinese Evangelical Church) the old Arnau theatre, which has stood in a sorry state for several years, with the aim of turning it into an as-yetunspecified cultural centre. The plan forms part of a project to return Barcelona’s Broadway to its former glory (presumably without the Anarchist heritage), making what the council calls an “avenue of leisure” for the city, leading from the newlyrenovated Las Arenas complex in Plaça Espanya all the way down to the port, passing through new squares to be created along the avenue, and allowing the historic street to become more of a meeting-point, rather than a division between, the districts of Poble Sec, Raval and Sant Antoni. Nick Lloyd leads Civil War tours in Barcelona with the Centre d’Estudis de Montjuïc and runs the website www.iberianatura.com

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The first Green Parenting shop in Barcelona

mapu 22-24. Parallel PDF.indd 36

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5/23/11 12:12:58 PM

main pages - June 11 .indd 18

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26 M FIVE

five

This summer’s stylish essentials. By Vera Ciria

Orange

It is rare that the colour orange asserts its power on the catwalk. A normally difficult shade, this season orange is luscious and juicy, popping with vibrancy, begging to be worn this summer. Take a quick look in practically any store at the moment and there are rails of orange options for both men and women. Combine with other brilliant hues or mix with more neutral tones.

Bobble

Designed by the renowed industrial designer Karim Rashid, the Bobble is a reusable, portable water-filter. With one Bobble said to filter over 300 bottles of water, the aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the mountains of plastic bottles that we throw away each year. It’s available in three different sizes, one small enough to fit in your bag, the biggest large enough to replace your at-home water filter. So this summer, instead of reaching for an Evian, consider using a Bobble instead, and do your bit for the planet. Available at various outlets including: Servei Estació (Aragó 270); Gadgets & Cuina (La Rambla 91, Aragó 249 and L’illa shopping centre); and branches of VIPS. www.waterbobble.com

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Photos courtesy of Zadig & Voltaire

Horizontal stripes

Does Miuccia Prada never tire of churning out the best season trends? The thick horizontal stripes she sent down the runway are now everywhere on the high street, and Kookai have done a particularly good range (see picture). Choose your summer stripes wisely, though. Now is the time for thick bands of colour or stripes that vary in width. You’ll be spoilt for choice, as there are T-shirts and dresses, skirts and shirts, and all manner of accessories to choose from. www.kookai.fr

Seventies’ style

Not everything in the Seventies revolved around hippies. Fashion is currently revisiting this decade, bypassing the paisley and tiedye, to focus instead on steamy glamour for summer. Combine luscious jewel tones with heaps of gold accessories—if you’re feeling flash, French jewellery designer Gaia Repossi has created a lush, but expensive range of cuffs and rings for the chic Parisian label Zadig et Voltaire. This is a trend that works well for both men and women, so don’t be shy! www.zadig-et-voltaire.com

Forever21

The Primark of the United States, Forever21 will open its doors to the Barcelona public on June 4th. Set in the teenage domain of the La Maquinista shopping centre, don’t let the environment or name put you off. This is the place to stock up on summer essentials without breaking the bank.

www.forever21.com www.lamaquinista.com

Next month: The Best sweet shops

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5/18/11 3:09:51 PM

On GREC P. 31

SÓNAR P. 32 REALISME(S) P. 34 EL EFECTO DEL CINE P. 34

The Raveonettes. Bikini June 3rd.

29 Cover copy 1.indd 1

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30 ON

the edit

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

16 5

thth

If you’re the type of person who dreams of creating their very own little fanzine then this might be the festival for you. Ilu·Station started life as a festival devoted to penmanship, illustration and graphic design but this year they’ve shifted their focus on to the fanzine and comic. With this change, their annual mercado, which sells fanzines from around the world, has taken on a more key role in the proceedings. Stars of the show will be the German collective Biografiktion.

Ilu·Station www.ilustation.com

2nd

Sarah Gessler and producer Josh Fontan met in the heady, halcyon days of Barcelona’s underground music scene in 2003 and they’ve been touring their gritty, organic soul ever since. Now the pair have launched a new monthly night at the recently done-up Café Royale with different invited guests each month. To read an interview with Beatspoke, check out our website: www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/beatspoke

18th

Beatspoke Café Royale

9th

Is Darwin Deez Darwin Smith, or is it the name of the band? It isn’t quite clear. Like Har Mar Superstar without the pervy sleeze, there’s a lot of styling, silly dance moves and irreverent music videos to get through before you come to the actual music with this act. With the debut album getting mixed reviews, it’s going to be interesting to see what he (they) brings to the stage

Darwin Deez Music Hall

ON Contributors: Will Shank and Natasha Young

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ON 31

the gigs

Raveonettes

Hola a Todo el Mundo

OMD

Bikini, 3rd

Music Hall, 10th

Apolo, 15th

Those Dancing Days

James Taylor Quartet

Metronomy

Music Hall, 3rd

Apolo, 10th

Razzmatazz, 18th

IAM

Marky Ramone

John Mayall

Apolo, 4th

Razzmatazz, 11th

Apolo, 22nd

Sami Yusuf

Hooverphonic

Ricky Martin

Apolo, 8th

Apolo, 14th

Sant Jordi Club, 29th

La Caldera. Photo by Sola Bubulus

17th

Grec Festival

Various venues

The Teatre Grec doesn’t get to show off very often. Left forlorn and empty

3rd), Àngels Margarit (July 22th to 24th) and La Caldera (June 29th to July

most of the year, it’s only during the annual Grec Festival that this lovely

10th). Contemporary dance company Gelabert–Azzopardi’s inaugural show,

open-air Greek amphitheatre gets to shine. If high art is your thing, there’s

La muntanya al teu Voltant (June 17th to 18th), keeps it Catalan, with the

nothing quite like hoofing it up Montjuïc on a balmy festival evening for a

Banda Municipal Barcelona playing Carlos Santos and Borja Ramos’ music

spot of culture with the lights of Barcelona twinkling far below.

alongside 12 dancers and sardanistes. Meanwhile, B-boys and girls battle it

The Grec Festival began back in 1976 with the dual mission of supporting local artists and bringing some of the world’s most interesting theatre,

out in the European classifier of the Red Bull BC One on July 3rd. Two thousand and eleven has been a hell of a year for Manel. It’s a rare

dance, music and circus to Barcelona. Events happen citywide but tradition-

feat indeed for a band singing in Catalan to top the Spanish charts but that’s

ally, it’s the Teatre Grec where most of the action takes place.

exactly what they did back in March. The poster boys for Catalan nationalists

France is the featured country this year and despite Gallic arts being in the spotlight, the French show that is causing hearts to flutter is actually the work of an Englishman—best not tell the French! Born in London but a long-

and quirky indie types alike, their homecoming gig at the Grec (July 11th) promises to be very special indeed. There’s little on offer for lovers of English music this year but you could

time resident of Paris, Peter Brook is widely regarded as one of the most

always try something new. Look out for a Sónar collaboration between

revolutionary theatre directors alive today, and at 86 he shows no sign of

Japanese pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto and audiovisual maestro Alva Noto (June

slowing down. His pared-down, unfussy reworking of Mozart’s Magic Flute,

19th); traditional medieval melodies from the Mallorcan queen of La Nova

shows at Mercat de les Flors (June 18th to 20th).

Cançó, Maria del Mar Bonet (July 4th), and sounds of the colonial Caribbean

Over at Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, get mixed up in and confused with

from Jordi Savall (July 25th).

Octopus (June 30th to July 3rd), a new show by the esteemed French cho-

For the hard up, don’t forget that most venues offer discounts to stu-

reographer Philippe Decouflé and his company DCA. At his best, Decouflé

dents, seniors, kids and the unemployed, and if previous years are anything

is dazzling, so if you only see one dance show at Grec this year, make it this

to go by, you’ll also find great last-minute deals on tickets a few hours be-

one.

fore curtain up at the tourist information office in Plaça de Catalunya. For full

There’s plenty more for dance fans to get excited about. There’s a wealth of local dance on the bill, with new work from Sol Picó (June 30th to July

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details of the festival line-up and ticket information, check out the website: www.grec.bcn.cat. June 17th to July 31st.--NY

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32 ON

A-Z

Clara Moto

Eskmo

S贸nar. June 16th to 18th MACBA/CCCB (day) Fira Gran Via (night) www.sonar.es

Dels

Annie

Jessie Ware

Bjorn Torske

No Surrender Illum Sphere

Katy B

Offshore

Holy Order Venice

Magnetic Man

23rd

The Gaslamp Killer

Underworld

Steve Oaki

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

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ON 33

28th

Four Tet

FIRE!!

Institut Francès

The 16th version of the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is this

L-vis

year dedicating itself to the power of art and the feminine spirit, paying particular attention to work coming out of

Ghost Writer

France and Asia. Programme highlights include the inclusion of “l’enfant terrible” of Canadian cinema, Xavier Dolan, who shows his feature film Les amor imaginaires, whilst Laure Charpentier’s Gigola is likely to draw in the crowds thanks to its stellar cast. Adapted from Charpentier’s own novels, it’s based in the criminal underworld of Paris in the Sixties, stars Lou Doillon and led Peter Bradshaw in the UK’s Guardian to say “It’s steamy, saucy, racy and suffused with the feeling of wickedness you might get from drinking spirits before lunch or smoking in church.” June 28th to July 9th. www.cinemalambda.com

ore

Paul Kalkbrenner

20th

Raime Yelle

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Apolo

Zinc

Still looking like the dorky Monday after-school band, The Pains have moved up a notch on their second LP Belong. They’ve drafted in Flood and Alan Moulder, producers responsible for the sound of Smashing Pumpkins and Depeche Mode back when they were still in nappies, and come up with a more confident, brassy sound. Yet despite their bookish looks it’s their poor lyrics that let this New York group down. Despite the grown-up makeover their overly emotional lyrics reveal that they’ve still got a way to go to shed the amateurish, musical puppy fat. But there are diamonds within the dirt and if you loved their more shambolic self-titled first LP, then it’s likely you’re going to stick around with this band and see what comes next.

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34 ON

MNAC. Until July 10th

You and I Horizontal II, 2006 © Anthony McCall. Photo by Blaise Adilon

Carolus-Duran. El convalescent o el ferit © RMN (Musée d’Orsay) /Hervé Lewandowski

Realisme(s). L’empremta de Courbet

El efecto del cine. Ilusión, realidad e imagen en movimiento. Sueños. CaixaForum. Until September 4th

I must admit that I was waiting to be convinced, during my stroll

Thirteen artists working with the moving image provide a rich cinematic ex-

through the galleries at MNAC, about the premise of an exhibition called

perience inside the darkened galleries of CaixaForum. From a group of both

‘Realisme(s)’ that ends with the work of abstract Catalan artist Antoní

well-established (and deceased) cinéastes like Andy Warhol and Bruce Con-

Tàpies. By the time I left MNAC, I was not.

ner to a younger generation of artists whose medium is the moving digital

At the very least, it affords the viewer the opportunity to see several

image, the show’s organisers have cut out a clean slice of examples from the

verifiable masterworks by Frenchman Gustave Courbet that rarely leave

vast genre of experimental film-makers paying homage to commercial movie-

the Musée d’Orsay and which have never been to Spain before. But the

making. I was shocked to discover on the entry wall text the use of the past

exhibition doesn’t exactly live up to its hype. “Through [Courbet’s] brush,

tense in describing film as the medium of the 20th century. But it is true: “the

reality entered painting: Realism was born.” Well, certainly as a reaction

cinema WAS the unrivalled art form” of the last century; now we are digital.

against the prevalent Romanticism of the early 19th century, Realism was

The exhibition starts strong with Warhol’s Sleep (1963) in which the film-

RE-born. But didn’t Caravaggio depict his Baroque saints and sinners in

maker silently observes his lover asleep in a pieced-together montage of 50

the 17th century with a kind of street smarts and in a style of photorealism

minutes (edited down from five hours). It speaks of the other-wordly passage

(okay, this is an anachronism) that must have made Courbet green with

of time experienced by the moviegoer while reality is put on hold. Immedi-

envy? Competent, certainly, and important, in Art History 101, but Courbet

ately beyond the Warhol, the visitor becomes the star by passing through a

as the ‘father’ of Realism when it was ‘born’ in the 19th century? Certainly

cinematic red curtain on which his own image is beamed in silhouette; the

not.

irony is that one cannot view one’s own image while creating it, (Douglas

Hyperbole aside, Courbet (1819-1877) is definitely a linchpin in 19thcentury art, during the period between Romanticism and the arrival of the

Gordon, Off Screen, 1998). There is not much narrative in these films, but among the exceptions is the

Impressionists. The exhibition starts strong, with a group of self-portraits

haunting Trailer (Saskia Olde Wolbert, 1995) in which a narrator tells the tale

of the artist with his wild mane of dark hair, one of which, while with its

of silent film stars with a tragic demise, who may—or may not—have been

roots still clearly in the Romantic period is shocking in its confrontational

the director’s own estranged parents. In Eight (2001) Teresa Hubbard and

character.

Alexander Birchler leave a birthday cake out in the rain, creating an endless

The exploration of Courbet’s precedents and his legacy has two unin-

wet-and-dry scenario for a little girl whose party seems to have been rained

tended affects. Firstly, his Catalan contemporaries come off looking rather

out. In Release (1996), Christoph Girardet splices repeated footage of Fay

badly, except for perhaps the paintings of Ramon Martí, a competent but

Wray writhing against (or it it toward?) the off-screen presence of the giant

uninspired local boy (from Mataró). While on the other hand, French real-

ape King Kong in a truly disturbing bit of simulated rape/orgasm, all of which

ists like Millet and Carolus-Duran stand up proudly next to Courbet. But it’s Courbet’s direct and unflinching depictions of the female nude that put him on the map. His choice to depict the voluptuous reality of women’s bodies freed him from the strictures of academic representations and he tackled eroticism head on. His iconic Origin of the World which depicts female genitalia, surely no longer shocks, yet is it presented here as a fleeting, apparently embarrassed, projection onto a dark corner at the exit. The portal from which all of us entered life was a scandal in 1866, and apparently it still is. Seeing Tàpies’s abstraction of the same subject, one

was right there in the 1933 movie. My own favourite was the haunting room in which the projected beams of magic light that create the image on the screen become like a sculptural presence themselves. Anthony McCall’s You and I (2006) recreates the smoke-filled movie theatre of the mid-20th century by pumping a gallery full of fog from a haze machine. I watched a solitary visitor, unaware of my presence, dance and pose in the midst of the haze, thus becoming a part of the abstracted moving image, as the artist had intended.--WS

is somewhat primed for what lies around the corner, and yet…--WS

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ON 35

quick picks

Experiencias móviles. Francisco Godia. Until June 21st. fundacionfgodia.org

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

Passeig de Picasso

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

Av. Marqués de l’Argentera Estació de França

3 Unfolding-Andrea Bátor�i. N2 Galería. Until June 17th. n2galeria.com

Barcelona canalla i sublim. Setba Zona d’Art. Until June 30th. setba.net

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5/24/11 12:24:02 PM

36 GASTRONOMY

Worth a butcher’s

t’s hard to think of a better name for a Spanish chef than Dani Lechuga, although in this case it might be more apt if his apellido was something along the lines of carne or ternera, since meat—particularly beef—is his speciality. Followers of the Spanish system of accolades will know Lechuga’s name for winning this year’s Cuiner de l’Any at the Fòrum Gastronòmic de Girona, and last year’s Cuiner Jove at the Acadèmia Catalana de Gastronomia. He is, in short, the man of the moment and quite possibly Catalunya’s answer to Fergus Henderson of London’s esteemed meat house St John. Let’s see where he takes it. Meantime, Lechuga’s interest in meat, its provenance, husbandry and, ultimately, butchery started young—his dad is a butcher— and in September 2010, he published his first book, La Cocina de la Carne. His menu at Caldeni is a direct reflection of his passion, and features Wagyu Kobe beef and Nebraska Angus as well as locally-reared Girona beef that he hangs for 48 days to achieve just the right degree of meaty tenderness. Dense marbling, mellow-yellow fat, a rich beefy flavour—it’s pretty marvellous stuff, though even I draw the line at eating meat for starter, main and dessert so I checked out the rest of the menu too. A number of things ticked my boxes at Caldeni. Décor that used block colours ranging from sand to vermillion gave vibrancy to what could otherwise have been a fairly gloomy dining room. No music, but enough of a buzz to keep it from feeling overly serious. An interesting aperitif menu offered an unusual Italian beer laced with coriander, reserva cava and a bone-dry, slightly salty Gutierrez Colosia Fino (a new favourite for me) made an auspicious start to a similarly compelling wine list. We chose a Lagar de Merens made with the white Trajadura (otherwise known as Treixadura) and scarce Lado grapes from Ribeiro (€19.75); crisp, aromatic and well-matched to dishes that followed in cleverly synchronised fish-meat, fish-meat, fish-meat sequence. The cecina, as one would hope given Lechuga’s pedigree, was beautifully marbled, delicately smoky and a rich, bloody red that left you in no doubt as to the beast from whence it came. Likewise

the very finest bresaola you could hope for but way better (to my mind, cecina, like jamón iberico, is now outshining its Italian counterpart). Home-cured sardines followed, delicately brined in a tomato vinaigrette—sharp but not too acrid—and a better-cured sardine I have yet to come across. There were plenty of them, too. Pulpo salad was fresh and lively and worked well with lightly steamed artichokes and asparagus spears, a slick of romesco sauce and the delicate kick of shiso sprouts. Velvety trinxat tortilla honed of potato, spring cabbage and pancetta was topped with a grilled scallop and a cube of slowly stewed oxtail. A delightful mix of porky, fishy beefiness. My dining buddy thought the salmonetes a touch over-cooked. I rather liked the taut, tight flesh framed by crisp skin that would be the envy of crackling anywhere, and I liked the minerally mullet flavours on top of a thick patty of trotter. My only problem was the trotter itself. I’ve tried to love them, I really have, but the honest truth is that with very rare exceptions I can’t get my head around the gelatinous texture. My pal was a fan and wolfed down his own, plus mine too, declaring them magnificent especially with the intense prawn head, fish and pig bone gravy it came with: micro surf and turf you might call it. And so to the beef. We choose the 48-month-old local steer over flashy imports, which came purely and simply seared, pink and juicy in the middle, tender as butter with the merest smear of Café de Paris sauce and a smoked potato on the side. Nothing more to say: pure bliss! We finished with mango and strawberry sorbets, which brightened us up a treat, paid the rather hefty bill and made a mental note to come back for the great value menú del día (€21) as soon as possible. Take it from me folks—everything they say about Dani Lechuga is true! Caldeni—València, 452 (Eixample). Tel. 93 232 5811. www.caldeni.com. Mon-Sat 1.30pm-3.15pm, Thu-Sat 9pm-10.30pm. Approx €60 for three courses incl. wine. Tara’s rating: ✪✪✪✪

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

36-37. food & drink PDF.indd 56

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

Definitely not one for vegetarians, this restaurant from award-winning chef Dani Lechuga puts the focus firmly on meat. By Tara Stevens. Photo by Richard Lee Owens.

5/23/11 12:15:21 PM

GASTRONOMY 37

Recipe

by Tara Stevens

PORTOBELLOS STUFFED WITH GOAT’S CHEESE AND THYME

✪ - noT woRTh The TRip, ✪✪ - could impRove, ✪✪✪ - good, ✪✪✪✪ - veRY good, ✪✪✪✪✪ - noT To be miSSed

t is not, I admit, strictly speaking the season for mushrooms, but portobellos are around most of the time these days and they make for a rich, yet healthy, summer brunch or supper ﬁlled with trace minerals that are otherwise hard to get. Mushrooms of any kind, but particularly the bigger ones, are high in selenium—an essential mineral for properly functioning thyroid glands and for treating weakness or pain in the muscles. Good stuff then. These are also the easiest thing on earth to make, though I do recommend getting your hands on some decent sourdough for toast (Baluard, Crusto and Hansel are all good, if pricey, sources). Likewise invest in good goat’s cheese. Formatgeria La Seu sells some superb versions, but the harder cheeses work best for this dish.

Ingredients (serves four) · 8-12 mid-sized portobello mushrooms, stalks removed (wipe clean, don’t peel) · 200g hardish goat’s cheese, crumbled · 3 medium-sized shallots, ﬁnely diced · 6 ripe cherry tomatoes, ﬁnely diced · Sprig of fresh thyme, leaves plucked off, about 1tbsp · Salt & pepper · Olive oil

Method Preheat the oven to 250ºC. Mix together the goat’s cheese, shallots, tomatoes and thyme with a fork (don’t mush it up too much as you want the colours to pop). Season with salt and pepper. Spread the goat’s cheese mixture over the top of the mushrooms and place in an ovenproof dish smeared with olive oil to stop them from sticking. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve on hot buttered sourdough toast with an agua de Valencia (fresh squeezed orange juice and cava).

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5/23/11 12:15:28 PM

38 GASTRONOMY

Lunch with...

This month, Tara Stevens dined with cookbook publisher Andrew Morris.

ndrew Morris is a London-based cookbook publisher with 33Books (who, I should point out in the interests of transparency, have published my book), who regularly visits Barcelona for inspiration. It’s a destination where the prime purpose of visiting is to eat as much fabulous food as possible, he says, and I couldn’t agree with him more. We went for lunch on the beach to talk food, wine and the city’s never-ending appeal for food lovers. The lunch Andaluz-style chanquetes (tiny fried fish) with partridge eggs, carpaccio of rape with poppy seeds, crayfish with oyster leaf and arroz del chef (made with smoked rice from Carpier, with artichokes, mushrooms, prawns and baby octopus). The wine was Nou Nat, Binigrau, Mallorca (Chardonnay and Prensal Blanc). Why the obsession with Barcelona? It’s a culture where eating out is an everyday thing. If you combine that with a city that is clearly obsessed with product and ingredients, you get this sympathy of taste available on so many different levels— from tapas bars to three-stars. Why did you choose Kaiku for today’s lunch? I was talking about wanting to eat seafood with an old friend of mine and he insisted I come here. I owe him a big thank you as it’s stupendous and you get to sit looking out over the sea. What impressed me was it’s all about a love affair with the sea and the chef clearly wants to present these products in interesting ways. I’d like to have been with a big enough group to try everything. What were your favourite dishes? I really liked the texture of the poppy seeds on the carpaccio, which turned what could have been quite slimy monkfish, or at least a very dull, pappy mouth feel, into something that really worked. And I’ve never had smoked rice before so that was new for me; it was comforting but not overpowering and was great with the artichokes and mushrooms, and especially the mussels. Andrew also recommends: Last night’s Can Kenji (Rosselló 325, www.cankenji.com) was great: punchy, fresh Japanese food with bags of flavour at bargain prices. And I always go to Quimet i Quimet—I know it comes up a lot, but it’s a crowded, local jewel box of beautiful, sparkling treats where there’s always something more to discover. Kaiku Plaça del Mar 1, Barceloneta. Tel. 93 221 9082. Open Tues-Sun, 1-3.30pm. Menú €13; á la carte approximately €30-€35 for three courses plus wine. Tara’s rating: ✪✪✪✪ Chanquetes with partridge eggs

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5/23/11 12:16:15 PM

Advertising feature

Teresa Carles: A vegetarian restaurant for everybody Teresa Carles’ passion for vegetarian cooking is evident when talking to her, for more than 31 years she has dedicated her professinal life to create and cook delicious food. With restaurants in Lérida and Zaragoza, Teresa has now opened her first vegetarian restaurant in Barcelona alongside launching her own brand of homegrown, quality produce under her name, Teresa Carles.

Teresa Carles: A woman for whom vegetarianism is a way of life What led you to open your first vegetarian restaurant in Lleida more than 31 years ago? Ever since I was young I have been very aware of the beneﬁts of healthy and natural food. At the end of the Seventies, there were very few vegetarian restaurants in Spain and very few adventurous people so we decided to travel through Europe and the United States to investigate this type of cooking; we were passionate about it and wanted to dedicate our professional lives to it. How has your cooking developed since then? I’ve always wanted my cooking to be in a constant state of evolution, I can’t imagine

any other way of succeeding and moving forward if you aren’t constantly renovating and recycling ideas whilst having an eagerness and desire to improve. At the end of the Seventies and start of the Eighties, our dishes were predominantly made from vegetables, wheat and grains but as Spain started to open to the outside market we could access an abundance of vegetables or vegetable-based products such as tofu, seitan, tempeh, seaweed, soy sauce and beansprouts. This dramatically increased the possibilities of creation and innovation. We still continue to research the market and always include new, interesting ideas and produce. Where do you your products come from? I was born in Algerri, (Lleida). I grew up on a farm, surrounded by wheat, fruit and olive plantations. Many of the products that we use come from farms similar to that which allows us to control and ensure quality from the start. Other products come from small local producers in Lleida and

Barcelona. We are interested in organic produce and prefer regionally produced products, as long as the price to pay for such products is reasonable. Describe your dishes? Our homemade dishes include delicious combinations of vegetables, wheat, seaweed, eggs, milk and other lactose products, delicately presented and cooked with the passion for food that inspires us. Who will we find in your restaurants? Surprisingly 90 percent of our clients do not follow a strict vegetarian diet. They like to look after themselves and the majority of their diet is vegetables, however they may occasionally eat high-quality meat or ﬁsh. Three out of four of our customers are young women, worried about their ﬁgures and health and who, of course, love healthy, natural food.

Teresa Carles · Jovellanos, 2 (entre Pelai y Tallers) · 08001 Barcelona · +34 93 317 18 29 · www.teresacarles.com Horario: de 9h a 00h (Cocina ininterrumpida)

main pages - June 11 .indd 11

5/19/11 12:38:57 PM

Food &Drink

For more in food&drink NEFW &D IN

visit our online directory

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking

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

C/Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I L6 and L7 Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I bemybagel@gmail.com Open from Mon-Fri 9.30-2 pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Sat 10am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm, Sun 10.30am-2pm

Dreams4port olimpic Located in Port Olympic, Dreams is the perfect place to unwind and relax. From 7pm to 11pm enjoy the luxurious outdoor covered lounge, where you can enjoy bottle service with brands such as Grey Goose Vodka as well as all your favourite cocktails, beers and hookah pipes. If you’re a sports fan, make use of their wide-screen TV, showing European football and all the action from the NFL and the NBA. From 11pm join the go-go dancers as they perform to the best house, R&B and Latino music.

Moll de Mestral 6-7, Port Olimpic I

L4 Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica

Bar - Live Music Margarita Blue 4BARRI GÒTIC

7 Sins Bar and Lounge 4EIXAMPLE e

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

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

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

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

V.O.S Cinebar4SARRIÀ & EIXAMPLE

flaherty's4BARRI GÒTIC

Bar

Ever wished you could share a cocktail with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart here in Barcelona? Well now you can! Cinebar brings the golden age of cinema back to Barcelona with original version screenings of everything from Hollywood classics to French New Wave and Italian neo-realism. While you’re there, enjoy a ‘cine sandwich’ made from a selection of rustic breads, a movie-themed salad, fresh juices, smoothies, proper Italian coffee or, of course, a cocktail. Plaça Cardona 4 | Gràcia Diagonal Carrer Paris 200 | Tel. 93 002 2300 | Open 8am-3am

could hed you is s w r e v cocktail a n lo e arc re B or Food June 2011.indd 44 sh&adrink epburn

V.O.s

u can es so yo h subtitl it w p ackdro om the d as a b music fr screene elected s y ll fu re y the ca also enjo ixties. to the S Thirties de ich’ ma e sandw

Since it was established in 2001, Flaherty’s has become one of Barcelona’s best known and busiest Irish pubs. By offering food all day from 10am til midnight (including our popular Full Irish Breakfast as well as group menus), live satellite sports on big screens, WiFi, a sunny terrace and a pool room where you can also play darts, not to mention its very spacious premises, Flaherty’s has rightly become known as the pub that has it all!

NEFW &D IN

Plaça Joaquim Xirau | Tel. 93 412 6263

Drassanes

5/23/11 1:19:47 PM

FOOD & DRINK 41 Café – ice Cream Shop

NEWD IN F&

Juice and Smoothie Bar SanO 4GRÀCIA - BARRI GÒTIC

CafeterÍa Vil.la flOriDa4SARRIÁ A little oasis in Barcelona’s Zona Alta Cafetería Vil·la Florida is situated in the San Gervasi civic centre, in a beautiful, stately building surrounded by gardens. During the week they offer a la carte or a menú whilst at the weekends there’s brunch and tapas. Breakfasts, premium teas, fresh natural juices, and cakes and biscuits plus healthy, home-made deserts

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

indian - hindu

Want a healthy, tasty alternative? Try a refreshing SMOOTHIE like Antioxidant, Mango & Passion Fruit or Coco Muesli ( 3.80) or a delicious JUICE made only with fresh blended fruit and no added water, milk or sugar ( 3.60). Want something savory? Try a tasty home-made bagel ( 4) or a yummy muffin ( 2). Can’t decide? Try one of their convenient combos from 4.50. Gran de Gràcia, 16 | Diagonal | Tel. 93 217 8115 | Jaume I 1, | Jaume I | Tel. 93 310 3247 Every day 10am-8pm | info@sanojuice.com | www.sanojuice.com

food &drink

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

international Veg WOrlD4GRÀCIA Discover a world of sensations in a relaxed and homely atmosphere. Try vegetarian delicacies from all over the world such as delicious bread home-made in a Tandoori oven and south Indian dishes like Masala dosa and Idly. Daily continental and Indian menus, 9.50 inc. Free soup and salad buffet.

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

gOVinDa (Vegetarian)4BARRI GÒTIC A restaurant veteran for 24 years, Govinda specialises in vegetarian Indian cuisine. The international menu features talis, a salad bar, natural juices, lassis, pizzas and crêpes. It offers a veganfriendly, non-alcoholic and authentically decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus. Pl. Villa de Madrid 4-5 | Catalunya | Tel. 93 318 7729 www.amalteaygovinda.com | Tue-Sat 1pm-4pm, 8.30pm-12am, Sun-Mon 1pm-4pm

MOti Mahal4RAVAL

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

harD rOCK Cafe4CIUTAT VELLA Come and celebrate Hard Rock Cafe’s 40th Anniversary!! ALWAYS – A “Bon Jovi” cover band 7th June- 10p.m – Free entrance Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona offers an inspired, creative ambience with incredible rock‘n’roll memorabilia on display. Come and taste authentic American food. Their barbecue entrées slow cooked in the cafe’s hardwood smokers are delicious. Visit the bar to try a premium cocktail and check out the live music and special events on offer. Don’t forget to stop at the Rock Shop for fine, classic, cotton T-shirts or a collectable Hard Rock pin.

Mediterranean SuKur4BARRI GÒTIC Located right in the centre of the Gotic area, this delightful restaurant invites you to enjoy a wide and tasty selection of Mediterranean and Greek specialties. Their extensive bar and cool atmosphere makes it a perfect place to unwind and relax with a delicious cocktail. Superb quality and price - highly recommended.

NEFW &D

gut4GRÀCIA Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen specialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an international twist and plenty of options for vegetarians. Try their quinoa and tofu burgers or a sinful home-made dessert. Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail and the friendly, respectful service. It’s the perfect place to have a drink and enjoy the night in good company. Try it for yourself and find out why everyone is talking about Gut.

C/ Avinyó, 42 |

Food & drink June 2011.indd 45

Liceu | Tel. 93 218 3000

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

5/23/11 1:19:53 PM

42 FOOD & DRINK thai

Delivery Vitali PiZZa

thai graCia4GRACIA

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

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

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

SuShi On the BeaCh

Two boys put their heads together and came up with a great idea! Sushi delivered to while you sunbathe on the beach, 7 days a week. Choose between two 10 menus. 4 Prawn Makis with cream cheese, strawberry, salmon, teriyaki sauce and black sesame + 4 Futomaki of salmon and mango + 4 California rolls You’re just a call away from fresh sushi, made daily with love, delivered to you while you sunbathe. N F&D

NEW

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

Tel. 672 917 174

thai thai4EIXAMPLE E Thai Thai restaurant invites you to taste and enjoy traditional Thai food with tropical ingredients from Thailand prepared by Thai chefs. They specialise in all kinds of Thai curries. Thai Thai has created a delicious tasting menu for only 24 and a fresh menu of the day is on offer for 9.50 during the week.

gOurMet eXPreSS 4BARCELoNA

NEFW &D IN

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

Vegetarian aMaltea4EIXAMPLE E Visit Amaltea vegetarian restaurant where tasty and healthy meals are served in a welcoming environment. Dishes include cereals, pulses and vegetables with home-made puddings. The cuisine is creatively international with care taken to ensure all ingredients are fresh and dishes are well balanced. Menu of the day 10.50, night and weekend menu 15.

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

indian - Modern

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

Vietnamese Shanti4LES CoRTS Shanti (which means peace in Sanskrit) have selected a rich and varied menu comprised of traditional dishes that offer an authentic Indian experience to even the most discerning palettes. Using classic recipes their dishes respect tradition but come with modern presentation. Try their tasting menu for only 24.90 (+IVA).

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

take-away PiM PaM Burger4BoRN Here quality is of the upmost importance, making it the best burger and frankfurter take-away in town. Special hamburgers, chicken burgers, bratwurst, frankfurters, home-made chips and stroganoff are also available and are all prepared on the premises.

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

Food & drink June 2011.indd 46

Bun BO ViÊtnaM4BARRI GÒTIC Satisfy your craving for fresh, healthy Vietnamese food just steps away from the Gothic cathedral. Sit under the leafy trees of the quiet terrace or inside the restaurant which is entirely decorated with bright colourful pieces straight from Saigon. Start with delicious fresh summer rolls, crispy Asian pork lettuce cups, followed by traditional Pho or Bun noodle dishes. Accompany your meal with a fresh and exotic cocktail like the sakirinha (caipirinha made with sake). The menu of the day is an affordable 10 inside and 11 on the shady terrace. The kitchen is open non-stop all day.

C/Sagristans 3 |

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

5/23/11 1:20:02 PM

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5/18/11 3:11:47 PM

Hairdressers

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

Beauty Health & Wellbeing

Hairdressers Bodywork/Massage Veterinarian Doctors Dentists Chiropractors Acupuncture Teeth Whitening Pharmacy Psychologists / Psychotherapists Life Coaching HypnoBirthing

44-45 45 45 45 45 46 46 46 46 46-47 47 47

Home Services

Construction Interior Design Plumbing Rentals Transport / Storage / Removals Real Estate Locksmith

47 48 47 48 48 48 49

Education

Language Schools Translation Courses Summer Activities Piano Lessons Translation Course

49-50 50 51 51 51

Services

Design 51 Computers 51 Television Services 52

Business

Tax Services Legal Practices Insurance Financial Service Business Coaching

Employment

Job Opportunities 54-55

44-49 June.indd 44

53 53 53 54 54

5/23/11 1:45:38 PM

BeAUTY | HeALTH | WeLLBeiNG 45 Bodywork / Massage

Veterinarian

English Doctor Dr. Steven Joseph

Col nº 38291

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

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

GOOG medical centre

44-49 June.indd 45

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

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

Doctors

Dentists

English Dentist Dr. Nicholas Jones BDSLDSRCS Col. No 4090

FREE CHECK-UPS

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

nickteeth@hotmail.com www.nickteeth.com

5/23/11 1:45:41 PM

46 BeAUTY | HeALTH | WeLLBeiNG Chiropractor

Teeth Whitening

Pharmacy

Psychologists / Psychotherapists

Network of English Speaking Therapists Established since 2000

Connie Capdevila Brophy PhD Clinical Psychologist & Psychotherapist 934 670 650

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

Anna Jansen MA

Dance Movement Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Coach and Guide Therapist 657 183 542

Help and support with: • • • • • •

Read more about Jonathan and the above issues at

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

Donna DeWitt MA Performance & Sport Psychologist 607 636 246

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

Jill Jenkins PsyD Child Clinical & School Psychologist 935 041 690

Emma Judge MA Licensed Counselor Psychologist 639 041 549

FREE

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

jonathan.hooker@yahoo.com

Norma Alicia León, PhD Clinical Psychologist Psychoanalyst 680 971 468

TEL 93 590 7654

MOB 639 579 646

www.jonathanhooker.com

Manuel Isaías López, MD, PhD Claudia Ros Tusquets MA Clinical Psychologist Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst & Psychotherapist 934 102 962 / 657 570 692 686 991 742

Peter Zelaskowski UKCP Registered Psychotherapist 628 915 040

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

English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian

5/23/11 1:45:44 PM

BeAUTY | HeALTH | WeLLBeiNG 47

Nick Cross

You can change the situations you don’t like in your life in a very short time.

Reg. psychologist no. 17158 (Col·legi Oficial de Psicòlegs de Catalunya)

Psychologist Psychotherapist Psychodynamically - oriented psychotherapy can provide effective treatment for:

Anxiety & fears • Relational difficulties Depression • Problems adjusting Loss • Trauma Neuroses Tel: 644 193 825

Take control of you life and emotions and achieve well-being, joy and personal satisfaction.

e-mail: ncross@copc.es

Life Coaching

You will feel motivated and energised from the very first session.

Isabel Solanich

Life Coach – Counsellor

consulta@tubienestarpersonal.com

Telephone: 676 698 529 HypnoBirthing

Construction

CAll 657 994 630 Electricity

Air conditioning

Plumbing

Handyman

Plumbing and electrical services No job too small or too large Commercial and residential air conditioning Satellite installation

Looking for someone you can trust? Call 657 994 630 Same day service

C/Alcolea nº42 bajos, 08014 Barcelona

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48 Home ServiceS Rentals

Interior Design GRAHAM COLLINS PROPERTY CONSULTANCY INTER IOR DESIGN & DECOR ATION Puzzled by the property market ? Need a renovator that speaks your language ? Want that designed look on an Ikea budget ? C / CONSULAT DEL MAR 35, 3er BARCELONA t: 0034 678 75 75 11 e: grahamcollins@talk21.com

Transport / Storage / Removals

Modernist Villa for Sale/Rent in Sant Cugat (La Floresta)

10 minutes from Barcelona. 5 bedrooms, 1500 m2 of terraces and park land, private pool, fruit trees, fabulous views, quiet, sunny, move-in condition. Price â&#x201A;Ź790.000.

Call 609 808 608 to arrange a viewing. More info and photos can be seen at

Real estate

Ficasso The Fine Art of spanish property

Also temporary rentals for 3-11 months!

Present this ad for 5% OFF our agency rental fee

www.villainbarcelona.com

ProPerty rentals and sales in and around Barcelona ProPerty rentals and sales Ficasso real estate - www.ficasso.com in and around Barcelona

+34 933 196 176

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info@ficasso.com

5/23/11 1:45:49 PM

Home Services | EDUCATION 49 Locksmith

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Language Schools

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50 EDUCATION Language Schools

iness Spanish à

Professional language training esPañol / english / català

Talleres Inglés

Para buscar trabajo: preparación de entrevistas. Para encontrar trabajo: inglés comercial básico. atención al público: lenguaje telefónico, recepcion de visitas, redacción de correspondencia. negociación: preparacion de reuniones, presentaciones y correspondencia relevante. ¡me voy de viaje!: vocabulario básico para viajar. tengo un examen: preparación de todo tipo de exámenes.

Spanish Workshops

Private tuition and workshops for specific purposes in company/ at home or at our premises in Gràcia. Bcn communication. tel. 662 15 12 88 - 639 38 68 24 language@ono.com

Vivir en Barcelona: Approach to the culture, society and language of the city. Business spanish: Vocabulary and useful information. looking for a job in spain: How to deal with a job interview. Just to get by: Basic Spanish to cope with daily situations. i have an exam: Exam preparation. integra’t!!: Basic Catalan to cope with daily situations

Clases particulares y talleres para temas específicos en tu empresa/domicilio o en nuestras instalaciones en Gràcia.

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SERVICES 51 Summer Activities

Translation Courses

Piano Lessons

Design

BRAND IDENTITY

BUSINESS CARDS

LETTERHEADS FLYERS WEB DESIGN INVITATIONS

advertising design BROCHURES POSTERS

Contact Aisling BA in Visual Communication ashcal.design@gmail.com +34 699 260 938

Computers ash.indd 1

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52 SERVICES Television Services

Telephone Services In just three easy steps you can now call home for the same price as a national call:

1. 2. 3.

Dial local number: (640 199 975) Call international number: (00 + Country Code + Number)

Talk!

Feel at hom e with

FreeSpeech and their gr tarif fs that eat allow you to ring internationa lly for the sa me price as to anybody in Spain.

50-55 June.indd 52

our ad from y Call abro e cost of a th mobile at ! local call

Take away the worry of speaking to loved ones at home, reject the ridiculous prices for international calls and join FreeSpeech today.

tariff Do you have al calls? ca lo with frcaee ationally n ring intern Then you for free too!

5/23/11 3:12:24 PM

BUSINESS 53 Tax Services

Legal Practices

Insurance

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54 BUSINESS Financial service

Business Coaching

Job Opportunities

Corporate Sports Sales Executive a marcus evans company

(Barcelona /Madrid/ Brazil)

Do you want to attend the Brazilian World Cup? With 55 global locations, THG/SMG is the world largest organizer of Executive Sports Entertainment at more than 350 major sporting events such as London 2012, Brazil WSC 2014, Champion’s league... Due to our future openings of our Latin American Offices and and unprecedented growth in both of our Barcelona and Madrid offices, we are interviewing for Bilingual Sales Executive that will be responsible for building a client base by contacting exclusively top level decisions makers, in addition to cultivating and maintaining long term relationships with them. You may already have 1-2 years experience in business-to-business sales or are looking for your first corporate role following graduation. Either way we can assure you the very best in training and development that will give you fast track promotion and unlimited earnings within the first 12 months as well as overseas posting.

You must possess:

Our commitment to you:

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

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

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

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EMPLOYMENT 55

Are you experienced with the AMADEUS reservation system? If so, we have fantastic opportunities to work in our bustling Barcelona European Hub Center. American Express Barceló Viajes is a travel management company that is looking for talented people with multiple language skills. In particular we are looking for travel professionals who are native and/or fluent in German, English, French and Spanish.

Interested in becoming part of our team? Please send your CV to

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

We offer a job as a travel consultant. In this role you will: • Make travel arrangements for customers that are traveling on business and are looking for advice and support. • Join a multicultural team that embraces and integrates diversity. • Work in a comfortable and modern work environment • Have a competitive salary • Have a permanent contract immediately with 2 months probation period.

Qualified and experienced teachers of French and German To teach for prestigious language school in Barcelona – to start in summer and /or academic year 2010-2011. Excellent conditions Send CV to: catherine.downey@esade.edu

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56 EMPLOYMENT

Talented Telesales Agents OTE 80k Dynamic, fully licensed Equity Advisory company in central Barcelona looking for telesales professionals for its current expansion drive. Minimum of 1 year telesales essential. Bonuses for top performers

Please send your CV with contact details to eurosalesrec@live.co.uk

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58 BACK PAGE

Hot spots and WikiThieves

he sights and sounds of summer arrive. There’s a crescendo of bangs and booms as kids of all ages grow increasingly impatient to let off their fireworks before the night of Sant Joan, and fill the streets with their premature celebrations. The chirp of swifts as they stop off in Barcelona to snack on flying tapas en route to a summer in northern Europe. The hooting of car horns when Barça win something. A football game, presumably. Then there are the less welcome sounds. The shriek of tourists when they realise that the athletic young man running down the street has their bag. The whistling silence as politicians fail to do anything about it now that the elections are safely over. And the hollow drum-beat of the press staging half-hearted campaigns that have more to do with reader satisfaction than crime solving. The latest wheeze is an ‘interactive’ map of crime: readers can send in locations where they have spotted pickpockets at work, and a budding intern at the newspaper in question can stick a flag in an online map. It conveniently doubles as a map of Barcelona’s main tourist sites and busiest metro stations. It certainly doesn’t tell anyone anything they don’t already know. Theft is a problem in the city? Really? It’s heaviest where there are most people? Who would have thought? The papers have done this kind of thing before, except with photographs of crimes in ac-

HOROSCOPE

tion. That didn’t have any effect either. The police shrug sheepishly and explain, yet again, that they don’t have the resources, and however many times they catch a pickpocket or bag-snatcher, the criminal in question is always back on the street, and probably committing further crimes while the police officer is still filling out the arrest report. As with anything else, if bits of your job are unpleasant, unproductive and unlikely to achieve positive results, after a while you tend to stop doing them. It’s not that an online map of crime isn’t a good idea, it’s just that it doesn’t go far enough. In an age of interactivity, it’s still fairly analogue. Still a bit Reader’s Thieves. But with a bit of tweaking, the input of some hardcore techies (with which Barcelona is awash) and the use of more ground-breaking technology, it could become a major tool in fighting crime. Barcelona’s own WikiThieves. Ironically, the instrument for the fight back could be precisely the object that most thieves end up stealing, either deliberately or as collateral in their pursuit of cash and credit cards: the mobile phone. All it takes would be some clever combining of Twitter, scanning recognition software, location broadcasting and blogging. Rather than a static and obvious map, pickpockets’ movements could be broadcast in real time. Someone just has to develop an appropriate app for smart-

phone users, which would spring into action the moment they witness a crime, at a metro station, say. Within seconds, a photograph could be up and running online, even as the thief is off and running down the line. A secondary app could be created so that if you are the victim rather than a witness, when your phone is stolen, it will continue to broadcast its location in real time. Not only would other users be warned of the proximity of a criminal, but you could track the thief down and take whatever action you think fit. Petulantly demand your phone be returned, perhaps. Beg to buy it back. Or offer the thief a 12-point rehabilitation plan, with some low-paid but empowering job promised at the end of it, to steer them from their lucrative and lazy criminal lifestyle. Without the political will to erode the incentive to steal, petty crime will continue. But perhaps if the campaign went viral, it would be slightly harder for politicians to ignore. And it might trigger a wave of crime-fighting apps. Exploding smartphones, perhaps, that spray unauthorised users with purple dye. Smart chips for thieves, like chips for pets, with scanners in busy places so you can check them out on your phone. Or automatic ring tones that hector thieves into returning the stolen phone. In the meantime, hold on to your valuables, especially in busy places. Obviously.

by Nuria Picola

--Roger de Flower

www.nuriapicola.com

Aries You start a period where there could be financial expansion, but you mustn’t let yourself be carried away by whims when shopping. Invest your money in studying.

Taurus It’s a good idea that you

Gemini Congratulations! You are in a period of energetic renewal, but take this month’s eclipses into account and reduce your activity as much as possible. Look after your health.

Cancer There will be a lot of changes in your surroundings, but you will be strengthened by them. You have such big aims that you need time to achieve them. You may crave solitude.

Leo Professional horizons widen and you know you can go further than your think. The important thing is the enthusiasm you show in your job. Results may be slow to arrive.

Virgo This is a month with a

Libra You are more energetic than last month, although keep taking care of your health and having massages and therapies. Your faith is put to the test; old beliefs will seem false to you.

Scorpio Be moderate in your finances. Analyse things better, be more practical and earthly. If you’re single, it’s a good time to start a relationship that will end in marriage.

Sagittarius You must pay more

Capricorn It’s a time to brighten

Aquarius You have the support of your family for everything new that you undertake. Friends may come to stay with you in your home this month. It’s also a time of parties.

Pisces Your health is more delicate and you should pay attention to your stomach. If you take things with more humour, your health will improve. There may be professional changes.

attention to your health. You are overweight and waste energy unnecessarily. If you have a partner, problems will come out so that you can deal with them.

change your ideas about money and think more about the bigger picture. Prosperity is better than you thought. If you need a loan, you could obtain one.

fast rhythm full of changes. You might find it difficult, but you will have the means to face it. You should pay more attention to your health and relax more.

up your life and add a touch of humour to things, as you have a tendency to take everything too seriously. At work, things start to improve.

scoop By Ben Rowdon

58 Back page PDF.indd 90

5/23/11 12:19:19 PM

In just three easy steps you can now call home for the same price as a national call:

1. 2. 3.

Dial local number: (640 199 975) Call international number: (00 + Country Code + Number)

Take away the worry of speaking to loved ones at home, reject the ridiculous prices for international calls and join FreeSpeech today.

Talk!

r u o y m o r f d a o r b a a f Call o t s o c e h t t a e l mobi ! l l a c l loca

Feel at hom e

with FreeSp eech and th eir great tarif fs that allow you to r ing internation ally for the same price as to anybody in Spain.

The launch of the exciting new company, FreeSpeech, allows lower call costs from your mobile in Spain to a list of destinations worldwide. You can now make high quality international phone calls at the same rate as national ones. Depending on your arranged tariff, this could mean ringing home for free. Join FreeSpeech and remember you will never pay more than a local Spanish mobile phone call.

ariff t a e v a h u o y Do alls? c l a c lo e e r f h wit u can ring internationally Then yo for free too!

:The solution to expensive overseas calls, at the same price of a local call.

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5/9/11 2:28:32 PM 5/18/11 2:39:24 PM

R E N TA L S

Fantastic 75m2 attic- Plaça Catalunya

Fantastic Modern town house of 500 m2 - Tres Torres

120m2 two-storey loft-style apartment - Poble Nou

Four-storey house with lift, five bedrooms and bathrooms. Solarium with pool and gym area. Furnished. Price on application. Ref. L0067ba

Two bedrooms, one bathroom, living/dining room, equipped kitchen. Unfurnished. Price: €1.400 Ref. L0097ba

Fantastic 90m2 designer apartment - Gràcia

Large, 220m2 family apartment - Bonanova

30m2 terrace, open-plan kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, one bathroom. Furnished. Price: €1.850. Ref L0108ba

Living/dining room with gallery, 15m2 terrace, equipped office kitchen, four bedrooms, Unfurnished. Price: €3.000 Ref. L0106ba

Newly renovated 180m2 Two-storey Attic - Eixample dreta

Prestige Real Estate SL

50m2 terrace, living/dining room, open-plan kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom. Furnished. Parking opt. Price: €2.000 Ref. 1119

Living room, large kitchen, four bedrooms, two bathrooms. Three terraces with fantastic views of the city. Unfurnished. Price: €2.700 Ref. L0079ba

FOR SALE

Brand new flats on the seafront Tritón Building located in Diagonal Mar. Covered garden with community swimming pool. Starting price from €340.000 to €450.000. Ref. 1112ba

Luxury 110m2 apartment with 100m2 terrace - Rambla Catalunya In classical building, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, large living/dining room, high ceilings, parking. Perfect condition. Price: €890.000 Ref. 428ba

Brand new apartments - Passeig de Gràcia

Excellent finishes throughout, great views, terraces, one to three bedroom apartments. GREAT OPPORTUNITY. Prices starting from €728.000 Ref. 1120ba

Please call for further properties 93 241 30 82

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