barcelona metropolitan issue 167
DESCRIPTION
Barcelona Metropolitan is produced by Creative Media Group S.L. Creative Media Group was established to help English-speaking foreigners living in Barcelona and Catalunya through quality publications designed to inform and entertain.TRANSCRIPT
PessebresTHE CRAFT BEHIND THE TRADITION
DECEMBER 2010 | Nº 167 | FREE
01 cover.indd 1 11/25/10 12:37:25 PM
V.O.s cinebar
Plaça Cardona 4
Carrer Paris 200
Tel. 651 970 971
93 002 2300
Ever wished you could
share Barcelona cocktails
with Audrey Hepburn or
Humphrey Bogart? Now you can.
The newly opened V.O.s cinebar in Plaça Cardona
is a magnet for fi lm fans and the good news is,
there’s another branch opening on C/Paris, 200
(with C/Enric Granados) this month.
V.O.s 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. All fi lms are
screened as a backdrop with subti tles so you can
also enjoy the carefully selected music from the
Thirti es to the Sixti es.
While you’re there, enjoy a ‘cine sandwich’ made
from a selecti on of rusti c breads, a movie-themed
salad, fresh juices, smoothies, proper Italian coff ee
or, of course, a cocktail.
V.O.s cinebar is the perfect locati on for your
events, from projecti ons and mini fi lm festi vals to
swanky soirées. So whether it’s a Marti ni – shaken
not sti rred – that you’re aft er or a Champagne
cocktail, you’ll fi nd it at V.O.s cinebar. Here’s look-
ing at you kid.
also enjoy the carefully selected music from the
also enjoy the carefully selected music from the
V.O.sV.O.s
VOS Bar Dec 2010.indd 1 11/24/10 11:28:56 AM
main pages - Dec 10 .indd 7 11/17/10 11:40:20 AM
From the editor: It’s December and for many of us that means celebrating Christmas. Along with the festive lights and seasonal markets, a common sight here are the pessebres, the traditional nativity scenes. In our cover article Lauren Mannion visits one of the biggest shops still selling the figurines and in-vestigates the age-old techniques behind the making of them. Nick Lloyd continues with his series on historical Catalan characters and takes a look at the life of a young man whose brave actions had a significant impact at the Nuremburg Trials. We give you some Christmas present inspiration in our Street life feature when we take a walk down Carrer de la Palla. In her interview, Nicola Thornton talks to Susie Hunt about her vocation as a dog listener whilst Tara Stevens relaxes in the newly opened Federal Café where they make it all too easy to stay all day. As ever our ON section is jam-packed with events, festive or otherwise, making sure you have the merriest month possible. Happy reading and to those that mark them, happy Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year!
Katy MacGregor
rePort14 Making a scene
Features13 Interview 18 City focus Caputuring evil
22 Dispatches Living locally
26 Street life Carrer de la Palla
36 Food and drink Reviews and more
regulars6 You the reader
7 City snapshot
8 On the web
11 Columns
29 On
58 Back page
direCtories40 Food & Drink
44 Marketplace
Contents DECEMBER 2010
Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Acting Senior Editor Katy MacGregor Acting Assistant Editor Natasha Young Art Director Aisling Callinan Design Assistant Anna Klein Sales Director Rainer Hobrack Account Executives Richard Cardwell, Lila Videla Sales Assistant Claire MacGrail Financial Assistant Freny Tavadia Editorial Assistant Dylan Clive Marketing Coordinator Jade Anglesea Contributors Jonathan Bennett, Lucy Brzoska, Edward Hugh, Roger de Flower, Tara Stevens, Lauren Mannion, Nicola Thornton, Nick Lloyd, Sara Blaylock Photographers Lee Woolcock, Lucy Brzoska, Patricia Esteve Illustrator Ben Rowdon
Editorial Office Enric Granados 48, entlo. 2ª, 08008 Barcelona. Tel. 93 451 4486, Fax. 93 451 6537; [email protected] [email protected] General enquiries [email protected]. www.barcelona-metropolitan.com Printer Litografia Rosés Depósito Legal B35159-96The 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.
31. SOULWAX
Find your nearest distribution Point
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35. DRAP-ART
4. contents.indd 1 11/25/10 12:48:21 PM
Nice 110m2 apartment - Diagonal Mar
Living-dining room and terrace with fantastic views. Equipped kitchen, two double bedrooms, two bathrooms. Parking space. Furnished or unfurnished. Price: €2.000 Ref. 1213
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45m2 loft style apartment with living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom all in one space. Offered furnished. Parking space. Price: €1.200 Ref. 1200
Nice 180m2 apartment - Tres Torres
Large living room, 20m2 terrace, equipped kitchen, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Two parking spaces. Furnished or unfurnished. Price: €2.400 Ref 1212
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A 182m2 apartment - Sarrià
Large living room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, 20m2 terrace, one parking space. Unfurnished. Price: €2.500 Ref. 1220
Fantastic 180m2 apartment close to Paseo de Gracia - EixampleTwo living rooms, four double bedrooms, office, two bathrooms and kitchen. Old tiled floors and high ceilings. Unfurnished. Price: €2.500 Ref. 1214
Fantastic 270m2 apartment - Sant Gervasi
Living room, kitchen, four bedrooms and four bath-rooms. Two parking spaces. Communal area with garden and pool. Unfurnished. Price: €3.500 Ref. 1207
Brand new attic with 70m2 terrace - Turó Park
60m2 attic with living room, kitchen, one double room, study and bathroom. 70m2 terrace with views of Turó Park. Unfurnished. Price: €1.800 Ref. 1195
A 330m2 single-family house - Bonanova area
Three-storey house with large 50m2 living-dining room, four en suite double bedrooms, garage, 660m2 garden with pool. Offered furnished. Price: €6.000 Ref. 20781
JT_Dec 2010.indd 1 11/24/10 11:46:43 AM
Win VIP tickets!
Win VIP New Year’s Eve tickets for the Matinee Winter Festival
If you’ve not made any plans for the biggest night of the year yet, here’s your
chance to spend it in style without spending an arm and a leg. We have two
VIP tickets to give away for the Matinee Winter Festival on December 31st
at the Pabelló Olímpic de Badalona. This massive event has all the latest light
and sound technology, acrobats, DJS, live acts and dancers. The VIP tickets give
you a bird’s eye view of the action, full use of the private bar, dance floor and
relaxation area and a bottle of cava and some drinks vouchers to start you off.
To be in with a chance of winning, email us your New Year’s resolution to:
[email protected] by December 20th. Don’t forget to
include your contact details so we can let you know if you’ve won.
Receive our weekly newsletter
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06 YOU THE READER
Forum
Connect with other foreigners in the city by
going to the forum tab on our homepage, www.
barcelona-metropolitan.com. Ask questions, meet
people or even set up a special interest group.
Each month we have four return Ryanair flights to give away. To enter the draw
this month, all you need to do is spend five minutes filling out our leisure survey.
We’d like to know what foreign residents get up to in their spare time and what
they think of the activities available in Barcelona. Besides helping us to help you
better, we will also be sharing the conclusions with local businesses in the leisure
market that are keen to improve their services ( please note that absolutely no
personal information whatsoever will be shared with third parties).
For your chance to win, look for the link on our homepage at:
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Metropolitan health survey and
congratulations and bon voyage to the previous flight winners.
Newsletter
Win a free flight! Metropolitan leisure survey
6-7. You the reader.indd 6 11/24/10 1:32:52 PM
CITY SNAPSHOT
JOANNA MARTIN, 18ENGLISH“ A BALLERINA.”
JACK HUMPHREY, 18ENGLISH“A MEXICAN CHEF.”
MIRELLA THEODOSSIOU, 26MADAGASCAN“A BLUE POWER RANGER.”
FLORENCE CHAMP, 19FRENCH
“A PAINTER.”
ANAIS GSCHWIND, 23AUSTRALIAN
“A SCUBA DIVER.”
OVAIS HAI, 36ENGLISH
“A ROCK STAR.”
YOU THE READER 07
It’s the season of good will and festive cheer so in an effort to get into the spirit of things we hit the streets to find out what Christmas wishes our readers had.
AARON OLUMA, 29SPANISH
“LOVE AND PEACE.”
AUSTIN WILSON, 20AMERICAN
“TO SEE MY FAMILY ALL TOGETHER.”
TANJA ZINZIUS, 23GERMAN
“A ROUND THE WORLD TICKET.”
ANNA KLEIN, 22GERMAN
“A SURF TRIP TO BALI.”
ALFRED, 11 & ULYSSE MOLET, 8FRENCH
“A WII GAME & REMOTE CONTROL CAR.”
DYLAN CLIVE, 20ENGLISH
“TO MEET JUSTIN BIEBER.”
CARLOS BACARIZO, 29SPANISH“A JOB.”
ERICA TIEDEMAN, 23AMERICAN
“TO RETURN TO BARCELONA.”
MARIE, 52 & VENDELA APELGREN,12SWEDISH“A DOG.”
6-7. You the reader.indd 7 11/24/10 1:32:58 PM
Ask the expertFor the months of December and January, our ‘Ask the Expert’ feature is with Barry Davys an independent fi nancial adviser with 26
years experience. As well as an MBA, Barry’s professional qualifi cations cover areas such as taxation, trusts, pensions and investment
management. His clients are English-speaking but are made up from many different nationalities. He has lived in Barcelona for 5
years. Barry is a partner in The Spectrum IFA Group, a pan-European business that advises individuals and small businesses on all
aspects of fi nancial planning. Please email any questions you have for Barry to: [email protected]
08 ON THE WEB
InterviewOn the web this month, Katy MacGregor interviews
artist Guillermo Carrion. Founding member of the
artists’ collective Barnstormers, Carrion’s most recent
work is currently on show at the Montana Gallery in
an exhibition entitled Las Ciudades Visibles. For more
information go to: www.barcelona-metropolitan.
com/carrion or to page 34 to read a preview of the
exhibition.
Giving up bad habitsFrom January 2nd, tougher no smoking laws will come into
force across Spain. The new law means that smoking in all
enclosed public spaces will be banned, including bars, clubs and
restaurants. With this in mind we asked clinical hypnotherapist,
Peter Sergio Allegretti about the methods currently available to
those who want to kick the habit. For more information go to
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/smoking
8-9. web this month.indd 8 11/24/10 12:51:20 PM
ON THE WEB 09
The archiveBarcelona Metropolitan has been helping its readers feel part of
the local community for over 14 years and we’ve got a wealth
of articles, interviews and reports hidden away in our archives.
Click the archive tab on the website to have a browse and fi nd
everything from an explanation of the Catalan Estatut to an
interview with local fi lmmaker Isabel Coixet.
This month, we look back to December 2006 when Alice Ross
investigated the possibilities of voluteering in Barcelona.
Volunteering—It takes a little time
The festive season has a sneaky tendency to bring out the best
and worst in people. It’s about gluttony and giving, spending
time with the family and spending millions on gifts, food and
partying. While the season awakens materialistic urges in any-
body old enough to unwrap a present, it’s also the time of year
when the prickles of conscience are felt most, and a desire to help
those in need becomes more keenly felt than usual. Although
this can take the form of a donation to charity, a gift of time and
energy is increasingly popular in Spain.
If the idea of volunteering evokes images of handing out gifts
to happy, grateful orphans on Christmas Day, think again. Few
of Barcelona’s charities take on volunteers for the festive season
alone. However, if you’re prepared to give some time on a regular
basis—even if it’s just a couple of hours a week—then there are
thousands of good causes needing help.
There are around 50,000 organisations in Catalunya alone,
with over 600,000 active volunteers, said Joseph Vinceç Marín, of
the Federació Catalana de Voluntariat Social. These range from
tiny local groups to politically infl uential multinational organisa-
tions. The Federació has a database of volunteering opportunities
on its website, offering a huge choice of activities from getting
involved in human rights campaigning to teaching disabled kids
football; from helping out a day centre for the homeless to main-
taining the website of a local AIDS project.
Most groups ask that their volunteers understand and speak
at least a little Castilian, although fewer demand Catalan. Many
larger organisations welcome international volunteers, especially
those with translating experience. While an extra pair of hands
is appreciated by almost every charitable organisation, there are
plenty of opportunities to use specifi c skills such as database
construction, teaching, research expertise, or knowledge of the
law.
To read the rest of this article go to www.barcelona-metropolitan.
com/volunteering
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8-9. web this month.indd 9 11/24/10 12:51:22 PM
RemoteTechs is a forward thinking IT Support Company who use innovative methods and technology to bring real time solutions to individuals and businesses. After success in UK market they are expanding across Europe. Directors, Sean Johns & Mario Lucian explain more about the com-pany and how technology plays an important part of our modern lives.
What you do? SJ: In a nutshell, for individuals, we repair computers, clean up viruses, offer training and things of that nature and for businesses we support the entire IT infrastructure, from the laptops through to the servers and training.
Ok so what makes RemoteTechs different?ML: The clue is in the “Remote” part of our name, we use the internet and sophisticated remote support systems, to connect to computers and repair them as if we were physically in front of them. That is nothing unusual or new in a business environment as most modern companies use remote computer support. However we have a unique system that can provide the same support you might use at your company or workplace, and bring it to you where ever you have an internet connection, your home, on business trips, travelling, for stu-dents away at university, the possibilities are endless.
Why remote support?SJ: If you look at the ways you can currently get IT support today, such as, calling a local computer tech to come to your house or taking your computer to a computer repair shop, you can quickly see that these solutions don’t re-ally fi t in with our lifestyles anymore. People rely on their IT like they rely on commodities.Most people cannot be without their laptops and computers for long periods while they wait for help anymore. The internet has opened up a medium for sharing, socialising, searching and using the right systems, in addition to safe and instant support. With systems such as ours you can be connected to an expert in 1 minute, from anywhere with an internet connection. You don’t have to lug a computer down to the repair shop, and you don’t have to wait for an appointment for a tech to come out to you.
So is it safe?ML: Safety is one of the key aspects why similar technologies have been available to business for a while now, but until recently you were not able to get services like as an individual at home. Advances in technology have made it possible to provide a safe and secure service outside the relative safety of
a company’s network and into the average person’s home. Our system, for example, uses the same security as banks and the military use to pass data. We wouldn’t feel comfortable operating with anything less. So yes it’s as safe as using a cash machine or online banking. If you add to the fact that your computer never physically leaves your sight, you can sit and watch what ac-tions are being performed and even quit out at any time; in some respects it’s safer than leaving it with a shop!
What are the benefi ts of using a company like yours? SJ: There are many benefi ts of using our systems. We mentioned the speed, convenience and safety earlier. Our unique system enables us to operate a very green and sustainable business, something we are very proud of. Re-mote support means we have to deploy fewer vehicles and our customers have to make fewer journeys. Our online system enables us to operate almost 100% paper less; these savings benefi t all of us. These same factors also help us keep our prices down. Another huge benefi t is our training and coaching packages; our system enable you to join classes or one on one session from the comfort of your own home, where you can learn, IT basics, Microsoft Offi ce applications - Word, Excel and much more. If you are a Facebook user you will also be able to connect to live chat, training events and even get your computer fi xed from within Facebook! We also have a great community on Facebook where we like to encourage safe computing, we keep users updated and warn them about the newest viruses and e-mails scams, and users share stories about scams they have received and also post reviews and great deals about IT and technology equipment.
How does it work? ML: We make it as simple as possible, and have removed a lot of the common problems people have with these types of services. For example we have always been mystifi ed by the overly complicated pricing structure in this industry, we believe that if you have a problem and need help, then you don’t need the added hassle of trying to work out what it is going to cost you, using overly complicated hourly rates that seem to have a host of variables! So we did away with hourly rates and kept it simple. We offer a fi xed price, what you see is what you pay.Our website is packed with helpful features that help our clients save time and money. We have live chat so you can talk to an expert about your problem and Skype so you can call us for free. We offer a call back service; again the idea is why you should have to pay for the call. Our remote system is “On Demand” so you don’t have to wait for an appoint-ment. Simply purchase what you need e.g. Virus removal and you‘ll be con-nected to one of our fully qualifi ed technicianswho within a couple of minutes will call you and connect to your computer to start fi xing the problem. We operate a no fi x no fee policy, so in the extremely rare occurrence that we are not able to help, you will receive an instant refund.
93 184 2435 remotetechs.live [email protected]
www.remotetechs.co.uk
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Treetop feast
Money talk
Bond here. James Bond. Well not exactly, but
the word bond has been on many a lip in
Barcelona in recent days. And not all the
sentiments that have accompanied it have been as
soft spoken as those we are accustomed to hear
from the lips of the legendary screen character.
As well as the fi gurative bond created between
the citizen and the government, ie. they elect to
get into debt on our behalf—sorry, to run the
kind of services they would really like to see but
are not sure how to pay for—last month saw the
Catalan government issue a fi nancial one-year
bond sold in the offi ces of many of Spain’s best-
known banks and caixes. It has a coupon of 4.75
percent, brings the bank selling it a commission of
up to 3 percent, and costs the Catalan Treasury an
arm and a leg to insure against lack of uptake.
The problem is, as ever in these diffi cult times,
how to pay for the hole left in public fi nances by
the collapse of the housing boom and the drying
up of all that lovely VAT revenue which fl owed
into the public coffers on the back of house sales.
And in Catalunya, the issue is doubly complicated,
since the region is not in defi cit, but in surplus—
it’s just that the surplus becomes defi cit in the
name of ’solidarity‘ as much of the revenue fl ows
out to be redistributed to other parts of Spain.
During the boom times, people became accus-
tomed to a quality of life that seemed natural in a
country apparently getting richer with each pass-
ing day, but now they fi nd it hard to accept that
this is no longer the case, and the harsh reality of
that is they may actually be getting poorer. Not
a popular message for politicians to put across,
especially at election time.
So rather than make cuts, which is what,
unfortunately, the new government will inevitably
have to do, the Catalan administration decided to
kick the can a bit farther down the road, one last
time, since failing to pay nurses or teachers their
salaries was hardly the best move on the eve of
the recent Generalitat elections.
Most of the criticism of the bonds has been
levelled at the heavy price paid (nearly Greek
levels) to issue them. But really, with the fi nancial
markets closed to them and throwing themselves
at the feet of the Spanish to ask for a bailout
an unfeasible option at this sensitive point, the
Catalan government was really left with little
alternative but to put up or shut up. The latter
was, as I say, unthinkable.
Well, a citizen’s word is his bond, so all those
whose patriotic spirit was touched by the moving
appeal to their pockets better just hope that a
government’s is too.
Wild BarcelonaText and photos by Lucy Brzoska
By Edward Hugh
COLUMNS 11
One of the last trees in Barcelona to
shed its leaves is the nettle tree or
the Almez in Castilian, which lines
the streets of Poble Sec and the Eixample,
among other neighbourhoods. Then for a
week or so, usually around the día de la
Constitución, which falls on the sixth day
of December, the leaves rain down steadily,
Christmas shoppers and into the January sales,
the parakeets descend in disciplined formation to
devour the sweet berries, showering the cars and
pavements with discarded husks and seeds. They
methodically strip the branches, often within arm’s
reach. Then on a loud raucous signal, the whole
squadron regroups in cacophonous fl ight, often
heading towards Ciutadella Park, where the colony
is based.
Probably the main reason
they haven’t taken over the
city in the same way as the
monks have is that, like most
parrot species, they don’t
construct nests. In their native
South America they use hollow
trees or crevices in cliffs. A pair
of mitred parakeets has bred
twice now in an old ventila-
tion hole in one of Barcelona
University’s buildings, but such
spaces are usually already oc-
cupied. In this case, the couple
waited patiently for a pigeon
family to fl edge.
Lucy Brzoska runs nature
tours in Barcelona and writes
for www.iberianature.com
settling in fragrant yellow heaps for pedes-
trians to rustle through. And up in the
boughs, quantities of small dark berries
are exposed—surprisingly enough, one of
the contenders for the mythic lotus fruit.
They taste of caramelised dates, though
the amount of fl esh coating each seed is
frugal.
The presence of pigeons fl apping
heavily in the trees is the fi rst sign the
feast is on and you know it won’t be long
before the mitred squadrons arrive. These
parakeets are not to be confused with
the ubiquitous monk parakeets, famed for
their colossal, communal nest structures.
The mitreds are larger—think parrot-on-
pirate-shoulder size—with bold markings:
scarlet heads, vivid green bodies and eyes
strongly outlined in white.
While stocks last, above the heads of
Edward Hugh is a British Barcelona-based macro economist who writes for La Vanguardia and the Catalan News Agency, amongst others, and has a popular blog and Facebook page. In this column, he will explain some of the current ins and out
of the local economy.
Citizen Bond
Mitred Parakeet eating neetle tree berries
Mitred parakeets canoodling
11 columns.indd 24 11/23/10 4:21:20 PM
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main pages - Dec 10 .indd 2 11/17/10 12:36:55 PM
Listening is communicating, not training. It means you communicate with your dog on a daily basis in a manner that it understands. The teaching is based around two visits to the home. A lot of people start it because they’ve got a problem and then forget it once the problem is solved, but if you do it for life, it’s just amazing and incredibly rewarding. We teach the owner to run their household like a pack. Fennell studied wolves and translated their language into something we can use with our dogs. Once you get that, it makes training very easy; wolves don’t say to each other “Sit!” or “Come on, let’s go for a walk!” for example!If you were a dog, I would have come in and just completely ignored you. I would have gone over here [moves to kitchen], with no eye contact, no talking, and just got on with doing something. The dog would then think “Oh, she’s confident, she knows what she’s doing, I feel quite safe” and usually lie down and relax. At that point, I would call him over and we’d ‘greet’ each other. Cats are different. With a cat, I wouldn’t mind catching his eye. To be extra friendly with a cat, you get down to their level and you blink a lot. If you stare at them, it’s seen as an aggressive stance. Cesar Millan [the dog behaviour specialist] has a gift. He has the right energy but he uses gadgets, like electric collars and sometimes forces the animals to do things. In our technique, we ask the dog to do something and wait until it’s ready. It’s very slow and you have to have a lot of patience, but anyone can do it with practice. There are currently 130 registered dog listeners in all four corners of the globe. We are strictly monitored and the service we provide is for life. The techniques work on all animals. It just depends on how traumatised they are as to how long it takes. It’s all about putting the animal at ease. I looked after some guinea pigs once and they have a flight response, just like a horse, so they wanted to run. I grew up on dairy farms in Kenya and Zambia. It’s tough to make a living but kids have a charmed childhood. You have hugely wonderful experiences just because of where you are. If you go down to the river, you are bound to see an elephant. It’s like it’s normal. I’ve always had pets and I definitely learnt things with them. I had a little Jack Russell that would ride with me on my saddle and she followed me everywhere I went. There’s something very African about Barcelona. They say Africa starts south of the Pyrennees. Barcelona’s very freeing and also frustrating, like Africa. I’m trying to start more hobbies, I love card games and I want to find some Canasta and Bridge clubs. We used to play poker all day in Zambia at Christmas time. I wouldn’t mind doing some Indian dancing and salsa. You can teach an old dog new tricks. You just have to know how to communicate and be very patient.
Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.
SUSIE HUNT,
Dog listener, Kenyan, 46
INTERVIEW 13
Susie Hunt came to Barcelona from Zambia almost four years ago and has been a qualified dog listener for three years. Listening is a bonding technique developed by English woman Jan Fennell who has studied canine behaviour extensively. Inspired by Monty Roberts, the renowned horse whisperer, Fennell devised a “non-confrontational, stress-free and gadget-free” way for dog owners to live in harmony with their pets.
13. interview.indd 24 11/24/10 1:33:29 PM
14 REPORT
14-16.Religious-shops.indd 2 11/24/10 1:34:48 PM
They are a common feature of the Catalan Christmas but what is the history behind the traditional pessebre and who makes them?
By Lauren Mannion. Photos by Lee Woolcock.
>>
REPORT 15
I f you’ve spent any time at all in Barce-
lona during the run-up to Christmas,
chances are you’ll have seen a typical
Catalan pessebre, or nativity scene. From
the life-size figures in Plaça Sant Jaume or
the Cathedral’s cloisters to the jam-packed
stalls at the Fira de Santa Llúcia, pesse-
bres are big business.
The traditional nativity scene has been
around since the 12th century, when the
first one is said to have been made by Saint
Francis of Assisi. Spreading around the
Mediterranean from Italy, the trend found
a home in Catalunya—first in the large
displays put up in churches and squares
and later in the intricate scenes set up in
houses all across the region during the fes-
tive season.
Abel Plana is president of the Amícs del
Pessebre de Santa María del Mar. Every
year since 2002, his group have worked
on the pessebre for El Born’s famous ca-
thedral, which has grown over the years to
become the huge 32m² display they have
today. Working each weekend from Octo-
ber until early December, when the fin-
ished piece is unveiled and consecrated,
the group choose a different theme each
year. “This time it’s going to tie in with the
sea,” Abel hints.
In October this year the Amícs launched
the Escola-Taller de Pessebres de Barce-
lona; the first of its kind in the city. Still
without a permanent base, the school meets
every Wednesday using borrowed spaces
and teaches traditional techniques for
modelling, painting and decorating pesse-
bres. The finished models will be displayed
in Casa dels Entremesos, with a step-by-
step guide to how the models are made.
“The good thing is that we have peo-
ple of all ages, from 16 to 60,” Abel says.
“And it’s not particularly a religious thing
either. Of course, everyone in the group has
their own beliefs, but pessebrisme is more
about Catalan culture and keeping tradi-
tions alive.”
Across town at the top of Passeig de
Gràcia, Mireia Grisolia would be inclined
to agree with him. She runs Reixach-Cam-
panyà, a cavern-like treasure trove of re-
ligious art which has occupied the same
spot for just short of 100 years and which
comes alive each Christmas with a stun-
ning display of nativity scenes. She says
that pessebres are enjoying something of a
resurgence thanks to parents who want to
give their children the traditional Christ-
mas they remember from their own child-
hoods.
Mireia’s family business was founded by
the sculptor Josep Reixach in 1874 and, af-
ter being sold to her great-grandfather in
1923, has been passed down through three
generations of women in the family until
Mireia today. Her father still pops in from
time to time, while her 6-month-old daugh-
ter sleeps in a cot in a brightly wallpapered
corner of the office.“At its peak under my
great-grandad, there were 20 craftsmen
working here,” Mireia says, waving an arm
across the vast workshop. “But over the
years demand fell and the workmen, one by
one, retired or died. When I started out, we
had no one making models here at all.”
Since Mireia has been at the helm, pro-
duction has started up again in the work-
shop. There is now a busy team of three,
with Mireia herself dividing her time be-
tween model making and serving on the
shop floor.
All of Reixach-Campanyà’s models are
made of wood pulp, using age-old tech-
niques. The figures are moulded in two
halves, heads and extremities attached,
eyes inserted individually from inside the
head. “Each finger has a metal rod inside
it so that if it gets dropped, it doesn’t break
off completely,” Mireia notes, pointing out
the attention to detail that goes into each
piece.
“It’s almost impossible to give a simple
estimate of how much time it takes to make
one figure,” she says, indicating a nearby
statue of a youthful Jesus. “For example,
this model perhaps took eight hours all in
all. But obviously there is a lot of wait-
ing between each stage in the process, and
every little detail, like adding gold leaf
or hand-painting these patterns on the
clothes, can add hours.”
Figures from Mireia’s workshop are sold
on site as well as in other shops in Barce-
lona, Spain and the rest of the world. In-
credibly, the iconic, hand-clasping baby
Jesus that features in the most significant
of all nativity scenes —that of the Church
of the Nativity in Bethlehem—is an origi-
nal Reixach Campanyà model, taken to the
Holy Land in the Thirties by Franciscan
monks. Today, Mireia and her team ship
thousands of reproductions in 12 differ-
ent sizes for sale there. “Sometimes people
come back to Barcelona with one and bring
it in to show us when they realise we made
it. Strange to think that it’s been all the
way to Jerusalem and back, isn’t it?”
The shop is also full of models from oth-
er producers, both local and international,
hand-made and mass-produced from plas-
tic, resin, ceramic, metal and clay. Mireia
points out the well-known figures from
Martí Castells Martí, a hugely respected
Catalan sculptor whose clay models are
still produced by his grandchildren using
his traditional methods. There are also na-
tivity scenes from Spain, Germany, Peru
Making a scEnE
“It’s not particularly a re-ligious thing. Of course, everyone has their own beliefs but pessembris-me is more about Cata-lan culture and keeping traditions alive.”
14-16.Religious-shops.indd 3 11/24/10 1:34:49 PM
16 REPORT
and Colombia, as well as other typical Christ-
mas items from around the world; not forget-
ting the well-known caganers of Catalan tra-
dition. Prices can range from €1.60 for a tiny
model of the holy family, to perhaps €4000 for
a full scene of three-foot figures.
While Reixach Campanyà sells all kinds of
religious art, icons, rosaries, chalices, cruci-
fixes and figurines, pessebres are now the big-
gest part of their business. Mireia says busi-
ness has changed greatly over the years, but
that there’s still not a typical customer. “We
have everything from old ladies who want us
to fix the figurine they’ve had since their first
communion, to Latin American immigrants
who have a small shrine in the house, or pass-
ing tourists looking for a caganer out of sea-
son. The Fira de Santa Llúcia is only on for a
short time each year, whereas we’re open all
year round,” Mireia points out with a smile.
But by far the biggest draw in recent years
has been the shop’s colourful Christmas win-
dow display, which makes children beg their
parents to take them inside, as well as attract-
ing adults who want to recapture a lost part of
their childhood. “We spend a long time work-
ing on it because it helps us appeal to a much
wider audience. We’re aware that the shop
can seem very serious to people who’ve never
been inside, and particularly if they’re not re-
ligious,” concedes Mireia. “The tradition of
pessebres had been declining for a long time,
but I think there’s a whole generation of baby
boomers who come here wanting to give their
kids the same kind of Christmas they remem-
ber from when they were little.”
“I’ll do the same when my little girl is a bit
older, but I haven’t had a pessebre at home for
years now,” Mireia confesses. “Christmas is
such a busy time for us that I spend barely any
time in the house, and besides, with so many
here, why would I need one at home?”
The little figure of a barretina-wearing ‘crap-
per’ caught quite literally with his pants down is
one of the most curious and enduring symbols of
Catalunya at Christmas. Its origins are unclear,
but it’s been documented as far back as the 17th
century, and similar figures are also seen in parts
of France and Italy.
Caganers are usually tucked away in an un-
obtrusive part of the pessebre, far from the ac-
tual nativity scene. In fact, finding the hidden
figure within the model has always been a popu-
lar game for children. There was outrage in 2005
when the Ajuntament de Barcelona chose to
omit the famous figure from its nativity scene in
Plaça Sant Jaume and the caganer was restored
the following year.
No one is sure why the figure of a man reliev-
ing himself should feature in the holiest of scenes,
but there are many theories. Some say that he
represents good luck or fertility, the equality of
all people or the humanity of Jesus, while others
claim that it simply makes the scene more down-
to-earth and realistic.
Caganers
>>
14-16.Religious-shops.indd 4 11/24/10 1:34:56 PM
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Francesc Boix pictured at Mauthausen after its liberation
Ph
oto courtesy of M
useu
d’H
istòria de C
atalun
ya i Am
ical de M
auth
ausen
18-20 Francisco Boix.indd 34 11/24/10 1:35:49 PM
CAPTURING EVILThe story of a young Catalan whose acts of bravery would help convict key SS offi cers in the Nuremberg Trials.
By Nick Lloyd
>>
In the entrance to the Francesc Boix pub-
lic library on Carrer Blai in Poble Sec
there is a black and white photograph of
a young man dressed in a greatcoat. A Leica
camera hangs round his neck. Behind him
are the barbed wires and barracks of a Nazi
work camp. Just around the corner from the
library, at Margarit 19, a plaque informs us
that Francesc Boix i Campo was born here on
August 14th 1920, and that he was “a pho-
tographer, fi ghter against fascism, prisoner
at Mauthausen, and the only Spaniard to be
called as a witness at the Nuremburg Trials
against the leaders of the Third Reich”.
Little is known of Boix’s early life. His fa-
ther was a tailor and ran a shop (today an
excellent bar) under the family home, where
in the evenings he would host meetings with
left-wing Catalanists. He was also an ama-
teur photographer and instilled in his son a
love of the camera.
When the Civil War broke out in Barcelona
in July 1936, Boix, just 15, joined the PSUC
(Partit Socialista Unifi cat de Catalunya),
the Catalan communist party and started to
work for youth magazines as a photographer.
He then volunteered as what we call today
an embedded photographer and saw action
on various fronts, including the Battle of the
Ebro. As Franco’s forces closed in on Barce-
lona in January 1939, Boix headed for the
French border, along with hundreds of thou-
sands of women, children and the defeated
remnants of the Republican army. The French
government fi nally opened the frontier to the
soldiers on February 5th, but instead of be-
ing treated as Republican brothers they were
immediately imprisoned in concentration
camps. Boix himself was sent to the Sept-
fonds Camp. Conditions were atrocious and
disease was rife. Many died of hunger, cold
and dysentery.
With the threat of invasion, Boix, along
with many Spanish refugees, was conscripted
by the French army to build defences. Ger-
many invaded in May 1940 and Boix was
taken prisoner in June in Belfort in northern
France, from where he was transferred to a
prisoner of war camp. The Nazis saw the
Spaniards as political enemies to be treated
as such. Any reservations they may have had
seem to have been dispelled after a visit to
Germany by the Spanish Foreign Minister
and Nazi-admirer, Ramón Serrano Súñer
who was Franco’s brother-in-law (hence his
nickname as El Cuñadísimo1). The Franco re-
gime disowned the Republicans, allowing the
Nazis to declare them stateless citizens (like
Jews and Gypsies), and hence to be worked
to death. The Spaniards who were deported
back to Spain faced torture, concentration
camps and fi ring squads. As far as Franco
was concerned, the Nazis merely helped by
eliminating opposition.
After passing through a series of prison
camps, Boix, like most of the Republicans,
was sent to the Mauthausen concentration
complex in Austria, reserved for the most
“Incorrigible Political Enemies of the Reich”,
where the aim was extermination through
labour in quarries, munitions factories and
assembly plants. On their arrival, the prison-
ers were forced to strip and passed like cat-
tle through showers. Then, they were given a
striped uniform with a blue triangle used to
identify foreign forced labourers, with an ‘S’
superimposed on top, to denote not ‘Stateless’
but ‘Spanier’. Boix, who had already man-
aged to pick up some German, was designat-
ed as works translator.
At fi rst the Spaniards were the largest group
in Mauthausen. Many were forced to work in
appalling conditions in the quarries. They also
built much of the camp itself, leading a French
survivor to proclaim “Every stone of Mau-
thausen represents a Spanish death”, most of
those deaths occurred in the fi rst year, many
from malnutrition and overwork. With the ar-
rival of other nationalities like Russians and
Poles, the Spanish survivors gradually began
to take over more ‘privileged’ positions, dis-
placing the German common criminals. This
was not because they were now treated any
better, but rather because they were so well
organised; held together by their anti-fascist
political beliefs and in part by the discipline
of the Communist Party. They managed to
keep alive as many Republicans as possible,
though favouring party members. They also
organised acts of sabotage and resistance, the
most important job of which fell to Boix.
With his photographic skills and basic Ger-
man, Boix managed to get a job in the camp
photo lab. Together with another Catalan, An-
toni Garcia2, he developed and printed photos
taken by the SS of each prisoner on arrival
and of each death. The photos were partly
taken to feed the methodical bureaucratic ob-
session of the Nazis (fi ve copies of each case),
but also often as souvenirs for SS members.
Boix made copies of 3,000 negatives, showing
executions, the barbarous acts committed by
the camp’s staff and, crucially, visits by top
Nazis. The negatives were smuggled out by
labourers who were sent each day to work in
a nearby factory. There, they passed the nega-
tives to an incredibly brave young Austrian
CITY FOCUS 19
1. Cuñadísimo—A play on words between Generalísimo and cuñado (brother-in-law) 2. The two did not get along. Garcia was timorous and reserved, Boix rebellious and out-going. Some accounts are highly critical of Boix’s role in discrediting the role played by Garcia in hiding some of the photos.
18-20 Francisco Boix.indd 35 11/24/10 1:35:49 PM
20 CITY FOCUS
>> woman called Anna Pointner, who hid them
in the garden wall of her house.
As the Allies drew closer, the fi nal months
in the camps painted a horrifi c scene. The SS,
fuelled by their murderous madness and by
a desire to cover up all evidence, set about
killing all remaining prisoners, but they ran
out of time and fl ed before the advance of the
US army. Mauthausen was fi nally liberated
by the prisoners on May 5th 1945, the only
camp to be taken this way. The Americans
were welcomed with a huge banner proclaim-
ing ‘Los españoles antifascistas saludan a las
fuerzas libertadoras.’ Boix himself set to work
photographing the liberation.
The death toll for the whole complex re-
mains unknown, though the fi gure of 200,000
is often quoted. Russian and Polish prisoners
were the biggest victims, along with Jews. Of
the some 7,200 Spaniards who entered Mau-
thausen, only 2,200 were alive by their lib-
eration in 1945. Another 2,000 probably died
in other camps such as Dachau and Buchen-
wald. Many were at the limits of their resist-
ance and half were dead within a year. Most
of the survivors who could not return to Fran-
co’s Spain were given asylum in France.
In late 1945 Boix moved to Paris where he
began to work as a photo reporter for French
left-wing press titles such as L’Humanité, Ce
Soir, and Regards, which published photo
stories of the negatives, the biggest collec-
tion from any camp. In 1946, he was called
by the French prosecution as a witness in the
Nuremberg Trials. Boix’s declaration, backed
by photos taken by the SS, was short and har-
rowing. He described slave labour, torture,
public executions enlivened by a gypsy band
forced to play polkas and how the SS guards
received bonuses for shooting Jews. But most
importantly, he testifi ed to the presence at the
camp of Heinrich Himmler, Albert Speer and
Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the latter of whom had
denied any knowledge of the camps, and who
was convicted directly as a result of Boix’s
testimony.3 The same year Boix was also a
witness at a second trial in Dachau against
other Nazis from Mauthausen.
He died in Paris on June 6th 1951 from
tuberculosis which he had probably caught
during his time in Mauthausen. He was 30
years old, a young man from Poble Sec, to
whom history gave the role of documenting
Nazi barbarity.
-- Nick Lloyd leads Civil War tours in Barcelo-na with the Centre d’Estudis de Montjuic and runs www.iberianature.com
3. His complete testimony is available here: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/01-28-46.asp
The liberation of Mauthausen
18-20 Francisco Boix.indd 36 11/24/10 1:35:54 PM
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LIVING LOCALLYSara Blaylock lives the life of a locavore to find out how hard it is to consume only locally produced products.
Photos and text by Sara Blaylock.
22 DISPATCHES
In the truest sense of the word, a locavore consumes food or drink
made from products grown within a 100 mile (160 kilometre) radius
of their home. Locavores contend that consuming within 100 miles
of your doorstep not only reduces carbon emissions (by shrinking food
miles) and farm waste (generally, local farms mean smaller farms) but
also promotes community economies, food appreciation and food sov-
ereignty.
Since the Bay Area in San Francisco named it, locavorism has be-
come a national movement in the United States. In a country where
the average distance that food travels from farm to table is a stagger-
ing 1500 miles, Americans are embracing the locavore lifestyle as a
means to shrink the consumer/producer gap. This means a resurgence
in heirloom vegetables and unusual tastes. Purple tomatoes, dinosaur
kale and dragon tongue beans are just a few examples of the deli-
cious additions I made to my diet while hitting the local markets in
California.
City folk, country dwellers and suburbanites are catching on to the
craze and dramatically reinventing not only the American way of eat-
ing, but also food economy and production. I spent a week in Octo-
ber living the locavore lifestyle in Barcelona to see how easy it would
be in a country that hasn’t yet embraced the movement on any great
scale. 100 miles from the city is, more or less, within the boundries of
Catalunya. Although I did not encounter anyone touting the locavore
name, it quickly became clear to me that most people shopping at the
markets, small grocery stores and butcher shops were already follow-
ing the guidelines of the movement. In fact, in pretty much every case,
the grocers, bakers, butchers and produce vendors I asked were con-
fused by my investigation. “Of course”, they said, “all this food comes
from Catalunya. Where else would we get our food from?”
A report on Catalan industry lists pork meat, mineral water, olive
oil, wine and cava as products of the region. During my week I found
these products quite easily and in addition, I found flour, rice, pasta,
eggs, poultry, dairy products, fish, seafood, beer and a limitless supply
of fruit and vegetables such as grapes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, let-
tuce and green beans. Though I went to a variety of places, for the most
part I shopped at my local market (Mercat de Sant Antoni, Rda Sant
Antoni, 18). The stallholders at Sant Antoni were thrilled to talk to me
about their products but no vendor exclusively sold food of Catalan
origin; however rarely was anything from outside the country.
Among the various highlights I bought over the week were a va-
riety of bolets fresh from the local forests. My partner prepared our
chanterelles and saffron milk caps in a cream sauce made primarily
of Ato dairy products (a Catalan brand found in any supermarket) on
top of hand crafted pasta from Pastes Sanmartí. We washed it down
with wine from Penedès, Catalunya’s most abundant wine region. We
also could have, and often did, opt for any number of cavas and local
beers to accompany our meals. One evening, we split a hefty bottle of
a cold dark brew from Les Clandestines de Montferri, purchased at the
Xarxa de Consum Solidari. The XCS is a Barcelona-based organisa-
tion that offers both Fair Trade international products and local ones.
In addition to their shop in Born, they also offer a weekly farm share
programme, where members can receive a box of fresh and seasonal
local products.
Drinking out was pretty easy, too. Most bars stock a variety of Cata-
lan wines. Finding a local beer, however, was a bit more of a challenge.
Moritz, I’m sorry to report, is no longer a Barcelona native. It hasn’t
Mantequería La Sierra
22-24. Locavore.indd 34 11/24/10 1:36:51 PM
DISPATCHES 23
>>
been brewed in the city since the 1966. But you can find some bars
that stock locally produced beers if you hunt around. I particularly
enjoyed the brews I found at Cervecería Jazz (Margarit 43), including
a sprightly little number from the Ca l’Arenys brewery called Guinea
Antius and the Agullons Bruno Pale Ale, a hand-labelled number from
Masia Agullons.
One of my biggest sacrifices living as a locavore was in my morning
or evening cup. I could not drink tea or coffee and the resulting head-
aches were brutal. An option for addicts like me is Café Saula, which
roasts coffee and teas at their factory in Sant Feliu de Llobregat.
I unfortunately found no remedy for my forced abstention from
chocolate, another daily and necessary habit. In a bid to temper my
sweet tooth, I ate a lot more honey than usu-
al. I came across an extraordinary variety of
honey products made by A. Camprubí Santos,
an apiary in La Vall de Campmajor, at a one-
day market in front of El Molino theatre. The
market also introduced me to mató, a fresh,
ricotta-like cheese produced throughout Cat-
alunya which is just perfect on buttered toast
with honey.
During the week we ate some lovely free-
range eggs from Sant Antoni market, cooked
quite simply as an omelette one afternoon and
as a tortilla another. Though I’m generally not too fond of eggs, I will
say I noticed the difference. Those little brown beauties from Girona
had a fresher, less ‘eggy’ taste and were well worth paying the small
increase in price for.
Something I found during my experiment was that local vendors
were always passionate about their food. Meeting Ramon Lasierra and
his daughter Núria in their family colmado Mantequería La Sierra
was a definite highlight in my week. Ramon’s parents started the gro-
cery in the late Thirties and they continue to stock the old-fashioned
establishment with the very best, primarily Catalan, products at good
prices. Ramon was eager to sell me his favourite oils, rice, cheeses and
embotits. I came home with a few kitchen staples: Mallafré olive oil
(Tarragona) and Molí de Pals rice (Girona), as well as a few decadent
inessentials: a semi-cured goat cheese from Fromatergies Montbru
(Moià) and a pink and fatty sausage so regional to be simply named the
butifarra Catala. You could tell that Ramon’s excitement over Cata-
lan cuisine was more than just a professional
passion.
At the end of the week, I visited El Mer-
cat de Mercats, a weekend festival of Catalan
food and drink. Despite the crowds I man-
aged to buy a chewy pancetta from Embotits
Artesans Gori de la Vall d’en Bas. We used
our pancetta on both a hand-made pizza and
as an added garnish to a Catalan lentil stew.
Later in the week, we also enjoyed some
local chicken. Our butcher prepared the cuts
for both a roast and a stew, which we enjoyed
with our rice from Girona and various veggies. In general, it was easier
to find meat than sea creatures from Catalunya; unbelievably it turns
out that a lot of fish and seafood is imported.
I was also surprised to find that more often than not bakers could
“The heart of the issue is local shopping, rather than local consuming, focusing on supporting the local economy rather than production.”
Honey from La Vall de CampmajorMercat de Sant AntoniMantequería La Sierra
22-24. Locavore.indd 35 11/24/10 1:36:55 PM
not tell me where their flour came from, or if they could, it was usually
from outside the region. I put this down to production. Though the
breads at the corner store bakery may look, or even taste, better than
at the supermarket, neither are more committed to using local ingre-
dients. The difference, instead, is in recipes, freshness and quantity of
production.
Whereas the primary definition of the locavore diet relates to food
and drink, it is also possible to apply it to other aspects of your life.
A true locavore may consider it as important to buy locally produced
honey as to only purchase CDs from local companies. The heart of
the issue is local shopping, rather than local consuming, focusing on
supporting the local economy rather than local production. In fact,
because clothing or objects require more complicated production than
food, it is almost impossible to guarantee 100 percent local origin.
24 DISPATCHES
El Mercat de Mercats, Festival of Catalan food
100milediet.org Els Casals Find your locavore radius
bcn.cat - Find your nearest market
xarxaconsum.net Xarxa de Consum Solidari
Local beers: lesclandestines.net, calarenys.cat and masia-agullons.com
Oil - mallafre.com
Rice - arrosmolidepals.com
Cheese - mont-bru.com
Embotits - Artesans Gori. Tel. 972 693 023
Mantequería La Sierra - Rosselló 160 Tel. 93 453 3575
Nu_u - nu-u.es. Torrent de l’Olla 23 Tel. 93 502 8038
Madam Pum Pum - Torrent de l’Olla 30 Tel. 93 457 3464
La Sastrería - la-sastreria.blogspot.com. Bonavista 25. Tel. 93 218 5108
Further information
>>
The economic philosophy behind supporting
a family run business over a chain is that money
stays in a community, rather than being sent back
to corporate headquarters and redistributed. An-
other positive argument is that small businesses
add character to streets, maintaining individual-
ity in town centres and keeping them interesting.
What’s more, in many cases, shopping at local
businesses can benefit the environment, at least
from the consumer’s standpoint. People who have
access to a nearby town centre that is well stocked
with small, local shops, it is argued, will reach for
the trainers and not the car keys, thus, amping up
the walking and keeping the car parked in the ga-
rage.
To that end, I also spent my week in search of
local items for the wall or wardrobe. This proved a
bit more difficult. But I found that Gràcia has the
greatest variety of boutiques that offer goods made
locally. I especially recommend Carrer Torrent de
l’Olla; it is chock full of shops selling clothes and
accessories made here in the city.
I was impressed with Anna Pous and Rosa Pueyo
who run nu_u, a Japan-inspired, Catalan-made
clothes shop and studio. Anna and Rosa sew as
they sell, leaning over long tables filled with gor-
geous Japanese fabric. Up the street, Madam Pum
Pum has a cool variety of clothes and accessories
by local designers such as Gris Piedra, Beatrit Furest and Nerea Lur-
gain. Madam Pum Pum also sells the only locally crafted homewares I
came across, by the Apparatu brand. Just around the corner, Roxana
Rivas sells her own clothing label Olyva at her shop La Sastreria. You
can also find locally made jewellery and accessories from labels such
as Los Coleccionistas and Mon Carrusel. Roxana’s eye leans toward
the mod and retro, and her shop is one of the most put-together I’ve
seen in Barcelona.
The key to being a true locavore is to eat and live like our grand-
parents did; stick to the growing season, buy from your neighbour-
hood market and you’ll easily stay on track. If you’re stumped for
new ideas, ask at your local grocers, butchers or market. Get caught
up by their passion for Catalan cuisine and get some new ideas for
your kitchen.
22-24. Locavore.indd 36 11/24/10 1:36:58 PM
main pages - Nov 10 .indd 1 11/17/10 12:34:50 PM
C. DE LA PALLA
C. DE LA PALLA
AV. DE LA CATEDRALPL.
NOVA
C. DELS A
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C. BOTERS
C. CUCURULLA
LA PORTAFERRISSA
C. DEL PI
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C. D
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C. D
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BANY
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C. D
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C. BISBE
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A stone’s throw from the Cathedral, Carrer de la Palla in the Barrí Gòtic is a glorious mixture of old-fashioned shops, antique dealers and little boutiques, making it the perfect place to start your Christmas shop-
ping. On the corner with Plaça Sant Josep Oriol, Joguines Monforte is like
Barcelona’s very own Santa’s workshop. Along with toys in the window that seem to have been there since the family run shop opened in 1896, you’ll fi nd Gaudí jigsaws at €11.50, a Barcelona Monopoly set at €41 and a Cata-lan version of Scrabble—if you get your ‘ny’ on a triple word score you’re laughing.
Urban outfi tters Hydroponic (nº. 3) opened a year a go and their exclusive skate clothing brand make it the place to go for that impossibly tricky teenage gift. The store is also home to C/ Palla’s own mascot, Bernie the skater dog. Big enough to pull Santa’s sleigh, she’ll be on hand to help you choose a decorative skate deck for your living room. Alternatively, for slightly less cum-bersome stocking fi lling ideas, head to Japanese fabric shop Nunoya (nº. 6). Kimonos and pillows can be made to order and if you’re handy with a needle
and thread, you can buy gorgeous fabrics by the metre. Their Japanese toe socks with a goldfi sh print at €7 make an ideal secret Santa pressie too.
For the woman who has everything, take a gander at the window of quirky designer jeweller La Basilica Galeria (nº. 7). Their tarantula necklace may give you a fright but the price of ‘El Mil Del Poaig’ extra virgin olive oil over the road at Oro Líquido (nº. 8) will scare you more. The Chanel of the olive world, drizzling this on your pa amb tomaquet will set you back €130 a bottle. More affordable and a decent present to take home is a hamper of three oils from the Basilippo range for €40.
If you’re looking for a more exotic offering, Nomada’s (nº. 9) is an Alad-din’s cave of worldly treasures. Find lamps and magical-looking carpets from Afghanistan, venture further and discover statues from Tibet, puppets from Myanmar and not top of the average Christmas list, a bag made from an ud-der from the Mapuche Indians of Chile. All that’s missing is a talking monkey wearing one of Nomada’s cashmere and silk Nepalese jackets, but you could always buy one of their genie lamps and wish for one for Christmas.
Further up the street you begin to see why this is known locally as the
Carrer de la Palla Text by Dylan Clive. Photos by Natasha Young
26 STREET LIFE
Joguines Monforte (nº. 2)
Petit Asia (nº. 77)
Nunoya (nº. 6)Nomada’s (nº. 9)
María Ubach Antigüedades (nº. 10)
Fira de Santa Llúcia
Oro Líquido (nº. 8)
Hydroponic (nº. 3)
26-27. Street life.indd 6 11/24/10 1:52:43 PM
antique neighbourhood. Changing times and fashions, coupled with the cur-rent economic crisis, has meant that there are now less antique dealers than in the past but María Ubach Antigüedades (nº. 10) is still going strong. Packed with sensational pieces that are older than your in-laws, this may be beyond most Christmas budgets, but if you win the lottery a French cigar box from the 1850’s could be yours for a cool €5,000 and can be shipped to anywhere in the world if you so desire.
Once you’ve pulled yourself away from the potential gifts on offer and strolled past the Artur Ramon Art Gallery (nº. 25) there is one last festive surprise in store. The Fira de Santa Llúcia in front of the Cathedral (Plaça de la Seu and Plaça Nova) is a hive of activity in December and is a one-stop shop for a truly Catalan Christmas. Get all your pessebre figures, handmade-crafts and all things scatalogical; here’s the place to buy a Caganer or a Caga
Tió; perfect for shocking the folks back home with.
Castelló Sabem de Música (nº. 7)
STREET LIFE 27
Christmas is the perfect excuse for ditching the diet and downing
the calories and there’s no better place to eat cake than the spiri-
tual and friendly Caelum (nº. 8). A Carrer de la Palla resident for 12
years, it would frankly be a sin not to sample their monastery-ma-
de marzipan treats. Positioned above 14th century Jewish baths,
there are sweets, biscuits, a coffee shop and arguably the nicest
smelling bathrooms in the city. Special Christmas goodies to look
out for include Anguilas de Mazapán, Pan de Cádiz and Huesos de
Santos. The beauty is that this den of delicacies is stocked with
offerings from more than 20 convents around Spain. Natália Mula
explains: “the nuns are hidden from the world and bake as a way
of bringing money in. We place our money in front of a revolving
window and then are given whatever they have available.” With
no way to place a specific order, Caelum’s stock is entirely in the
hands of the nuns. What isn’t explained are the bottles of wine and
absinthe stocked above the biscuits. Could it be that these same
nuns, out of sight from everyone, indulge in a cheeky shot during
breaks in the baking?
The café, Caelum (nº. 8)
Caelum (nº. 8)
Fira de Santa Llúcia
Oro Líquido (nº. 8)
Hydroponic (nº. 3)
Seasonal gifts, CaelumCakes and marzipan treats, Caelum
Heavenly cakes
26-27. Street life.indd 7 11/24/10 1:52:52 PM
main pages - Dec 10 .indd 8 11/24/10 2:05:13 PM
CHRISTMAS CLUBBING 31
CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS 32
MARISCAL 34
DRAP-ART (PICTURED) 35
On
29 Cover copy 1.indd 1 11/24/10 12:30:58 PM
30 ON
This month
They may get dubbed a psychobilly band
but The Creepshow are more like a punkier
version of No Doubt. Either way, expect it
to get sweaty down the front in the cosy
environs of Sidecar.
The CreepshowDecember 15th
Sidecar
www.sidecarfactoryclub.com
If you were lucky enough to see the documentary about
Motörhead’s likeable lead singer Lemmy Kilmister at last
month’s In-Edit film festival, you’ll know that he’s a man
of a thousand soundbites and he likes to play loud. And
drive tanks. Your ears may never forgive you but you’ll be
hard pressed to find a more rock and roll way to spend
Christmas.
MotörheadDecember 17th
Sant Jordi Club (note change of venue)
Keep the kids amused with a night of old-fashioned circus over at the Teatre Principal in
Badalona. Don’t worry if your Catalan’s not too hot; there’ll be plenty of clowning, trapeze and
music to jolly you along.
LimbusDecember 18th
Teatre Principal, Badalona
www.badalonacultura.cat
18th
12th
17th
15th
Worth the trip out of town, this collection of Fif-ties and Sixties Catalan photography features some lovely insights into local life back then. Look out for the work of Josep M Casdemont, whose camera captured tights flapping on a breezy Barcelona balcony and other intimate moments. Nova Avantguarda. Fotografia catalana dels anys 50 i 60Until January 16th
Museo Abelló,
Mollet del Vallès and on tour
www.museuabello.cat
Good Lord, it must be fun being in Kool & the Gang. All these years and the boys from Jersey are still going strong and looking good in slip-on shoes. This show, which is part of the Festival Mil·lenni, is likely to feature all the hits. Have a shuffle to ‘Jungle Boogie’, ‘Ladies’ Night’ and ‘Celebrate!’ for us. Kool & the GangDecember 12thL’Auditoriwww.festival-millenni.com1st
30-33 LIVE.indd 30 11/24/10 2:08:08 PM
Live
M | 31
OUR PICK OF GIGS IN OCTOBER
ON 31
Imogen Heap: Bikini, 1st
The Tallest Man On Earth: Razzmatazz, 2nd
Atari Teenage Riot: Apolo, 4th
Horace Andy (pictured): Apolo, 9th
Wovenhand: Apolo 2, 10th
Marnie Stern: BeCool, 14th
The Pinker Tones: Apolo, 17th
30 Seconds to Mars: Sant Jordi Club, 18th
Maika Makovski: Apolo, 18th
Necro: BeCool, 18th
whO’s ON OUR PICK OF GIGS IN DECEMBER
The 12 days of a Razzmatazz Christmas Razzmatazz is in the middle of one hell of a party. The reason? The venerable institution is 10 years young and they’re looking to celebrate. The guest list is
impressive so you might want to clear your diaries. Here’s our pick of who’s on. Unless otherwise stated all gigs are at Razzmatazz.
2nd Soulwax. Sant Jordi Club
2nd Tiga. Sant Jordi Club
3rd Yelle 3rd Vicarious Bliss
3rd Acid Girls 4th Crystal Fighters 10th Desperate DJs 11th Aphex Twin
11th DMX Krew 12th Caribou 17th Yuksek 18th The Glimmers
30-33 LIVE.indd 31 11/24/10 2:08:12 PM
32 ON
FOR MORE LIVE EVENTS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM
If you’re not in the Christmas spirit yet, help is at hand with a flurry of yuletide shows to put you in the festive mood.Kicking off at Palau de la Música Catalana, the
Dnipropetrovsk State Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Choir of Belarus make themsel-ves comfortable for a trio of shows over four days. On the 5th and 8th they perform a double bill of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and, arguably one of the finest pieces of choral music ever written, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Its opening O Fortuna has been used countless times and TV-loving Brits may well recognise it as the music played whenever a terrified Rodney saw his nephew Damien in Only Fools and Horses. Meanwhile, they give Handel’s stirring Messiah an airing on the 6th and on the 7th they play a double bill of Mozart’s Requiem and Symphony no. 40 in G minor.
Also at the Palau, the Alabama Gospel Choir* throw their hands in the air on the 15th and 18th while the Strauss Festival Orchestra* perform some of Johann Strauss’s most popular waltzes, polkas and marches on the 19th, 25th and 31st. At L’Auditori, the Banda Municipal de Barcelo-
na play a selection of Brahms, Lizt, Guinjoan and Brotons for their Christmas concert on the 11th, but if it’s carols you’re after, you can see the Cor Vivaldi: Petits Cantors de Catalunya on the 18th or the Coral Cantiga dels Lluïsos de Gràcia on the 23rd. Both choirs will be performing a selection of traditional Catalan music.
If funds are low, the Conservatori is the place to go. On the 18th, hard-working students will be performing 11 hours of music for free and there’s everything from chamber music to a percussion group and boys’ choir.
Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without someone putting on El Lago de los Cisnes (Swan-lake) and young upstarts, the Ballet Estatal Ruso de Rostov don’t disappoint. Their traditional take on Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece at Teatro Coliseum on the 22nd/23rd/25th will delight ballet purists, as will their festive El Cascanueces (The Nutcracker) on the 27th to 29th at the same venue. Don’t ex-pect any avant-garde oddities here; this is ballet by the book with tutus and white tights a-plenty.
If ballet and popular classics just aren’t high-brow enough for you, there’s always the opera, and
if contemporary’s your thing, George Benjamin’s one-act Into the Little Hill has its Spanish premiere at Gran Teatre del Liceu on the 2nd and 3rd of the month. Performed by London Sinfonietta, the ope-ra is loosely based on the Pied Piper and is scored for just soprano and contralto. As it’s a short piece, a selection of Benjamin’s chamber music rounds off the night.
Giuseppe Verdi’s final opera Falstaff is the Liceu’s big December show with performances from the 9th to the 29th. Based on Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor, it’s a rambunctious co-medy about a hard-up knight who tries and fails to woo rich women for their money. Praised for its orchestration, melody and libretto, this co-produc-tion with the Welsh National Opera is everything an opera should be—big, brash and beautiful. Tic-kets go from €9.50 up in the gods to €194 for the posh seats.
So, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine, get your glad rags on and be sure not to miss curtain up.--NY
* Also at the Liceu and L’Auditori
El Lago de los Cisnes Ballet Estatal Ruso de Rostov
have yourself a classical Christmas
30-33 LIVE.indd 32 11/24/10 2:08:14 PM
ON 33
Surf Rock has got its mojo back but from the most unlikely of sources. Best Coast are a funny looking bunch. Lead singer Bethany Cosentino is so in love with her cat Mr Snacks that he’s practically a member of the band,
appearing on album artwork and merchandise and sneaking into videos. Meanwhi-le, guitarist Bobb Bruno looks more like an out of shape Mr Miyagi than a rock star. The beauty is that this unlikely looking duo (plus new edition Ali Koehler on drums) make heavenly summer music that will have you day-dreaming of California beaches on even the coldest December day. They are not one of the most-hyped bands of 2010 for nothing.
For newcomers to the group, check out the single ‘When I’m With You’. Sym-bolising everything the band is about, this is a slice of sunny nostalgia that is sure to either bring back wistful memories of summer romance or inspire you to get your groove on. If Cupid had an iPod, he’d be listening to this track. Taken from their album Crazy For You, the song combines Beach Boys basslines with fuzzy indie pop and is a masterclass in storytelling in its simplest and catchiest form. Follow up single ‘Boyfriend’ continues with the themes of love, longing and relationships and how it can all make you go a bit crazy. Put simply, Best Coast are likely to appeal to anyone with a heart who has ever longed for, lusted after, loved or lost. To transport yourself from the cold, rainy depression of winter to the searing heat of an Orange County summer, buy your tickets now.--DC
Best Coast. Razzmatazz—December 17th
Name a cool ginger singer. Go on, we bet you can’t. Mick Hucknall? Geri
Halliwell? Tiffany? Not easy is it? But wait, here come Two Door Cinema
Club with their freckly faced frontman Alex Trimble and suddenly it rocks to
be a redhead. Gingers everywhere must be offering silent prayers of thanks.
Ok, so their cherubic wee faces might make you look old by comparison, but like
all good pop bands, they make you feel like a teenager. When they get it right, their
sound is pure jump up and down, ‘beat you to the dancefloor’ euphoria that quite
simply reeks of teen spirit.
Hailing from Northern Ireland, the electro-indie three-piece got together in 2007
and later jacked in university places to sign to the French label Kitsuné. Their debut
album Tourist History was released earlier this year and their live shows have been
packed to the gills with skinny jeans wearing-lovlies and record industry types
wishing they’d signed them. However, despite positive reviews, it’s fair to say that
Two Door Cinema Club are a singles band. ‘Undercover Martyn’ is their finest
moment to date; a joyous, short, sharp, shock of a pop record with a bouncy sing-
a-long chorus, plinky plonk keys and angelic vocals. If ever there was a soundtrack
for your next drunken liaison in the darkest corners of Razzmatazz, this is it.--NY
Two Door Cinema Club. Razzmatazz—December 10th
Everyone loves a good rags-to-riches story and they don’t get much better than this. The daughter of a Sri Lankan political activist, Mathangi Arulpraga-sam (aka M.I.A) survived a civil war, became a refugee in South London and
only got accepted into art college after threatening to become a prostitute. It’s safe to say that this girl wasn’t exactly born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
A gifted artist, M.I.A. once flogged one of her paintings to Jude Law at an exhibi-tion on London’s Portobello Road before swapping her paintbrush for a micropho-ne. The change of career has brought nominations for Academy Awards, Grammys and the Mercury Music Prize and if that wasn’t enough, she now has her own record label, dabbles in fashion and has funded school building projects in Liberia.
When she’s not trying to save the world, the refugee icon is out touring it. Her electro rap ballads consistently get belted out to sell-out crowds; the reason being, if you haven’t already guessed, this girl is good. In her destructive raps you’ll find melodic vocals but harsh lyrics that tackle poverty, violence and globalisation from the point of view of the Third World.
If you go and see her (and you should), expect a thunderous reception for ‘Paper Planes’ which even your mum will recognise from the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire. You’ll know it when you hear it; it’s the one with all the gunshots and the pinging cash registers that rattled round your head for weeks after you first heard it.
A feriously talented individual, this left-of-centre ‘anti-pop’ star will leave you inspired, provoked and unable to dance to anything else.--DC
M.I.A. Razzmatazz—December 7th
30-33 LIVE.indd 33 11/24/10 2:08:19 PM
Arts
34 ON
When you take in the Mariscal exhibition at La Pedrera it occurs to you that, like Andy Warhol before him, Mariscal, it seems, finds it hard to turn down work of any kind. Indeed the difference between
commercial work and personal art has been blurred in the mass production on show here. La Pedrera has been turned into a shrine that worships at the feet of Javier Errando Mariscal.
As you walk in you’re immediately confronted with 1,500 sketches. Large sheets of Keith Haring-esque characters, doodles and drawings hang from the ceiling. Mariscal’s prolificity hits you physically as you walk through the panels to the other rooms. Round the corner you’re confronted by ‘Wall of Letters’, a large, 3D installment made from cardboard, wallpaper and wood and it’s here you grasp Mariscal’s talent with typography. His ‘Barcelona Alphabet’ is a beautifully realised, hand-drawn piece that displays his masterly way with the pen.
Here you can also get an idea of the range of projects Mariscal’s vast port-folio covers. Walk around walls of magazine covers for titles as diverse as The New Yorker and El País Seminal, digest the designs for H&M bags and post-ers for Bancaja, take in the fabric patterns and the illustrated recipe books. Everyone has to pay the bills but for me the most charming works on show are the ones without a brand attached. His cutlery for the El País office or the Mariscal loo brushes left me a bit cold. On the other hand his utterly charming dioramas or the naïve but delightful ‘Dusk in the Pine Grove with Vespa’ were far and away the most beguiling pieces. These cardboard cut-outs on small, basic sets shown against simple soundtracks, cajole you into thinking Maris-cal might be more than just a money-hungry, jack of all trades.
You leave feeling the man can turn his hand to anything and he does, frequently. But, if designing napkins for fancy hotel chains leaves him enough financial freedom to make pieces like ‘Full Moon Night’ then all the better I say. Can you really begrudge an artist who seems to be actually making a suc-cessful living these days? You could argue, as Warhol once did, even depart-ment stores are museums these days.--KM
Mariscal a la Pedrera La PedreraUntil January 30th, 2011
To compare Spanish artist Guillermo Carrion and Italo Calvino could be overstretching things a little but both Carrion and Calvino use the city as a metaphor for human nature and as a theme within which to explore the
microcosmic layering of human existence. The city, to both the writer and artist is an alluring entry point from which to question what it is like to be human. Cities to them are intricate webs where every walk of life is visible and every dream and nightmare a possibility.
Carrion is a Madrid-born artist and he makes what his gallery is calling post-graffiti art. A dweller and voyeur in some of the world’s most important cities, he trained at the exclusive Cooper Union school in New York, which gives you an idea of the talent that lies behind this man’s creations. This is a solo show but most of the pieces were previously shown in a group exhibition with Barnstormers, the sprawling collective of which he is a founding member. The opening at the Joshua Liner Gallery in New York got a lot of people excited not least because it gathered a significant amount of work by the Tokyo/New York-based group in one place but because it included work from artists considered to be the best in their fields.
Alone, Carrion’s art carries no less of an impact. The Montana gallery will feature his 3D city pieces for which he is becoming famous for; the demi-god be-nefactor Charles Saatchi has shown interest. A seemingly new style, his works mix sculpture and painting with layers of foam, paint and colour. His cities are full of the detritus of all cities; taxis, shop fronts, graffitied walls. His play on perspective gives you a birds-eye view whilst remaining on the ground.
If you’ve ever lived in a city, you will no doubt have been hit by the sheer hea-ving vitality of the place at some point. Whether it was New York, Berlin or Rome, all cities carry with them an influential force that makes you wonder from time to time how it can be sticking together as one relatively harmonious piece. It is little wonder that writer and artist alike continue to be inspired by the metropolis. They are bursting, literally overflowing with inspirational sights.--KM
Las Ciudades VisiblesMontana Gallery
December 10th until February 5th
www.montanagallerybarcelona.com
34-35 ARTS.indd 52 11/24/10 2:09:15 PM
FIND FULL DETAILS OF CURRENT EXHIBITIONS ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM
QUICK PIC(K)S
1. Col·lectiva 10 d’artEspai Cultural FrancolíDecember 2nd to December 31stwww.teresarius.com
2. Drap-ArtVarious venuesDecember 17th to January 9thwww.drapart.org
3. Ciència i Caritat al descobertMuseu PicassoUntil February 20thwww.bcn.cat/museupicasso
4. Catalitzadors. Accions reversiblesArts Santa MònicaDecember 18th to April 3rdwww.artssantamonica.cat
SOME OF THE ART SHOWS ON NOW IN BARCELONA
32
1
3
4
ON 35
WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE
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TEACHER TRAINING COURSESCELTA, CELTYL, CELTYL EXTENSION, DELTA, BUSINESS, DOSs, TRAINERS, MANAGERS, TRANSLATORS, YOUNG LEARNERS
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WIDE RANGE OF TEACHER TRAINING AND SPANISH COURSES ALSO AVAILABLE ON-LINE
ALSO: ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, CHINESE COURSES, STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMMES & TRANSLATION SERVICES
C/Trafalgar 14, 08010 Barcelona. Spain93 268 45 11 [email protected] www.ihes.com
WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE
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IH BCN Metropolitan Advert Febrero 2010.pdf 12/2/10 14:08:11
34-35 ARTS.indd 53 11/24/10 2:09:18 PM
A league of their own
READ THE FOOD AND DRINK BLOG ON OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST GOURMET NEWS AND REVIEWS: WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLITAN.COM
Pared down design and all-day appeal make this café a winner for Tara Stevens.
By Tara Stevens.
Federal Café, for all its simplicity, has been the surprise open-
ing of 2010, and arguably one of the hottest. It’s the creation of
Christopher King and Tommy Tang who previously owned Papa
Bubble, the sweet shop in the Barri Gòtic which they sold a couple of
years ago. They’ve been dreaming up this Sydney-style café ever since
and what a welcome arrival it is. One can only imagine it is going to
transform the fortunes of Sant Antoni.
From its corner perch on Parlament with Comte Borrell it opens
into a cool, clean space of geometric lines, blonde wood fl oors and
charcoal grey walls. A large communal dining table dominates the
middle of the room, decked with sculptural fl ower arrangements by
the same girl who does the fl owers at the Hotel Arts and fl oor-to-
ceiling windows which open directly onto the street to create natty,
one-person banquettes, where you can sit, tray at your side and watch
the world go by.
Upstairs, there is more seating and table arrangements: some low
slung and slouchy, others more sit-down formal and a staircase that
leads to a smart, lushly planted roof terrace. Already it’s a massive
hit with the yummy mummys of the barrio, who come with the kids
at the weekend, or for a latte after the mid-week school run. People
like me turn up with their laptops (free WiFi) mid-morning and treat
it like a second offi ce.
The fact that Barcelona doesn’t yet have anywhere quite like it (I’m
sure the copycats won’t be far behind) adds to the allure, especially
since it’s at its busiest in the morning, fi lling what has, until now, been
a bit of a breakfasting void. It’s a place to linger over your coffee with
a useful stack of work-avoidance glossies (Architectural Digest, Wall-
paper*, Vogue) and the Spanish newspapers (El País, La Vanguardia,
El Periódico) absorbed over cast-iron pots of baked eggs topped with
spinach and mushrooms, pancetta and a dollop of crème fraiche, or a
dish of homemade baked beans sprinkled with dukkah the Egyptian
dry mix of seeds, nuts, herbs and spices.
When breakfast is better than dinner, you know you’re onto a win-
ner. But this place is all about multi-tasking and the options for light,
festive indulgence are seemingly endless: a cup of tea with a toasted
lemon and poppy seed Madeleine in the afternoon after Christmas
shopping, a civilised salad for a quiet lunch, or an early evening drink
with the girls after work. There are cocktails you see—rose martinis,
honeysuckle daiquiris, lemon gimlets—which must surely have been
created with the ladies in mind and a short, nicely put together wine
list showcasing interesting rather than crowd-pleasing bottles, much
of it available by the glass.
So it is that one lazy afternoon when I fi nd myself with not a great
deal to do, tea and cupcakes soon turn into cocktails and dinner. The
music turns jazzy and mellow, the lights dim and it’s all too comfort-
able to leave. Besides, my friend has spotted somebody else’s burger
and refuses to leave until he gets one too. We order it with a side of
potato wedges tossed in truffl e oil as, after all, it is nearly Christmas.
When it comes it’s big—too big to comfortably cram in my mouth—
very juicy, and bleeding beetroot juice. Beetroot and burgers seems
to be very much an Aussie thing and an innovation I’d argue gives
many of the better burgers around town a run for their money. I have
a posher rack of lamb with a pistachio tapenade, which is pleasingly
pink and herby and picks up the nutty sweetness of the pistachios
brilliantly. A bright carrot, kalamata olive and feta salad comes on
the side.
With breakfast costing between 3 and 6, salads around 4.70, burg-
ers 9.50, and mains around 11.50 this is one local eatery I can see I’m
going to be spending a lot of time in. Happy Christmas everyone.
36 GASTRONOMY
Federal CaféParlament 39
Tel. 93 187 3607www.federalcafe.es
Open Tues-Thurs 8am-10pm Fri and Sat until 1am
Sun 9am-5.30pm Approx €20 for 2 courses and a glass or two of wine
36-37. food & drink option1.indd 56 11/24/10 2:49:02 PM
GASTRONOMY 37
RECIPE
• 400g wild boar, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 small glass Malága Sack wine (substitute red
wine for a less sweet result)
• 2 Figueres onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp freshly ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked pimentón
• 3 large strips orange peel
• Juice of half an orange
• 3 tbsp plump, Moscatel raisins
• 3 cubes bitter chocolate (85 percent cocoa is best)
• 4 tbsp peeled, chopped tomatoes (or canned)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Alpujarran Wild Boar Stew
By Tara Stevens
Toss the meat in the wine and set aside. Sweat the on-
ions and garlic in olive oil over a low heat until they
are sweet and caramelised (for at least 20 minutes).
Stir in the cumin and the pimentón and remove the
onion mix from the pan. Next, drain the boar reserv-
ing the wine and brown it in the same pan that held
the onions. When it is nicely coloured, return the on-
ions to the pan, add the raisins, orange peel, and or-
ange juice and stir in the reserved wine. Cook for 10
minutes. Then add the chocolate and tomatoes. Season
and stir well to ensure the chocolate has melted. Leave
to stew over a low heat for three to four hours (adding
a splash of water now and then if it starts to dry out).
Before serving check for seasoning, sprinkle with the
chopped parsley and serve on a pile of aligot (garlicky
mashed potatoes).
This wild boar stew is rich and festive and was created
when I was invited to watch a show that Rick Stein,
the British television chef, was filming at a friends
house in Andalucia. Unfortunately, the night before
the shoot my friend got sick and asked if I could knock
something up that he could then replicate on camera
the next day. Fortunately it turned out rather well.
Wild boar is very tough, so the longer you cook this,
the better it will be.
36-37. food & drink option1.indd 57 11/24/10 2:49:05 PM
Genevieve McCarthy is the CEO of Madrid-based Cellar Tours.
We got together for a pre-Christmas blow-out at Embat recent-
ly where we tucked into a great value tasting menu of pancetta
wrapped scallops on celery puree and rich duck canelones, pigeon three
ways (liver pate, roast legs, pan fried breasts) and slow-braised veal
jowls with Llanega mushrooms. It’s not exactly light, but it’s easy to see
why chefs Fidel Puig and Santi Rebés say autumn and winter are their
favourite times for cooking.
Tell me about your business. Why Spain?
Spain has incredibly diverse wine country from volcanic vineyards in
the Canary Islands to unique slate soils in the chic Priorat region, to
sun-baked flatlands in the centre of the country where the native Tem-
pranillo grape (called Tinta Fino in Ribera del Duero) thrives. My fa-
vourites at the moment are the red Mencía based wines of Bierzo (great
value, old vines, balanced acidity and not over the top alcohol levels) and
white Godello, especially from Valdeorras, which is a kind of underdog
to Albariño but gaining more popularity all the time.
And your lunch choice?
Embat is a refreshing surprise. Barcelona can be so painfully aware of
its coolness, so it is nice to be served inspired dishes in a friendly setting
without “airs”. I think it’s a great lunch venue, especially for Saturdays
when you can blow three hours sitting at the table sipping wine and
sharing the dishes. My favourite dish today was the dessert (rosemary
soup with lemon ice cream). It’s amazing how the flavours worked to-
gether and the fresh herbiness has totally pepped me up!
What are we drinking?
Vallegarcía Viognier is a very interesting wine made by the terrific Pago
de Vallegarcía (www.vallegarcia.com) wine estate in the Montes de
Toledo area in central Spain. It is not unlike a good Rhone Condrieu,
with aromas of apricots and white flowers and a delicious, long citrussy
mouthful. I’m impressed to see it on Embat’s list, as production of this
wine is limited.
Any other Barcelona recommendations?
I love Fonda Gaig for its comfort food, stellar service and relaxed yet
elegant ambience. Breakfast at Pinotxo in the Boqueria isn’t much of
a secret, but it is always fun. I love their garbanzos and morcilla with a
glass of cava.
EmbatMallorca 304
Tel. 93 458 0855
www.restaurantembat.es
Tue-Fri 1pm-3.30pm, Sat 2pm-3.30pm, Thurs-Sat 9pm-11pm
Weekly lunch menu e20. Tasting menu e34 and e42
Lunch with...Tara Stevens has a lunch date with some of the city’s most dedicated foodies, this month: Genevieve McCarthy, CEO of Cellar Tours. www.cellartours.com
“
38 GASTRONOMY
38 Lunch with.indd 42 11/23/10 4:30:05 PM
Gourmet dining in Gràcia
It may not have been open long but the word is already out about Gut in the bohemian area of Gràcia. The reason? Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen specialises in Mediterranean cuisine with an international twist. From prawn and mango curry to beef entrecote served with fluffy mash and leeks braised in honey and soy sauce, there’s an eclectic array of dishes on the menu, including several options cooked with love for vegetarians. New for the autumn are deliciously nutty quinoa and tofu hamburgers and Indonesian tamales. Sweet-toothed pudding lovers should take note too as special attention is paid to the home-made desserts, so much so that the chocolate and mascarpone pie already has its own fan club.
Secondly, there’s Gut’s attention to detail and the friendly, respectful service. And then there’s the restaurant itself. The clean, white decor and sunny dining room make it the ideal place to pop by for breakfast, lunch or a cup of tea and a cake. At night, the lights do down, while at weekends, the atmosphere changes with a surprising combination of lighting scenarios and great music. 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/Perill,13 t:93 186 6360 [email protected]
main pages - Dec 10 .indd 3 11/23/10 12:12:13 PM
C/Planeta 37 (Pl. del Sol) I L6 and L7 Fontana and Gràcia I Tel. 93 518 7151 I [email protected] Mon-Fri 8am-4pm and 5pm-8.30pm, Sat 10am-4pm and 6pm-10.30pm
4advertisers’ directory
NEWIN F&D
� Under 20 / � � 20-30 / � � � 30-40 / � � � � Over 40 /rv reservation Advised /4new restaurant in food & drink
Food&Drink
C/Muntaner 7 | Universitat | Tel. 93 453 6445www.7sinsbar.com | Mon-Fri 11am-3am, Sat-Sun 6pm-3am | RV
Bar
Bar - Live Music
7 SinS Bar anD Lounge4EIXAMPLE E
New food menu with an even bigger se-lection of American-style burgers, includ-ing chicken fillet and vegetarian options. Tasty tapas accompanied by one of our 7 beers on draught or 7 deadly cocktails for the ladies…? Entertainment every week-end in the basement club bar where you will find local & international DJs as well as live music acts. A great pre-club venue to get your weekend started. Big screen sports events over 2 floors. All Champions League games. Join them on Facebook “7 Sins Barcelona” to receive info on weekly events. �
Margarita BLue 4BARRI GÒTIC
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” kitch-en, 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 alter-nate between theatre and performance art. �
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
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. �
Bagels
SanD Bar4EIXAMPLE E
Looking for somewhere new to watch the match or hear good music? Try the Sandbar.
Owned by a British couple, the sports and music bar opened in June 2010. Serving delicious Thai and European cuisine they have plans to hold comedy, jazz and live music nights. Happy Hour 5pm-7pm. �
Join them on facebook, www.facebook.com/sandbarbcn or check out their website: www.sandbarbcn.com
C/Paris, 38 | Entença-Hospital ClinicTel. 934 190 512 | www.sandbarbcn.com Open every day 12pm-3am
Moll de Mestral 6-7, Port Olimpic I L4 Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica
DreaM4PoRT 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. �
Concepción Arenal, 213 | Fabra I PuigTel. 93 312 0358
MichaeL’S tavern4SAnT AndREu
Located off the Paseo de Fabra i Puig, this traditional pub offers a huge selection of imported bottle and draft beers from all over the world, including Hoegaarden, Franziskaner, Leffe and Pilsner Urquell.
Whether you are visiting the area or live in the neighbourhood, this bar offers a warm atmosphere. They have a large section of tapas, sandwiches and burgers. There is also a fixed menu which includes drinks. �
Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 44 11/24/10 2:50:53 PM
café – ice cream Shop
gran PariS 4EIXAMPLE E
Discover the serene setting of Restaurant Gran Paris where the chefs invite you to sample luxurious Catalan cuisine. From the traditional, simple dish of baclao (Catalan cod) to the more complex, there is more than enough choice to satisfy your taste buds for the Mediterranean. The three separate rooms allow for a comfortable ambience suitable both for lavish meetings or family gatherings. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. ��
C/ Muntaner 182 I 08036 Barcelona Hospital Clínic, FGC Provença
Tel. 93 363 5252 / 93 363 5253 I Fax. 93 321 [email protected] I www.granparis.comEvery day 1pm-3.30pm and 8.30pm-11.30pm
FOOD & DRINK 41
catalan
hungarian Delicatessen
C/Lepant 311 | Sagrada Familia | Tel. 93 433 5709 | www.paprikagourmet.com Mon-Sat 7am-9pm Closed Sun
PaPrika gourMet4EIXAMPLE d
Paprika Gourmet, Barcelona’s first Hungarian delicatessen is a treasury of culinary experi-ences, the shop window a quintessence of Hungarian cuisine. It is conveniently located a block away from the Sagrada Familia. It offers a wide range of salamis, cheeses, jams, honeys and chocolates all in a warm, welcoming environment. In the morning you can have an appetising breakfast with coffee and during the day you can enjoy the delicious “tapas a la húngara” with a glass of wine. Be our guest and taste the world of Paprika Gourmet! �
to advertise in this section, please call 93 4514486 or email [email protected]
Food&Drink
nit BorBo4BARCELonETA
A fantastic bar located on Passeig de Borbó heading down to- wards the beach with lots of comfortable seating inside ideal for groups of friends. You can also relax with your favourite cocktails on the terrace which has great views of Port Vell. �
Passeig de Borbó, 51 I Barceloneta
Joan Llongueras, 5 I L5 Hospital clinic I Tel. 93 362 0413
Be cooL4SARRIÀ
BeCool offers a great mix of Electronic, Indie & Rock music from Thursday to Saturday with a regular line up of live concerts by local & international artists. Main Room: Electro & Techno. Sala Redrum: Indie Electro Rock. �
cara BeLa4BARCELonETA
Cara Bela has one of the sunniest terraces on Port Vell with fantas-tic views of the Barcelona head sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein. They offer great sandwiches and tapas as well as freshly squeezed fruit juices and smoothies. �
Pas de Soto Muralla, 3 I Barceloneta I Tel. 697 152 215 I Mon-Sun 10am-2am
BarravaL 4RAvAL
Located in the heart of the Raval quarter, Barraval offers great Mediterranean and Catalan cuisine alongside a trendy at-mosphere and great cocktails. Taste our new ‘Tapas and Platillos’ menu. You can also stop at the bar for a great cocktail and listen to soul, jazz, Latin and R&B music played by resident DJs. Private rooms are available for groups, parties and special events. Every Wednesday we have ‘After Office’ - enjoy a special complimentary chef’s dish when order-ing a drink. Weekend Lunch Special: Paella Menu for �15. ��
C/Hospital, 104 (Rambla del Raval) Liceu / Sant Antoni | Tel. 93 329 8277
609 221 400 | Wed-Sat 7.30pm-2.30am, Sat-Sun open at 1pm for lunch | RV
art i Sa4BARRI GÒTIC
Natural and organic delicatessen, café and ice cream shop. • Fantastic selection of the most typical Catalan products, made in the most traditional and natural way. • Perfect as a treat for yourself, or a gift for a loved one.• Choose from a selection of different crêpes, sandwiches, cakes and natural ice cream for a truly original experience. �
C/Colom 2 (Plaça Real) | Liceu | Tel. 93 186 3623 www.artisa.es | Every day 10am-10pm
Cinebar
Plaza Cardona 4
Carrer Paris 200
Tel. 651 970 971
93 002 2300
Ever wished you could
share Barcelona cocktails
with Audrey Hepburn or
Humphrey Bogart? Now you can.
The newly opened CINEBAR in Plaza Cardona is a
magnet for fi lm fans and the good news is, there’s
another branch opening on C/Paris, 200 (with C/
Enric Granados) this month.
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. All fi lms are
screened as a backdrop with subti tles so you can
also enjoy the carefully selected music from the
Thirti es to the Sixti es.
While you’re there, enjoy a ‘cine sandwich’ made
from a selecti on of rusti c breads, a movie-themed
salad, fresh juices, smoothies, proper Italian coff ee
or, of course, a cocktail.
Cinebar is the perfect locati on for your events,
from projecti ons and mini fi lm festi vals to swanky
soirées. So whether it’s a Marti ni – shaken not
sti rred – that you’re aft er or a Champagne cocktail,
you’ll fi nd it at Cinebar. Here’s looking at you kid.
screened as a backdrop with subti tles so you can
screened as a backdrop with subti tles so you can
screened as a backdrop with subti tles so you can
screened as a backdrop with subti tles so you can
V.O.sV.O.s
VOS Bar Dec 2010.indd 1 11/2/10 12:25:47 PM
v.o.s cineBar4SARRIÀ & EIXAMPLEEver 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 | GràciaCarrer Paris 200 | Diagonal Tel. 651 970 971 / 93 002 2300 | Open 1pm-11pm
NEWIN F&D
Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 45 11/24/10 2:51:00 PM
anDú4JAuME 1
Andú offers an escape from Barcelona’s mayhem, without sacri-ficing the fun. The cool music and relaxed vibe draws a diverse and bohemian crowd making it a warm and spirited bar full of animated locals enjoying a great wine list and classic Spanish tapas, including fantastic Catalan cheeses and hams. �
C/ del Correo Viejo I Jaume 1 I Tel. 64 655 3930 Mon-Sun 6pm-2.30am
42 FOOD & DRINK
Plaça Catalunya 21 | Catalunya | Tel. 93 270 2305 | www.hardrock.com/barcelona | Restaurant: Sun-Thurs 12am-2am, Fri, Sat and hol eves 12am-3am | Rock Shop: Sun-Thurs 10am-1.30am, Fri, Sat and hol eves 10am-2am
harD rock caFe4CIuTAT vELLA
Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona offers an inspired, creative ambience with incredible rock‘n’roll memorabilia on display. Come and taste authentic American food. Their barbecue entrées slow cooked in the cafe’s hardwood smokers are delicious. Visit the bar to try a premium cocktail and check out the live music and special events on offer. Don’t forget to stop at the Rock Shop for fine, classic, cotton T-shirts or a collectable Hard Rock pin. �
Celebrate NEW YEAR’S EVE in a true ROCK STAR fashion!Special Christmas lunch and dinner menu.For reservations, call: +34 93 270 23 05 or email: [email protected]
international
Moti MahaL4RAvALConveniently 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 avail-able. 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.comEvery day 12pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | Closed Tues Lunch | RV
indian - hindu
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
govinDa (vegetarian)4BARRI GÒTIC
A restaurant veteran for 24 years, Gov-inda specialises in vegetarian Indian cuisine. The international menu features talis, a salad bar, natural juices, lassis, pizzas and crêpes. It offers a vegan-friendly, non-alcoholic and authentically decorated environment with lunch and weekend menus. �
C/Bruniquer 26 | Plaça Joanic Tel. 93 210 7056 | Tues-Sun 1pm-4pm, 8pm-11.30pm
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. �
SuShi Box
This great new sushi take-away has two locations in the city which offer free de-livery for all orders over �25. They have a wide selection of Japanese cuisine including various vegetarian options. All food is freshly prepared to order in a beautiful artisan Japanese style. Impress your guests at home or in the office. �
C/Rosselló, 317 I Hospital Clinic C/Galileu, 246 I Les Corts I Tel. 93 116 [email protected] I [email protected] 7.30pm-11pm I Wed-Sun 12.30pm-4pm and 7.30pm-11pm
C/Perill, 13 I Diagonal Tel. 93 186 6360 I [email protected]
gut4GRÀCIA
Firstly there’s the food. Using only the finest quality ingredients, the kitchen spe-cialises 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. �
French – catalan
C/ París196 | Diagonal, FGC ProvençaTel. 93 218 2678 Every day 1pm-3.30pm and 8.30pm-11.30pm
Petit PariS 4EIXAMPLE E
Lose yourself in Paris in the heart of Barcelona. Petit Paris offers a romantic setting like a black and white movie. This restaurant offers a unique twist with its menu, which combines both French and Catalan cuisine. The house specialities are foie gras, langoustines served with espardenyes and potatoes and crêpes suzette. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. ��
Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 46 11/24/10 2:51:05 PM
vegetarianMexican
take-away
C/Sabateret 4 I Jaume I Tel. 93 315 2093 [email protected] I www.pimpamplats.comEvery day 1pm-12am
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. �
thai thai4EIXAMPLE EThai Thai restaurant invites you to taste and enjoy traditional Thai food with tropical ingredients from Thailand prepared by Thai chefs. They specialise in all kinds of Thai curries. Thai Thai has created a delicious tasting menu for only �24 and a fresh menu of the day is on offer for �9.50 during the week. �
C/Diputació 91 | Urgell | Tel. 620 938 059 | www.thaithai.es C/Princep Jordi, 6 | España | Tel. 663 126 398 | Every day 1pm-4pm,8pm-12am | RV
vietnamese
C/ Regomir , 4 I Jaume 1 I Tel. 93 319 8956 Mon-Sun 6pm-2am I [email protected]
vinDa4JAuME 1
Vinda is a fantastic Mexican bar and restaurant that is famous for its amazing margaritas, daiquiris and mojitos. Located in the heart of the Gothic quarter, they offer an incredible selection of Mexi-can dishes and tapas that will put you in the mood for an unforgettable night out on the town. Ask the barman for cocktail recommendations! �
FOOD & DRINK 43
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
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 tra-dition but come with modern presenta-tion. Try their tasting menu for only �24.90 (+IVA). ��
indian - Modern
to advertise in this section, please call 93 4514486 or email [email protected]
Food&Drink
BunBo vietnaM4BARRI 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
thai
thai
C/ Còrsega 381 | Metro Verdaguer / Girona Tel. 93 459 3591 | www.restaurante-thai-gracia.com Every day 1pm-4pm, 8pm-12am | RV
thai gracia4GRACIA
Expect authentic ingredients all imported from Thailand and cooked by experienced Thai chefs. The Pad Thai and green and yellow curries have excellent subtle fl a-vours. Simply delicious! The special tast-ing 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/Diputació 164 | Urgell | Tel. 93 454 8613 www.amalteaygovinda.com | Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, Mon-Sat 8.30pm-11.30pm, Closed Sun
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. �
Food & drink_Dec10 .indd 47 11/24/10 2:51:09 PM
Hairdressers
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Marketplace Services Directory
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Education
Services
Business
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To advertise in this section, call: 93 451 44 86 or email: [email protected] also our online directory at www.barcelona-metropolitan.com
Hairdressers 44
Fashion 44
Health & Beauty 44
Bodywork/Massage 44-45
Dentists 45
Doctors 45
Veterinarian 45
Pharmacy 45
Chiropractors 46
Psychologists / Psychotherapists 46-47
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Job Opportunities 55-56
Health & beauty
44-49 Dec.indd 44 11/29/10 1:29:23 PM
English DentistDr. Nicholas JonesBDSLDSRCS Col. No 4090
General & Cosmetic dentistryOrthodonticsImplants & Tooth whiteningSmile makeoversDiagonal 281(Sagrada familia L5/Monumental L2) Tel. 93 265 80 70 / Mob. 607 332 335
FREE CHECK-UPS
Open Monday to Saturday
Dentists
Leila Catherine Onbargi, M.D.OBSTETRICS and GYNECOLOGY
American Board Certified
Fellow, American College OB/GYNDiplomate American Board of OB/GYN
ENGLISH • SPANISH • FRENCH
Centro Medico Teknon
C/Vilana, 12 • consulta 161Barcelona • Tel: 93 393 3161
Email: [email protected]/consultorio/onbargi
Doctors
Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing 45
English DoctorDr. 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 HealthExtensive range of primary care services
Access to all medical specialists/investigations
GOOG Lmedicalcentre
Tel 93 330 2412 • Mobile 627 669 524Email: [email protected]
Gran Via Carles III nº-37-39 08028 Barcelona Les Corts
Veterinarian Pharmacy
44-49 Dec.indd 45 11/29/10 1:29:26 PM
Chiropractors
Psychologists / Psychotherapists
Jonathan Lane HookerPsychotherapist, Counsellor, Coach and GuideJonathan Lane HookerPsychotherapist, Counsellor, Coach and Guide
Jonathan Lane HookerPsychotherapist, Counsellor, Coach and Guide
Help and support with:
• Lack of Energy or Low Self-Esteem• Expat Issues and Adapting to Change• 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
www.jonathanhooker.comRead more about Jonathanand the above issues at
[email protected] TEL 93 590 7654 MOB 639 579 646
• Changing Unhelpful or Destructive Habits or Patterns of Behaviour
20 MINFREE
INTRODUCTORYMEETING
46 Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing
Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture
Life Coaching
44-49 Dec.indd 46 11/29/10 1:29:28 PM
Nick CrossReg. psychologist no. 17158
(Col·legi Oficial de Psicòlegs de Catalunya)
Tel. 644 193 825e.mail [email protected]
Psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy can provide effective
treatment for:• anxiety & fears• depression• problems adjusting• relational difficulties• loss• trauma• neuroses
PsychologistPsychotherapist
Manuel Isaías López, MD, PhDChild and Adolescent
Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst686 991 742
Anna Jansen MADance Movement
Therapist657 183 542
Donna DeWitt MAPerformance &
Sport Psychologist607 636 246
Jill Jenkins PsyDChild Clinical &
School Psychologist935 041 690
Claudia Ros Tusquets MAClinical Psychologist& Psychotherapist
934 102 962 / 657 570 692
Network of English Speaking Therapists
Vera M. Hilb MAClinical Psychologist &Psychotherapist, EMDR
667 584 532
Emma Judge MALicensed Counselor
Psychologist639 041 549
Peter ZelaskowskiUKCP Registered Psychotherapist
628 915 040
Maria Sideri, MScPsychologist & Dance Movement Therapist
655 162 410
Connie Capdevila Brophy PhDClinical Psychologist& Psychotherapist
934 670 650
www.barcelonanest.comAll NEST professionals are Licensed / Certified English - Spanish - Catalan - Dutch - German - Italian
Established since 2000
Norma Alicia León, PhDClinical Psychologist
Psychoanalyst680 971 468
Psychologists / Psychotherapists
Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing | Home ServiceS 47
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C/CONSULAT DEL MAR 35, 3er BARCELONAt: 0034 678 75 75 11 e: [email protected]
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LIVE CLOSE TO BCN AND AIRPORT IN THE PEACE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE.330 sqm of designer space. Quiet and safe urbanization, all land in the front of the house zoned as parkland.
BEAUTIFUL GREEN VIEWS!The house has 3 bedrooms, a separate in law suite with own entrance, a garden with pool that has a spa waterfall, elevator, 3 car garage, 2 additional parking, central vac, leds in staircases, alarm, 40 sqm roof top terrace, wooden floors, master suite with double showers and sinks, satellite tv (SKY), design fireplace,totally equipped separate gym!!!
CAN BE SOLD FURNISHED
Price: WAS €780 000
NOW €649,000(for more info www.idealista.com ad number vw3165075)MUST BE SEEN!! SELLING FOR RELOCATIONCONTACT PETER
699 581 [email protected]
TORRELLES DE LLOBREGAT
SPECTACULAR HOUSE FOR SALE
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Member of the International Society of Typographic Designers
Contact: Aisling BA in Visual Communication
FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDSContact: Aisling BA in Visual Communication
e: [email protected]: +34 699 260 938
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HOROSCOPEAries This month you are in your comfort zone and everything progresses quickly. Whether you are looking for a job or already have one, you are very concen-trated on work issues.
Taurus This is the moment to free yourself from any excesses you have in your life. A detox before Christmas would be advisable. Get rid of old negative ways of thinking and feeling.
Gemini Everything moves very quickly, but this month you might not feel secure in your love life or perhaps there are problems at home. Be careful of any sudden unexpected expenses.
Cancer It would do you good to pay more attention to the built up tensions in your body; a nice mas-sage would be money well spent. Your dreams will be very active and bring an important message.
Leo You start to fi nd clarity in love and feel more energetic and optimistic. It’s a good month for making important decisions. Try to get your Christmas shopping done before the 12th.
Virgo Family is the centre of attention this month. It is also time to fi nd your inner harmony. There may be changes in your profession through a restructur-ing of the business.
Libra This is a time of opportu-nity. Be ready to work objectively towards your goals and every-thing will go more smoothly. Finding emotional happiness will bring you peace.
Scorpio Your love life is going great, doubts have been resolved, and your partner is there for you and will stop at nothing to please you. If you are alone don’t worry; love will fi nd a way.
Sagittarius Congratulations! It’s the most productive time of the year for you. The cosmos conspires to bring you what you desire. You should look over what you have achieved and give yourself objec-tives for the coming one.
Capricorn You are entering into a moment in your life where you want to reconnect with your spiritual side and you shouldn’t be shy of express-ing this. Now is not the time for mak-ing big plans.
Aquarius You will be very intuitive throughout the month, even more so than usual. You lose interest in the material world and your relationships become more spiritual. Give yourself time to relax.
Pisces This is the time to start new projects as you have a great creative energy inside you. Any building work being done at home could make fam-ily gatherings diffi cult.
O f all the characters in the Catalan Na-
tivity scene, there’s one that everybody
adores. He gives context to the whole
scenario and is the focal point around which all
the other fi gures revolve. At all the stalls selling
Christmas fi gures, he’s the most popular and the
most varied in size and style. No, not the infant
in the crib—although he’s fairly important—but
the little squatting shepherd round the back of
the stable, with his trousers round his ankles
and a proud brown curl of satisfaction on the
ground behind him. If steam could be carved (or
injection moulded), it probably would be.
One question for English speakers is what to
call the little fi gure. In Catalan, he’s the caganer.
One word. One concept. No room for ambigu-
ity. In English, it’s more tricky, given the innate
British reluctance to discuss, or even mention,
things sexual or scatological. (In polite circles,
that is. There are several options in impolite cir-
cles).
The technical term should probably be
‘The Defecator’, which sounds like an early
Schwarzenegger fi lm and doesn’t really do the
fi gure justice. Neither do more colloquial terms.
The most common option rhymes with bitter
and tends to confuse the fi gure with the room
he might be sitting in (if fl ushable plumbing
had been invented). An alternative could be the
name popularised by the inventor of that fl ush-
able plumbing. In which case he would be called
‘The Harrington’—contrary to popular believe,
it wasn’t Thomas Crapper who invented the fi rst
fl ushing toilet, it was John Harrington, godson
to Queen Elizabeth I. Crapper was just a Tommy
come lately of the toilet trade. But having the
name Crapper stamped all over ceramic ware in
the 19th century has certainly added to our lexi-
con. If the same happens here, the Catalan name
for the fi gure (and the action) will soon be Roca:
I’m going for a roca, I need a roca, etc.
With no descriptive word for the squatting
fi gure ready to hand, either canonical or col-
loquial, a euphemism is required. De Floribus
Lexical Origination Services (DeFlos) suggests
‘The Christmas Squatter’ and in the spirit of
seasonal generosity is happy to waive the usual
copyright constraints.
Despite widespread popularity, the Christmas
Squatter is not to all tastes. He is notably ab-
sent from the Nativity façade of the Sagrada Fa-
milia, an omission that can’t be down to Gaudí’s
squeamishness, given the prominence he gives
to slugs and to babies being impaled by centu-
rions. Subirachs would have been less reluctant.
He’s got a full-frontal Christ in pride of place on
the Passion façade, so a discreet squatter would
have been simple.
The squatting fi gure also once failed to make
an appearance at the annual nativity scene
erected in Plaça Sant Jaume in 2005. That year
there was all manner of life-size livestock and
locals, but no squatter.
And no sign of him in the Nativity play, which
is defi nitely a missed opportunity. He could be
the butt of the comedy (quite literally) and an
endless source of digestion-related comedy po-
tential, in a scenario currently lacking decent
laughs. A kind of Baldric meets the Bible, with
added scatology. Plus an effective deterrent to
bad behaviour in the classroom:
“Do that again, Jordi, and you’ll be playing
the squatter in the nativity play.”
“Oh no, Miss! Not again!”
What is surprising about the Christmas
Squatter is that he exists at all. If anyone tried
to introduce him today, they would be accused of
disrespect, blasphemy even.
So what is he doing there in the fi rst place?
Why have a squatter at all? And why so graphic?
There’s no dung under the donkey, for example.
In theory, the fi gure demonstrates the humdrum
world into which Christ was born. The De Flori-
bus Institute of Theological Studies (DeFits) of-
fers another interpretation: he’s a celebration of
life. After all, there’s nothing like a good squat.
It’s not quite better than sex—at least most days
it isn’t, though there are exceptions. But it’s one
of life’s more reliable pleasures—and certainly
one of the more durable ones. Unchanged since
biblical times and beyond. And certainly worth
celebrating at Christmas, if not all year round.
--Roger de Flower
THE NATIVITY SCENE THIEF
by Nuria Picola www.nuriapicola.com
scoop
By Ben Rowdon
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