Barcelona Metropolitan Issue 169

SECOND CHANCES

THE HUNTING DOGS SAVED FROM DEATH

February 2011 | Nº 169 | Free

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From the editor: Talk of animal rights in Catalunya has recently focused on the bull-fighting debate, attracting international attention for the Generalitat’s decision to outlaw the sport/tradition/torture. However, there are many other stories about animals that receive far less notice. One of these is the fate of galgos, greyhound-like dogs that are used by hunters—as the local hunting season draws to a close this month, Tom Worden reports that some of these dogs will be deemed useless and abandoned by their owners (allegedly in the most appalling way). Tom spoke to Briton Anna Clements who, with her vet husband, rescues as many galgos as they can to make sure that, some of them at least, get a chance at survival. Else-where, Christian Overgaard looks into the consequences of Spaniards’ propensity to download files from the internet while Richard Schweid investigates the latest attempts to make government information more accessible. On a lighter note, check out our pick of this month’s cultural goings-on and take a look at the last in our Street Life series, featuring Plaça Francesc Macià.

Hannah Pennell

rePort14 Rescuing galgos

Features13 Interview: Britt Bohannan Arechiga 18 Freedom of information

22 Internet piracy

26 Street life Plaça Francesc Macià

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 February 2011

Publisher Creative Media Group, S.L. Managing Director Esther Jones Senior Editor Hannah Pennell Editor Katy MacGregor Art Director Aisling Callinan Design Assistants Anna Klein and Ainur Ulan Sales Director Rainer Hobrack Account Executives Richard Cardwell and Lila Videla Sales Assistant Claire MacGrail Financial Assistant Freny Tavadia Editorial Assistants Dylan Clive and Lucy Wright Marketing Coordinator Jade Anglesea Contributors Jonathan Bennett, Lucy Brzoska, Roger de Flower, Edward Hugh, Christian Overgaard, Richard Schweid, Tara Stevens, Nicola Thornton and Tom Worden Photographers Melanie Aronson, Lucy Brzoska and Lee Woolcock Cover photo Lee Woolcock Illustrators Kat Cameron and 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.

35. QUICK PICKS—ANETA BADZIAG

Find your nearest distribution Point

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com

33. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR

18. NO RIGHT-TO-KNOW

4. contents PDF.indd 1 1/24/11 3:21:09 PM

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112m2 apartment with views of the Cathedral – Ciutat Vella Open plan kitchen, sunny, large living room, terrace, two en suite double bedrooms. Offered Furnished. Price: €1.850 Ref. 1163

128m2 house enjoying 45m2 terrace on the roof-top – Vila OlímpicaTwo-storey house with living room, eat-in kitchen, two double bedrooms and two bathrooms. Furnished or unfurnished. Price: €2.200 Ref. L0018ba

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JT_Feb 2011.indd 1 1/17/11 1:53:53 PM

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06 YOU THE READER

ForumConnect 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 1/24/11 1:44:33 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

Spain’s avid internet downloaders are having serious knock-on effects on performers and businesses, as reported in our article on page 22. We headed to Plaça Catalunya to ask people for their views on downloading.

ALEX CATUARA, 20AMERICAN

“I DOWNLOAD BUT I BUY CDS AS WELL.”

ANFISA POLYAKOVA, 18RUSSIAN

“EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO ACCESS MUSIC.”

ANNA SCHNAUSS, 24GERMAN

“DOWNLOADING IS GOOD BECAUSE IT HAS EVERYTHING AVAILABLE.”

RAPHAËL SAGLIER , 24FRENCH

“THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO ADAPT.”

PHILIPP COMPLOI, 24AUSTRIAN

“AS A MUSICIAN, LEGAL DOWNLOADING IS GOOD.”

JORDAN MCDONNELL, 25IRISH

“PERFECT FOR UP-AND-COM-ING ARTISTS TO BE HEARD.”

MAGGIE FLYNN, 20AMERICAN

“IT’S BAD FOR THE INDUSTRY BUT I DOWNLOAD.”

JAKOB SIGL, 24AUSTRIAN

“DOWNLOADING LETS YOU BUY MORE MUSIC.”

PAUL-ALEXANDER NICOLAS, 19FRENCH

“IT’S GREAT PUBLICITY FOR ARTISTS.”

6-7. You the reader.indd 7 1/24/11 1:44:42 PM

08 ON THE WEB

Win tickets for ‘An Evening with Jimmy White’The Corporate Partnership have arranged an event where

members of the public can have the opportunity to play against

snooker legend Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White. Spectator tickets cost

€20 and include entry and a free drink. We have a pair of these

tickets up for grabs, giving you a chance to witness the amateurs

try to beat the pro. To enter you simply need to answer the fol-

lowing question: How many red balls are on a snooker table at

the start of play?

Email your answer to: [email protected] by

Thursday 17th February. Remember to leave your contact details

so we can let you know if you’re a lucky winner.

To get in the mood for the competition, read Dylan Clive’s inter-

view with the snooker master at www.barcelona-metropolitan.

com/snooker

The event will be hosted in Bar Coctelería Snooker (C/ Roger

de Lluria, 42) on Monday 21st February from 7.30pm. If you

would like to purchase a ticket please call 688 206 948 for more

information.

Book festival BCNegraIf you like your reading material to verge on the dark side then

look no further than these two. David Peace and RJ Ellory are

masters of crime writing and we swapped emails ahead of their

appearance at annual detective-fi ction festival BCNegra. They’re

due to take to the stage alongside fellow British writer Craig

Russell on February 2nd, 4pm, at La Capella (C/ de l’Hospital 56).

To read our interviews with Peace and Ellory, head to www.

barcelona-metropolitan.com/crimewriters

David Peace; Photo by Naoya Sunuki

Interview: That Girl With the Dark Eyeswww.barcelona-metropolitan.com/darkeyes

RJ Ellory

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We often start the year

with intent to change some

aspect of our life, however

by February, our will can be

fading fast. With this in mind,

our ‘Ask the Expert’ feature

for February and March

is with Jonathan Hooker

who specialises in helping

others to create change and

benefit from it. This whole

field of Personal Develop-

ment or Personal Growth is

often misunderstood. Jonathan specialises in helping people with

issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, anger, lack

of direction or feeling lost, addictions or difficulty adjusting to

being here in a foreign environment. Jonathan is a Psychotherapist,

Management Consultant, writer and Board member of a Ghana-

based NGO working to help children grow up in loving families. He

works with individuals, couples and families, and helps organisa-

tions to define and achieve change. These two areas meet at the

point of coaching professionals and teams, and students through

their courses.

If you have questions about any of these areas, or would like

some guidance on ‘making sense of your life’ or ‘finding more

meaning’, you can email Jonathan at: editorial@barcelona-met-

ropolitan.com

ON THE WEB 09

Smoking ban—ReactionWe’re a month into the new, tougher smoking ban and to

gauge the general reaction, we went out and joined the

newly-evicted smokers on the street to ask them what

they think of the change to the law and if it’s made them

more tempted to quit. We also spoke to Tabac owners,

like Juaci Corral, pictured, about whether they’ve experi-

enced a decrease in sales. Go to www.barcelona-metro-

politan.com/smokingban to see what they had to say.

Ask the expert

flights holidays hotels more

Conditions apply. *Available to buy

everyone must go!

the uk

one way, inc taxes

from

fly to

30€

8-9. web this month.indd 9 1/25/11 12:59:54 PM

main pages - Dec 10 .indd 9 11/17/10 11:39:43 AM

Gulls at work and play

Money talk

So Leo Messi and not Xavi Hernandez or

‘Don’ Andres Iniesta won this year’s Ballon

d’Or award. An insult to Spain or a tribute

to Argentina? I really don’t know, but what I do

know is that one prominent culé, who also dou-

bles up as Spain’s Prime Minister, didn’t have to

decide whether to laugh or cry, since he was busy

at the time with other matters.

In fact Mr Zapatero was preparing what is

surely a path-breaking interview with the Financial

Times, in which he offered a glimpse into the

hidden details of his 2011 agenda. On the table

are a further attempt at labour market reform,

a new and much larger bailout for the troubled

caixes/cajas, and a major reform of the devolution

system which regulates the country’s autonomous

communities.

There was only one snag: he described to

the international press, and through it to the

international investment community, a series of

proposals he had still to mention to the people

who actually voted (or didn’t) him into office. In

so doing he simply underlined what was already

evident to most informed observers, namely that

it is no longer possible to take any significant

decision with financial implications in Madrid

(and thus in Barcelona) without the prior consent

of Brussels, Washington (home to the IMF),

Berlin and Paris. Such is the fate of countries and

governments who have large external debts that

the international markets are no longer willing to

freely finance.

Needless to say, all of this has produced a right

royal row, not least here in Catalunya, where the

Generalitat has not only distinguished itself in

recent years by the size of its fiscal deficit, but

also by its longer term ambition (widely shared

by the majority of Catalans) for a good deal more

autonomy and financial control. This ambition has

effectively been kiboshed by Mr Zapatero’s timely

announcement. He is going to press the rewind

button.

So while we all start to contemplate the

implications of the kind of political punch-up that

might ensue now that the punch bowl has finally

run dry, we should remember, all news is not bad

news: the troubled network of caixes and cajas is

finally going to be given a large injection of public

capital to clean up the toxic part of their bal-

ance sheets. The bad news is that Mr Zapatero’s

government may need a credit line from the IMF

to be able to do it. Ah, well, despite all the auster-

ity at least we’ll still have all those brilliant and

spectacular goals from Leo and company to keep

us entertained.

Wild BarcelonaText and photos by Lucy Brzoska

By Edward Hugh

COLUMNS 11

A yellow-legged gull stood on the

pavement with a dirty sock in its

bill. It returned to the gash in the

rubbish bag and this time plucked out a stale

piece of bread. The gull then flew to a nearby

fountain to soften the hard crust in the wa-

ter. Opportunists and intelligent, in the last

two decades these webbed-footed seafaring

birds have become adept at city living.

For thrusting, raw, bloody nature under our

noses and aggressively blocking access to the

terraces they’ve chosen to nest on, yellow-

legged gulls are often feared and disliked.

They have a cold stare and their powerful

hooked bills, spotted with red, look cruel.

But in flight, they’re an uplifting sight,

especially in the winter months when the

city skies are empty of swifts. You can watch

them from Montjuïc, soaring

in perfect synchrony, smooth-

ly dueting like ice-skaters.

On blustery days they play

games, filching a seed pod

from one of the agave cactus

trees, which they’ll deliber-

ately drop before swooping

down to catch it again.

Lucy Brzoska runs nature

tours in Barcelona and

writes for www.iberianature.

com

Gulls are well-known as scavengers, gath-

ering at rubbish dumps in their thousands,

but Barcelona’s yellow-legs have discovered

another plentiful source of urban food—live

pigeons. A potential victim is singled out and

chased to a state of exhaustion. Watch-

ing these heart-stopping pursuits going on

above us, it’s hard not to root for the pigeon,

twisting and turning, exercising its flight

prowess to the limit. One once took refuge

in my flat: I found it perched nervously on

the table by an open window, while the gull

cruised outside, its piercing eye scanning the

room.

A successful capture is invariably followed

by a gory tug of war, as gulls fight for the

spoils. Their crops are remarkably roomy and

to end the squabble, a gull can gulp down a

sizeable portion of pigeon, feet and all, to be

digested—or regurgitated—later at leisure.

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.

Reflections On a Golden Ball

Yellow-legged gull examines rubbish item by item

Gull braying over the corpse of a pigeon

11 columns PDF.indd 24 1/24/11 1:52:58 PM


Britt came to Barcelona in October 2008 from

her native California. Having won two co-ed

championships (and finished second and third

in several more) on the club racing circuit,

she is hoping to make a return to the sport,

competing in a few races next year at Montmelo.

She has done some freelance test

riding and writing for Solo Moto

magazine and writes a blog:

brittatlarge.wordpress.com

I got my first

motorbike when

I was 26, which is

pretty late for most

people. I started riding

on the racing track one

month later. There was a

big mountain in Southern

California with around 70 turns

on it going up.

My dad was a motorcycle freak

before I was born and was always

trying to get me to take part in sports

biking. Kind of strange to have your dad

say “You should get a motorcycle.” When

I finally got one, I was like: “Dad, why didn’t

you tell me to get one of these before?”

It took a little while to decide, but I started

racing GP125 bikes. Those bikes teach you

about taking corners. People who ride big

bikes tend to rely on speed and horsepower to

get them out of trouble, but at some point you

need technique.

You can’t think about the danger. When

people start out racing, there are usually two

types of personalities: the one who crashes

and never races again, and the one who has a

bad crash and is lying on the ground, unable to

move, saying: “How’s my bike?”. I fall into the

latter category.

I’ve had a lot of surgery. I had a rod in my tibia,

a plate in my clavicle and a pin in my wrist,

although they are all out now. I used to make

such a noise going through airport security.

Like other sports, you go into a zone. You use your

full concentration and it’s really fluid. It’s both mental

and physical. There’s nothing as rewarding as when you

have success in racing, when everything comes together.

At the same time, it can be the scourge of your existence. It can take all your money, it can make you

just want to quit. There are so many variables as to why you won’t finish a race, not start or crash, that have

nothing to do with you. Several times I’ve been taken out because of a mechanical failure and you get no points

because you didn’t finish.

The club racing circuit is a pretty tight community. The people become your friends. Racing with guys has never been an

issue, although two or three times on a track day, which is open to the public, I’ve had guys on their big 1,000cc bikes trying to score

points.

My most memorable race was in 2005. There were three of us racing for the lead. We were going round the corners three astride, pushing

each other with our elbows. It was so exciting. At one point, we lapped the people coming behind us. At the finishing line, there was so much

screaming from the crowd. I came third but it was my favourite race ever. I remember it so clearly.

I love going mountain-biking in the Collserola. You’d think I’d be somewhat competent on those two wheels, but the truth is, I am absolutely

terrible!

Interview by Nicola Thornton. Photo by Lee Woolcock.

Britt Bohannan ArechigaMotorcycle racing enthusiast and writer, US, 37

INTERVIEW 13

13. interview.indd 24 1/24/11 1:24:44 PM

Greyhoundrescue

Anna Clements has been rescuing abused greyhounds for

more than 10 years but each new case is as heartbreaking as

the first. You don’t get used to cruelty of this magnitude.

The word abuse is really an understatement. The dogs are found

hanged by their necks from trees, or with their throats slashed, burned

alive or thrown down deep wells. And, most shockingly, these are not

isolated incidents of cruelty. Every year as the hare coursing season

comes to an end in February, thousands of the dogs, galgos in Castil-

ian, are either abandoned or killed by their owners in rural Spain.

Some of the luckier ones end up being treated by Anna and her

husband Albert Sordé de Uralde at their veterinary surgery in Esplu-

gues de Llobregat, just outside Barcelona. Anna, 41, originally from

Manchester in the UK, and her Catalan husband set up the char-

ity SOS Galgos in 2000 to help rescue the animals and place them

with adoptive families. They live with their two greyhounds, William

Shakespeare and Lisa, in the flat above the Tres Vet surgery, find-

ing new homes around the world for some 350 dogs each year. The

galgos, which are slightly smaller than English greyhounds and mar-

ginally slower, are used in hare coursing around Spain, especially in

the autonomous regions of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla

y León, Madrid and Extremadura. Hare coursing was banned in the

UK in 2005, at the same time as fox hunting, but is widely practised

in Spain, where there are 634 clubs with 14,000 members each own-

ing between five and 20 dogs, according to the Federación Española

de Galgos, which says the blood sport is no longer practised in Cata-

lunya.

Animal rights campaigners say there are up to three million grey-

hounds used in hare coursing around the world. Two galgos compete

against each other pursuing a hare across miles of open countryside

until it is either caught or escapes to a safe refuge. The dogs, followed

by hunters in cars or on horseback, reach speeds of up to 40 miles per

hour and the animal that catches the hare is considered the winner.

The season runs from October to the beginning of February, when

Anna’s charity becomes snowed under with work as they try to rescue

as many abandoned dogs as possible.

Anna is a former English teacher who now works full-time running

14 rePorT

Anna Clements and her husband work tirelessly for their charity SOS Galgos which rescues and finds homes for greyhounds mistreated by hunters.

By Tom Worden. Photos by Lee Woolcock.

14-16. Galgos.indd 2 1/24/11 1:25:33 PM

>>

rePorT 15

the charity as well as giving talks in local schools. She was born in the

UK, brought up in Canada and then lived in France and Switzerland

before settling in Catalunya, where she met her husband while he was

treating her pet dog.

The galgos they treat are usually passed to them by vets or con-

cerned members of the public, but they are occasionally contacted

directly by hunters who no longer want their dogs. The animals are

often terrified of human contact when they first arrive, and some have

taken weeks to catch because of their fear of humans.

Anna and her husband place the dogs with a foster family for a

temporary period until a permanent home can be found. She told

Metropolitan: “What the hunters do to the dogs is heartless and bar-

baric, and it will be happening this month all over rural Spain. I have

hunters ringing me up saying ‘come and collect my dog or I will string

it up from the nearest tree’. It is heartbreaking. They would rather kill

the dogs than have to feed and look after them until the following sea-

son. They really have no sympathy whatsoever towards the animals.

The galgos are beautiful, noble and docile animals and they deserve

to be looked after properly.

“Spain has a very bad reputation for animal cruelty, but few people

outside the country are aware of the treatment these animals are going

through.” She added: “Some of the animals we rescue are extremely

traumatised and it can be a long process getting them to trust humans

ever again. The only real solution to the problem is to ban hare cours-

ing. We have found homes for thousands of greyhounds all over Eu-

rope, but it really is just the tip of the iceberg. They are very peaceful

animals, and make wonderful family pets. People assume they need

large open spaces but they are very happy living in a small flat, and

they don’t need any more exercise than any other kind of dog.”

The dogs Anna treats are usually aged between two and five. She

says many hunters consider their animals worthless after two sea-

sons. Reports claim some hunters revel in killing animals that have

“embarrassed” them by their slowness during the season. They are

said to string them from nooses with their paws barely touching

the ground. The hunters allegedly describe the dogs as “tocando

el piano” or playing the piano, as they die slowly while frantically

14-16. Galgos.indd 3 1/24/11 1:25:36 PM

16 rePorT

>>

trying to steady their paws on the ground.

Victor is one of the success stories. He was hanged then left in

a ditch, but found barely alive by a passerby. He was taken to an

animal hospital in Lleida where he spent two weeks before SOS

Galgos found a foster home for him. He was then adopted by his

new owner, Seija, in Finland.

Animal rights campaigners claim that up to 50,000 galgos are

abandoned or killed as each season comes to a close in February.

It is impossible to verify the figure, but the London-based World

Society for the Protection of Animals, a charity which has inves-

tigated the mistreatment of galgos in Spain, puts the figure in the

tens of thousands. The hunters themselves dispute that figure and

insist only a small minority of animals come to harm.

Carlos Sanz Calvo, chairman of the Federación Española de

Galgos, condemned any cruelty to the animals but insisted the

problem has been exaggerated by animal rights groups. He told

Metropolitan: “Hare coursing is a properly regulated competitive

sport with its own rules and a long tradition in Spain. Our mem-

bers treat their animals properly and with the respect they deserve.

We do not accept that there is widespread mistreatment. The fig-

ures that are put around by animal rights organisations about the

number of abandoned dogs are hugely exaggerated.” Prosecutions

for cruelty to galgos are almost non-existent but animal rights

campaigners hope recent amendments to the law will change that.

On December 23rd last year, Spain amended its animal cruelty

laws, first introduced to the Penal Code in 2004, to make it easier

for courts to punish people guilty of abuse.

But it did not increase sentences for offenders. Animal rights

campaigners say it is a step in the right direction but does not go

far enough.

To make a donation or find about more about adoption or fostering of

the galgos please go to the website www.sosgalgos.com. To read about

two of the charity’s success stories, Mia and Victor, go to our website:

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/galgos

Coats kindly provided by Barcelonadogs.com

14-16. Galgos.indd 4 1/24/11 1:26:03 PM

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18

No right-to-kNow

Ask Spaniards if they have a free press and most will

answer yes. After all, since General Franco died

in 1975 there has been no outright press censor-

ship by the government, as there was for the 36 years of

his dictatorship. But, ask Spanish reporters if they are

free to cover stories about how their government oper-

ates and the conversation will soon turn to Spain’s lack of

freedom-of-information legislation, or what are known

in America as sunshine laws.

The lack of access to information is the single greatest

barrier to a press aspiring to be the eyes and ears of the

Spanish citizenry. Currently, public officials are under no

legal obligation to open their books, reports or statistics

to inspection, and requests for them to do so, whether

from citizens or journalists, are routinely denied or ig-

nored. Reports prepared with public funds on everything

from nursery inspections to crime statistics are available

only to those who can prove a “need to know” and a di-

rect relationship to the information.

Luxemburg, Cyprus, Malta and Spain are the only four

of the 27 EU countries still without a law establishing

the public’s right-to-know. That appeared set to change

in Spain when in August 2010, the Socialist government

published a draft legislation recognising the public’s right

to access a wide range of information, and establishing

guidelines for enforcing that access. Such a law has been

promised since 2004, but this was the first time it was

initiated. The draft legislation was strong: public agen-

cies would have 30 days to respond to requests for infor-

It looked as if Spain was getting set to pass a law mandating the

public’s right-to-know, but the legislation is missing in action.

By richard Schweid. illustration by kat Cameron.

18-20 Transparency laws.indd 34 1/24/11 1:31:37 PM

>>

19

mation, and in most cases would be obligated to provide

it. The law would, for the first time in Spanish history,

mandate the public’s right-to-know.

But, since the August release of the draft law, nothing

has been done to move it through the legislature. Helen

Darbishire, the director of Access Info, an NGO that has

campaigned for a right-to-know law in Spain since 2006,

said from her office in Madrid, that she’s not holding her

breath for it to become law. “At the moment [November

2010], they say it is “paralysed”. Certainly, if there’s no

outside pressure it wouldn’t surprise me if it doesn’t turn

up again. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of political will

to adopt it.”

The legislation is not paralysed, according to the

government, but rather in a modification process. Félix

Monteira, the Spanish Secretary of State for Communi-

cation, said: “We proposed it, and then we realised we

hadn’t taken some things into account. We’re trying to

work out the level of information and training to give the

administrations of the autonomous regions and the mu-

nicipalities. This law will apply only to Spain’s central

administration, but you also have to think that citizens

will demand precise information about the things near-

est to their homes. We want this law to work as an en-

couragement to the other public administrations to open

themselves. There is a wide disparity between the size

and capacity of regional and municipal governments, and

we’re trying to map out how that can work.

“This is a basic law in the general interest and we see

it as forming part of a transformative group of laws that

will modernise the country. The government is commit-

ted to seeing this become law, certainly before the end of

2011. We see it as key to democratic behaviour and the

opening of the public administrations.”

Without a right-to-know law, investigative journalism

in Spain is virtually nonexistent. The only exceptions are

provided when opposing party members provide the press

with tips about one another. Even in countries where pub-

lic access is broad, investigative journalism takes time,

and is labour intensive, making it a hard sell to media an-

ywhere struggling through a great recession. Add to that

the difficulties in accessing even basic data and it is not

surprising that the Spanish media rarely break stories.

“We’re very handicapped by the lack of access to infor-

mation,” Lola Galán, a reporter for the Sunday edition of

El País, said “It can be highly labourious here just to get

crumbs, fragments of data. It all depends on the good-

will of the interlocutor in the ministry, but journalists

are systematically denied the most irrelevant data, things

that in no way involve something like national security.

There’s a huge shortage of investigative journalism here.


20

It’s expensive, hard work, and apart from that, there is no

tradition of transparency in this country.”

Skeptics point out that a right-to-know law will not

guarantee that editors and publishers will use material,

even if an industrious reporter digs it out. Spain’s other

big journalistic challenge—its highly politicised press—

may be another limiting factor. Television, radio and

newspapers, at national, regional and local levels, are

generally aligned with a political party and this is fre-

quently reflected in their news content, as well as on their

editorial pages. In addition, media are often beholden to

public administrations for funds. For instance, the Gen-

eralitat, in its efforts to encourage the use of Catalan,

provides large subsidies to media in Catalan. Depending

on their circulation, newspapers that publish in Catalan

can receive more than a million euros a year from the

Generalitat. Catalunya’s public radio and television net-

work received some €350 million from the Generalitat in

2010. Not surprisingly, such a subsidised media is highly

reluctant to root out and reveal wrongdoing in the Gen-

eralitat.

Xavier Mas de Xasàs, a reporter with Barcelona’s daily,

La Vanguardia, said that most journalists today would

not use a public access law, because their employers do

not want them doing these kind of stories. News content,

or lack thereof, is too strongly politicised, according to

Mas de Xasàs, who was La Vanguardia’s Washington cor-

respondent from 1995-2002. “In Spain, the control of the

media by political parties is a natural control now, the

political powers don’t even have to strain to maintain it.

It’s the media themselves that want to be controlled, be-

cause the state keeps them alive.”

It was not always so, he lamented. “After Franco died,

during the transition to democracy, there was a lot of

energy put into informing and investigating. The people

were demanding transparency. That all lasted until the

mid-1980s, but it has disappeared. How could we have

gotten to where we are today? It’s a failure of the profes-

sion and the society.”

Mas de Xasàs does, however, see a glimmer of hope in

the handful of young bloggers across Spain who are be-

ginning to publish investigative work at sites like note-

calles.info or wikidiario.info, both of which he helped to

establish. A new transparency law, coupled with a no-cost

place to publish and a potentially huge audience, could

create a new generation of investigative journalists. “An-

ybody that comes along with the kind of journalism that

really informs the public is going to devour the Spanish

market,” he said. “If they begin to report and inform in

the Anglo-Saxon style, simple and direct, using contrast-

ing sources in well-structured and well-written pieces,

[it] would be a huge hit. There’s a market waiting.”

A version

of this article h

as app

eared in

the C

olum

bia Journ

alism R

eview


Monarch’s Winter 11/12 schedule

now onsale Leading leisure airline Monarch has launched its winter 2011/2012 scheduled programme, enabling people to get a head start on their travel plans for next year and grab a great deal on flights to their favourite UK destinations. For winter 2011/2012 Monarch will operate a huge range of flights from Mainland Spain, the Balearics and Canary Islands and Gibraltar to the UK gateways Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester.

Monarch’s winter 11/12 programme includes: • Alicante ✈ Birmingham, Gatwick,

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Manchester

• Lanzarote ✈ Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester

• Majorca ✈ Gatwick and Manchester• Malaga ✈ Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton

and Manchester• Menorca ✈ Gatwick • Tenerife ✈ Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton

and Manchester

Fares start from just € 33 one way (including taxes) and are available to book now on www.monarch.es until the end of March 2012.

Monarch operates scheduled flights from Mainland Spain, the Canary and Balearic Islands and Gibraltar to Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester airports. In addition to year-round low fares, Monarch also offers a range of hot and cold meals that can be pre-booked or purchased onboard. To enable customers to select where in the cabin they sit and ensure that families and groups sit together, seats can be pre-booked from €9 per one-way flight, or from only €19, extra-legroom seats are also available, offering up to six inches of extra space.

Passengers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid the queues at the airport and take advantage of online check-in which is available between 18 days and 4.5 hours prior to departure.

For further information or to book Monarch flights, please visit www.monarch.es

main pages - Feb11 .indd 8 25/1/11 13:18:28

PIRATES OF THEmEdITERRAnEAnThe Spanish craze for downloading music and films from the internet is causing problems for businesses and performers. By Christian Overgaard.

22

It’s well known that Spain has a problem

with internet piracy, but the sound of

multinational corporations complaining

about sales is falling on deaf ears, too far

away to distract someone downloading a

Hollywood movie or a CD here in Barcelona.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in March

2010, Michael Lynton, the chairman of Sony

Pictures Entertainment, said “People are

downloading movies in such large quantities

that Spain is on the brink of no longer being

a viable home entertainment market for us.”

Such attitudes suggest that Spain could soon

follow the fate of South Korea, which has

seen film distributors withdraw from the

country because of its rampant piracy.

File sharing of films and music across the

internet is not illegal in Spain if it isn’t done

for profit and the habit has, in the last couple

of years, proliferated here to extraordinary

levels, with knock-on effects for the shops on

Barcelona’s streets and the artists who sing in

the city’s clubs.

Eba Peransi is a Catalan artist who has

been singing professionally for the last 10

years and has recently begun playing shows

around Spain. “There’s no greater hope than

for an artist to know that their music is heard,

but the problem [with piracy] is that artists

must continue investing in their art, which

requires a team working with them: other

musicians, technicians...” More pressure

is being put on live concerts to recoup the

investment that is required to produce an

album, and while Peransi is able to see how

illegal downloads may expose her music to

potential audiences, it’s certainly nice when

someone buys a CD. “We are a self-funded

group, so selling CDs is an important part of

our future.”

If Eba wants to sell her album at Revolver,

one of the record shops lining Carrer Tallers,

she may have to release a vinyl copy. The

record section at Revolver is one of the few

bright spots at the 20-year-old store, which

has weathered declining sales over the last

six years. The last two have been especially

bad. “The way people consume music has

changed,” explained Jordi Jover Gavilan, a

manager at Revolver for eight years. “Free

music on the internet has allowed people to

forget that behind an album is the work of an

artist…the music industry has been sacrificed

—the government has ignored this problem

and hasn’t legislated on these matters.”

The recent plight of Revolver mirrors

that of CD Drome, says Albert Salinas, an

employee at the latter for four years. “We

had some very good years even in 2006,”

Salinas said on a recent Saturday evening.

“In 2008, sales started declining and 2009

and 2010 have been really bad for us. On

most Saturdays it would be full in here. Look

around now—we’re empty.”

Piracy hasn’t only affected music. La

Papaya Verde Video Club is an independent

rental store that boasts a customer database

of almost 18,000. However, Zaida, sister of

the owner, says that can be misleading: “In

the past our normal customers came in, for

example, five times a month. Now they come

in once.” Like CD Drome and Revolver, Zaida

agrees 2008 was when things got significantly

worse.

According to Nielsen NetRatings, internet

usage in Spain jumped nearly 23 percent

between 2006 and 2008. Then the global

financial crisis started in September 2008.

“People still want to listen to music and to

watch movies,” said Albert Salinas. “But

Eba Peransi

22-24. Piracy.indd 34 1/24/11 1:32:26 PM

23

PIRATES OF THEmEdITERRAnEAn

>>

now they don’t have as much money to spend,

so they download them.” Compounding the

crisis, says Jordi Jover Gavilan, is that music

companies haven’t lowered prices. “They

maintain a very expensive product instead

of prices closer to social reality.” Economic

upheaval combined with the growing

availability of broadband, which has put

popular file-sharing sites at the fingertips

of 27 million Spaniards, contributed to an

environment where piracy now flourishes.

The most recent attempt to regulate

internet downloads came during a vote

by the Spanish Congressional Economics

Committee on December 21st, 2010, regarding

the proposed Ley Sinde, part of a bigger

piece of legislation known as the Ley de

Economía Sostenible. The Sinde Law would

have forced Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

to share information about sites suspected

of violating intellectual property rights. A

new governmental commission created by

the Sinde Law would have reviewed each

site and forced the ISPs to block those which

violate rights.

However, Sinde was finally defeated in a

very close vote, 20-18, so file-sharing sites

have gained a reprieve, although it may be

temporary. The Spanish Senate took up the

debate last month and it’s possible a provision

similar to Sinde may gather enough support

to sneak back into the legislation.

In the grand scheme of things, the financial

impact of a single person downloading a single

movie may be small. But millions of people

downloading millions of movies? According

to an industry report by Tera Consultants,

2008 saw Spain lose €413 million and €675

million due to piracy of music and film,

respectively. The country lost over 13,000

jobs specific to production and distribution

of music and film. And all these numbers are

expected to rise as consumer internet traffic

increases.

Jordi Jover Gavilan is attempting to offset

such losses at Revolver by boosting sales of

t-shirts and other merchandise, holding more

sales and cutting stock. “Decreased sales have

already forced us to reduce our inventory—

we can’t carry as many international artists

now, and we’ve dropped from six employees

to three over the last couple of years,” Albert

Salinas observed

Things aren’t all doom and gloom, however.

Elisa Lupion has been a manager at the

Renoir Floridablanca cinema for the past nine

years and says that her audiences numbers

haven’t changed significantly. She points to

two reasons. Firstly, the experience; it’s nigh

on imposible for most people to duplicate

the huge screen and surround sound of the

cinema when watching a pirated movie on a

computer. Second, are the cinema’s selections.

“We don’t concentrate on mainstream movies,

although sometimes we have one or two. We

show more independent films. The cinemas

that focus on the commercial movies are

seeing a decline because their audience isn’t

as dedicated. Our films generally appeal to a

certain group of people, and they’re the ones

who are coming in every month.”

This niche approach is clearly important in

offsetting the impact of piracy. Txaro García

Rivera and David Cabrera have operated

Ciclic Video Club for the past five years,

and in September 2010 they upgraded to a

larger store to accommodate their library

of over 6,000 videos. While García admits

they’ve been affected by downloading and

the crisis in the last two years, it has been less

than expected, partially because customers

from smaller clubs that have closed have

migrated to Ciclic. “People still rent movies

for the quality of the image and for the ease

of watching them in original version,” said

García, “and because of their conscience. It’s

also for the experience: customers come into

the store to interact with other customers

and to explore.” In a move similar to that

taken at the Renoir Floridablanca, she hasn’t

focused solely on Hollywood blockbusters.

“We’ve got a huge variety—the popular new

releases, sure, but there’s an entire section

Eba Peransi Jordi Jover Gavilan

22-24. Piracy.indd 35 1/24/11 1:32:32 PM

>>

24

devoted to international directors. We stock

documentaries, animation, video art…

there’s something for everyone here, and our

inventory is a big reason for our success.”

The majority of the people that

Metropolitan spoke with remain cautiously

optimistic about the future, even with

the uncertainty of downloading and the

lingering global financial crisis hanging over

them. Elisa Lupion believes as long as her

cinema continues to show quality movies

there will be a paying audience. Eba Peransi

will continue to perform and release music,

hopefully having many opportunities to sign

a CD for a fan, a moment which she describes

as one of the best in the world. Albert Salinas

believes CD Drome will last, partly because

companies are becoming more innovative

by offering extras such as MP3 downloads

with the purchase of albums, and partly

because the shop offers music for DJs as well

as customers who want to pick up the latest

indie record. Zaida, who has watched most of

the movies in Papaya Verde, shares Salinas’s

sentiments: “I think our store will survive

because of our selection, personality, and

because people still like to browse.”

No one thinks piracy is going away, but

there is an impact behind it. Every click of

the mouse on the ‘Download File’ button

affects someone: a shopkeeper, a delivery

truck driver, an artist. As Eba Peransi said,

“I think it’s most important that people like

our music above all else, but every legal

download or every CD sold is a gesture of

support for our project.”

We spoke to an internet downloader to get his opinions on the piracy issue. He’s a Barcelona native and in his early 40s.

“I mainly download American television series and the odd film. In one week, I might download six episodes

from several different series. In terms of music, I download quite a bit less; if I hear about something, I’ll

listen to it first and if I like it, I’ll download it. The internet gives you access to everything, but that

doesn’t mean that you keep everything you download. I try things out, but if I couldn’t download

them, it doesn’t mean that I would buy them.

“People here don’t download the Spanish version of shows or films, or Spanish music

because you can get it here. They’re interested in original version and foreign stuff.

They want immediate access and that’s what the internet gives you. People who are

informed go out and look for what they want straight away. It’s absurd to shut down

Spanish websites [as proposed by the Sinde Law]. If they do, people will just go to

American sites and look for things with Spanish subtitles.”

SERIES: “With the series, they get here about two or three years after they

are first shown in the States—should we have to wait? For example, TV3 are

showing now the first season of Fringe, but in the US, they’re already on the

third series. If the tv companies want people to watch their series, they should

get them sooner.”

FILMS: “In terms of cinema, it’s true that I used to go to the cinema more. But

it’s also true that it’s not just the internet that’s causing more films to be

downloaded, it’s also all the ‘home cinema’ equipment that people can buy

nowadays. With films, it also takes longer for quality versions of films to get on

to the internet than the television series. But there are films that are available

on DVD in the States before they are even released in the cinemas here. If they

want people not to download films here, they should do a single worldwide

premiere of films.”

MUSIC: “Previously, we had to listen to the music that the record companies

wanted us to listen to. Now, it’s what the people want. Thanks to sites like YouTube,

groups can promote themselves. There are also more groups doing more concerts.

If you don’t know a group, you can discover them on the internet and you might

download their music. Maybe that’s stealing, but if you really like them, you’ll pay to

go to their concert.”

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22-24. Piracy.indd 36 1/24/11 1:32:35 PM

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LS

Plaça de Plaça de Francesc

Francesc MaciMaciàà

Francesc MaciàText by Dylan Clive. Photos by Anna Klein.

26 STREET LIFE

P laça de Francesc Macià is surrounded by some of the fl ashier

parts of Barcelona as well as being located in one of the city’s

main commercial areas. It is a busy junction, crossed as it is by

Avinguda Diagonal and linked to some of the city’s main roads including

Travessera de Gràcia and Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas. Named after a

former President of the Generalitat, who is called l’Avi (‘grandfather’) by

Catalans, the square is one of the 44 stopping points of the Bus Turistic

and the local area has become home to high-end shops, designer labels

and four-digit price tags. If your budget doesn’t stretch to actual purcha-

sing, however, there are few places in Barcelona better for window shop-

ping than the adjoining Avinguda de Pau Casals.

Get ready for the spending (literal or not) at Bar Sandor (Plaça de Fran-

cesc Macià, nº. 5). Cocktails are the order of the day at this classic bar,

so play it safe with the much loved mojito or get some advice from the

red blazer and bow tie wearing bar staff for something more adventurous.

Prices are around the €6.90 mark but can go as high as €16 for a Cosmo-

politan. With drink in hand don’t miss out on the shoe polishers who are a

traditional part of the 56-year-old bar. There are two pulidores de zapatos

who alternate between morning and afternoon, happy to put the shine on

your shoes and never short of a word for a pretty passerby.

Once sated, let the browsing begin. If you’re after the James Bond look,

then Conti (Avinguda de Pau Casals, nº. 7) and Prestigi (Pau Casals nº. 7)

will get you suited and booted in no time. The essential fl ashy timepiece

can be found over the road at Rolex (Pau Casals nº. 6). The watches don’t

have lazers or other hidden gadgets that the price may suggest but they

will add a little something to a professional new look. Further up the street

you’ll fi nd yourself at Louis Vuitton (Pau Casals nº. 9-11). A glance in the

window was close enough for us but if you’ve got a spare €1,460 then

check out the Brea GM Rouge Fauvist handbag.

Designer doesn’t just apply to adults though. On the off chance that

your offspring want to model themselves on Brooklyn Beckham or Suri

Cruise then Mon Plus Beau Souvenir (Pau Casals nº. 13) has a large

selection of Kenzo, Paul Smith and Gaultier children’s clothing.

To escape from all that consumerism, head to Zinnia (Pau Casals nº.

22) for a fl owery get-away. The peace trees at the entrance set the tone

for tranquility and beckon you inside this fl ower-power retreat. Supplying

many restaurants and hotels, the fl orist also deals with requests on a much

smaller scale, ideal for individual arrangements or a personal Valentine’s

bouquet. The cost is upwards of €20 depending on the quantity and type

of fl ower; if you haven’t been blessed with green fi ngers then Pere Padrios

Pal

au G

üel

l co

urt

esy

of S

ébas

tien

Ber

tran

d

Plaça de

26-27. Street life.indd 6 1/24/11 1:35:09 PM

Francesc Macià

STREET LIFE 27

is the expert on hand. Fresh February tulips and freesias are the pick for

this month, while the nearby Turó Park offers a ‘pick your own’ alternative

as well as a playground for the mini fashionistas.

Brits abroadA security check and elevator ride away from Francesc Macià is the British Consulate (Avinguda Diagonal, nº. 477, 13th floor). Consul-General Andrew Gwatkin and his team are responsible for Catalunya, Aragon and Andorra, working for approximately 80,000 British residents and 2.5 million British tourists a year who could be in need of assistance or advice.

“We are a point of contact, here to help anyone who’s travelling or lives here,” explained Gwatkin. “If anyone unfortunately falls ill or goes into hospital then we can help put them in contact with relatives. Likewise if anyone is held or detained by the police we can give them a list of English-speaking lawyers and get them in touch with people at home.”

Much like a steward on a plane, the consulate indicates useful information, tells people about any potential threats and advises them on what to do in the event of an emergency. So what is the main risk that Britons could face?

“Barcelona is a safe city and there are very few violent crimes, petty crime would be the biggest risk to travellers. The police and Ajuntament are working very hard on this but I think it would be great to improve on the pickpocket situation.”

If your passport is stolen and you need to travel urgently, the consulate is able to issue an emergency travel document. Other consul services include help with UK trade and inves-tment. If a British company is looking to sell a product overseas the consulate can provide information on the Spanish market, make introductions to firms and, equally, help local businesses hoping to invest in the UK. However, there are requests the consulate is unable to grant.

“Inevitably we get our fair share of characters. People have rung up to check the weather in London in two weeks’ time. Others have thought we could fly them around the world and solve all their problems in an instant. Regrettably we can’t.”

26-27. Street life.indd 7 1/24/11 1:35:26 PM


OnDOCSBARCELONA P. 31

BAND OF HORSES P. 32

THE OTOLITH GROUP P. 34

SEBASTIAN NEITSCH P. 34

Pictured: Il·lacions, a new gallery dedicated to design which opens this month. www.illacions.cat

29 Cover copy 1.indd 1 1/24/11 3:08:11 PM

30 ON

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

9th

26th

They aren’t joking when they call this a ‘mini’ festival. In fact it’s only on for one day, but that hasn’t stopped the organisers from stuffing the programme with a range of acts that have a distinctly British feel. Booked to play this year are Dakota Suite, Magnapop and Standard Fare.

Minifestival de Música IndependentFebruary 26th, 6pmCat-Tradicionariuswww.minifestival.net

Asa hails from Nigeria where she cut her teeth on the chaotic Lagos music scene before moving to France to release her debut, self-titled album. Her radio-friendly style, that blends funk, jazz and afro-folk, defies her hard-hitting lyrics about ecological disaster, oppression and other wordly is-sues. She plays as part of the on-going Festival Mil·lenni.

AsaFebruary 9th, 9pmBikini www.festivalmillenni.com

If you want better style kudos in 2011 then vintage could be the way forward. Brick Lane BCN promises bargains aplenty with bags starting from €10 and shoes and boots for €15. So avoid looking like everybody else and cut your own style path this year.

Brick Lane BCNFebruary 6th, 12-8pmVia Vespa, C/ Princesa 56www.facebook.com/blbcn

6th

ON Contributors: Sara Blaylock, John Freer, Lauren Mannion, Alx Phillips, Natasha Young

30-33 LIVE REPDF.indd 30 1/25/11 12:42:13 PM

ON 31

Heavy Trash: Apolo[2], 1st

Tote King: Apolo, 4th

Avalanch: Razzmatazz, 5th

Pink Tones: Apolo, 5th

Skunk Anansie: Razzmatazz, 10th

Hurts: Apolo, 12th

The Script: Razzmatazz, 12th

Laetita Sadler: Apolo[2], 15th

Wire: Apolo, 18th

Fran Healy: Becool, 18th

Jay-Jay Johanson & The Big Head Troubled Boy: Apolo[2], 19th

The Joy Formidable: Razzmatazz, 21st

Janelle Monáe: Apolo, 22nd

David Knopfler: Luz de Gas, 23rd

Damià Olivella: Bikini, 25th

the gigs

DocsBarcelona docsbarcelona.com

Film maker Peter Greenaway, responsible for cinematic ‘experiences’ Drowning by

Numbers and The Pillow Book, is the special guest of this years Barcelona’s documen-

tary film festival DocsBarcelona. There is a competitive edge to this edition of the festival

that screens 42, mainly contemporary, documentary films, most subtitled in English. The

presence of the Welsh director, whose personal choices are shown in the ‘Dernier Repas’

section, draws attention to the creativity of contemporary documentary filmmaking that

adopts the techniques of cinema to deliver a more emphatic punch.

There are 10 sections to the festival. Both the films selected to inaugurate Docs, You

Don’t Like the Truth. 4 Days Inside Guantánamo by Luc Côté and Patricio Henríquez, and

Janus Metz’s Armadillo, explore issues raised by hit movie The Hurt Locker. The former

uses security camera footage of an interrogation to ask what is ‘permissible’ in times

of war, while the latter follows a group of Danish soldiers stationed in Afghanistan to

present the paradoxical mental state of deep anxiety and adrenaline addiction suffered

by soldiers on the front line. Male drama of a different sort is explored in Steam of Life by

Joonas Berghäll and Mika Hotakainen which breaches the sanctified domain of the Finn-

ish sauna to eavesdrop on naked conversations.

Pamela Yates is the director behind The Reckoning included in ‘Historia’, which shows

documentaries examining historical events. The film unfolds like a thriller, yet its subject

matter is sobering: the International Criminal Court’s attempts to try the perpetrators of

genocide in Africa. ‘D’Amèrica’ shows films made by Central and South American film

makers, while Nicaragua is the setting for the Swedish/Spanish film Last Chapter: Good-

bye Nicaragua featured in ‘DocsAffairs’, a new section that screens in-depth reports.

Journalist Peter Torbiörnsson returns to the country to discover the truth behind the La

Penca bombing that killed three journalists and injured many more during a jungle-based

press conference in 1984.

‘Doc! Doc! Doc!’ highlights emerging directors’ work, while ‘Finisterrae’ features those

who endured extraordinary hardship in making films. You All Are Captains by 27-year-old

Oliver Laxe is an account of the Parisian’s well-meaning, but disastrous attempt to set up

a film making workshop for Moroccan street children. ‘Catalan Day’ film Cuchillo de Palo

by Renate Costa explores the clandestine history of Paraguay.

The presence of directors at Docs gives audiences the opportunity to ask questions

and make comments. Seven prizes are awarded, including one for best film, a special

jury prize and a public prize.--AP

1st


32 ON

FOR MORE LivE EvENTS, viSiT OuR WEBSiTE: WWW.BARCELONA-METROPOLiTAN.COM

Band of Horses may have moved over to the mainstream with their 2010

release Infinite Arms, but the continuing presence of fuzzy steel guitar and

even fuzzier facial hair suggests they’re still keeping close to their country

roots—at least for now.

Band of Horses started life back in 2004 in the drizzly capital of grunge,

Seattle. Despite a liking for plaid shirts and signing to the city’s Subpop la-

bel, Band of Horses have little in common with Seattleites Nirvana or Alice

in Chains. in fact, you can’t hear the rainy northern city in their music at all;

just the sound of sunshine, rustling cornfields and the clinking of glasses

in a rural southern roadhouse.

it was the single ‘The Funeral’ that first got the band noticed. A melan-

cholic slice of jangly folk rock, the song was picked up by Tv and radio

stations across the u.S. with critics comparing singer and chief songwriter

Ben Bridwell to Neil Young and My Morning Jacket vocalist, Jim James.

They looked set to take over the world. instead, band members came and

went. And then, in 2010, came Infinite Arms, the band’s third studio album.

it was the first to be a major international success, with critics seeming to

agree that this is what would take them from a name known only to music

journalists to stadium sell-outs, Kings of Leon-style.

Their sound has certainly changed. Richer and more melodic, Bridwell’s

vocals have matured and they sound happier and more content with their lot

than ever before. There’s even a nod to The Beach Boys’ ‘Sloop John B’ in

‘On My Way Back Home’, a song which fits perfectly with the recent wave

of lo-fi surf pop pounding the airwaves.

Band of Horses have always worn their American hearts on their sleeves.

But if they once sounded like a bunch of good old boys slugging back bour-

bon now it’s as if they’ve thrown caution to the wind, bought surfboards and

given it all up to live by the beach. They sound all the better for it.--NY

Hercules & Love Affair Bikini

Hercules & Love Affair succeed where many have failed; they have perfected the marriage

between NY club culture and pop songwriting. inspired by dance music of the Eighties and

early Nineties and sharing the same spirit as the clubs of that era, Hercules & Love Affair’s fun

grooves have enough power to hold the attention on the dancefloor, but don’t sound out of

place on the home stereo.

The group shot to fame in 2008 with their self-titled debut album, which was released on

DFA, the label co-run by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. The album featured the fan-

tastic single ‘Blind’, whose impassioned vocals were provided by Antony Hegarty of Antony

and The Johnsons fame. Since then, they’ve jumped ship to Moshi Moshi and the group’s

new album, Blue Songs, has just been released. To most, it confirms that the group have

developed their sound, but remain true to their original influences. Lead single ‘My House’ is a

storming dancefloor filler with infinite charm and cool vocals. Once again, heavyweight guest

vocalists appear in the shape of Kele Okereke of Bloc Party fame and venezuelan vocalist

Aerea Negrot.

Live, Hercules & Love Affair deliver an all-singing, all-dancing show, and they present a

passion and colourfulness that is often missing from the world of dance music.--JF

9th

19th

Band of Horses Apolo


ON 33

Time Out award-winning comedian Adam Bloom is here to headline Bar-

celona’s Big Nite Out. Ricky Gervais loves him and has said, “Bloom

not only has meticulous, brilliant lines, but also an intense and frag-

ile honesty”. The event, hosted by the Guinness Laughter Lounge, will

also feature top uK acts Janice Phayre, Karen Bayley and Mike Belgrave.

We have five tickets to give away for the Thursday 10th February show (he’s set

to perform on Friday 11th as well).

To enter, simply answer this question: What was the name of Adam’s show on

Radio 4? Email your answer and contact details to: readers@barcelona-metro-

politan.com. Deadline is February 8th. Please make sure you leave your contact

details so we can let you know if you’re one of our lucky winners.

Ojos de Brujo Sant Jordi Club

Barcelona’s vibrant Ojos de Brujo are taking their hip hop-flamenco

fusion on the road for the final time. A full 10 years since they

released their first album, Vengue, this is your last chance to catch

them before they bow out for good.

The rag-tag, nine-piece collective have been casting their spell

over the Spanish music scene ever since 1996. From the start, their

musical style shocked flamenco purists and defied categorisation;

the group themselves describe it as “jipjop flamenkillo” (“hip-hop with

a bit of flamenco”), but it stretches from rock and rumba catalana

to reggae and rap, all mixed in with ethnic rhythms from around the

world.

Their debut album was a hit in Spain, but it was 2003’s Barí which

lifted them into the global spotlight. Released on their La Fábrica de

Colores record label, set up to allow them full creative control, it sold

over 100,000 copies and won them a raft of prizes, including a BBC

Radio 3 World Music Award. Follow-up Techarí was just as well-

received, and eventually earned them a Latin Grammy Award.

Ojos de Brujos’ latest album Corriente Vital 10 Años may be their

last, but they’re making sure they go out with a bang. As well as two

original tracks, the album features new versions of their biggest hits

and collaborations with artists including Amaral and Estopa whilst

their live show promises to be their most spectacular yet. Get in

touch with your inner hippy and let them weave their magic on you for

the last time!--LM

5th

10th21st

Horses is frequently cited as one of the best debut records ever made. Released

in 1975, the cover is almost as famous as the tracks. The iconic photo taken by

Robert Mapplethorpe famously shows Patti Smith leaning nonchalantly against

a wall, jacket casually thrown over a shoulder representing a new type of female

emancipation. But life as a musician came as an afterthought to her ambitions

as an artist and a writer, though she has since experienced success in all those

artistic outlets. Her biography Just Kids, which tells of her relationship with Rob-

ert Mapplethorpe and her burgeoning presence on the New York scene, won the

uS National Book Award last year. She has said all she ever wanted to do since

she was a girl was do something wonderful. it’s safe to say that she’s achieved

that 10 times over.

Photo b

y Julia Montilla

Patti Smith Palau de la Música Adam Bloom La Riereta Teatre


Find FULL dETAiLS OF cUrrEnT ExhibiTiOnS On OUr wEbSiTE www.bArcELOnA-mETrOpOLiTAn.cOm

34 ON

Artists Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun excavate recent history and speculate

on the times to come. They mix archives of visual material with invented ones,

crafting essay films based in fact and elaborated with careful, critical consid-

eration. working under the handle ‘The Otolith Group’, Sagar and Eshun do

not seek to confuse their audience with an undiscerning mix of truth and fic-

tion. Rather, they wish to pull the wool off our eyes; to engage us in films and

texts that leap forward into the future as a means of reflecting on the present.

The Otolith Group merges the documentary film form with science fic-

tion, a combination that allows their work an objective perspective through

the creative licence that futuristic storytelling provides. Science fiction can

allegorise the present without being nostalgic or hiding from the self-refer-

ential. (As a component of their exhibition, MACBA will host a conference

on March 2nd with Samuel R. Delany, an acclaimed science fiction writer.)

Likewise, the future settings of The Otolith Group films maintain a re-

alism made transparent via visual familiarity. images come from a glo-

bal visual conscious—the Iraq War, the Cold War and the Palestinian

conflict all get equal play. The artists work with the world’s images be-

cause they represent a tangible and verifiable form of human memory.

Drawing connections between previously unpaired images, they like

to mimic scholastic research and are not afraid to draw conclusions.

The group formed in London, in 2002, and exemplify a 21st-century

leaning towards art that communicates global concerns through academic

and research-based art practice. Like many contemporary artist-scholars,

both Sagar and Eshun hold academic degrees. She studied Anthropol-

ogy, he studied English Literature at Oxford and continues to publish

academic papers. Aside from their film productions, The Otolith Group

curate exhibitions, publish books and essays and host workshops that

serve their need for engaging a public in critical observation and thought.

Like Martha Rosler (shown last month at La Virreina), The Otolith Group are

shaping the contemporary art space into one for dialogue and debate, with the

ultimate goal of increasing civic engagement. To that end, their mAcbA exhi-

bition takes the form of a production centre where visitors can investigate and

interact with The Otolith Group’s archives and their artistic processes.--SB

Between tearing out chords on the guitar, Lucrecia Dalt, a Colombia-born, Bar-

celona-based musician taps out effects and loops on an iPhone velcroed to her

instrument. The results are an atmospheric, simultaneously classic and elec-

tronic style of rock music. Dalt combines spontaneity with record-ready com-

positions. This flexible art practice does not necessarily surprise: live musicians

fill rooms and theatres by responding to the audience or the on-stage whims

of an artist. What excites me about Dalt is her use of 21st-century technology.

She accompanies her live voice with a looped one, set through any number

of filters and techno-gizmos available to her via iPhone, laptop and record-

ing software. when compared with electrifying the guitar, these are small-time

wonders, but the comparison is clear: technology continues to change music.

In the ensuing decades, since video art first made an appearance in art gal-

leries in the Sixties, the art world has reacted both for and against technology

in the art gallery or museum. Purists call for brushstrokes and singular works.

Others have claimed painting is dead or at least close to the grave. Opinions

vary, but clearly technology in the arts, just like in music, is winning, causing

stirs in the primordial pot and bringing to life new forms of visual expression.

new media artists working today have a seemingly limitless supply of technol-

ogies to aid and inspire them. Sure, people are still painting, building and drafting

—and may they never stop! But, in the hands of new technology, the borders

between what was once considered static and unchangeable continues to fade.

Artists around the world are installing video works that react to and re-

shape space and particularly buildings; setting the monumental and unmov-

able in motion. This month, German artist Sebastian Neitsch has created

a site-specific video installation for the Goethe Institut that will morph and

shapeshift the building’s otherwise austere entrance. Neitsch calls his work

‘Videomapping’, a title that anticipates a visual journey. Video documenta-

tion of his similar works installed on buildings suggests that we will walk away

from the Goethe institut with a little wonderment. At the very least, neitsch’s

month-long installation will shed a new light on this sturdy and altogether

forgettable building—a nice allusion to the fluid quality of the lives enriched

within and surrounding the centre for German language and culture.--SB

The Otolith Group MACBA. Until May 25th Sebastian Neitsch Goethe Institut. Until Feb 24th

34-35 ARTS.indd 52 1/24/11 3:07:24 PM

3

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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WHERE LANGUAGES COME ALIVE

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Escaparates by Anna Malagrida - Galeria Senda. Until March 19th. www.galeriasenda.com

Santi Moix. Fundación Círculo de Lec-tores. Until April 1st. www.circulo.es

Ken’Ichiro Taniguchi - Galeria N2. Until February 19th. www.n2galeria.com

Sercem by Aneta Badziag - Galeria h2o. From February 3rd. www.H20.es

Sebastian Neitsch Goethe Institut. Until Feb 24th

quick picks

Rue Lakanal, 2008

34-35 ARTS.indd 53 1/24/11 3:07:27 PM

Friends and food

Read the food and dRink blog on ouR website foR the latest gouRmet news and Reviews: www.baRcelona-metRopolitan.com

The Asian-style pub grub at this new eatery is best enjoyed with a group of your mates.

By Tara Stevens. Photo by Melanie Aronson.

There’s always something reassuring about the opening of a

veteran restaurateur’s new restaurant. Giles Brown’s Mosqui-

to, the pan-Asian tapas bar and Chinese dumpling house in

La Ribera, has grown from strength to strength over the past couple

of years. So the opening of his latest venture with British partners

Jason Rowles and Hugo Lonsdale has been awaited with high ex-

pectation.

Izakaya in style—all three partners are passionate about the food

and culture of Japan—which roughly translates to something be-

tween a tapas bar and a pub, in this case featuring a narrow bar at

the entrance that leads down a staircase into a softly lit, atmospher-

ic basement of brick walls, soft lighting and sunken dining area of

woven straw tatami mats and plump cushions. Take your shoes off

before settling down. Slippers are provided for trips to the loo.

It is also home to an impressive cellar of specialty craft beers,

presided over by the charismatic ‘T’, who is something of a cult

figure in Perthshire, Scotland, where he was awarded ‘Cellar Man

of the Year’ for his work at the Sheriff Muir Inn. If you must, there’s

also a small wine list, a house white and a house red, both of which

hail from a small winery in Tarragona.

In this cosy and endearing environment then, eating is homey,

rustic and satisfying; sometimes delicate, sometimes boldly sauced.

Crucially, it is made for sharing. With dishes ranging between €2.50

and €7.95, go with a gang of friends and order with gay abandon

from a menu ranging between crowd pleasing Yakitori of negima

(juicy chicken and spring onion skewers) to more earthily exotic

lega (chicken liver skewers), tori kawa (crispy chicken skin), and

my personal favourite: fat little chunks of meltingly tender buta

(belly pork) slow cooked then crisped on the grill. They also offer

a nice line in Kushiyaki (grilled meat and vegetables) of which I

best like the bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms and whole heads of

garlic; in Kushiage (delicious morsels like quails eggs and scallops

dipped in Japanese breadcrumbs and deep fried); and in buttery

tender sashimi of salmon, mackerel and tuna. There is no sushi.

It’s all great appetite whetting stuff, but if you’re looking to sate

it, there are some unusual, heartier dishes to get stuck into. Tongue

twisting Atsu Atsu Tetsu Nabe (basically meaning hot dishes), in-

clude an unlikely, but curiously addictive, chicken kimchi consist-

ing of chicken on spiced cabbage topped with cheese sauce, and

Genghis Khan, a Japanese curry of spiced lamb with seasonal veg-

etables, which, while tasty enough, did seem rather like the Indian

dish Sag Gosht (lamb with spinach) to me.

Hiyayakko—cold silken tofu in an aromatic dashi broth topped

with fluttering bonito flakes and a sprinkle of chopped chives—is

simple and delicate, a thing of loveliness. As indeed are the hand-

made noodles with sesame and Iberian pork, though the noodle

highlight must surely be the Saracen noodles with aderezo ment-

suyu (a traditional soy, mirin, sake and dashi dressing), available

to order with 24 hours’ notice. It seems like a lot of trouble to go to

for a bowl of noodles, not in Japan I might add, but the experience

is all the richer for it.

Of desserts, there are but a few, including those strangely won-

derful mochis beloved by Japanese rock chicks, and some strikingly

different ice-creams in green tea, cardamom and white sesame.

All things considered then, I’d say the Tatami Room is one 2011

venture that’s going to be a roaring success.

36 GASTRONOMY

The Tatami Room Poeta Cabanyes 19

Tel. 93 329 6740 Open: Sun - Thurs, 7pm-1am

Fri & Sat, 7pm-2am Approx €25 for several dishes

to share and a couple of beers

36-37. food & drink option1.indd 56 1/24/11 2:38:55 PM

Friends and food

GASTRONOMY 37

RECIPESweet potato and escarola salad with roast garlic

By Tara Stevens

· 1 head escarola, washed, outer leaves discarded, inner leaves

torn into bite sized pieces

· 4 mid-sized moniato, well washed but not peeled, cut into 1

cm rounds

· 2 whole heads of garlic, top end (not the root) sliced off to

expose the tops of the cloves

· 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted

· Olive oil

For the dressing

· 9 tbsp sesame oil

· 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

· 3 tsp runny honey

· 3 tsp Shao Xing rice wine, or lime juice

· 3 spring onions, sliced into thin rounds

· 2 tbsp finely grated ginger

Combine all the ingredients and whisk well so you get a smooth

emulsion. Let the flavours develop for at least 10-15 minutes

before serving.

MethodPre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Toss the moniato and garlic in ol-

ive oil (I sprinkle with a bit of ground Jamaica Pepper, though

it isn’t terribly easy to get here) and roast for 20 minutes or

so, until tender and golden. When done, drain the moniato on

kitchen paper, and push the garlic cloves out of their casings.

Heap the escarola in a large serving dish (as an optional extra,

you can add any soft herbs like basil, coriander, or parsley that

you might have kicking around), scatter with moniato slices,

garlic cloves and toasted pumpkin seeds. Finally drizzle with

the dressing and serve immediately.

Escarola (frisée in English) comes into season in December and

lasts through until the end of February. Xató is the obvious thing

to make with it—the salad of bitter leaves, salt cod, anchovies

and romesco sauce typical of the regions of the Alt and Baix

Penedès and Garraf. In contrast, this recipe is cleansing and a

little bit different that also makes good use of the last sweet po-

tatoes of the season. Choose escarola that is bushy with dark

outer leaves, fading to yellow inner leaves and a whitish heart,

and sweet potatoes (moniato in Catalan) that are firm with a

purplish-orange skin.

36-37. food & drink option1.indd 57 1/24/11 2:39:01 PM

Chris Stewart is the celebrated author of

Driving Over Lemons (Entre Limones in

Castilian) first published in 1999. Since

then all four of his best selling books have been

translated into Catalan. We got together at La

Taverna de la Clínic to talk food, books and

Barcelona.

Has living somewhere as remote as El Valero

changed the way you eat?

To some extent we’ve gone for the Mediterranean

diet, but most importantly we eat what’s in season

and what grows around here. Our friend Pilar

in Madrid won’t make gazpacho until well into

August. Even in Spain you see, there’s only a brief

window where you get really good, fresh tomatoes.

Nearly all of our meat is our own, we eat sheep,

sheep and sheep. There’s a wonderful quote from

Garrison Keillor about his old aunt who was self-

sufficient. “I won’t buy meat,” she said, “because

you can taste the misery in it.” That pretty much

sums up the way we feel about it. We spend a huge

amount of time on the production and consumption

of food compared to urban dwellers, but that’s how

we like it.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just written a piece for Ox-Tales—a series of

short stories written for free by different writers—

the proceeds of which go to Oxfam. The new

series is on travel, specifically ‘a journey to meet

somebody’. I went to a village up the river to get

a cure for a nasty little complaint I’ve had on that

part of the body of which we do not speak. I’m also

about to start work on the fourth, and probably

final, book in the Driving Over Lemons series.

What brings you to Barcelona?

Work and food. Andalucia is the best place in

the world to live, but it’s the worst place to eat.

Barcelona’s markets are a treat. I’d rather spend a morning in one of them,

than in any cathedral in the world.

What did you think of La Taverna del Clínic?

I was dazzled by the adventurousness and success of those little dishes.

It was an inauspicious start out on the street in the freezing cold, yet we

soon forgot about it. Every dish—artichokes with clams, morels with foie,

trinxat with pork belly, poached eggs with caviar, chocolate truffles —were

so artistic and beautiful. I don’t like huge quantities of food anymore; I

like varied and exquisite taste sensations and that’s what I got.

Any other eating tips in Barcelona?

Sitting on a stool in the Boqueria is pretty special. I love the unorthodox-

style of eating that you do so well in Barcelona. It’s way off normal, run-

of-the-mill stuff.

La Taverna del Clínic

C/Rosselló 155, Eixample Esquerra. Tel. 93 410 4221 www.

latavernadelclinic.com

Open: Mon-Fri, 7.30am-11pm; Sat, 1pm-11.30pm. Closed Sun. Approx

€35 for several tapas to share and a couple large glasses wine

Lunch with...Tara Stevens has a lunch date with some of the city’s most dedicated foodies, this month: Chris Stewart, author of Driving Over Lemons

38 GASTRONOMY

38 Lunch with.indd 42 1/24/11 1:39:26 PM

!*

main pages - Jan11 .indd 9 12/17/10 2:46:30 PM

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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. ��

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FOOD & DRINK 41

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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.





V.O.sV.O.s

VOS Bar Dec 2010.indd 1 11/2/10 12:25:47 PM

ethiopian

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. ��

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

C/Vallespir 44 I Sants Estacio I Tel. 93 409 4037Mon-Fri 8pm-12am, Sat 2pm-4pm, 8pm-12am

aDDis aBeBa 4SAnTS

This fantastic restaurant offers wholesome food served in the traditional Ethiopian way. Importing fresh ingredients and using top-quality local meat, the food is prepared with an exciting range of over 25 herbs and spices creating an incredible range of tastes and flavours. Their combination plates offer an excellent way for groups to try a variety of dishes to give you the true taste of Ethiopia. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll love the huge selection of dishes on offer too. �

NEWIN F&D


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. �

international

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 re-laxed and homely atmosphere. Try vege-tarian 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 con-tinental and Indian menus, �9.50 inc. Free soup and salad buffet. �

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. �

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

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

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. �


take-away 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

Delivery

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

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 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 | www.thaithaibcn.com

thai

thai

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. �

sushi BoXThis great new sushi take-away has two locations in the city which offer free delivery for all orders over �25. They have a wide selec-tion 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 offi ce. �

C/Rosselló, 317 I Hospital Clinic C/Galileu, 246 I Les Corts I Tel. 93 116 2100 I [email protected] 7.30pm-11pm I Wed-Sun 12.30pm-4pm and 7.30pm-11pm

vitali PiZZa

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

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

vegetarian

aMaltea4eIXAmple e

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

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

to advertise in this section, please call 93 4514486 or email [email protected]

Food&Drink

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 avail-able during the week. The warm hospital-ity and attention to detail to every dish at Thai Gracia will keep you coming back for more. ��


Hairdressers

Bodywork / Massage

Marketplace Services Directory

BeautyHealth &Wellbeing

Home Services

Education

Services

Business

Employment

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

Bodywork/Massage 44

Dentists 45

Doctors 45

Veterinarian 45

Pharmacy 45

Chiropractors 45-46

Acupuncure 46

Chinese Medicine 46

Life Coaching 46

Psychologists / Psychotherapists 46

HypnoBirthing 47

Martial Arts 47

Feldenkrais 47

Interior Design 47

Plumbing 47

Locksmith 47

Construction 47

Real Estate & Accommodation 448

Transport / Storage / Removals 48-49

Rentals 48

Language Schools 49-50

Translation Courses 50

Teacher Training 51

Activities 51

Art Classes 51

Piano Lessons 51

Design 51

Computers 51-52

Television Services 52-53

Advertising Service 53

Tax Services 53

Legal Practices 53-54

Financial Services 54

Insurance 54

Financial Coaching 55

Job Opportunities 55-56

44-49 Feb.indd 44 1/24/11 1:06:20 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

[email protected]

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 Chiropractors

44-49 Feb.indd 45 1/24/11 1:06:23 PM

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

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 Feb.indd 46 1/24/11 1:06:26 PM

Beauty | HealtH | WellBeing | Home ServiceS 47

:

GRAHAM COLLINSPROPERTY CONSULTANCY

INTERIOR DESIGN& DECORATION

Puzzled by the property market ?

Need a renovator that speaksyour language ?

Want that designed look on an Ikea budget ?

C/CONSULAT DEL MAR 35, 3er BARCELONAt: 0034 678 75 75 11 e: [email protected]

Interior Design

HypnoBirthing

Plumbing

Construction

Martial Arts

Locksmith

Feldenkrais

44-49 Feb.indd 47 1/24/11 1:06:32 PM

Transport / Storage / Removals

48 Home ServiceS

Rentals

Real Estate & Accommodation

44-49 Feb.indd 48 1/24/11 1:06:34 PM

Home ServiceS | eDucation 49

Language Schools

iness Spanish

à

Language Schools

44-49 Feb.indd 49 1/24/11 1:06:36 PM

50 eDucAtion

Language Schools

Translation Courses

50-55 Feb.indd 50 1/24/11 1:13:11 PM

eDucAtion | ServiceS 51

ActivitiesTeacher Training

Piano Lessons

FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN NEEDS

e: [email protected]: +34 699 260 938

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

Design

John French Associates Design & CommunicationDesign, copy writing, photography and illustration

For work samples contact:

[email protected]. 933 56 87 05 m. 634 78 30 71

Art classes

Bespoke means ‘made to individual order’, and we tailor each project to our client’s unique needs. With over 10 years of experience in graphic design we are passionate about communicating your message and provide an all round creative service.

m.667 906 721 [email protected] www.bespokebcn.com

Computers

50-55 Feb.indd 51 1/24/11 1:13:17 PM

52 ServiceS

Television Services

Computers

50-55 Feb.indd 52 1/24/11 1:13:20 PM

BuSineSS 53

Tax Services

Legal Practices

Advertising Service

50-55 Feb.indd 53 1/24/11 1:13:23 PM

54 BuSineSS

Financial Services

Legal Practices

Insurance

50-55 Feb.indd 54 1/24/11 1:13:25 PM

BuSineSS | employment 55

Financial Coaching Job Opportunities

50-55 Feb.indd 55 1/24/11 1:13:27 PM

56 EmploymEnt

Job Opportunities

56-57 Feb.indd 56 1/20/11 1:18:56 PM

For rent

Beautiful 3 bedroom fl at with views over Barcelona, close to Metro Sta-tion Roquetes, L3, green lineIdeal for a couple or 3 friends. Beau-tiful fl at to rent in local Neighbour-hood - independent kitchen, fullly equipped with oven, fridge etc., nice bathroom, one big living room, one bedroom with a double bed, one bedroom with a single bed - washing maschine , television, balcony with views over Barcelona. No agency commission just one month deposit required. Electricity and water bills not included. community expenses included, no elevator BUT, it´s NOT in the city center. So before calling me please have a look at the Metro map. (20 min from Plaza Catalunya) Thanks Tel. 636 465 010

Big bright apartment for 2 couples, absolutely equiped, in the touristy Born area, WI FI, views, gas heatingBorn-St. Pere, sunny 90m2, authen-tically renovated, fully equipped, 2 BIG double bedrooms, 3 balconies. Ask pictures. €1,120. 93 3102621 607352552 [email protected]

Barceloneta apartment for rentApartment right next to Barceloneta beach, well suited for a couple. Two rooms, fully furnished on the second fl oor with sea view. Rened directly by the owner. Rent is €700 per month. Call 630478152 or 630802728

Stylish Apartment near las ramblas, beach, shops &’Palau Guell’ 900 eu-ros/mthThis is a newly redecorated, 60 square meter fi rst fl oor apartment is situated in the heart of Barcelona. The apartment has modern fur-nishings with tiled fl oors, art-deco bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, furnished bedrooms with satellite television, internet and a balcony to enjoy the warmth of Barce-lona throughout the day. Situated

half way up Las Ramblas on a side street. The famous tourist attrac-tion, Gaudi designed ‘Palau Guell’ is situated only 2 minutes walk away, where many tourists visit. Location District: Ciutat Vella Metro station: Liceu Contact: [email protected] Spain: +34 639 481 578 Uk: +44 7956 949 653

Beautiful 3 room apartment (72m) in c/ Pujol (Sarria-Sant Gervasi), +27m terrace, 2 bathroom, great location, 1.110€, furniture optionalExcellent apartment in one of Bar-celona’s best neighborhoods. Huge terrace and perfect room distribu-tion with two separate wings, 2 bed-rooms for couples, one smaller room for single or home offi ce, 2 bath-rooms. We are optionally selling all our furniture (including washing ma-chine, fridge and dish washer). The fl at will be available from the 1st of February. 1.100€ / month. Contact: Fernando (T. 619555394), Carolin (T. 659401426)

Offi ce space for rent in the centre of the BorneWe have offi ce space to rent in peaceful creative community hidden away in the Borne. 10MB ADSL,WIFI access, alarm, cleaner, acess to a shared meeting room and kitchen with fridge and microwave and ac-cess to a patio for external meetings in the Spring and Summer ring 93 269 09 93 and ask for Deborah.

Seeking

Any moms out there?I have a six-month-old daughter and am looking to get together in a casual setting with other moms in Barcelona area to share experiences, sympathies and maybe a cup of tea. You can contact me at [email protected]. Language Exchange

Looking for a Native english conversation for my spanish/catalan

conversationI’m a spanish native that needs to practice some english conversation for business needs. I would like to establish a weekly exchange conversation, half time in english and half time in spanish or catalan. In Central BCN, or near Glorias or via skype. Preference on fridays afternoon. [email protected].

You teach me Castellano I teach you bakingI need to practise speaking Castel-lano, I can offer you some bread/cake baking classes. I live in the centre, prefer having the class dur-ing Weekdays at noon. My email is [email protected]

For sale

Cheap vintage & second hand clothesI sell cheap vintage & second hand clothes, prices from 3 euros ... You can see some images and prices in myspace/ tata barcelona!! For any questions you can contact me by email: [email protected]

Unique paintingsHi, I’m selling unique pieces of ab-stract expressionist paining, large size (100cmX100cm) ideal to deco-rate your house, offi ce or restau-rant. They are currently exhibited in a small gallery in calle martinez de la rosa 27 in Gracia. If you are interested you can can contact me on 617238771

€ 250 SOFA BED for saleConfortable as a sofa, easy and con-venient as a double bed, storage space underneath. Less than 1 year old, only used about 6 times. Must sell due to refurnishing room for children. Pls contact Virginia @ 679 593 776

House clearancegreat selection off antiques, de-crotive objects,art deco furniture ,many fantastic pieces including fan-tastic french style chandaliers to sell

at reasonable price.curtains,kitchen ware, clothes off the forties,and fi f-ties to make an appointment call An-drew 677169281.

IKEA HUSAR computer cabinetGreat if you need to work at home but don’t want your work clutter-ing up your apartment. Space for all your computer stuff and books and papers all kept hidden behind the closed doors of the cabinet. Pull-out keyboard tray and niches for CDs etc. Like-new condition. €100. Renée 609939020

Three young canariesI have three beautiful canaries born in August for sale.They need new homes as they have to be separated from their parents.Only 14 euros each.Can be seen with their parents. Conact [email protected]

MOVING SALE

Moving Must Sell Everthing. Beds/ Curtains/ Rugs and more CONTACT [email protected] Sale. Everything is in great condition and almost new! Ikea large double mattress 160cmx200cm (cost €299): selling at: €200 Ikea Aneboda double white bed frame 160cmx200cm(cost€100):selling at: €50 Ikea single mattress (cost €50): selling at €25 Ikea Sanela curtains chocolate brown (cost €69): sell-ing at €35 Ikea Sanela curtains light brown (cost €69): selling at €35 Ikea white shelving unit (cost €50): sell-ing at €25 Ikea Floor lamp( cost €20): selling at €10 Ikea 3 Hessum runner rugs, (cost €20):each selling at €10 each Ikea ironing board, (cost €10): selling €5 Ikea clothes rack (cost €10): selling €5 Ikea 50 wooden hangers €20 Standing fan (cost €30): selling €15 Space heater (cost €50): selling €25 Toaster (cost €25): selling €10 Electric juicer (cost €20): sell-ing €10 Telefonica speed touch 580 router : selling €10CONTACT [email protected] for more info.

A selection of the latest classifi ed ads you can see on our website now

classifieds FEB2011.indd 1 1/24/11 12:05:41 PM

HOROSCOPEAries You are in a period of professional change that requires reflection. It’s not wise to rush into anything; collect all the information and then take care of your doubts.

Taurus Social relationships are important this month, but you mustn’t depend on others—learn to mix with people in a different way. In matters of love, you may attract happy relationships.

Gemini If you’re studying, it’s a good moment to make a profound change. You might have opportunities to travel and if so, you should take advantage of them.

Cancer This is one of the most important work moments of the year. If you’re looking for a job, you’ll find it and it will be better than what you expected. You may get a pay rise.

Leo Your power is undergoing a transformation. You can change your body as you wish, as well as a company or business. It’s a question of geting rid of those things standing in your way.

Virgo If you’re looking for work, this is a great month. Everything is put in order just as you like it. You may achieve important employment objectives. Look after your health, rest and relax.

Libra Take care of your health, especially your lungs and stomach. It’s also a good idea to do some sport providing that it’s well-balanced. At work, there may be opportunities.

Scorpio Focus on your family. Your job is progressing calmly and you can visualise your own projects. Review the past and deal with old sentimental matters. Your health improves.

Sagittarius Balance your needs with the wishes of others. Sometimes you are very independent, other times more dependent. You may travel with your family or for work.

Capricorn It’s a good time to reduce costs and pay off debts. You have a tendency to cling on to possessions you no longer need. Free yourself and better things will arrive.

Aquarius Congratulations! It’s a time of major planetary energy. Take care of yourself to get your body and image in shape. You have so much energy, you ask too much of your body.

Pisces Your generosity knows no bounds. You feel very magnanimous and may make charitable donations. Work opportunities arrive with no particular effort from you.

Two thousand and eleven is shaping up to

be an interesting year, what with wide-

spread flooding, yet more global financial

meltdown, possible canonisation for the last

pope and a Catalan film in line for the Oscars.

Possibly. So what else is going to happen this

year?

Well, it’s going to be an exciting time for Por-

tugal, one way or another. They seem to have

warded off the immediate threat of bankruptcy,

but there’s no guarantee how long they can last.

Neither Germany nor France seem too keen to

support them, so don’t be surprised if China,

Russia or even Qatar step in and actually buy it

up. They’re buying everything else, so they might

as well go the extra kilometre and buy a whole

country. It’s unlikely they’ll try and tow it away

to be an off-shore casino/theme park/celebrity

golf course, but you never know.

All this is going to be very damaging for the

rest of Europe. Or what was once rather quaintly

known as Europe, except Europe now includes

rather more countries than most Europeans are

really happy with, especially when it gives their

citizens rights to come over and take our jobs,

steal our women, fix our plumbing, etc. With

Portugal installed in the South China Sea and

Greece suffering the kind of financial and social

tragedy that makes Oedipus Rex look like a mi-

nor family tiff, Spain risks being next.

One option would be to sell the Barça football

team, which would please the rest of Spain no

end. With the team’s shirt-front advertising now

sold off, it can’t be too long before some Russian

oligarch makes an offer for the whole shebang.

And when a Russian oligarch makes you an of-

fer, it tends to be the kind of offer you can’t really

refuse. It might even be Putin himself, with his

new interest in football. There will be rumblings

of discontent among some supporters, but in the

current financial climate, lots of others will be

happy to cash in their membership. Better to sell

while they’re at their peak. Otherwise Putin will

just buy Real Madrid instead.

Meanwhile, France and Germany are going

to get rather shirty about things, and may well

articulate their discontent by withdrawing from

the Euro altogether. That’s the thing about bul-

lies. They’re happy to let you play with their

ball, as long as they’re on the winning team. As

soon as it looks as if you’re letting in too many

goals, they want to take their ball away and go

and play on their own.

None of this will trouble Italy, who will con-

tinue to be wrapped up in their Presidential soap

opera. We can expect Berlusconi to announce

he has elected himself President for Life, and

possibly for the Afterlife, something for which

his plastic surgeon has been preparing him

for several years now. Such an announcement

would normally lead to riots, but Berlusconi

will rewrite the constitution as a nightly real-

ity game show involving scantily clad teenagers

competing for key clauses of the new version of

the constitution. The winner will then be elected

the Minister for Justice, and as part of her TV

contract will refuse to refer Berlusconi’s actions

to the courts.

Britain will similarly be distracted, but only

by the Royal Wedding. This, unfortunately, won’t

require rewriting the constitution, as there isn’t

one. Half the population will eagerly buy cheap-

ly-made souvenirs of the happy couple, while

the other half will snipe about the wedding,

the monarchy and the ubiquitous tea-towels

and mugs. Barcelona will be particularly full of

Brits that weekend, as non-royalists use the ex-

tra bank holidays to flee the country and escape

the wall-to-wall coverage. True anti-royalists,

though, will go into work as usual, and pretend

nothing is happening.

Finally, having failed in their attempts to be

accepted as an independent nation by the Foot-

ball World Cup, the Olympics and now the Os-

cars, Catalunya will announce it is entering the

space race, with plans to land the first Catalan

on the moon, preferably wearing espardanyes

and dancing a sardana. Training for this pro-

gramme will take place in front of the main ca-

thedral every Sunday morning until a possible

candidate emerges. As few potential astronauts

dance the sardana, this might take a while.

--Roger de Flower

STRANGER THINGS HAPPEN

by Nuria Picola www.nuriapicola.com

scoop

By Ben Rowdon

58 BACK PAGE

58 Back page....indd 90 1/24/11 2:24:24 PM

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