Barcelona Stories - Arenas - From Bullring to Cashcow

The Arenas Bullring, Barcelona’s iconic structure, once again felt the roar of the crowd and the tremble of footsteps upon its historic sands this year. However, no bull or matador was present. The bullring has been officially reborn as an entertainment complex.

Arenas now houses 115 shops, a cinema and Barcelona’s brand new rock museum, Museu del Rock, adding another feather to the city’s already brimming architectural cap.

At a time when a financial black cloud is looming over Spain, the bullring-turned-mall has seen tremendous success largely due to its location near Plaça Espanya, Barcelona’s emblematic thoroughfare that sees the large majority of traffic to and from the airport. Arenas is also close to Montjuïc, the Museo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, and the Fira de Barcelona, one of Europe’s most important trade conference centers.

The modifications to the original bullring were done by British Architect Richard Rogers, responsible for Paris’s controversial le Centre Pompidou and London´s Millennium Dome. Arenas was completed in March of 2011, and in its first week the complex received more than 300,000 visitors.

“We set out to re-establish Las Arenas as a 21st-century landmark for the city. This involved retaining the entire existing façade as well as re-integrating what had become an isolated traffic island into the city fabric,” explained Rogers.






The history of Las Arenas has always been a stormy one. Completed in 1900 in the Neo-Mudéjar (Moorish Revival) style, it set the style for bullrings all over Spain. However, in an ominous sign, within months of opening, Arenas saw its first death. Matador Domingo Del Campo, known under the fighting pseudonym “Dominguin,” was gored to death. The death went down in history giving legend to Arenas.

In 1914 a new bullring was built in Barcelona only a few miles away. Known locally as “El Sport” and officially titled “Monumental,” the bullring was considered more modern and better equipped. Las Arenas continued to function as a bullring until the Spanish Civil War when it became a republication guard headquarters. Arenas saw its last bullfight in 1977. Afterward, all bullfighting in Barcelona was officially moved to the Monumental Bullring and Arenas was completely abandoned.

During the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the government tried many times without success to do something with the vacant structure, including a negotiation with the local conference center. No deal was struck and Arenas sat for more than two decades in slow decay, forgotten in a city racing into the 21st century.

But, as Ernest Hemingway once said, “Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honor.” Not only could this be applied to bullfighting but to Arenas itself. In 2010 plans were drawn up for new modernist concept to be given to the bullring as a mall to complement the already thriving Plaça Espanya.

Ironically enough Monumental Bullring is in its last days. Catalonia banned Bullfighting in 2010 and Monument’s increasingly low turnouts mean that it will hold the last of Catalonia’s corridas in 2012, following which it will be turned into a small concert arena and bullfighting museum.

The future of Arenas looks rosy as it thrives with increasing numbers drawn to its “Plaza in the Sky” with 360-degree views over Barcelona and modern shopping experience. In a financially dark climate, Las Arenas is proof that success stories do exist and Barcelona is the city to reinvent them.

Barcelona - Cooking with the Professionals

As the concept of home dining evolves, home chefs are reaching out to new ideas and new ways of cooking fresh quality ingredients.
Cooking the Kitchen Company Barcelona brings to life this idea using demonstrations and workshops under the name - Active cooking.

The idea of active cooking is taking these professional skills and knowledge by experienced chefs and connoisseurs in their chosen field and translating them to the home chef in an informal learning environment. This gives the promising home chef a new perspective on how the ingredients and techniques work together. It also gives them a better sense of how professional chefs cook, not only guiding by sight but involving the sense of smell and taste as they savor the food freshly prepared during the demonstration and workshop.

Demonstrations -often involve the combination of chef and product-rep working together to promote the ingredients as well as the style in which they are used. The range of products in the shop reflects the demographic of home cooks looking to improve their skills in the kitchen and eager to learn the secrets of the professionals.

A example of this is “Flavors and aromas of the world” featuring Faaraj Hashim of Mount Lavinia in conjunction with a representative from Chátillon spice range, while the chef prepares the cuisine the representative explains the origins of the products the way in which the products are harvested and produced and what benefits they give to the consumer.

Workshops are a more intimate affair where small groups take part in the cooking and preparation of the food along with the guest chef. Mario Comes director of cooking The Kitchen Cooking Company Barcelona remarks “The concept of workshops is not only about display but about the different ways to use new technology and cooking utensils inline with new techniques in an ever changing culinary world. The home cook takes part in the preparation and at the end of the session gets to savor the food made during the workshop”.

Cooking the kitchen company has seen workshops from such contemporary culinary professionals as cocktail connoisseur Javier de las Muelas well known as the cocktail king of Barcelona owner of Dry Martini considered one of the best cocktail bars in the world. The workshop timetable frequently changes themes covering such world cuisine as Japanese; featuring Leticia Soler de Bievre from Euro Japan projects.

With six years of study in Japanese culture and cuisine, not only does she show the home cook how to prepare the food and which products to use but also how to follow Japanese etiquette from the preparation to the table.

This month brings Tapas workshops by Adelf Morales from Topik restaurant Barcelona and trained by Yosi Yamashita (the chef credited with bringing Japanese food to Barcelona).

Barcelona In Space, Tourism goes Galactic

I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do - Hal 9000


  When Stanley kubrik made 2001 A Space odyssey he was about 11 years off.


                    

Xavier Claramunt  former aerospace engineer and CEO of Galatic suite LTD based in Barcelona is pioneering the first space hotel. Galatic Suite for opening in the year 2012.

"In this sense, the Galactic Suite Experience is divided into three parts: land, space tourist and his family stayed at the Galactic Suite SpacePort (GSSP), on an island in the tropics where the architecture is light and the vegetation by everywhere. Sunrises and sunsets illuminate the earth and sea, blue sky full of stars day and night will make you understand how the rich is our world." 


                               Xavier Clamunt interview with La flecha technology magazine.

                                                           

In the late 1960s man was obsessed with the idea of living in Space. During this decade Pan Am established a waiting list for future flights into Space, issuing “First Moon flights club” cards to interested clients. This concept was brought to the forefront with Stanley Kubrick's seminal masterpiece a Space Odyssey 2001. Little did we know that Kubrick's dream would only be 11 years off.

Galatic suites is the name given to the first space hotel pioneered by a group of architects from Barcelona, lead by Xavier Claramunt former aerospace engineer and winner of the 2007 world architecture and design prize with the idea of opening in 2012.

The Space hotel will orbit at Low Earth Orbit (LEO) dedicated to accommodating private hotel guests. These guests will see 16 sunrises and sunsets a day seeing the full earth orbit in 90 minutes.

The project began its days as a hobby for Claramunt and entered into development as “The Galatic Suite Space Resort” when financed by an unnamed space enthusiast who injected 3 billion dollars into the enterprise.

The complete package comes with a price tag of 4 million dollars (3 million Euros) and begins as an 3 month preparation on Ronde Island in the Caribbean known as the “Participant Earth Experience” which serves as the training center, spaceport and hotel resort. This James Bond 'Moonraker' style training camp experience serves to begin acclimatising the guest, immersing them into earth’s natural habitat. After the tourist has returned to earth they stay an additional 2 weeks on Ronde Island in recovery.

Xavier Claramunt reiterated this in an interview with La Flecha magazine. “The Galactic Experience Suite is designed to offer the most exciting and transcendental experience where the space tourist approaches nature not just as an individual but as part of the human race, responsible for the conservation of the planet.”

The spaceport training facility on Ronde Island is designed to prepare the guest mentally and physically for the experience, where the guest can expect to undergo centrifuge, weightlessness and high pressure training along with a program which is designed to create a bond between the space tourist and the flight crew in preparation for such a profound experienced, the guest is also expected to bring their families who will stay at the spaceport with them during the journey, to provide a wholesome experience, close to the bonds of human nature.

The space hotel itself will be made up of 5 prefabricated bio inspired ATV modules. A service module, 3 guest  modules and a multifunction module. The guest modules are private, designed as rooms to give the space tourist the freedom to experiment with zero gravity and stargaze through an observation window while in total comfort attached to the module wall with Velcro suits, the resort will also include a zero gravity spa where the guest can bathe in a closed swimming environment with large floating zero gravity bubbles.

"When the passengers arrive in the rocket, they will joined for the 3 days, by the flight crew.   This way we instill in the tourist a confidence that they haven't been abandoned. After the stay the passenger returns to the transport rocket and then returns to earth”. Explained Xavier

The concept of galactic suites is similar to a mountain top refuge where the space tourist brings just enough supplies to last the 3 to 6 days, fresh supplies can be brought in and Galactic Suites have been in talks with several high profile chefs to design a food package for the stay.

The design of the resort is being undertaken by Galactic Suites design which is also pioneering designs in deep sea and high altitude hotels, pushing the current boundaries in aerospace tourism design and futuristic architectural innovations. drawing inspiration from many famous Barcelonian architects such as Antonio Gaudi.

“The design of the (space) hotel is inspired by the growth of some marine vegetation and the formation of grape vines, from them we learn the configuration of centrifuge, this allows us to create a singular central form that gives access to various modules at the same time” says Xavier.

The transit to the hotel is currently being provided by the Russian spacecraft; Soyuz, launching  from Baikonour in Russia and will take 2 days to reach the Space Hotel, accelerating to an orbital speed of 25,000km/h to be able perform the intricate docking maneuvers. The location of the spaceport on Ronde Island, close to the equator enables Galactic Suites to take advantage of the Earth's rotation for future launches.

Although, Galactic Suites is the first company to introduce the concept of a hotel in space, space tourism has been around since 2001 when the American Dennis Tito spent 8 days in space as a member of ISS EP-1 on a visiting mission to the International Space Station.

Several other space tourists have followed the lastest being the Canadian Guy Laliberte CEO of Cirque du Soleil who went into space in 2009 on a “poetic social mission” raising awareness on water issues facing mankind. The event was accompanied by a 120 minute webcast featuring theatrical Cirque de Social performances in 14 cities on five continents.

Space Adventures was the company that organized these first trips into space and is now currently organizing the first private trip to circumnavigate the moon, flying to the far side of the moon within 100km of the surface.

Just recently Russian company RKK Energia announced plans to launch a space hotel which will be an orbiting capsule which will be  open to space tourists in 2016. Virgin Galactic one of the leading potential space tourism groups is also planning to be the first space tourism company to regularly take civilians into sub-orbital space flight, with ticket prices of $200,000. Over 410 seats have already been sold.

Even though space tourism is yet to officially begin,  recent years has seen a boom in companies registering as space tourism facilitators. Creating a so called private Space Race II, this has been motived by the  2004 Ansari X prize for sub-orbital space flight which was won by Mojave Aerospace Ventures in SpaceShipOne, the first privately funded manned spacecraft to exceed 100km in altitude.

Stacy Tearne of Space Adventures when asked about the concept of space tourism replied. “The opening up of 'space' for the commercial sector is fundamental to the prosperity of mankind and the future of Earth and will also serve as a door into the rest of the solar system.”

                                                http://www.galacticsuitedesign.com/

                                                        

                                                 http://www.galacticsuite.com/

Barcelona Stories - Supper clubs Part 2

                                                    www.jezebelsclandestinedining.com

The concept of the Supper Club is simple. You are ‘invited’ by the chef to a

Pre-organized location (usually organized via the internet) where you dine according to a preset menu, this usually includes wine and coffee. The whole arrangement has a more intimate feel, more like a dinner party than restaurant dining. In parts of Europe supper club competition is fierce; many chefs are trained professionally having worked in Michelin starred restaurants.

 In Barcelona there are several well established Supper Clubs geared towards giving the diner something different, an experience that cannot be replicated in a restaurant.

Jezebels Clandestine Dining

Regularly organizes events; frequently changing location and menus. It describes its dining experience as “Hidden adventures for intrepid gastronomes, and hungry rogues”. Its style is New American, Cajan and Creole. The creator: Kathleen Engelhardt describes Jezebels as, “A prelude to the actual wine bar I plan to open later this year. I will experiment with different plates and wine combinations to find the perfect matches. Obviously the best will make it to the actual wine bar and hopefully along the way I will meet really interesting people”.

 The general theme of the Supper Club is fusion; last months Cuban night included such delights as  - Yucca chips with pumpkin seeds and a mojo salsa.  

This month; Caribbean night including such dishes as Crab Mouse, sweet potato linguine and coca mustard with summer vegetables. Dinners are regularly organised every month and Jezebels can be contacted via their website 

 A short Intrerview with Chef and creator

Kathleen, firstly how did you start the Supper club?

Basically, I was tired of working in other peoples kitchens cooking what
they wanted.  I wanted to be able to experiment with different styles and
flavors to create my own signature touch.  And I think its just a really cool way to meet new people. Since my first dinner I have met solid friends and in this city it's always a nice thing.

  What brought you to Barcelona?

 A change.  I needed to explore and I thought Catalonia is doing great
 things with food, so why not!

  How are the plans going to open your wine bar?

 They are a bit arduous at the moment but I am not letting that get in my
 way.  I do have a clear vision of my style and what I want to bring to
 Barcelona.  I see this city changing before my eyes and I am really
 excited about the possibilities.

  How does the process of running a supper club effect your long term
 plans for your own wine bar/Restaurant?

 Once I open the winebar I will continue to host my dinners, its a very
 unique way to enjoy food and wine. I like the concept of an intimate
 evening with strangers. But I do think I will have it more focused on one
 item of food or wine.  It will showcase the diamonds I come across to a
 very select group of people. I guess in that essence it will be more of a
 supper club than a pop up restaurant.

Barcelona Stories - Supper Clubs Part 1

                        http://www.barcelona-deluxe.com/en/gourmet/secrets_of_sri_lanka-39460.html


 The Mount Lavinia Supper club and Clandastine dining experience Barcelona:

An Interview with the chef and creator

http://www.mount-lavinia.com/

As the supper club scene in such cities as London and New York are in full flower mainland Europe’s underground dining are just beginning to blossom.

Somewhere hidden in the plush modernist district of Barcelona chef and clandestine entrepreneur Faraaj Hashim sits down at the bar of The Mount Lavinia Supper club and prepares to share his secret to his underground supper successes.

Tonight eight guests have signed up for a five course Sri Lankan meal. A mix of regular diners and new comers will arrive around 9 o’clock and won’t leave until well after midnight.  

 

How did you come up with idea for Mount Lavinia Supper club?

“In one word; disillusionment. Asian food in this city tends to be modified or diluted to the Spanish palette. I just want to give Barcelona real Asian food as you would eat in anybody's house in Sri Lanka without holding back on taste or on spice. This city is famous for it cuisine yet the tendency is to pander to the tourist palette or cater for haute cuisine sensibilities”. Faraaj sighs in obvious frustration.

Where does the name Mount Lavinia come from?

“Mount Lavinia is a strip of coast line to the South Of the capital Colombo”. He directs me towards a well fingered map of Sri Lanka on the wall of the flat come restaurant. “One of Sri Lanka’s signature dishes, the chili crab comes from this area, which will in fact be the main dish of tonight’s dinner”.

Explain to me exactly what Sri Lankan cooking is?

“It is based on quite a few periods of colonization; It is basically a blend of indigenous ingredients and local cooking techniques with influences from, Portuguese, Dutch, and Indonesian and Malay cooking. Back in the 16^th Century Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it called was a main player in the spice trade”.

Why run a clandestine supper club and not a restaurant?

Faraaj ponders for a moment. “I pride myself on maintaining high standards. Meats and vegetables are all purchased at La Boquieria Market. Every one of my ingredients is meticulously researched. Preparation and execution from the market to the table are deeply personal things for me. If I opened a restaurant all of those standards I work so hard to maintain would be jeopardised, running a restaurant is a full time job and I wouldn’t be able to oversee every detail. This is a luxury I can afford with a supper club” He points towards his stove located just behind the bar where some spices and vegetables have already been laid out for preparation. “Cooking for me is painting a picture. I could never allow anybody else to pick up my paints and easel and take over”.

You organize two supper club dinners over the weekend, How do you advertise yourself if you are clandestine supper club?

I work hard to market myself during the week, putting the word out. I do cookery classes and demonstrations. If  somebody seems genuinely interested I let them know about the Supper club and any upcoming dinners I have organized. By doing this I have built a reasonable client base. I also have a profile on supperclubfangroup.ning.com. The website represents a whole network of people who prefer the idea of intimate dining rather than doing the conventional restaurant thing and I get a lot of calls from them”.

From the way Faraaj keeps looking over to his stove I can see he is eager to get on with the day’s preparations.

One last question. What kind of Supper club experience do your guests expect to receive tonight?

“While am preparing the food I project a presentation detailing the ingredients and where they come from and how they are produced. That way I give the diner something more than just curry and drinks, I make the experience interactive. Lots of guests tell me once they have finished they feel like they have actually visited Sri Lanka. It can be quite a surreal experience for them”.

Contact Mount Lavinia for curry corner dinners

www.facebook.com/mount-lavinia

http://www.supperclubfangroup.ning.com/

Barcelona Stories - Sitges- Chic on the Beach

  

                                                                  http://www.sitges.cat/


Only 35 Km away from Barcelona sits the small coastal resort of Sitges. Known for it's Cinema festival and Carnival.

Sitges is quickly getting the reputation of St Tropez for its parties, fashion and general overall chic on beach.

The coastal back in the sixties was a center of counterculture against the dictatorship of general franco. This vibe is still evident today as sitges is a center of artistic inspiration with such innovators as Santiago Rusiñol.





The architecture of sitges hosts a mix of styles drawn from Barcelona as if the cities moderist explosion overflowed and washed up on Sitges Beach. The white washed articture of the south of Spain is also evident throughout the town.

 

Some Interesting facts


Sitges's has a rich history and it's name comes from the 13th Centry when a family names "Sitges" owned the town.

The towns economy used to be based on the production of wine, now it gives itself almost excusivley to Tourism.

Sitges is fast becoming one of the most expensive town in Europe.

In 1814 Facundo Bacardí, founder of the international rum brand Bacardi, was born in Sitges before emigrating to Cuba where he set up his company.

 The town is surrounded by the Garraf national park.

The town is known as the "gay resort" of Europe.



Sitges In Photos