Hitchcock at the Cinema Verdi

El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

El Bulli used to close from October to June, up to the start of the new season. But being closed did not not mean everything stopped there. During those months, in fact, the creative team behind the restaurant that was voted the best in the world for five consecutive years worked tirelessly, with Ferran Adrià at the helm, you will discover why the chef and his team changed the concept of cooking.

Gereon Wetzel found a way into what had been, up to then, the secret, holy of holies to bring us a documentary that reveals the creative processes behind the dishes served up at El Bulli. And so we have El Bulli: Cooking in Progress, an exposé not just “of the members of a team (Adrià, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruc) who have worked together for a number of years, and enjoy a very close and creative relationship“.

This intimate portrayal, giving close-ups on the ingredients, their textures and their colours, offers the viewer a chance to discover the secrets of the restaurant and its team, and “its everyday operations, rather than its philosophy“, explains Wetzel.

Although the documentary is being premiered now, when we know that El Bulli is to stop being restaurant and become a foundation, it was thought up and made without any knowledge of the closing date. Its director affirms that the film “conveys the spirit of El Bulli, which is something that will not end with the restaurant, but will continue into the foundation“.

El Bulli | El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

Caligae – a Roman legionary’s sandals have been found

Caligae are the Roman legionary sandals used to wear and they even lent their name to the Emperor Caligula on the battlefield. Those sandals were used by soldiers because they survived the harshest marches on foot and firmly gripped the ground.

A pair of these classic Roman legionary sandals has now been found in Barcelona, thanks to urban development work being carried out at Plaça del Pedró (Raval).

What was actually found were iron studs that were encrusted in the sole, to strengthen the leather the sandals were made from.

While such studs had already been found scattered around in other excavations carried out in Barcelona, this is the first time they have been found in the original position on the sandal’s sole.

Conservationists and restorers are working in the City Council’s Archaeology Services laboratory to clean the rest the of the sandal, stabilise the metal so that it can go on display in a suitable medium, which could afterwards join the other exhibits at the city’s History Museum.

Although at first sight it may seem odd that they bore more than a hundred studs in their soles, considering the weight that would have entailed (each weighs 2.5 grams), according to the conservationists, the total weight of the caligae would have hardly differed from the current weight of today’s shoes.

Research shows that the metal remains of this sandal were found in funeral structures from Barcelona’s Roman cemetery and could date back to the 2nd century AD.

Titanic: the exhibition in Barcelona

Close to 200 of the items that were on board the Titanic as it sank, recreations of cabins and even explanations about their design and construction are now showing at the Maritime Museum.

Visitors will transport themselves back to the past, and discover at first hand what life was like on board this ship, thanks to the original items such as the complete passenger list and first-class dining crockery.

Just in time to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic ship, Titanic The Exhibition arrives at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona. The exhibition takes the visitor back in time and lets you know how fleeting life was on the ship, from its conception and construction to the present state of the remains of nearly 4 kilometers deep North Atlantic. The nearly 200 objects, its faithful recreation of the interior rooms of transatlantic, as the cabins or the corridors of the first class, and how it reflects the true history of the ship, has become one of the exhibitions more viewed the world.

Among the original objects that we see include the list of passengers, approved and certified by the White Star Line on May 31, 1912 (the only preserved today), a piece of coal more than 2 kilos (from the No. 1 boiler room, which was in use until the last moment) or the two original letters written by the Titanic’s first officer, William Murdoch. Pieces of first class dinner, the original list of bodies recovered from the tragedy, books, letters, photos, shoes, boarding cards or chart, never exhibited before.

To perform this task informative, Titanic: The Exhibition has its own specialist, CG Wetterholm, Titanic historian for over 30 years and one of the people who participated in expeditions to rescue the remains of the ship along the nineties.

The exhibition is a production of the Titanic Foundation, which is to disseminate the history of the ship and preserve his memory.

Further information and tickets: Museu Marítim de Barcelona

Seat 600 & Rumba by Moritz Barcelona

The charisma of the Seat 600 and the magic of the Catalan rumba rolled into one. This is the new proposal from Moritz for an evening out in Barcelona.

If you’re not sure what to do on Tuesday evenings, from 20 March and until 19 June you’ll be able to head down to “600 amb rumba“, a new idea from Cerveses Moritz thought up by PUMM that offers you the chance to go round Barcelona in a Seat 600 and see the evening out to the rhythm of Catalan rumba courtesy of Arrels de Gràcia in the revamped Fàbrica Moritz, where there’ll also be a selection of tapas waiting for you.

The 600 will be setting off from Fàbrica Moritz Barcelona (Ronda de Sant Antoni, 41), with an initial stop to sample tapas at Bar Velódromo (Muntaner, 213) washed down with a Moritz beer. The route then takes you through the centre of Barcelona. You will enjoy the curious experience of driving a 600 through Plaça de la Universitat, along Carrer Pelai, down the Rambla, past Drassanes and up Avinguda del Paral·lel.

Once you get to Fàbrica Moritz, you will be treated to a live performance of Catalan rumba courtesy of Arrels de Gràcia, the group who will be playing as you enjoy your dinner, a selection of tapas accompanied by none other than Moritz beer.

The price of this activity, which will be taking place every Tuesday evening from 8.30 pm, is 29 euros per person.

Hotel BCN Universal review

Hi,

I know this is just an automatic form letter and doesn’t require a reply, but I just wanted to say that we were very impressed by the hotel. It was impeccably run, tremendously clean and efficient, pleasant décor and we enjoyed every minute of our stay in Barcelona. Hope to be back one day.
Best regards,

Jane, March 2012

< Hotel Barcelona Universal >

Barcelona corre – 23 routes through Barcelona

‘Barcelona corre’ encourages us to get healthy by taking up sport along the city’s streets. A total of 23 routes divided up according to district, subject matter and level of difficulty in addition to themed routes (parks and gardens, holidays, cold days…) and other routes with special attractions, such as night running and mountain athletics.

‘Barcelona corre‘ is supplemented with a list of running events that are held in the city, with practical advice for training and suitable food, along with interviews where journalists such as Arcadi Alibés and the actress Sílvia Abril explain their experiences.

A highly practical guide, aimed at enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike, for taking runs along routes through the city. The book’s authors, the journalists Pere Bosch and Núria Blanco, are expert runners.

“I think Ernest Hemingway used to say that advancing is keeping up the pace” is the quote from the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami that opens the book Barcelona corre.

Author/s: Pere Bosch & Núria Blanco | César Lucadamo (photography)

Hong Kong Film Week

Alex Law, Freddie Wong, Ann Hui, Derek Wong and Clement Cheng, Chan Hing-Kai and Janet Chun, Barbara Wong, and Ivy Ho. These are the directors behind the seven films featured in Hong Kong Film Week, which is into its seventh edition this year.

For another year, Casa Àsia is inviting you to enjoy the finest cinema hailing from the Chinese city. This year’s screenings will look at topics like everyday life, interpersonal relationships and affection, and local conflicts in a global world. Titles such as All About Love by Ann Hui insist on these and other aspects just like The Drunkard or La Comédie Humaine, where the sense of humour and satire are mixed with the anthropological and social analysis. This annual date allows us to show the audience some of the most relevant productions of cinematographic industry as productive as the one in Hong Kong.

The screenings will be held at Cinemes Méliès. Please visit Casa Àsia website to find detailed information on screenings and dates.

4th Mediterranean Currach Regatta in the Port of Barcelona

Since 2009 IOMRAMH has organized the Mediterranean Currach Regatta in the Port of Barcelona. Participation in this annual event has grown in numbers year after year, bringing international crews to the competition. The regatta has become both a sports event and a celebration of Irish tradition and culture on Mediterranean waters.

In 2011 the Coonagh Currach Club, from Limerick (Ireland) traveled to Barcelona to compete and demonstrate the full capacity of a currach in the hands of a skilled and experienced crew. More crews from Ireland are expected to participate in 2012, as well as more crews from Norway, Catalonia and elsewhere, meaning more craic and more sport for this wonderful event.

Timetable for the day – March 18th 2012
12.00 – 12.30
Crews meet at Reial Club Marítim de Barcelona. Every crew must wear their sponsor T-shirt “The morning after fill”- Complimentary sandwich and tea will be offered to rowers to gather strength

12.30
Team Draw with two categories: Amateurs and Pros

13.00 – 16.00
Regatta (watch it from any point along the Maremàgnum Bridge)

16.00 – 18.30
At Terrace of RCMB: Live Irish Music with Drónán (16-17.30) / Dancing with Aires Celtes (17.30-18), Award Presentation (18-18.15). 100% Irish Black Angus Burgers with Cheddar Cheese and Catalan beer available for all guests!!!

18.30 – 20.00
At Saló Noble of RCMB: as the sun goes down outside we’ll move inside for some live Funk&Soul with amazing Sinead & The Sinners!

20.00 – 21.00
DJ Ben (UK) will spin his groovy tunes to close the event in style!

:: IOMRAMH ::

Myths and Ancient Coins

Gods and heroes adorned the coins of Hispania. Now an exhibition explains some of the beliefs associated with them. They were not just used to pay for products and services but also as amulets, talismans, offerings and funeral and even items. We are referring to the coins of Roman Hispania now on display at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in an exhibition entitled Gods and Myths of Antiquity. The evidence from Hispanic coins.

In fact there are 289 items, coins and archaeological objects, which clearly show the proliferation of images, of gods and heroes, that appeared on coins produced before the arrival of the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula, after which the Christian cross began to replace the images of Heracles and Europa.

Gods and myths of antiquity, an exhibition organized by the Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia, proposes an approach to the gods, myths and cults of the inhabitants of the Iberian peninsula from the fifth century before Christ, and until the arrival of the Visigoths about one thousand years later.

MNAC is located in Montjuic, just beside the Magical Fountains and very near our B-Hotel in Plaza Espanya, next to Las Arenas Shopping Mall.

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