Cazador de Sonrisas by Agustín Ferrer

Posted by Lucy on 3 octubre, 2014 Leave a Comment

It's the early 1960s, the Korean War is over and the townsfolk of Oceanside, a typical Calfornian coastal town, are going about their quaint little suburban lives. But everything isn't quite what it seems. Presenting Agustín Ferrer's newest addition to his published works, Cazador de Sonrisas, or The Smile Hunter. This thrilling comic tells the tale of local family man and respected orthodontist Herbert F. Dunne who has a caring wife and daughter, a large house and a well-paid job. Despite the relatively normal exterior, all is not quite as meets the eye - Doctor Dunne is deeply troubled by … [Read more...]

Countdown to Deleste

Posted by Lucy on 30 septiembre, 2014 Leave a Comment

Valencia's 2 day indie explosion is back this Friday 24th and Saturday 25th October in Espai Rambleta, and we're ready and raring to go. The third edition of Deleste Festival is set to bring such big names as Pony Bravo, Grupo de Expertos Sol y Nieve and Nueva Vulcano. Check out the full line-up and the newly released day split: Other top names to watch out for are Barcelona alt-rockers Za! who look set to please crowds with their ecclectic mix of energetic, off-beat drumming and electronic injections. Fuckin' Bollocks, who treated us to a great performance in the BCore Showcase at … [Read more...]

Street Art Valencia

Posted by Lucy on 26 septiembre, 2014 4 Comments

It only takes a short stroll around Valencia to realise that if there’s one thing the city's got (apart from lots and lots of rice) it's great street art. By no means an in-depth study, I’ve dug deep into the archives of my aging laptop -and even trekked around town with my trusty Nikon- to bring you a quick look at some of my favourite pieces. El Carmen Probably the first piece of street art that anyone new to the city sees is Blu's Moses with the huge beard of snakes opposite the tumbling car on the corner of nightlife hotspot, Plaza Tossal. The car, by native Valencian Escif, has … [Read more...]

Homage to Catalonia; Scotland says ho sentim

Posted by Steph on 24 septiembre, 2014 Leave a Comment

As I write, the flags of Scotland (or 45% of them, at least) are at proverbial half-mast. I woke up on Friday, September 19th, 2014 to the sentence that will stay with me for the rest of my life: ‘Scotland Says ‘No’ to Independence’. It was the first country ever to do so. Beneath the low wail of the disenfranchised youth, cries of confusion could be heard thousands of miles away in Catalonia to the effect of, “What are you doing?! You’ve ruined it for all of us!” We know, we know. And we’re really sorry. The truth is that, in the lead up to the devastating result, Catalonia had … [Read more...]

Top British TV thrillers of 2014

Posted by Lucy on 8 septiembre, 2014 Leave a Comment

You must be living under a rock (or somewhere without a stable Internet connection) if you haven't been thoroughly caught up in the recent flurry of top notch television series. The gaping hole left after the departure of Breaking Bad and the season wraps of other applauded names such as Game of Thrones and True Detective urged me to look for other quality series to get stuck into. And I found them in the UK. Great TV is a British institution, especially comedy, with the likes of Peep Show, The Office, Black Books and Spaced, to name a few. This year, however, it's the turn of the Thriller … [Read more...]

El dret a Gaudí(r)

Posted by Lucy on 1 agosto, 2014 Leave a Comment

Park Güell, Gaudí's fairytale playground, pays as much homage to modernist art and architecture as it does to Catalan identity. But nowadays it all comes at a price... Built between 1900 and 1914 and inaugurated as a public park in 1926, the quirky wonderland has, for nearly a century now, been lending itself to those searching for a bit of peace and quiet amidst Barcelona's intense mix of city centre high rises and traffic jams. What was once a tranquil haven set aside from the hustle and bustle of the Catalonian capital, Park Güell is now surrounded by fences, guards, workers and … [Read more...]

Day trips from Valencia

Posted by Eleanor on 22 julio, 2014 Leave a Comment

There is absolutely no need to escape Valencia. It's one of my most favourite cities, a beautiful mix of old and new set on a clean, sweeping sandy beach. It doesn't get too hot, you can bike everywhere and it is dissected by a beautiful garden planted in the old river bed which snakes its way from the beach to the old town. If you fancy exploring though and you do want a day trip from Valencia, here are some of my recommendations. These trips came through endlessly flicking through my Discover Spain book in search of some culture (during the rainy Easter period) or the best "off the beaten … [Read more...]

A 13 años de la Contracumbre del G8 en Génova

Posted by Borja on 20 julio, 2014

Se cumplen 13 años de la Contracumbre del G8 desarrollada en Génova entre el 19 y el 22 de julio de 2001, momento que seguramente representó el cénit del movimiento alterglobalización. En ese marco moría Carlo Giuliani -de 23 años- de dos disparos efectuados desde un vehículo por un carabinero italiano. Después de ser disparado, el vehículo policial le pasó hasta dos veces por encima. Feministas, ecologistas, comunistas, cristianos de izquierda, socialistas, indigenistas, libertarios, campesinos... cientos de organizaciones y centenares de miles de personas de todo el mundo se habían dado … [Read more...]

A weekend in Cabo de Gata

Posted by Lucy on 8 julio, 2014 Leave a Comment

Rugged landscapes, hidden beaches and free tapas: Cabo de Gata Natural Park in a nutshell. The Cabo de Gata area, located at the south easternmost tip of Spain, is vast and sparsely populated. Apart from greenhouses and the odd hamlet, the area is mountainous and desert-like as far as the eye can see. All of the coastal towns, however, are charming and bustling and offer some of the best beaches in Spain. Base camp for the weekend was Níjar - a beautiful little Andalusian town famous for its pottery and jarapa rugs. Its central location means that nearly all of Cabo de Gata's beaches can … [Read more...]

Recordando a The Gits: el asesinato de Mia Zapata

Posted by Borja on 8 julio, 2014

El 7 de julio de 2013 se cumplieron 20 años del brutal asesinato de la cantante estadounidense Mia Zapata. Con su vida se apagaba también la de uno de los grupos más infravalorados e injustamente olvidados del rock alternativo norteamericano: The Gits. The Gits se formó en el estado de Ohio en 1986, pero su nombre quedó para siempre atado al lugar donde desarrollaron casi toda su carrera musical: la población de Seattle, principal ciudad del estado de Washington. Fue ese frenético Seattle el que a caballo entre las décadas de 1980 y 1990 dejó algunas de las bandas más influyentes de los … [Read more...]

Girlz-N-The-Hood: the ghetto gospel truth about Guatemala City

Posted by Steph on 7 julio, 2014 1 Comment

“Big, dirty and dangerous” are the only words that Lonely Planet can find to describe Guatemala City. My friends and family had no trouble finding alternative adjectives when I told them I was moving here for 2 and a half months to write my dissertation: “one of the highest rates of violent death in Latin America”, “I’d feel better if you got a gun”, and “Have you died yet?” were personal highlights on my ‘How Not to Reassure Someone’ list. The week before I left, The Guardian printed an article entitled “Murder in Guatemala: ‘I won’t allow my daughter to become another statistic’. It … [Read more...]

El conflicto de Irlanda del Norte y el cine

Posted by Borja on 27 junio, 2014

1. Antecedentes El conflicto armado desarrollado en el norte de Irlanda entre 1969 y 1998 es en realidad una etapa más del secular enfrentamiento entre naturales de la isla de Irlanda y colonos británicos -y sus descendientes-. Este enfrentamiento hunde sus raíces en la Edad Media, pero los antecedentes inmediatos de lo que será el conflicto específico de Irlanda del Norte podemos establecerlos en el Tratado Anglo-Irlandés con el que se pone fin a la Guerra irlandesa de independencia (1919-1921), y a partir del cual se crea un Estado Libre irlandés que abarca todos los condados de la isla … [Read more...]

Spotlight on: Juan Llorens and Extramurs

Posted by Lucy on 27 junio, 2014 1 Comment

Extramuros might not be first on your agenda when planning a night out in Valencia city. Appearing somewhat off the radar in comparison to other nightlife hotspots such as Ruzafa or El Carmen, Extramuros, or Extramurs in Valencian, lies just to the west of the old town, within walking distance from El Carmen. Here's why you'd be wrong to overlook it... The area is often simply referred to as "Juan Llorens" after the main road running through the neighbourhood, a nod to the one of the men behind the Germanías rebellion in the 16th century. Think wide, tree-lined streets with bustling terraces … [Read more...]

San Juan festivities in Valencia

Posted by Lucy on 18 junio, 2014 Leave a Comment

Felicidades to all the Juans, Joans and Johns - why not celebrate by getting chased by a devil with a 6 foot sparkler? You may have noticed that last weekend was a bit more crowded than usual in Valencia city. You will have most definitely noticed if you live near a casal fallero and subsequent lairy verbena aka. mobile disco/karaoke/"I'm gonna play the Game of Thrones theme tune at full blast at 3am" fun times. This all comes as standard in the run up to San Juan, a popular festival that welcomes in the Spanish summer. The 23rd of June marks the eve of San Juan, or the day of Saint John … [Read more...]

Primavera Sound 2014: a memoir

Posted by Lucy on 11 junio, 2014 1 Comment

I've always been vaguely aware of Primavera Sound's pretentious reputation, a bit -dare I say it- hipster? Come on. Stereotype with me. You've got Download: metal heads in a field, FIB Benicàssim: guiris camping on the surface of the sun, T in the Park: Scots on mandy jibbing at other Scots on coke, Primavera Sound: a big ball of bohemian yah. So I can't really complain... I knew what I getting myself into. But when a group of Glaswegians invited me on a lairy weekend in, possibly, one of my favourite cities on the planet, how could I refuse? I hastily packed all the denim I could … [Read more...]