ThE ESSENTIAL MADRID lifestyle magazine

european vibe

evNo. 39 FEB ’10 Valentine’s Day Issue

making songs to love
books - Five different
stories to fall in love with
Perfect Valentine’s Day in
Madrid - girl & boy opinion
Lingo Star - Top 5 historias
de amor libros y
peliculas
where to eat out

rugby
vibe
awards
KEEP

special
voting!

Invictus review &

6 Nations preview

Couw nt
n
do o
t h
Souitca
Aofurps c & d
plus gr

Simon Munnery Cuenca porto Carnival around the world

celebrileños - Rafael Benítez what’s on? Beige Brigade
new movie releases Vibe Awards nominees AND LOTS MORE!
student margarita party

illustration: Felipe Benemelis

every wednesday
Bucket of 6 Mexican beers and 5 huge tacos for 18€ 2X1 Margaritas for the ladies
The promo will run from 8 to 11pm
P0 General Mtz Campos, 11, 28010, Madrid,
Iglesia. 91 594 21 40
 editorial

Como la trucha 05 WHAT’S ON - Simon

Munnery & Arctic Monkeys
contents European Vibe Entertainment
Fernando el Católico 63, local 1
al trucho 06 WHAT’S ON -The Raveonettes,
28015 Madrid
Enquiries
This issue of EV being a Valentine’s special Super Bowl XLIV, Amy Tel: 91 549 7711 Fax: 91 549 7711

12
and also marking two years for me as editor
got me thinking – in all this time, I’ve never MacDonald, Dinosaur JR & Email: info@europeanvibe.com
explained how I came to live in Madrid. cornershop Editor
If you ask people and make a point of Luc Ciotkowski
counting, a surprisingly high proportion of 07 WHAT’S ON - Joss Stone, editor@europeanvibe.com
English speakers in Madrid came to live here
because of love. Biffy Clyro & The Swell Lingo Star Editor
I hold my hand up, too. Season Susana López
It was June 2005. At the time home for me 08 Vibes – making songs to lingostar@europeanvibe.com
was the east of France and the company love & dj cosy o’s urban Art Editor
I worked for had sent me to Madrid on a Philip McIvor
project for a month. In Madrid, Shakira and review hpmcivor@mac.com
Alejandro Sanz singing La Tortura were
on the radio, thousands of volunteering 09 WHAT’S ON - calendar MEDIA & DESIGN
madrileños were carrying the largest flag
ever constructed through the streets for
10 Lingo Star - ski & Ferdi Loskamp

18
the city’s 2012 Olympic bid candidacy El Consultorio ferdi@europeanvibe.com
Sales Director
celebration, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
was filling the cinemas and a packet of 11 Lingo Star - TOP 5 historias Alan Geegan
Lucky Strike was 2.20€.
It’s funny what things jump out at you when
de amor, libros y películas sales@europeanvibe.com
you arrive in a new place – here, the mass 12 travel – porto 91 549 7711 Mobile: 689 823 847
of greasy chicken bones and serviettes you
wade through in bar where the tapas are 13 travel – Cuenca Administrator
good, the shock of city centre prostitution- 14 travel – Carnival around Tomek Przybyszewski
in-your-face the first time you see the girls tomek@europeanvibe.com
of Montera, the extreme dryness of the air the world MANAGING
which turns bread to toast in 15 seconds
and leaves you with dried blood in your 16 eat out guide director
nostrils in the morning. 18 FILM FIRSt - Invictus Scott Edwards
My room, above the Bajos de Argüelles, 19 new movie releases scott@europeanvibe.com
Event Co-
was too hot to sleep in with the window
20 sport – 6 Nations 2010

20
closed and too noisy (from the student Ordinator
nightclubs below) to sleep in with it
open. Joining in and going out was the
21 sport – world cup Sam Lee
only option for self-preservation. Despite countdown & EFL sam@europeanvibe.com
trying to keep my mind on cold beer rather
than hot women, I did meet the girl and 22 culture – Girls vs. Boys - logistics &
the rest of my stay was as curly as her Perfect Valentine’s Day in distribution
hair. We parted promising only to meet Rossen Angelov
Madrid – girl opinion

24
up for a short holiday in Scotland (take distribution@europeanvibe.com

Repro/Printer Artes Gráficas Hono SL

the, ehm, heat out of the situation). But
three months later, I was on a plane from 23 culture – Girls vs. Boys – SUB-EDITOR

February 2010 Depósito legal: M-59116-2006

Geneva to Madrid, and this time I didn’t Perfect Valentine’s Day in Matt Johnson
have a return ticket.
Madrid – boy opinion Magazine and
Love steamrollered all – even an ideological
feud over whether it’s acceptable to leave
24 books - Five different blog writers
Peter Moore, Ryan Craggs, Martin
the toilet seat up (which went on for a stories to fall in love with Quinn, Helen Macrae, Matt Johnson,
couple of months before I finally ceded in a
trade off for an end to excessive numbers 25 culture – Beige Brigade Andy Ojelade, Charlotte Smith,
of mousse/face cream/perfume/girl stuff
bottles around the bathroom basin area).
26 vibe awards Adam Ciotkowski, Garreth Nunn
27 celebrileños - & Charlene Lidyard
Madrid is a great place to be in love and to Cartoon
fall in love. But if you’re not into that kind Rafael Benítez Joe Hodgson
of thing, the rugby’s on page 20. 28 services INTERNS
Luc 30 Party Photos Lauren Finch

Advertising/Publicidad Where’s Bully?

91 sales@europeanvibe.
544 1072
If you find the bully logo in one of our featured
adverts, send us an email to bully@europeanvibe.
com and you have another chance to win 2 buckets of
beers (value 30€) courtesy of LA MARIACHITA.
Last month’s winner was Ben Roberts. Ben won 2
e-mail: com buckets of beers courtesy of LA MARIACHITA. Bully
was hiding in the Ernie’s Station advert on page 17. Get searching!

4 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10

 Madrid agenda compiled in
collaboration with esmadrid what’s on?
Simon Munnery Arctic Monkeys
Date: 20 February (box office 7:30pm) Tickets: 17€ box office, 15€ presale Date: 5 February
Venue: Sala Taboó (c/ San Vicente Ferrer 23, Metro Tribunal) Venue: Palacio Vistalegre

Comedy Madrid’s indie fans come out of hibernation on 5 February for a

date with Arctic Monkeys at Palacio Vistalegre.
They’re touring their third album, Humbug, which was released
in August and it's a record brimming with ideas and displaying a
wider raft of influences than their earlier efforts.
Arctic Monkeys have developed their sound, adding depth
with every release. In doing so their music has become less immediate, with
fewer hooks, but no less compelling. The direction they are heading in is unlikely
to recapture the hype of their debut, but that's a prospect they are clearly not
afraid of as they pursue something altogether more interesting and exciting.
(See full Arctic Monkeys feature in EV issue no.38)

20/2/10
Simon Munnery - also known by his stage names of Alan Parker: Urban Warrior and
The League Against Tedium - came to the fore of British alternative comedy’s rise in
the 90s and has never swayed from these chaotic alternative roots since.
His stand-up could be described as often satirical, often political and almost
always surreal. Simon is an integral part of that style of surrealist comedy that
underpins all the best comedy that has come from England since Monty Python,
through League of Gentlemen to most recently The Mighty Boosh.
He appeared first in 1994 as part of the original Comedy Zone line-up at
Edinburgh, with Stewart Lee, Mark Lamarr and Chris and George. In 1996 he created
the legendary Alan Parker - Urban Warrior - a self-appointed spokesperson for the
dispossessed generation and prophet to the disconnected masses who seeks to
smash the system with subversion, some placards and a spray-can. The League
Against Tedium was an altogether more surreal and weird proposition which lurched
between uncomfortably confusing and hilarious, full of biting satire.
Since 2004, Munnery has been staging his current series of shows, Simon
Munnery’s Annual General Meeting, at the Edinburgh festival and it has become
something of an institution – known for him heading out into the streets with the

5/2/10
audience to continue when the shows run out of time.
People can expect a totally unpredictable, chaotic show littered with poetry and
some genuine pearls of comic genius.
 Madrid agenda compiled in
what’s on? collaboration with esmadrid

The Raveonettes Super Bowl XLIV

Date: 7 February
Date: 3 February
Venue: Sala Heineken Venue: Sun Life Stadium,
Miami Gardens, Florida
on stage
the ball
Ending: 14 February
Venue: Teatro Valle-Inclán
The Teatre Nacional
de Catalunya and the
Centro Dramático
Nacional present an
original take on this
work that combines
theatre and dance. Sergi Belbel brings together
the talent of actresses Anna Lizaran and Francesca
Piñón and ballerina Sol Picó in his production of
Irène Némirovski’s novella.

nino bravo, the

musical
Ending: 14 February
Venue: Teatro Häagen-Dazs
Calderón
A chronological
journey through the
life and career of
Nino Bravo featuring
previously unseen
images, interviews
and, of course, his timeless songs.

A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Ending: 28 February
Venue: Teatro Sanpol
La Bicicleta company
presents a musical
adaptation of

V Shakespeare’s most
magical and fun
comedy, which

3/2/10 7/2/10
revolves around the unrequited love of four young
New Indianapolis lovers in the palaces of Ancient Greece.
Orleans Colts
Saints
GARRICK
Ending: 21 March
Amy MacDonald Venue: Teatro Compac Gran Vía
Date: 8 February The Tricicle group
return to Madrid
Venue: Joy Eslava with a show that
pays tribute to David
Garrick, a famous
18th-century English
actor. The man had such a flair for comedy that
even doctors recommended his performances
as a sort of magical remedy.

Humble Boy
Ending: 4 April
Venue: Teatro Bellas Artes
Verónica Forqué leads
the cast in Charlotte
Jones’play about a
mother and son living
in the fictional village
Dinosaur JR

10/2/10
of Moreton in the
Date: 10 February Mold. A production by Miguel Narros with fun and
Venue: Sala Heineken ingenious dialogues.

exhibitions
Cornershop
Date: 2 March Mantles for
Venue: Moby Dick Club Eternity
Ending: 14 February
Venue: Museo de América
A splendid collection
of 80 funeral pieces
that include textiles
from the culture of
Paracas alongside a
variety of valuable and
beautiful trousseaus and belongings. All the works
belong to the National Museum of Archaeology,
Anthropology and History of Peru.

Hannah Collins:
Ongoing
History. Films &

8/2/10 2/3/10
Photographs
Ending: 21 February
Venue: Caixa Forum

6 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10

 Madrid agenda compiled in
collaboration with esmadrid what’s on?

There are some

exhibitions that come
a brain cell after the weekend. Avenida del
Brasil, 7. Metro: Santiago Bernabéu. Joss Stone Biffy Clyro
and go, and then MOORES Pub quiz in English every Date: 12 February Date: 12 February
there are the ones Monday at 21:45 in Moores Irish Pub, Venue: Sala Heineken Venue: Sala Penélope
that stay with you. Calle Barceló. Lots of prizes and great fun.
Hannah Collins strives Everyone welcome. Metro: Tribunal.
to do the latter with her ambitious exhibition
that pulls together a collection of three of her
most prominent films and related photographs: fun Activities
La Mina, Parallel and Current History. Collins
has received numerous awards including the Parque de atracciones
European Photography Award and the Olympus Heart-stopping
Award. The themes permeating her exhibition roller coasters,
about the struggles of people in modern society vertigo inducing
and the bringing to life of intangible experiences rides or the
through images are sure to leave you walking spine-chilling
away with a new found sense of perspective. tunnel
Charlene Lidyard of terror. Metro: Batán. Bus lines 33 & 65.
Tel: 91 463 2900 e-mail: parque@grpr.com
TheFrenziedAlphabet Planetario de Madrid
Ending: 1 March Avda. del Planetario, 16. Tel: 91 467 34 61
Venue: Museo Nacional Centro Metro: Méndez Álvaro. Closed Mondays.
de Arte Reina Sofía zoo aquaRium
The exhibition From the smallest insect to the largest
brings together two mammal. Over 6,000 animals from more
renowned figures of than 500 different zoological groups.
Latin American art Venue: Casa de Campo, s/n Metro: Casa de
from the second half Campo. Bus lines 33 & 65. Tel: 91 512 3770
of the 20th century, Palacio de Hielo - Skating
whose paths crossed in Brazil: Argentinean León rink, bowling lanes and cinema. C/ Silvano,
Ferrari and Swiss Mira Schendel. 77, Parque Conde de Orgaz. Metro: Canillas

the greAtest show

in the world sport
Ending: 7 March
Venue: Museo del Traje REAL MADRID

12/2/10 12/2/10
Museo del Traje Estadio Santiago Bernabéu Tel: 91 398 43 00
organises its yearly Metro: Santiago Bernabéu.
exhibition of works www.realmadrid.com
that are usually stored Atlético de Madrid
in the basement. On Estadio Vicente Calderón Metro: Pirámides.
this occasion, the Tel: 91 366 47 07 www.clubatleticodemadrid com The Swell Season (Stars of Once, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová)
world of the circus is unveiled revealing toys, CB Estudiantes Date: 28 February
posters, dolls, cutouts and robots... A trip down Basketball Madrid Arena
memory lane. Tel: 902 400 002 www.clubestudiantes.com Venue: Sala Heineken
Real Madrid CB
China’s Hour Pabellon Raimundo Saporta Tel: 91 398 43
Ending: 21 March 32 www.realmadridbasket.galeon.com
Venue: Matadero Madrid
Organised by Casa
Asia, the exhibition nightLife
comprises recent
projects by 17 Chinese Wednesday
artists who worked Nights
with different media,
including digital drawings, installations, video, Vibe the party @ Orange Café
video installations and performance art. Now legendary international party with
hip hop and RnB music taking place every
dutch painters at Wednesday night at Orange Café , Serrano
the prado Jover 5, Metro Argüelles. Open bar of beer,
Ending: 11 April sangria and wine and beer pong games
Venue: Museo del Prado from 11:30 pm - 12:30 am for only 5 euros.
The exhibition From 12:30 till close, entrance with 2 drinks
comprises a large included for 10 euros. Get on the guest list at
selection of works www.europeanvibe.com
from the museum’s Thursday
collection of Nights
17th-century Dutch Fever @ Joy Eslava
painting. In addition to this show, the Prado will The Ultimate Student Party. Every Thursday
concurrently display another painting in the night Madrid’s most famous club becomes a
adjacent room: The Company of Captain Reijnier disco sensation with spectacular animation
Reael and Lieutenant Cornelis Michielsz Blaeuw by and the best music from the 1970s till
Frans Hals and Pieter Codde. present day. Free entrance or 2 drinks for 10
euros from midnight till 1:30 am, or entrance
Fascinated by the East price with 2 drinks for 12 euros from 1:30 am
Ending: 20 June till close. Joy Eslava, calle Arenal 11,
Venue: Nacional de Artes Decorativas Metro Sol / Ópera. Get on the guest list at
With this show, the www.europeanvibe.com
museum analyses Friday
East-West relations Nights
from the 4th century fabulous @ Joy Eslava
BC to present times. This is arguably Madrid’s most glamorous
Porcelain, ceramics, club night and is in session every Friday night
ivory, furniture, fabric, prints and painting are used at the Joy Eslava located in the central Puerta
to illustrate the link between Europe and Asia. del Sol area of the city. Burlesque-style
animation, exclusive VIP zones and the
quizzes biggest house and mainstream tunes all
night long. Are you fabulous enough to be

28/2/10
there? Joy Eslava, calle Arenal 11. Metro Sol/
IRISH ROVER Every Monday at 21:00, Opera. Get guest list access to this party by
upstairs in the library. Join us to spark up signing up at www.europeanvibe.com

February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 7

 vibes Valentine's Day 2010
WORDS by

DJ Cosy O’s
Adam Ciotkowski

The titles of love songs

Urban Review
have often featured names,
addressing the song to an in-
dividual, but the name itself
must be chosen carefully. The
Beatles’ Michelle is a classic
with its sophisticated French
chic. Barry Manilow’s ode to
Ten New Urban
a woman named Mandy on
the other hand just doesn’t Bangers
1 6
quite do it – I can’t help but
think that Mandy is actually
a post-op Andy.

making
songs
Love songs are a fine art
form. The expression of the
deepest human emotion is
understandably a common
pursuit, but one that is no-
Snoop Dogg feat. Lil Jon
1800
Chris Brwon feat.
Lil Wayne
I can transform you

tolove toriously difficult to achieve

successfully. From the vast
ocean of them I’ve picked out
five that I’ll be listening to
on Valentine’s Day:
2 7
What goes into a great love song? Barry White Beyoncé
Black Culture
Trina feat. Keri Hilson
Million dollar
Adam Ciotkowski examines the recipe Can’t Get

3 8
Enough of
that makes a masterpiece and serves Your Love
up his own menu of five favourite No list of love
songs is complete without
love songs. the ‘Walrus of Love’. With a
voice guaranteed to make any

S
hort of locking Often the best love songs woman weak at the knees, Robin Thicke feat.
yourself away in a are the ones that tug on the Barry White had the most Usher Nicki Minaj
soundproof room, heartstrings. Early tracks by overtly sexy music. Although I Traffic Shaking it for daddy

avoiding love songs
on Valentine’s Day is
a pretty much impossible task.
Indeed, avoiding love songs
at any time of the year isn’t
easy, given that a love song
is essentially any song about
being in love and this forms
the thematic basis of the over-
whelming majority of musical
The Beatles such as I Feel
Fine and Love Me Do sound a
bit too much like good fun,
lacking emotional complex-
ity. Whereas a few years later
with, what is widely regarded
to be one of their finest love
songs, Something, there is an
added intimacy as George
Harrison delicately bends the
4 9
generally lack the smoothness
to put it on with any sincerity,
surely this is the time of year
that I can pull it off.
Snow Patrol
Chasing Cars Mr Vegas feat. Lil Jon Mary J Blige
A perfect So Dope I love you (Yes I do)
straight-up love

compositions. So whether on
Valentine’s Day you’re smug
and smitten, living the Disney
dream of eating the same
strand of spaghetti as your
significant other and wading
through rose petals, or wheth-
er you’re painfully aware of
your singledom and out on the
pull in desperation, or sullenly
boycotting the event at home,
love songs are the cornerstone
of music and what better time
to celebrate them?
Although love songs in
some form or another have
been about since forever,
The Beatles seem like an apt
place to start in the modern
era. ‘Beatlemania’ was built
around the love song. The
early years of The Beatles
saw the invention of the con-
vention: the infusion of ‘rock
and roll’ with love-themed
lyrics condensed into-three
minute pop songs.
But as brilliant and influen-
tial as these songs were, they
lacked the ingredients to
make them truly great.
Something missing from
the early love songs of The
Beatles was elucidated some
years later by Haddaway, who
quickly followed his query,
“What is love?” with “Baby
don’t hurt me.” As well as
having an early nineties Eu-
rodance classic on his hands,
he had pointed out that, on a
spectrum of emotions, love is
next to pain.
8 www.europeanvibe.com February ’09
strings on his heartfelt guitar
solo.
In more recent years the con-
ventional love song has taken
the form of ballads reeled
out by boy bands, girl bands,
reality TV stars and male and
female solo artists. The for-
mula is incredibly simple but
rarely pulled off, hence the
constant stream of throwaway
music. When an artist does
strike success, love songs
have a habit of falling victim
to their own popularity. Take
James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful
for example. It sold fantasti-
cally well, it was number one
for an age and universally
loved. Yet after a few weeks of
it incessantly beating every-
one around the head (albeit a
somewhat self-induced beat-
ing), it became universally
hated. It wasn’t long before
James Blunt’s reward for writ-
ing a good love song was a
barrage of unfortunately easy
puns on his surname.
The difference between a
good love song and a bad one
is a fine balance. The conven-
tions are there for a reason
but it’s easy to sound trite
or overly sentimental. The
advice is often to steer clear
of lyrics so obvious as “I love
you,” a wordsmith is sup-
posed to be more poetic and
eloquent, but there have been
plenty of occasions where
“I love you” has gone down
fine, such as Tracy Chapman’s
Baby Can I Hold You.
song that has
been played countless times at
weddings. In a way it’s senti-
mental drivel, but that doesn’t
really matter.
Kraftwerk
Computer
Love
Distant and
withdrawn yet
deep and effective, it’s one of
the first electronic love songs
and one of the finest tracks
by the pioneers of electronic
music. Coldplay borrowed the
tune for Talk making it the best
track on X&Y.
Yeah Yeah
Yeahs Maps
The simplicity of
the drums and
reverberating
guitar projects Karen O’s ach-
ingly beautiful vocals on the
most painfully charming indie
love song in recent years.
Beach Boys
God Only
Knows
Everything is
perfect: the instru-
mentation, the lyrics, the delivery
of the vocals, the strangely dis-
cordant opening line of “I may not
always love you” before it turns
into a disarmingly open love song
with beautiful harmonies at the
end. In my opinion, it’s the finest
love song ever written.
5 10
Chris Brown feat.
Rihanna
Hard
Lil Wayne
Gimme what you got
new cd releases
Raymond vs Raymond
Usher
Usher brings his first release since
the disappointing Here I Stand with a
title inspire by his recent divorce. As
his best and most personal album,
Confessions was on the back of his
break up with Chilli from TLC. Could
lightning strike twice? Oh My Gosh and
Traffic will be hitting the clubs hard.
Rebirth
Lil Wayne
What do you do when NME, Time
Magazine, Rolling Stone and Kanye
West proclaim you as the greatest
rapper alive? Go out and record a rock
album of course! With the world at his
feet, Weezy takes a left turn that no one
expected. Generally, industry reviews
have been far from flattering. Lets hope
Mr Milli gets back to doing what he
does best sooner rather than later.
Check out where
cosy o will be
spinning this
month at
www.djcosyo.com
facebook.com/djcosyo cosyo
 Madrid agenda compiled in
collaboration with esmadrid what’s on?

MADRID’S No. 1 SHOTS BAR!!!

Absinthe
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drinks, and lots more!
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6 Nation rugby
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Alonso Martínez, MADRID Saturday from
Alonso Martínez 21:30 to 2am
www.chupitosabor.com

February
FOOTBALL Sala Heineken C Princesa, 1 (90 215 0025)
RUGBY Joy Eslava C Arenal, 11 (913 665 439)
TENNIS Sala El Sol C Jardines, 3 Metro: Sol (www.elsolmad.com, 91 532 6490)
Palacio Vistalegre Utebo 1, Metro: Vista Alegre (914 220 781)
Palacio de Deportes Avenida de Felipe II, s/n (902 33 22 11)
La Riviera Pº Bajo de la Virgen del Puerto, (www.servicaixa.com, 902 33 22 11)
Moby Dick Avda. de Brasil, 5 Metro: Cuzco / Santiago Bernabeu (902 15 00 25)
Sala Caracol C Bernardino Obregón, 18, (91 527 3594)
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
31 Africa Cup of Nations Final 1FEB 2 3 4 5 6 England v Wales,
Ireland v Italy
Australian Open Final Mesh El Barrio
Arsenal v Man Utd, Atletico Backyard Babies Liverpool v Everton,
v Malaga, Depor v Real Madrid, The Raveonettes Arctic Monkeys Man Utd v Portsmouth
Sporting v Barcelona Hull v Chelsea Sunn O))) Fu Manchu Palacio Vistalegre El Barrio
Scotland
7 v France 8 9 10 11 12 13 Wales
France v Ireland,
v Scotland
Chelsea v Arsenal, Barcelona v Arsenal v Liverpool, Atletico v Barcelona
Aston Villa v Man Utd, Blackburn v WINTER OLYMPICS Vancouver
Getafe, Real Madrid v Espanyol Vive La Feté
The Gathering Hull, Everton v Chelsea Joss Stone Eros Ramazzotti
El Barrio Amy MacDonald Man City v Bolton Dinosaur JR Local Natives Biffy Clyro Sala Penélope Richard Hawley

14 15 16 AC Milan v Man Utd, 17 18 19 20

Lyon v Real Madrid Porto v Arsena
Everton v Sporting The Australian Pink Atletico v Galatasaray, Arsenal v Sunderland,
Italy v England Method Man Floyd Show Palacio Municipal Liverpool v Unirea Urziceni Everton v Man Utd, Barcelona v
Xerez v Real Madrid Violator Tour 2010 Sala Old School De Congresos Le Peuple De L Herbe O’Funk’Illo Racing, Real Madrid v Villarreal

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 ItalyEngland v Ireland,
v Scotland
Blackburn v Bolton The Steepwater Band Chelsea v Man City, Man Utd
Man City v Liverpool, Skay Beilinson Y Los VfB Stuttgart v Barcelona CSKA Moscow v Sevilla, & Marc Ford Wales v West Ham, Stoke v Arsenal
Almeria v Atletico Seguidores De La Diosa Galatasaray v Atletico Inter Milan v Chelsea Sporting v Everton, Milow v France Luis Ramiro &
Overkill Kali The Fiery Furnaces Airbourne Unirea Urziceni v Liverpool Berri Txarrak Marwan
Liverpool v Blackburn,
28 Atletico v Valencia, Barcelona v 1 2 3 4 5 6
Malaga, Tenerife v Real Madrid Arsenal v Burnley, Wigan v
Franco De Vita Final The 69 Eyes & Christina Rosenvinge Ane Brun
Jedi Mind Tricks Christian Death & & Tulsa Adam Green Ramdall Los Suaves Liverpool, Wolves v Man Utd
The Swell Season Mandragora Scream Cornershop Music Live Josh Rouse El Último Ke Zierre Barricada

now MOORES Barceló

c/Barceló, 1
free wi-fi Tel: 91 532 6331 Tribunal
in all three MONDAY TO FRIDAY: MENÚ DEL DÍA.
bars THURSDAY: TERTULIA,
STUDENT NIGHT + COCKTAILS.
MOORES PLAZA MAYOR c/Felipe III, 4 SATURDAY & SUNDAY: SPORTS ALL DAY.
Tel: 91 365 5802 Sol PUB QUIZ EVERY MONDAY NIGHT
LIVE FOOTBALL, BEST PUB-GRUB IN MADRID,
BEST PUB FOR ALL SPORTS & BEST BIG SCREEN
TERRAZA

GUTS FUSSION
Special Sports Menu c/Gutiérrez Solana, 6
Tel: 91 561 5668 Bernabéu OPEN 11AM-5PM.
MOORE’S LA CUEVA BAR DE COPAS, THURSDAYS,
FRIDAY & SATURDAY DJs. CHART MUSIC.
WE ORGANISE PRIVATE PARTIES www.guts.es

February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 9

 lingo star the section for learning spanish
WORDS by
Susana LOpez

Vocabulario Survival Section Intermediate Section

Estación > ski resort
Monitor > instructor
Cursillo > short course
Alquilar > rent
Telesilla > chair lift
Pista > ski slope
ski El Consultorio
de lingo star
Dirige tus cartas a
Forfait > day ticket lingostar@europeanvibe.com
Guantes > gloves acostumbrarse a vivir
Gorro > hat en un contexto y claro,
Gafas > glasses puede ser complicado
Botas > boots acostumbrarse a una
Bastón > ski pole nueva realidad. Pero
yo creo que puede
funcionar siempre que
los dos pongan de su
parte. La postura de
tu novia me parece un
poco egoísta. Puedes
Expresiones útiles Hola Lingo Star
animarla hablándole de
las posibilidades que
Estoy desesperada. podría tener en tu país y
Llevo 5 años con mi por supuesto dejarle claro
novio español, dos de que no es un cambio
ellos viviendo juntos y para siempre sino una
Dices Oyes ya no sé lo que siento
por él. Él sigue teniendo
etapa más en vuestra
relación.
la misma ilusión que al Mucha suerte.
principio de la relación Susana
pero yo estoy como
¿Qué tiempo hace? > Hace frío apagada. Además, me Querida Susana
> Está cubierto he dado cuenta de que Vivo en Madrid con
> Está nevando empiezan a interesarme mi mejor amiga de la
otros chicos. ¿Qué universidad. Con ella he
¿Cuál es el estado actual de las > Hay dos abiertas hago? vivido tantas cosas y
pistas? > Todas las pistas están cerradas Gracias por tu ayuda me he dado cuenta en
Paulina estos últimos meses
que estoy enamorado
¿Cuánto cuesta el forfait? > El de día cuesta 25 euros Hola Paulina de ella. Por suerte, en
> El de medio día cuesta 18 euros No voy a decirte que todos estos años ella
rompas con tu novio no ha tenido ninguna
¿Cómo puedo llegar a la estación? > Hay un mapa en nuestra página web. porque en la vida no todo relación seria sino más
tiene que ser blanco o bien historias pasajeras
¿Se pueden alquilar equipos? > Sí, alquilamos la ropa, las botas, los negro. Igual antes de pero no quiero ni pensar
esquíes y los bastones tomar una decisión tan que pasaría si ella se
importante deberías enamorara de otro de
Diálogo I sentarte y hablar con
él. Podéis encontrar
verdad.
¿Debería confesarle lo
una solución de forma que siento por ella?
Paul llama por teléfono conjunta, estoy segura. Gracias por tu ayuda
Mucho ánimo y sobre James
a la estación de todo piensa siempre en
Navacerrada para hacer lo importante que es Estimado James
reservas para el próximo la comunicación en la Supongo que a estas
fin de semana. pareja. alturas tu compañera de
Espero que sigáis piso y amiga sospechará
T: Puerto de Navacerrada celebrando muchos días algo sobre lo que sientes
¿dígame? de San Valentín juntos. por ella. Si sois tan
P: Hola, me gustaría ir a Susana amigos puedes hablar
esquiar el próximo sábado. abiertamente con ella
¿Cuál es el estado de las Hola Lingo Star pero ¿no piensas que si
pistas? Salgo con una chica ella sintiera algo especial
T: Están todas abiertas y la española hace un par de por ti te lo habría dicho
calidad de la nieve es excelente. años. Yo soy americano después de tantos años?
P: Muy bien y tengo ganas de pasar Mi consejo es que
T: ¿Algo más? un tiempo en mi país intentes salir con otras
P: Sí, quería saber cuánto donde creo que podría mujeres. Puede que estés
cuesta el forfait? tener una vida mejor. confundiendo la cercanía
T: El de día de fin de semana son El caos es que ella no con el amor y eso
35 euros por adulto. quiere irse para allí. Dice siempre es un riesgo.
P: Ah, perfecto. ¿Se pueden que nuestra relación Susana
alquilar los equipos? allí nunca funcionaría.
T: Sí, tenemos esquíes y equipo ¿Por qué sería así si nos
deportivo. queremos?
P: Fenomenal. Una última Matt
pregunta: ¿es posible
alojarse en la estación? Hola Matt
T: Sí, hay dos hoteles próximos He escuchado historias
a la estación. similares a la tuya
P: Muy bien, me gustaría en varias ocasiones.
hacer una reserva para La verdad es que una
dos noches… pareja mixta puede

10 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10

 the section for learning spanish lingo star
Advanced Section WORDS by
Susana LOpez

TOP 5 historias
de amor libros y La pasión
turca
(1994).

películas
Susana makes her list of
all-time favourite Spanish
language love stories on
film and in books.
Libros
Revolución mexicana. Inmersa
en un ambiente familiar muy
Vicente
Aranda
Desideria
Oliván es
una mujer
casada de
educación
convencional
que vive
en Huesca.
Su vida
tranquila y costumbrista cambiará
radicalmente al realizar un viaje
junto a Ramiro, su marido a
Turquía. Desideria descubre que
unos simples contactos físicos,
unos simples roces de piel con
piel, pueden hacer que su mundo
se tambalee. Se trata de Yamam,
un guía turco que acompaña al
grupo de turistas. Nada ni nadie
podrán evitar que Desideria,
presa de un sentimiento que le
sobrepasa, inicie y culmine una
Películas relación furtiva con Yamam.

Pura vida (2003). tradicional y de costumbres Mi vida sin Cosas que

José María Mendiluce
Ariadna es una
joven barcelonesa,
funcionaria de la
ONU, que trabaja en
Nueva York. Lleva
una vida rutinaria
al lado de Tom. La
pesadez de esa rutina le hace
buscar un proyecto de la ONU en
el extranjero para así cambiar de
aires. Gracias a esto descubrirá
Costa Rica y lo que es la
verdadera Pura Vida. Una historia
de amor llevado a sus últimas
consecuencias en la que se dejan
entrever las dificultades surgidas
por diferencias culturales muy
marcadas.
Te di la vida entera
(1996). Zoé Valdés
Finalista premio
planeta 1996
Una novela sobre el
deseo, la esperanza
y el desencanto
que retrata sesenta
años de la vida
de una mujer cubana. Te di la
vida entera es la historia de la
Niña Cuca, que con poco más de
dieciséis años llega a La Habana
prerrevolucionaria. Después de
un baile enloquecido y un largo
y apasionado beso, la Niña Cuca
cae perdidamente enamorada
de un hombre que desaparece
sin dejar rastro. Pero ella sabe
mantenerse fiel a su promesa, y
ocho años más tarde, cuando por
fin se reencuentran, inician una
desenfrenada historia de amor.
Pero la felicidad abandona pronto
a Cuca, una mujer a quien la vida
le cambia cada vez que escucha
un bolero.
Como agua para
chocolate (1989).
Laura Esquivel
La novela narra
el amor de una
joven, Tita, que
vive en una ciudad
fronteriza mexicana
en tiempos de la
arraigadas, su vida cambia
cuando se enamora de Pedro y
su familia no acepta la relación.
En la novela los sentimientos
se mezclan con la gastronomía
y por ello, las cebollas serán
el motivo de lágrimas o las
perdices despertarán pasiones
incontrolables.
La Regenta
(1884-1885).
Leopoldo Alas
Clarín
Es la historia de
Ana Ozores, casada
con el antiguo
Regente de la
Audiencia de la
ciudad, Víctor Quintanar, hombre
bondadoso pero maniático
y mucho mayor que ella.
Viéndose sentimentalmente
abandonada, Ana Ozores empieza
a ser cortejada por el donjuán
provinciano Álvaro Mesía.
Para completar el círculo, el
canónigo magistral D. Fermín de
Pas (confesor de Ana) también
se enamora de la Regenta y se
convierte en inconfesable rival
de Mesía.
Una novela muy al estilo de
Madame Bovary que refleja la
sociedad hipócrita de la época.
El amor en
tiempos de cólera
(1985). Gabriel García
Márquez
La novela cuenta
la historia de
Florentino Ariza
que es capaz de
esperar 53 años, 9
meses y 4 días al que considera
es el amor de su vida, Fermina
Daza. La historia se desarrolla a
finales del siglo XIX y principios
del siglo XX en la costa de
Colombia; en tiempos que reina
la penuria y varias guerras civiles
azotan al país. A las ciudades
costeras llega la epidemia del
cólera y los síntomas del amor
se confunden con los de esta
enfermedad.
mí (2003). nunca te
Isabel dije (1995).
Coixet Isabel
Ann tiene Coixet
23 años, Los
dos hijas, protagonistas
un marido de esta
que pasa película,
más Ann y Don
tiempo en son dos
paro que jóvenes
trabajando, que han
una madre perdido
que odia al mundo, un padre que la ilusión por vivir. Viven
lleva 10 años en la cárcel, un inmersos en la soledad de sus
trabajo como limpiadora nocturna pensamientos, en una apatía que
en una universidad a la que les impide sonreir, que no les
nunca podrá asistir durante el deja luchar por buscar una salida.
día... Vive en una caravana en el El destino hará que Ann y Don
jardín de su madre, a las afueras se conozcan por un instante, por
de Vancouver. Esta existencia un intenso, bello y silencioso
gris cambia completamente momento, aunque ella nunca
tras un reconocimiento médico. sabrá que es la persona con la
Desde ese día, paradójicamente, que habló por teléfono, a la que le
Ann descubre el placer de vivir, descubrió sus sentimientos... ellos
guiada por un impulso vital: se necesitaban porque buscaban
completar una lista de “cosas por lo mismo: esa felicidad perdida,
hacer antes de morir”. ese amor que les fue robado, esas
sonrisas que ya no son capaces de
Al sur mostrar, porque no son más que
de Granada algo artificial, como sus vidas...
(2003). Es sin duda una historia agridulce
Fernando con las puertas abiertas a la
Colomo esperanza.
Gerald
Brenan, Chachachá
un joven (1998).
idealista Antonio
inglés del Real
llega en Una
los años divertida
veinte a comedia
un sobre el
pequeño pueblo de la Alpujarra amor, la
granadina. A lomos de unas amistad
mulas llegan a los pocos días y otras
sus dos mil libros: ha venido a mentiras,
España para cumplir su sueño de donde nada
ser escritor. Pero la tranquilidad es lo que
que buscaba se verá pronto parece, ni nadie es quien parece.
alterada por la sucesión de Es la historia de dos amigas,
acontecimientos que comienzan a Lucía y María, muy jóvenes y
desencadenarse con su presencia. muy guapas que lo comparten
Conoce a Juliana quien le lleva a todo excepto a Pablo, el novio de
vivir la plenitud del amor físico, María. Lucía está enamorada de
algo que su educación victoriana él en secreto y no desistirá en sus
nunca le permitió imaginar. intentos de seducirle.

February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 11

 travel Europe
WORDS by
Susana LOpez
A
re you looking to switch
off? Are you already
tired of Madrid and its
craziness? Would you like
to surprise that special
person? Just an hour plane
journey from Madrid, you
can find peace and relaxation in the
north of Portugal. Porto is a romantic,
enigmatic and picturesque destination.
We arrived in Porto on a bright
summer’s day. My first contact with
the city reminded me very much of the
north of Spain - Galicia, to be specific.
As soon as we checked ourselves in, we
decided it was time to explore the city,
a beautiful place with so much to see.
I’ve always been a huge fan of tourist
buses and it looked like the best plan
as it was a bit warm to be traipsing
around. The route takes approximately
an hour and gives you a great overview
of the city and its history. The old town
has been a settlement for 2000 years
and is now on UNESCO’s list of World
Heritage sites.
One of the 'must-sees' in Porto is the
São Francisco cathedral. It’s a massive
Romanesque construction and the
interior is just breathtaking with the
heavily carved and gilded woodwork
that covers most of the inside walls.
There are statues of saints re-enacting
famous religious scenes. Those with
an appreciation for a different type
of religion will want to take a tour of
the Estadio do Dragão, home of 2004
Champions League winners FC Porto
and architecturally one of the most
striking stadiums in Europe.
If you arrive in Porto by air, you
shouldn’t forget to visit the main
train station, São Bento. It’s the most
ornate I’ve seen in my life. The interior
is decorated with colourful mosaics
depicting various scenes. You can
easily spot the tourists – we’re the
ones standing in the way of the locals
trying to get home, staring up in
amazement.
Porto
12 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
Another really nice thing to do in Porto
is the Six Bridge River Cruise on the
Douro (where you actually only see
five bridges). The cruise lasts about an
hour and is a very pleasant distraction.
On the boat, you will find out that the
urban area is divided into two cities
by the Douro River: Porto on the north
side and Vila Nova de Gaia on the
south bank. By the river banks there
are plenty of bars, restaurants and cafés
where you can eat or just enjoy a coffee
under the sun. On the Gaia side of the
river, there are lots of wooden port
boats. They have one large sail and a
long rudder that the boatman controls
from a platform at the back of the boat.
There’s a festival each year where they
race them. A walk down the river bank
will take you two centuries back in
time: old style crafts similar to Venetian
gondolas, the famous port cellars and
neoclassical appearance houses.
Without a doubt, one of Porto’s main
attractions is the port wine cellars
mostly located on the other side of the
river, that is in Vila Nova de Gaia: Croft,
Sandeman, Graham’s are among the
most popular brands.
The cellars are the best place to
discover the Portuguese wine and
its history. All of them are open to
the public and give the visitors the
opportunity to taste the local drink and
learn a bit about the production process.
We got the chance to visit the Graham’s
cellar that is a bit further away from
the tourist center and to do so we were
picked up on a free bus that took us to
their premises. By the end of the
visit we were offered a taste of different
ports along with some local cheeses.
All for free!
Talking about food, you will notice that
north Portuguese dishes are slighty
different to those you can have in the
south of the country. There is a lot of
chicken and pork in their cuisine, but
what stands out the most is cod. You
can’t leave the city without trying the
Looking for a romantic weekend out of Spain
that’s both easy to get to and affordable? Susana
López found the perfect place and fell a little
If you feel like cod in at least three different varieties.
The locals usually have it with vinho
having some verde (green wine) - another typical
Portuguese product. The best places for
fast food, you lunch are pastelerias, which, as the name
suggests, are cake shops – but only at
are in luck in the front. Beyond the pastry counters
you will find a restaurant area with
Porto as they excellent quality food at a much cheaper
price than a menú del día in Madrid.
created their If you feel like having some fast
own sandwich. food, you are in luck in Porto as they
created their own sandwich. It was
It was named named francesinha (little Frenchie) by a
returning emigrant from France, who
francesinha tried to adapt the croque-monsieur
to Portuguese taste. It is made with
(little Frenchie) toasted bread, cured fresh sausage, roast
meat or ham and covered with molten
by a returning cheese and a hot thick tomato and beer
sauce, served with a side order of chips.
emigrant from It can be a bit heavy for the summer,
but it’s just perfect on a cold day.
France If you are up for some shopping, don’t
miss out Rua Santa Catarina, the high
street with hundreds of shops, most
of them selling shoes. There are tiny
shops that just sell buttons or costume
jewellery and jewellery shops that make
your credit card shrink in fear, it is an
enjoyable walk even if you can’t afford
to buy anything.
For those who want to feel the rhythm
of the night, Porto has a wide range of
choices. The nightlife is more vibrant
during the summer season when both
locals and tourists get together in the
Ribeira district, where a number of
Douro river bars and cafés with outdoor seating
are located. There are also some big
fashionable clubs in the Foz district. If
you are looking for live music, Aniki
Bobo is a Porto classic.
And the following morning, you might
still get some time for a last walk down
the Douro river before heading off to
the airport, hopefully a little bit more in
Vintage Port Collection - love after the most romantic weekend
Croft Cellar ever. Amo-te Porto!
more in love in Porto.

Cuenca
About two-hours’ drive west from Madrid,
Cuenca has all you need to disconnect from
the capital. Matt Johnson returned refreshed
and eager to share its enchantments.
T
he city, the smog, the
horns, the crowds, the
endless nights out – it
was all taking its toll
on the nerve endings
and wearing me down.
Trapped, claustro-
phobic, tired, I needed a break. A
couple nights of quiet. A quick va-
cation, on a budget, away from the
city and club and caña temptations.
So, where to then? Well, just10€
and a two hour bus ride away, we
decided that Cuenca was the most
appropriate option.
So, with the aim of relaxation and
fresh air, and an itinerary like a
blank Word document, Cuenca
turned out to be the perfect destina-
tion. We hadn’t booked a hostel, we
had no idea what to do, and we had
a limited amount of Euros to spend
– but a city so small in size and
so untouched by the average guiri
poses little threat to such stresses.
My advice to you, regardless of
your travel routine, is to follow suit.
As you’ll see straight out of the bus
station, there are signs all over the
city pointing you in whatever direc-
tion you need to go, and without a
clue as to what to do, we followed
them through quiet, winding streets
until we made it to the centro
turistico where we found free maps,
restaurant and hostel listings, bike
rentals, walking guides, and day trip
excursions to the mountains and
la ciudad encantada. The woman at
the kiosk highlighted on the map a
typical path from the new city (like
Toledo, Cuenca’s divided by a river
into modern and medieval) to the
old, and we were on our way.
Thusly informed, we trotted along,
climbing slowly, fallen leaves
crunching underfoot, towards the
narrow but sturdy red iron bridge
connecting both sides of the river
valley and leading to Cuenca’s
poster child of landmarks – las casas
colgadas. High up on the bridge, we
stood for a minute to take in the
view. Modern Cuenca sprawled out
to the front and left, with green hills
resting in the background. The river
below, its banks spattered with
shades of autumn yellows, curved
to the right around the cliff face of
the casas colgadas teetered precariously out over the cliff edge,
ready at any moment to topple down into the valley below.
the old city and out of sight; and to
our immediate right, staring down
at us with the taunting careless-
ness of a reckless adolescent, the
casas colgadas teetered precariously
out over the cliff edge, ready at any
moment to topple down into the
valley below.
Photos snapped, bridge crossed, we
passed under an arch and into the
chilly shadows of quiet, cobbled
corridors. Meandering silently past
cathedrals and museums, through
tiny plazas, and in and out of the
thin autumn sunshine, we took in
the occasional views of the sur-
rounding sierra, letting cars pass
close by and reminding ourselves
that some fortunate folk actually
get to call this place home – sharing
morning coffees with centuries of
history and stunning views from
their tiny windows. I hoped they
didn’t take it for granted.
A few minutes later and we had
made it to the top of the road and
to the seeming end of civilization.
In every direction but back towards
the city, hills stretched out for miles
– the only sign of life being gentle
wind swept wisps of the occasional
burning chimney in the distance. I
checked the time. We’d only been
in Cuenca for two hours and had al-
ready reached its abrupt end. Well,
we came, we saw – time for a meal,
a caña, and a place to hang our hats
for a couple nights. And so we did.
For day two of the trip we’d booked
an excursion into the mountains
in search of la ciudad encantada –
the Enchanted City. With its name
straight out of an Indiana Jones
flick, I had high hopes – but for
what exactly I can’t really begin to
explain. And it was perhaps a good
thing I had no direction in which
to point these lofty expectations, as
it turned out to not be a city at all.
High on the mountain and hidden
amidst dense blankets of forest, our
destination, we discovered, was a
natural park made up of crazy rock
formations, eroded into bizarre
shapes by centuries of mountain-
top wind gusts. There was kind
of an eerie, stifling silence as
we wound through the corridors
of towering stone – an improb-
able, unique landscape dropped
awkwardly into the woods like a
unit of misplaced paratroopers.
Some rocks had names (la tortuga,
el puente romano, los elefantes) to
indicate their likenesses – a bit
cheesy, I’ll admit, but entertaining
for the eye and enough to keep my
mind away from city stress.
After a couple hours using up every
ounce of the city’s enchantment, we
headed over to the hostel across the
street for a lunch of cured venison
and wild boar products (the food
travel spain
WORDS by
Matt Johnson
in Cuenca, I have to mention here,
was excellent – rustic, hearty, home
cooked mountain food) before con-
tinuing on through the surrounding
woods for an afternoon hike.
There being no real public parks for
such ventures, we soon found our-
selves on what some signs indicated
to be private hunting grounds (what
would a proper vacation be, after
all, without a little law breakin’?).
Hey, we had five hours to kill until
our driver returned and no other
method for killing time. What else
were we to do? Anyway, so after
about a half hour of following the
spine of a gently undulating ridge,
we came at last to an unobstructed
view. Below, red roofs of a village
peeked up at us from the wide
valley – the turquoise waters of its
lake shimmering with whatever
glints of sunlight the low lying
cloud blankets would let through.
To the right the ridge stuck out in
folds of foothills and forest, and
opposite, the Sierra de Cuenca,
with its cream cloured cliff faces,
stretched off to the north and east
and out of sight. All was still and
silent. A carpet of caterpillars cov-
ering the forest floor was the only
movement for miles.
Finally, in this moment of com-
plete, golden silence, the pent up
tension from so much city noise
and hustle all at once melted away.
Happy to rest, relax, and rejuvenate
from a 15-month streak without a
weekend off, this was a gift to my
Monday morning self. Know the
feeling? Do yourself a favour then,
amigo – take the two hour trip,
hydrate, eat heartily, and wake up
to start your week with the fresh
air of Cuenca still lingering in your
lungs. This is a trip you will most
certainly not regret.
English Speaking
Travel Agency
C/Gran Vía 80, 8º piso, ofic. 814
Tel: 917 587 277
My Metro
Plaza de España
www.castillatours.com
February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 13
 travel
WORDS by
la vida es
Ryan Craggs
un CARNAVAL
Carnival
around
the world
Flit around the world with Ryan Craggs on his quest to find the best spots to celebrate Carnival
this month.
L
ent is a time for cleansing.
Don’t eat meat. Give up cursing.
Go to church. All that jazz.
Carnival, on the other hand, is a
time for partying.
Starting 40 days before Easter, Carnival
celebrates all that is good in life: song,
dance and indulgence. Somehow,
the British and other Anglo-cultures
even manage to make pancakes for
Shrovetide. But let’s focus on what’s
important: merrymaking.
While the celebration may vary from
place to place, revelry remains a common
truth throughout Carnival’s various
incarnations. Predominantly a Roman
Catholic celebration, the word Carnival
stems from the Old Italian carnelevare,
or lifting the meat, a direct reference to
the Lenten practice of abstaining from
meat. In anticipation for all that fasting
and sacrifice, then, it only makes sense to
cram in all the jollies possible before that
suffering begins.
Whether in New Orleans, Tenerife, or
the epicentre of all things Carnival, Rio
de Janeiro, Carnival is synonymous with
enormous celebrations. As the ideal of
Carnival festivities, Rio proclaims its
version as “Probably the most famous
party in the world,” in the city’s handbook.
Think elaborate costumes, 24/7 parties,
non-stop dancing and for some, almost
an entire week without work. That’s a
helluva bender. And while the etymology
of Carnival refers to the removal of meat,
there’s usually plenty of skin to go around.
Beautiful women parade the streets in
strategically placed feathers and otherwise
next-to-nothing, flowing amidst rivers
of percussive music that provokes the
14 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
party forward. African-influenced Samba
dances epitomize Rio’s Carnival in many
ways; in particular, the batucada style seen
throughout Carnival, with its multitude
of drums, percussion instruments and
whistles, inspires like few sounds on Earth.
Samba schools plan song and dance shows
and compete in the Sambadrome for four
consecutive nights, beginning each night at
8 p.m. and ending around 5 a.m. Thousands
of Brazilians and tourists alike flock to Rio
to witness the parades, and many more
watch on television around the country,
though many other Brazilian cities have
their own takes on the festival.
In New Orleans, Fat Tuesday is recognized
as the biggest day of its Mardi Gras,
the term used to refer to its Carnival
celebration—which, incidentally, translates
to ‘Fat Tuesday’. Here in the Big Easy,
partygoers meander up and down the
streets and participate in huge parades
with fantastic floats, all the while trying
to collect as many beads as possible. A
common image of New Orleans’ Mardi
Gras is of women on the street flashing
men up on balconies in order to obtain
more beads. Though it’s a common
occurrence, there’s a lot more to the pre-
Ash Wednesday festivities than that. The
official colours of Mardi Gras are purple,
gold and green, representing justice,
power, and faith, respectively. Krewes, or
groups that plan the parades, put together
other-worldly floats and toss out beads,
toys, and coins with their emblems on
them to partygoers, who often themselves
are dressed in outlandish costumes.
In Spain, Cádiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
hold the biggest celebrations. In fact,
Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the
capital of the largest of the Canary Islands,
happens to be the second-largest such
celebration in the entire world. Check
out EV’s article on Cádiz from the January
2010 issue (no. 38, also available on
www.europeanvibe.com) for more on
that party. As for the party in Tenerife,
think first about the general atmosphere
found in the Canary Islands. Take that
beautiful weather, breathtaking vistas, and
party atmosphere, and then turn the dial
up to 10. Festivities begin with a parade
Rio de Janeiro the Friday before Carnival, and things carry
on into the wee hours, all the while with
costumed revellers dancing and singing
into the sunrise. From there, an official
Carnival takes place, as well as the street
Carnival, with both parts happening every
night. On the official side, contests of
murgas, comparsas, rondallas and musical
groups take place nightly, with song and
dance routines filling the air. On the streets,
people party like it’s going out of style.
New Orleans’ Mardi Gras
Each year has its own theme—with 2010’s
being, “Tenerife, story of a Carnival”. The
festival commences with the ‘Burial of the
Sardine’, though the weekend brings the
Saturday and Sunday of the Piñata. The
party is often so loud, that even the locals
complain about the noise. Even so, they
can’t put a halt to the out-and-out craziness
that ensues after that opening parade.
Realistically, any of these versions of
Carnival should provide unforgettable
Cádiz
experiences—though it’s entirely
possible to not remember details, given
indulgences. That’s what digital cameras
are for. All this explanation doesn’t even
delve into other spins on the festival
in places like Venice, Germany, or
Croatia. Sure, festivals come and go, but
Carnival has an exotic, borderline-crazy
connotation. And rightfully so. So pack
your party pants, bring an appetite for
excess, and get ready to indulge in a
Santa Cruz de Tenerife bacchanalian fiesta like no other.
 food Where are you going to take your loved one for Valentine’s Day?
eat out guide
Modern/International Cuisine
Creative cuisine in a casual, friendly atmosphere.
Lunch served Tuesday to Friday, dinner served Tuesday
to Saturday, brunch served on Sundays.
Tel: 91 547 4996
Toma c/ Conde Duque, 14 Plaza de España
Chill out
Caché
Chill Out Caché, an amazing place to discover.  
An atmosphere with an oriental touch, where you
can “tapear”, try our creative cuisine or have a tea or
cocktail on one of our spectacular Balinese beds.
Tel: 91 445 5157
www.chilloutcache.es
Chill Out Caché c/ Cardenal Cisneros, 11 Bilbao
Centrally located Argentinian steak house with a
rustic, welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy traditional
Argentinian cuisine such as pizza, pasta, and grilled
meat. Variety of vegetarian options available. Open
every day ‘til late. Average price 15/20€ per head,
lunch menu only 9,50€.
Il Piccolino Della Farfalla Tel: 91 369 4391
La Farfalla Tel: 91 369 4691
Il Piccolino Della Farfalla c/ Huertas, 6 Antón Martín
La Farfalla c/ Santa María, 17 Antón Martín
Enjoy contemporary grill cuisine such as burgers,
chicken, and shrimp in untraditional Eastern décor
while watching your favorite sports on a big screen.
Conveniently located near Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Tel: 91 556 6776 www.monks.es
Monks Bar & Restaurant c/ Capitán Haya, 23 Cuzco/Bernabéu
A great selection of healthy and freshly
prepared foods. Menus with appetizer, main
and drink from 6€; choose from burgers,
quesadillas, fajitas, spaghetti, salads, sweet
crepes, etc. COME AND ENJOY THE TASTE
OF WONDERFOOD Tel: 647 750 998
Wonderfood Fernando el Católico, 15 Quevedo
La Kitchen Prim, 5 ( Chueca). Tel: 91 360 4974
Mi Mama Carmen Molino de Viento, 4 ( Tribunal). Tel: 91 522 0263
Paparazzi Sor Angela de la Cruz, 22 ( Tetuan/Cuzco). Tel: 91 579 6767
Mi Mama Carmen Molino de Viento, 4 ( Tribunal). Tel: 91 522 0263
Italian
Ciao Apodaca, 20 ( Alonso Martinez). Tel: 91 447 0036
La Tagliatella Avenida General Perón, 40 ( S. Bernabeu Tel: 91 556 9046
La Tavernetta Orellana, 17 ( Colón). Tel: 91 319 2390
Pinocchio Plaza Doctor Laguna, 7 ( Ibiza). Tel: 91 409 0033
16 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
American
The Big Game! Amercian Football final party in an
unforgettable atmosphere. Sunday, 7th February
There are two great bars and two private rooms. 
Hard Rock offers genuine American food and we
create an authentic dining experience in a Rock ‘n’Roll
atmosphere: live music and museum.
Tel:+ 00 34 91 436 43 40 www.hardrock.com
Hard Rock Cafe Pº de la Castellana, 2 Colón/Serrano
At Ernie’s, try a slice of Americana in our 50’s rock n roll
diner! Create your own burger by mixing and matching
our toppings. Also try our Tex Mex and the tastiest hot
dogs in town! Located between Puerta del Sol and the
Royal Theater we are something completely different in
the heart of Madrid! Check us out on the web at
www.erniestation.com
Tel: 91 559 7168
Ernie’s Station c/ Las Fuentes, 10 Opera/Sol
Alfredo’s Barbacoa Lagasca, 5 ( Retiro). Tel: 91 576 6271
Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, 11 ( Cuzco). Tel: 91 576 6271
Foster’s Hollywood Magallanes, 1 ( San Bernardo). Tel: 91 445 6110
Pl. Isabel II, 3 ( Ópera). Tel: 91 542 3172
Princesa, 13 ( Pl. España). Tel: 91 559 1914
Gédeca, 6 ( Alonso Martínez). Tel: 91 310 2369
Ribs Abada, 8 ( Callao). Tel: 91 884 3728
Peggy Sue’s Diner Eguilaz, 1 ( Bilbao). Tel: 91 445 1087
T.G.I. Friday’s Gran Vía, 76 ( Gran Vía). Tel: 91 275 9492
Tony Roma’s Gédeca, 17 ( Alonso Martínez). Tel: 91 310 1488
Indian
Bright, colourfully furnished Indian restaurant located in
Madrid’s trendy Chueca area. Open since 1985, it is a busy
little place and quite reasonably priced at around 18/20€
per head. 3 course lunch or “menu del día” is served from
1.30pm- 4.30pm, dinner from 8.30pm- 12.30am.
Open every day. Tel: 91 391 4586
Taj Mahal c/ Belén, 12 Chueca/Alonso Martínez
Vegetarian
A pleasant surprise for non-vegetarians. Rustic,
Andalusian tavern-style décor, extensive and
surprisingly tasty menu. Located in the heart of the
bustling La Latina area.
Open every day, 1pm- 4.30pm, 8pm-12.30pm.
Tel: 91 365 8982
El Estragón Pl. Paja, 10 Madrid de los Austrias La Latina
Artemisa Tres Cruces, 4 ( Gran Vía). Tel: 91 521 8721
Ceres Topete, 32 ( Alvarado). Tel: 91 553 7728
EcoCentro de Esquilache 4 ( Rio Rosas/Cuatro Caminos). Tel: 91 553 5502
El Granero de Lavapies Argumosa 10 ( Lavapiés). Tel: 91 467 7611
El Vergel Pso de la Florida, 53 ( Príncipe Pío). Tel: 91 547 1952
Isla del Tesoro Manuela Malasaña, 3 ( Bilbao). Tel: 91 593 1440
La Bio Tika Amor de Dios, 3 ( Antón Martín). Tel: 91 429 0780
La Mazorca Paseo Infanta Isabel 21 ( Atocha). Tel: 91 501 7013
 Where are you going to take your loved one for Valentine’s Day? food
eat out guide

Mexican Spanish

La Mariachita is a Mexican ‘cantina’ which offers

authentic Mexican dishes in a fun ambience with a
sophisticated decor.
This restaurant is an excellent choice to try some
great Mexican food accompanied by typical cocktails,
micheladas, margaritas or imported beer.
Tel: 91 594 21 40
La Mariachita P0 General Mtz Campos, 11 Iglesia
Typical food with a touch of the best of Mexican
flavours. The best margaritas and cocktails.
Mon to Fri 13.30/16 and 21/24 Sat. 21/24 closed on Sunday
Tel: 91 591 4515
queonda@chilangomadrid.com
www.chilangomadrid.com
Chilango Manuela Malasaña, 12 Bilbao
Argentinian
Basilicco Santa Teresa, 12 ( Alonso Martinez). Tel: 91 308 0102
Beef Place Avenida del Brasil 30 ( Cuzco). Tel: 91 556 4187
El Gaucho Tetuán, 34 ( Sol). Tel: 91 522 4793
Gasset 75 Jose Ortega & Gasset 75 ( Lista). Tel: 91 401 8252
La Vaca Argentina Bailén, 20 ( La Latina). Tel: 91 365 6654
Restaurante Argentino Tijcal Cruz, 26 ( Sol). Tel: 91 522 5934
Enjoy typical Andalusian food, original décor,
oriental dance shows and a cultural fusion every
day of the year… Not to be missed!!
Tel: 90 233 3334 www.medinamayrit.com
Medina Mayrit c/ Atocha, 14 Sol/Tirso de Molina
Bazaar San Marcos, 35 ( Chueca). Tel: 91 523 1505
Casa Mingo Paseo de la Florida, 34 ( Príncipe Pío). Tel: 91 547 7918
La Cueva del Faisán Espoz y Mina,15 ( Sol). Tel: 676 287 654
A Cuerpo De Rey Hilarión Eslava, 27 ( Moncloa). Tel: 91 549 4338
Spanish Tapas
La Casa del Abuelo Victoria, 12 ( Sol). Tel: 91 521 2319
Malaspina Cádiz, 9 ( Sol). Tel: 91 523 4024
Chinese
House Of Ming Pº de la Castellana, 74 ( G Marañón). Tel: 91 561 9827
Tse Yang Pº Castellana, 22 ( Ruben Dario). Tel: 91 431 1888
Zen Central Puigcerdá, 6 ( Serrano). Tel: 91 431 1233
Japanese
Ayala Japón Ayala, 67 ( Lista). Tel: 91 309 5625
Furama Paseo de la Florida, 2 ( Príncipe Pío). Tel: 91 548 7658
Korean
Korea Cristobal Bordiu, 59 ( Nuevos Ministerios). Tel: 91 554 2034

American-style food and drinks in

the heart of Madrid, set with an
authentic rock atmosphere
Located downtown, Plaza de

Pr
Oriente Teatro
Real
C/ Fuentes, 10 rg
ar
a
Opera C/ Are
nal

MadridPalacio Ve
Escalinata

Fuentes

de
C/
Real

☎ 915-597-168
C/ de las
C/ de la

Catedral de ayor
Ntra. Sra. Calle M

Create your own burger by mixing

matching our toppings. Also try our Tex
de la
andAlmudena Dream as Plaza

Mex and the tastiest hot dogs in town! if you’ll live Mayor

forever, live
See our journey through the history of as if you’ll
50s, 60s & 70s cars and motorcycles,
with a touch of rock. die today
Unique, young and fun with two floors,
VIP rooms, where you can organize
your events and private parties. February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 17
 film first
WORDS by
Luc Ciotkowski
Invictus
If the South African football team watch this movie on the team
bus before their group matches at this summer’s FIFA World Cup,
Mexico, Uruguay and France will have something to worry about.
Luc Ciotkowski finds out if Clint Eastwood has made South Africa’s
own sporting equivalent of Braveheart.
Director: Clint Eastwood Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon & Tony Kgoroge
Spanish title: Invictus Release Date: 29 Jan 2010
After the
disappointment of
Nelson Mandela
not turning up
to save the day
and unite humans
and ‘prawns’ in
District 9, it should
be a delight to
see the real-life
miracles achieved
by the greatest African leader in
reconciliation of the seemingly
irreconcilable. Should be…
Mandela is undoubtedly one of the
most remarkable characters of the
twentieth century. Imprisoned for
treason as a terrorist for 27 years
by the white Afrikaner-dominated
Apartheid regime, he was finally
released in 1990 and the ban on his
African National Congress party lifted
after a long worldwide campaign and
international pressure. What had been
unthinkable just a few years previously
came into being when Mandela was
elected president after the first multi-
racial elections in South Africa’s history.
From 1994 to 1999, he led his country
through its transition to full democracy,
dismantled the apparatus of racial
segregation without the bloodshed
thought by most to be inevitable and
became influential as an international
mediator for peace.
A shining moment of Mandela’s new
‘Rainbow Nation’ was when he handed
the World Cup trophy
to the white-skinned
Afrikaner captain of
South Africa’s rugby
team, François Pienaar.
An unprecedented
wave of unity swept
through the country
joining South Africans
in jubilation at the
Springboks’ triumph.
The journey was almost as fairy tale-
like in sporting terms, too. The South
African national rugby union side,
known as the Springboks after the rapid
little antelope indigenous to south-
western Africa, had experienced their
own period of isolation since the 1977
Gleneagles Agreement had established
18 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
the Commonwealth nations’ boycott
of sporting contact with South Africa
under Apartheid. Apart from four heavily
protested-against tours, the Springboks
were frozen out of international rugby
and excluded from the first two World
Cups in 1987 and 1991. Despite having
home advantage, South Africa were
seeded ninth from a total of 16 teams
and their chances were written off by
most, the South African sports media
being particularly critical of the team’s
prospects. The story of triumph in the
face of adversity and the uniting of the
South African people in support and
celebration of their team (considering
the Springboks had always been a
symbol of hate for black South
Africans) would have appeared
too ‘comic-book’ were it fiction,
but it really happened and Clint
Eastwood accepted the challenge
of bringing the inspirational story
to the big screen.
Eastwood’s dramatization
begins with well-kitted up
white school kids playing
rugby on a lush turf
pitch separated from
a rabble of barefoot
black children engaged
in a chaotic game of
football on waste
ground by fences and
a road. Both games
are interrupted by
the passing of the
police escorted
Nelson Mandela
being released
from prison. Some short
exposition takes us into
Mandela’s presidency
and an international
rugby match where the
new president laments
that black South Africans
are supporting England
against the Springboks.
When the Springbok name,
emblem and colours are abolished
by the National Sports Council for
their connection to the Apartheid
era, it’s only Mandela’s personal
intervention and appeal to members
that attains a reversal of the
decision. “Our enemy is no longer the
Afrikaner: they are our fellow South
Africans … This is no time to celebrate
petty revenge. This is the time to build
our nation using every single brick
available to us, even if that brick comes
wrapped in green and gold.”
President Mandela invites Springboks
captain François Pienaar to tea, where
he talks to the rugby player about
leadership. Pienaar later comes to
realize the president believes success
in the World Cup could be a unique
opportunity to unite the peoples of
South Africa.
So far unsubstantiated internet claims
have been doing the rounds for the
last few months that the poem
Invictus was never passed to
Pienaar by Mandela and that it
was in fact an extract from the
Theodore Roosevelt speech, The
Man In The Arena, which the
president gave to the rugby
captain. Whether it was
the Henley poem, the
President Teddy speech
or simply Mandela’s
or Pienaar’s own
words that gave the
Springboks an edge
of inspiration, one
seems appropriate
for the great man
and the other applies
rather well to Clint
Eastwood’s efforts.
Invictus fits Mandela’s
personal struggle:
“It matters not how strait
the gate,

How charged with punishments
the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.”
While The Man In The
Arena corresponds better to
Eastwood on this occasion:
“The credit belongs to the
man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by
dust and sweat and blood; who
strives valiantly; who errs, who comes
short again and again, because there is
no effort without error and shortcoming…”
The director who won Oscars for
Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby
certainly has a good crack at this
one, but the result is a good film,
not a great film. Maybe some of the
pacing and development of supporting
characters and sub-plots are sacrificed
to showcase Mandela as interpreted
by Morgan Freeman. And, if this is the
case, maybe it was worth it – Freeman
is magnificent as Nelson Mandela.
It’s almost as if he’s possessed by the
soul of Mandela; I went into the film
thinking each man is too well-known
and too instantly-recognisable to
suspend disbelief, yet later in the
showing caught myself thinking,
“Doesn’t Mandela look a lot like Morgan
Freeman?”
Matt Damon is
workmanlike as
François Pienaar,
doing everything
asked of him,
including the
accent, very
proficiently. Some
will complain about a lack of
a journey for the character, but how
much more would there be to tell from
Pienaar’s perspective without inventing
a different story? No, what would have
enriched the film for me would have
been to see more of the character arc
of the South African black and white
communities, beyond that of Mandela’s
security staff.
The other, perhaps more trivial-seeming
yet important nevertheless, failure
of the film to reach epic status is its
score. An epic movie needs an epic
soundtrack, but as far as music goes,
Eastwood didn’t just drop the ball,
he knocked it on and collapsed the
resulting scrum (it’s shite).
Making a movie with action from a
team sport is a minefield and there are
many examples of films whose sporting
action scenes detract credibility from
them. However, and while they are not
quite spectacular, the rugby scenes
in Invictus are solid, exciting and are
faithful to the laws of the game (maybe
with one slight lapse when it appears
that François Pienaar/Matt Damon
[playing flanker] illegally handles the
ball in the scrum). If we look at it as
simply a sports movie, it is the best one
for years… It just seems to me that the
ingredients were there for something
even more special.
 new movie releases
Release Date: 5 FEB 2010
Spanish title: La carretera
Release Date: 12 FEB 2010
Spanish title: Crazy Heart
Release Date: 12 FEB 2010
Spanish title:
Historias de San Valentín soltero
Please note: details of all films are correct at the time of publication.
Release Date: 19 FEB 2010
Spanish title: I’m Not There
Release Date: 26 FEB 2010
Spanish title: Al límite
Release Date: 5 FEB 2010
Spanish title: Precious
Release Date: 12 FEB 2010
Spanish title: El hombre lobo
Release Date: 12 FEB 2010
Spanish title: Un hombre
Release Date: 19 FEB 2010
Spanish title: Shutter Island
Release Date: 26 FEB 2010
Spanish title: Daybreakers
film first
ORIGINAL
VERSION
CINEMAS (V.O.)
Alphaville Golem
Address: Martín de los Heros, 14
Tel: 915 593 836
Zone: Central
Price: 6.80 €
Metro: Plaza de España (Lines
3 & 10)
Rodríguez (Line 3)
Pequeño Cine Estudio
Address: Magallanes, 1
Tel: 914 472 920
Zone: Chamberi
Price: 6.50 €
Metro: Quevedo (Line 2)
Rodríguez (Line 3)
Princesa
Address: Calle de la Princesa, 3
Tel: 915 414 100 & 902 888 902
Zone: Moncloa-Aravaca
Price: Mon-Fri 6.20 €. Sat & Sun
6.80 €
Metro: Plaza de España (Lines 3
& 10), Ventura Rodríguez (Line 3)
Rodríguez (Line 3)
Renoir Cuatro Caminos
Address: Raimundo Fernández
Villaverde, 10
Tel: 915 414 100 & 902 229 122
Zone: Chamberi
Price: Mon-Fri 6.50 €. Sat & Sun
6.80 €
Metro: Cuatro Caminos (Lines
1, 2 & 6) Win five cinema tickets
Renoir Plaza de España for you and your friends!
Address: Martín de los Heros, 12 Yelmo Cine Ideal, the biggest
Tel: 915 414 100 & 902 229 122 original language cinema in Madrid,
Zone: Central are giving away five free tickets to
Price: Mon-Fri 6.50 €. Sat & Sun see a film of your choice at their
6.80 € theatre in Calle Doctor Cortezo.
Metro: Plaza de España All you have to do is answer the
Rodríguez (Line 3) following question:
Renoir Princesa
Address: Calle de la Princesa, 5, Which legendly South African
Pje. Martín de los Heros rugby player did Matt Damon
Tel: 915 599 872 & 902 229 122 play in the film Invictus?
Zone: Central
Price: Mon-Fri 6.50 €. Sat & Sun Send your predictions and
6.80 € contact details in an email entitled
Metro: Plaza de España (Lines 3 “Yelmo Film Competition” to
& 10), Ventura Rodríguez (Line 3) editor@europeanvibe.com
Rodríguez (Line 3)
before 17 February 2010.
Renoir Retiro Good luck to you all!
Address: Narváez, 42
Tel: 902 229 122
Zone: Retiro
Price: Mon-Fri 6.50 €. Sat & Sun
6.80 €
Metro: Ibiza (Line 9)
Rodríguez (Line 3)
Verdi
Address: Bravo Murillo, 28
Tel: 914 473 930
Zone: Chamberi Join our monthly
Price: 6.50 €
Metro: Canal (Lines 2 & 7),
Cinema Club
Quevedo (Line 2) We go once a month to see
Rodríguez (Line 3) the latest releases.
Yelmo Cines Ideal Sign up at
Address: Doctor Cortezo, 6
Tel: 902 220 922 www.europeanvibe.com
Zone: Central
Price: 7.10 €
Metro: Tirso de Molina (Line 1)
February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 19
 sport
WORDS by
Garreth Nunn
Garreth Nunn previews European rugby union’s
big annual event. Ireland begin as favourites to win
overall, but surely they can’t make it two Grand Slams
in a row, can they?
I
n 2008 the IRFU decided Eddie
O’Sullivan was never going to
deliver the 6 Nations and that a
change was needed. O’Sullivan
had won three triple crowns but
a lot of people felt that it was a poor
return for the players he had available.
So Ireland turned to the Munster
Magician. It is rumoured that Declan
Kidney studied Alchemy because
everything he touches seems to turn
to gold. Kidney had achieved huge
success at Munster but his first task
would be to help the Irish team banish
a few ghosts.
The last time Ireland won the
tournament it was 1982 and called
the Five Nations, and they hadn’t
won a Grand Slam since 1948 (their
one and only). Ireland had become
the bridesmaid of rugby, but in 2009,
Kidney walked her down the aisle and
gave her away to be married. Ireland
would be lucky in having both England
and France at home. They started with
France. In 2007 France beat Ireland
with a last gasp try as the Irish were
still celebrating a penalty conversion.
But the team of 2009 would not make
the same mistake and Ireland got off to
a winning start and showed the
world that this Irish team
were taking the 2009
tournament seriously.
They followed it up
with a win against
Italy. Then came
England. It was a
close game, but
the Irish looked in
control, only for
England to score a
try with two minutes
to go. An anxious
Ireland held on for
victory.
With two of the
big guns down they went
to Murrayfield. Scotland
started well and looked
like they were going to
upset the party, but Ireland
took control in the second
20 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
6 Nations
2010
half and ran out winners. Ireland made
their way down to Cardiff with the 6
Nations and a first Grand Slam in 61
years to play for. This was history in
the making. So many years waiting –
and it looked like Ireland would go on
waiting until a last minute drop goal
secured the championship and, at last,
a Grand Slam.
So what can we expect
from this year?
The World Cup is on in 2011, which
means that countries might use this
year to bring in new blood and give
experience to fringe players.
So let’s looks at the teams and let’s
start with the favourites:
Ireland
What a year it was for Ireland.
Leinster won the Heineken cup,
Paul O’ Connell was captain of
the British and Irish Lions and Ireland
finished unbeaten in 2009. The autumn
tests are generally used as an indicator
of what to expect, and Ireland did very
well. They drew with Australia and then
beat the world champions South Africa.
It will be interesting to see if Ronan O’
Gara remains on the bench like he did
in the autumn. Johnny Sexton took over
and played really well, but he does lack
experience at international level. Ireland
has to play in Paris and London this
year, so Kidney may favour the more
experienced O’ Gara. The Irish team has
a good mixture of youth and experience
and should give everyone a good run for
their money.
France
France impressed during the
autumn by beating the world
champions, but then lost to New
Zealand. Without a doubt France can play
some of the best rugby on the planet, but
they must learn to win ugly and to defend
a lead. Coach Marc Lievremont enforces
a nice playing style, but Les Bleus have
won nothing under him and so pressure is
mounting. Expect to see some of the best
rugby of the tournament from the French.
Fixtures
Saturday, 06 February
England v Wales, 18:00
Ireland v Italy, 15:30
Sunday, 07 February
Scotland v France, 16:00
Saturday, 13 February
France v Ireland, 17:30
Wales v Scotland, 15:00
Sunday, 14 February
Italy v England, 15:30
Friday, 26 February
Wales v France, 21:00
Saturday, 27 February
England v Ireland, 17:00
Italy v Scotland, 14:30
Saturday, 13 March
Ireland v Wales, 15:30
Scotland v England, 18:00
Sunday, 14 March
France v Italy, 15:30
Saturday, 20 March
France v England, 20:45
Ireland v Scotland, 18:00
Wales v Italy, 15:30
Spain has rugby too. They play in
the European Nations Cup, which
is nicknamed the 6 Nations B. The
winners of the group will qualify
for the World Cup in New Zealand.
Spain play their home games in
Madrid and you can get more info
at www.ferugby.com.
There is also club rugby in Spain -
Madrid-based Olympus XV
participated in the European
Challenge Cup this year. To get
more club rugby information, go
to the website above.
England
The World Cup seems like
centuries ago for the English
fans. There’s no doubt that Martin
Johnson has brought change to England,
but indiscipline and injuries cost them
dearly last year. During the autumn tests
they got whistled off against Argentina.
They lost against New Zealand and
Australia, so England might experiment this
year. Don’t write them off, though, as they
have game changing players and they can
only get better.
Wales
Welsh rugby seems to be in
crisis. They’re rattled by injuries
and have little cover for some
key areas. Yet Wales love a crisis and the
writing off of this team might be just the
motivation that they need. With some
proper planning and some luck, the Welsh
might surprise a few people like they have
in the past. Warren Gatland has some tough
decisions to make about recalls. Write them
off at your peril.
Scotland
Scottish fans must look at Ireland
and Wales with immense jealously
but credit has to go to the Scots.
They make Murrayfield a fortress and it’s
a pity the players don’t do the same. Not
much is expected from the team and that
might play into their hands. They beat
Fiji and, more shockingly, Australia in the
autumn and then lost to Argentina. They
will not be walked over easily. Although they
might not win the championship, I feel they
might influence where it goes.
Italy
If little is expected from Scotland,
nothing is expected from Italy. Italy
beat Samoa which ended their
losing run of 2009 and that was the highlight
of their year. Italy are getting stronger,
but they will be without their captain and
it’s hard to see them doing anything in this
tournament. Yet surprises do happen.
So, in short, Ireland or France to win
with the dark horses being England.
 sport
WORDS by
GROUP - C GROUP - D Luc Ciotkowski

England USA Germany Australia

Couwnt
n five-a-side
do o
Algeria Slovenia Serbia Ghana

t h football
Souitca in Madrid
Afr results matchday 8 10/1/10
Luc Ciotkowski Finbars Celtic 3-0 Studio Banana FC
Studio Banana forfeit match

continues our Santana - Real Monks

Match postponed

team-by-team Atlético Retiro 3-3 Atletico Cero

Andres, Mario, Alfonso David Silva 2, Dani

preview of England Germany Madrid Reds 7-10 All Blacks

Mark Dorian 3, Steve Churnin, Miguel 2, Daniel Andrinal 2,

FIFA World
Fabio Capello has whipped his England
squad into fine shape. The team’s play is
Cup 2010 with virtually unrecognizable from the side that
crashed out of European Championship
Joe Churnin, Shane Bartlett, Diego García 3, Daniel Alberti,
Jogi Löw’s team, despite Russia Simon Howard Rubén Bautista 2
keeping the pressure on until last FC Británico de Madrid - Barones de la Birra
September, qualified unbeaten and in
convincing style. At 9-1, the bookmakers
Match postponed

Moores Tribunal 0-10 Triskel Tavern AHFC

groups C and D. qualifying two and a half years ago and
much of that is owed to the confidence and
have placed the Nationalmannschaft at
longer odds than England to win the Five Corners 16-6 La Parada Numero 12
Juan Carlos Marugan 3, Michael Conroy,
Felipe Martin 6

Zurdo 5, Koki 5, Mike Kemp 3, Javi Alberto

discipline the Italian has instilled. England
are favourites at odds of 7-1, top scorers in
UEFA qualification despite not quite emulating
Holland and Spain’s 100% records. The
traditional problems of the left side and how
to accommodate their best players have been
solved, but there are worries in
areas where the English are
tournament and, for me, they could be
well worth a flutter. Miroslav Klose can
still poke, head and bang them in and has
always stepped up his game at major finals.
Michael Ballack’s class and influence will
be important, though he will have to exert
that without his regular partner in crime –
Torsten Frings, a mainstay of the German
Ramiro 3, MyKy 3 Alistair 2
Finbars 67 3-7 A Team Apart
Enrique Garriga, Declan Twohig
Ariel Frigiotti
Luc Ciotkowski, Andrew Sikorski 3
Gustavo 2, Aymen
results matchday 9 17/1/10
Studio Banana FC 0-3 Santana
Studio Banana forfeit match
Finbars Celtic 6-1 Atlético Retiro
Rob Pinnington 2, Paul Grimley 2,
Noel Thomson, Iñigo Manterola
Andrés

usually strong. They lack real centre midfield for years, has already been Real Monks 15-1 Madrid Reds
1 2 5 class in goal and there are told by Löw that he won’t be going to Emilio 6, Jorge 2, Ivan 2, Victor 2, Casar,
Morgan, Dani
Joe Churnin

question marks over who is South Africa. The coach’s tactical nous has Atletico Cero 3-0 FC Británico de Madrid
good enough to partner been hard to question over the last four FC Británico forfeit match

John Terry in defence and years, but he will need his big players to All Blacks 10-6 Moores Tribunal
4 Miguel 3, Diego García 2, Daniel Alberti Faz Pasand 2, Jonathan Russell 2,
Wayne Rooney upfront. be switched on right from the start after Rubén Bautista, Daniel Andrinal Michael Nii Kwame, Chris Johnston
Rio Ferdinand is favourite drawing one of the World Cup’s two ‘groups Diego García 2
Barones de la Birra 5-6 Five Corners
for the second centre of death’. Jonatito 2, Aitor, Abraham, Tito Koki 4, Ramiro, MyKy

3 back berth, but his form Triskel Tavern AHFC 13-3 Finbars 67
Pete Eaves 10, Juan Carlos Marugan, A Player 3
and fitness this season have been Michael Conroy, Andy Steel
far from encouraging. There’s Australia La Parada Numero 12 1-11 A Team Apart
Javi Alberto Aymen 4, Andrew 3, Eamonn
no doubt that Rooney is central The Socceroos can feel Christian Sampedro 3
to England’s hopes of winning the understandably aggrieved at their ill League Table Pld F A Pts
tournament – Capello must already luck in landing such a difficult group,
Finbars Celtic 9 96 11 27
be crossing his fingers for the Man Utd especially after their impressive maiden
Triskel Tavern AHFC 8 68 18 24
striker’s continuing fitness. qualification from the Asian Football
Atletico Cero 9 69 32 22
Confederation. Guus Hiddink’s
Real Monks 8 76 24 21
reign as manager was a watershed
USA moment for Australia and now, Five Corners
Atlético Retiro
9
9
61
49
48
27
21
16
Americans have every right to be under another Dutch coach in Pim
 Royal Bafokeng
1 Santana 8 52 33 15
Stadium, Rustenburg more excited than ever before going Verbeek, they’re a confident and
A Team Apart 8 48 38 15
into this World Cup. Should they respected outfit in international football.
All Blacks 9 56 66 9
emulate their exploits of 2002 and There are plenty of players who will be
Barones de la Birra 8 45 54 7
reach the quarter finals, it would be no shock familiar to fans of the English Premier
Moores Tribunal 9 40 81 6
this time. Their astounding performance in League, although with age creeping up on
FC Británico de Madrid 8 33 98 6
last summer’s Confederations Cup won them them it could be the last time we see the
Finbars 67 9 33 66 4
considerable respect and admiration around likes of Schwarzer, Neill, Cahill, Emerton,
Studio Banana FC 7 24 51 3
the world when they ended Spain’s 35- match Kewell and Grella at a World Cup. They can
Madrid Reds 8 37 97 3
world record unbeaten run and took a 2-0 qualify from this group, but they will have
La Parada Numero 12 8 21 76 0
lead into the interval against Brazil (although to treat each game like a final to do it.
finally succumbing 3-2 to O Canarinho). Their Top Scorers
 Ellis Park Stadium,
2 incredible collective physical fitness makes Pete Eaves 34 Triskel Tavern AHFC
Johannesburg up for their technical shortcomings on most Serbia Rob Pinnington 29 Finbars Celtic
occasions. Only England look like beating Serbia have put a long period of Emilio 29 Real Monks
them in this group, but they will approach the underachievement behind them and finally Dani (Cero) 28 Atletico Cero
opener in Rustenburg with no fear. Donovan look as dangerous as they did at the 1998 Beto 21 Santana
for Golden Shoe? World Cup. I fancy they could go as far as Paul Grimley 18 Finbars Celtic
the semi finals after thumping their way Paul Collins 18 Finbars Celtic
through their group and dumping France Felipe Martin 18 Triskel Tavern AHFC
Algeria into that infamous playoff. Radi Antic is matchday 10 fixtures 7/2/10
The team that deprived us of seeing vastly experienced, having managed Real Studio Banana FC Madrid Reds
the silky skills of the Egyptians have plenty of Madrid, Barcelona and taken Atlético Atlético Retiro FC Británico de Madrid
 Nelson Mandela
3 passion and their fans will be proud to watch Madrid to a Spanish league title and Copa Santana Moores Tribunal
Bay Stadium, them in their first World Cup for 24 years. Can del Rey double (he still spends a lot of the
Port Elizabeth Finbars Celtic Five Corners
they spring another upset like they did against year living in Madrid) and his guidance Real Monks Finbars 67
the Pharaohs? In a word, no. has been key in making Serbia a solid, Atletico Cero A Team Apart
They have some decent players, like consistent unit. They need Deki Stankovic All Blacks La Parada Numero 12
Wolfsburg’s Karim Ziani and Bochum’s Antar fit to boss the midfield and create things if Barones de la Birra Triskel Tavern Hepburns
Yahia (matchwinner with that stunner in Sudan they’re going to do well. matchday 11 fixtures 14/2/10
that sank Egypt), but not enough quality in FC Británico de Madrid Studio Banana FC
their squad to make a big impact, their only
chance of points is if they play their very best Ghana Moores Tribunal
Five Corners
Madrid Reds
Atlético Retiro
and catch their opponents on an off day. Like fellow West Africans Ivory Coast, Finbars 67 Santana
Ghana pulled a short straw in terms of A Team Apart Finbars Celtic
4  Moses Mabhida opposition for the first round and I don’t
Stadium, Durban Slovenia expect them to repeat the success of 2006.
La Parada Numero 12
Triskel Tavern Hepburns
Real Monks
Atletico Cero
Russia didn’t heed the warnings to Nevertheless, plenty of people are backing Barones de la Birra All Blacks
beware the Slovenes and the late away goal them to progress and it must be based on
scored by Pecnik in Moscow came back to the excellent midfield partnership of Muntari matchday 12 fixtures 21/2/10
bite them after Slovenia won 1-0 in Maribor and Essien. It was a strong statement Studio Banana FC Moores Tribunal
to level the aggregate score. They’ve left of intention for the World Cup that they FC Británico de Madrid Five Corners
several decent sides by the wayside on their excused many first team players from last Madrid Reds Finbars 67
road to South Africa, but it’s hard to imagine month’s African Cup of Nations in a bid to Atlético Retiro A Team Apart
them overcoming England or the USA. They keep them fresh for the summer. They’re a Santana La Parada Numero 12
just might get four points and that just very good side, I just don’t think they have Finbars Celtic Triskel Tavern Hepburns
might be enough to go through, but they’ve enough class upfront to take them past their Real Monks Barones de la Birra
5  Mbombela
Stadium, Nelspruit stretched their ‘just mights’ pretty far already. group rivals. Atletico Cero All Blacks

February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 21

 Girls vs. Boys
girls WORDS by
Charlene Lidyard
The perfect
St Valentine’s Day
in Madrid
How similar are the ideas of girls and guys on how their partner would give them
the best Saint Valentine’s Day ever in Madrid? Pay close attention for some top tips.
A
A girl ’s opinion h, Valentine’s
Day, the
only time
of the
year that I wish
I could actually
meet the saint that
started it all; only
to put him/her on
the permanent
unemployment list. I often wonder
how Valentine’s Day started. How did
this particular day become the holiday
for everything red, sweet and lovey-
dovey? Turns out, there are numerous
Christian references to martyrs named
Valentine. Obviously this is anything
but romantic and the only associations
to the modern day celebration of
romanticism come in the form of the
date, 14 February. It wasn’t until the
time of the father of English literature
Geoffrey Chaucer that Valentine’s Day
began to take shape during a time
when the tradition and concept of
courtly loved flourished.
In the United States, Valentine’s Day is
a day of genuine one-upmanship. Often
the day does not centre on the deep
love or admiration for your significant
(or not so significant) other, rather
the opportunity to show up all your
22 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
Valentine's Day 2010
buddies and win points for the rest of
the year. Call me a bit of a romantic,
but I prefer random acts of kindness to
forced gift giving, any day. Having said
those things, I find a bit of charm in
the day despite myself. Young and old
alike partake in the festivities and even
the most hardened person can find
themselves picking up candy hearts.
I have been enlightened by many
Spaniards that the celebration of
Valentine’s Day in Spain is more
intimate than in other countries. In
that sense, you don’t know how your
friends, your parents, or anyone close
to you choose to spend their day.
Valentine’s Day is for the couples
alone and not to be shared with all
who are in the direct line of fire. In this
way couples behave much differently
than in the United States. The one-
upmanship that I mentioned before
is in stark contrast to the intimate
behaviour of the Spanish.
More exceptions come in the form of
what I like to refer to as the ‘other’
category, the types of things that you
simply do not have easy access to in
the United States. These things are
places and history. Bars, parks, palaces,
castles, charming squares - what can
be more romantic than that? The only
place you can find the above mentioned
Gifts: For a Girl in the US is while sitting in your
typical American chick-flick. Pardon
in Madrid me, but I prefer the ambience of these
places in real life. Here, in Madrid, is
with a the perfect opportunity to try them out.
budget of
40€: Picnic It’s in these places that I find the
in Retiro perfect Valentine’s Day in Madrid. A
Park. Include flowers woman that doesn’t want roses, candy
from Tirso de Molina, and expensive jewellery on the big red
paddleboat ride and day. Preposterous, right? Or a sign of
chocolate of choice. the changing tastes and expectations
of women. I prefer the latter. In the
with a end I would rather have the most
budget of expensive item of all, time. Ask anyone
75€: Day trip and they’ll agree time is the most
from Madrid. costly of all the gifts that you can give
My favourites, Segovia: to a person. Time requires thought,
Dinner near dedication and above all the desire to
Roman set aside all other things that require
Aqueduct your attention in order to be with one
included. person.
with a budget Having said that, these are my top
of 200€: choices for a day well spent on San
Dinner under Valentín in Madrid. First up, the Retiro:
the canopy perfect for the empty wallet, weather
of botanical trees permitting. The Retiro not only
in Atocha train benefits from gorgeous scenery, but
station. Wine, also the paddleboats. Nothing screams
good food and romcom movie more than a day in
great ambiance. paddleboats. Seal the deal by bringing

delicious snacks and if you must,
flowers. A tip regarding flowers: more
is not always better. The best flower I
ever received was plucked fresh from
the crevasse of two pieces of cement
along a sidewalk. If you desire to
purchase your flowers, the famous
flower market of Tirso de Molina
is the perfect place. Not only will
you find variety (with perhaps eight
different sellers) you will also find
the freshest flowers around. Another
enticing option for those of you who
are of the nerdy variety – there is a
great museum pass that allows you
entry into the all three of Madrid’s
greats (Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen)
for a reduced price. If the thought of
dredging through miles of artwork
doesn’t whet your appetite, then there
is always a great day trip outside
Madrid. One of my favourite day trips
and only 20 minutes away, Segovia.
Not only is it beautiful, but the people
are friendly and in the shadow of
the ancient Roman aqueduct lies the
perfect place for romance. Add in the
fact that the train ticket will only put
you out 15€, and you’ve got a great
day on your hands.
No Valentine’s Day could be complete
Valentine's Day 2010
without food! If you prefer to go out
rather than brave the mighty stove
then there is a hidden gem in the
Atocha train station. This delightful
restaurant sits above the Atocha
botanical garden and under this canopy
of lush trees you can find the perfect
unique site for a romantic dinner.
Feeling brave? Nothing is better than
a home-prepared meal, so roll up your tonteando, you can
sleeves and give it a shot, you just
might surprise yourself.
I
A boy’s opinion ’s February.
Girls are
cooing like
the slowly
returning spring
birds as they walk
dreamily past
window displays of offered in several
chocolate boxes and lavender-scented
gift baskets, eyes are rolling in the
heads of men as they stare regretfully
at soon to be empty bank accounts,
and lonely singles are stifling sniffles
between sorrow drowning gulps of
cheap wine. The city’s littered with
pastels and flower petals, and the
urge to punch that table hovering,
rose offering, blinky-light sunglasses
vendor for his unwanted interruption
to your weekend tapas tranquility has
reached its breaking point.
And for me, well, with nails scratching
backward trenches through the dirt,
the black hole of Valentine’s Day
sucking me deeper into the cheesy
pit of pink hearts and teddy bears,
all manners of manliness fly out the
window as I try putting pencil to
paper. Honestly, I can’t help but curse
those bastards over at Hallmark for
shoveling this corporate-induced
holiday down my protesting throat.
But is it really as bad here as it is back Or how about a
home?
Well, as far as I can tell, Valentine’s
Day in Madrid is really much like
anywhere else in the world – it’s just
the people that make it different. And
where exactly does this difference lie?
Well, does the term “PDA” mean much yet, well, here’s
to you? No? Okay then. Allow me to
reminisce.
It's a Friday night in February. Stuck
in limbo somewhere underground –
my last ride of yet another week of
countless hours logged tunneling
down the teacher’s rabbit hole.
Weekend freedom just stops away, I
lean against the door to balance myself ranging in prices.
with the rocking rumble of the metro
car. Rush hour over, I share space
with a litter of silent Spaniards - all
yawning, checking watches, antsy and
eager as myself to head home and
forget about real world responsibilities
for 48 hours or so. People watch
me and stare as always, the obvious
foreigner, dartingly averting eye
contact when I catch their gaze.
It was great having blond hair before
the Madrid metro entered my life.
Anyway.
The car screeches to a halt as the
cautionary intercom lady’s voice
warns us all of the eminent danger
of catching feet in the gap. “Al salir,
tengan cuidado para no introducir el pié
entre coche y anden...” A young couple
enter, holding hands, and before the
doors even begin closing, lock into a
passionate embrace. Public displays of at the century old
affection (or PDA) yet another aspect
of culture shock I’ve yet to shake.
Get a damn room already. That’s the
price you pay I guess for failing to
Girls vs. Boys
boys WORDS by
Matt Johnson
cut that parental household umbilical
Gifts: For a Guy chord before the age of thirty – instead
of inconveniencing Mom and Dad
in Madrid with your romantic exploits, we the
public passengers fall subject to your
Whether shameless groping. I try not to watch.
you’re low
on cash or Pet peeves vexing, I curse my dead
just iPod as the sticky smack of wet tongue
wrestling reminds me that, Oh yeah
still make it a day to – tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day. I close
remember. Head over my eyes and let out an exhausted
to Xanadu, Madrid’s sigh, silently wishing that the teleport
very own indoor ski machine would go ahead and get itself
slope catering to all invented already. Rumbling down the
skill levels as one idea tunnel still, the car gives a sudden
(madridxanadu.com). lurch around a bend and the couple,
Want something a bit hands wandering in eager exploration,
more relaxed? Wine take a tumble backwards, pinning me
tasting classes are to the door. Annoyed, I give a light
shoulder shove to dislodge the guy’s
locations throughout heel from my foot, and they’re back at
the city with the it. Atencion! Estacion en curva…
average price around
30€ per person. Three stops to go. Please please please
just let this be over. Barrelling through
the blackness, the train gives another
sharp shift. Once again, six pair of
feet and a sandwich of bodies against
the door. I push a little harder. They
continue eating each other’s faces.
I feel my own getting hot. Another
lurch, another bump, another push. I’ve
Sticking been on the metro for so many hours
with the this week, after being coughed on and
snow thing, jostled and stared at and assaulted
take a bus by the musk of countless shower
out the mountains neglectors, my head’s about to explode.
and go skiing or I should have been rounding third on
snowboarding for a this celebratory home run trot but
day with everything instead I’m being used as a wall prop
included for around 40 for the raging hormones of two horny
bucks per person. lovebirds. I may as well be getting
Check out humped by an army of red-rocketing
valdesqui.es Rottweilers.
for more info.
One stop away now, the train turns
football match? sharp to the right, forcing the couple
Tickets can to slam backwards, trapping me yet
be purchased again. I throw another shoulder, harder
online and still. They don’t move. I lean into it
prices vary, but a little more and try again. Nothing.
if you haven’t Their weight now completely resting
been to a game on me - the stupid American human
wall - I cock back an elbow and jab
your excuse. it hard into an as of yet unbruised
kidney. Startled from his dry humping
Why not get the guy’s head snaps around, noticing
your hands me for the first time – his eyebrows
dirty and a V of anger and his lips flapping out
learn some lisps of threatening protests. I smirk
Spanish cooking skills? in passing, just in time to exit as the
There are multiple pearly gates of Friday night freedom
courses in Madrid open wide, welcoming me to weekend
paradise. Happy Valentine’s Day,
Here’s a link to one asshole! If I only knew then how to say
of the cheaper ones: this in Spanish…
spainchef.com.
Thinking Alright, so maybe that was all I can
further really recall from last year’s go ‘round,
outside and maybe also at this point you’re
the box wondering, “Why the bitterness? Why
but be such a Valentine Scrooge?” Well,
along the single or not single, I can’t really
lines of help but feel that we’ve let ourselves
learning, be duped into falling for the trap. A
book a Hallmark holiday back home, a Corte
weekend Inglés fiesta in Spain, don’t we have
rock enough opportunities to celebrate our
climbing significant others without the greeting
lesson cards and knickknacks?
in or
around Manzanares el Anyway, since Valentine’s Day is here
Real (lapedriza.info/ and I, like many, will participate, let’s
or todovertical.com/ flip this holiday on its ear for a minute
home) and spend a and take a different angle to freshen
night in the mountains things up. Normally more of a guy-
buys-girl-gifts type of affair, what can
refugio (todovertical. you ladies do to convert your man into
com/refugioginer/ a Valentine’s believer? Well, check out
index.htm) for just 9€ the gift ideas on the left (divided by
a night! budget) to get on the right track.
February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 23
 books
WORDS by
Peter Moore
It was love at first sight, a flechazo, for Peter Moore and these five
amorous tales. But what do they have in common? Is there a formula for
a great love story?
f all of the complicated
things that we have to
contend with as mature
human beings – tax
returns, plumbing and
Méndez Álvaro bus
station being examples – there is
still little that troubles us quite as
much as love.
Love is life’s great enigma. We can’t
decide whether it is an emotion
or an ideology. It is impossible to
predict when it will come or when
it will go. It can be boundless,
dangerous, tragic, blissful,
complicated or unrequited. And in
an attempt to comprehend what
we will probably never understand,
we’ve spent much of the last few
thousand years composing songs,
penning sonnets, drawing pictures
and writing books. All of them
about love, many of them written –
for some reason or other – while sat
under a tree.
But what makes a good love story?
What key traits are shared by
those books that lie at the heart of
romantic literature?
Well first of all, of course, a good
love story requires an equal
measure of pain and suffering.
Romeo and Juliet, those ‘star-cross’d
lovers’ are a perfect example of this:
a couple who lived together only in
their imaginations, any chance they
had of blissful tranquillity dashed
24 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10
Valentine's Day 2010
by the feud between their families.
Romeo and Juliet are perhaps our
most celebrated lovers, and it is
telling that their story ends not with
them happily fastened together for
evermore but with them both dead
on the floor.
Pain, then, is love’s ever-present
partner. And in many of the great
works of literature the two appear
together: in Rebecca by Daphne du
Maurier, Jane Eyre by Charlotte
Brontë or The English Patient by
Michael Ondaatje.
It is the job of one of literature’s
archetypal characters, the White
Knight, to ensure that love stories
are not all about suffering. Also
known as a Knight in Shining
Armour or a Knight Errant, such
a character is another useful
ingredient in a successful work of
romantic literature.
I’m assuming that you know, but
for any of you that don’t the White
Knight is a heroic character who
usually appears in the final third
of a love story, before sweeping a
miserable female off her feet then
charging away triumphantly with
her, off into the sun.
Of these White Knights, none
are more famous or popular than
Mr. Darcy, who appeared in Jane
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Stiff,
awkward and obsessed with form
Five Love Stories
for a February Flechazo
1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. The English Patient
4. Lady Chatterley’s Lover
(don’t take on the metro)
5. High Fidelity
and principles, Mr. Darcy was an
odd kind of White Knight who
first of all appeared cold, heartless
and aloof, but later transpired to
be something else entirely. His
character has been an enduring
success, to the extent that a century
on Hugh Grant has fashioned an
entire career out of reprising the
role, over and over and over again
(except, curiously enough, where he
was trumped by the even ‘Darcier’
Colin Firth in Helen Fielding’s
Bridget Jones’ Diary revival of
Austen’s take on the White Knight).
Next, and certainly not to be
forgotten, is sex and scandal. These
were the two things that readers
were in search of in 1960 when they
queued around the block in London
to buy a copy of D. H. Lawrence’s
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, a book that
had been banned for more than 30
years for it gratuitous sexual scenes
and shocking use of language. These
characteristics, however, were the
making of the book and nowadays
Lawrence’s book is considered
one of the finest love stories ever
with the sexual scenes enlivening
the pages like electricity ripping
along a wire. His story charted the
magnetic, irresistible but dangerous
attraction between Lady Chatterley
and Oliver Mellors, her gamekeeper.
The love between the two was so
alluring to the reader because it was
forbidden.
So that’s it for my brief overview.
A successful love story is pain and
tragedy and triumph and sex and
scandal. The only thing that is
missing, if you want to have a stab
at writing one of your own, is an
incompetent man, oblivious to what
is going on around him and doing
absolutely everything that he can
to make the story as awkward as
possible. And if you want to read a
fine example of this, then I suggest
that you go and read High Fidelity by
Nick Hornby.
It’s staple material for women
trying to understand men, and one
of my favourites.

The Beige
Brigade
Helen Macrae investigates the curious phenomenon of this sum:
posh madrileños + winter = beige
I
’ve always thought that describing
the weather in Madrid as, “Nueve
meses de invierno, tres meses de
infierno” was a more than a little
harsh. Sure, it can get pretty
sizzling here in the summer
months, but for a native of that
distinctly moist land we call Britain
where the summer lasts all of, oh…a
day (I think it’s the second Thursday
in August, or thereabouts), I find
being able to walk around in flip-flops
and short sleeves without catching
frostbite something of a novelty.
Likewise, the temperatures nowadays
in spring and autumn are reasonably
mild and the rain fairly infrequent,
which is lucky as a Spaniard with an
umbrella is something to be braved at
your own peril. Yet despite my naïve
British mates thinking Spain is some
year-round sun-and-sangria-drenched
paradise, there is definitely a winter in
Madrid. How do you know when it’s
arrived? Is it the drop in temperature
and resulting scrabble in the back of
the wardrobe for those long-forgotten
mittens and scarf? The trees in the
Retiro shrugging off their leaves and
stretching out their branches like bony
fingers clutching at the sky? Or perhaps
the giveaway this year was when all
that snow unexpectedly fell from the
heavens at Christmas and turned the
city into a winter wonderland? No, the
official start of winter is, for me, the
first day after the summer I spot a child
dressed entirely in beige.
When I arrived in Madrid one January
with my good friend H, we were
immediately struck by the amount
of beige we saw on a daily basis. It
was everywhere! We ran into it on
the streets, in our classes, on the
metro, in the bars. The variety of
shapes and forms it came in was
mindboggling: beige coats, beige
trousers, beige handbags, beige hats,
beige gloves, beige scarves, beige
shoes, beige socks…there were even
beige dogs. We devised a mindless
but rather entertaining game where
the first person to spot something
beige and shout, “Beige!” got a point,
but we stopped when we realized the
Spanish word is rather similar (errr…
it’s “beige” in case you didn’t know
already. Both languages directly lift
it from French, from which the word
originates. Whoops!).
As the year marched on and winter
turned into spring and then summer,
the beige started to disappear. At first
I had thought it was because I was
becoming assimilated into Spanish
culture and had stopped noticing it.
culture
WORDS by
Helen Macrae
But (alas!) I was mistaken, for the
minute it started to turn cold again,
out came the beige. I truly believe
there is, in fact, a direct correlation
between the outside temperature and
the percentage of people wearing
beige. Perhaps someone should do a
study on it and measure things and
work out a formula. Or something. Of
course, I’m aware that people do wear
other colours too, so before you start
pointing out all the black and blue
and grey and other shades generally
sported in the winter (incidentally, why
do we feel the need to wear depressing
colours when it gets cold? Surely we
should be wearing stuff that’s as bright
as possible to cheer ourselves up?
Like red, or orange, or yellow. People
should wear more yellow in winter.
And turquoise. And pink!) I’ll hold my
hands up and say Madrid is not a one-
colour city. But there’s still a hell of
a lot of beige out there, together with
its variants, such as cream (summer
beige) and gold (weekend beige). For
some madrileños, it seems that beige is
not just a colour: it’s a way of life.
At this point, let’s examine just exactly
what beige is. Wikipedia defines it as
“A very pale yellowish-cream colour”,
although “Beginning in the 1920s, the
meaning of the term beige expanded to
the point where it is now also used for
a wide range of pale brown shades”.
Imagine my horror as I scroll down
to find all manner of ghastly names
and tones of my most-hated colour.
Ecru. Buff. Tan. Khaki. Desert Sand.
French Beige. Mode Beige. And, most
ridiculous of all, Cosmic Latte (?!).
What do all of these shades have in
common? They’re all ruuuuuubbish!
And can someone please explain why
beige is so bloody popular here? Were
those horrid long winter overcoats
standard issue during the dictatorship?
Or instead of the Masonic handshake,
is wearing beige some sort of secret
code used by pijos to identify their
own kind? Luckily, the beige look
seems to be favoured by the slightly
older generation, so with any luck its
popularity will wane with the passing
of the years, although I frequently see
poor unsuspecting children trussed
up in beige against their will. When
this happens I have to fight the urge to
run over, give them a big hug and tell
them everything will be all right.
It won’t surprise to you then, dear
reader, when I admit that I haven’t
embraced the beige yet (forgetting
a dodgy period in my youth with a
certain corduroy jacket, but I prefer
not to talk about that). I don’t own
anything beige-coloured as I don’t
think it suits me, plus I actually find
the word offensive: a good example
of onomatopoeia where it sounds
just as dull as the actual colour. Also,
We devised according to Wikipedia “Used as slang,
a mindless to say something is beige means being
but rather boring or dull”. Hear hear! Sadly, not
entertaining everyone feels the same way, and
horror of horrors, beige made an
game where the appearance on the catwalks in 2009,
first person to which means it will be around in 2010.
spot something “Beige doesn’t have to be boring”
beige and simpered the fashionistas. I’m afraid
I heartily disagree. Perhaps it’s just
shout, “Beige!” a matter of time though: the longer I
got a point, but spend in Spain and the older I get, the
we stopped more inevitable it is that I’ll eventually
when we succumb to the beige. I’ll know I’m
properly Hispanicized when I can eat
realized the pipas, make a drink last all night and
Spanish word is skip down the street in winter clad top-
rather similar to-toe in beige.
February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 25
 IS OPEN
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 celebrileños
WORDS by

RafaelBenítez
Martin Quinn

Martin Quinn profiles Rafael Benítez, a man who wrestled La Liga away from the Santiago
Bernabéu and the Camp Nou on two occasions, took the European Champions Cup to Anfield
for the first time in 21 years and even changed footballing culture by luring a host of top class,
traditionally loath-to-travel, Spanish players to England.

G
od help poor Rafa. He’s the
man of the moment - for all
the wrong reasons. They’re
cracking open the cham-
pagne over the other end
of Merseyside at Everton
and down the motorway in Manchester
due to Liverpool’s less-than-impressive
season. In fairness though, they’re up
against it with a resurgent Aston Villa
under Martin O’Neill, a man that would
probably have the Afghan War wrapped
up in a year for whichever side he was in
charge of. Then you’ve got big spenders
Man City, under the charge of a bunch
of money-crazed businessmen who can
outbid anybody that looks sideways at
them on the transfer market. And you’ve
the more modest but hardworking
Birmingham, with Alex McLeish at the
helm, who’ve had a decent season so far.
So in my book, the man’s got excuses.
You can’t expect to be at the top of the
Premiership every year, can you? But
when you’re in charge of a club that
expects to be at the top every year, then
you’re expected to ensure that. He’s been
successful in the past with Liverpool
and before in Spain so who is the man
himself?
Rafael Benítez, the son of a divided fam-
ily (Padre-Atlético, Madre-Real), had an
unfortunate playing career. He served
his time at Real Madrid, playing for
their reserves and then lower-division
sides Parla and Linares. However, he was
forced to retire through injury at 26. He
then returned to Real Madrid and put
his Physical Education degree to good
use as a coach, moving up the ranks.
He successfully coached the Juniors,
the Under-19s and the reserve side Real
Madrid Castilla. He ventured out of the
Real fold, managing both Valladolid and
Osasuna in unsuccessful spells before
leading Extremadura to promotion to
the Premier Division. After they were
relegated the next season, he took a year
out for study before taking the helm of
Second Division Tenerife, again leading
them to promotion.
It’s Rafa’s time at Valencia that will
stand as testimony to the man’s ability
as a manager. At a time when Deportivo
La Coruña had also come through as
a major force, he led Valencia to two
La Liga crowns, a UEFA Cup and some
decent Champions League runs. The
Spanish League can get a bit dull, what
with Barça winning it most of the time
recently and Real whenever they let
their manager do his job. He’s prob-
ably finding England more interesting
for this reason now that there are six
or seven battling it out in the mixer.
Valencia broke the mould and are now
an established force in Spanish and
European football and Rafa’s influence
can certainly be pointed to as a major
reason for this.
As always, the politics of football had
its effect. Nobody really knows who
directs what behind the scenes of a club
and who has the final say over things
like signings. Benítez’ time at Valencia
would come to an end for this reason.
Not getting the players he had ear-
marked, he fell out with the Director of
Football and remarked that he had asked
for a table and was bought a lampshade.
And so he moved to Liverpool and the
rest is history. Champions Leagues,
FA Cups, fall outs with the colourful
managers of the Premiership, in favour
with the fans, out of it again and back in
again. And 20 years without the league
title - the bit that really hits the Scousers
hard. A title that Reds fans feel they
own but was cruelly pulled away from
Merseyside by Man Utd and Arsenal’s
rise from the ashes in the 1990s and
Chelsea’s unruly cash-laden barge to the
top. I’ve heard people say that Rafa only
cares about Europe and this is some-
thing he’s had to think about. He almost
succeeded in winning the league last
season – that second place finish rubbing
in Liverpool’s agony at being equalled
by United with 18 league titles.
UEFA CUP victory 2004
Champions League victory 2005
The kop in anfield
Rafael Benítez has put himself through
quite a bit of study in his time. He’s
well-qualified for the jobs he’s had, and
hard graft as part of Real’s framework
has paid off. He’s known for having
a ruthless streak when it comes to
management, famously demoting
goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek the season
after he saved Liverpool in the famous
Champions’ League penalty shootout.
He’s also become a member of the
exclusive Unhinged-Premiership-Man-
agers club, a group of gentlemen who
actually seem to be getting worse after
the king of controversy, José Mourhin-
ho, left for the quiet life at Inter Milan.
After Rafa’s infamous rant at Alex
Ferguson, where United’s off-pitch
squad were accused of ‘manmarking’
FA officials, Ferguson reckoned he
would need to read Sigmund Freud to
understand what he’d heard.
And it all comes back to that northern
rivalry with the Mancs. The very clear
threat of Liverpool being surpassed
by United this year with the magic
number 19 of League titles is in the
back of the Merseyside mind. They are
now practically helpless to prevent the
unspeakable, short of lying down in
front of the other league leaders, and
the manager is going to take the rap
if it all goes south (or to Manchester).
And so it goes with Rafa. This time
next season, some grateful top-flight
Spanish club should have him at the
helm and this season will all be a bad
memory.

And so he moved to Liverpool

and the rest is history.
Champions Leagues, FA Cups,
fall outs with the colourful
managers of the Premiership,
in favour with the fans, out
of it again and back in again.
February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 27

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Support Groups Useful Telephone

Numbers
Alcoholics Anonymous Madrid National information 11818 /
meeting. Daily meetings in English  11850 / 11828
Juan Bravo 40, Call 913091947 or International information 11825
visit website: www.madridaa.com Madrid tourism Centre: Plaza
Therapy Group Peter 936759276 or Mayor, 27 (bajo), 91 588 16 36 turismo@
Claudia 934177860 munimadrid.es Metro: Sol.
Lost and Found: Paseo del Molino, 7
Beauty, health and 91 527 95 90 Metro: Legazpi
Cancellation of credit cards
Fitness 90 0 971231 (free call)
Private and Semi Private Yoga Emergencies: 112
Classes Offered in English Private yoga National police: 091
classes offered to fit your busy schedule Municipal police: 092
and budget. I will come to your office or Complaints by phone: 90 210
home and guide you through a one hour 2112 / 91 548 8537 (Tourist and foreigner
energetic yoga practice in English. 30 Euros customer service dept)
ou nt
s

per person, discounts offered for 2 or more. Teletaxi: 91 371 2131 / 91 371 3711
nt
sc de

I have studied yoga for 5 years under several Barajas airport (T1, T2 & T3): 91
Di Stu

3 rd CORNER STORE | Plaza del Carmen 3 top teachers in the United States and have 305 8343 T4: 90 240 4704 www.aena.es
28013 Madrid | Tel.: +34 - 915233396 instructed yoga privately Railway: 902 24 02 02 www.renfe.es
for 2 years. mvonlunen@gmail.com 24-HOUR PHARMACIES
Aerobics club Cheryl 677244074 C/Conde de Peñalver, 27.
info@7starfitness.com Tel: 91 402 43 04 Metro: Goya-Lista.
Personal Trainer www.davidhughes.es C/Ferraz, 13 Tel: 91 547 05 72.
Tel: 662164877 Metro: Ventura Rodríguez.
Hair and Make up artist Shimanda C/ Goya, 89 Tel: 91 435 49 58.
914457149/699362500 Shimanda11@ Metro: Goya.
hotmail.co.uk C/ Mayor, 59 Tel: 91 559 23 95.
US Psychotherapist David Hugener Metro: Sol.
915942208 C/ Atocha, 46 Tel: 91 369 20 00.
Mobile Hairdresser Sally 918425443 Metro: Atocha.

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Alonso Martínez OISE (Academia de
Tel: 91 415 8197 Areia
Email: clinicaplazaprosperidad@yahoo.es Concha Espina Metropolitano Rubén Darío Español)
www.clinicadentalplazaprosperidad.com
Blood Brothers N.Y.U. St. Louis University State University
British Council Suffolk University of New York Tribunal
British Embassy Cuzco Syracuse University
Club Ivy Mercado Fuencarral
Larry’s Bar Moncloa The Causeway Moore’s
Warner American Store University of Boston
Antón Martín Triskel Tavern
European Vibe Office
Hotel Tryp Atocha Public House San
Inti de Oro Diego de León Bernardo Tirso de
Bo Finn Noviciado ¡Juan Por Dios! Molina
J & J Books and Coffee Wall Street Cat’s Hostel
Argüelles Esperanza Kabokla Mad Hostel
Always School of English Sony BMG Scruffy Murphy’s Santiago
Orange Café Bernabéu
Finbar’s Francos Universidad
Núñez de Monks
Icade University Rodríguez Balboa EBC Autónoma
Universidad Antonio St. George’s Church Guts Cantoblanco
Banco de de Nebrija USA Embassy Irish Rover Vicios y Placeres
España
James Joyce Goya Ópera Sevilla Velázquez
Tandem Casa del Libro Academia Contacto Al Natural English Centre
Hostel in Madrid 50 meters Todo Españo Bangkok Babylon Idiomas
Callao Gran Vía Grab Vía
Sto. Domingo Thamesis
Aeropuerto
Gran
Vía
Beer Station Cubik Univ. Rey Juan Carlos
from Puerta del Sol Plaza de Teatro T1-T2-T3 Gran Vía Café Madrid Tony’s Café
Pre

Oriente Real
ra

Barajas Information Carpe Diem Interpublic

cia

Ernie’s Station
nte

C/Carretas, 13
do

Sevilla
Ventura
Mo
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Palacio Opera lá
Alca
Real Calle
Aren Sol Calle
Eureka Internet Center
91 531 26 26 Rodríguez
al

Bilbao
Sol
Catedral de
Calle Ma
yor
C arrera de S
an Jeró
nimo Gregorio Hostal Oriente Inti de Oro
Calle Carretas

Ntra. Sra.
Las Mil y Una Noches
info@hostalelpilar.net La Musa Marañón Idiomas Plus Miau
de la
Almudena HOSTAL
Plaza EL PILAR
Mayor
LSI Madrid Booksellers Los Amigos- Regina Shamrocks Irish Bar

February ’10 www.europeanvibe.com 29

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30 www.europeanvibe.com February ’10