Finally, the day is near. It has been long overdue for a team that have left all others in their wake in La Liga, and were seemingly champions elect by Christmas, but FC Barcelona have still yet to officially win their long-awaited title. A Lionel Messi-inspired 4-2 win against Real Betis at the weekend leaves his side just two points from the prize, which could be secured on Wednesday if Real Madrid fail to win at home against Málaga or at the weekend, when Tito Vilanova’s men travel to Atlético Madrid. Last season, Barcelona lost the liga crown they had held for three consecutive years to José Mourinho’s team and as the curtain was raised in August with the league opener – the … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barcelona close in on long-awaited title
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Tales for Tapas: Food for thought
It’s a tonic not just for the hospitality sector but for the country as a whole that El Celler de Can Roca in Girona has been named the world’s best restaurant. Nice too that Can Roca, which specialises in culinary experimentation (desserts that smell of recognisable perfumes, for example) is run by three brothers. When Joan Roca, head chef and oldest of the three, was asked at the award ceremony in London on Monday to identify the restaurant’s winning ingredients he cited hard work and the help of two extraordinary siblings. The latest generation in a family of restaurateurs, the Roca brothers inherited skills and enthusiasm rather than boundless start-up capital from their parents … [Read more...] about Tales for Tapas: Food for thought
Rajoy’s problems aren’t what they used to be
At the end of last year, I spoke to several political analysts about the year ahead, for Iberosphere’s preview of Spain in 2013. One of the questions I asked them was about how safe Mariano Rajoy’s political position was. The experts were fairly unanimous: the prime minister may be under pressure due to the economic crisis, but he has a congressional majority and he’s safe, at least until the next general election, expected in 2015. A few months on, things look slightly different. In January the Bárcenas corruption scandal exploded, the biggest of its kind in recent Spanish history. Its substantial allegations taint the governing Partido Popular (PP), several of its senior figures and … [Read more...] about Rajoy’s problems aren’t what they used to be
La Liga: Real Sociedad stake Champions League claim
Currently without a permanent president after Manuel Llorente’s tearful resignation earlier in the month; without their new stadium which has been years in the making due to the club’s financial problems; and possibly without a manager as Ernesto Valverde is stalling over committing his future to the club - Valencia could also be without Champions League football next season. Heading into the weekend clash at Real Sociedad – their direct rivals for a coveted spot in Europe’s premier competition – Los Che’s manager led a rallying call, billing the game the most important since he took charge of the club. "This is the closest game we've had to a final until now," he said. "Real … [Read more...] about La Liga: Real Sociedad stake Champions League claim
Tales for Tapas: Reform and recovery
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned last week that Spain shouldn’t pour its energies exclusively into cutting expenditure but should also focus on economic restructuring. This must have been galling for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who has, even his harshest critics would grudgingly acknowledge, maintained a commitment not only to reducing the deficit but to introducing accompanying reforms designed to generate growth and boost employment. The figures show that the deficit isn’t going down and employment isn’t going up, so while Mr Rajoy’s commitment may not be in question, his delivery certainly is. He, of course, argues that these things take time – something with … [Read more...] about Tales for Tapas: Reform and recovery
Nazis?
But Fascism is also a political and economic system. Why, then, cannot we have a clear and generally accepted definition of it? Alas! we shall not get one – not yet, anyway … All one can do for the moment is to use the word with a certain amount of circumspection and not, as is usually done, degrade it to the level of a swearword. (George Orwell ‘What is Fascism?’) Godwin’s Law, a kind of internet update of Orwell’s own theory, states: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.” I was reminded of this recently as the increasingly hysterical debate over anti-eviction protests, or escraches, has raged. In particular, the … [Read more...] about Nazis?
Valencia cooks up controversy with “bread war”
They call it the “bread war” and amid all the dramas of Spain’s economic crisis, it seems at first sight like little more than a novelty. But the decision taken by a Valencia bakery to slash the price of its loaves of bread is the cause of celebration for some and bitter recrimination for others. José Navarro is the local baker-cum-businessman who is behind the venture. He now has nine bakeries carrying his surname that offer a regular, fresh loaf of bread for just 20 euro cents each. With many of Navarro’s competitors selling at between 80 cents and one euro per loaf, his nine bakeries across the Valencia region draw long queues each morning that stretch out onto the street. In … [Read more...] about Valencia cooks up controversy with “bread war”
La Liga: Barça and Real Madrid warm up for European showdowns
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid won at the weekend, the Catalans scoring a solitary goal at home to defeat Levante, while at the Santiago Bernabéu the hosts put three past Real Betis. Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi – who missed the match through injury – got on the scoresheet. Both sides barely got out of first gear and no one seemed to care because in truth, Jornada 32 for the big two was merely a formality. The 2012/13 La Liga season, which doesn’t end until June, was effectively won by the New Year as champions-elect FC Barcelona opened up a huge gap at the top. Madrid meanwhile, have spent most of the season in third place and only recently overtook city rivals Atlético … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça and Real Madrid warm up for European showdowns
Beyond their ken?
"To a herd of rams, the ram the herdsman drives each evening into a special enclosure to feed and that becomes twice as fat as the others must seem to be a genius. And it must appear an astonishing conjunction of genius with a whole series of extraordinary chances that this ram, who instead of getting into the general fold every evening goes into a special enclosure where there are oats- that this very ram, swelling with fat, is killed for meat". - Tolstoy, ‘War & Peace’. After so many false dawns, the recent announcement by Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy that the government was revising down its 2013 economic forecast hardly caused a blink among a citizenry that is now … [Read more...] about Beyond their ken?
Tales for Tapas: The price of asparagus
With comets illuminating the night sky above Madrid, and thousands gathering in the Puerta del Sol to demand the restoration of the Republic, with political parties and big business spectacularly mired in corruption and Isabel Pantoja collapsing in court – it’s not entirely surprising that coverage of Spain’s asparagus harvest has been relatively low-key. But readers may have noticed that the cost of asparagus spiked recently. This was because heavy rain in Granada province, where about 80 percent of Spanish asparagus comes from, destroyed almost a fifth of the crop in the first quarter of the year, and the shortage sent prices through the roof. Interestingly (if you look at things in … [Read more...] about Tales for Tapas: The price of asparagus