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This is the first in a series of five English Spanish Parallel Texts with Spanish audio about Spanish city Barcelona in Cataluña. Barcelona is an amazing Spanish city in so many ways and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain. Barcelona has everything really that you could wish for in a tourist destination: close proximity to the coast with beautiful beaches, great restaurants and bars, good weather (though not as hot as you might think), a hustling and bustling modern city, culture, art, history, etc, etc. Parallel Texts are a fantastic way to practice your Spanish. You can listen to my Spanish audio and see how much you understand and then after one of two listens you can check first the Spanish text and afterwards the English text. Try to push yourself not to go straight for the easy option of listening and reading and especially try not to concentrate too heavily on the English translation. Remember that you cannot always translate everything literally and you have to go with the flow of the Spanish version primarily. We have already looked at lots more other Spanish cities in this English Spanish Parallel Texts Course so far and all of the lessons are available completely FREE on the website.

Parallel Texts Barcelona Parte 1 Introducción

In Spanish:

Barcelona es la segunda ciudad más grande de España, por detrás de Madrid y es la capital de la Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña. Está situada en el noreste de España en la costa mediterránea entre las desembocaduras de los ríos Llobregat y Besos y está limitada al oeste por la “Serra de Collserola”. Como capital de Cataluña, Barcelona es donde se encuentra la sede del gobierno catalán.

España es una monarquía parlamentaria, organizada en comunidades autónomas. La “Generalitat de Catalunya” es la entidad política autónoma de Cataluña. La autonomía política de Cataluña dentro del Estado español es una larga tradición que se remonta a la Edad Media en forma de institución medieval que gobernó el Principado de Cataluña (“La Diputación General de Catalunya”). La primera moderna “Generalitat” se instaló durante el período de la II República Española, en 1931, y fue restaurada como resultado de la transición a la democracia. Estatuto de Autonomía de Cataluña es la ley fundamental institucional de la región, la definición de los derechos y deberes de los ciudadanos de Cataluña, sus instituciones políticas, sus competencias y sus relaciones con el Estado español, así como las finanzas de la “Generalitat”.

Barcelona es un relevante destino turístico y un importante centro cultural con un rico patrimonio cultural. Especialmente célebres son las obras arquitectónicas de Antoni Gaudí y Lluís Domènech Montaner, que han sido designadas Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO. La ciudad es bien conocida en los últimos tiempos por los Juegos Olímpicos de 1992 y es la ubicación de la sede de la Unión por el Mediterráneo. Es un importante centro económico, con uno de los principales puertos mediterráneos de Europa y un aeropuerto internacional que es el segundo más grande de España después del de Madrid-Barajas.

In English:

Barcelona is the second biggest city in Spain, behind Madrid and is the capital city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. It is located in the north east of Spain on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers “Llobregat” and “Besòs” and is bounded to the west by the “Serra de Collserola” ridge. As the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is home to the seat of the Catalan government.

Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, organised into autonomous communities. The “Generalitat de Catalunya” is the autonomous political institution of Catalonia. The political autonomy of Catalonia within the Spanish State is a long-standing tradition dating back to the Middle Ages in the form of the mediaeval institution which ruled the Principality of Catalonia (“La Diputación General de Catalunya”). The first modern “Generalitat” was installed during the period of the second Spanish Republic, in 1931, and restored as a result of the transition to democracy. Catalonia’s Statute of Autonomy is the fundamental institutional law of the region, defining the rights and duties of the citizens of Catalonia, its political institutions, their powers, and their relations with the Spanish State, as well as the finances of the “Generalitat”.

Barcelona is a major tourist destination and an important cultural centre with a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is well known in recent times for the 1992 Summer Olympics and is the location of the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean. It is a major economic centre with one of Europe’s principal Mediterranean ports and an International Airport that is the second largest in Spain after Madrid-Barajas Airport.

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Click here to read all about the life and movie career of Javier Bardem

Click here to read more about Javier Bardem film Mar adentro

Spanish actor Javier Bardem became the first Spanish actor to receive an Academy Award nomination when he was nominated for Best Actor for “Before night falls” (losing out to Russell Crowe in Gladiator). Later in 2007 he became the first Spanish actor to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor in “No country for old men”.

Here you can watch Javier Bardem discussing awards, Javier Bardem interviews, Javier Bardem news and Javier Bardem movie trailers.

Javier Bardem best supporting actor:

Javier Bardem interview discussing role as next James Bond villain:

Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz:

Javier Bardem Spanish interview discussing Biutiful:

Javier Bardem English interview discussing Vicky Cristina Barcelona:

Javier Bardem No country for old men trailer:

Javier Bardem Goya’s ghosts trailer:

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Spanish actor Javier Bardem was born on March 1st 1969 and is the youngest member of a very famous family of Spanish actors. His mother, Pilar Bardem, is a Spanish film and television actress and she raised Javier alone. His grandparents were actors Rafael Bardem and Matilde Muñoz Sampedro and his uncle screenwriter and director Juan Antonio Bardem. Both his older brother and sister, Carlos and Mónica, are actors. Javier Bardem, Pilar Bardem, Mónica Bardem and Carlos Bardem often appear in one another’s films. The Bardem family also owns a restaurant in Madrid called La Bardemcilla which is managed by Mónica Bardem.

Javier Bardem acted in his first movie, “El Pícaro” (The Scoundrel) when he was only six years old and during his teenage years acted in several TV series (whilst also playing rugby for the Spanish national team). He started to make waves in 1992 with the Spanish movie “Jamon Jamon” and then got his breakthrough role in the 2000 movie “Before night falls”. Here he played the persecuted Cuban writer Reynaldo Arenas and received five Best Actor awards and a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal. Arenas battled censorship, imprisonment, AIDS and homosexual intolerance for the privilege to write freely, but committed suicide at the age of 47 in New York.

Javier Bardem became the first Spanish actor to receive an Academy Award nomination when he was nominated for Best Actor for “Before night falls” (losing out to Russell Crowe in Gladiator). Later in 2007 he became the first Spanish actor to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor in “No country for old men”. “No country for old men” was the film that brought Bardem international fame on a massive scale. Here he plays sociopathic assassin Anton Chigurh on the trail of Llewelyn Moss who is trying to deliver a fortune that is not his in 1980 West Texas. “No country for old men” is a crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, also starring Tommy Lee Jones and Bardem’s close friend Josh Brolin which won numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director.

After “No country for old men”, Javier Bardem went on to star in the 2008 Woody Allen romantic comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” alongside Penélope Cruz. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz began dating and eventually married in July 2010. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz actually met as far back as 1992 on the set of “Jamon Jamon” and worked together in “Live flesh” in 1997. They have always maintained a low public profile and refuse to talk about their private life to the press. On 14th September 2010, it was announced that Penélope Cruz was four and a half months pregnant with their first child. Leo Encinas Bardem was born on 22nd January 2011 at the Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California, three days before Bardem received his third Oscar nomination, for his role in Spanish language movie Biutiful. Biutiful is a drama film directed by Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu and Bardem lost out in the awards to Colin Firth for “The King’s Speech”.

Javier Bardem is to appear as the villain in the new James Bond movie “Skyfall”. Other notable Javier Bardem movies include Mar adentro, Love in the time of cholera, Collateral, and Goya’s ghosts.

Read more about Mar adentro here on The Spanish Blog

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Mar Adentro (Sea Inside) – 2004 – PG13 – Biography/Drama – 125 mins

“Mar Adentro” is the true story of Ramon Sampedro (Javier Bardem) who fought a 30 year campaign for the right to die. This Spanish movie was written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar and it won the 2004 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the 2004 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. It also scooped an impressive 14 Goya Awards including awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay. The film also stars Belén Rueda, Lolo Dueñas, Mabel Rivera and Celso Bugallo.

Ramon Sampedro, played by A-List Spanish actor Javier Bardem, is a Spanish ship mechanic who has an accident whilst driving and is left quadriplegic (completely paralysed). Mar Adentro follows his long campaign in support of euthanasia and the right to end his own life with dignity. The film principally explores Ramón’s relationships with Julia and Rosa. Julia, played by Spanish actress Belén Rueda, is a lawyer who suffers from Cadasil syndrome (a hereditary stroke disorder) and supports his desire to die and Rosa, played by Spanish actress Lolo Dueñas, is a local woman who tries to convince him that life is worth living. Despite his wish to die, Ramón teaches everyone he meets the meaning, value and preciousness of life and inspires others to accomplish things they never thought possible.

Writer and Director, Alejandro Amenábar, was born in Santiago, Chile, the son of a Spanish mother and a Chilean father. When he was 1 year old the Amenábar family moved to Spain and Alejandro grew up in Madrid. At the age of 19 he wrote, produced and directed his first film “La cabeza”. He made his name with his 1997 film “Open Your Eyes” which starred Penelope Cruz. This was a massive success in Spain and was later remade in Hollywood in 2001 by Cameron Crowe as “Vanilla Sky”, starring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz again and Cameron Diaz. Amenábar’s first English language film was the, also very successful, “The Others”, released in 2001, starring Nicole Kidman and Christopher Eccleston.

Watch the trailer:

Watch the movie:

Click here to watch the rest of the movie

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Manu Chao is a French solo artist who was born to Spanish parents on June 21, 1961. He sings in French, Spanish, Galician, English, Arabic, and Portuguese, often mixing several languages in the same song. With his brother Antoine Chao and some friends, he founded the band Mano Negra in 1987. He became a solo artist after its breakup in 1995. His debut solo album was called “Clandestino” (Virgin, 1998) and this was followed by “Próxima Estación: Esperanza” in 2001.

Manu Chao was born in Paris to Spanish parents: his mother from Bilbao in the Basque country and his father from Vilalba in Galicia. They emigrated to Paris to avoid Francisco Franco’s dictatorship —Manu Chao’s grandfather had been sentenced to death. Shortly after Manu Chao’s birth, the Chao family moved to the outlying suburbs of Paris, and Manu Chao spent most of his childhood in Boulogne-Billancourt and Sèvres. As he grew up he was surrounded by many artists and intellectuals, most of whom were acquaintances of his father. His music has many influences: punk, rock, French chanson, Iberoamerican salsa, reggae, ska, and Algerian raï. These influences were obtained from immigrants in France, his Iberian connections, and foremost his travels in Mesoamerica as a nomad following the disbanding of Mano Negra. Many of Manu Chao’s lyrics talk about immigration, love, living in ghettos and drugs, and often carry a left-wing message.

Though Manu Chao is quite well-known in Europe and Latin America, he has not had the same success in the English-speaking world. Tours in the United States with Mano Negra were not as successful as elsewhere and Manu Chao seems inclined to focus his efforts in the places where his musical style finds its roots. Though his live performances in the U.S. are exceedingly rare, Manu Chao played a handful of dates there in 2006, including a headlining show at Lollapalooza 2006 in Chicago. Two of his best known tracks are “Bongo bong” and “Me gustas tú”.

Watch some Manu Chao videos with lyrics:

Clandestino
Bienvenida A Tijuana
La Primavera / Me Gustas Tú
Mala Vida
Mi Vida

Get the albums:

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This is the fifth and final part in a series of Spanish to English city guides to León in north-west Spain. In this part we will look at Leonese cuisine. Spain is famous for its wonderful regional gastronomies and León doesn’t dissapoint. If you are lucky enough to travel around Spain you will see and taste for yourself just how different the styles of Spanish cooking are from one region to another. A lot of this has to do with the proximity to the sea or the amount of sunshine and rain, but Spanish people themselves are also quite distinct from region to region and they are all passionate about there own cooking traditions. In the south, for example, you will see a lot of Moorish influences in the food and Galician cuisine is predominantly based around the fruits of the sea. I have presented this guide to León in the form of Spanish English Parallel Texts with a Spanish audio so that you not only learn about Spain and its major cities you also practice your Spanish. Check your listening comprehension against the Spanish to English translation, pick up lots of new Spanish vocabulary and expressions and work on your Spanish pronunciation by trying to mimic how I talk. This lesson is part of the Spanish English Parallel Texts Course and all of the lessons in this course are available completely FREE.

Parallel Texts León Parte 5 Gastronomía

In Spanish:

La cocina leonesa abarca una gama muy amplia de platos diferentes. Hay claras influencias de las comunidades vecinas Asturias y Galicia e ingredientes de excelente calidad están a mano en todas las direcciones, del mar y de la tierra.

La cecina (carne de alta calidad curada) es un producto típico favorito de León y la carne local es fantástica. Las salchichas son muy populares, junto con el botillo (intestino de cerdo relleno de carne), los callos, hígado y pulmones en salsa negra, estofado de corazón, liebre con judías, cordero con patatas y morcilla. Los quesos también son deliciosos, como el queso Armada y el queso azul Valdeón. Otros platos que merecen la pena probar son las sopas de ajo locales, las Mantecadas (que son un dulce) y el Cocido Maragato (un guiso de carne con verduras y garbanzos). El Cocido Maragato es peculiar porque las carnes se sirven en primer lugar. Esta es una tradición que recuerda la forma en que las tropas españolas solían comer sus guisos en tiempos de guerra, comer primero lo mejor por si acaso se les llamara y no tuvieran tiempo de terminar la comida.

El mundo de las tapas en León es un elemento vital de la ciudad y, a diferencia de la mayoría de las ciudades españolas hoy en día, muchos bares dan tapas gratis al pedir una bebida. León es un lugar ideal para “tapear”, esto describe la actividad de ir de bar en bar tomando una tapa y una pequeña cerveza o vino en cada uno antes del almuerzo o como una cena ligera.

In English:

Leonese cuisine encompasses an extremely broad range of different dishes. There are clear influences from neighbouring Asturias and Galicia and top class ingredients are at hand in all directions, from the sea and from the land.

“La cecina” (high quality cured meat) is a typical León favourite and the local beef is fantastic. Sausages are popular, along with “El Botillo” (meat-stuffed pork intestine), tripe, liver and lungs in black sauce, heart stew, hare with beans, lamb with potatoes and “Morcilla” (black pudding). The cheeses are also wonderful, such as “Armada” cheese and “Valdeón” blue cheese. Other dishes worth a try include the local garlic soup, the dessert “Mantecadas” and “El Cocido Maragato” (a meat stew with vegetables and chickpeas). “El Cocido Maragato” is peculiar because the meats are served first. This is a tradition that remembers the way that Spanish troops used to eat their stews during wartime, eating the best bit first in case they were called away and didn’t have time to finish the meal.

The tapas scene in León is a vital element of the city and, unlike most of the Spanish cities now, many bars give their tapas away free when you purchase a drink. León is a great place to “Tapear” – this describes the activity of rambling from one bar to another taking a tapa and a small beer or wine in each just before lunch or as a light dinner.

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This is the fourth part in a series of five Spanish to English city guides to León in north-west Spain. In this part we will look at León’s language: Leonés. I have presented this guide to León in the form of Spanish English Parallel Texts with a Spanish audio so that you not only learn about Spain and its major cities you also practice your Spanish. Check your listening comprehension against the Spanish to English translation, pick up lots of new Spanish vocabulary and expressions and work on your Spanish pronunciation by trying to mimic how I talk. This lesson is part of the Spanish English Parallel Texts Course and all of the lessons in this course are available completely FREE.

Parallel Texts León Parte 4 El lenguaje leonés

In Spanish:

El idioma leonés se deriva directamente del latín y se remonta a la Edad Media. Fue el idioma oficial del Reino leonés y se hablaba en el territorio de las provincias españolas de León, Zamora y Salamanca y en algunas aldeas en el distrito de Bragança, Portugal. Pertenece al subgrupo de lenguas ibéricas leonesas o astur-leonesas y se parece al mirandés, hablado en el noreste de Portugal, y al bable asturiano.

Hoy en día raramente se oye hablar en leonés y es reconocido como un idioma en grave peligro por la UNESCO (Organización de las Naciones Unidad para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura). Sin embargo, hay esfuerzos para conseguir una mayor aceptación y campañas para su enseñanza. El gobierno de la provincia de León apoya el conocimiento de esta lengua con la repetida celebración de los “Días de Lengua Leonesa” y mediante el patrocinio de trabajos literarios en lengua leonesa.

En 2001 la Universidad de León creó un curso para profesores de lengua leonesa, y los gobiernos locales y provinciales desarrollaron cursos de leonés para adultos. Ahora la lengua leonesa puede ser estudiada en la mayoría de los pueblos importantes de León, Zamora y Salamanca. La asociación de docentes de lengua leonesa fue creada en 2008 para la promoción de actividades en el idioma leonés. Las clases de lengua leonesa se iniciaron en 2008 y se imparten en dieciséis escuelas de la ciudad de León desde el curso 2008-2009, promovidas por el Departamento de Educación del Gobierno Local Leonés.

In English:

The Leonese Language derives directly from Latin and dates back to the early Middle Ages. It was the official language of the Leonese Kingdom and was spoken in the territory of the Spanish provinces of León, Zamora, and Salamanca and in some villages in the District of Bragança, Portugal. It belongs to the Leonese or Astur-Leonese subgroup of Iberian languages and is close to Mirandese, as spoken in north eastern Portugal, and Asturian Bable.

Today Leonese is rarely heard and is recognised as a seriously endangered language by UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). However there are efforts for it to gain wider acceptance and campaigns for its teaching. The Province of León government supports the knowledge of this language by celebrating regular “Leonese Language Days” and by sponsoring literary efforts in the Leonese Language.

In 2001 the University of León created a course for Teachers of the Leonese language, and Local and Provincial Governments developed Leonese language courses for adults. Now the Leonese language can be studied in most important villages of Leon, Zamora and Salamanca. The “Leonese Language Teachers and Monitors Association” was created in 2008 for the promotion of Leonese language activities. Leonese language classes started in 2008 and were taught in sixteen schools in León city from 2008-2009, promoted by the Leonese Local Government’s Department for Education.

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This is the third part in a series of five Spanish to English city guides to León in north-west Spain. In this part we will look at León’s architecture; one of the city’s biggest attractions. I have presented this guide to León in the form of Spanish English Parallel Texts with a Spanish audio so that you not only learn about Spain and its major cities you also practice your Spanish. Check your listening comprehension against the Spanish to English translation, pick up lots of new Spanish vocabulary and expressions and work on your Spanish pronunciation by trying to mimic how I talk. This lesson is part of the Spanish English Parallel Texts Course and all of the lessons in this course are available completely FREE.

Parallel Texts León Parte 3 Arquitectura

In Spanish:

León cuenta con una maravillosa variedad de monumentos antiguos que datan de la época medieval junto a vanguardistas edificios modernos igual de impresionantes. Si estás interesado en la historia de la arquitectura seguro que no vas a aburrirte en León.

Los monumentos más significativos son la catedral gótica de estilo radiante con sus famosas vidrieras, la Basílica de San Isidoro, con las tumbas de los reyes de León y maravillosas pinturas románicas, y el antiguo monasterio de San Marcos. Todavía se pueden encontrar en el casco antiguo de la ciudad muchos indicios de la ocupación romana y una gran parte de la antigua muralla medieval. El Palacio de los Guzmanes es la sede del Parlamento provincial y contiene un impresionante patio, de Gil de Hontañón, y la Casa de Botines, que es un edificio de estilo neogótico y un excelente ejemplo de la arquitectura de Antoni Gaudí.

El vanguardista MUSAC (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de León) es un claro punto de referencia de la ciudad con su llamativa fachada con miles de grandes y multicolores vidrieras. Muy cerca se encuentra el Auditorio de León, construido por Mansilla y Tuñón, que es igualmente sorprendente con sus cubos blancos y ventanas en posición irregular. Otros lugares de interés incluyen la Universidad de León y la Plaza del Grano.

In English:

León has a wonderful array of old monuments dating back to medieval times that stand alongside equally impressive avant-garde modern buildings. If you are interested in architectural history you will certainly not be bored in León.

The most notable monuments are the gothic “Rayonnant” Cathedral, with its famous stained glass windows, the “Basilica de San Isidoro”, with its tombs of the Kings of León and wonderful Romanesque paintings, and the old monastery of San Marcos. Much evidence of Roman occupation and a large proportion of the old medieval wall can still be seen in the city’s old quarter. “Palacio de los Guzmanes” is the site of the provincial parliament and contains an impressive patio by Gil de Hontañón and “Casa de Botines” is a neogothic styled building and an excellent example of the architecture of Antoni Gaudí.

The avant-garde MUSAC (León’s contemporary art museum) is a definite landmark of the city with its bold façade of thousands of large multi-colored stained-glass panels. Nearby is the León Auditorium, by Mansilla and Tuñón, which is equally striking with its white cubes and irregularly set windows. Other places of interest include the “Universidad de León” and the “Plaza del Grano”.

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This lesson is part of the Advanced Spanish Course

In this Advanced Spanish lesson we will look more at “expresiones coloquiales de modo” – colloquial Spanish expressions of manner – such as “De pe a pa”, “De carrerilla”, “En un santiamén”, and “De oídas”. This is the final Spanish lesson in a series of four lessons on the topic. These are all very common Spanish expressions that are made up of a preposition with a noun phrase or a preposition with an adjective or a preposition with an adverb. These combinations all function like an adverb. As is often the case, these things often sound more complicated when explained in gramatical terms like this. When you have heard the examples a few times and practised using the expressions yourself you will see that they are really quite straightforward. They are certainly the type of Spanish expressions that you will hear every day in Spain so it is well worth trying to remember them and trying to get into the habit of using them in your own conversation or writing. I hope very much that you are enjoying this FREE Advanced Spanish Course. This is lesson 27 so far. Please click here to catch up on all the other lessons in the course.

Lesson notes:

Vamos a ver más locuciones adverbiales de modo que se usan mucho en español.

De pe a pa: todo
Leer un libro de pe a pa
Ejemplo: Ejemplo: “Me he leído el libro de pe a pa en un día”

De carrerilla: de memoria, sin reflexión
Aprenderse algo de carrerilla, por ejemplo las tablas de multiplicar
Ejemplo: “Se lo sabe de carrerilla”

En un santiamén: rápidamente
Hacer algo en un santiamén
Ejemplo: “Voy a limpiar la casa en un santiamén”

De oídas: vagamente
Conocer a alguien de oídas
Ejemplo: “Conozco a Carmen de oídas”

Sin ton ni son: sin motivo
Hacer algo sin ton ni son
Ejemplo: “Pedro habla sin ton ni son”.

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