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 The El Mediterraneo restaurant and tapas bar at Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur has been in operation since 2012 and claims to be the first Spanish restaurant in Kathmandu, and probably the only one thus far. The quaint little premise of the El Mediterraneo is right on the main road from Pulchowk to Sanepa and is a hub for Spanish food lovers, or anyone who wants to try new cuisines. The normal tapas menu at El Mediterraneo fea­tures Gazpacho, Patata Brava, Bomba Patata, Solomillo a la plancha and other Spanish delicacies while the main course has a wide range of pastas and rice dishes. (Don’t get intimidated by the names though, the menu at El Mediterraneo does have English translations and details of all the food items it serves.)

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Risotto

- Jamon Serrano Y Pan Con Tomate

- Grilled Prawns

Opening hours: 12:30 - 9 pm

Location: Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 2,500

Reservations: 01-5527059

The Weeping Banyan is an exhibition of 10 artworks by American Visual Artist Maureen Drdak, a Fulbright scholar pursuing her fellow­ship in Nepal. Seven of her artworks employ lapis lazuli (a gem) and palladium and blend them with graphite draw­ings. The other three employ a more complicated combi­nation of copper repousse metal integrated with paint­ing, ‘a material synthesis’ pioneered through her study with Master Rabindra Shakya of Patan.

At first, one could be bewil­dered trying to decipher the meaning behind the art­works. But on introspection, what appears to be a random stroke of brushes gradually make sense.

The exhibition is a “visual meditation on environmental degradation” inspired by a banyan tree Maureen saw in the nearby Kalikasthan. Con­strained from growing into its natural form, the tree’s roots became hanging appendage of tree mass. Maureen drew a parallel with Kathmandu’s development and its spite for nature. The result: the Weep­ing Banyan.

The exhibit at the Contem­porary Art Gallery, Taragaon Museum, runs through Feb 24.

1. Icy roads and deep snow made the two-day walk to Humde tough, but it added to the alpine spirit of the adventure.

2. Even when the participants got snowed out on their last day of climbing, organizers found other ways to keep the stoke high with other activities. Bishnu Tamang hangs from ice tools in a pull-up contest.

3. Saman Shrestha demonstrates a good stance as he cruises up his second ice climb.

4. Pasang Rinzee Sherpa checks out a route that Prem Gurung and his team, Anup Gurung and Vinayak Jaya Malla, established four years ago.

5. Rewat Tuladhar takes a swing at fresh ice.

6. IFMGA guide Prem Gurung coaches new ice climbers while advanced climbers explored the other lines Gurung and his team established nearby. Nima Samdup Gurung (left) learns to swing an ice tool.

Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record pro­ducer Damien Rice is all set to perform in Nepal, in what will surely be a luscious treat for his Nepali fans. Rice is an internationally recognized musician who began his musical career as a member of the 90s rock group Juniper. He began his solo career in 2002 with the release of his debut album ‘O’, which reached number 8 on the UK charts and won him many awards globally. With hits like “Cannon­ball,” “The Blower’s Daugh­ter,” and “Cheers Darlin’”, Rice’s blend of folk and indie-rock music is recog­nized worldwide and the news of his concert in Kath­mandu has created quite a buzz on the social media.