To tapa or not to tapa (5/12-13/2014)

I am not sure I will ever really understand the food culture of Spain.  There is more nuance to it by city, district and village than you can learn in a week or two.  It is made up of the food itself, the preparation, the time of day, the accompanying beverage, the location, your fellow diners, the method of dining (standing up at the bar, sitting inside the restaurant or outdoors), and the hour of your consumption and sometimes there is yelling and angst among the kitchen staff.  Yet that mystery is what makes it so beguiling to me. "Foodie", literally in Webster, is defined as "a person having an enthusiastic interest in the preparation and consumption of good food".  In Spain, it is just the way they eat, no additional "ie" needed to make it a pretentious noun.

Having said that, I always feel like a tourist interloper on the Spanish tapas scene.  Most restaurants in tourist centric areas cater to the masses as you would expect with menus in multiple languages and typical Spanish tapa fare.  We wanted to venture a little further afield for a more authentic experience.
Mike had a place in mind, Ciutata Comtal. (I would give you their web address but they have no website)  A place he had read about that served tapas to the local professional set.

We arrived just as the place was getting really busy.  We stood in the crowded bar contemplating our strategy to obtain a bar table or seat directly at the bar, all were full.  We stalked a couple of ladies who appeared to be paying their bill.  Fortuitous eye contact with a bar waitress cemented our position as next on those two stools.  A local couple in business suits made a beeline for the emptying seats as we stood slightly back, I swiftly acknowledged, Proxima! loosely translated, we are next.  They were gracious and moved on to find another place to sit.

We sat before the grandest display of tapas.  Some I recognized, some I did not.  We were provided a menu and ordered a couple of glasses of wine, then the fun of ordering began.  Our bar waitress was slammed but still very efficient and helpful.  We sat at the bar in wonderment of the various foods, wine and people we saw while sipping our wine and enjoying the delicious mystery dishes we ordered.  The menu was in Catalan and Spanish, no Ingles.  This is what we ordered:

1 copa Tinto casa

2 copa Rosado casa (we shared the second glass, really)

1 timbal del dia

1 gambas al ajillo (muy delicioso)

1 alcachofas

1 patatas bravas

                                                       1 escalivda tebia amb formatge de cabra

 










It was all absolutely delicious and a delightful tapas experience for a tourista.

Our last day in Barcelona we ventured into Barri de Gracia.  An upscale, residential neighborhood to which we had not been before.  We packed the local lunch of a iberica ham bocadillo and headed off to find a ancient, fountained plaza at which we could enjoy a respite during our trek.  The neighborhood was lovely and we happened upon the local mercado, most vendors were already closed for the afternoon siesta period but we wandered through.  We trudged on our quest to find a quaint picnic spot which at every corner seemed elusive.  We were a little lost as we had taken off planning to use a pdf map of this district on our mobile phone but it was almost impossible to read.  Finally, we were just too hungry to wait for the perfect spot. We sat on some steps of an office building near a busy intersection and ate.

We continued forward after lunch, the next block contained a beautiful, sprawling boulevard with benches and trees and a grand fountain.  We cracked up over it.  We found the metro station and headed back to El Raval and our apartment.

Our weekend in Barcelona (5/10-11/2014)

We had about 6 full days in Barcelona.  In all our many travels, we have never gone back to same city more than once.  Barcelona is now an exception.  This time we did stay in a very different part of the city called the El Raval district.  It was a great central location to La Rambla, Barceloneta (the beach/waterfront area) and the Barre Gothic quarter and la Ribera neighborhood.  

We found a free off-line self-guided audio tour mobile app called Excursia specifically for Barcelona. It was surprisingly thorough and gave us some ideas of new and interesting locations to visit. We chose to visit the Mercat Del Born with the idea that we would make the 1.5 km trek there, get some food at the Mercat and wander back through the city.  The only disappointment was that it no longer functioned as a market but only as an exhibition and cultural center.  While it left our stomachs hungry, it provided a very detailed and interesting history of the development of Barcelona. 

Lucky for us, you are never more than about 50 feet away from food in Barcelona.  On our trek back, we stopped at Bilbao Berria for tapas and sangria.  You sit down,  order your drink of choice, mine was Sangria,  then just go up and take whatever tapas you want.  As you finish, you place the skewers/toothpicks into the little silver holder at the table.  When you are done, they retrieve the skewers and provide your bill.  I love this about Spain.   

  

Of course, we had to stop for some gelato after tapas for our sweet tooth.

Using Facebook I was following a site called Time Out Barcelona.  Sunday was a lazy day in the morning but we planned to attend the Demanoenmano Social market (seen on Time Out Barcelona) and Picasso Museum.  Most museums in the city are free entrance on Sundays.

Demanoenmano, or ‘from hand to hand’ to use the literal translation, is divided into two halves - the first is devoted to second-hand and vintage garments, and the second is a platform for artists, designers, painters, sculptors, illustrators (and the list goes on) to sell their creations.  We enjoyed our walk through the wares and bought a couple of unique items to remember our time in Barcelona.

The line for entry to the Picasso Museum was fairly lengthy upon our arrival, but it moved quickly. This museum focused on his early work.  It was an enjoyable way to spend the early afternoon.

On our walk back from the museum, we accidentally happened upon the Sant Ponç Festival. A street market held in honour of the patron saint of beekeepers and herbalists, and ablaze with candied fruit, fresh herbs, natural infusions, honey and honeycomb, most of it straight off the farmer’s cart.  The street was packed with people, reminiscent of bees in a hive really.  We did not sample any of the honey or candied fruit. We did not know what the festival was all about until we got back and Googled it.  

We also planned to enjoy the local custom of a late afternoon Vermouth aperitif.  This is not the same kind of vermouth that you put in a martini but a locally produced fortified wine beverage.   It is served with soda water you add yourself and a small tapa before you eat your main meal of the day.  Luckily, Casa Almirall (founded in 1860) was located right across from our apartment and offered Vermut with an olive their signature drink to celebrate their 150th anniversary.  We sat down in this ancient establishment and watched the locals come in and out, kissing cheeks and chatting loudly in Catalan.

Great way to spend the weekend in Barcelona.

The Sagrada Familia - 5/9/2014

One of the most recognized tourist sites in Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia.  Is is visited by literal hoards of tourists each year and the lines were around the block when we came to Barcelona before. We took pictures of the exterior and moved on.  This time, we felt we should visit the interior to see what the fuss was about.  Also, as technology has progressed, you can now order your tickets in advance on-line so you do not have to stand in line.  Muy Bueno.

This is a religious place, dedicated as a basilica recently.  It is a work of art.  It is an engineering and architectural marvel.  It is a folly that began in 1882 is only 60 percent complete.  The commitment to the continued construction of the vision of Antoni Gaudi for this building is truly astounding.

We spent a whole day listening to the audio tour and staring up and down and admiring the true beauty of this spiritual place of reflection that is the centerpiece of Barcelona.  I hope you enjoy some of the pics, although it will surely not do it justice.

After an awesome day at Sagrada Familia, we happened upon Unami Burger where we had the menu del dia including vino tinto, gazpacho, lightly fried veggies with romesco sauce and awesome burgers. A great day.