What a way to start a day…with these guys looking over your shoulder!
Welcome to Barcelona!
Gaudi’s boys – incredible works of art atop a Barcelona apartment building – are just one of the many amazing things to see and do in this classic european city!
Welcome back to one of the best cities we’ve had the chance to visit – in the terrific country of Spain!
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of more than 1.6 million people…
On The Waterfront!
If you take the aerial tram that runs from the Montjuic park to the waterfront, you get an amazing view of the city from above…looking into the heart of Barcelona…
The Sagrada Famiglia!
And of course, you can see some of the world’s most iconic images here in Barcelona, like the famed “Sagrada Famiglia”, Architect Anton Gaudí’s legendary church. That’s it on the left, one of Barcelona’s largest buildings…it has been in construction for more than one hundred years…Gaudi devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete…
Work continues today, with an anticipated completion date around 2030…from this magnificent church, you can wander along some of Europe’s oldest streets…
And above you can see the “Barri Gotic” area of Barcelona – one of Europe’s oldest, with narrow streets that are more than 700 years old…you can wander them for hours…
And, as I said earlier, you can get an aerial view of this beautiful city by taking the tram – which allows you a 360 degree view of the waterfront and the city…and let’s you also see the beautiful “La Rambla”…
La Rambla Indeed!
La Rambla runs through the heart of old Barcelona, over a mile long and created as a pedestrian street for locals to walk through town without any cars to slow them down…and the city has embraced this street like no other!
Alex and I “rambled” along La Rambla many times during our stay in Barcelona…it was always full of locals and tourists alike, out for a walk on a beautiful day…
La Boqueria!
One of the highlights of La Rambla is the legendary food market called “La Boqueria”, which is about halfway down the street…and since we were hungry, it was our destination…
La Boqueria is one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks, famed for both its food and its products…
The first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. Once you are inside, you can see that meat is, indeed, their specialty!
There are Spain’s famous hams hanging EVERYWHERE! All shapes and sizes, all ready to purchase, but a single sliver to a whole ham…and delicious! We especially loves the “Iberico” – rich and buttery, with a thicker consistency…terrific on a piece of spanish peasant bread!
Charcuterie Thanks To Michael Ruhlman!
Of course, if you want to learn to make this yourself, just buy Michael Ruhlman’s “Salumi” and “Charcuterie” books – he shows you how to do it step by step. My story on the book is here:
You can also wander along the rows and find all kinds of food, like this fish stall, where Alex knew I would love to buy as much as I could carry and make a big feast…
You never have to worry about being lonely here – it is always crowded with shoppers and gawkers alike…buying food and taking pictures….
After surveying our options, Alex and I settled into a pair of seats at the food bar you see here….for an authentic tapas meal in the Boqueria…
The first thing you notice is that there are platters of food all around you – so much to choose from, and all of it delicious…
Behold The Octopus!
As a fan of all kinds of seafood, I was eager to dig into this guy: a beautiful octopus, ready to eat…
The counter was full of families eating together, a great mixture of tourists and locals…it was clear that people who live in Barcelona also frequent the Boqueria…it’s NOT just a tourist destination…
As you can see, there were a number of seafood platters to ponder – as usual, there was more good food than I would be able to eat…
Alex started with grilled Piquillo peppers – a local delicacy – full of pepper flavor – and an occasional hot one!
Behold The Potatoes!
Yes, I ordered a local specialty – spicy roasted potatoes!
After our snack, we headed back to out explore the city – and as I posted before, we hit two of Barcelona’s most iconic tapas restaurants…
Cal Pep!
Cal Pep is the most well-known tapas restaurant, and arguably the best as well. Head into Cal Pep, Barcelona’s most iconic tapas bar, by clicking on this link…
https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/
Passadis del Pep!
And if you want to see the other great Barcelona tapas restaurant, click here for a visit to “Passadis del Pep!”
Look, I even saved a glass of Cava for you!
Categories: BACON, Books / Media, Food, Food Review, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Memoir, Uncategorized
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