Barcelona’s Famous “Las Ramblas” District

First and foremost, all of our thoughts and prayers go to the victims of the horrific terrorist attack in Barcelona, which took place on August 17th in the area of Las Ramblas, a historic Barcelona street that leads from the waterfront to a central plaza in the city known as Placa de Catalunya.

Just off of the Placa is the street known as “Las Ramblas”, a beautiful pedestrian boulevard that runs through the heart of old Barcelona, over a mile long. It was created as a pedestrian street for locals and tourists…

This is where the terror attack occurred, as this area was packed with people. I turned on the TV this morning to see a makeshift memorial already set up to honor those victims, and Las Ramblas was filled with people – as someone said, to show terrorists that these attacks won’t shut a city down…

If you haven’t been to Barcelona, this is one of the most iconic locations to see.

My wife Alex and I visited Barcelona a few years ago, and Las Ramblas is always full of locals and tourists alike, people out for a walk on a beautiful day…

The people in this city were friendly, warm and welcoming – and we felt immediately at home here…

One of the highlights of Las Ramblas is the legendary food market called “La Boqueria”, which is about halfway down the street…one of Barcelona’s most famous destinations…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.

Spain’s famous hams hang EVERYWHERE – they come in all shapes and sizes, all ready to purchase, from a single sliver to a whole ham…we especially loved the “Iberico” ham – rich and buttery, with a thicker consistency…terrific on a piece of spanish peasant bread, which is the traditional way to eat it – the bread is rubbed with garlic and tomato, with a bit of olive oil.

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…

As you can see, this market is always crowded with shoppers and gawkers alike…buying food and taking pictures….

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…

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…

You can order grilled Piquillo peppers – a local delicacy – in fact, that was one of the great things about this location – all of the regional specialties.

Another local specialty are the spicy roasted potatoes – served with a spicy mayonnaise…all of this food was also very reasonably priced.

Food is a very important part of this city – and there is terrific, authentic and affordable food everywhere, including at one of the world’s best tapas restaurant…

“Cal Pep” is one of the most well-known tapas restaurants in the city, and arguably the best as well. You can see some of the best Cal Pep dishes by clicking on this link…

https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/

Just to the north of this area is the famous cathedral that has been under construction for more than 100 years….

Barcelona’s “Sagrada Famiglia” is an amazing church, which you can tour – you can see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/04/19/barcelonas-sagrada-famiglia-the-worlds-most-beautiful-construction/

Again, thoughts and prayers to everyone in Barcelona for this senseless tragedy – and I share everyone’s hope that this great city and residents can recover soon…

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