After checking into the hostel, Charlie and I hit the metro
to explore the city. We headed to Fira and the magic fountain, along with the
National Museum and the Olympic city. The entire area of the city was bustling,
as there was a car show going on, and teenage girls flocked toward the nearby
stadium for a “The Vamps” concert . After all that walking, we worked our way
East and found an organic grocery store that sold red and white wine, sangria,
and vermouth from huge wooden barrels at the back of the store. You could buy a
bottle or bring your own, but the wine and spirits went for about $2 per liter,
and they were all of decent quality.
We found dinner by wandering the streets, window shopping at
menus posted outside restaurants. There were three requirements for us to go
in, first is that the establishment was busy, second was that it was populated
with locals, and third, the menu had to be in Spanish (or rather, Catalan)
Bodega 1900 was such a place. Because we didn’t have a reservation, we had to
sit outside. Our meal started with the house made vermouth and “olives.” I put
them in quotes because there were two olives, each served on a spoon. Slurping
them, they burst in my mouth like a balloon filled with briny goodness. Our
meal continued with other tapas, including a traditional bocadillo (Spanish sandwich),
stuffed with fried squid and a tart aioli, a seared tuna flatbread, and a duck
bacon slider, unctuous fat oozing through on the crisp, flat, almost English muffin
bread.
The next day, we took the train North to Parc Guell, a large
open area designed in part by Gaudi, the architect responsible for La Sagrata
Familia. After wandering the tiled terraces, we headed to La Ramblas, a long
and straight street, packed with shops, vendors, restaurants, and people. Along the way, I stopped at La Boqueria, a
large city market. In truth, it’s actually a repetition of the same handful of
shops, but that doesn’t make it less appealing to stroll and sample. Jamon
(cured ham), cheese, dried fruits and nuts, fresh fruits, fresh fish and
crustaceans, pastries, and seafood bars went on for aisle after aisle. I was
able to sample some local cheeses from the Catalan region, most of which are
similar to Manchego, white, not too potent, yet complex in their flavors.
Later, we met Charlie’s father, who happened to be in Barcelona
on business. We tasted many traditional tapas like coca (tomato rubbed on
bread), gazpacho (a tomato based, pureed vegetable soup served cold) and
heirloom tomato salad topped with brulleed goat cheese. However, my favorite
was the octopus, charred and topped with Spanish paprika, not rubbery at all.
After lunch, we went to the Picasso museum and I rambled the Gothic quarter,
and old part of the town with winding streets, tall walls, and more vendors,
shops, restaurants, and bars.
I met up again with Charlie and his father for dinner, we
found another tapas restaurant that took a more modern and global take on the
concept. Gourmet Tapas by Sensi was a small restaurant, with a kitchen that
barely fit the chefs working in it. The menu was split into traditional and
modern dishes. We ordered a variety, including a seared duck breast topped with
a mango chutney that sat aside a puree of parsnip. The duck was rare in the
center, yet charred on the outside, the meat rich and not gamy. Charlie ordered
a potato curry that came with three varieties of potato, sweet, purple, and
what appeared and tasted like Idaho, swimming a bright orange, creamy, yet
spicy sauce. The meal was an amazing end to the day. A big thank you to Charlie’s
father for showing us the gastronomic delights of the city.
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