Bites on Tour! Barcelona Pt 1.
Except not quite, for we arrived in Barcelona, in the strange land of Catalonia. The first thing you notice is that the dominant language is Catalan. I's quite different to Spanish, with some similarities to French at times, and with over 6 million people in the region using it as their first language it could teach the Welsh Language board a lot about language revival (it was nearly wiped out by Franco).
Chic and Basic Gotica, Calle Estruc
We'd rented a studio apartment close to Placa Catalunya in the centre of the city. The Aerobus (4.25 euros for a single) conveniently drops off in the square and the apartment was a 2 minute walk. My only quibble was having to wait 20 minutes for a representative from Chic and Basic to come and give us a key and another hour after we got the key for the apartment to be cleaned as this had been neglected before our arrival. Not to worry - this gave us time to grab a quick coffee at the local Fresh and Ready sandwich chain and to check out the local area.
The Placa is dominated by the huge El Corte Ingles department store - housing everything from a much needed supermarket to the usual electronics and clothing floors found in Howells or Debenhams but also a tobacconist, a travel agent, an optician....anything you could imagine!
During our stay we dined out at Qu Qu, located just off Catalunya on the Passeig de Gracia, and also Caja Martel on Carrer Tarragona. Qu Qu is lovely, despite feeling a little bit like a spanish pizza express chain. The food, ranging from tapas to a stunning grill range is perfect for dinner with friends, or like us, the terminally greedy. Recommendations include the croquettes, the rice salad and, if you can stomach it, the veal with brie. A lot of the dishes are just served with the divine sauteed mushrooms which are meaty and moreish, but you might want to order a salad or some of the patatas finas served with aioli. To drink you can't go wrong with a bottle of the local Torres Vina Sol which is crisp and refreshing and far to easy to drink.
Detail of mosaic on the balcony at Parc Guell
Caja Martel is sleek and chic by comparison but the food is not necessarily better. We shared a mixed paella containing some beautiful langoustine and prawns, juicy mussels and slightly overdone, chewy squid, along with chicken, pork and chorizo. The drinks are pricey, but they do a good range in imported beer so if you are missing your usual pint then head here.
Both places served tomato bread - so much more than tomatoes on toast and the locals are understandably proud of it. Both meals came to around the 40 euro mark for 2 courses plus wine/beer.
There is plenty to see and do in Barcelona, from getting lost in the placas and monuments of the Gothic Quarter to exploring Las Ramblas and the Olympic Village. Here's a few links to some awesome sights...
El Drac at Parc Guell
Film fans - check out Parc Guell (featured in Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Parc del Laberint (as featured in Perfume).
Foodies should head to the Boqueria.
Jamon Serrano at Mercat de La Boqueria de Sant Josep
It's worth it just for the experience though if you want to actually shop and not be swamped by the rest of us tourists head down there early.
Don't do what we did and miss La Sagrada de Familia (long story involving two weary travellers, a metro and a crafty bit of pickpocketing), Gaudi's final work - it remained unfinished at his death in 1926 and estimates for completion vary from 2026 to 2041!
Sculpture of St George at the Viceroys Palace, Placa del Rei
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