Astounding! We have survived the long flight even with an unexpected stopover for an hour in Milan. Whoever imagined placing televisions in the backs of seats should be knighted!
We've been in Barcelona for 2 days we're just starting our 3rd.
Day 1 we navigated our way from the airport to our apartment on Avenue Diagonal with casual aplomb! Dumped our bags, showered changed and hit the STREETS!
The Barrio Gotic (old town)and Born have been our main focus so far. They're both pretty overun with turistas in parts, however take a left turn here a right turn there and you can still manage to get lost among the maze of crooked alleyways, tightly packed apartment blocks, cathedrals, Roman ruins and Modernista architecture. Cool cafes and cervazarias are buried in tiny doorways and usually filled with what seems to always be the same guy gesticulating wildly in deep conversation with the bartender. Round a corner and you're faced with tiny boutique art galleries, fashion shops and more shoes than you can poke a toe at.
After wandering the laneways for a few hours it was of course time to continue the food tour of Europe. Or as some people call it "lunch". We headed to the Bocqueria, an unbelievable market situated amongst yet more Roman architecture and possibly one of the most amazing food markets i've ever seen. Fish so fresh it's still moving, piles and piles of fruit and vegetables, mushrooms, spices, beans, coffee, cheese and of course MEAT!!
We bought some baguettes, tomatoes, olive oil and Jamon Iberaca (The Black Pig!!!) and sought out a little square (Placa de sant Felip Neri)we had read about. A quiet spot somewhere in the middle of the Gotic and as it turns out the scene of a Spanish Civil War massacre (43 people mostly children no...). The bullet holes still dotting the stone walls and the sounds of the children playing at lunchtime made the place both at once serene, a little macabre but also hopeful.
Some more strolling around the Gotic and the Born and of course beer o'clock set in and the food tour continues.
Less that 24 hours on the ground and already we had found a favorite tapas place "taller de tapas" or Tapas workshop. Tired heads, tired legs, and an unquenching thirst we inhaled the first beer and then devoured various plates of Artesian sausages and white beans, "patitas bravas" (potatoes with tomato and spicy mayonaisse), "pa amb tomates" (Tomato bread) a pile of spinach with pancetta and chickpeas and a couple of un cafes (coffee!). Perfect!
Plenty more to tell...but for now it's bed time. There are a lot more photos at the Flickr. Will be back soon with a little more Born and Barrio Gotic, more Gaudi than is humanly possible. The Museum of Comic Illustration and most likely a game of Futbol!
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Bonus fact #1 -
Picasso used to eat drink and hang out with his mates and chicas here at Els Quatro Gats.
He also designed the menu. They serve a fantastic Catalan cream (a kind of crème brulée)...
Picasso also had a dachsund called Lump.
2 comments:
FAB!
And there quite some bullit holes in that wall!
Bring on the jamon I say. Picasso did indeed have a daschund called Lump. It was given to him by a photographer friend. Lump is immortalised in Picasso's variation on Velazquez's 'Las Meninas' - he replaced a big dog at the feet of the Infanta.
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