A week of sheer decadence
I was in Barcelona this past week for a 30th birthday. It was wonderful for many reasons, not least of which was the company, the food, and the weather.
Despite just being up the road from Sagrada Familia, our apartment was in quite a residential area - flanked by sandy parks with ping pong tables, with plenty of Pakistani shopkeepers from Lahore and a fantastic bakery called La Boulangerie and which we went to every morning for pastries and coffee. We also had a novel encounter with a Chinese waiter speaking Spanish to us in a Japanese restaurant; I played along for a bit before switching to Mandarin and meeting a whole new waiter in that language.
Because of the company, because it's Barcelona, because I love food, there was naturally a lot of eating. Apart from one meal in a touristy restaurant with very salty paella, every single meal we had was good, from eateries we'd planned to try out or revisit (La Singular, Cerveceria Catalana, Romesco) to ones we just stumbled upon (Café de l'Acadèmia, Cheese Me), to ones we went to because we couldn't be bothered to walk anymore (a little Italian on Verdaguer I Callís, another one on Plaça de Rius i Taulet). Pictured above is a place called Tapaç 24, off Passeig de Gracia. Highlights: omelettes with potatoes and chorizo, toasties, churros, deep-fried anchovies.
Above is a scene from Tram Tram, a little restaurant in Sarria. We had the tasting menu (oddly, you could only have it if everyone in your party does - why?) with cava and red wine from the region. My favourite course is pictured below: artichokes in three styles - vegetable, shavings, sauce, with foie gras and a poached egg. I think I might've moaned.
Despite the eating, drinking and subsequent late starts, we still managed to see and do things unrelated to food:
La Pedrera, Gaudi's house with the undulating facade and expressive iron balconies
The aquarium, with happy fish free of predators. Hmm.
Sitges, a quiet seaside town 1/2 hour away from Barcelona
The Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United. We watched it in a laidback outdoor place called L'Antic Teatre (if you look below the screen there's an old sign that says - SILENCIO FUNCION). Afterwards it was pandemonium everywhere with people singing the campeones ole ole ole song at the tops of their voices. Amazing to be in and amongst the unadulterated joy of victory.
Just one last note: how nice to be in a place where people always have a smile for you, even if you barely speak the language, even through misunderstandings.
Despite just being up the road from Sagrada Familia, our apartment was in quite a residential area - flanked by sandy parks with ping pong tables, with plenty of Pakistani shopkeepers from Lahore and a fantastic bakery called La Boulangerie and which we went to every morning for pastries and coffee. We also had a novel encounter with a Chinese waiter speaking Spanish to us in a Japanese restaurant; I played along for a bit before switching to Mandarin and meeting a whole new waiter in that language.
Because of the company, because it's Barcelona, because I love food, there was naturally a lot of eating. Apart from one meal in a touristy restaurant with very salty paella, every single meal we had was good, from eateries we'd planned to try out or revisit (La Singular, Cerveceria Catalana, Romesco) to ones we just stumbled upon (Café de l'Acadèmia, Cheese Me), to ones we went to because we couldn't be bothered to walk anymore (a little Italian on Verdaguer I Callís, another one on Plaça de Rius i Taulet). Pictured above is a place called Tapaç 24, off Passeig de Gracia. Highlights: omelettes with potatoes and chorizo, toasties, churros, deep-fried anchovies.
Above is a scene from Tram Tram, a little restaurant in Sarria. We had the tasting menu (oddly, you could only have it if everyone in your party does - why?) with cava and red wine from the region. My favourite course is pictured below: artichokes in three styles - vegetable, shavings, sauce, with foie gras and a poached egg. I think I might've moaned.
Despite the eating, drinking and subsequent late starts, we still managed to see and do things unrelated to food:
La Pedrera, Gaudi's house with the undulating facade and expressive iron balconies
The aquarium, with happy fish free of predators. Hmm.
Sitges, a quiet seaside town 1/2 hour away from Barcelona
The Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United. We watched it in a laidback outdoor place called L'Antic Teatre (if you look below the screen there's an old sign that says - SILENCIO FUNCION). Afterwards it was pandemonium everywhere with people singing the campeones ole ole ole song at the tops of their voices. Amazing to be in and amongst the unadulterated joy of victory.Just one last note: how nice to be in a place where people always have a smile for you, even if you barely speak the language, even through misunderstandings.
posted by Sze at 10:11 pm
1 Comments:
Ahhh...how nice! I miss Spain!
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