Liz and Richard's 2008 Adventures

Barcelona - Puppets continued

There are wonderful moments of humanity.  The puppets are obviously heavy and regularly the carrier lets down his/her burden and exchanges it with another.  A quick lift of the skirt and it's done.  We attempt to capture the transition below














Some of the puppets spray water on the crowd.  Hey - it's a little chilly here in February!  No one minds....



One puppet seems to be Johnny Depp rechannelled.  Considering that these figures are images preserved for centuries, Mr Depp may have more claim to immortality than a simple Academy Award might bestow





Of course no parade would be complete without a tired mom carrying the costume of a tired child. We sympathized with her.  And we loved the young son who faithfully clutched the bridle of his father's horse costume - plus you had  to respect the stamina of the carrier who let their child go along for the ride









The experience leaves us euphoric.  We've seen it in travelogues and we've always wanted to experience. it.  Unplanned.  Unexpected - it rocks us back.  Our Travel God - Allinclusivo - has smiled upon us one more time.

Barcelona - The Pyramids

We wend down, wandering through the maze of ancient streets.  Up ahead on a slight rise, an ornate lamp hangs over a square.  Dickie wants a shot




Interesting shot.  But panning down reveals a vision even more incredible.  Again one references National Geo and again it is happening - live - in front of you - Human Pyramids (also called Castell)




Now the engineering and anatomical logistics are insane.  Take a bunch of people (mostly really big guys) and erect an interlocking base with flying buttresses (to match Notre Dame)....




...then on top of this loft up a first tier of really strong guys. 





Liz notes there is a lot of butt grabbing going on....and a lot of Home Depot style lifting belts (which we learn are actually long pieces of fabric wrapped around the waist for back support)


Two levels are done - now they move into gender mixing.  Males and females climb upon the standing bodies to create the third tier








The whole process is moving very quickly.  A vision of organic growth as seen through a microscope happening on a human scale.  The third tier elevates itself over levels one and two







Levels four and five evolve equally magically.  There are now four tiers of men and women standing on top of a platform of very tough people in the middle of a square paved with very, very, very hard stone slabs





Then - madness.  A four year old (with safety helmet) climbs up the backs of the standing human pyramid to form a 6th tier pinnacle.  We are awed.  We are two feet from the base and can smell their energy

So now we have a four year old standing on the top of a tower of human beings.  So what do they do?  Of course!  They strip away the surrounding support so we have a single person pillar.  We run out of emotional accolades.  Dickie, the latent engineer, figures that there is at least 500+ pounds of flesh on someone's shoulders









The child climbs down the tiers of bodies and the other caryatids follow. It is an amazing performance.  Hopefully the will never sacrifice this elegance to hip hop and break dancing.









An interesting detail - as the climbers mount they bite the tips of their shirt collars.  We assume this is to prevent succeeding climbers (who hang on to the backs of their shirts) from strangling them.  Anyone have another answer?





See next post for more pyramid feats!

Barcelona - The Pyramids #2

Nothing else seems possible.  We assume they must be done.  We are wrong.

Amoeba like they throw up four columns in front of the municipal building.  Then the top girl is lifted to the balcony on a scarf (those ubiquitous euro scarves) and then the next girl is also lifted from the pyramid to the balcony.  We concede defeat and give Mexico back to Spain!






Following are some other pics of what was an awesome experience for us; more impressive since everyone around us seemed to regard it as the equivalent of a kids' hockey game in Barrie.....and of course they have a supporting band
















The still photos do not do justice to the wonder.  It's the speed, the agility, the organic flow with which the pyramids form that has to be seen to be believed.

Liz has put together a slide show of stills that gives you a sense of how magical the process is......

Barcelona - Now Fire Breathing Dragons

Puppets, Pyramids all in one day.  But Barcelona was not finished with us.

We got home elated - a glass (or two) of wine, and then explosions erupted from our nearby square.  We were off again.

The scene was medieval.  People in horned cowls immersed in showers of fire.  We joined the throng










It is incredible to describe.  A church square filled with celebrants; each with a pitchfork; on the spikes are erupting Roman Candles.  They are dancing in the fire









And as it escalates into the unbelievable they tip us over the edge by moving in fire breathing (literally) dragons who shower the crowd with incendiary blasts











In their horned hoods they are people out of an inquisition nightmare.  We weave between the dancers.  We are transfixed.





Eventually the pyrotechnics subside. We examine the beasts and instruments.  We are two of few tourists - it is a memorable evening







The next day we re-visit a display of dragons at the local cultural centre.  We had dropped in before and were curious about the metal clamps projecting fromt heir mouths.  Now we knew.

Obviously, dancing around in fire is a common Catalan activity, with some marvelous structures to ignite the celebration!

It is a sight to behold.  Could be a major tourist attraction and we're surprised it is so low profile.  Perhaps they cleverly  like it this way.  We checked websites to learn what we had experienced - the Festival of St Eulalia - but not much made of it considering what we experienced.  If you're coming to Barcelona near February 12, plan to be here then.....and wear something non flammable!















Note the guards on the "Roman Candle Spikes" to prevent eyeball loss by visitors



One figure was very creative - an alien like eruption from another monster.  They are wonderful examples of folk art....no.....real art.  Could look good next to our Bali dragon carving



Another dragon was probably our favourite - the cherub on his neck is a marvelous counterpoint.  Getting inside and having it fire up in the midst of a crowd must be both exciting and a responsibility





As living cultural attractions, the "Puppets", "Human Pyramids" and the "Fire Dancing" are as good as it gets.  There is a wonderful charm and sincerity that may be very vulnerable to global awareness.

Barcelona - Our Apartment

All postings from new places start with "Liz has found us a wonderful apartment/house/boat/location/etc".  Of course she has done it again. 

We are in the centre of the "Old Town" part of Barcelona, just one square away from the main Cathedral.  Our 5th floor abode (that's Liz on the balcony) looks out over the Cathedral Spires, the Harbour Cable Car and, charmingly, our neighbour's laundry.

The cathedral is undergoing extensive restoration; hence the cranes and protective nets

Not sure when the apartment was built - turn of the century probably.  It's big, with 12 foot ceilings.  Two bedrooms - one with ensuite; a big office, large living/dining room, second bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen.  It has been recently renovated and the level of finish is lovely.  Comes with high speed internet access, two stereo systems, 100+ channel cable, central heat and A/C and what we love most - 4 sets of french doors opening onto balconies overlooking the square.

Following are lots of pics - the corner shadows are from a fish eye lens

The kitchen is the best provisioned in any residence we've ever rented (15 to date).  Big frig, dishwasher, microwave (in a neat, but never used, "garage"), other appliances and dinnerware and flatware (including a lot of silver).  Best of all it came with a great set of knives and other tools.....except after years of travel we now carry our own - could have saved a lot of luggage weight!

The kitchen has been a learning experience for we self assumed appliance leaders.  The stove is an induction cooktop.  It can boil water faster than you can get the lid on the pot.  We seem to be getting the hang of it.  The oven, which convects, dissects, bisects, and might resurrect, still has the best of us....but random knob turning and button punching appear to be negotiating a compromise.

The bathrooms are modern, clean to OR standards and supplied with infinite amounts of hot water - we're happy.

Perhaps most welcoming of all, the apartment is very, very comfy.  Paired couches that we curl up on, objects d'art everywhere, lots of books and paintings and a full pantry of things you need but forget to stock up on when you arrive.  By the second day we were settled in and our phrase after wandering around the city was "let's go home"

We're very happy here.  Had our next door neighbours from Rome (they now live in London UK) visit us for 3 days a couple of weeks ago and our dear friends George and Josie came last weekend for 4 days - the apartment is built for entertaining.

As much as we love living here, it's the neighbourhood that enchants.  We have an excellent Gellateria 8 feet from our front door - we never make dessert.  The local grocery store delivers (Richard is just old enough to remember grocery stores delivering!).  We're 5 minutes to two of the best food markets we've ever seen (after discussion - we agree - "the best" markets we've ever seen).

Now - on to the markets, the cathedral, underground Roman Ruins, the Maritime Museum, the Rambla and what is usually the core of our travel blogs....restaurants.

Check back soon!

A Barcelona Apartment Postscript

One very important feature of our apartment is our elevator.  It's slightly larger than a coffin




You can squeeze.........really squeeze...........4 people into it.  There is a very large spring at the bottom of the shaft which infers the possibility of catastrophic breakdown. 

Our grocery delivery man performs ancient rituals of adoration at its doors, which in our non existent Catalan we interpret to mean that not all apartments have elevators and hauling 50 litres of water up 6 flights is not his favourite way to start the day.

It is an arcane ritual - up and down - we perform with great amusement many times every day.

The choice is a stairwell of far too many marble stairs.  We bow to the wonders of technology.

Barcelona - The Neighbourhood - Shopping, The Cathedral and "Our" Bar

As wonderful as our apartment is, it is the neighbourhood that most enchants us.  Imagine an area from Yorkville to Wellesley/Avenue Road to Church Street - with very narrow winding streets and no cars.  The streets are constantly thronged with people. Spaniards clearly love to stroll....young, old, rich, poor.  It's hard to depict the experience in photos.  What, in other places would be an annoying crowd, becomes a social ritual.  Of course, even when intending to depict crowds, Richard intuitively waits until there are no people before taking a shot!








Would it work in Toronto?  There are certainly climate issues and - more significantly - cultural ones.  Would Canadians stroll in sufficient numbers to justify retailers on walking streets?  There are downsides - we pulled our roller luggage several blocks from the nearest cab stand....definitely a new piece of furniture is a logistics event (delivery trucks are allowed into the area in the early AM/Garbage and street cleaning happen in the middle of the night).  Perhaps North American mega malls are our alternative.  We'd hate to think we were agreeing with David Miller....."let them melt snow".












Urban planning speculation aside, this is a delightful place to live.  The Gelateria is 6 feet across from our front door.  We never make dessert....and if your sugar craving is in overdrive, the candy shop is right next door









Down the street is an epic deli/cheese shop/wine store, but mostly a place where neighbourhood businessmen sit around and smoke, drink (very good wine) and tell lies.  It's where we run to at odd hours for a good bottle of wine or some excellent cheese or ham







Sweetness abounds in the square, at all economic levels.  Across the plaza is a very deluxe chocolate store.  The Easter special are wonderful, wretched excess











Down the street is the Henckels Knife store.  We've never seen a Henckels store before.  Great knives, wonderful utensils and some truly perfect pots (the apartment comes with a set)  Since we're easily amused, we regularly pop in to try out a few knives on various vegetables (they have a mini test kitchen).  Looks like our big Spanish souvenir will be knife made in Japan for a German company!  The window features a 300 Euro limited edition composite blade Japanese knife with Damascene finish that Dickie seems to believe would improve his knife skills!





Each morning (except Sunday) Liz (the much earlier riser) goes to get our morning Herald Tribune from the newsstand in the square next to ours.  Convenience Stores are clearly more convenient.....surprise, but there is a nostalgic charm about the newsstand , with its crusy proprietor (which ours is)




We've two nearby toy stores - one of which has the best selection of die cast metal trucks Dickie has seen in years.....and who can argue about an 8 inch model bulldozer with real metal tracks (no plastic please) for just less than 100E?  Richard just tells Liz that they're for the nephews.  The other toy store specializes in puzzles....the bald guy is in heaven











The main Cathedral (not the iconic Sagrada Familia) in the next square is the centre for both the old part of town and a Catalan culture nexus. The building and the surrounding complex (under restoration) is quite beautiful - religious art, a gorgeous pipe organ and ornate spires.  We aren't showing the Cathedral since it's covered in scaffolding and the day we wrote this there was a very large temporary structure in the square (a Catalan language book fair).  (Liz just finished reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett about Gothic Cathedral building - Richard has been very patient as Liz launches into long descriptions about how they built cathedrals!)













But, best of all, the courtyard at the Cathedral entry has an ancient fountain with geese.  Guess where all our stale bread goes?  We missed bringing a parrot home from Australia - a goose could be fun.  Louis and Orange Bird will love him.  The geese are, however, cramping our dining style - we're feeling a tinge of guilt everytime we eat foie.







Of course we've found a charming tapas bar down the street and last time we visited they said "your table is free".....guess we're living here.  Our table is on a mezzanine overlooking the bar and the square.  Food is good, service is warm and Sammy (behind the champagne on ice) the barman caters to our every need.

It's a great neighbourhood.

Barcelona - The Neighbourhood - La Rambla

The neighbourhood is defined by two institutions - the historic Cathedral Square and the Rambla. In a league with 5th Avenue and Champs Elysees, the Rambla sweeps down from Placa Catalunya to the Christopher Columbus monument on the Harbour's edge.  You can see its tree lined swath in the photo below, shot from the Harbour cable car




The structure of the Rambla is different. Imagine University Avenue (sorry to you non-Toronto residents) with two lanes of traffic on either side and the centre island is a walking street with pet stands, flower stands and cafes (the waiters run across the outer lanes to serve from the main restaurant)

If 5th Avenue is defined by shopping and Champs Ave by its cafes, then the Rambla's claim to fame is simply strolling....seeing and being seen.  There are stores, but not a lot or significant ones, some cafes, a surprising run of pet and flower stores in the centre; but the prime activity seems to be walking.

One of the charms of the Rambla is the street performers.  Most are what we call "posers".  They have a great costume/make up and sit like frozen mimes.  You toss them coins and take their photos.  A selection follows - we especially love the clown who leaves his shoes when he takes a break

The current crowd favourite appears to be the fellow we call "the black George Patton".  Some posers pop out of boxes, other make sounds....George just sits with his unlit cigar and the coins flow in.

Posers hate being photographed without being paid.  Richard tends to photo first - pay later.  Here's what happens.....they go hide - after the sounds in his tin, this fellow came out to play

Our favourites are the "Carrefour Ladies", two girls with angel wings and wands who sit outside our grocery store.  We frequently see them shopping (in make up) when we're there.  You have to be confident to buy toilet paper while wearing a lot of sparkles on your face







Not all the Rambla street performers are posers. There are break dancers and Michael Jackson imitators (no photos, don't want to encourage them).

Our favourite alternative to the posers is a couple who dance a romantic tango.  We watch them and wonder - in 40 years will they be sitting before their fireplace reminiscing about the time when they danced for coins on La Rambla?





The pet stores pose a problem.  We miss our birds.  Each time one of us goes alone to the store there is the concern that the apartment will gain its very own canary or zebra finch.  Of course we could buy a large exotic chicken or ring nected pheasant, or now Easter is coming - a baby duck!.  So far we remain loyal to Louis, OB and families





We love walking La Rambla!

Barcelona - Apartment Addendum #2

So why the bright yellow post it notes taped to the corners of the stove exhaust hood? 

The owner is quite short.  Her head clears the sharp glass edge on the hood.  Dickie takes it out in the eyeballs and Liz would need dental work.  The yellow warnings, and time, seem to have taught us basic avoidance, although Dickie has a few more scars on his bald pate.

Barcelona - Apartment Addendum #2

So why the bright yellow post it notes taped to the corners of the stove exhaust hood? 

The owner is quite short.  Her head clears the sharp glass edge on the hood.  Dickie takes it out in the eyeballs and Liz would need dental work.  The yellow warnings, and time, seem to have taught us basic avoidance, although Dickie has a few more scars on his bald pate.

Barcelona - Museu Frederic Mares

There are a lot of high profile museums in Barcelona - Picasso, Miro, Gaudi, et al and then there was Frederic Mares; an inveterate acquirer who left his collections to the city of Barcelona.....with obviously a very adequate endowment, since the museum is superbly maintained. 

Tucked in behind the Cathedral Barcelona, it is the most personal museum we've ever experienced. Sr Mares collected and saved everything - crucifixes, scissors, cigar bands, restaurant menus, match boxes......the list goes on.

Let's start with the crucifixes.  We're talking altar piece sizes, not necklaces.  Now we're not religious, but when you see all those variants of the dying Christ you have to be touched by the artists' passion and feeling.  Displayed outside a church they transcend religion and become art.  A small portion of the collection follows.  Note - Liz observes that the dying Christ always leans to his right












Frederic also collected statues of the Virgin and Child; again in great numbers.  And again many of them are emotionally compelling pieces - as with the crucifixes many go beyond religion to become art.  The question we can't answer is where did they come from?  Have this many Catholic churches been closed?  Are they personal household artifacts?











While the religious items occupy 3 floors of this one of a kind  museum, on the upper floors  we have collections of.....

....Matchbooks - yes, all the display cases are filled with matchbooks and most fold open to reveal layers of examples



...Cigar bands - in this case arranged in an elaborate collage



....Menus - he saved so many that they are displayed on folding easels 6 deep.  We may need to consider this for our stash



....then there's the old bicycles and the pocket watches and the hat pins, fans, eye glass cases, suff boxes, cameras - you name, it he collected it.









It's not so much a museum as a time machine.  We'll definitely go back....probably when our teenage friends arrive.  It was the most fun museum we've been to in a long time.

Barcelona - The Underground City and Maritime Museum

Underground Barcelona

In the next square over from ours (Placa Rei) is the entrance to a fascinating archeological experience.  Like most places around the Mediterranean, Barcelona was founded by the Romans (on an existing sight over which there is debate who started it).  Originally a heavily fortified walled city, it was over built by medieval  cultures and eventually the city we live in today. 

Inevitably modern excavation discovers the Roman City underneath the rubble of subsequent eras.  The wonderful feature is that the Roman City was excavated under the existing modern city.  As you wander the ruins, you walk under a roadway and Plaza supported by beams and pillars.

There's an ancient winery, with vats for crushing and fermenting; a fabric dye works and laundry; a fish salting plant and other crafts.  It doesn't make for exciting photos, but it is very interesting and we highly recommend it.














The Maritime Museum

Barcelona has a lovely Maritime Museum.  It's doubly appropriate since it is located in the 15th century ship building works and is adjacent to the statue of Columbus on the harbourfront.



The tour starts with great charm.....senior male citizens - much, much older than Dickie - building model boats (for the museum, presumably)





The museum has the requisite displays of ship models, maps and figure heads (this one shown is a "native from the fresh water lakes of North America"!)





But the centrepiece of the museum is a full size Mediterranean war galley (Charlton Heston would have had his oar taken from his cold dead hand)





Two hundred slaves chained 3 or 4 to an oar - you ate there, slept there, "toileted" there and - inevitably - died there.  It must have made hell look like summer camp.  The photo below with mannequins shows the accommodations



The next feature of the display is a screen hung over the galley - onto which they project a full crew rowing this monster ship.  "The Captain wants to go water skiing" (the oldest joke in the world) is suddenly in bad taste.  It's a definite must see.

Apartment Addendum #3

Lean a little over our balcony - not "really nosy neighbour-over" - and you can look into the projecting dining room of the neighbours in the next building.

We call it "The English Mystery Murder Scene'.  There's an eerie air of decay.  Objects that should be clues abound.  No people have yet been seen.  We, of course, have created our own Holmsian mythology!

Barcelona - Rambla Addendum #1

Halfway down the Ramblas is one of Barcelona's most photographed objects.  It's a dragon that was once the sing for an umbrella ship.  The building is now a bank, but the original wall descorations still survive with all their charm and grace.  We stop and admire it each time we walk by

Barcelona - Markets #1

We are within a 5 minute walk of two of the best food markets in the world - the Boqueria (off La Rambla) and Santa Catarina (off Laietana).  If the Boqueria is The Bay, Santa Catarina is Holt Renfrew. (apologies to non-Canadian readers how may not recognize Canadian department stores!)

They're both wonderful and similar in other ways.  The marvel is that the Catalans still care enough about food quality, freshness and variety to keep both thronged with shoppers.  We'll review them as a unit, combining photos and commentary from the two.

Our food shopping strategy upon arriving in a new city is to pick favourite specialty shops.  The choice is intuitive/random but we've found it best to quickly establish a relationship with a few merchants.

Here's the entry to the Boqueria and Santa Catarina markets





Inside a cornucopia of stalls, hordes of shoppers and tourists and some of the best food we've ever experienced.








Chicken:

Chicken is our first purchase and initial definer of quality.  Here's our "chicken lady" and her product.  She also offers rabbits and other fowl - note the scissors-like device she uses to prep the birds.







Whole chickens are 2.69E/kilo or $1.80/pound....but that's uncleaned.  Dickie learned the delights of dissecting a bird at home on the first purchase.   For $2.20/pound the lady performs the autopsy, trims and preps (read the small print on the price sign below! - also note the Cock's Combs)





Now chicken should be chicken....but just as in Rome we swear this chicken is much better.  Perhaps it's the holiday placebo effect. But this is common Spanish chicken.  The really good stuff - black feathered birds - can run 11E/kilo.  We're going to have a comparison taste test this week .  Pics below - note the poster - chicken selection is like wine choices here. 







Fowl come in all forms and parts, including these ducks with a guilt inspiring stare!




Deli:

The Catalans love preserved meats - hams, cold cuts, sausages, pates, etc.  So do we.  We've settled on 3 places.  They're also where we buy our cheeses (great selection including a Burrata like fresh cheese), croquettes (they're deep fried so we love them) and pork (Spanish pork is not yet styrofoam). 

Firstly, our favourite store in Boqueria, then the ladies at Santa Catarina and finally the place where we buy croquettes at Boqueria







Following is a selection of shots explaining why we are living on ham, sausages, cold cuts, etc!
















Lots more Market photos and commentary in Market #2 posting to follow!

Barcelona - Markets #2

Spanish Ham (Jamon):

Ham in Spain makes picking a French Bordeaux look simple.  There's an incredible range of prices, variations by district, shipper, time of year, handsliced versus machine sliced, and front legs versus rear legs (front is better).  The only subtlety we haven't encountered is right leg versus left!

There's an industry providing specialized knives, cutting boards and serving ware....we've sampled a lot and flirted with the lore.  Strange.....food nuts that we are it's not a product that particularly interests us.  We thought it would.....but it could be fun!

Note the variations in price on the photos below - from approximately 50E/kilo to over 150E/kilo











Produce

Vegetables and fruit are wonderful.  Most exciting is an item we never see - immature garlic plants.  They look like large purple scallions.  We're living on them - putting them in everything.  Ice cream is next!



Another favourite are miniature Romaine Heads.  We love Caesar salads - especially the crunchy parts - and they are all crunchy bits.  We call them "personal Caesar Salads' - this will get to North America soon



We love leeks.  You know - that long member of the onion family with 2 inches of edible white part at the base?  Here the edible sections are 8 to 10 inches long.  We've enjoyed them as bases for sauces, braised, sauteed and in a number of new recipes



There's an incredible range of produce from both booths in the markets and farmers' stalls in the courtyard





















Notable are wild mushrooms - we've made wonderful pastas and risottos.  We just can't figure out how to get all the grit out.  We've tried rinsing, soaking, shaking, brushing, etc.  Any suggestions?  The flavour is great - the tooth abrasion is expensive though!.  Do not the truffles at 89 Euros/100 grams - Liz marveled that they were sitting out at pocket level









There's also a wall of the most varieties of tomatoes we've seen outside of Italy







Candy

Based on the number of Candy Stores and Chocolatiers in our neighbourhood, Catalans have a very sweet tooth.  The markets meet that demand with a chromatically splendid array of choices.











Lots more from the Markets in the next post - Markets #3

Barcelona - Market #3

Offal

Pillows of tripe, Think Tanks of brains, a Potency of testicles, livers of Hunter S. Thompson size, and Inquisitions of staring eyeballs -- the market has them all.  The gross out factor - sphincter-puckering "I'd rather not think about it" reality of being the alpha predators, top of the food chain -- is there in graphic detail!

Beef

We tend to prefer North American grain fed beef... but we love the European pork, chicken and seafood.  There is a lot of beef.  It looks great - we just don't eat.

Tapas Bars in Boqueria Market

Multiple Tapas Bars serve both vendors and patrons.  Mornings are fired up with a glass of vino tinto (or whatever).  Each place has a different personality and a unique cast of characters.  Liz loves the beans with squid at Pinotxo's, but is addicted to the deep fried artichokes at Bar Quim. 









Next posting - completely devoted to Seafood!

Barcelona - Markets #4 - Seafood!

At the heart of the markets is the most wonderful display of seafood we've ever seen.

Seafood of all types and sizes - shellfish and crustaceans (much of it still alive)...mounds of scampis, crab claws the size of boxing gloves, razor clams stacked up like cordwood, barnacles (what does one do with a barnacle?), clams in an array of sizes, oysters, and lobsters determined not to go down without a fight, and our frequent purchase - mixed shrimp tails from giant scampi size to miniature. 

Then the fish counters - whole turbots, monkfish everywhere, and a lot of fish we don't know the name of and less how to cook.

It's a wonderful display and an inspiration to dine very well.  We'll start with some establishing shots to give a sense of scale










The crustaceans are our favourites - especially the scampi and the monster crab claws.....











Fish are on offer in all shapes, sizes and colours - many with accusing eyes















Of course there is other shellfish in amazing variety -













In Spain salt cod (bacala) is an art form with subtleties to match their ham.....







A lot of squid varieties - our favourite are the sepias, and octopus





The fish mongers use a knife we've never seen before - half knife/half cleaver.  It's a murderous looking blade and when they chop it down a quarter inch from their knuckles to behead a fish, you know this is not a job you come to with a hangover.  Tempted to buy one - it would be a real souvenir!



Of course there is so much more at the markets - bakeries, spice stores, dried legumes, wine stores, olives, etc (when are we going to dispense with the foolishness of the Brewers Retail and LCBO stores?)

A few more days in Barcelona - and a few more posts!

Where has the time gone?  We leave Barcelona on Sunday - spending 3 days in Malta (a future winter sojourn candidate) and then we return to Toronto on April 3.

Will post a few more entries today and tomorrow and then a gap until we get home and settled again - so check back!

A Day in Our Life in Barcelona

Dickie got up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across his head - it hurt.

Off to the Palau de la Musica Catalana - the concert hall up the street for our apartment.  It's not high on the list of tourist attractions comparable to the Gaudi structures, but for us it was one of the most incredible buildings we've ever experienced.

Designed at the turn of the century amidst the confluence of Modernism and Art Nouveau, it is unlike anything we've ever seen before.  Inserted into a dense neighbourhood (they leveled a church), there are no long range perspectives of the exterior,  Hence all our shots are looking up.  It is an eclectic mix of masonry, sculpture, ceramic and mosaic inlays, and glass.  Note the sculptures of Beethoven, et al. 

You want to knock on doors of nearby apartments to see if you can get on their balconies for a better view!




















Inside the spectacle is more amazing.  The Hall was built to be lit by natural light - daytime concerts only.  Illumination is from a monstrous stained glass ceiling that hangs into the hall like a giant teardrop.  The space is a cornucopia of sculpture, ceramics, mosaics and stained glass walls.  Photographs are forbidden, but our camera accidentally discharged a few times while it was sitting on Dickie's lap.  Spontaneous photos follow.  Note - their photo ban worked - we bought the $15 guide book.  If you are ever in Barcelona put the Palau at the top of your must see list!















Then it was off to lunch.  We chose a celebrated traditional restaurant not far down the road to the harbour - Senyor Paralleda.  Snapped a few shots along the way of the charming Barcelona architecture - love the trompe l'oeil.







Warm cozy accommodations with a knowledgeable pleasant staff



We chose a range of recommended starters - really good stuffed potate skins (great bar food), seafood croquettes (deep fried had to be good) and a wonderful salt cod salad

Mains were Paella (Liz loves Paella) and Lamb braised with 12 heads of garlic - wonderful, pungent flavours





Overall a very pleasant meal......but later we had a late evening Tapas run.  Barcelona sit down dining is very competent but the tapas are so good that all else pales.  It's our kind of food - variety, spontaneity, inherently casual and with an implicit sense of fun.  Give us a tapas bar over a formal restaurant every time.  Note - a major tapas adventure can cost as much or more than a formal meal











We'll try one more 'name' restaurant before we go and then probably scurry back to local tapas.  As far as we can deteremine, there are no bad tapas bars.

Then back home, gelato from across the street, and bed.  A good day!

Barcelona - A Seafront Meal and Churches

Most days start out with some tangible objective - a restaurant, an attraction, food shopping at the markets, etc.  The rest of the day sort of falls into place....and is quite often the best part.

Today we set off to visit Kaiku - a popular and highly recommended restaurant on the beachfront in Barcelonetta - an area with a lovely sand beach on the Med and a boardwalk that is starting to fill up with rollerbladers.  The weather was warm, the cherry trees were budding, the beautiful people are emerging to see and be seen and the hardy swimmers are taking a dip.








The sculpture above was done by Frank Gehry.

Kaiku is next to a youth hotel - lots of young people, tattoos and facial hardware.  The restaurant sprawls onto the beach.  Seating is very tight and reservations are a must.  Staff is welcoming and the charming Spanish businessmen at the next table greet us by pouring us a glass of wine each from their bottle.  We like this place.





We start with scallops and a unique lemon sauce plus one of the best tuna tartars ever.  Much goodness here.





For the main we have a smoked rice/seafood paella for two.  A dish designed for Liz's tastes - creamy rice and briny seafood.



Walking back we decide to stop in Churches.  Liz is reading a book about cathedral builders and primed to give Dickie a private guided tour.  Religious or not, the churches are poignant.  Considering a lot of them are 1,500 years old, they are also architectural marvels.  Some photos follow of 3 of our local sights.



















Wandering - looking for streets we'd not previously traversed - we came upon a wonderful store that specializes in roasted  nuts, coffee and spices just behind Cathedral Santa Maria - called Casa Gispert (Carrer Sombrerers 23)  A step inside was an olfactory adventure.  The shop must have been here forever.  In a Wal Mart world it is wonderful it has survived.  We did our part and bought something. 










It was another tough day.

Barcelona - Parc Guell

Our good friends Josie and George from England came to visit. Of course we had to do the Gaudi sights.  Firstly Parc Guell, the playground on the hill built for his patrons, the Guells.  It is lovely - whimsical and very crowded on a weekend.

There is a wonderful Middle Earth feeling.  Told the taxis they were spoiling the shot and asked them to move - must be my poor Spanish!

The iconic lizard on the staircase is constantly thronged with people.  Got a lucky shot with just a pair of denim covered buttocks









There is a charming set of pillars - charming in that they are not all perfectly vertical.  In Gaudi fashion, they wander





The upper gardens are psychedelic rockeries with swirling structures

Highly recommend a visit to Parc Guell!

Barcelona - Sagrada Familia

It's been 24 years since Liz and Dickie last saw the iconic Sagrada Familia Temple (aka "Holy Family Temple").  A lot has changed.

A roof, new spires and a whole new facade.  The new entry is striking....very modern figures of the Passion of Christ.  Still under construction, the sculpture transcends religion to become art.....a phenomena that seems to happen with some frequency in cathedrals

We particularly loved the Roman Soldiers playing dice for Jesus' robe and the Judas Kiss

Other sculptures are similarly striking ....

Inside the Temple (it's often called a Cathedral but it's not) is a soaring forest of columns.  Light streams in creating a symphony of shadow and shade

The details on the branch points of the columns are unique

A marvelous spiral staircase - obviously inspired by the interior of a whelk's shell - curls down an alcove




The opposite entry is far older and stylistically different (and most of it was actually designed by Gaudi).  Called the Nativity Gate - it depicts the birth of Christ and the Flight to Egypt and incorporates wonderful sculpture






And again it is a Roman Soldier we notice most.  This time one killing babies at Herod's command





Other sculptures are similarly crafted

Barcelona - 4 Restaurants

Eventually all Beeby Blogs default to restaurants!

After our Parc Guell visit, the 4 of us (George and Josie; Liz and Dick) went to a charming restuarant for lunch near the Picasso Museum - Neu Celler.  The conversation flowed and we forgot to take pictures of the meal.  We did however get a snap of Liz at the door.  It has traditional tapas, very friendly service and reasonable main dishes (including a delicious seafood paella Liz reports)




The previous day Liz enlisted the help of a cyber buddy (Kirsten) to take our English guests on a tour of the Boqueria.  We had a great time there and eventually ended up with Kirsten leading us to a favourite restaurant of hers called Mam i Teca (an old Catalan expression meaning Food and Drink).  Very unassuming street appearance disguised some wonderful food (from a tiny kitchen), an incredible scotch collection and a Dutch owner who made us very welcome










We ordered one of everything and shared.  Much fun was had by all - and we've been back!

We have become quite infatuated with the Barcelona lifestyle - stroll around, have a few tapas, stroll some more, more tapas, more strolling....it works for us!  And the Catalans eat dinner so late that we're in bed before the Maitre D's are cracking open the reservations book!

Paco Meralgo

Paco Meralgo is a high end tapas bar (often compared to Cal Pep) - businessmen customers, knowledgeable staff and some refined tapas served in a modern setting - much like a good sushi bar

Started with deep fried eggplant and Catalan tomato bread

Followed up with superb razor clams, sardines with peppers and garlic shrimps

Then some croquettes and regional preserved meats

The real delight was foie gras.  The Spanish cook it a little more than the French - much to our taste.  We were so intent on eating we forgot to take a picture!

We closed with the perfect dessert. The couple sitting next to us at the bar suggested that the one thing we had missed was the tuna carpaccio.  It was the perfect ending to an excellent meal



Les Quatro Gats - the Four Cats

There's a very old restaurant in our neighbourhood - famous as a place where Picasso used to hang out.  It's traditional, charming, relaxes and not too touristy in February although we can't vouch for that in July



We started with a selection of vegetable pates and a potato/salt cod pancake





Mains were fish with garlic and a brochette of beef.





Good solid traditional food nicely prepared in a historic location - set menu only - above (2 courses including wine and water - so they lost money on us) was 19E