All things Spanish - Beautiful Barcelona
I landed in Barcelona after a short flight from Brussels. The evening balmy wind brushed my skin as we walked through the narrow streets of downtown Barcelona for a quick night tour. I liked the energy and buzz of the place, even at nightfall, the bars were alive with locals chilling out at bars for tapas and cocktails. This was "dian xi" or small eats with pre-dinner drinks.
After a few more rounds of tapas, we were ready for real food, in which i meant the "main course". Situated away from touristic downtown, Bar Betlem, is a small bistro with a short menu ( which often translates to be a good restaurant ). Eating communal style, our hosts ordered portions of pulpo ( octopus ), tartare on crispy toasts, House special omelette, tender slivers of steak and potatoes. We shared a round of desserts: Souffle & Wild pear with sour cream and a glazed Carrot crumble with coconut creme. The individual flavors are standard but it is the clever combination of these flavors that made each dessert unique. |
| freshly squeezed OJ |
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and historical sites and set away from the crowded touristic areas. At first sight I was disappointed as the hotel lobby was small, with a single elevator and a single receptionist manning the lobby. Yet this is a historical building, once part of a larger palace, built in 1870. The pictures on the hotel's website showed a grander and much larger lobby. The rooms weren't large but had the important amenities like a fridge, coffee maker, a safe. The smallness of the lobby was made up by the beautifully appointed breakfast room. It was definitely instagram-worthy. I love the breakfast buffet spread with choices of gluten-free breads, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, nuts, grains and a choice of full, skimmed, half-full milk. There were also almond milk, oat milk and horchata de chufa. The fruit conserves were home-made and simply delicious.
I cannot linger too long at breakfast as much as i would have liked to. Nonetheless La Rambla awaits and there's much to see. Here i learned a trick that no travel blogger ever cautioned: Know your East-West orientations and never walk eastwards in the mornings as the rising sun will blind you.
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| Original Ensaimada |
I stopped by the flower stalls along La Ramblas and another public market, La Boqueria that sells jambon Serrano, Iberico etc., cheese, nuts, fruits, even chocolates. There were more tourists than locals who come here.I zipped inside a bakery called Mauri, to taste the original Ensaimada ( a kind of brioche) with a dusting of icing sugar on top. Out of sheer curiosity, I bought a piece but I'll have to admit that the Pinoy version is much more decadent with its salty sweet taste of grated cheese and castor sugar.
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| Churros con Chocolate |
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| Familia Sagrada |
Then there is Gaudi's Barcelona, another face of Barcelona that I never knew. The works of Antonio Gaudi is simply out of this world, ethereal, surreal. The unfinished Familia Sagrada is perhaps his greatest monumental legacy ever.
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| Monument of Colombus |
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| Antonio Gaudi |
At the lower end of La Rambla, there stands the Colombus Monument, he seems to be pointing East. Any guesses?
I walked along the sunny promenade to Port Vell, a spacious park where people walk their dogs next to the many luxury yachts anchored there.
For many people, this is definitely a place in the sun.
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