Travels to Catalunya - Introduction

Barcelona, Spain is a popular destination within the rich European landscape for travelers living within and outside the EU. What I experienced in the short time I was there gave me plenty to appreciate, discuss, and reflect upon as an American who just had his entire language, food, and social culture revised by the people, restaurants and attractions of the city. In short, traveling Barcelona altered my paradigm: how I perceive cooking, meals with others, artwork, and social behavior. However, this shift cannot be attributed to Barcelona alone, but to the cultural and physical space of Catalunya, a province and region of Northeastern Spain along the Pyrenees sharing borders with the French Riviera, Valencia, Castile and of course the Mediterranean Ocean. Traveling to small towns and cities outside of Barcelona was a welcomed contrast and helped make the nine-day stay in the area a more developed journey from my culture to theirs. 

I must say this trip could not have been a success without my brother, a chef, speaker of Spanish, and a guy organized enough to make up for my ignorance of the country. Justin and I began casually discussing a trip to Europe, which became a trip to Spain, which became a trip to Barcelona a couple years prior to departing. Thanks to Justin's research, our plan evolved to spend time in not only Barcelona, but Figueres and Cadaques to the north as well. Concluding my introduction and boorish stalling, I will begin my Catalunya story at our arrival in Spain; I will save the details of our transit there as a way to leave you laughing and think about the necessity of going with the flow when you travel, especially abroad.

FYI: This photo was taken shortly after notification we would actually get a flight to Spain the night we were scheduled. Get me the heck outta this terminal!

BARCELONA

Our flight arrived in Barcelona and we made our way by bus from the airport to our apartment on Las Ramblas. A short walk from the bus stop to our apartment was not too bad considering the jet lag. Although completely tired, our curiosity kept us going and we stayed out late experiencing the restaurants, merchants, and nightlife. If you stay near Las Ramblas, expect to hear commotion and loud music into the wee hours of the morning; In short, you might as well stay up late with the locals.

LA BOUQUERIA

La Bouqueria perches along La Ramblas and is an overwhelming aggregate of produce, cheese, meat, and prepared food stalls that go on and on. You may strike out on what you are looking for or the quality you want a couple times when you first visit, but as you become familiar with the market, you will find and return to the best vendors available and sample some of the finest food for cheap. You can always stop and get a bite to eat too if you want a snack before you head back to your apartment to cook. Don't forget to pick up fresh breads and seasonal fruits and vegetables; most of it will come cheap and will be of great quality.

 

This was a seafood dish from one of the many prepared food vendors in La Bouqueria

Razor Clams - These were a bit chewy and overcooked, but they have a deep and distinct briney-nuttiness that pairs great with Estrella, the cheap beer of Spain.

 

LA PARRA

La Parra provides some of the most authentic Catalan food we experienced on our trip. The meal began with fresh bread and salad plates accompanied with Catalan red, then servings of lamb chops and and thick cut steak from cattle raised in France. We of course ended the meal with coffee, tea and a refreshing mango sorbet, something I rarely take time for when I eat at a restaurant in the US. We had dinner from about 9:30 pm to 11:45 pm; expect to eat slow, talk, and savor every dinner in Catalunya. This is one of the most important cultural experiences Americans can adopt because we all know we could have more meetings at the dinner table and could all afford to eat, converse and enjoy life a bit slower.

 

La Parra - This restaurant was off the beaten path and we never would have found it had we not sparked up some conversation with a local Catalan and asked about recommended spots.