To me, Barcelona is about humble indulgence, if there is such a thing. Its been about 4 or 5 years since I've been to Barcelona but I went back for a few days last week. My first experience with the city was kind of ... distracted. Being there brought back a random concoction of memories that had since been put aside, not really forgotten. For some reason, the hallway leading to the room my friend and I were staying in, the incessant noise of Las Rambla coming through the tall windows in our room, wandering around the narrow winding streets of the Gothic quarter, the fight with an old Italian flame by the ATM machine near La Boqueria, sitting on the steps looking out over the harbour, sitting in the Gaudi park overlooking the city. The Gaudi and Picasso influences add a certain quirkiness to the city's aesthetic, and thats not to undermine any of it, particularly the huge undertaking of building the Sagrada Familia. Tons to discover in the Gothic quarter if you can put a day aside to get yourself lost back there. Anyway, as everyone knows, I want to talk about the food...1) Tapas anywhere at any time of the day but especially good at Bar Lobo and Cal Pep 2) Go to the more working class areas away from the tourist district for a basket of fresh bread, overripe tomatoes and garlic..rub the garlic on the bread until it dissolves then put the overripe tomatoes on top and thats it 3) up by the mountains is a castle-like place where you sit and have big metal dishes brought out to you with all kinds of meat on the bone sticking out (would obviously make some vegies hurl but great if you like meat) 4) La Boqueria .... so much food it made my head spin, but that could have been the party from the night before
