Last weekend I had the pleasure of joining fellow blogger and friend, Monigue Rubin to Barcelona. This visit was not the first for either of us, so we looked for off the beaten path, less traditional opportunities for adventure. We did not tour Barcelona via the double-decker bus, as we both had in the past, and although we did stroll up and down Las Ramblas from our lovely hotel, Hotel Bagues, we also both relished in the discovery of some local recommendations from a couple of Monique’s colleagues.  As is the case with many big cities, there is simply too much to see and do in one visit,  and often times the surprise find, will come from an unexpected place and time.

5.  La Boqueria: Our Saturday morning stroll through this covered, but open air food market is a feast for all the senses.

Candy & Nuts as ART

The colorful displays of fruit and vegetables arranged as towers of mangos, pears, apples, avocados vie for attention. Candies, dried fruits and nuts appear as a rainbow of color to entice, not just with the smells, but also the visual display of texture and color. Each stall uses their own artistic flair to display the otherwise redundant products for sale. Whether it be the unique stall we visited with a pile of brown and white eggs, olive oils, coffee, honey and pastas or the seafood square with 6-8 stalls of every possible fish, shellfish or squid. This is no ordinary farmers market, but could be a celebration of colors and art as unique as if they were each prepared by Spain’s very own Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso or Antoni Gaudi.  A MUST SEE…the prices were very good, and the market was full of locals picking up needed produce, meats, oils, and sweets.

4.  Fundacio Joan Miro: In all fairness this gem came about a year ago during a short new years visit with my husband,

The Barcelona Series

son and mother who was visiting from the USA. We were staying at a friend’s house in the neighboring seaside village of Sitges and my mother had mentioned wanting to see the Miro museum. (I must preface this with the pertinent fact that my mom is an art history buff, and as we were only on vacation for a few days, my immediate reaction was to suggest we drop her off). But because I now live in The Hague and my mom in the Pacific Northwest, I don’t have as much time with her as I would like, so my rational side got the better of me and I volunteered to go with her, while Paul and Bailey went to tour the Barca futbol stadium. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement…I loved it. We waited in line for about 15 minutes, but once inside it is an amazing museum not to mention the wide array of mediums representing Miro’s passions. From sculptures, to lithographs to paintings on bronze, he experimented with many forms of art. More importantly his foundation and museum were built to promote young artists, and so many works of art from other artists are on display here. One of my particular favorites was a mercury fountain by an American artist, which is in a glass encased courtyard since the mercury is poisonous. I did the walking audio tour with my mom, and found that the four hours we took to enjoy this contemporary art collection, was a highlight of that trip.

3. Tapas Tasting: while many people, including myself, love tapas (or small plates as they are also known) it was explained

El Xampanet on a Typical Saturday

to us by (local) Carlos that there is an art to this.  I have typically gone to one restaurant and sat for several rounds of tapas, and of course wine. Carlos guided us on Saturday afternoon through several neighborhoods  in old Barcelona, and then we stopped at El Xampanyet in El Born, a charming, crowded typical tapas bar. It has been there since 1929, and when we arrived it was standing room only. The two brothers at the bar offered us a smile and a glass of Cava, along with Catalan bread and sliced meat. (Come to find out later the name of the place means sparkling wine). Carlos then explained to us that the traditional Catalan will visit several tapas places and enjoy the unique specialties and a glass of something before moving on to the next one. So Monique and I made it our plan on Saturday to do as the Catalans do. Not far from there, we visited Set De Gotic, another colorful, crowded tapas bar, where we enjoyed a glass of Rioja and the special meats of this popular place. But after sampling several places, by far our favorite is Bar Lobo. We were told about this place by three different people:  Monique’s friend, Ana, from Vueling Airlines, the concierge at our hotel and after posting a picture and “checking in” (yes…they have free wi-fi) I heard from friends in the US who have a place in Sitges, this is also one of their favorites. The artichoke chips are unbelievable! We liked it so much we went back twice, and if you have been to Barcelona you know this means something since there are a plethora of great restaurants!

2. Segway Touring: As a novice, I was a little bit apprehensive of riding a Segway around Barcelona for 2+ hours, but it

Barcelona Glides Segwaying

was a wonderful way to explore Roman Barcelona, the small streets of the Gothic quarter, the old harbor, the Columbus statue, the royal shipyards, the Ramblas, the Barceloneta, the Born quarter, the beach and the Olympic harbour. . We started out by meeting the owner of Barcelona Segway Glides, Edgar, at Plaza de San Jaime and then walked to his storage/office. He showed us the simplicity of riding, stopping and turning. We spent about 20 minutes getting familiar with our Segway, and then we were off. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to see these areas, without a lot of walking. Given the historical information we learned from Edgar, the views and the unique manner in which we traveled,  it is well worth the 60 euro investment for the 2 1/2 hours. I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor along with his knowledge of Barcelona. When we return, which we will, I will be doing this again with my husband and son.

and my TOP Barcelona Moment, which is the same from all my trips….

1. Roaming The Roman Ruins: the enormous historical perspective gained from getting “lost” behind the Roman walls of

Barri Gotic: The Gothic Quarter

old Barcelona and  the Gothic Quarter is huge. As an American with a paltry 200+ year old history, I cannot help but be engulfed with this sense of insignificance. (We actually started this trip to Barcelona with a quick side trip to the lesser known city of Tarragona about 60 km away. During Roman times, Tarragona far outshone Barcelona in both size and importance. Today, the amphitheatre, aqueduct and many other-not so ruined-ruins  remain impressively intact).  Old Barcelona has many narrow, old alleys and streets filled with cafes, boutiques and galleries. No cars or Segways allowed here, so it is a great place to put the map away and roam as the Romans did…look up, absorb the architecture and try and imagine life 1000 years ago.  For me this is the essence of Barcelona.

Living La Buena Vida in Barcelona. (Thanks Monique!)