Bar-tha-low-na!

When Christian and I started dating our conversations frequently turned to where in the world we’d like to travel next. It was and continues to be a checklist of sorts. Our common mantra, “What’s left and when can we go?". In the early days, our next up list looked like this: Greece, Spain, and some sort of tropical locale like Bali or Thailand. We managed to make it to Greece in May of 2008 and it remains the best trip either of us has ever been on. It was there we discovered that this pairing we’d been trying out was actually pretty spectacular, probably even perfect.  And that coupling wasn’t just feta cheese and the tastiest tomatoes we’ve ever eaten.  I left the Greek islands knowing a sense of joy that I had never before known.  The only thing better than reliving that trip is reflecting on the years that have grown from it. And what a magnificent time it’s been!

When talk came around to where we’d honeymoon we decided it only made sense to refer back to our original list. We could cross off Thailand and Bali because we knew that with our new geography, we’d get those covered in the next year. That left Spain. We knew we had to pick a location in Spain that we could get to fairly easily all the way from Singapore so we honed in on Barcelona and decided that a road trip through Spain’s culinary North would suit us both just fine. For Christian, this meant lots of time on the open road in a rented convertible with music blaring and for me, well, this meant access to a smorgasbord of all the Spanish culinary delights I could stuff in my beak.  We’d both be in heaven.

BARCELONA
After a 20 hour trek, we landed in Barcelona and headed to our temporary digs. Our lodging for the next couple days is right off La Rambla, a tree-lined pedestrian mall that is pretty touristy. Men painted gold and asking for change almost outnumber the ladies painted silver asking for change. But we're also in very close proximity to the Gothic Quarter and Mercat de La Boqueria, one of the most amazingly abundant and beautiful outdoor markets in the world (and future location of our breakfasts, mid-day snacks, and sometimes even late night snacks).  I believe I’ve mentioned, I really like food. Upon entering, you can grab a fresh squeezed juice, meander the rows and rows of fresh vegetables, fruit, cheese, nuts, meat, and baked goods, then sit down to a typical Barcelonian breakfast - cafe con leche and tortilla de patates, an omelette consisting of potatoes, egg, and onion - pick up some meat and produce for dinner, and top off the occasion with a beer and more pintxos (tapas). I'm certain a better day does not exist.

In Barcelona, you can walk by any bar and spy a spread of snacks so plentiful that you can almost see the marble they’re sitting on sag under their delectable weight. When you’re in Spain, gone is the notion that bar snacks need only be a bag of Lay’s or a giant dill pickle.  This is the land of jamon and cava, people! Afternoons consist of bellying up, sipping a beverage, and choosing from your pick of small delights to quell your peckishness before dinner. Choose from ham and any assortment of sausage, cheese stuffed peppers, peppers stuffed with albacore, goat cheese dusted with ground walnuts, or padron peppers sprinkled with sea salt. All of it curled up on top a square of bread and doused with the best olive oil you've ever eaten and if you so desire, an anchovy. Pile them up, eat away, and when you’re finished, count up your toothpicks and pay the bill.

We spent our days in Barcelona breakfasting at the market where we'd identify a quadrant of the city we'd like to explore that day. On our first outing, we hiked over to La Sagrada Familia, a spectacle of a church designed by Gaudi. This thing has had more facelifts than Joan Rivers. The actual construction of it, which has been ongoing for well over 100 years, is as spectacular as it's ornate carvings, which depict the life of Christ. This thing is so loaded down you're eyes just don't know where to look. We did our best to take it all in, then hopped in a cab to visit the Picasso Museum in El Born, a beautiful neighborhood full of shops and cafes. The collection is impressive, but the medieval palaces the museum is housed in are equally fascinating. You just can't beat European architecture.

After we absorbed some culture, it was time to
refuel. Amazingly, we were able to find Bar Del Pla, a restaurant that came very highly recommended, a few streets away from the museum. It's a casual joint run by two brothers; one who pours seriously good wine out the front and one who churns out simple but delicious food in the back. Our "light" meal consisted of pan con tomate (a local specialty of grilled bread rubbed with tomatoes and garlic, drizzled with olive oil), fried artichokes, padron peppers, seared tuna and figs, and tempura battered squash blossoms. Each dish was gorgeous and could easily be served in any number of fine dining establishments, but the kicker? This is bar food in Spain. Simple, humble even, food made from a handful of fresh ingredients. We spent the meal sipping wine and gushing over the food's beauty and tastiness and left only about $30 poorer. Excellent.

Over the next couple days we zigzagged through Barcelona, taking in hundreds of architectural delights, snacking and feasting on amazing food that was amazingly cheap, and walking the streets of a beautiful Gothic city. A stellar start to our stellar start. Let the honeymoonying begin! But only after we have a few more pintxo's...

To see more of our time in Barcelona, head on over to flickr.