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Although our flight was delayed by 30 mins due to traffic
congestion at Changi, our pilot made good time to land us at Paris on schedule.
The second leg to Barcelona was smooth & saw us landing in near perfect
weather. Sunny skies & a cool 16 C welcomed us to Spain's Olympic city
of Barcelona.
Tip: Currently the best deal to visit Barcelona is with Air France. |
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Among the many transport options available to us, we decided
to opt of a RENFE train ride into the city centre. The price of 350 pts
(S$3.50) was reasonable. The ride was quick & comfortable, bringing
us to Barcelona Sants (Main Railway Station) & Placa de Catalunya, in
the city's centre. We got off at Placa de Catalunya & took a long walk
to the Metro line for Liceu in the centre of La Rambla.
Tip: Travel light, Go PUBLIC. |
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While searching for our accomodation in Barcelona, particularly
within the La Ramblas area, we found several good comments on Hotel Condal
from the internet, however we were not able to confirm our reservation via
internet reservation services, neither the local travel agent. We decide
to call the hotel direct, and managed to get our room confirm from Luis,
one of the front desk staff. It turn out to be a great reward , Although
Hotel Condal is small, ( anyway most hotels in this area are small ), friendly
staff, local ambiance, very clean room, it even has a safe deposit box and
color/cable television in the room. Location is simply great. It is the
true center of the La Rambla.
Tip: Call Luis Tel: 34 9 33 18 18 82 |
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Wasting no time, after freshening up, we quickly left the
lovely Hotel, to get on to THE La Rambla for some FOOD, Yes, we are very
hungry, it is 7 pm Singapore time, and we didn't even have lunch yet. La
Ramblas has everything you need - food, drinks, tapas, bar, cafe, people
watching, etc.
Tip: Insist on staying at the La Rambla. |
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There are many squares within the La Rambla area, while wondering
around, we came to Placa del Pi, a very small square, and Bryan ( Remie's
Junior was caught up with 30 + pigeons, Remie joined in and taught Bryan
a few tricks of how to " Catch Bird ".
Tip: Have leftover bread for the birds. |
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Hi! Join us for our first Cava!! Mercat de la Boqueria, a
fresh produce market right in the centre of the La Rambla area. Fresh fruits,
fresh seafood, fresh vegetables were all beautifully arrayed to capture
our attention. But first out, it was for our first meal in Barcelona &
in Spain. Caffe Univercial is located within this electic market, serving
fresh seafood, Jamon Serrano (Serrano ham leg on-the-bone) and other Catalan/Spanish
delicacies. We delved into baby clams, bamboo clams, Jamon, of course, grilled
sole, pimentos (red peppers), asparagus grilled & drenched in olive
oil & tomato rice. These were enjoyably washed down with Cava (Spanish
Sparkling Wine), white wine & red wine, all served by-the-glass for
275 pts (S$2.75) each.
Tip: Drink Cava in Barcelona. |
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These are the two very friendly young men - Josep & Miguel
- from the Cafe Universal at the Mercat de la Boqueria displaying the wines
that we enjoyed in just one sitting!!!
Tip: Simply enjoy the house wine. |
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Thus, replenished & invigorated, we toured the array
of strawberries, figs, cherries, pineapples, plums, peaches, apricots &
many others totally new to us. The fishmongers, unfortunately, were about
done but the variety was good, too. The highlight must be the rich array
of seasoned & aged meats & sausages displayed attractively in each
stall. Here is one of the most attractive & popular, with a "Cold
Storage" range of cheeses to boot!!
Tip: Fruit buying in these markets - point but do not touch - shop around
for the best prices, fresh figs were sold from 299 pts to 699 pts per
kilo, so don't rush your purchases. |
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After a good walk around, hunting for mineral water, we chanced
into this "minimart" shop along a side street. It turned out to
be a gourmet shop selling a great selection of 'jamon' (ham on-the-bone),
cheese & wine. We noticed several businessmen enjoying wine & charcuterie.
We could not resist the delectable offerings & quickly join in with
a recommneded bottle of Catalan red wine (975 pts). We added on a plate
of marinated achovies, salted cod, mini eggplants, artichokes & stuffed
olives. The bill came to 2,000 pts, including our 9 litres of mineral water
& a jar of preserved peaches.
Tip: Look out for quiet lanes & side streets for the best deals. |
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