This time, with my niece and my Sydney-based grandnephew. As expected, it’s the typical drill. Gaudi’s masterpieces, La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia, Ciutat Vella, El Born, the beach, Montjuic and the Palau de la Musica Catalan. The colors of Gaudi’s Barcelona, the food options in Mercat de La Boquería, the chaotic tourist crowd, the vibrant music and sports — all these define Catalan Barcelona. An adequate, if not exuberant introduction to Europe for #aponimamu #withanaccent !
Having arrived mid-morning, we left our bags in the hotel and hit the ground running. Mercat La Boqueria is closed on Sundays but some seafood restaurants deep inside were open for desayuno (breakfast). But we wanted a substantial (!!!) seafood lunch before the Spanish lunch hour. Por supuesto, we had our way. And we were fed adequately and hopped off with jolly bellies. Paella de Marisco, butifarra, pan con tomate, pimientos padron, and patatas bravas made for a good start.
Meant to do a day trip to Girona or Sitges but time wasn’t enough. Gave up on those short trips and instead decided to explore more of Barcelona. Glad over this decision as we found time to visit Palau de la Musica Catalan and spend an early evening at La Barceloneta. Palau deserves more attention, for sure, and the beach is so much better (and more comfortable) during late spring or early summer. What struck me most however is the growing Filipino community here in Barcelona. Our hotel in the Old Town sits across a church apparently frequented by Filipinos. Heard Sunday Mass there where a Filipino priest said Mass and the church is 2/3 full, mostly with Pinoys. And brace yourself, the entire service was in our local language! I was even invited to offer flowers (“Flores de Mayo”) at the end of the service and by the time I stepped out of the church, there was a line of Filipino vendors offering Filipino snacks and other foodstuff. Made me feel like I was home. For a good 1 hour, the only language I heard was Filipino!
Barcelona is a must-destination. It has a different vibe from the rest of Spain. Must be the Catalan flavor. Plus art, music, history, the beach and gastronomy all play so beautifully together in this one destination. Gaudi’s many masterpieces alone should take at least 3 days even if all entry tickets have been pre-booked! Just that the thick tourist crowd can be exhausting, with skilled pickpockets utterly threatening and annoying. They say local residents dislike tourists and make no bones showing their disgust but fortunately we didn’t experience any of this resentment.
lifeisacelebration 