Te amo Barcelona

Whatever you do, you mustn’t confuse Spanish cuisine with Mexican cuisine. I love salsa, quesadillas and margaritas as much as the next person, but in Spain, you get paella, churros and sangria – three equally as succulent indulgences.  Three amigas and I ventured into exotic Barcelona for a long weekend, and had a blast eating and dancing our way through the city.

If you’ve been to Paris, you’ll appreciate the following analogy. Champs Elysees : Paris :: Las Ramblas : Barcelona. Shops, restaurants and tons of people fill this main street, which was a fantastic introduction to the bustling city. Our first stop on Las Ramblas was naturally a tapas bar! In traditional Spanish culture, tapas are consumed when people wake up from their afternoon siesta, and these small bites are meant to hold you until dinner (which isn’t until 10 or 11pm!) After eyeing the large selection, I chose to start with a modest portion of Mussels. This turned into many more small plates, including Chorizo Croquettes, Baguettes topped with Manchego cheese, and Tomato, Onion and Feta salad. Not to mention of course, Sangria!

At breakfast, freshly squeezed orange juice is the perfect drink to rejuvenate one for a long day of trekking around Barcelona. Tortillas de papas is most likened to an omelet or quiche - potatoes, eggs and spices fill a pie crust. Croquettes filled with chorizo and gooey cheese serve as your side, and, sticking with traditional European breakfasts, plenty of bread is served. If you're looking for something to quench your thirst after a hot day on Playa San Miguel, La Boqueria is a busy, enormous market where fresh fruits and juices are widely available. Or you can opt for the most delicious mojito you’ve ever had – fresh lime and mint are the star ingredients.

After a long day of beaching and shopping, we were ready for a traditional Spanish dinner at El Rey de La Gamba (The King of the Prawn.) Champagne Sangria was not as delightful as red Sangria, but our appetizers of Tomato Bread and Grilled Octopus whet our appetites nicely for the main event: PAELLA. Saffron-infused rice is served in a large, scorching-hot skillet, with every seafood variety imaginable. Prawns, shrimp, squid, octopus and eel swam all throughout the dish, with roasted red peppers and lima beans too! A serving for 3 people was easily enough for 5.

To our disappointment, we didn’t stumble across any churros stands (a traditional Spanish treat), but we found the next best thing: CARAMEL WAFFLES. It’s as simple as it sounds: each square of a perfectly golden brown waffle is filled with a luscious caramel sauce. (We consumed these while running to catch a cab to take us back to the airport. I'm sure it was a humorous site.) Our three days flew by, but Barcelona was kind to us, and we enjoyed the glorious weather, sites and cuisine!