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Barcelona, Day 2

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Our tapas tour today was excellent, and we shouldn’t need another bite today!  Our guide, Carolina, was very congenial and knowledgeable about the area.  We first went to La Bodegueta, a tapas place since 1942. Since it was shortly after noon, they weren’t yet offering any hot dishes, but we enjoyed olives, manchego cheese, and pan con tomate (not shown) with a glass of Cava. Then we walked quite a way down La Rambla de Catalunya, a beautiful old street lined with lime trees featuring shops with lovely homes above them, all built in the 1880s. The second restaurant was Ciutat Comtal, a very nice place that doesn’t take reservations. Luckily, we got right in, with a nice table.  Pictured below are eggplant chips drizzled with honey—SO good! They were probably my overall favorite of all the tapas, and I don’t eat much eggplant!  More pan de tomate is beside that dish.  Garlic shrimp were also delicious. Broiled octopus was a favorite of Charlie, and I had a “polite bite.” The pulled oxta
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Barcelona, Day 1

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We disembarked about 8:30, and the process went smoothly, despite long lines for passport checks. Our driver was waiting for us when we emerged with our luggage, and we were heading to the hotel by 9:00. We dropped our bags there and went out to explore a bit. There are very high end stores (like Chanel) that, needless to say, we didn’t enter. Our hotel is over a huge bookstore, where I hope to spend more time, and almost across the street from the Casa Batlló, designed by Antoni Gaudi the famous architect. It’s the whimsical one shown below.  We stopped for coffee and snacks, and later for lunch when rain chased us into a sidewalk cafe.  We had sangria and an Aperol spritz, then a very good salad and pizza.  Our guide, Nestor, picked us up at the hotel for a walking tour. He was excellent, tailoring the tour to our walking speed and abilities. He took us through a fancy department store that was formerly the home of an elite Barcelona family, and this fireplace was quite something. I’
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The Flavors of Valencia

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We arrived in Valencia about 11:00 this morning (Wednesday)    There was just one bus of about 45 people this time. We had another excellent guide, thank goodness. After about a 20 minute ride, we stopped near a huge market, “the largest in Spain,” and were let loose to walk through it, with a stern warning about rampant pickpockets. It was really crowded, so we bailed and found a cafe for a glass of wine.  Our meeting spot was in front of a candy shop, so what could I do? I bought two kinds of caramel (chocolate and rose), as well as a bag of “chocolate olives.” They were chocolate covered almonds in olive colors. The shop girl let us sample a few things, too.  Below is a photo of the market building, and there has been a large market here since the 1200s.  We went two places for tapas, first to a cellar with walls built in Roman times. We didn’t get a pic, but the tapas were tasty, especially the chorizo. The second place is shown below, a private club for the elite, according to our
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Tapas Tour in Málaga

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We arrived in Málaga about the time we awoke this morning. Here’s an early morning view from our balcony.  Today’s excursion was FAR better than the one I complained about in Ponta Delgada. There was just one busload on our trip, and our guides were knowledgeable and pleasant. We first rode up to a high lookout point for a nice view of the port and a bullring.  Then we walked through quite a few pedestrian walkways to get to our first tapas restaurant. They quickly poured our wine, then brought portions of seafood paella and roasted peppers, both delicious. The weather was perfect, in the low 70s, with a breeze. I quickly shed my denim jacket. We failed to take pictures of any of the tapas—sorry! The jacaranda trees are in full bloom and just breathtaking! The next tapas place was another several blocks away, but it was excellent. Here’s the entrance.  We had more wine, as well as a wedge of a potato-egg casserole served atop a slice of olive bread with plenty of olive oil. Delicious!
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