Spain Day 14
Barcelona
April 26, 2011
My 30th birthday is over with, the sun is out, and shops are open! What a great day! Since we had purchased a 2 day ticket for the double decker bus, we were very much looking forward to doing the full loop and cover anything we missed yesterday, along with getting off at Montjuic to ride the Gondola to the top of the mountain where the Castello Monjuic provides ultimate fortification for the city. This fort overlooking the Deep Blue Mediterranean, its beaches and the Metropolis of Barcelona was AJ’s favorite spot for sure. He was giddy about the giant cannons that guarded the fortress and the dense stone walls that were meters thick. It was apparently an extremely “Rad” castle. The views we beheld from its vantage point definitely could not be rivaled. We would recommend a panoramic camera lens to anyone visiting this site.
With the Barcelona sun lighting up the coast, our next stop would be the Olympic Beach. This beautiful beachfront has it all: pristine parkway for pedestrians, sandy beaches speckled with Spaniards laying out and playing volleyball, modern sculptures (of course!), and a dock lined with two-story seafood restaurants with fabulous views and possibly the best deals on Paella in the world. We sat down at one of these said restaurants at a nice patio table when one of the friendly English speaking servers explained to us that we could get three courses for 10 Euro! We kept reconfirming with him that we understood the deal correctly: “Only 10 Euro?” we kept repeating… “for three courses?”… and not just any three courses either! When the server delivered the first course, our eyes popped out of our heads at the quantity of food: Fried Sardines, a massive iron pot of steamed mussels, and a gorgeous spring salad with a huge white asparagus spear and plenty of other delectable fresh veggies to put a smile on my face. Remember this was only the first course! When the second course arrived, AJ just about had a heart attack. We were brought a pan of Paella that could feed a small army! We knew going into this that three courses of anything would be more than we were hungry for at lunchtime, but this was oodles more than we had bargained for. We finished off the meal with two servings of Catalan Crème. 10 Euro per person! TEN EURO PER PERSON!!! Did I mention also that a bottle of wine (choice of white, red, rose, or sangria), bottled water, and coffee were also included in the 10 Euro deal? Seriously. We sat on the dock patio, gorged ourselves on Catalan Seafood, and chatted with a charming couple from Ireland at our neighboring table, and had a perfect afternoon lunch.
After lunch we were in dire need of a calorie burning activity. What could be a better choice than some heavy duty shopping?!? We hopped on the double decker bus for a ride through the historic Gothic Quarter and made our way back to Plaza Catelunya and La Rumbla which was today bustling because all the stores were now open as were banks… so naturally people were excited to have access to their cash and even more excited to have a myriad of ways to spend it. We ventured into a shoe store… or shoe emporium rather… with an array of shoes so vast we thought we may never make it out of the store. From here, we launched into an evening of heavy duty shopping, with the goal of securing our favorite bits of Barcelona style for safekeeping. The vibrant colors, bold patterns and quirky modern design that define Barcelona art and architecture translate directly to their textiles and fashion. We were officially in love with the Barcelona fashion scene and we have made absolute sure to bring home an example of our favorites to show off in the Ogden streets. Once we had compiled our maximum carrying capacity of shopping bags, we hopped on a bus to head back to the B-hotel to freshen up for dinner. 
Dinner was at Pura Brasa. This restaurant has a display in their windows to make a stuffed man’s mouth water. Colorful jars of pesto, bottles of wine, pasta, sweets and meats adorn the entire glass perimeter of the restaurant. The interior of the restaurant is every bit as bright and exciting as the windows. We enjoyed the Pork roasts hanging from hooks in the ceiling as we entered. We loved the open kitchen and the quirky upright menus that were delivered to the table along with the wine list that was presented on an actual magnum wine bottle. We loved that the only beer they offered was a local Spanish beer that was deliciously malty. But what we loved the most was our mouthwatering food. We ordered a beef steak dish that was plated on a hot stone and had excellent smoky flavor from their special live grills. We also ordered a whitefish that was prepared to perfection with caramelized onions and white beans. This establishment had been created by someone with serious zeal for presenting an entertaining and tasty dining experience. All five senses were very happy tonight! A great “Farewell to Barcelona” dinner.
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