The Olympics, architecture, sunshine, food and football – I’ve been meaning to visit Barcelona for too many years. But this year I finally booked a ticket and arrived in this vibrant city.

From the fascinating narrow streets and lanes to Gaudi’s colourful buildings and the smart Marina, Barcelona has something to offer everyone, especially the foodies amongst us. The guidebook took us to La Rambla, a long street packed with street entertainers, tourists and touts – by night it’s an experience, as everyone jostles for a piece of the show. By day, it’s a calmer, more pleasant place and a great spot to wander and stop for a coffee. And it’s just off this street that you will find Barcelona’s ‘gem’. Undiscovered by many on La Rambla , Mercat de la Boqueria is a food lover’s dream.

If you a Borough Market fan – this is a ‘must-visit’ for you. Named as ‘Europe’s biggest food fair’, La Boqueria market is bursting with fruit, vegetables, spices, bread, meat and, literally, tonnes of fresh fish. This is the Chelsea Flower Show of food markets, as each stall is a more elaborate display than the next. Even the lady selling the biggest selection of penny sweets I’d seen, took painstaking care to ensure each individual sweet was perfectly presented.

Mingle with chefs in whites, business men picking up a bite to eat, housewives and arty types all bustling around the stalls, as you make the hard decision of what to buy. My advice is get their early, soak up the atmosphere, then take a stool at one of the stalls that offer cooked food – believe me, you’ll be there for hours.

Jen

Tags: Barcelona, La Boqueria, La Rambla

This entry was posted on Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 11:15 am and is filed under Drink, Food, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.