Free Man in Barcelona: February 2014

February 28, 2014

By Christopher C. Ado

If you ever planned a trip to a major city the majority of the time guide books, people, and tour groups will only take you to the major tourist destinations and you will go on to the next city. However with my entire trip dedicated to the city of Barcelona I decided to take the advise of my co-worker and visit the mountains of Montserrat. After visiting monastery at the Santa Maria de Montserrat I can say a visit to Barcelona without seeing Montserrat will be a missed opportunity to see one of the most beautiful monasteries I have seen. It is away from the busy city and is elevated 1,236 meters above sea level. During my visit the winds up off and on but once inside it was worth the cold weather.

The morning started off as usual with a pastry and cafe but instead of cafe de leche I ordered a hot chocolate. Lesson learn. Stick to the cafe de leche. The croissant next is not just a chocolate croissant but inside is filled with Nutella.

The following pictures below are from Montserrat but one picture will get a more detailed description and that is the picture of the Virgin of Montserrat.

The Entrance into Montserrat Monastery

The Virgin of Montserrat overlooks the entire cathedral during daily mass. Known as Black Madonna and it is believed to be carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the Church.

Now all this walking and sitting in a bus of course made me hungry and one only has to go the Mercat de Sant Josep/ La Boqueria to find your lunch. Open six days a week from 8AM to 6PM with a variety of different fast food restaurants but by fast food I do not mean McDonalds. They are vendors who buy food from the market and cook it for your lunch or dinner. Case in point my scallops for lunch.

Here are my scallops before the food vendor cook them.

Below is the final product. DELICIOUS

And for dessert Macaroons

February 27, 2014,

The ingredients for the Spanish dish Paella are simple:

1 yellow or white onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 whole chicken or 8 drumsticks or thighs
1 1/2 lbs pork loin (fat trimmed), cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 lb calamari (squid)
1 - 1 1/2 lbs medium grain or "bomba" rice
4-6 cups fish broth (or chicken broth if unavailable)
1 large pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 lbs raw mussels in shell (frozen or fresh)
1 lb small clams (frozen or fresh)
1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, medium or large - shell on
1 sweet red bell pepper
1 10 oz. pkg frozen peas
Spanish olive oil, salt to taste

However in California there is only place that I can say the Paella was excellent and that was at the Pamplemousse Grille in San Diego and they only serve it during the summer season. According to the locals Thursdays are designed for paella and as the old adage says "When in Rome Do What the Romans Do." Before the food pictures the morning began with another trip to one of Gaudi's works, La Pedrea (the Stone Quarry). What makes this apartment block worth seeing is the roof top where not only you can witness some amazing views of the city line of Barcelona but some fascinating structures he built.

Instead of my traditional pastry with coffee I decided to stick with the coffee but get a quiche. This is my normal morning. Planning out my visits while eating breakfast.

Inside the apartment towers of La Pedrera

One of the many pictures from the roof of La Pedrea

The next two pictures give a great view of how tall the Sagrada Famila

I love this picture below. Gaudi created this structure topping it with the number of wine bottle he drank creating this structure.

Gaudi got his inspiration for his structures in his buildings through human body and animals.

Right in the heart of the busy shopping street, Passeig de Gracia, is another of Gaudi's buildings.

The restaurant that I was eagerly waiting to eat Paella was not open until 1PM for lunch so I decided to walk around and found the Barcelona Cathedral. For those waiting for the food pictures I promise that will be next.

If you are trying to count calories in Barcelona I have one piece of advise. Just stay home. How can you turn down one of those delicious pastries.

In Front of the Barcelona Cathedral

Now the pictures of the paella. Everything about Restaurant 7 Portes was superb. Now I know some will say that "Hey Chris there are other places in Barcelona that serve Paella that is cheaper." My response is do you want to have Paella at a place that serves Pizza and Salad on the same menu or a restaurant that specializes in the dish? No more typing I will let the pictures of the food do the talking.

Monkfish Soup. The purpose of this soup is the broth use serves as an excellent dipper for the bread. ALWAYS complement your meal with a glass of the house red wine.