We've been having intermittent internet issues the past two days, so sorry for the delay in posting (also, as a result, this post is very long; I wrote half of it yesterday and half today). Additionally, Blogger is still being crappy and not letting me include any photos, so you'll just have to check out my Barcelona album on Picasa. Sorry for the inconvenience!
July 4 (happy birthday to my sister!), in brief: Breakfast on the patio, food shopping at la Boqueria (on La Rambla), lunch on the patio, metro to Parc Guell (the reason I mention the metro here is that we've been able to walk everywhere else, so it was fun and exciting to be able to take the metro), fixed dinner at home and ate on the patio (it seriously never gets old), and then had a late-night sweet fix at the Italian gelato place a three-minute walk away that sells vegan gelato and sorbet.
The long version: Barcelona is home to what is arguably Europe's most famous food market, la Boqueria, located just off La Rambla. Because it's so close, and because I obviously lurrrve food, la Boqueria was definitely on my "to see" list. It was very sensory-overload, what with all the vivid sights, intense smells, people bustling and chattering, and display cases clanging. I got a small head of red cabbage and a huge "corazon" tomato (both for dinner that night), as well as a small tray of fresh berries that I ate as I was walking around. I had a quick LOL as I passed by two clearly American teenagers (and no, it wasn't the "Glen River High SENIORS 2011!!" t-shirt that gave it away) who were disgustedly holding their noses as they walked through the market. In the meat and fish vendors' display cases -- which, believe me, I would have avoided if I could -- there were several things I found extremely disturbing, like [[potential trigger warning]] entire baby pigs and whole, skinned rabbit carcasses. Most of them still had their eyes, but, grotesquely, some were missing one or both. After my initial visceral shock, it was all I could do to wipe away the first few tears and try to hold it together on the way to the vegetable vendors. I am constantly reminded why I do not eat animals. That rabbit with red eyes? She had white fur.
It started to rain on the way home from the Boqueria, so I ran inside quickly and opted for lunch in. It only rained for about half an hour, so afterwards we went to Parc Guell, my favorite place in all of Barcelona (and which some of you might recognize from a few scenes in the movie L'Auberge espagnole). The best feature in Parc Guell is the serpentine bench, which, while made entirely of stone, concrete, and mosaic tiles, is quite possibly the most comfortable bench in the world. Apparently, Gaudi had his workers sit on the bench as it was being constructed so that they could tell him which shape and configuration was most comfortable. The next best thing about Parc Guell is, obviously, the view of the city, which is breathtakingly stunning. I took lots of photos, of course; but in places like that, even the best camera is a pitiful substitute for human experience. Try as you might to capture the panoramic views, you can never quite capture that sense of overwhelming awe you feel as you stand there, perched on a rock, taking in this city that is literally thousands of years older than your country.
I snagged a block of tofu from the HFS on my way home to fix with the cabbage and tomatoes I got at la Boqueria for dinner. I need to bring my camera the next time I go to the HFS so I can show you guys just how amazingly extensive their selection of tofu, tempeh, seitan, and soy yogurt is.
At 23:45, we ran over to the Italian gelato place and got some dessert. It makes me so happy that I can get vegan gelato so close to the apartment, AND at midnight on a Monday! Amazing.
July 5, in brief: Breakfast on patio, walked around El Born, lunch at a vegan restaurant called Gopal, walked through Plaza Catalunya again and up into a neighborhood in Eixample called Gracia. Leftovers for dinner.
The long version: I took one of my Barcelona guidebooks and went on a walk around El Born today after breakfast. El Born is a "hip" neighborhood located between the Via Laietana and the Parc de la Ciutadella -- so another place within a few minutes' walking distance from our apartment. It's a small district with great shops, cafes, squares, a huge market, a library, and a cathedral or two thrown in for good measure. I would totally live in El Born! The streets are mostly pedestrian, as they are in the Barri Gotic, but they're wider and give the area a much more bright and open feeling. There are also more trees, and the whole vibe is much more open and relaxed than the dark, cramped streets of the Barri Gotic. So if you want to rent an apartment in Barcelona and stay in an amazing neighborhood and be close to everything, find a place in El Born.
For lunch, I went to Gopal, the third vegan restaurant within walking distance of the apartment. It took me about four minutes to get there. The restaurant is extremely small (maybe the size of my parents' closet?), but the food was quite good. Amazingy, they've managed to fit a few tables and a bar inside, which were all taken when I ordered my food. So I got my order to go, and then, of course, a seat opened up. I didn't feel like making the trek back up to the apartment (it's a sixth-floor walk-up, 98 steps) carrying all that food, so I grabbed the seat but felt like a total asshole sitting there and eating out of my to-go containers. Sigh. I also didn't take any photos of the food because I felt like the containers really detracted from the presentation. But regardless, it was delicious, filling, and inexpensive. They also had a huge case of cakes, pastries, muffins, and cinnamon buns! I couldn't leave without snagging a piece of chocolate mousse/ganache cake, which I ate later that afternoon as a snack. ;)
Before dinner, I decided to go on another guided walk (courtesy of my book) through a different district, this time the neighborhood of Gracia in Eixample. Apparently, Gracia was a totally separate village that became part of Barcelona in 1897 -- and it definitely feels that way. There are great little squares everywhere, and the buildings aren't as tall. Gracia felt a little bit like the Montmartre area in Paris.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I did a tiny bit of shopping while I was walking along Carrer de la Argenteria in El Born in the morning. I stopped in a store called Desigual (I'd never heard of it before, but it's everywhere here, so apparently it's kind of a Big Deal), and I got the most fabulous black and white dress!
Speaking of clothes, I know some of my readers are curious as to what people are wearing over here. I can only speak for Barcelona since it's the only city we've been to so far, but here's what I'm seeing:
- Shoes: For women, almost everyone is wearing flat, strappy sandals that are open over the toes but have some kind of fabric covering the heel area. Most dudes are wearing sleek loafers or very streamlined athletic shoes (think Pumas, not Nikes).
- Hair: I'm seeing a lot of asymmetrical, razored haircuts (both short and long) on women. Bangs are pretty common, either cut completely straight across or razored high up on the forehead, and sometimes a combination of both. On men, I'm seeing a lot of modified mowhawks, shaved on the sides with a wide swath of hair, about 2-3" long, from forehead to nape. I'm also seeing quite a few mullets on guys, although the style doesn't seem to be as ubiquitous as it was in 2005 when I lived in Valencia.
- Clothing: On women, I'm seeing mainly black, gray, ivory, and mauve, as well as lots of ruffles, loose-fitting/flowy tank tops and vests, fitted tube tops, skirts of all varieties, and dresses of all lengths. Surprsingly, I'm seeing a lot of MC Hammer-style "harem" pants on women, usually in some kind of print. I'm not seeing a lot of leggings but instead some lightweight denim pants (in bright colors) that are very fitted in the leg. People tend to pull these pants down over their heels, almost to the soles of their shoes. On guys, I'm seeing lots of slim-fitting v-neck shirts with equally slim manpris or short shorts (there seems to be no in-between) made out of some poly/nylon parachute fabric. Everything feels very urban, piecemeal, and somewhat wrinkled, ripped, or distressed in some way.
- Accessories: I'm seeing lots of watches in bright colors with big faces. Necklaces are long and worn in multiples, and they fit in with the urban piecemeal/distressed theme. Surprisingly, I haven't seen a lot of people wearing sunglasses. But of the ones I have seen, Wayfarers aren't really big here; most people wearing them are Americans. The sunglasses I'm seeing on native Barcelonins are generally large and have bright-colored frames. A few people are wearing loose-weave, cotton, summery scarves. Some people are wearing Fidel-style hats turned slightly to the side, but for the most part it's kind of too hot for hats right now in Barcelona.
- Also of note: Only Americans are wearing t-shirts, athletic shoes like Nikes, TOM'S, any kind of collared shirt, and/or any kind of khakis. If you want to look like a native Barcelonin, just wear your wrinkliest piece of clothing and pair it with something ripped that's either black or doesn't match AT ALL. Then put a black belt over it and then a ratty, flowy rag of a vest that hardly stays on you. Wear flat sandals or sleek loafers, and BAM! Instantly Barcelonized.
Today I'm off to the Boqueria again to take some photos because I forgot my camera last time. I think I might also go to the city history museum, which has the most complete subterranean Roman ruins anywhere in the world. Exciting!
Tomorrow afternoon, we say goodbye to Barcelona and fly to Zurich. So I probably won't be posting until we arrive there. I hope you all have a great Wednesday and Thursday!
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