Barcelona
Barcelona Part II
08.06.2008
Since our time in Barcelona, Mike and I decided that we would have to return to Barcelona so that we could have lunch "in the market." Although the first time we were there we had lunch from the market (we bought bread and manchego cheese and ate it as we were walking), we didn't technically eat our lunch in the market. While one can purchase all kinds of fresh fruits, seafood, meats and other interesting foods, one can also eat in the market dishes prepared with ingredients directly purchased from the market stalls.
There are about 5 different bars at which one can eat, but the process of sitting down to a meal isn't as easy as one might think. We quickly learned that one doesn't just approach a bar, sit at an empty seat and place an order. One has to go through this not-very-systematic system of informing one of the staff members surreptitiously circling the bar, that you would like to eat. This man doesn't record your name on a piece of paper like hosts do at restaurants in the US. He just somehow remembers you. And this would be easy if there weren't about 20 other people also competing for a seat at the bar. This man would then inform the other man behind the bar who was taking the orders and serving the dishes, who was next in line for a seat. It was a pretty curious process as not everyone who was waiting for a seat necessarily got one in the order they arrived. It was all very "Spanish" to me, i.e. not so formal, efficient or methodical, but somehow rational. When we finally did get a seat, regardless of the bizarre process we had to go through, we felt like celebrities. With so many people standing around watching as you eat and waiting anxiously for a seat, when the two men decide it's your turn, you feel as as if you just won something big. So even though we ended up having to wait quite awhile before we could eat, our meal made it all worth it. We ordered calamares (squid) and almejas (clams). Both dishes were absolutely DELICIOUS; hands down one of our best meals so far.
We ended our day in Barcelona with a trip to the Museum of Catalan History. The museum was really interesting, informative and thorough to say the least. Afterwards, we wandered a bit around the harbor of Barcelona, where we saw a friendly-looking lobster. This picture is for Jim!
