Day 11: Barcelona & My Feet Hurt
I started my day with breakfast on the terrace. Isn’t this the most elegant setting? It was just coffee, juice and pastries but somehow tasted better presented like this.
The birds sang to me the whole time.Very pleasant.
Then I set off to walk the length of La Rambla which is a long (1 ½ mile) tree-line boulevard, lined with vendors of all sorts but mostly flowers and souvenirs.
Despite the English similarity, La Rambla doesn’t mean “to ramble” although that is what you do. It actually comes from the Arabic times and means “dry river bed”. When the Barcelonans took over in the 14thcentury, they paved it over and made it a pedestrian avenue, but the name stayed.
There’s a nice square just off La Rambla that was nice to find to escape the crowds. It was called Paca Reial and is bordered by restaurants on all sides with palm trees and a fountain in the center.
La Rambla goes all the way to the waterfront.In the center of a traffic circle stands tall statue of Christopher Columbus looking out over the harbor.
By the time I reached the bottom of La Rambla, it was lunch time to I started walking back up to find the market Mercat de la Boqueria.
This market is massive and impressive. Everything is beautifully presented. Fish, meats, cheeses, breads, fruits and vegetables, nuts – you name it. I have a thing about produce stands – I can’t resist them. This was like the Disney World of produce stands. There’s one in Florence that is this large – it’s just amazing. It was fun watching the locals buy their items. They knew exactly what they wanted. The tourists, like me, walked around with our mouths open taking pictures. Here are mine. See the slideshow below for the market pictures – warning: viewing these pictures will make you hungry!
I decided to buy stuff for a picnic from the market. Here’s what I had:
- A baguette with Spanish ham (jamon)
- Some bright red fruit that comes from the cactus flower and tastes kind of like kiwi
- Caper berries (alcaperones)
- Raspberries
- A bottle of water
Pretty yummy.
The rest of the day I walked and walked and walked. I had dinner at a tapas restaurant and got back to my hotel about 9:30. My feet hurt. It’s time for bed. Last day in Barcelona tomorrow.
8 Comments
Smackwater
You know, the Day 11 adventure reads just like the prior ones from the cruise except that you wake up in the same city where you went to bed. Looks like you’re continuing in the Lap Of Luxury – not a bad thing at all! I’m wishing the blog would go on forever. Any chance of that happening?!?
Amanda Evans
Sure Smack – find me a job as a travel writer! I’m game! Where next???
stlanyer
I know about the sore feet. Florence did many of us in.
Barcelona is beautiful!!
Amanda Evans
So true! We did our share in London but had the tube pass! Am glad I got one again. If I walked this much at home, I wouldn’t be nearly so “fluffy” 🙂
Debbie Wentzell
Love the pictures. What a great day. Tomorrow morning turn that breakfast plate over and tell me what the label says. You know I love the table setting. Picture perfect place for planning your day. 🙂
Amanda Evans
You do amazing table settings! If you could be a consultant for B&B’s, they’d double their profit! Those little touches really do matter! Especially to us ladies.
Cindy Darling
Mmmmm your lunch looks yummy! Pretty amazing market!The table setting is beautiful, I always tell my girls presentation is everything!(I get a lot of eyerolls!) In this case it really was! Hope you do not have any blisters on your feet, I wonder how a spanish foot massage would feel?
Amanda Evans
Hmm….Spanish foot massage – I like how you think Cindy! No blisters, just tired! Better today – not as much walking. London tomorrow – get ready 🙂