barcelona pt.3

Growing up in a Spanish household, I was always surrounded by famous Spanish icons
Salvador Dali
Pablo Picasso
San Fermin
Miguel De Cervantes
Bulls (being from Pamplona, the bull is a very important symbol)
&
Antoni Gaudi

The last one stated, Antoni Gaudi, was a name that I was familiar with in that both my parents have books on him and his works and are fan of his architecture. So naturally being in Barcelona, I had to see the famous works of Gaudi. Already amazed by his work in La Sagrada Familia, my friend and I ventured off to another one of his works.
Park Guëll- a famous park that when you Google "Barcelona" you get at least 20 pictures of this park.
It is a must see.
To go to Park Guëll, my friend and I took the bus all the way to the top of a huge hill, where the park sets, and where you can see the view of Barcelona.
Like the Sagrada Familia, I let the pictures speak for itself, with some additional commentary.

My breakfast before the park adventure.
Latte with Nutella Croissant
Chocolate/Nutella Intake #3

My ticket!
Fun fact, until 3 weeks ago, Park Guëll was free admission, but now its 8 Euros, but still worth it.

Fun story about the below photo:

My friend and I asked a tourist to take a picture of us, so I gave her my camera.

Thinking that everyone nowadays knows how to use a camera, I didn't think to tell her where the camera button was, because it's usually the big silver button, which mine had.

Nope, not this tourist. She pressed the ON/OFF button first. Then I showed her the actual button. 

And then this picture was taken....

Attempt #3.

 Fun Fact #2

This rock-like-cave has been featured on TV!

What TV show you may ask?

::mumbles:: America's Next Top Model

(I don't want to talk about it, I blame MTV for all the Sunday marathons)

But on the finale of America's Next Top Model Cycle 7 (again, don't ask how I know) this was the place in which the final runway show took place as seen in this highlighted text.

Pretty Cool Ja? 

So of course I wanted to talk a picture, but there are two things you should know

1. I can't do a catwalk for the life of me, I look like Kirsten Wiig 

2. After watching many seasons of ANTM (again, just don't ask) I have no idea what a "Smize" is, so I just smiled with my mouth in this picture.

It works right?

The what-looks-like-a-catwalk-plus-smiling-with-my-mouth look works?

Of course it does, it'll be in magazines everywhere in 10 years.

Me next to one of the cave pillars.

Also not the coordination of my outfit and purse. 

Not only did I grow up with Spanish icons/symbols in my house, but I grew up to coordinate my outfits well.

Also I saw this cat in front of these steps.

The new musical CATS! -watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they come fo' you!

No but seriously, they follow me everywhere.

Speaking of someone taking bad photos in a previous statement, check out my finger in the bottom left hand corner.

Not seen in America's Next Top Model

Ok another fun fact (I'm starting to become like my father now, sorry Mom! sorry Ivonne!!)

Gaudi was a big believer in getting the perfect light in his projects. When building/creating a new building park, the most important factor was light and he was right, as seen in this above picture.

Just stare at the light for a couple of seconds.

The top of Park Guëll was this small tower with the cross which we eventually climb up. 

See?

The view from the top of the cross/mountain.

After spending about an hour and a half in the park, we ventured off for some tapas (of course) and walked around one of the biggest streets in Barcelona, La Rambla.

Tapas #8 Patatas Bravas with Ketchup and some white sauce.

Tapas #9- Croquetas with cheese and Spanish ham

The inside of the Croqueta, doesn't it look mouthwatering right now??

Background story: walking down La Rambla there were multiple ice cream stands that we walked by and each looking better than the rest.

At first we decided no on the ice cream, but then after like the 4th one we were like

"Ok this is a sign from the universe saying that we HAVE TO HAVE ICE CREAM"

So we got ice cream.

Nutella Ice Cream for the win

Chocolate/Nutella Intake: #5

Barcelona's Erotic Museum 

Also, those things on the red and white signs are quotation marks not the number 69.

A line of Jamón Iberico.

One day I will have this hanging around my kitchen, one day.

 After walking down La Rambla, devouring our ice cream and gazing at all the different types of food at the market we decided to visit a place that we hadn't seen in a long time.

The Beach.

Wait who's that born and raised California girl that wears tights and flats to a beach????

Oh, wait that's me...

HI(GH) Tide!

Waving to the waves!!

OK challenge:

Create your own beach pun off of this picture.

Winner will get free homemade desserts of their choice, made by yours truly or if too distant brownie points and a hug via Skype.

Ok challenge begins..........NOW!

After walking along the beach and getting my shoes filled with sand. We took a pit stop at a restaurant on the port and had some more tapas plus some sangria.

Top right hand corner

Seafood and Chicken Paella

Center Bottom: Shrimp with Sea Salt

It was duh-lish-is 

Later we walked back to our hostel, took a quick break and went and got some coffee and dessert.

Cappuccino and Nutella Crepe.

Probably the biggest crepe I have had ever.

Chocolate/Nutella Intake #6

And thus concludes the long Gaudi filled, chocolate filled and tapas filled day.

I hope I didn't lose you yet.

tapas

If you have ever been to Spain or know Spanish culture, you will know what Tapas are.
If you don't here is a little Spanish lesson.
Tapas are a type of Spanish food that are served at bars and can be made at home.
It's not a meal nor an appetizer, it's just a little something to go with your beer, wine, sangria, kalimotxo or whatever you are drinking.
It's usually small and can be eaten in a couple of bites and are fairly cheap.
I grew up eating Tapas at home when we would have people over and they're easy to make and can make a lot to feed about 10 people.
Croquetas, Tortilla de patata, jamón iberico (or jamón serrano- another delicious ham), meatballs, chorizo, etc.
I felt like a child again just getting my hands on these wonderful Spanish food.

Also on this Tapas tour, I learned where the name "Tapas" came from, a piece of information that was new to me.
Legend has it that one of the Kings of Spain (I forgot which one, I'm sorry, I was too busy thinking about Tapas) was outside on his terrace drinking cava (champagne). On this particular day, it was very windy and the King didn't want his cava to spill, so he called a waiter over and the waiter brought him a piece of baguette with jamón on it and covered the glass of Cava. When asked what it was the waiter said "It's a tapa."
(Sidebar: Tapa means to cover in Spanish- so when the waiter put the bread and ham on the cava he was "covering" the glass of Cava.)

And since then the King always ordered a piece of bread and ham every time he had a drink.
Passed on for years, the bars/ restaurants always try to serve tapas with every drink and in some parts of Spain, tapas are free with the drink.

Tapa #1: Bread topped with Tomato Juice, Olive Oil and Salt. A typical Barcelona tapa

Tapa #2: Chorizo. A type of fried sausage that gives out a red-orange juice and that is amazing. Some people eat this with a baguette and turns the inside of the bread orange from the juice.

The typical Barcelona beer Moritz, to go with my tapas.

Tapa #3: Croqueta 

Ok I know what you are thinking. This looks like a piece of turd.

But I swear to you it's not. It is the complete opposite of a piece of turd. It is amazing. 

Croquetas are usually filled with cheese and Spanish ham which is what this one was. 

Manchego Cheese and Jamón Iberico Croqueta. But some have different fillings like egg, cheese, octopus, codfish etc....

Now if you haven't had a Croqueta before. GET A CROQUETA! 

And no the ones at the Cheesecake Factory do not count. Get the legit Spanish made Croqueta. It is amazing.

The moment you bite into one the cheese just melts in your mouth and the saltiness you get from the little bits of jamón just wakes your mouth up with flavor.

You will thank me later.

You're welcome.

Tapa #4: Patatas Bravas

Cut up Potatoes that are covered in a type of sauce. In this case it was a type of garlic sauce.

Some patatas bravas are usually covered in mayonnaise or ketchup or a different type of sauce.

It may sound weird, but then again, try it. They are delicious.

Tapas #5-#6 Top right-piece of baguette with some sauce and top with sausage

Bottom center- piece of baguette with tortilla de patata.

Not a Tapa but Beer #2.

In the States when you have a group of people willing to get a beer, you normally get a pitcher, ya?

Well, in Barcelona and some parts of Spain this is the pitcher.

Called a porron, you take the top handle and raise it up to your mouth just a few inches away without letting it touch your mouth and then slowly raise it up so it's like a mini-fountain.

It's pretty cool and a must when you are out at night in Spain, or at my family parties.

Idk you can decide which one is closer to you.

Tapas #7- Fried Fish.

Similar to calamari, but not really, you sprinkle lemon on these puppies and they are gone in the first 2 minutes.

Tapas #8- Cooked Green Peppers

Surprisingly not spicy, just flavorless peppers that looked wrinkled.

And thus concludes my tapas experience. Fortunately for me, I will return to these tapas in a month when I go back to Spain to visit family, but if that doesn't happen to you, go to Spain, stuff all the tapas you can in your mouth and try to sneak some in your purse/suitcase. 

Take it from me, you'll crave them when you're far away from Spain.