Barcelona Day 2

Day 2 started a little bit later than we had anticipated because we slept in quite a bit. So, we headed straight to Xampanyet for tapas. This was a bit of a different experience since the dishes were a bit more straightforward. Needless to say, that was not a bad thing when every bite was simple but delicious.

All that we ordered

Focaccia

Bread with olive oil and tomatoes

Delicious potatoes!

Different arrangement of chorizo and salami. Needless to say it was delicious, but it was also SO rich and heavy that Fi and I had a hard time finishing it. Then, the waiter came around and told us that we need to eat one more each. So, we did. And then he amicably told us to eat the other last two slices too. So, we obeyed.

Stuffed goodness

Tortilla served over a piece of bread!

Of course it was after a full stomach that I began to show interest in the cute decor of the place...

We were feeling pretty stuffed after eating all of that, but when the waiter asked us if we wanted coffee, we answered yes. Then of course, the waiter told us that the sweets would taste awfully good with the coffee... so we went for it.


And I am glad we did, because the dessert was quite delicious! We had hazelnut biscotti, pine nut cookie-like thing and cream stuffed pastry. I think I liked the pine nut one the best just because I didn't expect it to be that savory. (Pictured below)

It was also reassuring to drink illy coffee even in Barcelona. We got caffe con leche, basically milk coffee. After drinking espressos and cappuccinos all the time in Bologna, it was quite a change but I thought it was still yummy.

Xampanyet decor on the outside!

This tapas place was quite close to the Picasso museum, so that's where we went next. The museum was interesting in that it showed the artistic development of Picasso from an early age and it also showed his relationship with Barcelona on multiple levels, which was quite interesting. Then, we went exploring a bit in the neighborhood and dropped by this cute little organic bakery place. 

After more exploring on foot, we went to a wine store below to participate in a wine tasting put together by Brown in Barcelona program. It was a lot of fun to taste different wines (3 whites, one cava and 3 reds). I have to say even though I like having wine, I have never been to a wine tasting before. It was cool to learn the "proper" way to taste wine, but at the same time I am not sure how many more times in my life I will be gurgling wine in my mouth... 

Then, we went by an outdoor market but I didn't take any pictures since I was scared that I would be pick-pocketed while taking pictures but it was quite fun to just walk around in a market filled with fresh produce and quite fresh meats. 


For dinner, we went to a Japanese restaurant because all of us wanted a different flavor profile than Italian and Spanish cuisine. Even though it was okay, we didn't take any pictures because a. it wasn't mind-blowing like the rest of the meals and b. the presentation was not their forte.


Then came the time for dessert. We went to the Churreria right in front of where my lovely friends live. Here is what it looks like from the outside of this outdoors joint.

Churreria's selection of good eats

We bought a serving of churros with a cup of melted chocolate to dip it in. It was quite greasy, but also quite delicious. I was quite happy after eating this and once again catching up with my good friends and meeting their new friends at the program too.


After calming our food baby down, we decided to go to Bar Marsella which was apparently frequented by artists such as Picasso and Dali. It also happens to be very famous for Absinthe. Here are some photos of the decor inside. The age of the bar definitely shows through with the ceiling peeling off and dust on bottles on the top shelf, etc. It was quite an experience to be there especially with tons and tons of people in one place.

Apparently you can't sing.. but we sung a little bit anyways

The bartenders

As a group, we each got a double-malt beer that was solid. Then, Fi and I got absinthe to try since this bar is famous for that. No, it wasn't hallucinogenic don't worry. I didn't realize until having taken a sip that it is anise liquor. Not being a fan of such flavor, I decided to just let everyone else try a sip until it ran out. I think it is safe to say that I will not voluntarily buy absinthe for myself in the future.

Even with the lasting anise flavor in my mouth, I had a great time hanging out in the bar!

ps, Barcelona Day 3 is on its way as well!