The Rest of Barcelona

It wasn't all about churches and markets while we were in Barcelona. We squeezed in a bit of culture and art as well. To be fair, art is Barcelona isn't very hard to find - it smacks you in the face nearly every block.

We visited La Casa Mila, more commonly known as La Pedrera, on day one. The fantastical facade sprang from the imagination of Gaudi though it's not true to his original design. Completed in 1912, it was commissioned by a wealthy couple but ran into numerous problems with the local government - building permits, demolitions, and lack of approval for a gigantic sculpture of the Virgin Mary on the top of the roof. Right now, it's home to a temporary exhibition to the French artist and sculptor Aristide Maillol. Since it was FREE we naturally checked it out and spent some time enjoying the sculpture, tapestries, and drawings. Walking through the beautiful building and loopy atrium, we were extra glad we'd had the chance to come inside.


For dinner our first night, we went to one of most famous tapas restaurants in Barcelona - Cal Pep. Cal Pep is located in the Ciutat Vella (Old Town) but a short walk away from the sailboat-filled harbor we'd enjoyed in the daylight earlier. Dinner was phenomenal. Reading some tips online, we knew to arrive right when the restaurant opened and were able to score seats right at the kitchen counter. Right after the wine was poured, the food started coming out. Fresh clams in a garlic sauce, mushroom tops with parsley, fried calamari....it. was. amazing. We walked to the water, called to wish our families a happy Thanksgiving, and admired the sailboats for a bit after dinner.


Day two was filled with museums, shopping, and lots of walking. We visited Il Corte Ingles, a major Spanish department store, to buy some manchego cheese and some other items I'd promised a friend that I picked up. While there, I got a little distracted by the womenswear section. The design sensibility reminded me of Zara (well, they are both Spanish) but the prices were pretty decent and I nabbed a couple really great necklaces. We spent a fair bit of time admiring the collection at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Dedicated to art of the region and located in the Palau Nacional, my favorite part was the transported paintings from churches like Sant Vicenc in Cardona. The museum designed the layout of the interior to match parts of the church. Frescos from the walls and ceilings were then painstakingly transplanted into safer conditions.


Knowing that nothing could top our dinner from the night before, we stayed low-key but still ventured out to a nearby cava bar. El Xampanyet came highly recommended and once we managed to squeeze our way to the front of the bar, it was obvious why. The cava flowed freely and I was basically in heaven, surrounded by delicious sparkling wine. The next day was short for us since we had to head back to Milan. Since we can't wait to head back to Spain, there was no adios - only hasta luego!

Cal Pep
8 Pl. de les Olles, Barcelona

El Xampanyet
22 Carrer Montcada, Barcelona