The Art of Macarons

French cooking class in the morning--learned how to make macarons! Not to be confused with macarOOns, these pastries are light, fluffy, and delicious--they'd better be, considering they consist of butter, sugar, and egg whites. Yum. I definitely don't like the precision required to bake things though--I'll be sticking to savoury cooking back at home. But when in France...
The chef walked us step-by-step through the process, although it was more of a demonstration than a hands on experience, since there were so many people in the class. I did get to pipe a few macarons onto the baking tray, however! And we got to keep some of the finished product at the end, which, let's be real, is obviously the most important thing anyway.

Went into town in the afternoon to try and deal with my Paris plans--apparently it's super expensive there so I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for that. Every hostel seems to be booked, even though it's the middle of the week--I don't get it! And the highest rated one that is showing up in my searches is 66%. Yuck. Looks like I may have to spring for a hotel...in one of the priciest cities in the world. Lucky me. Note to future travelers: do not put western Europe at the END of your trip when you are running out of money! Do it first! (and save in India--it's what I should have done. Boo.)

I also tried salad Nicoise at the hostel--I am in Nice, after all! It was SO delicious I forgot to take a photo. I will definitely be incorporating it into my rotation at home! That's about it--I'm exhausted from trying to figure out what I want to do about Paris. Definitely not designed for backpackers I think. Not ones who have seen Sex and the City, anyway.

Gaudi Crush

Me in front of Casa Batllo - about a block from the hostel
Today was my last day in Barcelona, so I got up in time for a Gaudi walking tour. We saw some amazing stuff by Gaudi--his first ever job, designing a lamppost (that has a suspiciously similarity to the Snitch in Harry Potter), Casa Batllo, Casa somethingelse (where 2 floors are still apartments that will run you a paltry 25,000 Euros a month), Palau Guell, etc.
The one with expensive apartments--I would die to get a look inside!

Gaudi's first-ever job: creator of the Snitch for JK Rowling
Turns out this was the biggest group they've ever had (62 people!) so it was a little hard to hear. Combine that with having to take the subway twice and naturally, I lost the group during a bathroom/coffee break at Starbucks. I met up with them again at la sagrada familia though, just in time for the end of the tour. Good thing it was free! A bunch of us decided to grab some food after that, so we set off in search for non-touristy tapas.
The offerings from lunch... We finally found a place with no English or photos on the sign outside, which we took as a positive. Once inside we discovered there were no menus--great! How much more authentic can you get? Turns out not speaking Spanish was a bit of a problem, because our order got lost in translation and we ended up with 5 of the worst steak frites I've ever seen in my life. Mine was actually beef jerky. Luckily, the entire debacle only cost us 7 euros each (including drinks) so we cut our losses and made plans to meet up for better tapas at dinner.
Barcelona from the top of Parc Guell!
In the afternoon, I made the trip up to Parc Guell for more Gaudi and views of the city skyline.
Me in the Parc Guell
Two things worth mentioning: A) it is a HIKE and a half to get up to the top of the hill!
B) I don't understand why 'gaudy' means cheap. If I'm correct in assuming it gets its namesake from the Spanish artist whom I've fallen in love with, there is nothing cheap about his work--today he would be one of the highest paid designers ever! Just a random musing, courtesy of yours truly (and if the two aren't related, well, you're welcome--you've just encountered your blonde moment of the day).
More Gaudi creations in the Parc

I met up with the guys from California (apparently Sacramento is now on my to-do list!) at the hostel for some drinks before dinner. Turns out there was a Tripping event at the rooftop bar that night, so it was a great chance to meet some locals and enjoy some free drinks. The atmosphere was great: sunset over the Barcelona skyline, with Casa Batllo and La Sagrada Familia both clearly visible from the roof.

I invited a fellow blogger on a whim when I noticed he was in Barcelona at the same time as me, and we had some fascinating conversations (he has seen John Mayer in his famous Borat bathing suit, and he's currently traveling the world for 9 months on $418. Impressive. He runs nerdfitness.com so check it out if you have a sec!)

We finally made our way to Tapas 24 (again for me, but it was so good, and the boys needed a lesson in proper Spanish cuisine after the debacle that was lunch!). It was a long wait but totally worth it. We had several of the same things, plus mussels, black paella (that was a new one), and a ham and cheese bikini (spanish for sandwich i guess? It was way better than it sounds).

After that we met up with some girls who are working here in Barcelona as au pairs, and we sat in the Plaza Real, talking and drinking beers that sketchy guys come up to you and sell for one euro each. seems shady but everyone does it, so I guess it's acceptable here.
The plaza

We decided to go dancing and ended up in this Jazz club that turns into 80s night after a certain time (random?). It was a lot of fun, although I really should not have stayed out til 6:30 am the night before I have a 15 hour travel day--in my defense, I didn't know it would be that long! But I had to do my last night in Barcelona justice. The sleepless night was worth the memories made...cheesy but true! Adios, Barcelona, I'll miss you!

Barcelona Day 3

September 14: I had a quiet day today, just exploring the city. I went for a 4 HR walk, stopping in a cafe for a break and to do some reading. Anyone who's interested in a new book to read, I suggest Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Great non-fiction read; but there's so much information packed in that you can only read a little at a time. The perfect travel companion. Really makes you think!

That night, I went to Kirin, a sushi bar that had all the food on a conveyor belt. You just took whatever you wanted and since it was all you can eat, everything cost the same! Not great but when you haven't had sushi in months, it tasted amazing. I lost my keycard somewhere that day so I had to replace it for 2 euros. Early to bed since I could feel the sore throat getting worse. Apparently I didn't just lose my voice.

How Do You Say Food in Spanish?

The menu at Tapas 24
After we couldn't stand and stare any longer, we went for lunch at Tapas 24, a restaurant by Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame (foodies will understand the significance of this--El Bulli had a 6 year waiting list until it closed this year). It was great. We got:

-Bravas (spicy fried potatoes) & guacamole (really need to remember they don't make it with avocado in Spain):

- Tandoori lamb kebabs - Foie gras burger:

- Miso-glazed peppers...
which when we ordered them seemed like a good idea, until a row of chili peppers appeared before us and we just looked at each other like "what have we done!? How the hell are we going to eat TWELVE chili peppers!" Luckily, when I took the plunge, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of heat. Chili peppers, they were not. Impostors. But I'm not complaining--the food was delicious.

In true spanish style, I had a little siesta then shopped a bit (but decided to wait til London to buy anything, so I don't have to carry it). In the evening, the hunt for Paella was in full force. Since Mr. Zimbabwe was leaving the next day, it was my last chance to try the traditional dish (they only make it for a minimum of two people so you can't order it on your own). It is really difficult to find good paella that isn't touristy in the part of barcelona I stayed in: traditionally, paella is brown, because of the squid ink used to cook the rice (stay with me here). But restaurants will substitute saffron instead, making it yellow. That, according to our tour guide, is not real paella. But it doesn't make sense why they would do that--isn't saffron the most expensive spice in the world?

Anyways. We walked around for a bit then went for dinner at (I forget the name, dammit! It started with a C. Not important). A compromise because the tapas sounded really good, but they also made (brown) paella. We had:

- Goat cheese and honey brioche - Something with eel--found out the hard way that it is NOT the sweet, barbecued sushi variety, but a tangle of gray, slimy, tentacles. Yum. -Tuna tataki (seared tuna)

- Foie gras (again, can you tell I really like this dish?) I also discovered cava sangria (made with champagne instead of red wine) which takes things to a whole other level.
Last but not least, chicken and pork paella!
All in all, a great meal (although it still doesn't compare to Seville--I don't think I'm ever going to find tapas that will beat it, for the quality and price combined).

Tasty Tapas

Sept 8: I woke up in some serious pain this morning, so I staggered down the street to McDonald's (seriously where else do people eat after going out? It's the only logical choice) to rehash the night with some friends from the night before. I met up with Mr. Zimbabwe (I really wanted to call him Cady (Lindsay Lohan's character in Mean Girls, who also grew up in Africa) but I don't think he would find it as funny as I did so I refrained) in the afternoon, and we wandered over to Plaza De Espana and the cathedral (the biggest Gothic Cathedral in the world), although it was so hot we weren't too enthusiastic about anything. The Plaza was really beautiful--it reminded me a lot of the palace in Vienna, except red. One thing I will never get sick of is all the palm trees. Canada, get with the program! You have everything else, heat included. Rule No. 76: No excuses! Play like a champion! I also made my way over to the train station to book my trip to Alicante for the next day.

One problem (among many) with a Eurail pass: - You need reservations for a lot of the trains, which requires you to plan further ahead than you'd maybe like. - Reservations cost extra (on top of the 393 Euros I paid for the pass) - You can't book them online, as there's no aggregated system for the different rail lines Eurail is valid for. Result: Spanglish disaster.

Anyone who says the French are snobbiest when it comes to people not speaking their language have clearly never been to Spain. Coincidentally, I never realized how little Spanish I knew until I arrived. The problem is that unlike every other country I've been to so far, Spanish people don't speak English, and refuse to make things easy for you. There is no slow, simple sentences reserved for foreigners. If you don't speak like they do, tough luck. Now try to imagine explaining the parameters of the Eurail pass you'd like to buy, and that was my afternoon. I start with the customary "Ola! Como estas?" So far so good. I smile apologetically and continue with "No habla Espanol." The ticket cashier stares at me and replies, straight-faced, "No habla Ingles." Okay then. This should be fun. I wanted to book a train to Alicante, which required a change at a certain station. I feel like a senior citizen when I'm booking these tickets, because I'll hear the entire sentence, yet comprehend every seventh word, so it's like putting madlibs together: Train ____ _____ _____ ______ Alicante _____ _____ ____ __ ________ change _____ _____ _____ No ____ _____ _____ Reserva.

Okay. Let me get this straight. You can book me a train to Alicante, but I have to change and you can't reserve me a seat? Good to see my Eurail pass is just teeming with value--I've already spent at least 50 Euros on reservations, on top of the 393 I already paid for the pass. So ridiculous.

That evening, Zimbabwe and I decide to meet up and try some local tapas--our hostel was doing a tapas tour, but after our experience with Raphael we decided we'd try to find better value for our money elsewhere. We settled on a little place called La Mata, which was empty but looked nice inside, and boy am I glad we did.

Easily the best meal I've had my entire trip--I'm so mad I didn't bring my camera with me! For anyone who doesn't know (hopefully none of you), tapas is like little plates of food in really interesting combinations of flavours, designed for sharing. It's really cheap, and really good. It's like building your own tasting menu (which normally costs a fortune).We tried: - Chicken tulips - Mussel tempura - Salmon tartare - Iberian pork shoulder with orange chocolate sauce - Grilled prawns with taboulet (couscous) - Grilled fois gras medallion with caramel sauce - Gin and tonic sorbet - Spanish wine Guess how much that all cost us? A whopping 35 euros. Each of those plates was so expertly put together that it would have easily cost 30 PER PLATE at home in a city like Toronto. The flavor profiles were just incredible. I was so impressed. If that's what the food is like in Spain, I'm never leaving.

After that, I headed back to the hostel to pack because my train left at 7:15 the next morning. Not that my attempt at an early night mattered one bit, as I was staying in a room with 6 other French girls who had no respect for the other six people who were also there. (It seems logical that if the lights are off and it's after midnight, you try to be quiet when entering your room. Mais NON!--lights were flicked on, drunken shouting ensued, as if the rest of us weren't even there. Mind-boggling. I wanted to throw a bottle at their head but I didn't. No pending assault charges, unless the cops can read my mind.) It's been a good time in Seville, but I can't wait to see what Alicante is like!

I'm really glad I went down to Seville, because I'm going to get a taste of three very different Spanish cities. Seville is typical Andalucia; Alicante is a coastal university town, and Barcelona is Barcelona.

So today, I get to Ciudad Real, the city I have to change trains in, and check at the information desk. Through my Spanglish I discover the clerk in Seville did not book me a reservation all the way through, but only to Ciudad Real. Real helpful, buddy. Good thing I checked, or I would've been ticketless on this train--the last thing I need is to be forcibly removed and dumped in a city in the middle of nowhere. Crisis avoided, though, and am on my way to Alicante.