Barcelona cont'

I've mentioned a lot about Barcelona but still feel like I need a blog more to just briefly share the trip.

Market, always the best way to understand local (my philosophy). Full of locals & tourists (the stall owners are already used to picture snapping tourists) in one of the most famous wet market in Barcelona - La Boqueria, we found exotic fruits, rabbit meats, pig's brain and tonnes of mediterranean fishes on ice bed. My tour guide book says there should be a deep fried worm stall in the market but we can't find it, think it's no longer in business, else would make a good blog, I guess, hehe...

I finally tasted true spanish tapas in one of the tapas restaurant in the market (it has a small entrance facing inside the market but a huge nice entrance from main street La Rambla). Chick pea salad, hot wings, deep fried crab meat, meat balls, mussel with mash 'something', fish with mussel, spicy sausage (the best) & small spanish sausages. I won't say it's excellent but it's good enough & certainly authentic.

Walking along La Rambla towards the sea and passed the Columbus monument, we came to Rambla de Mar. Harbour with lots of yatches, a wavy wooden walkway stretches out over the water of the port and at the end a new shopping mall. Walking around, one can find some yatches that host lunch / dinner, also a historic museum. We didn't stay long because were on our way to take the cable car that is out of service >.< !!!

Since I previously mentioned my great dissapointment in the cable car & my miserable tired walking trip in Mont Juic, now we skip the misery (actually more tiring than misery) part to the happy part - the beach front.

Frank Gary Fish which looks more like a whale to me (does it mean it has to be called Frank Gary Whale / Mammal instead? hmm...). It's not the easiest to find since it's wel hidden between 2 tall buildings but since we were walking blindly, we manage to fidn it!! Just for the sake of picture taking to complete my desire of 'visiting every place (or as much as possible) mentioned in my tour guide book', haha...

FG Fish is located at the Olympic beach front. Sea water is still cold but the sun is surely warm enough. Girls in beach wear & topless muscular guys playing beach volley ball (not forgetting those that walked by)...wonderful eye feast while I sipped my €9 watermelon juice under shade in the beach front promenade. Well, beauty has its price ;)

Torre Agbar - we took taxi there, wanting to snap some pictures & have a close look at the tower. The friendly taxi driver try to explain in spanish aided with lots of sign language that there'll be light show at the tower at 10pm. Unfortunately, our limited spanish missed out a very important part during the translation where the light show only happens on weekend. So we stayed there from 9pm until 10.20pm to realize it's not going to happen & went back dissappointed.

Our 'last dinner' before we leave Barcelona was at the 4 Gats (the oh-so famous 4 Gats). Reservation is a must to prevent dissapointment. Unfortunately for us, we reserved on a day where the restaurant receive TV interview & the restuarant section was closed until 7.30pm (we booked at 6.30pm, how smart). So we dine in the café section instead.

Service is warm & friendly, food is so-so. Environment? If you don't mind the noisy environment & would really love to trace Picasso's foot step, then you'd probably like it. I like it as a tourist for its historical background but as a diner, I prefer a more quiet cosy environment.

I think I'll visit Barcelona again, not in very near future but definitely worth considering. My only advise is to beware of pick pockets. While in the bus to Parc Guell, we witnessed a pick-pocket stealing from an old lady in the bus, so beware! Also, stay away from Catalan cremé brulée unless you really want to taste it for the sake of trying :)