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Published: January 9th 2010
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Buenos Dias!
Here we are again - lucky I can type reasonably quickly otherwise would spend hours writing to you...
Today was a bit of a slow day and we just went wandering and guess what - we went to La Rambla again and decided to take a few side streets - one was a market - Mercat De L Boqueria - well we were knocked out by what we saw in there - absolutely incredible - it was a fruit, vegetables, nuts, chocolates, meat and fish market - massive and what amazed us was the presentation of the food as you will see in the photos. There were also a few well attended Tapas Bars in there!! Tapas bars and cafes have taken over restaurants, as we know them in Australia - if only we had them there - so great!!
There were heaps of hams hanging up too - a couple of nights ago in a restaurant the owner told us how they cure the hams and they keep the whole leg intact - this includes the hoof - apparently the state of the hoof and the darker the hoof is the better quality the ham
- have photos so check them out and the price. This process takes up to 3 years for the better hams!!! They then hang them up in the shop - and they look like they're covered in mould - he didn't like it when I asked him if he would eat it....... apparently it was quite a prized ham... showed us the ring on it to prove it.... ????
Also a photo of cooking chestnuts in La Rambla and a few more buskers think John has some photos for me to add on here. Some buskers hang their heads until money is put in their tins so you can't take photos of them without paying. I stood with one of the buskers today and he had guns and shot me..... and I paid him money too....!
Down some alley ways we found so many shops we hadn't come across before - it was retail heaven!!! One alley way we came across there was an historic church so went in and had a look and another alley way had a building that was built by architects Gaudi and Guell and right across the street was the total opposite -
a totally modern, trendy hotel. Also found a couple of shops with outlandish wedding suits and gowns - so for all of those getting married this year - this is for you!!
Along one alley way we came to a square and noted the 'gingerbread' house and so naturally took a photo - was quite qaint and then next to it found another lot of shops in an arcade - heaps of them. Shops everywhere you look - loved the jewellery but it's mainly 18 karat gold...
The number of people out shopping is truly amazing - we took photos but it doesn't really show how many are out there shopping at the same time - you wouldn't see that many at one of Myers or David Jones' big sales!! I tried to get to John in a small shoe shop and there were at least 40 others trying to get in there at the same time.
If we come back this way again we decided we would rent an apartment via www.come2bcn.es and then buy our own food or go have tapas all the time .
One night we went to a restaurant and were
refused entry as it was too early.... this was before 9pm!!!
Well we're certainly on the countdown now and leave in a few days and back to reality.... all being well - we're reliant on the weather in Frankfurt.
John and I are having a sensational time here together and tomorrow off to Montserrat so watch this space.
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