A little Gaudi architecture to brighten my day (even if it ended not so brightly). The third photo is a detail from the second image – Casa Batllo...was nothing to write home about and yet I am writing home about it.
I am staying on Passeig de Gracia which is a very main road with a lot of high-end stores (think Fifth Avenue right before the Park in Manhattan) and what I am pretty sure are mostly tourist trap kind of places. I decided that although all I wanted to do was go to bed three hours ago, that a shower, some clean clothes and some tapas for my first night here might be in order. An added bonus was that while walking to the the restaurant I passed my second and third Gaudi structures up close and personal as I had taken pictures of them from across the street a few hours earlier. Looking up in my Fodor's book, a place was mentioned that unbeknown to me at the time was in Las Ramblas – a pretty street lined with trees and shops but is known as being a tourist haven and for having restaurants that rip you off with food that's not so good. Well, I stumbled into Fodor's suggestion only to be victim of the aforementioned issues with restaurants on Las Ramblas. The food was terrible and I really only ate one of the three tapas I had ordered; in fact just thinking about it now my stomach is turning.
I decided that I couldn't let that deter me from eating the "first dinner in Spain" and so I ended up at a place that I had passed earlier in the day that also looked like a tourist trap called "Tapa Tapa". I sat at the bar, practiced my Spanish with ordering, and had a glass of red wine and a parmesan and asparagus toast. Both were good and saved me from starting off this trip on a bad (food) foot. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I move into my apartment (yes! I found an apartment to live in today!) and can go grocery shopping at the Boqueria in Gracia for lots of fresh produce and not have to stress about finding a restaurant that won't make me feel ill.
Tomorrow is also the last day of the Festa de Gracia I had mentioned a few posts ago and since I will be with housing by then, I plan on taking in this much talked about festival. I saw parts and pieces of it today as I walked around the neighborhood (which was cuter and quainter than I had imagined; and I had imagined very cute and quaint) and of course took some pictures which I will post once Blogger lets me do so.
Okay, it is time to go to bed and end this longest day ever. I feel like I left New York at least two days ago yet haven't slept in a bed in over 36 hours. Buenos noches!
I am staying on Passeig de Gracia which is a very main road with a lot of high-end stores (think Fifth Avenue right before the Park in Manhattan) and what I am pretty sure are mostly tourist trap kind of places. I decided that although all I wanted to do was go to bed three hours ago, that a shower, some clean clothes and some tapas for my first night here might be in order. An added bonus was that while walking to the the restaurant I passed my second and third Gaudi structures up close and personal as I had taken pictures of them from across the street a few hours earlier. Looking up in my Fodor's book, a place was mentioned that unbeknown to me at the time was in Las Ramblas – a pretty street lined with trees and shops but is known as being a tourist haven and for having restaurants that rip you off with food that's not so good. Well, I stumbled into Fodor's suggestion only to be victim of the aforementioned issues with restaurants on Las Ramblas. The food was terrible and I really only ate one of the three tapas I had ordered; in fact just thinking about it now my stomach is turning.
I decided that I couldn't let that deter me from eating the "first dinner in Spain" and so I ended up at a place that I had passed earlier in the day that also looked like a tourist trap called "Tapa Tapa". I sat at the bar, practiced my Spanish with ordering, and had a glass of red wine and a parmesan and asparagus toast. Both were good and saved me from starting off this trip on a bad (food) foot. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I move into my apartment (yes! I found an apartment to live in today!) and can go grocery shopping at the Boqueria in Gracia for lots of fresh produce and not have to stress about finding a restaurant that won't make me feel ill.
Tomorrow is also the last day of the Festa de Gracia I had mentioned a few posts ago and since I will be with housing by then, I plan on taking in this much talked about festival. I saw parts and pieces of it today as I walked around the neighborhood (which was cuter and quainter than I had imagined; and I had imagined very cute and quaint) and of course took some pictures which I will post once Blogger lets me do so.
Okay, it is time to go to bed and end this longest day ever. I feel like I left New York at least two days ago yet haven't slept in a bed in over 36 hours. Buenos noches!
1 comment:
Casa Bastillo is beautiful inside. Can't wait for you to check it out! I remember having a headset guided tour!
Post a Comment