Day 4 in Barcelona was probably my most favorite day and the one I come back to every time I talk about our trip.
Rosemarie and I had decided to take a cooking class to learn how to make traditional Spanish food. It was a 6-hour class that began with a tour of the open market across the street.
The cooking classes are very popular and in this particular school, they usually have between 20 – 25 people in each class. Because we were there in the off season, for this class Rosemarie and I were joined by Joyce who was vacationing from Singapore.
Yup 3 people in a 6-hour cooking class. We got to talk, ask questions, and bond with each other over wine. It couldn’t have been a more perfect experience.
After we had signed in, the chief took us across the street to enter Barcelona’s open market. Trust me, this ain’t no New England farmer’s market. In Barcelona they have a HUGE area where stalls (some look like permanent stores) are strategically positioned according to what they sell. This section is meats, that one is seafood. Over here is produce and look, there’s a stall with spices and salts. On the perimeter are small restaurants that cook breakfasts and lunches using only the freshest food from the market.
The colors, the food, the smells, the carnival atmosphere – it was so very alive and fresh.
Honestly, if I lived in Barcelona, I’d go every day to the market with my wicker basket in tow in order to get the best foods for my meals.
Of course not only does the market provide a veritable feast of foods, it also provides a feast for the eyes. I saw fruits that I had no idea what they were. Sea Urchins split open and served with a slice of lemon and a tiny plastic fork. Vibrant berries, slices of dark red and pink meat, dark brown coffees, glazed nuts, red colored tins of paprika. It was definitely time to take out the camera.
Don’t get too excited, these are skinned rabbits.
These meat and cheese cups are very popular.
Remember these shrimp, they will play a part later in the story.
So many things to learn about and try!
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
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