Another top tip for the idle - all the supermarkets here (Bon Preu, Corte Ingles, Caprabo, etc) will deliver your shopping to your door. Some make a nominal charge, but well worth it to avoid lugging those 8 litre bottles of water up the stairs!
Keen observers will note that there are no entries for February - let’s just say that there’s been good snow this year 
Don’t let it dry out! Best to cook it in a tasty sauce, and watch it like a hawk!
A sunny Sunday afternoon in Barcelona, and immediately one’s thoughts turn to a long lunch by the sea. When this idea pans out well, life is good, but when it doesn’t, it’s just bloody annoying. Top tip: if you’ve made a reservation at a good restaurant (and if you haven’t, forget finding a last-minute table!), then make sure you turn up on time! Today I didn’t, meaning that I had to cruise the entire Villa Olympica area in a desperate search for somewhere to eat. Finally found a table right in the port, I’ll name the restaurant when I can remember it, so you can avoid it - lousy service (ok, they were busy, but half an hour to get bread?!?), over-priced, and a totally tasteless paella. And a crap bottle of wine. Damn, I hate it when an eating experience turns out badly…
Wow, that was an exceptionally classy and interesting eating experience! I recently ate at the Moo Restaurant, located within the Hotel Omm, and certainly recommend it as a very unusual eating experience. Ostensibly Haute Cuisine, of the now distinct Catalan variety, it is very much a feast of the senses.
The decor is classy, not overly minimilist. The service was both attentive and friendly, very discreet but on the ball - not once did I have to even think about keeping my glass of bubbly topped up. The menu itself has something to offer everyone, from interesting twists on normal dishes to some way-out-there inventions. I had the Salmon Tartare - with real smoke (had to try that one!), and a tuna steak deliciously poco-hecho…but the desserts, oh man, the desserts were something else. If you go, you’ve got to try the “Viajo a la Havana” - somehow they’ve replicated the cuban cigar as a dessert, and it is incredible (as long as you like the taste of smoke!)…I also couldn’t resist their attempt to recreate a fragrance by Carolina Herrara as a dessert, which was remarkably accurate.
All in all, a classy, sexy place to dine out for the night - just try not to trip over the Ferraris on your way out!
The days of inhaling your dining neighbour’s smoke as you tuck into your tapas are now over! As of the 1st of Jan 2006, there are big restrictions on smoking in public places. I for one was sceptical about how this would work, in the first European country to “discover” tobacco, and where it seems that everyone puffs away merrily as if lung cancer was unheard of.
I’ve passed through several of my favourite eating places recently, and have been amazed at how quickly people have adapted to the new legislation. Definitely no downturn in business, no noticeable discomfort in anyone’s behaviour, and much pleasure in not reeking of smoke after a quick beer and tapas session. Amazing!
Sticking to the “what to do with the kids” theme, it being the holidays, another option is the Barcelona Aquarium. Ok, it’s a little “normal” shall we say, but it does keep them (and you!) amused for a couple of (expensive) hours. Personally, I find myself getting hungry as I imagine how one would cook the various little chaps…if you nip upstairs to the “restaurant”, there are of course plenty of fish-based meals to be had (though I’d suggest reining in that hunger and heading off to somewhere with higher standards…)
It’s often tricky to find spot where the kids can run around while the parents can do something other than mind them (other than the beach of course!). Which is why I often find myself at Bar Kasparo, just off the top of the Ramblas. In the plaza there’s a small playground, with the usual swing/slide/spring-loaded animals combination, but the best bit is the proximity of the playground to Kasparo - yes, at last you can sip your cafe con leche or your caña, tuck into some decent food (stuffed vine leaves, one of the best tortillas in town, and their eponymous potato slices are my favourites) whilst your kids do, well, their own thing…phew…Bag yourself a table out front, bask in the sunshine, and enjoy…
Top tip for transferring money between currencies, i.e from the UK to Spain or vice versa - use a dedicated forex service like XETrade. Using your bank results in less funds arriving, as the banks use less competitive exchange rates AND they add charges for the privilege. Signing up to XE Trade takes a couple of days and requires proof of id, but once done, you then do everything online.
Today I meandered down to the recently opened Santa Caterina market, just off Via Laietana. There’s a great little eatery in there, who’s name escapes me, where they make fantastic dishes every day, the menu changing according to what they get from the market that day. Um um…I’d skipped breakfast, so I started with a fried egg on fried potatoes, so simple and yet absolutely delicious, especically when washed down with a copa de cava…followed by mokfish with asparagus and tomatoes, the fish was astoundingly fresh and again absolutely delicious, especially when washed down with a second copa de cava…a selection of cheeses to finish off, a quick café solo, and on to the Boqueria market to buy some fresh prawns. Aah, these are the things that make Barcelona so pleasurable for those who enjoy idling…