Barcelona Food Scenes

Probably not what you're expecting...

The newly-renovated Santa Caterina market

Spiffed-up almost as much as Bilbao's, quite a different feel
from the Boqueria

The shop of greatest interest was this...four long counters of

Mostly unpackaged frozen foods of all sorts

Very wide selection

Reminiscent of France's Picard chain, only bigger, more variety,
mostly unpackaged

Did I mention unpackaged?

We were intrigued, then impressed, having done Picard several
years ago in Paris (we'll always have Paris)

Thus, Santa Caterina's

Next, the Jamon Experience, on La Rambla...we were
suspicious...it looks super-touristy; it is, but it gives you a
decent introduction to the Spanish jamon thing, plus a
quite decent tasting, and a glass of wine; all for not very
much money, especially if you're a jubilado

Tasting

In media res

Like Bordeaux, Spain has four regions of the really good stuff,
Iberico de Bellota (the pigs eat a lot of acorns); no, the jamons
are not color-coded; not exactly

Slicing some Iberico de Belotta Extremadura for Vicki;
interestingly, the tour/museum part quietly omitted the part
about the abattoir, the squealing, etc., jumping inexplicably
from happy, healthy, fat pigs roaming the forests...to jamons

Interesting name for a Modernista-looking place

Business opportunity, on the edge of the touristy zone

Needs work, some Modernista flair...

Headed now for Carrer de Blai ("Tapas Street")

Interesting buildings now many blocks from La Rambla and
the port

Block after block of traditional tapas joints, crowded, little
English spoken, great food and drink, little money...

It's been discovered

We detoured back by the London Bar, a famous
Modernista...but it looks like maybe it's closed
for good...sad...just a block down from the
Palau Guell