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| The newly-renovated Santa Caterina market |
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| Spiffed-up almost as much as Bilbao's, quite a different feel from the Boqueria |
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| The shop of greatest interest was this...four long counters of |
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| Mostly unpackaged frozen foods of all sorts |
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| Very wide selection |
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| Reminiscent of France's Picard chain, only bigger, more variety, mostly unpackaged |
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| Did I mention unpackaged? |
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| We were intrigued, then impressed, having done Picard several years ago in Paris (we'll always have Paris) |
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| Thus, Santa Caterina's |
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| 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 |
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| Tasting |
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| In media res |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Interesting name for a Modernista-looking place |
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| Business opportunity, on the edge of the touristy zone |
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| Needs work, some Modernista flair... |
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| Headed now for Carrer de Blai ("Tapas Street") |
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| Interesting buildings now many blocks from La Rambla and the port |
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| Block after block of traditional tapas joints, crowded, little English spoken, great food and drink, little money... |
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| It's been discovered |
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| 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 |
