The hotel provided breakfast hasn't really been much to write about, but the restaurant does face Las Ramblas, making it fun to eat and people watch. This morning, as I was finishing my breakfast, I noticed a big group of kids, approximately 20 five-year olds waiting to cross the street. What was interesting wasn't that there was such a big group of kids, but that they were all dressed like elephants. Shortly after they crossed came a group of clowns, then mice, then a group of lions, then ring leaders, vets, and gypsies. It took a good 10 minutes for the circus to cross, and even though I saw it from the beginning, I was too flabbergasted to come to my senses and take a picture. I managed to sneak a peak at the Finnish family sitting in the booth next to me, and they neglected their breakfast mid-bite, as had I.
After breakfast, I started walking down Las Ramblas and headed down towards Cafe de l'Opera for some churros con chocolate. These are not your churros of Disneyland fare. In Spain, churros are not sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but are meant to be dipped in thick hot chocolate, usually for breakfast, but also suitable as a snack. If you've seen On the Road Again, you can watch Gwenyth Paltrow babbling some nonsense about this.
Found my way down to Barceloneta in time for lunch at Can Majó, located on the beach, and was initially disappointed when I saw that the menu indicated a minimum of two portions for the paella. When the owner came by to greet me, I asked him about the two person minimum, and in response, he smiled and said he'd make me the paella for one. In what would be my most expensive meal here, I ordered a seafood soup to start, followed by the seafood paella per the owner's recommendation. The weather was virtually perfect, and from my table outside, I could see the waves crashing against the beach. The service was fantastic, and the food was amazing.
Walked around a lot more after lunch, and eventually found myself at Casa Batlló, where I took the tour again, despite doing it two years ago. I'm still not sure whether or not I'd live in an apartment designed by Gaudí, but it's certainly fascinating to go through and take pictures.
For my last dinner, I originally planned on going back to Cerveceria Catalana, but the place was so packed that I had to go to my second option around the corner on Las Ramblas, Taller de Tapas. It must be said that if you're dining alone in Barcelona, tapas is the best way for you to sample a little of everything without wasting food or breaking the bank. In fact, all of our tapas meals have been extremely cheap, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for great food at affordable prices. It also needs to be mentioned that a good Spanish lager is the best complement to tapas. For dinner I ordered more ham, seasonal mushrooms, grilled razor clams, and a crema catalana for dessert. Everything was delicious, and the crema catalana was amazing. I'm going to miss dining in Barcelona.
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