We started the day off early at the Museu Picasso which was a smart move, as by the time we came out the lineup was snaking down the length of the alleyway. This is quite a fascinating museum – it doesn’t contain any of his most famous pieces like Guernica but boasts scores of sketches and works-in-progress, as well as less famous completed artworks that span from his early childhood (including a stunning traditional painting that won him a major award at the age of 15!) right towards the end of his life. Even if Picasso’s works aren’t amongst your favourites, this is a must-see for any art lover, and those who would like to be.
After a stroll through the Parc de l’Estacio del Nord we jumped in the car to once again feast on the traditional Spanish dish of paella. I’ve been planning on re-creating the starter dish, but haven’t gotten around to it yet – essentially like potato chips, except artichokes; thinly sliced, deep-fried, a sprinkle of salt, and voila! Absolutely delicious. I then opted for the ‘black paella’, which was rendered so by octopus ink and contained vongole mussels. I’ve never encountered this paella before, so I thought I had to try it, and it was absolutely delicious! A bit messy though – if you eat this you’ll need to check your teeth and mouth in the mirror before venturing out. Ton chose the more traditional seafood paella which was also beautiful (but clearly tried some of mine as you can see). This place specialises in paella, so they had about 20 different sorts, including all kinds of seafood, meat combinations, as well as vegetarian – unfortunately I can’t remember what it was called. Edit: I have been reliably informed that the restaurant was called L’Arrosseria XÂNTIVA, located at Les Corts.
We capped the day off with a visit to the Barcelona aquarium which was interesting, but if you’re been to the Sydney one, or even Underwater World you can probably skip this. Some great photo opportunities though. (I really wish I’d already had my new DSLR which I bought in Munich a couple of weeks later when my then-current camera completely bit the dust after conking out more and more frequently.)
