For the Fasnacht holiday weekend (Matt got Monday off) we returned to Barcelona to hang out with Julie and Arnau. Their new office-slash guestroom is awesome! We watched Julie play volleyball Friday night (her team won!) and then headed to tapas in Sant Cugat. "Dinner" at 11:00 PM, we felt very local eating at a time when we're normally in bed!
We heard it was going to be a sunny weekend and the weather was truly fabulous. After visiting the local fruit/veggie Market on Saturday morning and getting our fill of fried bread delicacies, we drove up to Tibidabo, a new spot for both me and Matt. It was a bit hazy, but the warm sun and panoramic views were still very nice!
Afterward, we feasted on calçots in an old country house up in the hills behind Tibidabo. It's similar to a sweet green onion and looks like a leek (they are BIG) - really delicious. It was such a fun experience, and thankfully we had locals to guide us through the process of "how the heck do we eat these things"? Our lunch started with huge, do-it-yourself "pa amb tomàquet" and then the bibs and plastic gloves arrived! Shortly thereafter and fresh off the grill, the burnt calçots and accompanying romesco sauce arrived (I think the sauce is a combination of ground almonds, hazelnuts, tomatoes and olive oil). We learned how to perfectly pinch the top of the calçot and peel the exterior to reveal the light green/white edible part inside, which is then dipped it in the red sauce and dangled in the mouth for tasty consumption. Yes, we got a little messy, but that's what the bibs and gloves are for! It was a "set menu" so we also got wine, grilled meat and crema catalana for dessert. Needless to say, we were completely stuffed and content by the end of our meal.
On Sunday we scrambled to get ready in a record breaking 15 minutes because someone set the alarm for PM instead of AM (I'm not pointing fingers but let's just say it wasn't me). Taking our coffee to go, Arnau drove us an hour north to Costa Brava where we met up with with Julie's co-worker, Daniel, who guided us through the labyrinth of trails in the hills above Sant Feliu. It was a scenic hike taking in beautiful vistas of rocky terrain and the rugged coastline. And boy did this group hike fast - 7 miles in 3 hours!
After working up a big appetite from the hike, we relaxed with a picnic on the beach. The wind had picked up quite significantly by this point, but we enjoyed glorious blue skies and the salty fresh air.
Sant Feliu and the locals dancing.
We had a full day thus far but it wasn't over! It was now time to visit some nearby walled Medieval towns. First up was Pals, a charming village perched on a hill full of cobbled streets that were dead quiet except for two tourist groups.
Next was Peratallada, which was our favorite. Behind the walls, the city actually spreads out quite a bit with several small plazas and narrow alleyways. We even found a shop that was open and purchased a scarf (can't have too many!)
Our last and final stop was Monells, which was a bit smaller and more rough around the edges but also lived in (we actually saw locals here). It was still very picturesque.
On Monday we bit adiós to Arnau and spent the day in the city, meeting up with Julie after her run. It was so warm, we could forgo out jackets! We left our luggage in Plaça de Catalunya and wandered around the Eixample / Passeig de Gracia shopping street and walked over to the Sagrada Familia, which we hadn't visited since our first trip over a decade ago. Yep, it's still a work in progress!
After meandering through the Born and Barri Gotic quarters, Julie recommended a fabulous Vietnamese lunch spot. Oh, how we've missed these flavors, so good! No trip would be complete without a trip to Gelaaati! for dessert, so of course we made the stop.
Thank you to our wonderful hosts, Julie and Arnau. We had such a fabulous and fun time!
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