We started our day with a cooking class in the Gothic Quarter right next to the government offices (Cook & Taste). There were 13 people in the class, and two of them were from West Chester, PA. Our chef and tour guide was Carlos. We went to the market on La Ramblas called Mercat de la Boqueria. It opened in 1840, but the first mention of it was 1217. It was filled with so many beautiful and delicious shops. We bought Jamon iberico, cuttlefish, mussels, clams for our class. Watching them hand slice the iberico was amazing; it is always hand sliced. The most expensive one we saw was 185 euros a kilo. On our walk back we stopped at an amazing little churro shop. Omg delish. I loved walking through the streets in this area. They were narrow charming medieval streets lines with shops, restaurants and flower markets. Mom and MyLisa were sure they’d get lost, but it’s a grid, and I feel,easy to navigate.

We meandered back to our cooking class location, and started our prep. We made:

• Gazpacho (that was my responsibility) with the traditional ingredients plus watermelon and a beet,
• Flatbread with roasted vegetables
• Seafood Paella
• Catalan cream for dessert

MyLisa helped cutting vegetables, caramelizing sugar on the dessert, etc. Mom was the somalie, responsible for ensuring everyone had a glass of wine and that it remained full. She took her job very seriously. Joe, from West Chester had a GoPro and did a time laps video of us making the paella in the pan. Click here to see it. Everything we ate was delicious.

After class, we went to the Basilica de Barcelona, the wandered through the streets looking for chocolate. We found a few places, but some were closed. Mom and MyLisa bought more churros. We took a cab home for a siesta before La Mercè started. Mercè is an annual,festival with religious origins honoring the patron saint of Barcelona. It also marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

We left the apt around 9pm to head to the Parc Citadelle. We saw 4 light shows, had some delicious Peruvian crisps, and watched 4 dancers perform artistic and political dances.