Our Two Week Vacation

As most of you probably know, Jessica and I just shared a two week vacation exploring Barcelona and the surrounding areas.  Because of some passport issues, we weren't able to get to Paris or Rome but we still had the BEST time and saw so much more of Spain than we saw on our her first trip here!  It will be too difficult to capture everything that we did, so below I've just summarized a few of the activities that stand out (Jessica's blog will have others I'm sure, including her favorite fish pedicure!).  Additionally, throughout the two weeks we both posted many pictures and videos on Facebook and Instagram if you are interested.

Dining - As always, the food took center stage during our vacation.  I was able to try for the first time cod confit, roasted suckling pig, tuna and tomato tartare, and veal ribs (all of which were incredible really) as well as the typical Spanish foods that I've come to enjoy during my stay here.  One dining experience, though, was completely different than anything we have tried before, either here or in America...

Espai Sucre - Espai Sucre (http://www.espaisucre.com/) is a restaurant that specializes in desserts with a focus on molecular gastronomy and unique flavor combinations.  Instead of serving typical savory courses and then having a dessert menu, they actually offer full menus of desserts only (as well as two options where they create one or two savory courses integrated with the sweet).  For our meal, Jessica chose the five-course dessert option while I selected the six-course menu with two savory items (octopus in my second course, pork in my third).  To best understand the meal, I'd suggest you look at our pictures on Instagram, but for a quick summary:

- The dishes all looked and tasted incredible.  Each had unique flavor combinations (often times matching fresh herbs with fruit flavors as well as chocolates, coffees, and even tobacco) as well as varying textures, with foams, ices, jellies, creams, and even tapioca in my final course.  The colors were great too... bright yellows and light greens contrasted with reds and whites and dark chocolates.  Just viewing the plate was satisfying I thought!
- The pork dish I had, covered with a coffee streusel, was one of the five best flavors I've tried in my life.  It was a high quality rib cut, but tasted more like a perfectly braised belly piece with a meatier consistency.  The coffee crunch was excellent as well, and I've never had a better reduced pork sauce than this one.
- Even with the complex courses, sometimes pairing five and six flavors, I found (with one exception) that each ingredient served a purpose and the best bites were ones with every component included.
- Service was incredible.  The restaurant only has six tables I think, and each course is explained perfectly by the two servers.  For us, the main waiter was great describing the wines as well, and generally led us through the meal.  Rarely do I feel that service adds or takes away much from my experience, but here it was integral to our enjoyment!

Parc Guell - On Jessica's first visit, we missed this Barcelona spot so it was at the top of our list this time around.  The park is located in the northern part of the city, high on the hill sloping down towards the sea.  As a result, there are fantastic views of the entire urban landscape (in addition to the park itself, which features typical Gaudi architecture and many paths and greenery).  I enjoyed seeing the park and the views of Barcelona, but thought the whole thing was a bit too crowded and "touristy" for my taste.  It would be much better if the city was able to keep the random vendors outside of the park but it's highly unlikely I suppose.  Even still, if you are coming to the city and want to see all of the sights, this is a must visit place!

Wine Tours - We booked a wine tour for an area west of Barcelona, where we had the chance to visit three separate wineries.  The first (Jean Leon) was small but offered a great chance to see the whole process of making wine from start to finish, even allowing us the opportunity to try the ripe grapes!  Our second stop at Torres (which is the largest wine maker in the country) was more about the tasting, as we sampled three of their wines with a selection of cheeses.  I'd never done a true wine tasting and really enjoyed the combination of flavors as well as the information and "coaching" we were given to better understand the pairings.  The third stop (Freixenet) was where the Spanish version of champagne, called Cava, is made.  This tour was very interesting, as the cellars are 20 meters underground and we were able to tour through them with a guide describing the process as we went.  Overall, I enjoyed all three wineries for different reasons and found the tour to be interesting, fun, and delicious.  While seeing the sights IN Barcelona is probably best for travelers with limited time, this adventure was great and gives a nice overview of the various important Spanish wines.

Montserrat - The second day tour we booked was to Montserrat, a famous mountain outside of Barcelona that has great meaning to Catalan people.  The mountain is breathtaking, and the climb up to the "town" on a cog-wheel train is both amazing (with views) and terrifying (for those afraid of heights!).  Once at the top, we explored the small town to see the monks' residences and the square and basilica.  The whole place is unlike any place I've been... just a few building built into the side of a mountain with huge cliffs dropping to the ground below and high rocks above.  For most people in Barcelona, this is a must-see when you visit and for the views alone, I must agree (even if I was scared of the height and dropoffs the entire time, as Jessica can attest!).

Costa Brava - To get the true Spain-in-August experience, we booked two nights in the Costa Brava at Hotel Aigua Blava.  The Costa Brava is an area on the northeastern coast of Spain with jagged rocky shorelines and spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea.  Our hotel was located on a small bluff overlooking a bay filled with boats of all sizes... a perfect view to wake up to each morning.  We spent most of our time here relaxing by the pool (which also overlooked the bay) since the rest of our trip was more hectic, and we enjoyed every second of it.  It was great to sit by the pool reading with a Fanta or water or Coke Zero or beer and not have to worry about anything else... I think it's just what we both needed!  We didn't travel to any of the other beaches in the area (and there are MANY) which is what a lot of locals do, but I couldn't have asked for a better getaway for a few days.

Camp Nou - The final "major" activity for Jessica's visit was the Barca - Real Madrid match at the Camp Nou.  Neither of us had ever been to a futbol match before, and this was quite a way to break in as we saw one of the biggest rivalries in the world featuring the two best players as well as a host of other world-class talents.  The game was exciting... five goals were scored in the second half and Barcelona won by a score of 3-2.  We saw goals by Messi, Ronaldo, and Xavi among others, and even got into the Barca cheers by the end of the 90 minutes!  Because of the game time (10:30 PM to avoid the heat, which was still BRUTAL!), we booked a hotel near the stadium for the night, which ended up being fantastic.  It was the most modern, and nicest, Hilton I've ever stayed in, and we were given a room on the executive floor so we could enjoy the extra perks.  I cannot recommend this hotel enough for anyone traveling to the city; it is also located just a block from an upscale mall as well as a short subway ride to the center of the city.  The day and night spent at and near the hotel before the game, plus the game itself , made for a perfect ending to Jessica's visit!

I am 26 days away from returning home and cannot wait!  Jessica and I loved our time here together, but nothing can replace being home in Clayton (and with Berkley!).  Still, we experienced so much of Barcelona and the areas around it in her two visits, and I'm so thankful we had the opportunity for that.  Seeing a different country, and a different culture, adds so much to my understanding of the people as well as my appreciation of the life that I am fortunate enough to have.  While there is no place like home, there are also very few places as vibrant, enjoyable, and impressive as Barcelona.