La Rambla, Barcelona

If Times Square in Manhattan is the train wreck that every first-time NYC tourist must catch a glimpse of, La Rambla--a sweeping Bohemian avenue dubbed "the most famous street in Spain"--is Barcelona's version of that crowded, sweaty, over-billed, over-priced thoroughfare. Wade and I briefly strolled down La Rambla the afternoon we arrived in Barcelona. Too cranky and jet-legged that day, we were not exactly impressed and even stayed away from that strip for over a week. But in our earnest effort to at least read the menu of some restaurants recommended in our travel guides (as opposed to aimlessly wandering for about 45 minutes only to eat the same bread and potatoes) we metroed to La Rambla to visit the Cafe de l'Opera. According to an unnamed guidebook Cafe d l'Opera promised to be a "splendid Modernist" venue complete with artists and intellectuals as patrons. After spending the requisite 30 minutes finding the place, Cafe d l'Opera was a dissapointment. Not only did I see fewer artist and intellectual types than in my favorite Nashville coffeehouse, The Frothy Monkey, the tapas bar was paltry, seating was minimal and our only option was a smoky balcony that was too nicotine-laden even by Barcelona standards. In short, it was a tourist trap made worse by the fact that our stomachs were growling and we were stuck in the middle of a sea of equally dismal tourist traps. We finally settled on a cheerful looking tapas bar that filled our bellies but depleted our wallets. My distaste for the La Rambla experience is not a bad thing, I think, because it illustrates how much the off-beat parts of Barcelona get it right. We have had some not so great cheap meals and some really great pricier fare. Just as the seasoned NYC guest quickly learns to stick to the West Village or some other cozier part of town, I think we'll plan on catching meals in our two favorite neighborhoods so far--the Old City (full of windy little Gothic alleys) and L'Eixample (the posh "Park Avenue" of Barcelona with some suprisingly reasonable cafe).

Flamenco--ole!!

After that uninspiring La Rambla dinner, Wade and I followed through with plans to attend a flamenco show. While not quite as ubiquitous as the Hawaiian hula or Persian bellydance, our trip to Barcelona would not be complete without experiencing this age-old custom. Technically, flamenco is not a Catalon tradition but a ritual native to Andalusía in the southern part of the country. Not suprisingly those stoic Catalons--who also eschew Spain's most famous custom, bullfighting--prefer their native dance, the simple sardana. So, we made our way to the quirky little theater Wade learned about from the local Spanish newspaper. The show was absolutely stunning. Lasting no longer than 30 minutes, the intimate room was the perfect setting for a performance that reminded me more of the rhythmic wonder Stomp than any of the preconceptions I had about flamenco. The show centered on cross-percussion, similar to that of African drum beats.

Sitges

Wade and I spent today at again at the beach at Sitges.

--Rashmi