Italian Food in Barcelona

Alex Verch

Food in Barcelona

Date: April 12^th, 2011

            My roommates family was here to visit this week and her father is a huge fan of Italian food. He was dying to take us all out for dinner and since he is kind of a picky eater we decided that Da Greco would be the perfect spot for him. On Monday night my five roommates, my friend’s parents, and I all went out for dinner to the Italian restaurant on Passeig De Gracia.

            This was only my second time going to Da Greco because I am not a huge fan of Italian food and since I am only living in Spain once I feel as though it is important to actually try the typical Barcelona food. However, it is always nice to eat the foods your familiar with.

            We pulled up to the restaurant just in time for our ten PM reservation. When we sat down the waitress did not waste a second before bringing us warm bread and oil. Of course I filled up on the bread and was already full before we could even order our meals. We got a few bottles of white wine to share for the table too. After looking at the menu I decided to share the steak with my friend’s dad. Everyone else ordered pasta dishes.

            Da Greco is great because when you order a pasta dish they bring an extra dish to the table for everyone to taste. By the end of the meal we had all eaten so much we could barely move. My friend’s dad treated us to dinner which was very generous and thoughtful of him. My roommates and I were all so full by the end of the meal we could not even go out to the clubs for Loco Lunes. Instead, we just went home to our apartment. 

Sushi in Barcelona

Alex Verch

Food in Barcelona

Date: April 6^th, 2011

            Back in the United States I eat a lot of sushi. Whenever my family and I decide to go out to dinner it is usually to a Japanese restaurant. Prior to coming abroad I was a little nervous that I would have to put my sushi obsession on hold. However, my friends and I quickly found our favorite Japanese restaurant in Barcelona. Although Barcelona is known for its Catalan food such as Butifarra and Escudella I really enjoy the sushi.

            The restaurant my friends and I frequent is called Kibuka. It is located a Calle Goya, 9 and is absolutely delicious. I first went with my friend Ariel who was recommended to go there by a friend of hers. Ever since then I have been going back almost weekly.

            I always get the same dishes when I go to Kibuka. I start with the miso sarrada, which is a green salad with delicious miso dressing. Then, as my main course I order the eel roll and the tuna roll. Unfortunately for me Kibuka has delicious ice cream for dessert. I can never resist their selection of vanilla, red bean, and green tea ice cream. Sometimes we splurge and get all three.

            If you are a sushi fan I highly recommend Kibuka. Although I like the food here in Barcelona it is always nice to get a taste of home with food you are familiar with, which is why my friends and I frequently go to Kibuka.

Tapas

Alex Verch

Food in Barcelona

Date: April 3^rd, 2011

            My Boyfriend Max came to visit me from Rome this past weekend and was dying for me to take him to my favorite Tapa restaurant. I have been telling him for weeks now how much I love eating tapas over a typical style meal because you  truly get to try everything you are interested in on the menu. I have been to a few various places and finally found the Tapas restaurant I like best. It is called Qu Qu and it located at Passeig de Gràcia, 24.

            We went for lunch on Saturday and sat outside because the weather was so beautiful. Max and I shared a pitcher of sangria to start off the meal. After gazing at the menu for what felt like quite a long time we finally picked out a few different options and ordered. We ordered chips wit avocado, meatballs, chicken skewers, a shrimp dish, and of course the typical Catalan appetizer bread with tomato paste. It is funny because when I first came to Barcelona I thought that this bread was free but I soon found out that it is not. I enjoy Tapas restaurants because they provide pictures on the menus so I am able to see what the food I may order will actually look like. Max liked this aspect of Tapas too.

            Our food came very quickly and of course we finished everything on our plates. We decided to order another pitcher of sangria after we were done eating because it was just that delicious. After about an hour and a half we paid the check and walked around Barcelona. It was a great day.

Nightlife in Barcelona

Alex Verch

Leisure Activity: Clubs!

Date: March 10^th, 2011

            The nightlife in Barcelona is even more wild than I ever imagined. It is absolutely wild that my friends and I go out to the clubs most nights during the week. I could already tell that my exhaustion is definitely starting to catch up to me. It is only a Thursday and we have already gone out three days this week already.

On Monday night we went to Otto Zutz. We invited some friends over for drinks at our apartment prior to heading over to the club. Loco Lunes, or Nasty Mondays as some prefer to call it, was truly loco this week. It seemed like everyone in Barcelona was out on Monday night. We danced all night until our feet couldn’t handle anymore. Although waking up for class on Tuesday wasn’t easy I dragged myself out of bed and made it on time to my favorite class, Barcelona City Past and Present.

On Tuesday night we went to Shoko, which is located directly on the beach. I really enjoyed Shoko because I was able to go outside for fresh air every once and a while. There were couches and heat lamps set up too and since I am always cold this was the perfect place for me.

Last night, Wednesday, we all went to Chupitos before going to Broad Bar. Chuptios was packed with people but luckily we got there early enough and were able to get a table. We went to Broad Bar around 1:30 am. This is another one of my favorite night time hang-outs because it is a smaller and more intimate place than some of the other clubs we frequent.

            I love the Barcelona night life and am looking forward to going to Opium tonight for another great night with my friends!

Shopping in the city

Alex Verch

Leisure Activity: La Rambla/ Shopping on Passeig de Gracia

Date: March 29^th. 2011

            Today my friend Gill and I walked over to Plaza Catalunya to do some shopping. My first stop was Corte Ingles. We walked in with out any intentions of buying anything. Our plan was just to browse around the extremely large and overwhelming department store. I strolled through the make-up department before heading over to the handbags. Gill took a look at the scarves.

We then proceeded to the sunglass section where I just couldn’t resist buying a pair. The lovely saleswoman at the store, who may I add spoke very little English, was very excited to sell me a pair. Although at first I found it difficult to communicate with her I quickly put my Spanish skills to the test and eventually we were able to hold a conversation. I put my new glasses on and left the store.

            Gill and I then headed over to Las Ramblas. The street was packed with people all huddled around the various street performers. We topped to take a quick look at the interesting ones but then continued walking down Las Ramblas. I bought a beautiful leather and silver bracelet from one the venders and Gill bought a ring. We turned around when we got to the end and walked towards Passeig de Gracia. However, when we passed La Boqueria (The market) we couldn’t resist going in to grab some candy. We each bought a bag filled with gummies, chocolates, and delicious dried fruit and ate most before we could even step foot out of the market.

            After the market we walked down Passeig de Gracia and admired all the beautiful store windows of the designer shops. We finished our shopping day with lunch at Qu Qu where we shared delicious tapas. It was a lovely day.

Trip to the Beach

Alex Verch

Leisure Activity: The beach

Date: March 24^th, 2011

            Fortunately for my roommates and I our apartment is situated very close to the beach. When we first arrived the proximity of our apartment to the beach meant very little to me. The weather was not nearly nice enough to lay out or have lunch outside. However, now that we are finally experiencing the beautiful Barcelona weather I had heard so much about I can finally take advantage of the beach and the marina.

            Today I went to the beach with my five roommates. We went to class first and then headed back to our apartment to change our clothes. We left our apartment for the day around 15:00 and headed to Carpe Dium Lounge and Club for cocktails and a bite to eat. We sat  on the enormous comfortable couches located on the deck. The women working walked around offering massages to the customers so of course we jumped at the opportunity to unwind. We sat for a while and relaxed before heading down to the sand. We brought towels and blankets with us and laid them out on the sand. Around us people were playing ball, listening to music, and taking in the beautiful scenery. As I sat out on the beach today I realized how lucky I am that I have been able to call this place my home for the past few months.

            After we had enough sun we decided to take a walk on the beach towards the beautiful W Hotel, which is situated directly on the beach. We strolled up and down the boardwalk and even climbed up on the jungle-gym type apparatus located on the sand.

            When the sun started to go down around 19:00 we walked back to our apartment. I truly enjoyed my relaxing day at the beach and am looking forward to doing it again very soon.

Barcelona Stadium Visit

Alex Verch

Cultural Activity: FCBarca Stadium

Date: March 16^th, 2011

            The other day my Sport and Culture class went on a field trip to the FCBarcelona stadium. I was so excited for this trip because I had never seen a soccer stadium and had heard great things about it. When we walked in I was drawn to all the trophies displayed in their glass cases in the area that seemed to be the ¨museum portion of the stadium. As we walked around my teacher explained some of the history of the stadium.

            We then walked to the locker room, which I thought was very interesting. It was actually situated exactly how I pictured it, with a physical therapy area, showers, lockers, and benches. We then wandered off on our own to finish the tour by ourselves. I got to see the press conference room and the boxes where the announcers sit to announce the games.

            I thought the field was beautiful and so neatly kept. I took lots of pictures while in the stands. I had learned that in the seats was written ¨Mas que un club¨ so it was great to actually see it in person. We finished the stadium visit with a trip to the stadium store. I browsed around but resisted from buying anything.

            My visit to the Barcelona stadium was very fun and I really enjoyed seeing the trophies, locker room, and especially the stadium itself.  Even though I have watched soccer matches on television seeing the actual stadium in person was really great.