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BARCELONA, CATALONIA, SPAIN

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia region which is rule by Spain, Catalonia culture is different from Madrid and the other cities in Spain, Catalonia has its own language which is call Catalan, also Spanish is widely spoken there, Catalonia is the richest region in the whole of Spain and is a major tourist destination in Europe its streets are usually crowded with visitors from many parts of the world, there are many interesting things to see in Barcelona such as the many statues, the black lions monuments which are one of the most popular tourist attraction in the city also many living animated characters you on the street daily, also there are many restaurants which offer the local food and drinks

What a sight to see in Barcelona a giant statue of a insect

Bicycles for rent you will see this type of bicycle all over Spain

Some of many cruise which visit Barcelona everyday

FOOD OF BARCELONA

Eating is an extremely important social activity in Catalonia. Eating out remains a major pastime, whether in the evening with friends, at lunch in a local bar with colleagues, or with the traditional Sunday family feast. Although Barcelona is a fast-paced city, mealtimes, especially lunchtime, are still respected, with the whole city shifting into low gear between the hours of 2 and 4pm. Many people either head home or crowd into a local eatery for a three-course menú del día (lunch of the day).
Catalan grub is quite different from the food of the rest of the Spain. In Barcelona, the mainstay diet is typically Mediterranean, with an abundance of fish, legumes, and vegetables, the latter often served simply boiled with a drizzle of olive oil. Pork, in all its forms, is widely eaten, whether as grilled filets, the famous Serrano ham, or delicious embutidos (cold cuts) from inland Catalonia. Another local characteristic is the lack of tapas bars. Very good ones do exist but not in the same abundance as in the rest of Spain. Instead Catalans tend to go for raciones (plates of cheese, pâtés, and cured meats) if they want something to pick at.

Many restaurants in Barcelona close on Sunday and Monday, so check ahead of time before heading out. Hotel dining rooms are generally open 7 days a week, and there's always something open in the touristy areas. If you really want to get a true taste of Catalan cuisine, stay away from places in La Rambla. Dining in Barcelona can range from memorable to miserable (or memorable for all the wrong reasons!), so it pays to do a bit of research. If possible, always book ahead for reputable restaurants, especially on the weekends.

Breakfast -- In Catalonia, as in the rest of Spain, the day starts with a light continental breakfast, often in a bar. Most Spaniards have coffee, usually strong, served with hot milk -- either a cafe con leche (half coffee, half milk) or a cortado (a shot of espresso "cut" with a dash of milk). If you find these too strong or bitter for your taste, ask for a more diluted cafe americano. Most people just have a croissant (cruasan), doughnut, or ensaimada (a light, sugar-sprinkled pastry). If you want something more substantial, ask for a bocadillo (roll) with cheese or grilled meat or cold cuts, or ask to see the list of platos combinados (combination plates). These consist of a fried egg, french fries, bacon, and a steak or a hamburger. A bikini is an old-fashioned toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich.
Lunch -- This is the most important meal of the day in Barcelona. Lunch usually includes three or four courses, although some smart eateries in the Old City are now offering one course with dessert for lighter eaters. It begins with a choice of soup, salad, or vegetables. Then follows the meat, chicken, or fish dish, simply grilled or in a rich stew or casserole. At some point, meat eaters should definitely try botifarras, the locally made sausages. Desserts are (thankfully) light: Fruit, yogurt, or a crema catalana (crème brûlée). Wine and bread are always part of the meal. Lunch is served from 1:30 to 4pm, with "rush hour" at 2pm.
Dinner -- If you had a heavy or late lunch, you may want to go for tapas or a few raciones in a wine bar; this is the perfect time to try the quintessential Catalan snack pa amb tomàquet (rustic bread rubbed with olive oil and tomato pulp, served with cheese, pâté, or cold cuts). If you choose a restaurant, expect a slightly finer version of what you had at lunch but with a larger bill, as the set-menu deal is a lunchtime-only thing. The chic dining hour is 10 or 10:30pm. In touristy areas and hardworking Catalonia, you can dine at 8pm, but you may find yourself alone in the restaurant.
What to Eat
As well as producing many dishes that are uniquely its own, Barcelona looks toward France and central Spain for some of its culinary inspiration. Its bullabesa (bouillabaisse), cargols (snails), and anclas de ranas (frog's legs) are clearly Gallic-influenced, while a classic stew like escudella i carn d'olla -- viewed by singer-songwriter Lluis Llach as "reflecting all the wisdom of Catalan people" -- is really a blend of the French pot au feu and Madrileño cocido, and the ubiquitous lechona (suckling pig) is an import from central Castile. In countryside inns (or ventas) you'll often find game like hare and pheasant, which again show influences from the rest of Spain.
But the real traditional cuisine throughout Barcelona and its inland areas is rather like the inhabitants: Solid and gutsy. Meaty dishes such as veal and blood sausage are accompanied by hearty garbanzos (chickpeas), lentejas (lentils), mongetes (white beans), or judias blancas y negras (white- and black-eyed beans). And the traditional fishy paella of southerly neighbor Valencia is often transformed into noodle-based fideuà containing rabbit, chicken, and rich regional botifarra sausage.
Since Barcelona is right beside the Mediterranean, conventional seafood and rice paellas also abound. The long Catalan coast shelters over 30 fishing ports and fish is a supreme passion with local gourmets; the choice highly varied. A popular local dish is suquet de peix, a rich fish-and-potato stew that was once a favorite breakfast of fishermen who'd been out on the water with their nets all night. Another masterpiece is zarzuela, a stew that combines an extraordinarily wide range of Mediterranean fish, from salmonetes (red mullet) and besugo (bream) to mejillones (mussels) and gambas (prawns). Sardinas (sardines) are particularly scrumptious -- and inexpensive -- when grilled over a pine-wood fire. Squid, octopus, and sepia (cuttlefish) feature heavily, from calamares romana (deep-fried squid) to chipirones (bite-size baby octopus, also fried) to squid cooked in its own ink. Basque-style bacallà (salted cod), originating from chillier Northern Atlantic waters, is another favorite, whether it's simply baked (a la llauna) or forms the base of a cold garlicky hors d'oeuvre called esqueixada. (Don't confuse this, by the way, with the similar-sounding escalivada, which consists of strips of chargrilled sweet peppers and eggplant/ aubergine, and is also served cold.)
Catalans are particularly inventive with their tortillas (egg, not corn variety), and these can include white beans, asparagus, and garlic shoots, often served with pa amb tomàquet, that Catalan gem of simplicity consisting of bread, garlic, crushed tomato, and generously applied olive oil. (Some of Spain's very best oil comes from Catalonia's Lleida province.) A pungent white sauce that adds an extra dimension to any meal is alioli, made from garlic, salt, and mayonnaise.
Vegetables are not common accompaniments to main courses, but an ensalada catalana -- a salad of lettuce, tomato, onions, and olives -- is invariably available, with the added bonus of local cold cuts like mortadella or mountain ham. Vegetarians and vegans should always check that no meat is included in what appears to be a vegetable dish or salad on the menu. Desserts are more modest and include the nifty milk-and-egg-based flan (caramel custard) and crema catalana (crème brûlée). Probably the best local cheese-based dessert is mel i mató (mel is honey and mató a very soft goat's cheese almost resembling yogurt: Quite delicious). Another popular creamy goat's cheese is garrotxa, which comes from inland Catalunya; while a more conventional dry tangy goat's cheese is serrat from the Pyrénées.