Barcelona is the subject of some exceptionally scenic panoramas. Its expansive reach, from the coastal beaches to the mountainous outskirts, is decorated with a mélange of earth-tones, most conspicuously the Valencia orange roofs. Neighbourhoods look like jigsaw puzzles where disparate buildings fit together at awkward angles and look at risk of tipping over into the narrow streets. Unfortunately, the panoramas, such as the spectacular one from Parc Guell, end up being much more inspiring than the zoomed-in picture proper. A close inspection reveals the tattered, nondescript, ramshackle product of a miserable history and chronic subsistence. Indeed, Spain lost its power early and has never recovered. It suffered the horrific Civil War (1936-1938), the first war to involve civilians (dubbed “Total War”, like its successor, WWII). Then it was stunted by a fascist dictator until 1975, when it joined the European Union and recovered miraculously. Many trace Barcelona’s success to the 1992 Olympics whose remnants are still on proud display on Montjuic.
View from Parc Guell
Barcelona is the capital of the economic powerhouse that is Catalonia. It speaks a different language and claims to have different tasting food. The region persistently vies for independence; indeed it fought against Franco in the Civil War for this reason. And because it is the shining star of Spain, it gets at least some autonomy. The Catalonian Historical Museum tries to showcase these histories, but is probably not worth seeing.
Casa Batlló
On the other hand the Picasso Museum (5€) the Museum of Contemporary Art (2€) and the MNAC (7€) probably are. The Museum of Contemporary Art, in particular, unapologetically displays the object of choice for contemporary artists: the female form. It presents a rare opportunity to satisfy prurient desires in a societally acceptable manner. Better yet is the Gaudi museum. One of his works on La Rambla is converted to an exhibition with an informative audio guide. It is expensive at 17€ but is worth it, and the money goes to support restoration projects. The styles, methods and motivations of the famed avant-garde architect of the Sagrada Familia (which is a towering monstrosity, and deserves a quick look) are rigorously explained.
Cerveseria Catalana
Dishes 4-8€, 2-3 dishes per person
The definitive style of cuisine is tapas, the sharing of small plates of traditional Spanish food. There is a welcomed focus on seafood and cold-cuts. For a bustling, inexpensive, group-oriented evening, go to Cerveseria Catalana if you can stand the hour-long wait. It serves an impressive list of beers and wines and an extensive menu of guilt-inducing tapas like Huevos Rotos, a Spanish poutine with eggs in place of gravy, or deep-fried artichokes and Patatas Bravas (potatoes with a spicy and garlic sauce). My favourites were the healthier options, like the goat cheese on eggplant and red peppers. Unfortunately, dishes like the traditional Spanish peppers lacked flavour and excitement.
Tapas, 24
Dishes 8-12€, 2-3 dishes per person
For a less sensationalized tapas bar, Tapas, 24 is a subterranean hole-in-the-wall that has a platoon (they were dressed in some uniform) of amicable waiters that translate menus patiently, charge your phone, and even speak to nasty, monolingual telecom companies for you. From the bar, a curious eye wonders past the pyramids of fresh, local ingredients to the chefs who meticulously tinker with bite-sized portions. The seared tuna, a traditional Japanese dish, was reinvigorated Spanish-style with a bed of tomatoes that neutralize the tuna in perfect proportion. The pork was adventurously raw and sported a savoury mix of almost-spicy flavours. Finally, a platter of Iberian ham on tomato, bread and olive oil relies on top-notch ingredients and bold simplicity and delivers inspiring results.
Cinc Sentits
59€ Menu, "4 courses" but many more in actuality
For some Michelin stars, Cinc Sentits presents an unending parade of food for a decent price. It also relies on the traditions of Catalan: the ham, peppers, tomato bread and pork, but treats them with imaginative transformation. Take, for example, the Spanish poutine. Instead, a sweet potato is cut in half, its centre holed out, and replaced with perfectly boiled eggs and accompanied by a richly sweet sauce. Another highlight was the thinly sliced octopus with pillars of cylindrical cuts of potatoes that melted in your mouth. And although the major dishes were not enlightening (the mackerel with paellas and hardened honey was over-flavoured; the Iberian pork tenderloin under-flavoured) the little knickknacks made the meal. A row of four bite-size snacks started and ended the meal. To start, an olive that actually tasted good, a tomato-bread worthy of molecular gastronomy, salted fish with a muted cream cheese and a crunchy fortune cookie beneath a tangy sauce. This went with eggnog of sorts with Canadian maple syrup (I couldn’t resist asking). To finish, a similar assortment of complementary, amuse-bouches that gave the meal many extra dimensions. Perhaps the most spectacular of all though, was the dessert: warm chocolate ganache laden with crunchy tidbits and a bed of olive oil, seasoned by salt to contrast a cold egg-shaped ice cream. Wonderful.
Hot Chocolate at Cocoa Sampaka
The hot chocolate at Cocoa Sampaka is unadulterated melted chocolate. It allows for a focused appreciation of the delicacy that originated from the Spanish colonization of the cocao producing regions of America. The drink was inconceivably rich and better than the Brussel’s equivalent many times over.
La Rambla
A sense of vivacity pervades the city. Carefree children roam the streets, oblivious to the dire state of their country’s woes. The homeless serenade commuters on metro cars with folk songs sung to accordions and drums. At night, tourists on lively La Rambla are replaced with an energetic youth who pre-drink at establishments that resemble beer halls and then in the darkness of the night trek to their final (or penultimate, in some cases) destination. Many return home only when the metro reopens in the morning.
Madrid is a better behaving cousin of Barcelona. If separatist Barcelona were Montreal, Madrid would be Toronto. The architecture in Madrid is cleaner, more grandiose, less risky, and more sympathetic compared with the awkward but charming pastiche of Barcelona. It is desperately Spanish, as Paris is French; English becomes a novelty. Madrid is also less vibrant, less animated and more mature. Some might indeed consider it boring, as discouraged travellers consider Toronto, but the muted splendours will enchant an unsuspecting tourist.
Take, for example, the loveliest market near the Plaza Mayor called the Mercado de San Miguel. Some businessmen saved it from going under and converted it into the Mecca of Spanish food. It is definitively modern looking and sports rows upon rows of food purveyors selling Spanish pancakes, paella, oysters, sangria and other Spanish goodies. There are no paper cups or plates to be found; it is a fine dining experience on foot. From the Museo de San Isidro to the San Francisco el Grande Basilica, this area is the most picturesque in all of Madrid.
Mercado San Miguel
Many of the delicacies of Catalonia disappear in Madrid. Potatoes are filled inside the eggs instead of the eggs being filled between the potatoes. At Arzábal, sit at the bar for some crispy Iberian ham croquettes and a nippy cold onion soup. Or pilgrimage to the working class district that houses Asturianos, where grandma cooks homey meals in a comfortable setting.
A troika of art museums are cheap and worth going to. Most spectacular is the Reina Sofia, which is worth seeing just for Picasso’s Guernica. Prado and Thyssen are nearby and merit a visit too. Nearby is a cute shopping district with no designer brand to be seen. Shops range from the environmental conscious to those for locography connoisseurs. But the must-see is Regalos Originales, which does postcards from a bygone era of every major sight imaginable. For 20€, I picked up some of Toronto before the skyscrapers went up, of Niagara Falls and one for Valentines Day.
Nightlife is buzzing, but of a different nature than Barcelona. There are just as many people but they seem less innocent. The pack of beer and cigarette sellers on the streets detracts from the atmosphere. Activities are more mature. For 20€, you can watch almost amateur dancers practicing Flamenco, a traditional Spanish dance at Cardamomo. A line of bars, cafés and pubs near Puerto del Sol come in all ranges and sizes but most serve cheap wine, vermouth and fruity sangria or the similar-enough Tinto de Verano. Night food aficionados go to Chocolatería de San Ginés and get oily churros dipped in pure chocolate.
Plaza Mayor
Some Spanish structural problems are easily noticed. Conrad Black noted that the primary problem of Europe is that barely 30% of people work. On a Monday afternoon, the streets were deserted; it felt like prolonged siesta in the dead of winter (in Madrid, it snowed briefly). The rule-of-thumb in Spain is closed until proven open, especially on Mondays.
Spain is Europe’s third-largest economy and essential to the Union’s survival. But it has suffered housing and banking crises that required an unprecedented bailout and it singlehandedly reinvigorated the Euro Crisis last year. Now, the politics are a mess, with new scandals that the President denies. It is such a shame that such a vibrant country with at least two world-class cities should be subject to such economic malaise. The poor kids who run through them on balance will be unemployed.