“Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed … I think food is, actually, very beautiful in itself.” Delia Smith, cook, television presenter

¡Hola España! We’ve sailed the Mediterranean for 12 days on the Norwegian Star and at last landlubbers again, arriving at our final port, ​Barcelona​. It was founded as a Roman City and is the capital and largest city of the autonomous region of Catalunya, as well as the second most populous city in Spain.

Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is an important cultural center and a major tourist destination. Many world famous personalities claimed it as home: Gaudí, Picasso, Miró, Tapies and Dalí, artists that are recognized universally by their last name. And for fútbol/soccer fans, Barcelona is home to one of the world’s most famous clubs, FC Barcelona.

But first, disembarkation … while waiting for our group to be called, we sat down for breakfast next to the most charming English pensioners, as they refer to themselves. They’re from Manchester and honestly, I wish we’d met them earlier on the cruise … this guy had stories to tell from days of yore.

Luggage in hand, feet on Spanish soil and the taxi line stretched a mile .. well maybe a kilometer, but it was long. Taxis were aplenty and 45 minutes passed until we claimed ours. It wasn’t too long before we arrived at our well appointed and centrally located Airbnb; dropping off our luggage and ​empezar a caminar las calles de Barcelona ….​ although Catalan is the most prevalent language vs. Castilian.

Time to hit the city … and ​food it!​ The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, or simply ​La Boqueria​, is a large public market in the Ciudad Vieja area and one of the city’s favorite tourist landmarks, just a few steps off Las Ramblas. The origins of the market dates back to 1217, but in its current form opened in 1853. Its metal roof that exists today was constructed in 1914.

It’s astounding what you’ll find under that roof today .. with mouths gaping at the cornucopia of products: nuts, dried fruits, colorful displays of fresh fruit and vegetables, butchers, spices, baked goods of all types, chocolates … typical Catalan style fast foods: empanadas (name your fillings), paper cone holders filled with chorizo, hams, patatas, fried calamari and sardines, cheeses, churros. ​Dios mio …​ what to choose?

The fishmongers display their wares in coordinating colors and sizes providing the riches of the Mediterranean … as a seafood lover I can take residence in this market. There were multiple fish kiosk restaurants, grilling, sautéing up delicious dishes … decisions, decisions.

We strolled through the aisles, perusing the stalls with heightened senses of sight and smells. Time to feed our tummies. Scouting around we came across one of the top rated places to eat ~ Ramblero de la Boqueria. Luckily two seats quickly became available at the bar and the show began … the young, lively, fun waiter performing, frantically attending to customers, bringing dish after dish … and me thinking, do I have enough room to order that?

Seated next to us were a Mexican-American family from Texas and we struck up a lively conversation. Their seafood platter, ​Parrillada de Mariscos​​,​ a marvel of beauty, an Instagram ready dish, was a bounty of gambas (langostinos), razor clams, oysters, clams, mussels and fried fish. Everyone within eyesight leaned over for pictures. It’s possible we could have attempted such a feast, but we can dream, can’t we?

Tonight we ventured out into a torrential downpour to attend a flamenco show. Disappointingly not the best of performances, but the two dancers were energetic and engaging. David sat this one out as he’d caught a cold on the last day’s voyage. Many passengers were coughing/hacking in the final days and as vigilant as he was, David sadly succumbed.

Barcelona’s recent political demonstrations caused the majority of kiosks on Las Ramblas to be closed or totally removed. Normally the boulevard is a lively shopping promenade to peruse.

​On the Menu … Tapas galore!​ Olives, pan con tomate, fresh sardines, octopus slices served over patatas bravas that melted in your mouth, followed by gulps of the refreshing local draft beer, Estrella Superior. Cheers to La Buena Vida!