Vacation is just as much about trying the local cuisine as it is seeing the sights, as I have learned, since you can learn so much about a culture and a place by the way the food is prepared and presented. Barcelona is a bustling city bursting with vivacious flavors everywhere you go. We got in pretty late on the first night and the TripAdvisor app was giving us vague directions so we stopped by an Apple store to ask which way to go, and the nice assistant gave us some recommendations in the area, so we stopped by a paxti/pinchos place called Txapela right next to the Catalunya metro stop. They have an entire menu of numbered little finger foods, and we got an assortment of bruschetta-type bites including ones with egg and iberico ham, chorizo, and cheese with tomato along with sweet sangria (that always comes by the liter, as we soon found out).

The next memorable meal was our stop by Bo d Be, a sandwich joint recommended to us by many of our friends who had already visited Barcelona. Dare I say this was the best sandwich I've ever had...!? It was filled with freshly cooked, perfectly seasoned beef and a ton of vegetables including lentils and a combination of four different sauces. We also lucked out on dinner that night (as the sandwiches had kept us full for the entire day/night) and went to the tapas bar across the street from our AirBNB that was recommended by the owner of the apartment. We indulged in some patatas bravas, ensalata, and some of the best pork skewers I've had in a while. It makes me drool just thinking about them now...

Snack time was also an adventure, as we found a little churro stand next to the Barceloneta beach on Sunday afternoon. They were frying up batches right before our eyes and cutting up the crispy dough with scissors before stuffing them into a paper cone and dusting it with sugar. The churros were so incredibly delicious, I'm not sure I will ever be able to order one at the Giants stadium ever again. What we have in the states is nothing compared to the heaven that was these churros... Unfortunately, the stands might have been a weekend-only deal since the little strip of pop-up tents disappeared after Sunday afternoon.

We also spent one night treating ourselves to a pan full of fresh seafood paella at Bosque Palermo in the L'Eixampel district after searching the web for the best paella place in Barcelona, and it did not disappoint. The other nights were spent trying various dishes at tapas places, though our nightly staple became patatas bravas which we ordered at every restaurant. I also went out of my comfort zone to try some interesting food at FOC near the Barceloneta beach, which included little plantain crisps with basil-apple chicken which turned out to be one of my favorite dishes from my stay. I loved trying all of these new things and it really opened my eyes up to the wonders of Spanish food. I think I will have to start hosting tapas nights when I get back to California so I can relive the balmy Barcelona nights.