Calçotada

This is one of my favorite Catalan traditions. A Calçotada is basically an event where people gather together and have a big feast, it is usually at the end of winter/beginning of spring. The main thing people eat are delicious calçots (green onions) which are barbequed and then dipped into an amazing romesco sauce. The sauce it what makes the calçots so yummy to me, especially since I am not a fan of onions. This year was my second calçotada, there were about 30 Catalan teachers, my American friend who invited me, and same Irish English teachers too. It was at a big house on the countryside in Girona and was beautiful and sunny.

We arrived at around 12pm and began drinking wine from the typical "purro." The calçots began cooking while other food was staring to be prepared. We had some appetizers of fried eggplant with a honey sauce sprinkled on top- mmm delicious. Then I helped make the pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) while the calçots, meat, artichokes, and salad were all being prepared. Finally it was time to eat. You always start with the calçots, which are still hot because they are recently taken off the burner, and dip them into the romesco orange sauce. Then we ate artichokes that had been cooked with garlic and also dipped them into the sauce. Next we sat at a big long table outside and began to eat the various types of meat, salad, and bread. It was all so good. We were all so full - but the meal was not over - there was still dessert, fruit, coffee, and champagne. I love this feast because it brings everyone together and really is such a satisfying meal. I am so glad I was able to experience this Catalan tradition more than once!

Venezia para Carnaval!!

Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky? I was blessed this year to meet an amazing Italian girl, Alice, in Barcelona. I met her in October, while she was living in Barcelona doing her practia but sadly in December she went back to Venice to finish studying. When we met we clicked right away and she quickly became one of my closest friends. Lucky for me, she invited me and some other fellow Americans to Venice for Carnaval--let me tell you, it was one of the best experiences. First of all, being able to go to Venice alone in itself is incredible, the small city set on canals makes you feel like you are in a romantic dream, then throw in the Italians who show you around and cook for you, and add Carnaval to the mix, the traditional masked event that lights up the city...and Venice quickly becomes one of my favorite destinations. 
 
Alice was such a good host--as well as her roommates--she showed us such a great time and made Venice have an even bigger place in my heart. This was my third year celebrating Carnaval but my first time outside of Spain. I really liked Carnaval in Venice, it was traditional, women wore the long elegant dresses and many wore the carefully crafted masks (I even bought one!). In Spain people just dress up as whatever they feel like. I loved walking around day and night and seeing everyone's mask and elegant attire, it made it feel ancient and different from the typical Halloween dress-up (don't get me wrong we definitely did dress up without masks too (WALDOS)! I am so happy I went and met such an incredible Italian friend I know I will always have :) Ti voglio bene Alice!!

 

Italia! La vita e bella :)

This January I went to Italy for 10 days.  My ragazzo and I roadtripped all over Italy (mostly Tuscany) and spent some time in Milan. It was probably on of the best trips I have done. I loved that every detail of the trip was not planned out until usually the day before, but instead we left Milan with only a basic idea where we would go. During the trip I had a notebook and wrote down my thoughts and everything we saw/did/ate in every city. Looking at it now made me want to write about it :) I seriously feel so lucky to have been able to do this, it was such an amazing trip filled with delicious food, beautiful views of Italy, and getting to explore new parts of Italy (one of my favorite countries).

Lets begin on where we went: First I landed in Milan, was there for a few days, we went to Lucca, Pisa, Volterra, Siena, Arezzo, Perugia, and back to Milan for a couple more days, then to Barcelona. 

First I arrived in Milan, where Rocco has an apartment really close to the center, minutes from the Stazione Centrale (the central station). We spent New Year's there, going to a dinner at his friends place and then went to the Duomo (which was a little too crazy for us, but still a great night). We spent some more time there and then began our Tuscany roadtrip.

Our first stop was Lucca. This was a small but super cute and tranquil town. The main attractions were: Piazza S. Michele (a plaza with lots of restaurants and church St. Michele) and el anfiteatro (my personal favorite), which is a circular plaza with pretty buildings of all colors, Basilica Di S. Frediano, and the Duomo. We saw basically the whole city in 45 minutes, but it a great first little stop.

After Lucca, we went to Pisa and had booked our hotel the night before We arrived in Pisa around 6pm and went to Hotel Francesco, which was on the main street leading to the leaning tower. We had a view of the tower from our room. We went to dinner to one of my favorite places of the trip. It was a local spot, we happened to find on tripadvisor.com hours before. This restaurant was different than the typical restaurant because when you entered you read the menu written on the wall and ordered. Ten you self-served yourself, as in getting your own place mats, utensils, cups, napkins, etc. Then once your food is ready, they call it out, and you go get it and bring it to the table you chose. I actually really enjoyed this type of place, it was super easy, fast, and different. The food was also really delicious, we ordered Pasta alla bacalo a cheese plate (typical of Pisa) that contained 6 different types of cheeses, a plate of vegetable pastries with a side of hummus, a great house wine, and two delicious desserts (one chocolate cake and a ricotta cheese dessert). Everything was so good! After dinner we saw the major attractions of Pisa by night, but in the morning we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. It was actually pretty hot for January. We went to the leaning tower square. I was actually very fascinated by the leaning tower, I could not take my eyes off of it I think because I have never seen anything like it before. It was incredible to see a building that was leaning very much to one side but stayed put. We decided to go up the 300+ steps of the tower and see the views from the top. After we went to the River Arno, it was very pretty and reminded me of Florence's river. We had lunch near the tower, shared a margarita pizza and salad with pineapples, walnuts, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, etc. After, we headed to Volterra.

As we were driving into Volterra, the views were amazing, such beautiful hills with many different trees (including the famous Cyprus tree known for the Tuscany region). It was so pretty and a sunny day so even better. We got to Volterra about an hour later. This town was one of my favorites. It was a small town on the top of the mountain, so had an amazing view of the hills and valleys below. We arrived a little before sunset, and what a sunset it was! The views were breathtaking with the mix of pink, yellow, and orange sky. We walked around this little city, saw the Duomo, a famous park on top of the city which contains famous old tombs, cathedrals, and just sat staring at the city from high points just admiring it all. We both really loved Volterra.

Next, we went to Siena. Which quickly became another favorite. We arrived around 7pm after leaving Volterra.  Our "hotel" was so cute, it was a room rented out of a nice house that was on a hill (with a view of Siena) and really close to the Duomo and the famous plazas. We went to dinner at a place that a sweet lady from Siena recommended to us while we were parking. (**Side note but I forgot to mention that the people in Tuscany were all very friendly, always trying to help us and give us advice on where to go, it definitely was something positive added to the trip). The recommendation was really good, the place was near our hotel too. I ordered gnocci and we shared a cheese plate and of course wine. Rocco ordered a fish that I really liked. After dinner we went to see the Duomo by night. It was really pretty, we just sat there for a while staring at it, then we wen to plaza del Campo which is shaped like a shell and had a lot of life (full of people outside, bars, restaurants, etc). Since it was the holiday season there were stars and "auguri" shining on the buildings over and over, which made it look extra pretty. We decided to go to a pub behind us with the view of the plaza del Campo, we sat outside and got something delicious to drink, it was great.
The next day we got to experience Siena by day, but it was very foggy outside. We went to the Duomo, the plaza del Campo, and took a "romantic walk" to see the views of Siena from a high point of the city. We walked uphill to a Basilica and saw great views of the city center. Then we just walked all over the city, ate some gelato (even though it was very cold) and then made our way to Arezzo (which we booked just hours before at an internet cafe).

 


We got to Arezzo around 7pm and the drive was really rainy. Our hotel was a little outside Arezzo in a town called Vioraggagio but was really nice. We went to dinner in the city of Arezzo, without having a place in mind, but people in the center recommended us a place. It was good, I got pesto pasta and me and Rocco shared a melted cheese platter with cooked mushrooms on top (yum) and of course a good wine from Arezzo.
The next day we had a free breakfast included from our awesome hotel (score!) then we went into town to explore and visit museums, see art, eat lunch, etc. We went to Basilica San Francesco that had really famous frescos. We ate outside at a really cute restaurant in the central plaza and it faced the center.  We also went to Casa Vasari (the house where the fresco painter used to live), each room had a different fresco with an interesting story behind it. Also, we went to the museum of Medieval & Modern art before heading to Perugia.

For our last stop we went somewhere outside of Tuscany, and went to Perugia (which is in the Umbria region). I was very curious and excited to see this city. I couldn't help but think of Amanda Knox the whole time we were there (as well as tourists we overheard talking about her), it was inevitable. We got there around 6pm and arrived at our 4-star hotel (wonderful place). We looked up restaurants online and one in particular was already making our mouths water (just from reading the menu). We called and made reservations at Enone and were so excited for the meal to come. We arrived and you had to walk downstairs to go to the restaurant, it was very intimate, in the main section there were about 8-10 tables and close to one another. Just as we thought, the food was unreal. First we got delicious wine from Sicily. Then we ordered a cheese plate (surprise surprise, we love cheese) with 5 different kinds of cheese and it came with a bread bowl. Then we ordered a greek salad to share, so yummy. I got the tuna steak in a sesame crust (I die), which the waiter kindly recommended and Rocco ordered the crusted salmon. Both were SO delicious, in the end we were so full we could not even order dessert (which I highly craved before). It was I think the best meal we had in Italy!
The next day it was time to explore the city. We were lucky it was super sunny and pretty but very cold. We walked around exploring, ate some pizza, went to about 4 different viewpoints, and sat in the sun. Then we headed back to Milan- it was the end of a wonderful experience/ roadtrip/ romantic adventure.

Last was Milan again! I had already been to Milan once before for about a day, but this time it was so different. Rocco lived in a really cozy and cute apartment really close to the center. I felt super at home and comfortable there. For our last days in Italy he showed me things most tourists do not see. It was super sunny and there were people everywhere (it was a Saturday and the first day of rebajas in Italy began), but it was wonderful. I loved having Rocco to show me around. He showed me the famous middle finger statue that is in front of one of the most famous banks of Milan. It was insane, but such a different type of artwork to see in public. Next we saw the Roman ruins and then the canals of Milan (who knew they had canals...right?). I loved this, made me feel like I was in Venice again. We saw the sunset, then walked around, ate some cannolis. Then we went home, made dinner, and watched a movie. It was time to go back to Barcelona...but it was such an amazing trip...I had the best time..would love to do it all over again :)

 

Famen

One of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona is called Famen. The story behind finding this restaurant was pure luck. Me and my best girlfriend in Spain last year, Mercedes, share a huge passion: food. We love trying new things, new restaurants, learning how to cook dishes together, and even just talking about food. One night we wanted to go out to eat in Gracia, but try someplace new. We were searching for quite a while, when we suddenly stumbled upon this cute small restaurant that looked super nice and walked straight in. This restaurant, Famen, was hidden pretty well and is pretty hard to find unless you know where it is…so we were proud of ourselves and after looking at the menu we got excited to try this Japanese-Catalan fusion restaurant. As many of you know Famen means wanting and needing to eat, so already the title is intriguing.

All I can say is I was very pleased with how amazing this food was and the variety of food offered. You can order paella or Tataki tuna (my personal favorite), and even have their pasta or meat of the day. They even make their own unique bread, serving you two different rolls – a cheesy bread and a onion based bread. Another one of my favorite small plates is the Goat cheese salad, the cheese is perfectly cooked so it melts in your mouth as you bite into it, and the dressing is a mango and dried fruits and honey vinaigrette. It is very delicious.

The restaurant is elegant and great for going on a date or just to dine with friends.

Now I always want to experience Famen and try to get something new (but it is very difficult for me not to order the same meal that I know I love). 

I recommend this restaurant to everyone who loves food as much as I do.  Here is the link to the restaurant: Famen

My first post...

While eating sushi with on of my best guy friends from high school, we began talking about what it is I want to do when I move back home from Spain and he basically inspired me to start writing about my experiences abroad- whatever they may be- but write them down so they can be read. So here it goes...

It is crazy to think I have lived in Barcelona for over a year, but it definitely feels like home. I have met so many special people who are now a big part of my life and have had the opportunity to really get to know this amazing city. With its vast amount of museums, exhibits, bars, restaurants, and close towns nearby, there is always something new to see or do. Hence, I am never bored and always want to explore some new part of the city or try a new place to eat. In Barcelona it is easy to meet new people,  so there is always someone there to experience these new experiences.

Living in Barcelona, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see World Press Photo 2011 at CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemprania de Barcelona). This is a temporary exhibit that takes place every year in many different museums around the world. Since this exhibit began years ago, it usually has come to CCCB for about a month and this year I was lucky enough to know about it (thanks to a special Italian) and it was life changing. The images chosen are the best photos from the year before and are insanely powerful. There were 170 pictures that won and some of those were chosen for the exhibit. The themes of war, death, love, natural disasters, and health appear frequently. I could not stop talking or thinking about what I saw for at least two days after seeing the exhibit. The images are very intense and make you think about how delicate life can be, especially in other parts of the world. Under each photo there is a description of what is occurring, which creates a bigger impact, since one can read what is actually happening. Here is the website to the exhibit at CCCB: http://www.cccb.org/en/exposicio-world_press_photo_11-39444

Here is one picture from the exhibit. This women is Bibi Aisha who is 18 years old and is from Afghanistan and was complaining of violent treatment when she escaped from her husband and went to her family's house. The Taliban arrived one night, demanding Bibi have to face justice. Bibi’s brother-in-law held her down and her husband sliced off her ears and then cut off her nose. She was abandoned, but later rescued by aid workers and the American military. Bibi Aisha now lives in the US and has had reconstructive surgery.

 

@Jodi Bieber, South Africa, Institute for Artist Management/Goodman Gallery for Time magazine.