Everyday Leisure: The Unforgettable City: Barcelona (Last Day)

Last day in Barcelona. Sumptuous food. Endless memories.

Last day in Barcelona. I love the culture, the people, the food and the beautiful scenery in Barcelona so much. I miss this place so much.

Amazing view from our hotel room (Hotel Olivia Plaza).

Interior of Hotel Olivia Plaza

We went back to La Boqueria Market for breakfast. There are many food stalls inside the market and they open early. It's a great way to enjoy authentic Spanish food at a reasonable price. We went to the famous Pinotxo Bar.

Pinotxo Bar is a small, tiny tapas bar inside La Boqueria. The owner, Juan was super friendly and nice. The food served at Pinotxo bar was simple and delicious!

I ordered a latte to start off my morning. As you can see, there are three distinct layers - coffee with milk, black coffee and foam. Perfect!

The owner was preparing clara con limén, which is half beer half lemonade.

Beef cheeks - best food served in Pinotxo Bar! The beef cheeks were super tender, rich and delicious. They really melt in your mouth. After we finished the beef cheeks, the sauce left behind actually became very thick and jelly-like. It must mean it had lot of collagen :)

We also ordered lobster, which was super fresh and delicious!

Sausage with greens. Yum!

Cheers!

We then walked around the food market to see if we could buy some souvenirs. Isn't it look like a candy land?

I was really surprised when I saw these huge chupa chups. I used to eat these all the time when I was little in Hong Kong. I never thought about its origin. The chupa chups were invented by a Catalan Spanish company in 1958. These lollipops gained huge popularity all over the world, especially Asian markets such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong.

Cured ham stall inside the food market. Different kinds of cured hams and cheese are available in small packs. This made tasting so much easier.

Ice pops at fruit stalls. So many flavors!

We had no plans for the day and we decided to walk around the old town Barcelona. Wandering around cobblestone streets in the Catalan capital was very enjoyable for me. These cobblestone lanes were lined with so many shops and cafes. One of the cutest stores I discovered is Kokua. If you are a lover of ballet flats but hate paying high price, this shop is your shopping paradise! There are so many colors, patterns and materials for you to choose from! It was so hard for me to pick just one pair...

Since the ballet flats sold here are all handmade (made in Spain - yeah!), stock is really limited. There was a color/pattern combination I really loved but unfortunately they didn't have my size :( However, I was still able to find a pair of ballet flats that I like! The ones I got were 80 euros. Considering the average price of ballet flats in US (~$200) and the fact that these were handmade in Spain, the price wasn't bad at all.

Keep in mind that they accept cash only! I didn't have enough cash with me at that time, but luckily my hubby had some notes in his wallet and I was able to bring my perfect pair of ballet flats out of the store :)

Kokua definitely worth visiting. You can check out their facebook page for store locations and opening hours. Next time when I visit Barcelona, I will come back again!

We continued exploring the narrow alleys of Barcelona.

Little boutique store at one end of the alley.

We passed by Museu Frederic Marès (MFM) but we didn't go in to visit. Museu Frederic Marès is one a sculpture museum presenting the collection of the sculptor Frederic Marè.

Apparently, our trip to Barcelona is all about FOOD. We went to El Xampanyet (near Picasso Museum) for lunch. Another tapas gem located in the old town of Barcelona.

This place is full of great food and history. It has been serving tapas and beer since 1929. This is a very special place if you want to look for an authentic tapas bar.

Since we came here in the early afternoon, we were able to find a table. However, a lot of people do enjoy standing at the bar and order food directly from the counter.

The decor at El Xampanyet is old-fashioned, stocked with countless colored tiles, bottles, barrels, old newspaper clippings and antique trinkets. They serve classic Catalan tapas.

Their specialties are seafood and olives. We ordered a mix of fish dishes. They were fresh and delicious!

The owner, who was really friendly and attentive, insisted that we had to try their sweet pastries. We then were presented with a plate of biscuits and sweet pastries along with two glasses of sweet dessert wine which he indicated we should dip the biscuits into. They were absolutely tasty! We were so glad that he recommended us to try.

We continued strolling down the narrow streets around the old town.

Looking for a cup of delicious coffee? Try Cafes El Magnifico. This is a little coffee spot you do not want to miss. This place sells different variety of coffee beans from all around the world. They also have an espresso bar for takeaway.

Very good coffee!

For the evening, we satisfy our appetite at Restaurant Lasarte. Restaurant Lasarte at Hotel Condes was awarded Michelin two stars. Our journey of the tasting menu was one of the highlights in our trip.

First, we were served with some snacks: ham croquettes and peach with mint & soya, grapefruit and olive, melon caipirinha and curried pistachio nuts.