A Taste of Home – A British Haven in Barcelona!

Being an international city and having a huge expat community, Barcelona has no shortage of shops, restaurants and other amenities to serve the various nationalities living particularly those from the US, Latin American and various countries in Europe to name but a few. But what about us Brits? Is there a ‘British Barcelona?’

Thankfully, amongst the grid-like streets of the Eixample is a very special shop who specialise in all things British. Aptly named ‘A Taste of Home‘, this is a shop to visit for any Brit living here in Barcelona either for Erasmus or for those here living more long term. Intrigued to find out what treasures are inside? Read our exclusive interview with the owner below!

The Interview

A Taste of Home has been serving the people of Barcelona since 2008 and was started by Inge Barker, an expat from the UK. She also owns another branch of the shop in Sitges which has been open for 11 years. This shop is the real deal and that’s not just my opinion. In 2011, A Taste of Home was awarded the accolade of ‘Commended British Shop in the World’ as part of the ‘Best of British Awards’ which are sponsored by the Telegraph (newspaper) and John Lewis (one of the biggest retailers in the UK).  Upon walking in, your British blogger here found the staff busy showing some new customers around, but I managed to grab a couple of minutes to ask some questions……

Suitelife – Hi Inge. I really like your shop! Could you briefly tell me a bit about ‘A Taste of Home‘?

Inge – Of course! I started the shop mainly because there isn’t really anywhere else in Barcelona that serves the specifically British products. A lot of the small shops and supermarkets offer some basic stuff such as teabags, but nothing compared to what we offer here.

SuiteLife – Yes, I noticed that too. It’s quite nice to see something which is actually British for a change!

Inge – Thanks! We do lots of different things. Obviously, we sell specifically British products such as Marmite, Cadbury’s chocolate, different brands of English tea, jams, pies and loads more. We also sell books, greeting cards and do a lot of fundraising for charities particularly animal charities. The vast majority of things we sell are British but we also have food from other countries too notably ingredients for making Indian food as well as some American and Dutch products too. Naturally, we can’t provide everything, but we are happy to take requests. If you come in for something and we don’t have it, you can go on our Facebook page to request it and we’ll do our best to get it for you!

SuiteLife - Wow! Sounds really good and I’m pretty sure I’ll be making use of that!

Inge – We’ve also recently started the IPTV service which lets people from the UK who live here in Spain access British channels legally. For years now, we’ve been using the Freesat channels. This has changed lately and could be really expensive for people who want to continue to access British TV this way which is why we’ve started offering the IPTV service which streams to your TV from the Internet. We are the sole distributor of this in Catalonia and it’s completely legal! You get all the main channels plus even more. It’s a great deal.

SuiteLife – One thing I definitely miss about the UK is British TV. How much does this service cost?

Inge – It costs about 30 Euros per month, but if you sign up for it via our Facebook page, then we will give you a discount on this.

SuiteLife – Excellent. What would you say are your most popular products here?

Inge – Our baking section is really popular and we sell a lot of British cookbooks too!

SuiteLife – Do you get a lot of British people coming to the shop?

Inge – Yes, we get a fair amount of people who have heard about us and like to come to see just how British we are. It’s fair to say, that people are left pleasantly surprised by the sheer variety we have. We also get a lot of Spanish people come into the shop too and they are pretty curious to see what we’re about.

SuiteLife – I can vouch for that! Before we round the interview up, is there any advice you’d have for any aspiring Brits reading this?

Inge – Check out our Facebook page. We have a lot going on such as competitions and offers. We also publish recipes too! Don’t forget that you can also get exclusive discounts and can request those home comforts too.

SuiteLife – Thanks a lot for your time!

This is amazing! Where is this gem of a shop!?

Intrigued? You can find A Taste of Home on Carrer Floridablanca 78 in Eixample. You can get there on L1 Rocafort near Plaça Espanya (I’d recommend taking the C/Calabria exit, it’s quicker!). The best way to get in touch with them is on their Facebook page or by calling 933 251 797.

They’re open from 10am – 9pm on Monday through to Saturday, so there’s plenty of time to rush and get a box of tea when the worse happens!

Looking for more shops for expats living in Barcelona? We’ve got a list of some of the best in the city for you to check out!

Thanks,

Chris

Gay Book Stores in Barcelona

There aren’t many gay book stores in Barcelona but the few – two to be exact – are great locales where book lovers can immerse themselves in their glory.

You may have probably come to Barcelona for the nightlife, for the food or culture, for the sun and the beaches but if you’re anything like me, then you won’t – for the life of you – spend a thirty days holiday without some reading material.

When I moved to Barcelona in mid-February, my search for the best English book stores – especially Gay book Stores in Barcelona – began but the available information on and offline was very little to none, so I set out to find one.

So here are my findings for those of you who are visiting Barcelona and enjoy reading between outings.

Libreria Complice

The first of the two Gay Book Stores in Barcelona is a spacious library specializing in fiction and non-fiction literature for English, Spanish and Catalan speaking customers. Their services ranges from assisting gay and lesbian travelers to find their way around the city and by providing guides and maps to helping writers publish their work that are ignored by mainstream publishing houses.

So, this makes Complice both a book store and a publishing company.

As varied as their services are, their catalogue offering is even more so with a great selection of material in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender genre for every age: books about general diversity and themes, comics, movies, magazines, and a lot more. If you want to see everything that they got to offer in their catalogues you can visit their websites…most of the information found there is in Spanish and Catalan.

CÓMPLICE is the Historical LGBT book store of Barcelona, this doesn’t mean that they specialize in historical literature, it just means that they are the oldest operating gay book store found in the city, going strong with 17 years diffusing the homosexual culture while intergrating the rights of gays and lesbians around the world.

When you subscribe to their blog and newsletter, you can be kept informed about their catalogue udates and the latest information about what goes on in the Barcelona gay scene such as parties, clubs, presentations, meet-ups and other news of interest.

Recently, Tevevision de Catalunya filmed a short segment on Complices. It’s in Catalan but even if you can’t follow the dialogue, the visual gives you a good sense of the store.

Antinous Library in Barcelona (Librería – café gay- lésbica)

If the bars and clubs scene gets old and a little exhausting, then a fantastic place to hang out, meet people and immerse yourself in the gay scene, is Antinous. Both a bookshop and a coffee shop for gay men and women, it is a perfect spot for browsing the latest in gay literature, enjoying a great cup of coffee and learning more about community events and organized gatherings. New clubs, shows and meeting groups are advertised, so if you’re fresh to the area and want to meet new people, this is definitely one to remember.

This is our second of the two Gay Book Stores in Barcelona but don’t think this is a ranking competition.

This shop has its own charms and it’s a very popular meeting point for gay and lesbians just off the southern end of La Rambla and very much like Complice, their catalogue varies tremendously from books to videos that caters to the GLTB community. They also provide a copy of “Nois Magazine,” a publication with all the information about the gay events taking place in Barcelona, hold book presentations and exhibitions.

Both stores are wonderful when looking to purchase a gay book, it all depends on how you want to invest your holiday time shopping for a book.

Do you know of any other Gay book stores in Barcelona that are great and that we haven’t mentioned? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

~ Argenis

Shop in Barcelona: The Shopping Night Barcelona

The Shopping Night Barcelona is back again this year! For the 3rd time, this magical night will dazzle you, and it’s easy to understand why – It brings to Barcelona the opportunity to shop in the middle of the night, and enjoy the city in a very different way and warm-up for Christmas!

The concept of Shopping Night Barcelona you probably already got from the name: it’s a night when the shops of Passeig de Gracia will be open till late, making it possible to go shopping until the wee hours of the morning. But the event is much more than that! Most of Psg. de Gracia – from Plaza Catalunya till Calle Rosello – will be full of activities, open restaurants, lounges with music and even more following the theme of this year: Fairy Tales! There’s the magic I was talking about!

Barcelona‘s most famous shopping street, Passeig de Gracia, will be divided in 6 different areas and each one will be representing a fairy-tale: Ciderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Goldilocks, A Christmas Carol and Sleepy Beauty. The many stores and restaurants of each area will be decorated and will offer discounts, deals, tastings, music, snacks and much more! For example, if you go to Massimo Dutti, you get a free drink, if you go to Lacoste you get 20% discount, if you go to McDonald’s you get a picture with Ronald McDonald. And that’s just three of them, there’re at least 50!

Some more info for you, shopping lover!

When? From 20h to 1h, on Thursday November 22

Where? Most of the stores and restaurants of Passeig de Gracia – From Plaza Catalunya till Calle Rosello

How much? That depends pretty much on your income or on your addiction to shopping. To be honest, I’ll try to make the most of all the free drinks and snacks I can!

Here we’ve selected a few of the places we believe you’ll get the best deals (and free meals):

• Armand Bassi – 20% off. Cava and aperitif.
• Caramelo – Cocktail, live music and special discounts.
• Farggi – Taste of a glass of chocolate Farggi with one pastry.
• Hotel Alexandra – Tasting Risotto Da Luca Terrace 20-21h + Special Dinner Menu Shopping Night 20-24.30h + Party with Dj sorpesa Peroni Peroni Session & photocall at the Hall of Hotel 23h-2am
• Tezenis – You will be a celebrity for one night, you will be able to pose with you friends with your Tezenis looks, enjoying the music from several Djs.

and of course… much much more!

More details and info? Visit The Shopping Night Barcelona

Hope you like it, Barcelona! For more fun and shopping advice stay tuned to ur Blog!

See you!

Jack

THE BRANDERY – A FASHION SHOW IN THE HEART OF BARCELONA

The Brandery is the fashion event of the year in Barcelona bringing together people of all over the world, who have a passion for style! DO you have a passion for fashion, read on to learn more about this unique event.  Also, other events going on in July.

The family of curators, drivers, and stars have combined to bring the city of Barcelona entertainment of the highest quality.  The brandery is divided into 4 areas to give onlookers a well rounded experience.  These areas include:  Trade show, brandtown, fashion show, and the city.  The trade show in itself features several sections fashion, denim, sports & street.  The fashion features top brands, innovative ideas, and the latest trends.  The denim is associated with accessories, exhibitions, eco-friendly fabrics, customizations, new concepts and fresh ideas.  The sports & street section features the latest collections in action sports and street style.  The brandtown is an area specifically designed to feature fashion firms in a interactive environment.

Do you have a passion for fashion? Come learn from some of the best in the industry.  The interactive workshops allow the general public to learn the art of design from creating small accessories, fabrics, toys, and jewelry.  Most of the products constructed from recyclable material that can be made at home.

Last but not least no show is complete without the amazing sounds of fashion.  The line-up consist of The Human League, La Casa Azul, Mala Rodriguez, and Stand Up Against Heart Crime.  A luxury line up sure to be soothing to the ears of visitors.  In addition, local DJ’s Shelby Grey, Amable, Gato TV, who play a major part in Spain being recognized all over the world for its amazing nightlife. You can find more information on their website.

Check out Barcelona fashion friday here

Souvenirs from Barcelona: Where to find something authentic

Let us help you to decide, what to bring from Barcelona, when you are going home and want to bring the best Barcelona souvenirs for your family and friends! This way you can stay away from all the typical tourist JUNK!

Barcelona, much like all the other capitals and touristic places have plenty of those famously tacky souvenir stores and stands that offer you mostly cheap variations of popular magnets, pencils, ashtrays and miniatures of the Sagrada Familia.

You can buy those if you want… just something small and easy for your weird uncle Bob or your cousins. If you want something actually Spanish or special, you should avoid the stores on La Rambla and instead explore a bit deeper into the Gótico or the Raval. Here we have some tips for you, what souvenirs from Barcelona will your friends and relatives love.

Food and drink

Starting with the easiest part – you can’t take a wrong step if you bring some nice Spanish wine or food, because, well, it´s delicious.

Sweets

If you decide for chocolate, you should visit the chocolate museum at c/ Comerç 36.  You will learn about turning the cocoa bean into a chocolate bar or a rabbit with a funny face and you can buy some pralines there as well. Another place that we love is the café and store Demasié at c/Princessa 28. They specialize in chocolate and cookies and their gift boxes are really beautiful and make the perfect present.
Something sweet and traditional in Spain is turrón. Turrón is a Christmas sweet, but you can get it normally any time of the year in special turron stores (there are plenty of them in Gótico) and sometimes in supermarkets too.
There are more types of turrón that differ in texture and flavor. One from Alicante is a hard, white sugar-like base with whole almonds in it; The one from Xixona is the most famous, it’s soft, beige and made mostly from almond paste.

The pig´s leg and more

For Barcelona souvenirs for men, maybe you’ll prefer something less sweet such as “Fuet”, the Spanish white-skin salami, red-coloured sausage “chorizo”, sausage-meat “sobrasada” or the very typical ham “pernil”. All of these meats are very strong in flavor and for someone, who is not used to them could be difficult to like them. For a meat lover though, they are quite the delicacy.

Another food souvenir with a great reputation is the “queso de cabra” – goat´s cheese.
It is very nice to bring a piece of the traditions and flavors as a souvenir from Barcelona, so what about buying some “brava” sauce. “Patatas bravas” are the easiest and most authentic tapas you can make for your friends.

Fashion

Desigual is a fashion brand that is very easy to recognize, because it is known for its colorful designs and patchwork style fashion. The brand has its quarters all over the world, but it´s originally from Barcelona.
You will find less mainstream and more underground clothes in the streets of Raval, for example at c/Tallers and its surroundings. There are little fashion stores of young designers, funky hipster stores with second hand clothes or the black and metal gothic-style stores with clothes and accessories.
Awesome design fashion is sold in the library and gallery Mutt at c/Comerç 15 where you will love the shopping and browsing.
If you’re looking for something old, original and on budget maybe go to the flea markets. Read about antique and second hand paradise in Barcelona.

A more traditional type of souvenirs from Barcelona might be a belt, handbag or handmade leather shoes, because leather is one of Spain´s most highly valued products. Have a look in Acosta, at Avingun Diagonal 262. It´s a family-run chain that offers a well-priced selection of leather goods. And if you can´t wait to stroll around at home in a genuine Catalan “barretina”  or a traditional low-key “campesino’s beret”, the place to look is Sombrería Obach in the old Jewish quarter of El Call.

Traditional items

Remember one thing when buying a Barcelona souvenir such as fridge magnet and such things. The bulls are a spanish symbol, but the animal of Catalonia is a donkey, because it has a long tradition of helping on the farms.

One very famous and a traditional item is the “Porrón”, the special glass wine pitcher.

Visiting Barcelona during Christmas? You won´t miss this weird Catalan Christmas character “Caganer” an Caga Tío. Read about them in Ben´s blog about The strangest Catalan Christmas traditions

Design Barcelona Souvenirs

If you decide that Flamenco dress, Gaudí style ashtray and the salamander magnet is not what you are looking for, you can find curious Barcelona souvenirs in the bookshops of the MACBA and CCCB museums and the art libraries such La Central at Muhba – that one is of our favourites as they have a lot of books, many cool design things and toys. You will find great Barcelona souvenirs in the store Wawas at c/ Carders 14, or Art Montfalcon at c/Boters 4 and Barceloning at c/ Mallorca 332.

Do not, we reapeat, do not buy a Mexican Sombrero!

This has to be one of our biggest pet peeves. Many drunk, or just unaware, tourists parade around Las Ramblas wearing very expensive Mexican sombreros to bring home as a souvenir.  News flash people!! There is nothing SPANISH about a Mexican hat! Just as we don’t use the Peso here, you might wanna wait to make your next Mexican sombrero purchase when you’re on that vacation in Cancún.

Have you already found something really cool to bring home? Did we help you to decide? Leave us a note on the fridge, or better underneath the blog

Sharka

Design Barcelona: Studiostore has got it all!

One of the hottest spots for design Barcelona that promotes culture, art and creativity is Studiostore, the lively multi-purpose open space in the heart of the Born area.

Calle Comerc was always one of my favorite streets. There is the Chocolate museum with the best chocolate pralines and probably the best hot chocolate in town and when you enter you feel as if you’re taking a tour of Charlie’s chocolate factory (only without Oumpaloompas, unfortunately). Then you cross the street and you have the Mutt Gallery and Iguapop (a cool clothing store) and the new and original concept store Studiostore.

We visited a few days ago and were lucky to be able to talk to its owner and idea maker Lafede, who told us some “behind the scenes” information about her interesting concept.
The Studiostore was born recently, but it has already won high praise in design Barcelona. Lafede and her team opened the doors of this store in January 2012 and by doing this she also opened the curtains of a cool space, which hadn’t been used in over 20 years. She told us it was all a lucky coincidence how she found the place; I would say the street called her, because Studiostore totally fits into the neighborhood. Studiostore is 300 m2 divided into studio space and the store, which has two floors. Big neon lightning saying TOGETHER all over one wall of the store represents one of the Studiostore mottos – being together and Back to basics.

Lafede is primarily dedicated to furniture design, lightning and retail spaces but as she said, she didn’ t want to be closed in her studio without the opportunity to meet her possible clients. By mixing her studio space with a 2 floor showroom she creates just that, the ability to meet with existing clients and the opportunity to turn window shoppers into new clients.

Studiostore collaborates with some well-known designers such as Woouf!, Sheriff & Cherry and Paco Rueda and together they release a collection of items that are sold in the front store. Besides all of this there are many events, conferences or pop-up stores happening in Studiostore as well. The lastest event that has recently finished was called The Gran Bazzar, where one can find original pieces from about 50 Barcelona artists including clothes, accessories, furniture, or design gadgets.
The next event will start in May and studiostore will open its walls to talented Barcelona photographers, so don’t miss it.

Lafede (Federica Sandretti), Italian designer and architect, specialized in retail design, came to Barcelona 12 years ago. She worked with Custo Barcelona, but had an idea of connecting her own studio with an open space that would bring and connect people interested in design and art. That´s how the idea of Studiostore was born and after 3 months of running this concept store we can already tell that it worked out well.

See you in Studiostore!

Sarka

Sports Shops in Barcelona

Sports Shops in Barcelona cater to all kinds of different sports.  So if you’re a runner or a surfer or anything in-between then we have got you covered.  Read on to find the Sports shop in Barcelona that is right for you.

Decathlon

Decathlon shops are some of the largest sports shops in Barcelona.  They have all kinds of different sports equipment and clothing, so you will be sure to find what you are looking for.  You can buy anything from roller blades to football kits.  Decathlon is also very cheap, they may not have the best quality Sports equipment but it is great value.  There are a few Decathlon stores in Barcelona including one right in the centre just off Las Ramblas.

Website

Map

Esports Nuria Barcelona

This shop has a good range of sports equipment, although it is not quite as big as Decathlon.  Esports Nuria is a great shop for swimmers as they sell all you would need for swimming in the Mediterranean or just in your local pool.

Website

Map

Inercia

Inercia is a more specialised sports shop in Barcelona.  They sell skate boards, long boards and roller blades along with any equipment that you need/ want with them.  If you like these extreme sports then Inercia is a great place to go.  They have high end products, which are a little expensive.  Although I would say they are worth the money.  The staff are very friendly and helpful and most of them can speak reasonably good English.

Website

Map

La General Surfera

This is another specialised sports shop in Barcelona, specialising in Surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding.  This sports shop sells high-end goods and brands, making it quite expensive.  It’s a very hip place that is perfect for you if you like to look good on your skateboard/snowboard/surfboard.  La General Surfera is quite large and they have a good selection of extreme sport clothing and equipment.

Website

Map

Adidas

There are also a couple of good Adidas shops in Barcelona.  One of them is an Adidas originals shop, which is more of a sporty fashion shop.  You can find this one in the Gotico area.  There is also an Adidas shop on Passeig de Grácia, which can be described as more of a sports shop.  It has a good selection of sporting clothing and equipment for sports such as running and football.  It is not the biggest sports shop in Barcelona but in this shop it’s all about quality not quantity.

Map

If you know of any other great Sports shops in Barcelona or have any comments we would love to hear them.

Cheers

Matthew Rutter

Flea markets in Barcelona are a great place to shop if you are interested in Barcelona antique, art, clothes or in general second hand „stuff“.

We went to see two of the most interesting Barcelona flea markets and although this way of shopping is very cheap, it still left us broke!

El Flea Market Barcelona – “One man’s garbage is another man´s gold”

That´s the main philosophy of the Flea Market Barcelona, which is organized monthly in the streets of Barcelona. The last one that we visited took place on Plaza Blanquerna just behind the Museu Marítim. The market has an open friendly atmosphere with some nice guitar tunes and people chatting away the afternoon from their little stands with clothes, jewelry, books, LPs, and much more. All the wares must be in good condition and at reasonable prices so I bought 2 bags, 2 scarves and 3 t-shirts, because I just had to have them, and in the end I spent around 10 euros. This place is great for anyone who wants to reduce waste and consumerism, because a longer life is given to products.  Also these Barcelona flea markets are perfect for those who love to hang out on the street and buy original pieces that really can’t be found anywhere else.

You can easily set yourself up as a vendor at the Barcelona flea market as well.  Just contact the organizer, setup your stand and enjoy. There are several reasons to do so, but I liked the story of the boy who sold me the 3 t-shirts for 5 euros. „My girlfriend has so many clothes and there wasn´t any place for me in the wardrobe, so I made her to get rid of some ” I sent her my best greetings and went home quite satisfied about the deal I made.
You will find more info about upcomming markets here www.fleamarketbcn.com.

Largest Barcelona flea market – Mercat dels Encants

If you like this way of shopping you should visit the best known flea market in Barcelona. It´s just enormous and you can get really everything from Barcelona antique, books, cosmetics, computers to rasty bicycles and used mattresses. You’ll see as much variety as London´s Harods, but in more lively, cheaper, and more bohemian way. Mercat dels Encants takes place close to the metro Glories every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but some of the sellers close their stand around midday, so it´s always better to come in the morning. When I came, the market was literally packed. It was on Saturday at 11 a.m., probably the worst time to go in hindsight. The nice thing is that the merchants are quite motivated so you hear “barato barato” (cheap cheap) or “one euro one euro” a lot.
If you go, be prepared to bargain. It´s the way of shopping here.  It´s more than expected and it´s fun too! The prices are usually set about 2-3 times higher than what the merchant will accept, so you better get bargaining quick!

I wish you the best deals!

Did you manage a real bargain lately? Let us know!

Sharka “like the animal”

If you like fashion, you could be interested in the blog La Maquinista mall Barcelona that Kathy wrote for you

Or read our free e-book dedicated to fashion here.

I mentioned in my last blog not going to Maremagnum on a Sunday, it was the first mall that I visited in Barcelona and all in all a failed mission due to the crowds; not one to give up on shopping I did some research online and discovered La Maquinista Mall, a ways outside of the city, and decided to check it out on a Thursday. I had no idea La Maquinista Mall was open-air and on the day that I went it was freezing outside. It actually turned out to be a good thing because I discovered all the stores and cafes were heated (the ones outside had heat lamps) and the cold deterred the crowds to the point that I practically had the entire place to myself.

La Maquinista Mall is three stories high, four if you count the lower parking level. It has over 230 stores that offer everything from specialty goods (Iberian ham) to electronics to the latest fashions. On the top floor there is a cinema that plays movies in 3D and stays open later than the rest of the mall. There are also several themed restaurants, two of which offer American style barbecue. Haha. I was by myself so I didn’t bother eating at either one but I’d love to go back and see how authentic it really is! There are so many variations on BBQ that it is difficult to do it “wrong.” But not to get sidetracked, La Maquinista Mall was quite the experience and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves shopping as much as I do.

The mall seems to be designed with Spanish shoppers in mind as there is a big free parking lot on the lower level. If you don’t have a car, you can take the green line to Torras y Bajes station and when you get off you will be able to spot La Maquinista and just walk towards it. It’s huge and impossible to miss. The stores are all on two main levels, sandwiched between parking and the cinema at the top. I had no idea how big it was when I embarked on the first level. My assumption was that it followed a straight line so I could walk to the end, turn around, go up an escalator, tour the second level, and exit at the same point I came in. But no, there is an entire wing to La Maquinista that veers off on both levels and has even more stores.

I was looking for shoes and warm clothes so some of the highlights for me were definitely Blanco, H&M, Desigual, Bershka, and Pull & Bear. There are several American stores at La Maquinista Mall that I imagine are worth a look for Spanish shoppers but for me were not of interest. These include Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, and Guess.  I also noticed The Body Shop, which I’m not sure is an American store, but is  a wonderful place if you’re looking for fragrant body washes and lotions or all natural cosmetics. For the guys, there’s a massive electronic store on the first level and several “Gamer” stores. There is a grocery store, and specialty food shops that sell the aforementioned Iberian ham, coffee, candy, chocolate specifically, and other gourmet stuff.

There’s really not much else I can say about this mall, other than, for an American shopper it can be kind of overwhelming (in a good way). Let’s face it, the European aesthetic in fashion is something that hipsters in the United States are copying and also willing to pay top dollar for. Look through any Urban Outfitters catalog and you’ll notice a striking similarity between what the people here in Spain are wearing and the clothes on the pages. Does that mean Europeans are more fashionable? I don’t have the authority to say but it is nice that copycat versions of the same stuff are available all over La Maquinista Mall for much cheaper. I bought a puffer coat and a knitted scarf for 20 euros.

Some of the stores are located in other parts of the city, but if you go on a weekday to La Maquinista Mall you’ll probably find the stores are much less crowded and will have a better selection. Just make sure you leave for the metro before it gets dark, I’ve heard the area around the mall gets a little sketchy at night.

Here is a map to get there:

View Larger Map

and the web address too!

La Maquinista Mall

What malls have you been to in Barcelona? What do you think about the American/European fashion dynamic?

Ciao!
Kathy

La Boqueria

I won’t lie to you and pretend that I am a professional chef, I won’t even tell you I can cook well but when I walked through Barcelona ramblas Boqueria Market I felt as if I was playing the part. La Boqueria Market or Sant Josep is the place to go for any item you need for a delicious Mediterranean meal, or simply for some extra fruits and treats on the go. The Boqueria has everything you could possibly imagine under one tall metal umbrella. Sant Josep market is the largest of Barcelona’s 39 food markets, and it is also the largest in Europe. This market assaults your senses with the sounds of the people ordering in close proximity, the numerous smells intoxicating your brain, the riot of colors that cover every stand, the feel of Barcelona’s ripest fruits, and of course the taste of heaven on earth as you delight in the freshest food the city has to offer.

Walking through the Boqueria can be like walking through a maze of foods and ingredients. It can take your brain a few minutes to adjust to all of the sites and sounds inside the crowded market. Take a deep breath and decide what you want to see because the market is actually organized quite well for an open bazaar.  The first thing you see when entering Boqueria Market from the Rambla are the fruit stalls on either side of the main alley. An incredible array of colorful fruits tempt the thirsty visitor, especially as they’re so nicely presented and packed for quick consumption. You can take your choice from pre-packed, ready to eat fruit salads, pineapple, mango, kiwi and a seemingly endless range of exotic fruits and fruit juices. Just off this main alley you can buy all the same stuff at a more reasonable price, especially if you can do without the packaging. The market is organized; fruit and vegetables on the outside, then pickles, olives, grains. Next come the stalls selling meats, chicken and innards like brains, whole heads, tongues, eyes, gonads, gizzards, and any organs you could possibly think of, (or want to eat). The inner circle is devoted to fish, seafood, and shellfish.

Once you have managed to maneuver yourself through the maze of alluring and attractive foods it is time to decide what to buy. Whether you are perusing through the market while walking down the Rambla or if you are doing some serious shopping for a big dinner with friends make sure to stop for a refreshing fresh fruit drink. The fruit stalls in the entrance aisles have every flavor of fruit under the sun chilled and ready for quench your thirst. If you are planning doing some serious shopping for some special events then pay attention to the stall prices, as those centralized and close to the entrance tend to have higher asking prices then the stalls further back.

History of the Boqueria ~

For the other historic enthusiasts out there here is a brief background of our favorite one stop shop for kitchen stock ups. The Boqueria holds its inauguration back in 1217 when tables were installed near the harbor as a place to sell fish, pork, and other delicacies. Until 1794 the Boqueria was known as the Mercat de la Palla, or Straw Market. Over time the market grew in popularity and farmers from neighboring cities would travel here to sell their goods. Competition among sellers was fierce as the Mercat de la Palla even back then was popular among the crowds. The fish shops and butchers tables soon created a street of their own making the Mercat an even larger bazaar of eats and treats. The open market was becoming so large that it soon became its own locale, being named Sant Josep. Sant Josep was inaugurated October 18th, 1827 as an official market. During this time Sant Josep was soon surrounded by flowers, fountains, and porches from the surrounding buildings. La Rambla and the Boqueria during this time were the central spots for peddlers and sellers of all types of wares.

It was in 1914 that the metal roof and enclosure that stands today were built. The current sellers are mostly of the third and fourth generation of salesmen of the market. The market continues to bring the past and present together, through food and culture. It is a place to discover new foods, new flavors, and learn new Spanish dishes. They are the union of the past with the present. In 2005 the Boqueria was given the award for best market in the world by the World Markets Congress of Washington. In 2003 the Boqueria began giving daily cooking classes to adults and children alike. The Boqueria is a destination for locals and tourists alike. It brings out the inner chef for all of us.

Check out our SuiteLife video tour of the greatest market in Europe:

Tell us about some of your favorite Mediterranean dishes made with Boqueria’s freshest ingredients. Share any mouth watering recipes or cooking tips you may have.

Cheers,

Brettsky

Address: La Rambla, 89 bis – Plaça de la Boqueria

Phone: 933 182 584 / 933 182 017

How to get there: Metro L3, stop Liceu. | Bus 14, 59 and 91.

Web site: www.boqueria.info

E-mail: mercatboqueria@mercatsbcn.cat

Opening time: Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8.30pm.