The second stop on my Euro trip was Spain, more specifically Madrid, Barcelona, and Ibiza.  The cuisine was phenomenal: simple, traditional, and full of ham and cheese.

Madrid was a great food city, lots of croquettas, salads with dried fruit, and some of the strongest Sangria I’ve ever had.   We only had a couple days, so we hopped on and off a double decker bus, stopping at the Prado and Reina Sofia museums and the gorgeous Palacio Real.

Snacks outside Reina Sofia

Palacio Real in Madrid

Churros & Chocolate at San Ginés

Barcelona was one of my favorite places we visited. We took another tour bus around the city which would have been otherwise impossible to see in two days.  Some of the highlights were Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, and an awesome Ferran Adria exhibit that I literally flew off an almost-moving bus to catch.

View from top of Park Guell

Hola, Serrano

2x a day in Barcelona.

We discovered this churros & chocolate hole-in-the-wall while wandering around near our hotel.  If you’re in Barca, GO HERE. We did. Twice a day. Not only are the churros outrageously fresh and hot, they cost one euro for a whole bag.  They also make their own cheetos and pork rinds. You’re welcome.  The market on Las Ramblas was pretty impressive, albeit slightly empty because it was holiday season (note: do not go to Europe in August.  Everyone is frolicking in St. Bart’s, while you’re standing at their shuttered restaurant that you’ve been waiting to dine at since October, crying silently).

Las Ramblas Market

Offal at the market

Thanks to some foodie friend recommendations, we did not miss an awesome dinner at Cerveceria Catalana on Carrer de Mallorca.  Go early, or be prepared to wait for a table/sit at the bar.  At 10:30pm, the line was out the door, so we stalked lingering diners to steal their seats at the (full-service) bar.  We ordered the ridiculously cheap pitchers of sangria and stuffed ourselves with tapas, my favorites pictured below.

Pulpo a la plancha

Charred shishito peppers

Broiled goat cheese topped eggplant and roasted peppers

Two days to eat and see an entire country was obviously not enough time.  I could have easily spent the full three weeks wandering around Barcelona, but I will definitely be back.  We didn’t make it to the gigantic seaquarium, Picasso museum, or any of the gorgeous beaches.  However, after 4 days of continuous churros, cheese, and chorizo, I was excited to eat some Nicoise salad and macarons. Next stop (and post): Paris.

-Shari