La Boqueria

Like any yuppy, I love farmers markets. Even better I love taking photos of food. So when I went to Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria (la Boqueria for short) in Barcelona I was in heaven. The market has existed in some form since 1217 when it used to sell meat at the edge of the city. Throughout the centuries it expanded and by 1840 its current building was constructed. Today, La Boqueria is housed in a massive pavilion off of the most famous tourist (and therefore pickpocketing) street La Rambla. But once you get away from the street performers, you enter a foodie heaven with everything and anything you could ever want to eat...or not.
We mostly stuck in the fruit market and even that was overwhelming. It was sensory overload literally, neon colors you didn't believe actually existed in nature, some of the sweetest and juiciest fruit I've ever tasted, and the noisy hustle and bustle of the crowd searching for the perfect orange (there were many).

Even though it was difficult, I had to just go for it and pick my daily dose of vitamin C in some form so I went for the colorfully cute smoothies. My kiwi coconut juice concoction ran out too quickly and I can't help but think if kids were given these to slurp they'd have no problem getting their fruit and veggies in. I picked up an orange the size of a softball for our upcoming afternoon picnic too.


As a photographer, la Boqueria couldn't have been better set up for intriguing photographs. The juxtaposition of textures, colors, and tastes was almost too fun to snap and in the end I had to be dragged out of the market.This is my final Barcelona post. Despite the delay in posting, I hope you enjoyed them just as much as I enjoyed the trip. Barcelona was one of the most colorful and vivacious places I've had the pleasure to visit. Just being there activated all five senses: the taste of buttery ham and cheese croisssants- a Spanish specialty I couldn't get enough of, the smell of the sea while Hilly and I watched the fifth sailboat come in from the Barcelona World Race in the marina, the sight of tourists being mobbed by pigeons as they foolishly tried to feed them, the sound of the fountains plopping down water on the overheated tourists, and the ache in the arches of my foot as I climbed the steps of Tibi Diabo Cathedral to see the best view of Barcelona (sadly no photos of that adventure because my camera died at that point). In short, I'd recommend Barcelona for some welcome escapism for its a city that offers everything from delicious cuisine to mountains and beaches, what more could you ask for? Thanks again to the lovely and welcoming Hilly for hosting and making sure I tried the best churros in town while getting the lowdown the history to be found down every alleyway.

Only one more exam left. After tomorrow I'll be back to regular and hopefully timely posting!