Barcelona

Spain never fascinated me. Having spent the first 24 years of my life in Israel, I have certain skepticism of most Mediterranean countries, especially those where small, very fishy fish are served morning, noon and night. And then Gil selected Madrid and Barcelona for his annual trip, and I fell in love.

Barcelona is a vibrant city. You can feel the energy wherever you go. Tourists rightly flock to the Ramblas, the city's broad and most colorful boulevard, where you can find everything from elaborate birds' nests to mannequins dressed as Neanderthal men, fifteenth century ladies etc. The Ramblas also borders on the Bouqueteria, a fabulous fruit and vegetable market where you can find 100% fruit juice of 15 or more kinds of fruit for 1 euro each, offering refreshing and intense flavors. In addition, almost all kinds of produce is offered, plus great cheese selections, cold cuts, too much fish and some good bread. Needless to say, I visited the market daily.

The Ramblas also abuts on the other side the Old Barrio, a beautiful area chock-full of boutiques, coffee houses (those Catalonians make amazing coffee; I'm a tea drinker myself, but couldn't help but make many exceptions here), jewelry stores and winding alleys. It's important to note that if you're after the usual brand names, Barcelona might not be the place for you. But if you're looking for daring fashion, colorful clothes and originality, you can't do any better. I was struck by the preponderance of non-chain, one-off, Catalonian boutiques. I'm not a great shopper, but, again, made many exceptions here...

Did I mention the food? I was shocked to discover that, despite being on the Mediterranean Sea, Catalan food focuses not just on sea creatures but also on outstanding game, pork and lamb. Even the seafood was not too fishy, and the langoustines (mini-lobsters) sweet and succulent. I fell in love with Catalan cuisine.

Barcelona has thirteen restaurants boasting one Michelin star. Among my favorites was Drolma, the restaurant at the Hotel Majestic. Go and ignore the somewhat officious service. Enjoy the impossibly crusty bread, splurge on the artichokes with truffles, and please (you'll thank me later) have the baby goat. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. Have the baby goat. It's Arik's favorite, and I had TWO of those magnificent dishes at one seating.

Dick reminds me that I shouldn't ignore the Cava. Spain has its own brand of sparkling wine, which they call Cava. It's bubbly, flavorful and delicious. It's also inexpensive relative to any other type of wine. Cava goes with everything (or nothing). I highly recommend it.

Our absolute favorite restaurant is in the 1700 person village of Sant Celoni, an hour outside of Barcelona. It's a pleasant train ride away and a short walk from the train station. It has been crowned with 3 Michelin stars 15+ years, and the chef, Santamaria, has three other starred restaurants. I daresay El Raco de Con Fabes is the very best.

I enjoyed the several dishes we had there the first meal so much that I ended up repeating them during our second meal. Try those langoustines (Cigalas, they call them). Even if Chef only sautéed them they could be divine, but he, of course, adds a light sauce barely touched with curry to nape them, and perfectly sautéed scallions to accentuate their sweetness.

If you have a chance to sample his wild dove broth, say YES. It's served with a square of blanched Savoy cabbage and julienne truffles at the bottom of the bowl, and is the most perfect broth ever. Con Fabes also offers a beautiful saddle of wild hare with cocoa sauce (trust me, it's not sweet and it works perfectly) and, my favorite, three breasts of wild pigeon with hen of the woods mushrooms and sautéed shallots and pearl onions. Ask for extra sauce, of course.

For dessert, take the chocolate festival. It comes with a perfect mini soufflé, four hot balls with thin crust and melting chocolate inside (pop the whole thing into your mouth for maximum effect) and a large white chocolate ball stuffed with perfect chocolate mousse. I'd add to the festivities a bowl of gently whipped cream, which Santamaria whips to perfection.

It bears mentioning that Con Fabes is the least expensive three Michelin starred restaurant I have dined at in recent memory. The service is friendly and accommodating, and the food nothing short of divine.

The city is also replete with coffee houses. As mentioned, the coffee is outstanding, and it's such fun to stop every now and then by a café, sip a perfectly prepared latte and enjoy a good cheesecake!

Barcelona offers a cultural dimension that is unique to the city as well. Its fabled architect, Antonio Gaudi, left an indelible mark on the city. The park he constructed, Park Guell, is not to be missed. Gaudi didn't like straight lines, and rebelled against any conventional construction. The result is improbable structures that pepper the city: apartment buildings, the park and his famous church that's still in the making, 100 years after inception. I admire Gaudi and his philosophy. His creations are true art, while being (somewhat?) functional. I felt his buildings defied any conventional wisdom. I like that.

I hope this article gave you a taste of Barcelona, and that you'll experience it for yourself. It's a magical city.