Art Amore! Escape to Sitges for a swim, walk and funky shopping!

I love the sea and I love Sitges. It's not too far from Barcelona, and if you go early on a Sunday Morning, you will be able to find a parking spot and enjoy your day there. Walking on the beach, a swim or shopping around the markets and the little stores in Sitges is always pleasant. It's a nice way to disconnect on the weekend. I had promised my friend Eva that I would visit her store. A wonderful store for shopping unusual items, great for all of us! 

Our experience at Celler de Can Roca!

Living in Spain and being a foodie, we had to go to El Celler de Can Roca. El Celler de Can Roca has been since years one of the best restaurant in the world, with three michelin stars. We waited for a special occasion and finally went last month. We took the ave from Sants Station (the fast train) and we were in Girona in 30 minutes. I would advise you all to do that if you are going from Barcelona. It is otherwise a long drive till there. From Girona station we took a cab and were there in five minutes.

Porta Nuova, the gourmet Italian in the Maresme!

We should take advantage of these lovely sunny days, and maybe go for a walk in the Maresme. You have a beautiful walkpath from Masnou to Premia de Mar, fondly called La Ruta del Cholesterol, along the sea.

Compartir, hidden wonder in Cadaqués!

Cadaqués is a former fishermen village, accessible from Barcelona, from the highway AP 7, exit 4. After there you have a sinuous 2 way lane around the mountain of Cap de Creus, Catalunya's largest protected area. It has beautiful views, and is 1h30 min from Barcelona. You reach this picturesque little town, very much loved by many artists and famous as Dali had his summer house there. You have the rocky beach, hotels and many restaurants. You also have a beautiful restaurant "Compartir". Three sous chef from  El Bulli, opened it; they still collaborate with el Bulli Foundation. Unlike many other restaurants who have tried to re-create the magic of El Bulli and Ferran Adria's haute cuisine, in "Compartir", Mateu, Oriol and Eduard have been able to offer creative cuisine with their own signature. "Compartir", to share, is a place to enjoy and relax around the table.

FESTA DE LA CUINA FÀCIL, SANA I DIVERTIDA. Next weekend!

The monastery of Mont Sant Benet de Bages is a former Benedictine monastery, in the comarca of Bages, Catalunya. The romanesque monastery was thoroughly restored  in the 20th century by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. 

Alícia, situated in Mt Sant benet, is a foundation with a social vocation, devoted to technological innovation in cuisine, the improvement of eating habits and the evaluation of the food heritage.
This coming long weekend, at Alicia't, comes the 2nd edition of the great Fiesta of easy cooking, health and fun!

BelleBarcelone's Bravas Route!

I am a Brava fan! Being a vegetarian in Barcelona, I am glad Bravas exist- spanish fried potatoes served with a spicy sauce. By the way for some of you who have been asking: the blog BelleBarcelone is a route of my favorite places in Barcelona and about my travels and shopping;  about the vegetarian options in the places I go- but even if I don't put pictures up you do get a lot of non veg options in all the places! 
I follow the BCN Brava's blog, and they really know how to appreciate and describe the bravas they discover. It is a great and specific blog: http://www.bravasbcn.com/
This post is about some of the Bravas I have come across. The price varies depending on the places around 3 to 5 euros.  Bellow almost each picture you have the link to the review about the place. Click on it for more info about that specific restaurant. And here goes BelleBarcelone's Bravas ranking. 

Jam Museum, to buy and to learn.

 

If you want to discover the secret of Jam, visit the museum.

If you are planning a trip to Costa Brava, and you love Jam, have a look.

Rocambolesc! Ice cream parlour in Gerona: Three michelin starred ice-cream!

 

Girona Temps de Flor : 2012 http://www.gironatempsdeflors.net/cat/imatges.php

                                         

Gerona is a city in the northeast of Cataluña. It is 99km away from Barcelona. The old quarter is picturesque with its little lanes, the river, the Jewish quarter...

In May, this year from the 11th to the 19th, you have a very pretty flower festival.

You all may have heard of the Celler de  Can Roca, the 3 Michelin star restaurant and the best in the world.

The Roca brothers opened the Rocambolesc ice cream parlor, in the old town in the c/ Santa Clara 50, where you can sample the sweet sensations of el Celler de Can Roca.

Sa Lola in Blanes: a great gastronomic bar!

SA LOLA

Just looking at the sea is so refreshing and energizing, that now that the sun is out it is always nice to do so.

Blanes, is a small town on the Costa Brava an hour away from Barcelona.

It is a quiet town with great food.

Sa Lola is a gastronomic bar where you can enjoy sofiscated tapas on the beach.

You will get your usual tapas as well as some interesting ones like the famous spherical olives or the bursting mozzarella. The owners, Rafa and Albert, have both worked with Ferran Adria in the past.

Calçotada = family time !

Calçotada en Valls : Les Esplemes or Coll De Nulles, or in Sant Just: Can Carbonell.

Calçot is a type of scallion or green onion known as blanca gran tardana in the Catalan language from Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The calçot from Valls (Tarragona, Catalonia) is a registered EU Protected Geographical Indication.^[1] Calçots are milder and less bulbous than onions and have a length of between 15 and 25 cm (white part) and a diameter of 1.7 to 2.5 cm at the root. Planted in trenches, like an onion, as a single bulb, and successively increasing the depth of the soil around the stems throughout autumn and winter, they sprout into 4-10 shoots, roughly the shape of small leeks -
It is the season of Calcots, it will go on till march. The traditional way you have is in a Calçotada.Thanks Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal%C3%A7ot

We went with our family to Valls, an hour away from Barcelona. We went to Les Espelmes. It is right in the nature, in the Coll de Lilla between Valls and Montblanc. The restaurant Les Espelmes is privileged to stand on a spot from where the whole of the Camp de Tarragona and, on the horizon, the Mediterranean can be viewed.                      

Calçotada is the meal you have , enjoying calçots and other natural products grilled on charcoal, having fresh air and fresh food.  First they will serve you Calçots with their rich romesco sauce - nut and red pepper based sauce enriched with roasted garlic and olive oil- , you will have to wear a bib and peel the onions with your hands.The Calçots are typically served on large old Spanish roof tiles or tejas with the salsa in individual mini ceramic dishes. The way to eat the dish is far from luxurious but is huge amounts of fun. You take the roasted calçot and holding onto the tip of the inner green, peel away the black outer skin by pulling down with your other hand. Then, dip the whole thing into your salsa, enrobe  it in romesco and tip your head back and drop the entire calçot into your mouth – delicious! Wine will be served in "porron", and we all have it from there itself. You have to aim properly to your mouth so the wine doesn't slip and you can't touch the beak with your mouth.  It is fun time with family. They will serve you bread, tomatoes and garlic to make your own " pa amb tomaquet".