Eating Our Way Through Barcelona (September 18, 2025)
When you go to a place like Barcelona, everyone tells you to “enjoy the food” and you simply can’t help but do just that. We are staying in the heart of the city and immediately below us are many, many incredible restaurants just begging to be explored. On our first night, Violet and I went to a tapas restaurant. This time we wanted to dig into paella.
Violet has her very first experience of paella at an authentic Barcelona spot
Believe it or not, my step-mother, Georgiana Carmody (who lives in Granite Bay, California) is an expert at cooking paella. Seriously, I love it every time she makes it. She uses all the ingredients including shrimp, muscles, clams, calamari, chicken and fish. Sometimes she adds a bit of spicy sausage just to kick it up a notch, but she fully admits that’s her own flare and not part of the original recipe.
“How is it?” I ask Violet.
“Mmhmemsms!!”
“You’re right. I should wait until you’ve finished what’s in your mouth before asking you that question.”
Once she swallows and has a sip of soda to wash it down, Violet looks me square in the eyes and says, “I LOVE it.”
When the dish was brought to the table, neither one of us though we would get through it all, but you know how the delicious flavors have a way of pulling you in and wanting more … and more … and more until you’re scaping the slightly burnt parts off the pan?
Yeah, that kind of delicious. The “sure, we could take it home, but …” why wait sort of delicious. So good. So satisfying. So full. It’s hard to say what was better. Tapas and paella are in two different categories. And tomorrow, we try authentic empanadas. Sure, Violet has had the real thing from our Columbian friend, Claudia Barbey, so it may not taste all that different, but we’re here in Barcelona. Let’s keep eating our way through this incredible city, right?
Wait, those are NOT pigeons. Are those … parrots? Like baby parrots? I had to look it up when we got home. Not quite. They are Monk Parakeets (also known as Quaker Parrots). So yes, from the parrot family, but not quite. So cool to see them here even if they are scrounging food off the street among pigeons.
For our next meal, we decided on sushi. Now before you say anything about local flavor and all that, you need to know that we’re headed to Japan in a few weeks. I told Violet it’s our DUTY to have sushi in every city leading up to Japan so that we’re tuned into the fine intricate differences and nuances of sushi from Japan. I mean, you don’t just jump from one country to the next without feeling out the local differences in each city, do you? Well, we don’t. Mostly because we love sushi and will use any excuse to keep eating it everywhere we go.
And, of course, we walked around the city a bit and looked at all the historical buildings and architecture. Violet and I continue to balance “slowing down” with seeing bits and parts of the city. This week is a fine balance and we’re loving our journey together. It’s really a wonderful time in an incredible city.
