days 1-2: barcelona

escriba patisseria
I visited Escriba, reputedly one of Barcelona's best pastry shops, and purchased Erico who I think was a hedgehog. He was a chocolate-coated sandwich of vanilla cake and chocolate mousse. His spikes were slivered almonds stuck into the cake. It didn't taste that good mainly because the cake-to-mousse ratio was off.


la boqueria
None of the pictures I took of the market do it justice. The selection of fruit, vegetables, meats and fish is mind-boggling. Everybody who comes buys a juice for 1.50 euros and sips it as they browse the stalls. I've had passion fruit mango and blackberry banana so far.


macba (museu d'art contemporani de barcelona)
A beautiful building by Richard Meier with an interesting collection of international and Spanish modern art.


catedral
Unfortunately, the outside was under construction (I feel like this is becoming an annoying theme with all the places I visit) so taking a good shot of the exterior was impossible. The inside was as grand as Notre Dame, though, and I spent some time just sitting and admiring.


el ingenio
I walked past this on the way to the cathedral. It was a shop filled with masks, balloons, and all manner of clown equipment (they had a room devoted to unicycles). I wanted a bear mask that they had there, but couldn't really justify the purchase.

urgent bulletin for chris
THEY SELL WARM, NUTELLA-SLATHERED BELGIAN WAFFLES WITH GELATO ON TOP. I am waiting to sample one until you get here so hurry up already and get here!