The Yum Yum Factor

I don't know about you, but the first thing I do when I get to a new country is visit a grocery store or outdoor market because I truly feel that our first connection to other cultures and their people is through food.  It follows that the next thing I try to make happen is a cooking class. It’s a great toe dip into the food you will be eating for the remainder of your trip and if you are wise, you will suck up to the instructor and hit them up for restaurant recommendations, their favourite markets and shops that sell spices etc. Choosing a class to take in Barcelona took me a day or two of research because there are quite a number of highly rated schools as well as popular, private instructors who will make paella for you on their rooftop patio while you get lit on Vermouth. On my next trip, I will try one of those rooftop classes but for my first trip, I wanted to make more than one dish and ultimately, I chose Cook and Taste Barcelona.  ...

brightly coloured facades of the houses overlooking the Onyar River If you are in Barcelona more than a few days, you are missing out if you don't plan at least one day trip, depending on your interests. It's literally a hop, skip and a jump down to Sitges, 35km south of Barcelona by train and it's truly the place to be if you want to get a little taste of non stop festivals, beach life and all night parties. We JUST missed carnival so we didn't go this time but it is worth planning your trip around that week in order to experience what is considered to be one of the world's top ten carnivals. Sitges is also  one of the hippest,  LGBTQ friendly places you can visit in Europe, so if that is important to you, it really should be at the top of your list. On the other hand, if you are really into breathtaking scenery, sweeping views and want to take a cable car ride up to an austere monastery nestled high up in the mountains, with hiking opportunities galore...

It would be an understatement to say that we probably ate some of the best food in recent memory while we were in Barcelona. Unlike Paris, where I found that between the fabulous sandwiches that we would grab from any old boulangerie and some bazillion dollar 2 Michelin star restaurant, the food was inconsistent and often not very good although always expensive. Sorry people, you can send me all the hate mail you like, but all three of us agree on that point - the restaurant food was expensive and disappointing more often than not. This cannot be said of Spain in general and in Barcelona, you get the added bonus of eating the delicious, regional cuisine of Catalunya. You get a bit of anarchism, Catalan pride and beauty in every bite! Like Rome, even the worst food we ate was still great but we were there for ten days and I don't have the energy to tell you about every single thing I put in my mouth so I will share my favourites with you. Oh and if you a...