Bring on the Jamon, Jamon !!!!!!

I simply love this country. It probably also has the best cured ham you will ever taste. A deep rich red meat, slightly salty and full of glorious flavor. Whether it´s a hind quarter hanging in a busy market, thinly sliced in a deli shop, or served in between fresh bread or with a cut melon, ¨Jamon¨ or in Catalan, ¨Pernil¨ is everywhere and well-loved here.

I arrived in Barcelona three days ago and have been staying with a great Catalan family whom I initially visited twelve years ago when I first travelled. Sadly, the mother passed away a few years ago. My first impression of her was asking if I wanted to stay in their home, having only met her son once through a friend a number of years ago. Being Chinese, my first instinct was to refuse but after traveling for four months and sleeping in hostels, trains and bus shelters, I was getting a little tired of the transitory lifestyle. I broke down and told her ¨Yes, very much so.¨ Then the next statement she made was ¨Give me your clothes to wash!¨I was quite overwhelmed by her hospitality and spontaneously hugged her.

As I backpack, my mantra for clothes is ¨reduce, recycle, reuse¨ and let´s just say if it doesn´t stink to me, it´s still clean and technically, underwear has four sides. Plus, the clothes is never really clean when you handwash and is often unpleasantly damp when I pack it up to leave the next day. Yes, clean clothes is a luxury.

After staying with this wonderful family, I have always associated Siestas with `Familia´. During my first visit, the mom would go out every morning to the market in preparation of the main meal at lunch. All the children and their spouses would come from across the city to eat together. It would take around two hours and consists of four or five courses of often simple, hearty dishes of soup, pasta, chicken, salad and coffee. The next course would not start until the last person had finished the present one. Conversation and laughter would help season the dishes and there didn´t seem to be a rush to get lunch over with (like it was some kind of chore to keep your stomach quiet). This beautiful ritual happened everyday and I fondly remember them now. By the way, the locals do not butter their bread in Catalunya but instead rub a ripe tomato and add olive oil to moisten their bread.

When I return to a place I like, I am often disappointed. ¨You can never go home¨ as the saying goes. But in this case, Barcelonia is as beautiful, exciting and enchanting as my first visit. Gaudi´s Sagrada Familia Cathedral started in 1882 is a little more complete then I recall, with it´s oraganic looking pinnacles jutting into sky, though I suspect it will not be fully built until the next century. Then there´s of course, Las Ramblas, the famous pederstrain boulvevard where you can stroll from flower sellers to street performers or watch dancers or human statues, or buy a pet fish or bird all in one go, all the while absorbing the hum and flow of tourists, locals, lovers, buskers and pick pockets. Walk over to Placa Reial for something cold to drink and people watching and hear an accordian or guitar being played or head to the port and beach if your heart is so inclined.

The appreciation of art, in all forms is one of the great things I love about this country. There are still plenty of modern art being constructed and concerts and plays to attend. There are also plenty of festivals to enjoy throughout the summer and each barrio holds street parties with the music playing well into the night. I ran it one past midnight with music blaring in a square surrounded by apartments and children, elderly, families, teens, adults, etc. all listening and dancing, and enjoying the night.

I am planning to stay in Barcelona for three weeks to look into taking Spanish classes. Have a great afternoon wherever you are.