Peaches, Fish and Plump Tomatoes

I love walking through the market place in Spain, wandering around the aisles buying groceries and feeling the hum of daily life. The older women pulling their shopping carts, chatting away with the shopkeepers at their favorite stalls and buying the vegetables and fruits in season. The vendors arranging the tomatoes, carrots, peaches and oranges in the best light while trying to hide the blemishes. And you hear the clink of coffee cups and plates as breakfast is being served, and the cooks busily preparing for lunch.

As you walk towards the center of the market, the floor becomes wet, as this is where you will find the catch of the day from the sea. Fish, mussels, squid, clams and crabs are all laid out for you to buy. Crossing the floor, you come across cured whole hind quarters of swine suspended in the air and you know, this is where to buy meat. Chicken here, beef and pork there. The shop keepers are pretty friendly and to me, they all seem to enjoy broken Spanish and Catalan. The Mercat de la Boqeria, off Las Ramblas is the most important market in Barcelona and the best produce reputedly goes there. I prefer the Mercat St. Antoni and like it best in the morning.

I noticed the Spaniards are not really into desserts, and cakes and pasteries are relatively expensive. I ordered a donut and to my shock, it came to almost a Euro for a mediocre fried piece of dough. On a positive note, the melons are exceptionally sweet this time of year. I also noticed the locals really love their fresh bread and you will likely not find a toaster in a Spanish home and definitely no ¨day olds¨at the bakery.