We arrived in Barcelona without any problems and took a taxi to the hotel.
Krismaru, a friend from Maracaibo, came by the hotel and gave us a wonderful walking tour of the Rambla are
a. We stopped for coffee at the Café de la Opera, walked past the flower stalls and bird sellers and street statues, toured the market with its unbelievable array of produce, made our way through the Plaza Real, heard a group 
singing in front of the cathedral (which is being refurbished), passed through an antique market and on to the Borne area where we sat for a while over wine/beer before heading to Senyor Parellada, a typical Catalan restaurant. On the way we stopped in at an old herb shop, with a gracious proprietor, which was filled with delicious aromas and fascinating wares. A plaque in the street before the entrance states that the shop has been in business since 1832. 
Since we were dining early (9:00pm) we didn’t need reservations. Reservations are taken for 9:30 and 11:00 seatings. We were shown up a wide staircase to seating in an area which overlooked the lower floor. The food was delicious. We shared appetizers, then Ralph had lamb, I tried the salt cod with spinach (fabulous) and Krisma had a rice, similar to paella but with more meat than seafood. We topped off with crispy little almond cookies and coffee. It is a wonder to see how the older buildings - both our hotel and the restaurant – have been adapted for comfortable present day use.
Krismaru took a cab from the restaurant. She is off on Saturday to meet the rest of her family for a weekend trip in celebration of her brother’s birthday. We walked back to the hotel, fascinated with the street life and culture of Barcelona.
Krismaru, a friend from Maracaibo, came by the hotel and gave us a wonderful walking tour of the Rambla are
a. We stopped for coffee at the Café de la Opera, walked past the flower stalls and bird sellers and street statues, toured the market with its unbelievable array of produce, made our way through the Plaza Real, heard a group 
singing in front of the cathedral (which is being refurbished), passed through an antique market and on to the Borne area where we sat for a while over wine/beer before heading to Senyor Parellada, a typical Catalan restaurant. On the way we stopped in at an old herb shop, with a gracious proprietor, which was filled with delicious aromas and fascinating wares. A plaque in the street before the entrance states that the shop has been in business since 1832. 
Since we were dining early (9:00pm) we didn’t need reservations. Reservations are taken for 9:30 and 11:00 seatings. We were shown up a wide staircase to seating in an area which overlooked the lower floor. The food was delicious. We shared appetizers, then Ralph had lamb, I tried the salt cod with spinach (fabulous) and Krisma had a rice, similar to paella but with more meat than seafood. We topped off with crispy little almond cookies and coffee. It is a wonder to see how the older buildings - both our hotel and the restaurant – have been adapted for comfortable present day use.
Krismaru took a cab from the restaurant. She is off on Saturday to meet the rest of her family for a weekend trip in celebration of her brother’s birthday. We walked back to the hotel, fascinated with the street life and culture of Barcelona.
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