Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Senyor Paralleda

This is by far the best restaurant we have been to in Barcelona, and this counts for a lot in an eating town. Rather than tapas, this place serves traditional and modern dishes. It is tucked in the corner of L'Argentina, with a gorgeous decor ,detailed high ceilings,pale blue walls,chandeliers, and friendly waiters. The first time we were there, all of the dishes looked amazing, so we asked a friendly and interesting American couple (a writer and artist who now reside in Pisa) seating near us for advice. They told us they loved the place so much it was, in fact, the third time they were there in two days. After about 20 minutes of deliberation, we settled on the tenderest veal cheeks we have ever tasted in our lives and a herring dish .

The second time we were there, we ordered the lamb in 12 garlic cloves and a traditional stew, pot-au-feu. The latter dish was an appetizing dish of the Spanish patrons sitting near us, and after some muddled Spanglish, we were told it was a very traditional dish of the Catalonian region. To this day we debate what exactly was in it (a variety of meats, vegetables, tendons/ligaments, and what I believe to be the skin of a tongue), and little can be seen in the second picture above (it was only taken to prove that I ate more than the meat-eater).
Furthermore, it was ordered only as a promise that I will eat any traditional dish I come across without hesitation, and would think twice about ordering it again. Without a doubt it was delicious..at times..and not...most of the time.
Overall: best restaurant we've been to in Barcelona --> food 5 out of 5, service excellent, ambiance exquisite, and not expensive.We ate a huge meal with cava for 40 euros for two and enjoyed it more than Cal Pep where we paid over 90 euros for two.

The Scariest Car I've Ever Seen





This is a creation from the genius Salvador Dali in his museum in Figueres. This mafia-looking old Cadillac contains 3 mannequins in an eerie arrangement as if they are coming home from a ball or a night at some speakeasy. Through the broken glass, ivory vines grow unrestricted. When you throw a euro into the feeder, a sinister fluorescent green light illuminates the inside and an internal sprinkler system bathes the inhabitants, as well as watering the plant that grows around (traps?) them. This is, of course, accompanied by dually sinister music coming from the car's radio. We were alone in the courtyard in the middle of the day when we tried it out and I still have nightmares of it (think scary more like David Lynch rather than "I Know What You Did Last Summer"). Best way to experience it is to probably opt for the night tour of the museum, and be by yourself in the courtyard when you feed the machine. Either way you'll be thinking about it long after you leave.

Dali in Figueres




Vanilla Sky Sunset in Barcelona

Romantic nights in Barcelona...

bubo....mmmmmmmmm


We first read about this place in The New York Times: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/travel/07foraging.html and we knew we had to go. It is a beautiful cafe with tempting desserts and excellent coffee. It was a really nice break from sightseeing.All of the desserts are delicous and creative.

Montserrat in the Clouds









Monday, January 14, 2008

Blonsky Device, US Patent #3,216,423


Apparatus for facilitating the birth of a child by centrifugal force