On this post, c/Canuda, Plaça del Pi, c/Peritxol c/Avinyo and the restaurant Los Azulejos.
We had done a tour of "Barrio gotico" during
Christmas, ( On the post, Shine your Light!) but it is such a lovely area and there is so much to discover that
it is always a nice place to walk, now that spring is here. The gothic quarter
is the center of the old city of Barcelona. A promenade in this labyrinthine
street plan that leads you to open squares is the essence of Barcelona.
If you start from the C/Canuda, you will come across the
"Sala de arte Canuda". It is a library with many old books and you
will become intoxicated with its lovely smell. But it is also said that the cemetery
of the forgotten books of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's novel (Shadow of the wind) actually
exist and is in the library Canuda. You will also come across the heavy curtain
where stairs are hidden behind.(update in 2014: this book store has closed down)
Strolling down, you will get to admire some medieval
buildings as well as the Roman necropolis on the "Plaça Vila de
Madrid". One block away from Las Ramblas, the
necropolis features well-preserved Roman tombs enclosed in an attractive park
surrounded by typically Barcelonese residential blocks built in the 1950s.
You can then walk in C/Peritxol, a
narrow and picturesque street, with its pretty shop fronts and old buildings.
You can stop for a chocolate and churros in "La Pallaresa", admire
the graffiti and check their art rooms in this cute little lane.
 |
| BEAUTIFUL GRAFITTI, ON C/PERITXOL- INSPIRED BY THE PAINTING OF RAMON CASAS THAT YOU CAN ADMIRE IN 4 GATS |
You will then hit the "Plaça del
Pi". On long week ends and major holidays, they have a market - La fira
del collectiu d'artesans de l'alimentació- where you get all sorts of good
quality honey, chocolate, cheese, wines, turrons and much more. (the market
will be on from March 28th till April 1st). It is usually on every first and
third weekends of the month.
Plaça del Pi is my favorite sunny Sunday
"plaça". It is dominated by the beautiful church with its huge
multicolored rose windows. You also have a "Custo" outlet. Custo is a
Barcelona based brand, internationally known for its funky prints and colors.
You can also get wonderful paintings,
sold by the artists around the church.
 |
| SANTA MARIA DEL PI |
 |
| market in plaça del Pi |
 |
| ARITISTS AND PAINTINGS |
C/Avinyo is a very interesting street too
with it small stores. You will pass through "La manual alpagatera"-
espadrille factory. It is a combination of an espadrille museum and a fabulous
shop. They opened in 1940, it is a regular stop for the locals, to have their
espadrilles custom made.
You can stop for a bubble tea at
WowBoba (Wikipedia: Bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea, boba
milk tea, or boba is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in tea
shops in Taichung,
Taiwan,
during the 1980s).
 |
| Espadrille museum and shop @ c/avinyo |
 |
| C/AVINYO |
 |
| C/AVINYO |
 |
| “Don’t let your Spanish come between you and your hair" Anthony Llobet hair salon on C/Avinyo |
|
 |
| @CARRER AVINYO |
You will get lots of little bars and
restaurants around the area.
For a change if you want some Mexican
food, you have "Los Azulejos" on C/Trinitat. It is traditional Mexican food fused with Mediterranean flavors.
You may want to stop for some nachos
and good "margaritas". We went for a family reunion, and we all had
fun as all of us cousins were together. It is a pretty place, the service was
decent, we got the opportunity to listen to the "mariachis" but the
vegetarian options were quite limited, and it was quite pricey for what it
offered.
 |
| MARGARITA AND LONG ISLAND ICED TEA AT LOS AZULEJOS |
 |
| LOS AZULEJOS |
 |
@LOS AZULEJOS
In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away
- shing xiong
|
