24 June 2009

Barcelona Part II : Gaudi and Pla


Our second day in Barcelona was "Gaudi day". (Is any day in Barcelona not Gaudi day?) His work has had such an influence on the city that the streets are paved with it - literally.

Notre deuxième journée à Barcelone, c'était la journée Gaudi (enfin, comme tous les jours à Barcelone). Ses oeuvres ont tellement influencées la ville que l'on marche dessus - littéralement !


I was not at all familiar with his work before, but I quickly fell in love with his columns like trees and bones, his balconies that seem to grow onto the buildings like creeping vines, and his rooftops that curve like an animal's back or rolling hills. Not to mention the colors!

(For more pictures of the roof of Casa Batllo, try La maison Batllo, link I found through Olivier's blog review.)
(Je n'ai pas pris des photos du toit de la Casa Battlo mais on peut en trouver des belles dans l'article
La maison Batllo, proposé par Olivier SC dans sa revue du soir.)

Je ne connaissais pas son oeuvre avant d'y aller, mais je suis tout de suite tombée sous la charme de ses colonnes commes des arbres ou des os, ses balcons qui donnent l'impression d'avoir poussé lentement comme des vignes, ses toits qui évoquent le dos d'un animal ou bien des collines. Sans parler des couleurs !


When did this become an architecture blog, you ask? Don't worry! After a full day of wonder and beauty, we were all pretty hungry. Luckily, my sister is confident making a phone call in Spanish (when I think that I still get anxious having to make one in French...) and had reserved us a table at Pla, a restaurant with a funny name but whose delicious cuisine is no laughing matter!


C'est sympa, vous vous dites, mais je ne suis pas venu ici suivre un cours d'architecture ! Bon d'accord. C'est vrai qu'après une journée de merveilles on avait quand même très faim ! (Vous voyez ? Vous pouvez me faire confiance.) Heureusement, ma soeur est à l'aise au téléphone en espagnol (quand je pense que j'ai toujours la trouille quand je dois appeler en français...) et elle nous a réservé une table à Pla, un restaurant avec un nom bizarre mais une cuisine exceptionelle !

After we ordered, they brought out a complementary amuse-bouche: apple gazpacho with toasted corn powder and olive oil. I have to say I would never have thought of associating those ingredients, but I'm glad someone did!

Après avoir commandé, on nous a apporté l'amuse-bouche : un gazpacho de pommes saupoudrer de maïs toasté en poudre et d'un filet d'huile d'olive. Je dois dire que n'aurais jamais pensé à associer ces ingrédients, mais j'étais ravie de découvrir le résultat !


I started with the Iberian ham appetizer accompanied by bread spread with tomatoes. Did I mention this ham melts in your mouth like butter (even tastes better) and gives you the impression that the world is a better place now that you've tasted it?

En entrée j'ai pris le jambon ibérique, le jambon le plus fondant et goûteux que j'ai jamais mangé, accompagné de toasts nappés aux tomates.


For the main dish, I chose chicken with red currents and a pumpkin coulis. Even the rice was delicious - almost like a risotto - cooked in fish stock.


Pour le plat, j'ai choisi des brochettes de poulet au cassis, avec un coulis de citrouille. Même le riz qui l'accompagnait était exceptionellement savoureux - un peu comme un risotto - fait avec du bouillon de poisson.


I have to admit, I did not have room for dessert, despite the tempting choices but my generous family and D. were kind enough to let me taste theirs, like this delicious yogurt mousse with honey and pine nuts, topped with balsamic vinegar.

Je n'ai pas pris de dessert, mais ma famille et D. étant généreux, ils m'ont fait goûter leur choix merveilleux, comme cette mousse au yaourt avec du miel et des pignons de pin, garnie de vinaigre balsamique, miam.

10 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Great food and wonderful architecture! Gaudi's work is incredible...

Cheers,

Rosa

Cicero Sings said...

Makes one want to go there ... to view and to taste!

giz said...

What a trip!!! Such great surroundings and unbelievable food. I'm entirely jealous.

Re: pork in the oven - absolutely you can roast it.

Hopie said...

Rosa - Indeed. It was a great trip in lots of ways!

Cicero - Just writing about it makes me want to go back already ;-)

Giz - I was certainly lucky to be able to go! I'll have to try your recipe roasted then (unfortunately no grill yet).

Sam said...

I love Gaudi too, have you been to Park Guell?

The food looks amazing and really interesting too!

Hopie said...

Sam - Yes! The picture of the blue mosaic over the ocean was taken at Park Guell. I loved it!

PG said...

Barcelona! Cool! I hope you're having a great time. Now I really want to try some of the ham. I hope the weather is not too crazy hot -- that's always been a deterrent for me.

Hopie said...

Psychgrad - I'm pretty sensitive to the heat too but the weather was bearable. I guess because it's only June and Barcelona's in the north of Spain. I don't think I'd go in July or August! Still, you try to go along with the Spanish rhythm: do things in the morning, rest inside during the hottest part of the day and stay out late ;-)

Ivy said...

I haven't heard of Gaudi before but his work looks very interesting. The food sounds amazing.

Anonymous said...

I had never heard of Gaudí before visiting Barcelona either, and like you, I became immediately enamored of his trippy, organic style. I originally wanted a Gaudí-insired wedding cake, but my baker wasn't up to it. (And don't you go getting any crazy ideas...)