Catalonia

We took a bus from the airport in Girona into Barcelona. As the city came into view I started to look around excitedly and pick out the sights I remembered from last time. There was the Sagrada Familia and the Torre Agbar but then I saw a sign that read, "Benvinguts a Barcelona". Now, I do not remember much from my high school Spanish classes but that did not seem right and in fact it is not Spanish but Catalan. In Barcelona they speak two languages Spanish and Catalan and in our travels we heard a lot more of the latter than the former.

The people in Barcelona have a strong pride in their Catalan history and consider themselves first and foremost to be Catalonian and then Spanish. In fact, a man we met was quick to point out that Catalan has existed for one thousand years whereas Spain has only existed for five hundred. 

We learned a few phrases and words in Catalan during our trip. Good morning in Catalan is bon dia and it was amazing to watch the way people's faces lit up with warmth and surprise when we entered a shop and said, "bon dia". Next time we go to Barcelona, I will definitely study and learn a few more phrases in Catalan as I felt like it really opened the door into the true Barcelona.   

The feeling of respect and reverence for Catalonia is also evident in the presence of the Catalonian flag. It can be found flying alongside the Spanish and Barcelonian flags in front of every public building.



The Catalonian, Spanish and Barcelonian flag



The extreme pride and respect for their history and where they have come from is yet another reason why I love Barcelona and its people and why I look forward to returning.

All of the photos on the blog are taken by me unless otherwise noted. This is one of those times so the following are the sources for the above images: Photo 1, Photo 2

Serghei

Last night for my birthday dinner we went to Serghei.

It is a tiny, there are only seven tables in the whole place, family run restaurant. There was only one man running the front of the house and a few ladies in the kitchen - two of which appeared as though they could be the nonne (grandmas) of the family.

We had heard that the restaurant served home-style (think like your Italian grandma made it), traditional Bolognese food. Andrea had even heard from a local reporter that the tagliatelle con ragù was the best in Bologna. We went hungry and were excited to try this new to us restaurant.

The inside is decorated with knick knacks ranging from on old radio to a guitar propped in the corner and an old advertisement for a Singer sewing machine and many, many bottles of wine some which appear to be quite old. If the Italian grandma was suppose to be in the kitchen then the dining room felt like grandpa's den.



The decor was warm and welcoming. It immediately made us feel relaxed and at home.



This is one of those types of restaurants that do not have a printed menu, always a good sign that the food will be fresh. Before the waiter even had a chance to tell us any of the options for the first course, we ordered the tagliatelle con ragù (if you are not familiar, tagliatelle are long, flat noodles and the ragù is a meat sauce which outside of Bologna is referred to as Bolognese sauce). We had to try it to see if it lived up to the hype. Apparently, its reputation proceeds it because when we walked in each of the five people at the table next to us had a plate of tagliatelle in front of them. We also ordered the tortelloni di zucca (pumpkin) with a butter and sage sauce (always one of my favorites). And of course a bottle of red wine - a Barbera d'Alba (also a favorite of mine).  




The waiter was very nice and split the two pastas for us (tagliatelle is on the left and the tortelloni di zucca is on the right).





The tortelloni were delicate and refined. The texture of the pumpkin filling was silky as was the butter coating each piece of pasta. The sweetness of the filling contrasted perfectly with the saltiness of the parmiggiano.

The tagliatelle were perfectly cooked with a bit of a bite remaining. The slight variation in the width of the noodles revealed that they were most likely made by hand by the ladies in the kitchen (fatta a mano). The flavor of the ragù was full and round and it coated the noodles nicely without being oily.    

For the second course, Andrea ordered the roasted chicken and I ordered the stinco di maiale (which is the lower part of the pig's leg).




My stinco was so huge it absolutely dwarfed Andrea's chicken.



Andrea's chicken was good but not anything incredible. My stinco, however, was excellent. It had been braised in Barbera wine and as soon as I plunged my fork into it the meat fell off the bone. The meat was tender and juicy and full of flavor. The Bolognese know how to do pork!




I was very satisfied with my caveman portion of meat.

 


A little pause was definitely needed between the second course and dessert.



For dessert we ordered creme caramel and mascarpone with chocolate sauce, crumbles of almond cookie and Amaretto. 

The creme caramel was okay but could not hold a candle to the mascarpone (which actually had a candle in it when it arrived to the table due to Andrea's request). The mascarpone was amazing - perfectly smooth with little bursts of crunch due to the pieces of cookie. The chocolate sauce was rich and a little bitter providing a nice contrast to the buttery, rich flavor of the mascarpone. And then I found the pool of Amaretto, which I guess I had missed the waiter mentioning in the description of the dessert because it came as a very happy surprise to me, at the bottom of the cup and I had to refrain myself from loudly exclaiming "OH YUM"!

We were very happy with our dinner and we would gladly return again to celebrate another special occasion.

26

Today is my 26th birthday!

You know how people often ask, "do you feel older?" Usually, I look at them blankly and reply, "Um, no," but this year I do. For the first time, I really feel like an adult. My decisions feel like they carry significant weight and life feels substantial and not like the game it felt like in the past years. I feel excited about the future but also scared by the reality that this is serious.

Ok, enough seriousness. After all it is my day to celebrate. Can I share with you my pictures from my birthday last year?



We went to Rimini - to the beach!



It was foggy and freezing but to me it felt like home. Plus it is nice to go to Rimini and walk along the beach without anyone else in sight and only the noise of the fog horn. For those who have never been to Rimini in the summer it looks like THIS.



We were totally encapsulated by the fog. It felt mystical and romantic.



After our foggy walk, we warmed up with a delicious seafood lunch of mussels, spaghetti allo scoglio and fritto misto of fish. And it wouldn't be a lunch at the beach without sparkling vino bianco and lemon sorbet with vodka to finish it all off.

Tonight, for my birthday, we are going to try a new restaurant in the center of Bologna. I will be back tomorrow with pictures and a review.