Anchovies

My friend Carlos Lorenzo has a great little article about one of the most delicious anchovies you will ever taste. They are well known in Cataluña: Anchoas de L'Escala. L'Escala by the way, is a gorgeous little town north of Barcelona, close to the French border and is definitely worth a visit. But if you can't visit, just eating its anchovies will be heaven on earth.

For more information, here's the link to Carlos' blog:

http://www.barcelonaphotoblog.com/2009/07/la-escala-anchovies-genuine-catalan.html

Olivia Plaza

One of the questions I get all the time is where to stay in Barcelona. This is tricky to answer, as Barcelona is not exactly cheap. Plus with the euro-dollar exchange, it's tough for Americans right now. Renting apartments has become a major attraction recently and there is obviously good reason for it, specially if you are into shopping in the wonderful markets for meat, fish and vegetables that you'd be hard-pressed to find in the US. I'll do another post on renting apartments but for now, I'm plugging my friend Manuel's sister's hotel: Olivia Plaza. It's so new, I haven't even seen it yet but you couldn't be in a better place. In the heart of Plaza Catalunya which is a major square (well, it's round) at the top of the Ramblas, bottom of the Paseo de Gracia and connecting all major buses and subways. Her name is Olivia Valderrama. Tell her I sent you!

http://www.oliviaplaza.es Plaza Catalunya, 19 Barcelona, Spain

Primavera Sound!!!!!!

Primavera Sound has become one of the most anticipated and fun festivals in Europe in the last few years. This year it begins on the 28th of May and lasts only two days. If you are going to Barcelona or will be there, you HAVE to go. Crowds in Spain are well known for their enthusiasm and fun. Plus the line up is pretty great so far: Neil Young · My Bloody Valentine · Sonic Youth · Aphex Twin · Bloc Party · Jarvis Cocker · Yo La Tengo · The Jayhawks · Spiritualized · Michael Nyman · Throwing Muses · Saint Etienne · The Jesus Lizard · Ghostface Killah · The New Year · Phoenix · Shellac · Joe Henry · Art Brut · A Certain Ratio · Liars and many, many more.

Here's the official website: http://www.primaverasound.com/