The Magic Fountains of Montjuic

Barcelona -  Saturday Night

After a very busy morning we spent a few hours in the cool of the air-conditioned room. With the temperature around 33C (91.5F) it is as hot as it was in Rome and Naples, plus the humidity here in Barcelona is 70% or so, making it hot and sticky, it is nice to be able to get the room down to 16/60!

Still that didn’t put us off walking, so at about 6.30 we headed out to walk to the Placa d'Espanya which is about 2 miles from our hotel. Yes we could have caught the metro but we want to see plenty of the places we are. It was a walk through a very busy part of town along a road called Pare-lel through the Poble Sec area. I had hoped to find something to eat on the way to Montjuic and the Magic Fountains, which is just above the Placa d'Espanya. However by the time we arrived at Placa d'Espanya it was clear the crowds were already arriving and so we headed up the hill too.

Arriving at 8.15 we grabbed a Coke Light each and waited for the fountains that were due to start at 9.00 p.m. If someone had told me I would wait for 3/4 of an hour for a fountain and then stand for another 50 minutes watching them I would not have believed it. Now I think I would wait 90 minutes for them, as they blew my mind.

At 9.00 everything went quiet, gradually some of the fountains up the hill started to pour, then light up, then the main fountain, where we were stood, started up. This was followed by the music and the whole experience captures the heart and mind in a way for which I was not prepared. I’d thought I’d think ‘oh there’s pretty’ but instead I was overawed by them. Indeed when we started to come away I would have sworn I had been there 15 minutes not 50. People had told me how magnificent these were, but I could not have imagined them, and know that telling you now will in no way convey the powerful emotions evoked by the mix of light, water and sound. All the pictures Drew took can be seen here.

We walked back down to Placa d'Espanya and caught the metro back to Drassenes. It was now almost 11.00 p.m. so we found a small Basque restaurant on the way between the metro station and our hotel called: ElCocinero Vasco (the Basque Chef). I know eating Basque food in Cataluña seems odd, but it turned out to be a good idea. We had tried to see if one of my sister’s favourite Catalan restaurants, La Pitarra, was open, but it was very firmly closed. I’m glad to say, if you are reading this Janet, that I went back again and can see that they are on holiday until the 2^nd of September, so the closure is nothing for you to worry about!!

El Cocinero Vasco was just what I was looking for, finally on this holiday I managed to get to eat tripe. Drew started with Carpacho de salmón ahumado, a lightly smoked but delicious salmon. It is unusual for Drew to eat faster than me,  but he was ready for this. I had Caracoles a la Vizcaína, the lovely snails were cooked with chorizo, peppers, garlic and onion in what I understand is the typical Basque way, they were delicious, indeed I had to ask for extra bread to mop up the sauce when the snails where finished.  

Drew then opted for Albóndigas en salsa, an old favourite of his, they were served with rice and peas and again every bit of it went. Drew said that the sauce was particularly full-flavoured.  I had Callos a la Vizcaína, which translates as Bay of Biscay Tripe, which was really rich. The sauce was tomatoes, onion, garlic and peppers, but the little pieces of tribe were delicate and smooth in the mouth. Since the first time my mother few me tripe and onions in my teens I’ve been an addict, and the Callos was perfect for my needs.

We were back in the hotel by 12.30 (those late Spanish nights) and ready for sleep.