Grab the two middle ones and pull!

Last Saturday was our hike into Mount Collserola to see the views and try calçots, a typical catalán dish. Other than my fear of heights, the hike was beautiful and, looking back, not as scary as I thought. We stopped a couple of times to take in the sights and take some pictures, all the while I'm thinking about how happy I am to be studying in a city like this. Barcelona is very much like New York in a few ways, but it doesn't take more than a train ride to be in a mountain or on the beach. 

We hiked for about two hours and finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel - Can Martí, a quaint catalán restaurant with a killer view of Barcelona. Upon reaching the site, I immediately noticed how much it reminded me of the Philippines: the smell of the open fire/grill roasting meat & vegetables, the plastic chairs and tables outside, and the indoor seating area covered in huge windows to enjoy the view. It was marvelous, and once again I found myself in a state of nirvana.

The entire group and I hastily sat down, put on our nifty bibs, and watched as our tour guide instructed us on how to eat the calçots. Since they grill them whole, the outside is burnt to a crisp. But once you  strip away the black outside leaves, inside is the soft, warm flesh of the calçot. Dipped into a sweet almond sauce (reminded me a lot of satee), the calçot was truly a treat. But that was just the appetizer. There was pan con tomate, tortilla española, beans, olives, and MEATS - butifarra (thick sausage) & steaks galore! The meal was huge, and neither of any of us could finish it all, but it was well worth the two hour hike. After the cafe con leche, I was sleepy but content. 

I.LOVE.MEAT.