Spain | Barcelona: La Boqueria Market (Part Four)

After being blown away by the Sagrada Família yesterday, today we figured we’d stroll over to La Boqueria Market and have a wander. To be fair, it really wasn’t far from where we were staying—probably only a ten-minute walk or so, just right for soaking up the atmosphere of the local streets along the way.

But we’d barely gone two blocks when a very strange-looking vehicle suddenly appeared by the roadside. Curiosity got the better of me, so I went over for a closer look. Well, would you believe it—it was a vehicle promoting “Tibetan independence.” I won’t get into it here, but honestly, seeing that first thing in the morning in a foreign country did leave me a bit speechless and put a damper on my mood. Anyway, I shook it off and we kept heading toward the market, hahaha!

After just a few minutes of strolling, we turned toward one of the market’s side entrances. It wasn’t very big, but as soon as we got close, we startled a few pigeons that were slacking off nearby. No idea whether they were lining up to welcome us or annoyed that we’d come so early and disturbed their sweet dreams, hahaha.

How do I put my first impression of stepping into the market? Honestly, it wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, but the colors really were something. Everywhere I looked was a riot of color, and it was genuinely lovely to see. Most of the stalls sold Spanish specialties, ham, and all sorts of fruit and vegetables (lots of photos ahead).

Still, I did get a little surprise while wandering around: I actually found the kind of tomato I’d been dying to try! Naturally, I bought one to take back and taste. Well, what do you know—it tasted pretty much the same as an ordinary tomato! The most ridiculous part was how insanely expensive it was. This one tomato cost me 3.8 euros! That thoroughly killed the mystique. Thoroughly. But to be fair, it really was pretty, so let’s just say I paid for its looks, hahaha.

After a quick wander around the market, we were getting ready to leave when we noticed the crowds really starting to build—it was even getting a little cramped. I took a quick look around and, wow, quite a few of the visitors were fellow Chinese people, hahaha. I couldn’t help feeling secretly glad we’d arrived a little earlier and neatly dodged the rush. My strong recommendation: if you’re planning to visit La Boqueria Market, come around 9:30 in the morning. It’s still not too crowded then, so you’ll have the best possible time browsing! Of course, if you’re staying nearby or it’s on your way, it’s well worth popping in for a wander. But honestly, if you’re far away and would have to make a special trip, I personally don’t think it’s really necessary.

After leaving the market, we stopped nearby to try a Spanish specialty—churros dipped in chocolate. Umm, how do I put it? The chocolate sauce really was tasty, lovely and rich. But dipping the churros into it… honestly, that combination still felt a little strange to me. It was definitely outside my usual eating habits, so a little taste was enough, hahaha.

After a short break around midday, we decided to spend the afternoon wandering around the outlet village. At the station, we happened to meet an incredibly cool older lady! She had a head of brilliantly eye-catching orange hair and a matching orange wheeled bag. Honestly, she looked so cool at first glance! How could I resist? I just couldn’t contain my excitement, so I worked up the nerve, went over with my broken, cobbled-together English, and got a photo with her. Hahaha, so cool!

After a little wait, the bus to the outlet village slowly pulled up. You really couldn’t miss this thing! The outside was plastered with big, glaring “shopping” signs, as if they were worried anyone might not know exactly what they were taking people there to do.

We finally got home around seven or eight in the evening. Mom was on cooking duty again and made us a simple Chinese dinner. Honestly, after a whole day out and about, ending the day with such a comforting home-cooked meal was pure bliss. And just like that, a lovely day came to a happy end!

Oh, right—we also had a pretty hardcore wild green for dinner: purslane! I’m guessing not many foreigners know how to eat this stuff, hahaha. As for where it came from? We have my mom to thank for that. Yesterday, after we reached the mountaintop, would you believe it—she completely ignored the scenery and spent the whole time looking down, furiously plucking wild greens. Honestly, unbelievable! It didn’t look like much on the plate, but the taste was unbeatable.

Just as I was getting ready for bed close to midnight, I suddenly heard water gushing outside the window. Curious, I poked my head out for a look, and it turned out to be sanitation workers hosing down the streets in the middle of the night. A little odd! To be fair, street-spraying trucks are common back in China too, but as far as I remember, they mostly come out during the day in summer to cool the roads and keep dust down. I casually asked some international students studying here and learned that this was actually part of the sanitation workers’ nightly routine, mainly to keep street odors under control. Thinking about it, that makes sense. Barcelona is a major tourist city, after all, so I suppose the government really has put some thought into this. Hahaha, learned something new today!