As American as Apple Pie and as Spanish as Sangria

Building bonds of friendship over 3.5 liters of Sangria takes a lot of work.  Especially when it involves racing with the kids at the next table.  If you know me, you'll know that my food baby gives me little room to develop a beer gut.  So I wasn't carrying the team but I was that jerk peer pressuring the two kids that were smart enough to back out of the race from the beginning.  Nonetheless, drinking just a few glasses of cheap and sweet red wine sangria like Moses out of the desert would drink water isn't good for anybody.  Which is why when I got back past midnight last night, the first thing on my mind wasn't this blog but my toothbrush and my bed, in that order.  But we'll get back to that.

Yesterday was another day of exploration.  I met with my boss for the internship I'll be partaking in and had the rest of the afternoon to do as I pleased.  La Boquería is an extensive food market off La Rambla, a grand avenue running down from La Plaza Catalunya at the center of the city down to the sea.  None of you will be surprised to know that it was a priority for me to get over there.  Just after my quick gelato detour.

Blackberry and Kinder flavors on the left

I got pistachio, my favorite.

With the summer heat building up, there's no mystery as to why there's such an abundance of gelato shops and stalls all over the city.  No complaints here.  The gelato establishments seem to get extra expensive and even more concentrated along the beach where they are guaranteed to hook tourists willing to shell out up to 3 euro for a single scoop.

Moving on to La Boquería, it was a paradise.  It's a public European market with stalls and stalls of fresh produce, meat, cheeses, olives, and the list goes on.  I kept the cash in my bag so I wouldn't be tempted to buy everything I saw.  I was salivating over half a wheel of imported French Roquefort bleu cheese but refrained.  My mom's coming for a visit next month.  This is the first place I'm dragging her to.  Even if I don't get my giant mass of cheese, I'll convince her to invest in some other goodies for me.

Fresh seafood, shellfish in particular

Fresh fruit juices

Fresh fruit!  

Strawberry red and papaya orange make a great color combination

Dried fruits, nuts, misc.

The tall man on the right came by to help his fellow employee restock juices

The market also has prepared foods and tapas bars among other eating stalls.  Lucky me (after forgetting to pack my packaged ramyun noodles resulting in a minor panic attack earlier this week) I found a Korean couple selling Korean food!  I introduced myself, told my woeful story, and promised that I will be back.  There's another Korean Diana across the hall from me who I've got in on this deal.  As much as I love paella, pan, y queso, I need to get some kimchi in my system before my gears freeze and I spontaneously combust.

We headed back to the apartment to get ready for our welcome dinner of tapas at El Corte Ingles, a giant department store that has a restaurant on the 9th floor overlooking La Plaza Catalunya.  The dinner was alright.  I had my hefty share of tortilla española, calamari, patatas bravas (fried cubes of potato topped with spiced aioli), and olives.  I spent some time mingling (I hate mingling) and spent most of my time looking out onto our amazing view of the Plaza where a giant leftist demonstration against the government has been camped out for the past week.  Power to the people (double fist pump)!

After finding out we hadn't won the scavenger hunt (yes, we were all disappointed and I don't want to pick at a healing wound so I'll end that discussion here) we headed out as a group of about 12 people to a bar called La Oveja Negra, or The Black Sheep in translation.  They serve sangria and beer in what looks like 3.5 liter beer tapered beer glasses with tops and a tap at the bottom for self service.  So we self-served.  There's nothing else much to it but that's why I skipped blogging last night.

When I woke up this morning, an e-mail had been sent out by my program's director to warn students to exercise extra caution around the Plaza Catalunya on our way to classes; the police would be breaking up the protest today.  

Dozens of police cars line the streets all around the plaza.

All streets leading to the plaza were blocked off

A police helicopter hovered over the plaza all morning and afternoon

I could hear it fairly loudly from my classroom

A partial view of the plaza and police maybe mobilizing

Trucks carrying what I'm assuming to be confiscated material from the plaza

Some of the things I saw were coolers and camping equipment

According to my Spanish professor, the government is forcing the demonstrators out of the Plaza because the Copa Europa is coming up tomorrow and La Plaza Catalunya is usually where football fans congregate to celebrate and probably break some stuff.  In the interest of safety, they wanted to have the space controlled anticipating that football fans and demonstrators could potentially get into serious and violent altercations.  Instead, demonstrators and police are getting into semi-serious, somewhat violent altercations.  They're minimal though.  I was impressed that the city was allowing this protest to take place in such a central and public location but I guess what the state giveth the state may taketh away.  Jerks.  I guess it's the tiny bit of anarchic youth blood in me talking but if we aren't going to stick it to the Man, who will?!  

I have no updates as of the past three hours but I don't think anything huge will come of it.  Just a bunch of disgruntled liberals and a liberated square for sports fans to trash.  That is, if Barça wins.  I guess if there can't be a political protest, I'll at least keep my fingers crossed for Messi.

Disclaimer: I don't actually follow fútbol.  But hell, I'm in Spain.  It was like basketball for me in L.A. summer 2010.  At least I enjoy watching the sport even if I don't know anything about it and at least I'm an honest fraud.

Now I have to take a nap.  That's the whole reason I didn't go to the beach this afternoon.  That and to keep you guys updated and entertained.  You better appreciate.