It's 12.01am on Saturday morning and I'm at an empty Boqueria Market in Barcelona. I had a few tricky situations at work and decided to bunk off for a few days.
Earlier I checked in at the Bakery Hotel characteristic to my style but also cheap and cheerful. Then straight to the glorious hand made beach where I settled until easily tempted by a local. This was not Aqua or Cerveza but a tempting trip to a studio flat down a beautiful back street (at least that's how I remember it). On route I was duly escorted to a bank, drew out some cash, and as soon as you believe it I'm back in the sun, dribbling and getting tanned. I called my mum for a few hours but the taste and smell was so good I'm back at the market because I know that this is where I will find a top up.
All good from my now friend on the corner and I'm back in the game overlooking the sea and living the dream in the deep dark of the night.
In the morning I'm surprisingly bright and breezy here for my intentions, to visit again the Mercat Boqueria in all its glory.
This is a foodies heaven, it's a place of dreams, and I head to my old favourite El Quim. This place epitomises the best market eateries in the world, it is effectively a bar where people queue from 9am for cheap red wine, cava and best tapas. The thick tortilla is amazing, as are the pigs cheek croquettas and over salted Padron peppers but my show stopper is the wild mushrooms topped with Foie Gras, duck egg and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. All ordered from a piece of paper, with a pencil, and washed down with a glass of the most amazing, disgusting, cheap white wine. It works! The yanks either side of me think so too. A quick espresso and I'm back to the beach.
This market is sensational and one of the best in the world. The current name is believed to derive from the Catalan boc, meaning "goat" and the metal roof that still exists today.
The plane back to London is a floating boat in the air with all its beauty. This is the best taxi ride ever seeing London in all its glory.
Okey-dokey, I'm back and straight down to Borough Market. I love this place for all its madness....
