First Tapas

At around 7pm on this Thursday evening, La Rambla was just starting to rumble. I dropped in to Bar Lobo for a bite.

My first tapa on my first evening in Barcelona was a hunk of cod with garlic aioli served warm on two pickled sweet peppers (which were at room temperature). That gold you see in the photo is olive oil.  Not bad for a place right off the tourist-saturated strip!

Menus at this place are in Catalan, Spanish, and English. There was a non-Spanish couple at the table next to me with two kids who were running back and forth between their table and the outdoor section of the restaurant.  I am going to try a neighborhood eatery tomorrow. Today, with hardly an hour's sleep in the past 24-hours, I wanted to do something easy, and this place was recommended to me by my very hospitable host, who is a local.  My server spoke English, and this was disappointing. But the reality is, I would have been lost without him.  

Smokers were in the hot spots against the window outside, watching people go by. Smoking is still fashionable in Spain. By the time I left, all the seats outside were taken and there was a street musician serenading diners with a guitar.  Bar Lobo is located at:  C/ Pintor Fortuny, 3

08001 Barcelona. 

My favorite word is "Hola." It gives you access to strangers, and rolls off the tongue so easily. It is easier than saying "hi."