Justine Ancheta, Writer

Frederic Marès Museum, sculptures and a bizarre collection of stuff

Frederic Marès Museum Right behind the Barcelona Cathedral is the Museu Frederic Marès, one of the most significant sculpture museums in Spain. It’s also a fascinating museum of collections of everyday objects and a treasure trove of Spain’s past. The ground floor features a magnificent collection of Christian sculptures and relics from the Romanesque, Gothic,…

La Plaça: Gastro Market at El Corte Ingles

El Corte Ingles has needed to update their top-story restaurant for awhile. Even though it matched most El Corte Ingles cafeterias all around Spain, which was boringly just called “La Cafeteria”, The department store’s Plaça Catalunya location decided to up its game on the design and concept. After all, it IS in Barcelona. The design is a common…

El Nacional: A Classy, Gourmet Multi-Space Restaurant

I’d been wanting to go to El Nacional ever since it opened a year ago in October. The modernist architecture, the sepia-toned lighting, and the majestic decor in a large space was so enticing. Everything about it looked tasteful. Polished. Luxurious. I came here last week with some archi-lover companions of mine. And their jaws dropped. Even in…

Supersize It: Playing Big at Parc de Francesc Macià

Let’s say you want to feel tiny — just for fun. I’m talking “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” tiny. Well there’s a spectacular park in Catalonia where little ones (and big ones) can pretend they’re as big as their thumb. It’s at the Parc de Francesc Macià in Malgrat de Mar. It’s just one hour away…

10 Things to do in Málaga, Spain

sToday I have a guest post from Paulina, who’s Paulina has lived in Spain for more than five years and fell in love with Seville. She’s a pro when it comes to Málaga and Southern Spain and writes about her favorite places in Andalucía at visitsouthernspain.com. Take it away, Paulina! -> Málaga is one of…

Review of a Context Tour: Barcelona, Gaudi and Modernism

I’ve said it before. If Barcelona didn’t have the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, or La Pedrera, the city could probably stand alone as a top destination. Why? The other modernist buildings – combined – is an alluring attraction. Who can resist the romantic facades of the Eixample district? Undulating lines, swirling forms, and intricate floral…

Sips, Sites, and Bites: Review of Eye on Food Tours, Barcelona

In Barcelona, the trends of food trucks, brunch spots, and hip restaurants with Instagram-ready neon signs don’t seem to be dying off anytime soon. While these modern hot spots are all fine and good, nothing compares to eating at a local family-run restaurant that’s outlived all the latest crazes. You know, those restaurants that serve food…

Viet Kitchen: an authentic Vietnamese Restaurant, Barcelona

Even though I’m not Vietnamese, I’m a snob when it comes to Vietnamese food. I’m from Southern California, which has an official “Little Saigon”. It’s where the first of hundreds of pho restaurants in the US opened. Pho restaurants called “Pho 79” and “Pho 23” saturate the streets of Orange County. I adore Vietnamese food…

Balthazars of Spain, stop doing blackface.

I’m always curious to see what kinds of blackface I’m going to come across around Three Kings’ Day. So many blackface Balthazars make their appearance at kids’ schools and Three Kings’ Day parades across Spain. While many authentically black people do play Balthazar, not every city or pueblo in Spain has access to a black actor…

Steel Donkey Bike Tours: Biking Through Barcelona

Imagine this. You’re cruising on your bike along a breezy promenade lined with seafood restaurants while momentarily glancing at the Mediterranean Sea. You see a colossal golden fish sculpture glistening against the sun, and the breeze runs through your hair. But before that, you’ve just taken an exhilarating bike tour, pedaling through the old Gothic…