La Boquira… the name just rolls off my tongue. La Boquira, La Boquira, La Boquira…

Nestled in the heart of the Las Rambas lies La Boquira, a massive foodie market that might as well be heaven for my millennial soul. From the moment we crossed the markets threshold, beautifully ordained with an exceptional crest, my senses where overwhelmed with the strong smells of seafood, colorful piles of spices, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

The market was definitely overly crowded. I suppose being the best at anything will draw a crowd. This pushed my anxiety a bit as I don’t like to be crammed into places much. And pushing a baby through the crowd made things a little more complicated. But if we can’t handle pushing a stroller through a crammed crowd, we probably shouldn’t claim to be travel parent pros. So, we pushed on.

We stopped often to snap photos of weird fish and to try unique items like ostrich and kangaroo. The local vendors didn’t mind mine and Jill’s obsessive photo taking. They pretty much waved us off as crazy tourists. Little E really enjoyed the fresh squeezed juice. Actually, we all did. The market was dappled all over with these adorable fruit juice stands. I wanted to try every flavor!

Jason was super excited to have his first taste of parnil, a dried ham known to be an expensive delicacy. Jill was super excited to get a stick of chocolate covered strawberries. I was super excited to try some hot seafood empanadas. And Little E was super excited to have his cup of fresh fruit. Everyone was happy.

We eventually sought refuge outside the stuffy market for some fresh air and space. And even though I could have spent my entire vacation in that market, I agreed to continue our exploration of the city into the gothic quarter.

I couldn’t stay away forever though. The next day, I was determined have one more visit to the market before we hit the road. So, while the hubby’s headed to fetch the rental car, Jill, Little E and I made way to La Boquira for lunch. We loaded up on fresh pasta and more fruit juice and found a quiet sidewalk to sit on and people watch.

This market really embodied Barcelona to me, a city where mediocrity is nowhere to be found, where everyone is entitled to the best delicacies, and where being fresh and unique is a state of mind. Yeah, typically a crowded stuffy area is the last place I want to be. But sometimes, I know I need to let myself get caught up into the chaos. Sometimes, I should let my senses go on fully loaded overdrive. Sometimes, I should just embrace the culture shock. Because I didn’t travel halfway across the world to accept anything less.

Until next time,