The Cervesería D'Or (roughly translated, the Gold Brewery) turned out to be a German-owned beer house in Barcelona. We were warmly welcomed and enthusiastically served by Felipe, the Filipino headwaiter who has lived in Barcelona for 25 years. It took him a while to get his head in gear and converse in his native language again. And once he got going, he refused to stop! He was so genuinely happy to have us there, that he overruled most of our modest orders and insisted on our going the whole hog. Not just a glass each of Spanish Rioja wine, but the whole bottle! Not just a few choice selections of tapas, but one big sample platter of everything! Not just beer, but their finest German beer! Not just a thank-you, but a big big warm group hug and an exhortation to stay on in Barcelona and even visit his home up in Montjuic and meet his family! He was such a darling!

A variety of tapas with a chilled pitcher of Sangria shared with footsore but happy traveling companions. Here we sample marinated boquerones, croquetas de pollo, fresh clams (almejas), and spicy choricito. Bon profit!

According to AskOxford.com:
What many visitors actually mean, when they refer to tapas, are pinchos. Pinchos are more common in the north of Spain, in Bilbao and San Sebastian for example. Pinchos are small portions of 2 or 3 bites, normally impressively laid out in lines of trays on the top of the bar. In this case, the client would order a drink, and ask for specific pinchos, which would then be charged for.

Another thing altogether are restaurants where it is normal to order a number of different dishes, which are then placed in the middle of the table, with everyone dipping in freely. These are raciones, not tapas. A fine example of such a place in Madrid is La Trucha, famous for being the preferred hang-out of top bullfighters. If you go there, don't miss the exquisite fritura de pescado (assortment of fried fish) or the champinones rellenos (stuffed mushrooms).

Passers-by stared at me in wonder (and maybe found me a bit strange) when I aimed my camera at the wall in La Boquería where the foodstuffs were being loaded. But I found it such an interesting wall of great and artistic graffiti!

Cool artwork!

Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.
Otto von Bismarck

Frankly, I don't care to know how they're made or even what they're made of! Spanish sausages of all kinds all taste so darn good ... especially with fresh-from-the-oven bread, Manchego cheese or Queso de Bola, and a cup of hot chocolate ... or a glass of Sangria. :-)

Look at all those delicious sausages! Chorizos, salsichas, longganizas (or in Catalan, llonganessa), jamons, lomos... but the one that got us all intrigued AND giggling at the same time is the fuet!!! Especially the Fuet de Vic that we'd see in the menu of a tapas bar. "Puet ni Vic", we'd call it, though we never got to try it. It's funny to us Pinoys because puet or puwet in Tagalog means one's bottom or ass or booty!

I was looking for fresh saffron to bring home for my friend Loy (it would be a self-serving pasalubong, of course — she'd love to cook paella with it and we'd love to eat her paella). Instead I found these bags of beans! All kinds of beans!!!

*(with apologies to Ate Vi who herself, anyway, muddled up the expression "Been there, done that.")

When I was a little girl, whenever my grandmother caught me doing something mischievous, she would imperiously wag her finger at me and sternly say: "Stop that and behave or I will palo you on your bombones!" I never knew what she meant by my bombones. I always used to think "bombones" meant my behind!!! Then, I learned that it means chocolates... Hmmm... I still don't get it.

Simply irresistible — big (about 4 to 5 inches in diameter), thick, round slabs of rich chocolate (your choice of the dark [oscuro] or white [blanco] kind), each one generously studded with crunchy hazelnuts [avellanas], whole or bits!!! It took all my willpower to resist breaking through the glass display, grabbing these yummy things, and stuffing them all in my mouth!!!

:-)