We meet up with Maria and Oscar at the Dragon Social Club. We sponsored their membership and we all head inside for a good start to our day. Once properly fortified we head out for our day. We pass the Hotel Havana but not much is going on inside so we continue. We get to El Palace which is just too fancy to pass by. We get inside, grab a table and order some drinks. The high tea usually requires 24 hour notice but since it is Leslie's birthday they agree to make a tea on short notice. We ordered two to split between the four of us. It is a good thing we had four as many of the items did not fit into everyone's pallet. Curry, truffles and smoked salmon presented issues. While ordering our drinks the English speaking waitress deferred to her college who was the Gin guru. She said that she would send him up but we did not expect him to return with four bottles of gin, each produced locally, and a lengthy explanation of each of the ingredients. This helped guide us on our ordering for round 2. We stayed here for over an hour luxuriating in the surroundings, enjoying the tasty bits and sipping on our local spirits. Once we managed to get ourselves moving again it was back to the social club to top off. We had traveled a block and a half so it was easy to walk back. This time we were really going to go the full five blocks to the Tapas place that Maria had been to years ago. We had a fun megander down the streets of Barcelona. The tapas were top notch and we sat at the Ciutat Condal for another few hours as the sea of people continued. We started to worry about missing the last train so we said our Aude's . The train was a bit tricky as we were at the mercy of the Holiday schedule. It was late when we got up the hill and to the apartment. What a find day!
A quick snack on our way to meet Oscar and Maria.
We have coordinated our locations! We got to sponsor Maria and Oscar as well
Barcelona Birthday smiles all around
Perhaps some fancy drinks are in order
Leslie agrees!
It used to be the site of the Ritz!
A grand location
Black marble columns, gilded banister on a fancy staircase
So many shiny things!
A classic deco ceiling
We are comfy and ready for our celebratory cocktail
Gins and whiskey are on the way
Cumquats for a garnish
Limes too!
Schwepping us off our feet
Johnny Walker for Oscar
The gin show begins
Local gins from Barcelona
The Ginraw was special
All the bottles are being offered for sniffing and our gin guru is pleased
All these gins are now listed in my "Gins of the World" book
We are pleased at the pampering. Now please take it up a notch
More pampering for us with a high tea for two
It is a good thing that there are four of us to eat tea for two
Yum, green dragon green tea
Round two is with the local gins
This time garnished with grapes, cumquats, or orange slice
Reflected off of the grand piano
We have emerged from our pampering
Back we go to the Dragon!
The Obamas and the Spielbergs are in town for the Springsteen concert. We saw a massive motorcade and the eye in the sky.
This helicopter looks like it is way up in the air but I came down and landed in the courtyard in the center of this building.
A beautiful building it is!
Next stop Ciutat Comtal for Tapas!
A happy menu for us
You can see how many people want to get into this place
Great Logo!
An omelet and some croquettes
jamon, cheese and shrimp skewers
Tender loins
The people at the door are so thick, the sidewalk is blocked
Feeling full? Here is more Jamon, cheese and a mushroom medly
Hot cheese on a stick!
