Busy In Barcelona

This is my last full day in Barcelona so I have a lot to see and do, without overdoing it. Maybe hit a few bars in the morning, have an early dinner, then hit a few more after.

868) Costa Gallega



A fairly typical tapas bar but with way more dried hams than normal, at least 50 or 60. And they hang just inches above your head as you sit at the long wooden bar, complete with a brass rail. The hams are illuminated by little spot lights (they must be very proud of them) and just behind the hams hang globe lights with flat black shades. These illuminate the bar. The bar stools have a black metal base and round black seats that sit on a wooden column with a metal ring for your feet. Most of the rear surface of the bar is covered by tapas, kind of Madrid style. At one end of the bar is a large copper bowl filled with ice and bottles of wine and Cava, the Spanish Champaign.

The wall behind the bar is wood paneling with a large mirror on one side and metal, industrial looking shelves on the other. The shelves hold the liquor and wine. Underneath them are metal cabinets and drawers and more shelves with glasses. The wall opposite the bar is a large mirror with what looks to be a clown holding a beer etched onto it.

I had a glass of beer.

869) Sumum



Just down the street a few doors I ducked into this place to get out of a chilly drizzle that was beginning to fall. The top of the bar was heavy wood and the metal foot rail was silver. Just one beer spigot on top of the bar. The front of the bar was white glass that was frosted to look like marble. It was illuminated by lights under the overhang of the top of the bar. The bar stools were square with metal legs and thick, block-like pink seats. Nice red domed lights hung over the bar. The bar back was metal shelving with liquor on the top shelf and an espresso machine, cups, saucers, and glasses down below. The floor and the wall opposite the bar were gray blocks. There was a decent sized eating area in the back.

870) Txapela



A large place with the wide windows in front largely open to the busy street. Tables and booths line the walls and a large U shaped wooden bar sits in the middle. There is a brass rail. The back portion is covered in tapas in their cases. The wooden bar chairs have round red seats. The center area of the bar houses the busy wait staff and the center island that holds mostly tiered wooden shelves of wine. There are also four, industrial strength, cork pullers so they must serve a lot of wine. In the center of the bottles of wine is a large oval shaped keg with spigots on each end from which they fill their carafes.

I had a glass of red wine.

871) Evinia



A cute little place that stare you in the face when you get off the Metro at Jaumel. More intimate than most with an L shaped bar that has one case of tapas. The top of the bar is a hard acrylic that looks like mustard sprinkled with pepper. The sides are paneled with wood and there is no foot rest or rail. The bar is ringed by wooden bar stool.

Bar Man Enjoying A Glass Of Wine


The wall behind the long side of the bar and the back wall are wooden shelves filled with wine bottles. There is jus a narrow panel of rose colored paint that matches the other two walls between the shelves. The ceiling is kind of a corrugated looking dark orange. The two rose colored walls have smaller cabinets filled with wine bottles. A large round chandelier with pink and yellow and white pinecone shaped lights hangs from the ceiling. Similarly shaped lights hang on the walls as well. There are benches and tables against the walls and small tables with chairs taking up the rest of the floor. The floor is pale yellow tile.

The place was packed with a very lively crowd and I had a glass of red wine.

872) Milk



This is kind of a small, New York East Village kind of a bar down a small side street. The bar has a wavy thick wooden top and a green cement front with diamond dust embedded in it to make it sparkle. The window casements match the front of the bar. The wall behind the bar is desert rose with a fancy mirror hanging on it. A set of wooden shelves and a narrow cupboard in almost a rustic French style holds the liquor and glasses. There is also an espresso machine. Not a tapa or ham in sight but there is a large bouquet of flowers on one end of the bar and a translucent beer spigot illuminated from within by light that changed colors at the other. Lots of little candles sit on top of the bar as well.

They advertise themselves as a cocktail bar and that is what most of the crowd was drinking. The bartenders were shaking and muddling up a storm. Not to many locals in here unless they are ex-pats because English seems to be the most prevalent language with a bit of German thrown in for good measure.

Almost an Asian style pale yellow wallpaper decorated with prints of birds and flowers in grayish blue and black cover the walls. Light bulbs with orange rippled glass shades hang from the ceiling and on the walls. A small, kind of dark, chandelier hangs in the middle of the room. Plush black banquettes and red and black hassocks around small tables fill up the rest of this crowded bar.

I went against the trend and had a glass of beer.

873) Dirty Duck



After taking the Metro back to the stop by our hotel we headed to this nearby place that I wanted to try just because I liked the name. The bar has a stainless steel top. The bar stools have somewhat worn black bucket seats. There is a steel cabinet behind the bar that holds oranges, soda, and an assortment of wine, beer, and liquor. There is also a large espresso machine. And wooden shelves holding more liquor. Several hams and dried sausages hang behind the bar. There is but a single beer spigot. Kind of no nonsense spotlights overhead.

The floor is brown tile and the ceiling is painted a light blue in an attempt to brighten up this otherwise somewhat dingy place. The walls are brown paneling. There is a slot machine and a cigarette machine pushed up against the wall and a television mounted on the wall near the door. You have to turn around from the bar to watch it.

In the back are chairs and tables with white tablecloths and there are a couple of tables and chairs on the sidewalk in front. Not a bad place, but not overly cheerful either.

I had a brandy and an espresso before heading on back to the hotel.

A decent enough day with six bars hit bringing the total up to 873 for the year and leaving 127 to go. Tomorrow I head back to Madrid so I doubt if I will be hitting too many bars given that I will have a long train ride.