Hotel Templier in Collouire

A visit to this small village in Perpignan is as colorful as the paintings of Henry Matisse and Raoul Dufy. We decided to have dinner at the Hotel Templier. The restaurant offers the best sardines and fresh anchovies in the south of France. So my sisters and I gave it a try along with other delectable catalan cuisine.

                                          http://www.hotel-templiers.com/gb/restaurant.htm

this a very old restaurant and hotel. It houses a lot of the original paintings of Henry Matisse. He lived in Collouire and stayed in this hotel.

fried sardines, their specialty. The fresh flavor melts in your mouth.

fresh anchovies with roasted red and yellow peppers and creamy cheese on baguette.

feta cheese inside the filo. It was beautiful and delicious.

food glorious food with my sisters in Collouire..... 


http://cbuencamino.blogspot.com/2010/11/colliourethe-city-of-painters.html  


....if I'm dreaming....don't wake me up.

         

Tapas atbp. in Barcelona

A whole day in Barcelona was a day well spent. There were so many sights to see and taking the Metro was a breeze. Our first stop was of course the famous Sagrada Familia which blew me away. Gaudi was indeed a genius and intriguing. My sister wanted to impress me more so she took us to Parc Guell. We rode the metro and when we reached our stop, we walked to the very top of  Mt. Tibidabo where you can see Barcelona's breathtaking skyline. http://cbuencamino.blogspot.com/2010/12/beautiful-barcelona.html  

Barcelona's street signs

Sightseeing in Barcelona was exhilarating. The city was bustling and the sight of the Mediterranean sea in the background was calming. We started to get hungry. So, we walked along La Rambla for some good tapas and paellas. We satisfied our eyes from our sightseeing and now it's time to satisfy our stomach. 

anchovies on top of artichokes with chopped tomatoes and topped with olives

manchego with chilies

whitefish, deviled eggs with chilies

serrano ham and brie cheese with chilies

and of course Paella Negra and Paella Valenciana

My sister ordered this grilled fish and it was delectable.

 Good thing I found this in the summer since Tart Tatin is best served in the winter.



What a day! I'm definitely coming back.  This is one of my favorite cities in the world.