I love fresh candies and fruits so much, so I spent a lot of my leisure time at La Boqueria. Fresh food and cooking plays a large part in Catalan culture, and I loved being able to buy my own food for the week and try cooking new things. One thing, I noticed about Barcelona, was that people shop much more frequently because the food is not processed like in the United States. This was a transition for me, but I loved buying fruit, empanadas and juices from La Boqueria, on my way home from class. Sometimes I would visit the market to just walk around and look at how beautifully the items were displayed and be amongst all of the bustling people.
One day I took a paella making class, and our teacher brought us to La Boqueria to pick out the fresh seafood we would be cooking. During the class, I had to prepare the still- living seafood for the paella dish. This experience from cooking from “market to table” was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Another day while visiting La Boqueria, I ran into the Festes de Santa Eulàlia parade, and I was able to watch the festivities while I drank my juice from the market. It was a ton of fun to see all the dancers and drummers go by in celebration. I have a lot of fond memories exploring La Boqueria with friends, and it one of the things I miss the most about Barcelona.
Madison's Catalan Culture Experience 