Barcelona: Day 3 continued

Before dinner we wandered down the Rambla, the pedestrian walkway that runs through the old town. There are so many sights to see along the Rambla -- there is a flower market followed by a pet market of sorts: several vendors with cage after cage of songbirds, pigeons ... even roosters (we wonder if they were supposed to be pets or dinner). There were also rabbits and hamsters for sale. The Rambla is also famous for its "living statues" -- street performers who dress in elaborate costumes but stand stock still as the world passes by them. There are also street musicians on the Rambla and on the side streets as well. There is a fantastic food market off the Rambla called La Boqueria, but my favorite thing to do was wander through the narrow winding alleys of the Barri Gotic. Most of the streets are pedestrian only since they are only three meters wide. They are paved with rectangular stone blocks and the buildings are made of stone as well. There are no trees or grass and it sounds stark, but was actually quite beautiful. There are many interesting cafes, restaurants, boutiques and galleries in the Barri Gotic and as you wander its streets you will eventually turn into an open square fronted by a grand palace or two. The streets were very clean and we always felt safe there.

We stopped in at 4 Cats, a bar and restaurant in the Barri Gotic, founded in 1897 and modeled on the Chat Noir cabaret of Paris it became a hangout for the avant garde of Barcelona. Picasso had his first solo exhibition at the 4 Cats and even designed their menu.