Barcelona Shopping
Barcelona has some of the most popular markets in the whole world. One of these is the St. Joseph Market. Also known as Mercat de la Boqueria and over 150 years old, it has a marvelous assortment of products housed under a Catalan roof. There are many hand made items, flowers and even food for sale.
For kids, it is important to see the La Boqueria market which has an interesting sidewalk. Vendors are typically selling all kinds of small animals. It is similar to a petting zoo in the United States.
Another interesting market exists in Old Town (AKA Gotic-Ribera-Born). This is the Mercat de Santa Caterina, reopened after being closed for a long time. It has a ceramic roof covering the square. There are a lot less tourists to fight through in this place.
Near the Santiago steps are some tiny craft shops. Here a variety of handmade items are present including jewelry, fans, textiles, toys and glass plates. Most of these are great keepsakes, and will serve as a memento of the visit.
For chocolate lovers there is the Cacao Sampaka. Most of these confections can only be found in Europe. In fact, only 10 stores have these treats. The manufacturer has full charge of the entire product, and this is evident in the quality shown. There are way too many different concoctions to be sampled, but most of them are quite unique.
Another one of a kind destination has to be the Caelum Shop/Cafe. This place has all kinds of foodstuffs and liquors, but what makes it unique is that each one of them was originally created by a monk or nun. Any of them would make the perfect present for that hard to buy for person, and everything can be sample first. Past the ground floor, further down, are some old bathhouses as old as 400 years.
One last stop for anybody visiting this city has to be the Fantastik. It has a veritable cornucopia of toys and baubles, being dubbed the bazaar bizarro. All kind of prices abound, so a gift can be easily had. There are imports from around the world; so many great items can be seen there. These include such great things as authentic Mexican Luchadore masks.
It is easy to visit the one of a kind shops in Barcelona. And bring home a great souvenir for that long list of friends.