Barcelona
Clothes, Jewellery & Accessories
Art, Crafts, Gifts & Design
Antiques, Books & Music
Food & Drink
Streetwise Barcelona has two main shopping areas. The Ciutat Vella contains many traditional shops as well as more off-beat boutiques. Try Carrer Banys Nous for arts and antique shops; Carrer Petritxol for home accessories and gift ideas; Carrer Portaferrissa and Carrer Portal de l'Angel for fashion and shoes. The Eixample's three main streets - Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya and the Diagonal - are a showcase for the latest in fashion and design.
Museum Shops Barcelona's museum shops stock a high-quality selection of goods such as designer items, gifts and arty souvenirs. Fundació Miró or Museu Picasso both offer a large array of fine products devoted to these artists; La Pedrera shows Modernista jewellery and other Gaudí-inspired gifts; and MACBA is one of the main outlets for the quality 'Made in Barcelona' range of gifts and souvenirs.
Poble Espanyol This purpose-built 'Spanish Village', with its methodically numbered shops and studios demonstrating local craft-making skills, offers a comprehensive range of Spanish and Mallorcan souvenirs. On sale are fine glassware, wood-carvings, Lladro porcelain, decorative goldware and jewellery together with flamenco costumes, guitars, fans and castanets.
Local Alternative to St Valentine's Day To celebrate the day of Sant Jordi (St George), Catalonia's patron saint, couples express their love by exchanging gifts: roses for the woman and a book for the man. The Ramblas are lined with temporary bookstalls, and half of Catalonia's annual book sales take place on this day.
Jamón Jamón Spain is famous for its hams, its cured and smoked meats and its sausages. The quality of ham varies considerably. Expect to pay up to €84 a kilo for the best, traditionally cured jamón Jabugo. Look out also for the classic, cheaper haunches of jamón serrano and jamón Iberico, and be sure to try salchichón, piquant chorizo, Catalan botifarra and spicy Mallorcan sobresada sausages.
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