In an age where shopping for daily necessities has become a sterile chore in cloned hypermarkets filled with trolley-pushing zombies, it’s always refreshing to pay a visit to markets that feel like the beating heart of a living, breathing community (there’s a word I miss). If you find yourself on a short visit to Barcelona, and want an all-round taste of what makes the city special, put a trip to the Mercat de la Boqueria at the top of your list.

Feb 9, 2009:Before we got to Barcelona, I made a rough itinerary for each day. It was quite a tight schedule to be honest, but it’s better to have more choices when you’re travelling.
On Sunday, we went to bed after midnight. We had planned to get up at 7 to see the Boqueria market and head for Montserrat for the whole day. But we got up late (no surprise), and left Isa’s house at about 9.