Jazz si Jazz.
the best jazz club in town. seriously.
this is the stairwell with dangling feet above our heads.
it was so packed.
i thought we'd never get a view.
intermission - phew!
we muscle through the crowd to get a clear shot
ahh, act II. perfect seats.
tuning & talking. the usual.
excellent skills.
here comes the cajon!!
the singer's face...total passion
finally, some flamenco.
it's gorgeous. and worth the wait.
energy. passion. amazing.
feels like deja vu, sitting in the same cafe blogging away.
but i had yet another wonderful morning - traipsing the streets of barcelona.
had breakfast at a popular local bar/restaurant near Calle del Doctor Dou (where i'm sitting now). we passed by it last nite after an amazing flamenco performance at Jazz si Jazz. Whenever I see locals hanging outside (even in nyc) it's always a good sign, but you'll never know why until you go in. anyway, i had the Spanish Omelette with a cafe con leche. Delicious. It was actually a baguette sandwich, with a potato log inside, filled with onion and tomato mash. really huge, really filling, and i couldn't finish it all. The woman who took my order and recommended this dish seemed like that cool restaurant owner type, who I'd want to hang out with more. (pardon my drooling). she carves jamon with her bare hands, wearing all black and properly put together, and gives a wink and thumbs up when she comes to check on how i'm enjoying the food that she knows is good.
But herein lies the raison d'etre of the bar...2 slot machines!!! i mean, really, it is kind of brilliant for the late nite crowd. or the morning asian-man crowd that just wants a few more pennies in his pocket for the day. hilarious. quite the keen business move.
then traipsing i pursue. stopped in a bookstore/gallery-in-the-back/mini market of confitures from Mallorca. the woman said the jams were wonderful. and they're packaged with cute little cloth lids. i'm a sucker for home-spun packaging.
speaking of home-spun, i bought a pair of espadrilles yesterday, from what was clearly a small workshop where espadrilles are hand strung and braided and made to order. at only 22 euros a pair, i was stoked to purchase my very own marine-colored pair. so original, it's like buying textiles from a home-business mill that spins its own wool in the back studio.
flamenco last nite was amazing. modern flamenco, it wasn't the touristy red dress with tiered ruffles at the hem. the venue was PACKED, feet dangling from upstairs above our heads. the old-timers and the youth jammed in one intimate venue of a small stage. it was equivalent to Smalls or Village Vanguard in nyc. so beautiful and passionate. a definite highlight of barcelona.
ok, time to wander again. it's a sun shiny day. better get that barcelona tan on. ciao.
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