Las Ramblas

Everyone will tell you to visit Las Ramblas on your trip to Barcelona. That's fine. Just don't eat there. As it was our first 

night in Barcelona, we of course had to start out with sangria, which was €18 for a glass. The size of the glass is irrelevant—what matters is it was a glass, and it was €18. The wine was tasty, but I couldn’t help but feel a larger hole burning through my pocket with every sip.

We were then introduced to the true Spanish tapas scene—an array of dishes lining the bar. The disturbing crusty edges of 

meats and cheeses that had been left out for hours could only be surpassed by the flies that appeared to inhabit them. We decided to order a slice of the tortilla española as it appeared to be the most edible of our options. It arrived warm with a peppery, moist interior and a baked top that wanted to be crunchy. Overall, the Spanish potato omelet performed as best it could.

Next came the paella: one traditional and one vegetarian. Both 

proved much more photogenic than they deserved. Served on the typical base of rice turned yellow with saffron, the paella arrived in black skillets—a nice touch. The vibrant colors were beautiful, however the stars of the dish were subpar. Other than the one white asparagus that lay across the vegetarian dish, the vegetables all appeared to have originated from a frozen bag. For whatever reason, there is something about zig-zag carrot edges that's an instant turnoff.

Nothing about the fish paella gave off hints of freshness either. Other than the two mussels and empty clamshell, it was just a mess of unidentifiable shapes with questionable smells. I clearly ate the entire dish, but I wasn’t happy about it.

Highly tourist-packed areas are filled with overpriced items of low quality. If you’re going to succumb to the temptation and buy something on Las Ramblas, don’t let that thing be your food.