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00:00As I revealed the secrets, what an amazing building, that is magnificent, of places you
00:11think you know, look at the size of this, and the little-known regions, that is spectacular,
00:20just waiting to be discovered. This is very nostalgic for me. Smell the money.
00:25Ooh, suddenly we're on the Riviera. But I'm inside the barrel. Together, we'll go beyond
00:32the hotspot. Absolutely spectacular. It's so remote. Arriba! Fuerte! To the places where
00:38the magic is made. You have to love heat and smoke and flame. Yay! I can't wait to show you.
00:46Today, I reveal secrets from Barcelona, where we discover a neglected GaudĆ. What an amazing
01:00building. And a tipple to kickstart the day. Wow. That's a big vermous. Yes. I go shoulder
01:07to shoulder with the locals. Put it in. My legs are trembling. And search out the best
01:13food. This tent is full of generations of history. It's emotional for me. In a city of style
01:20and sophistication. Our journey through Spain begins in what many would consider its worst
01:34kept secret. Welcome to Barcelona. Nestled between the Montserrat mountain and the Mediterranean
01:48Sea, Barcelona is the capital of Spain's Catalonia region. Around 15 million visitors crowd its
01:57tourist hotspots every year, queuing for a glimpse of the astounding Sagrada Familia Basilica and
02:05jostling for space along its most famous street, Las Ramblas. But that's not for us. I'm going
02:14to show you a face of Barcelona rarely visited. Away from the souvenir shops and tour guides,
02:22where locals celebrate with Catalan pride and passion.
02:31What a magnificent view. I first set eyes on Barcelona when I was 10 years old. And maybe
02:37you know it too. Or do you? In a city whose center has begun to groan under the weight of tourism,
02:44with some local ructions, from here you can see that there are so many neighborhoods where we will feel
02:50like pioneers. Viewed from above, Barcelona's symmetrical layout and grand architecture are plain to see.
03:00built on the back of a booming 19th century textile industry, when the city was known as the Catalan
03:08Manchester. Dominating the skyline is the extraordinary Sagrada Familia Basilica, designed at the height of that
03:18industrial age. The Catalan architect Antony Gaudi created extraordinary buildings that project to the world a powerful image of
03:29of Barcelona, like the Casa Mila and the Casa Barriol. Yet one of his creations remains something of a secret, 140 years after it was built.
03:43I've come to the neighborhood of Gracia, which is uphill and inland from the city center. Indeed, it was only incorporated into Barcelona at the end of the 19th century.
03:52In the years before that, as industrialization spread, they built steam textile factories out in the nearby villages, such as this one. And that brought a population of
04:02bourgeoisie, the owners and the managers, and a proletariat of machine operatives.
04:11Hidden up one of Gracia's back streets is something totally unexpected and quite exceptional.
04:18A breathtaking example of Gaudi's earlier work that very few people visit, which I can't wait to show you.
04:29Hello, Macarena.
04:30Hola.
04:31Hola.
04:32Buong dia.
04:33Commissioned by a wealthy stockbroker of the day, Casa Vicens was the very first family home designed by Gaudi,
04:40and a proving ground for his originality. What an amazing building. It's extraordinary, isn't it?
04:48Architectural historian Macarena will show me around.
04:53It was like his first important work. And he was like less than 30 years old. 30. I mean, he was very, very young.
05:03I think he maybe wanted to show how much he was able to make and do.
05:09Looking at the exterior, I see lots of flowers on the tiles. I see palm leaves and the dates.
05:14Yes, of course. You know, Gaudi's nature was always his source of inspiration.
05:18And when he came here at first, he was just walking around the area. He saw a lot of yellow flowers, you know, the palm trees.
05:26Today, Gracia is a built-up neighborhood. A couple of metro stops from the city center.
05:35In Gaudi's day, it was a distinct rural village.
05:39Casa Vicens was designed as an opulent country manor with extensive gardens surrounded by countryside.
05:47And he carried those themes into the interior.
05:51So much detail everywhere, isn't there?
05:58And the vegetation continues inside. The ceiling is full of vegetation. The walls.
06:04Yes.
06:05Amazing.
06:06Now, I'm going to show you this balcony because it connects the outside with the inside.
06:12And can you imagine? Another place much more better than this for relax and sit.
06:18So many inspirations here. This is Japanese. We've got the inspiration of nature again in the ceiling.
06:23And this then, I suppose you would say, is Islamic inspired?
06:26Yes, completely. Again, Gaudi was very young. He was learning.
06:30He's going to use nature, all the styles as a source of inspiration for the structures of the buildings.
06:38Like this alcove inspired by the Alhambra in Granada.
06:42This is where you say, wow.
06:48You do say, wow. This is completely over the top.
06:55You can see how he was using a lot of different techniques for this decoration.
06:59And something very original. If you look at the wall, you never guess what it is.
07:04He was able to make something extraordinary from something so simple as paper.
07:08And here, actually, you can see that the tiles are curving around the wall, which a normal ceramic tile simply doesn't do.
07:20Every inch of this extraordinary house features the meticulous attention to detail that is a hallmark of Gaudi.
07:28It led to Catalan modernism, a movement similar to Art Nouveau.
07:34It's a house full of surprises.
07:36Then this leads through.
07:38Yes. Gaudi, instead of making a long corridor, he designed this space where, you know, the doors can be open and closed for privacy.
07:47So I'm going to lock doors because of this is the nearest room.
07:52I see. And then these doors also close.
07:59And these doors close too.
08:04Leaving me in the dark.
08:07Hello?
08:09Hello?
08:09It might seem a bit frivolous to build fantastical rooms for rich clients, but actually Gaudi was a serious and deeply religious man who once wrote,
08:22imagine a house neither small nor big, and by enhancing and enriching it, it becomes a palace.
08:30Well, he certainly achieved that here.
08:31Next, I understand you have a custom of drinking vermouth in the middle of the day.
08:38I enjoy a morning tipple and step into a fantasy.
08:43I find myself in a magical fairy glade, beckoned by the sound of dance music.
08:49I'm showing you the secret side of Barcelona, well off the tourist trail, where Catalan culture is proudly celebrated.
09:08A ten-minute stroll from our first stop at Gaudi's Casa Vicente, situated in an unremarkable backstreet, is a very traditional bar.
09:20It's known for serving an aperitif, which is a big part of local culture, even though most of us wouldn't associate it with Spain.
09:28David and Carlos' Bar is celebrated for its vermouth, a fortified wine flavoured with herbs and botanicals.
09:58That became popular in Italy and France in the 18th century.
10:03It was introduced to Barcelona in 1876.
10:07The city embraced and absorbed it, enthusiastically creating its own vermouth culture.
10:14Now, I understand you have a custom of drinking vermouth in the middle of the day.
10:19Is that correct?
10:19Yeah.
10:20During the morning, before your lunch, you do the vermouth.
10:25You can do the vermouth every day, but we used to do during Saturday or Sunday.
10:31Time to drink like a local.
10:34Carlos, may I have a vermouth, please?
10:36Okay.
10:38Um, you didn't ask me what brand.
10:42Because I only have one type of vermouth, okay?
10:47It's a house vermouth.
10:48It comes from here, from the barrels.
10:50Each bar crafts its own vermouth, faithful to a secret recipe of herbs and botanicals.
10:57Wow, that's a big vermouth.
11:01Red vermouth is usually sweeter than white.
11:03The boys tell me that theirs is slightly more bitter, too.
11:07And it's the same recipe from the 15th when the place is open.
11:13If you feel like a really strong vermouth, you can put a little bit of soda water.
11:17I like this.
11:18This is a really old-fashioned soda siphon.
11:21It's all part of the atmosphere here.
11:23But I'm enjoying this trade.
11:24Gracias.
11:26Carlos, why is it such a thing for Catalonia?
11:30Why is it such a thing for Barcelona to have the vermouth?
11:49It's the social moment, opening up your appetite before lunch.
11:52In Barcelona, vermouth is often served with a plate of pickles and preserves,
12:00offering a salty contrast to the sweet drink.
12:04My mixed snack of the house, quimet, turns out to have anchovies, razor clams, olives,
12:13a few coccles with a little tuna.
12:20EstĆ” muy bueno. Very good.
12:22Muchas gracias.
12:25I love places like this.
12:27And I think probably most cities have them.
12:29Somewhere that you can go that has been unchanged in maybe 60, 70 years,
12:34for which you feel a nostalgia.
12:36I don't know, life was simpler there.
12:38And it's about the simple things.
12:40It's about good food, decent wine, pleasant company.
12:45So now when I travel, I always hope to find a place exactly like this,
12:50a place that somebody has saved for all of us.
12:55Felicidades, congratulations, boys.
12:59Always happen.
13:01Cheers.
13:02Skirting the main tourist area, our next stop is about a mile and a half away,
13:10northwest of the city center.
13:13The neighborhood of Sants is home to Barcelona's main railway station.
13:18Most visitors pass through it en route to their hotels.
13:21But we're stopping to explore.
13:30Sants was just a small settlement with a church going back to 1100,
13:34until the industrial revolution brought it this steam-powered textile factory,
13:38complete with towering chimney.
13:41It's now thoroughly absorbed in Barcelona, but it still has the feel of a village.
13:46And for the last 100 years or more, they've celebrated an annual party.
13:51And by luck and design, I'm here on the right day.
13:56The Festa Major began as a 19th century religious festival celebrating St. Bartholomew.
14:04And it's one of hundreds of local fiestas that punctuate the calendar throughout Spain.
14:11I recommend searching them out for a glimpse into the heart of a community and to feel its spirit.
14:17The beer is flowing. The table football competition is underway. The sound systems are being tested.
14:28Over eight days every August, traffic is shut out. And the locals come together to decorate the streets.
14:34I find myself in a magical fairy glade, beckoned by the sound of dance music.
14:40And this is the traditional dance of the Catalans.
14:47The Sardana. It's a dance that's played through Catalonia over the last couple of centuries.
14:59It's quite simple. It's danced in circles.
15:05It's very Catalan. It's said to represent the harmony and unity and democracy of Catalonia.
15:13Might it even be simple enough for me?
15:20Although this fiesta is generally local, the galumping stranger is warmly welcomed into the ring.
15:26I simply step from time to time and dance from time to time and it all seemed to work out quite well.
15:41Having joined the Sardana, where else can I throw my weight about?
15:46A few streets away, a distinctively Catalan tradition is taking shape.
15:51It's believed to have originated from a 17th century dance in which one cavorter swayed on another's shoulders.
15:59These human towers are known as Castage and are constructed throughout Catalonia.
16:04So, as I understand it, you build towers of people, you have lots of people at the bottom,
16:18then you have layers of people on top of each other like this, going up into the sky.
16:22And so the only question is, why?
16:25That's a very good question. It's tradition and brings the whole neighbourhoods together.
16:33And why not try to climb one on top of the other one and let's see how far we can get?
16:38Why not? Why not indeed?
16:41The Castales rely on trust, since all must reliably play their part.
16:47At the base, the older, bigger members of the community bind together to form a solid foundation.
16:54The tower grows as lighter and more agile climbers scramble upwards, with the small children occupying the top spots.
17:02Now, Roger, you would never send a child of yours to the top, would you?
17:09Of course I would. My daughter is doing it.
17:11Your daughter is doing it.
17:12Yeah.
17:12How old is she?
17:14Seven years old.
17:16Is it your heart in your mouth?
17:19I love it, because climbing to the top of the tower, that's quite a privilege.
17:25Tonight, I'm joining the rehearsal. First, I need to be bound tight.
17:32Nice.
17:33Yeah, it's going well.
17:34You believe me?
17:35It's going great.
17:37Lovely.
17:38Like this, you have your back protected.
17:40That's fabulous.
17:41And also, I noticed that the climbers use this.
17:45They put their feet in here.
17:47Yeah, that's it.
17:48And they use this bit as well, don't they?
17:49Yeah, that's it.
17:50Knee and then the shoulder.
17:52There's a technique that is going with the rehearsal.
17:55They can make it finer and finer.
17:58You just saw your little daughter, Edna, going up the top of the tower.
18:01Yeah, she's there.
18:02It's like a little frog, we say.
18:04She's like a little frog, yes.
18:05And making the aleta, or little wave.
18:08So to say that the castel, the human tower is finished.
18:12Whoa!
18:13It's all right.
18:14She slipped, but she was caught.
18:16She slipped, but everything is OK.
18:19That's why we rehearse.
18:22As evening turns to night, the towers become steadily taller.
18:26More pack the base, directly supporting three or four,
18:30who in turn hold aloft the multiple upper tiers of this human wedding cake.
18:36So now we're going to try with the base, but probably without the kicks on top.
18:41And it's my turn to join in.
18:44So what you will have to do is you will need to hold his wrists.
18:47Right now?
18:48And push forward.
18:52No, a bit.
18:53Maintain the tension.
18:59Putting in.
19:01Maintaining the pressure.
19:04Feet climbing over us.
19:07We're not allowed to look up, just maintain the pressure.
19:09You can feel the base sway as people go past on their way up.
19:16I'll occasionally get a glimpse of a foot.
19:26Pressure's rising.
19:28I'm kind of being crushed between the man in front of me and the man behind.
19:36Base moves under the pressure.
19:39It feels like people are coming down again.
19:53I can feel the base relaxing a bit.
19:56And we are...
19:59...Gonathus.
20:03A lot of pressure.
20:06Being crushed by the man in front of the man behind.
20:09A lot of pressure on the leg muscles.
20:12And I didn't see what was happening.
20:16How was it? Good?
20:18It's tense.
20:18It was tense.
20:19It's tense.
20:19My legs are trembling.
20:22You need quite a lot of strength, don't you?
20:24Yeah.
20:24You need strength and you need mentality.
20:26Not getting lost in your mind.
20:28No, no, no.
20:28You just need to be focused on what you're doing.
20:30I assure you my mind didn't wander for a moment.
20:36You don't really have to ask whether the Catalans have a clear regional identity.
20:41They certainly do.
20:42And building human towers is one of the things that sets them apart.
20:46This requires teamwork, discipline, and trust.
20:50And it makes it a formidable activity.
20:56Coming up.
20:57As the ribbon through the holes.
20:59I get a taste of Barcelona style.
21:03It's getting complicated with all these ribbons.
21:05Ribbon.
21:05And I'm sized up.
21:07Are you measuring my bottom?
21:09You have to measure my bottom for a shirt?
21:11Yeah.
21:18I'm showing you the Barcelona that the tour guides don't.
21:24Behind me is the medieval city.
21:26And down below the famous church of the Sagrada Familia by GaudĆ.
21:32And then the canyons, those avenues that were created in the 19th and 20th century.
21:37But I'm not going to focus on any of those.
21:42We're headed for the hidden communities in between.
21:45Where the flag claiming Catalan independence hangs defiantly from balconies and buildings.
21:52In a city whose official languages are both Spanish and Catalan.
21:56In a city whose own language was banned.
21:57However, throughout the years of Spain's dictatorship under General Franco,
22:02Catalonia's proud identity was suppressed.
22:06And its language banned.
22:08On Franco's death in 1975, they came roaring back.
22:12On my first visit to Barcelona, after General Franco died, I arrived here with my little map.
22:21And became very confused.
22:24Where the map told me I was traveling on General Francisco Franco Avenue, the street sign said Diagonal.
22:31When I turned into Primo de Rivera Avenue, the street sign said Gran Via.
22:40With the restoration of autonomy to Catalonia, the names had reverted from those of the
22:46dictators of the 20th century to names that were popular and Catalan and traditional.
22:52Our next stop is in the busy Gothic quarter, visited by most tourists.
23:01Reached through the warren of medieval streets and alleyways is a shop where Catalan culture
23:06and tradition are clearly afoot.
23:08Asilda, what a pleasure.
23:14Hi, Michael. Welcome to La Manuela Alpargatira.
23:17It's great to be here. The shop is like a museum. It's wonderful.
23:21You've got all the original shop fittings, I think.
23:23Yes, we have it all from the 40s.
23:26Yeah.
23:28Asilda's shop, which she inherited from her husband's family, specializes in espadrilles.
23:34Simple shoes made with canvas uppers and soles woven from natural fibers, like jute,
23:42that were traditionally worn by peasants working in the fields.
23:47They symbolize Catalan identity, worn at festivals and dances, like the sardana that I took part in.
23:55And here, they're still made in the time-honored way, by hand.
23:59Hola. Hola.
24:01And here, by Nargis and Jordi.
24:05Jordi, the first thing I notice is that you have like the finger of a glove, just a finger, in the collar.
24:12Yes, this serves as a protection when I have to pull out of the needle.
24:16And this, which we call palmete, metallic, serves to push the needle.
24:24Mm-hmm.
24:25And, however, do you have any hurt in the hand or in the finger?
24:29I have a pinch here, another pinch here.
24:33He stabbed himself in the thumb.
24:34There he is.
24:34But, but, Jordi, you're an incipientist.
24:37Do you start now to do it?
24:39Well, 43 years.
24:41He's been at it for 43 years, and even so, he gets injured.
24:45And you're able to do how many in a day?
24:48Normally, for this type of alpargatas, it takes about an hour.
24:52And once it's finished, we'll move to the friend who is putting the scissors.
24:57Very good, very good.
25:00A Silde's shop opened just after the Spanish Civil War.
25:04Republican soldiers in that conflict had worn espadrilles as part of their uniform.
25:10Function then gave way to fashion during the 1940s and 50s,
25:15led by one of Catalonia's most eccentric sons, the artist Salvador DalĆ.
25:22He used to come here to buy the espadrilles.
25:25He was a young man, but my mother-in-law doesn't want to help him, because he was grumpy.
25:32Grumpy?
25:33Yeah.
25:34Right, he was a grumpy customer.
25:35Yes.
25:36Wow.
25:36But when he started to make famous in the television, all the women that used to work here said,
25:44ah, you know, the guy that used to come here, now he's famous.
25:48Fantastic.
25:49Your mother-in-law must have felt better about him after that.
25:52Yeah, of course.
25:53Who else? What other celebrities?
25:55Jack Nicholson used to come here, the Pope.
25:58The Pope?
25:59Yes.
26:00John Powell II.
26:02Which one did he wear?
26:03Uh, this model.
26:05Oh, of course, white.
26:07Yes, of course.
26:09We made this special model for him.
26:13You took care of the Pope's soul?
26:15Yes.
26:17They also make a great memento.
26:20Just choose your favorite style and color.
26:23We begin with a plain espadrille, but we can now decorate this with ribbons, yes?
26:29Yes.
26:31For me, it's the Salvador DalĆ with red ribbons.
26:34Well, it was never going to be the Pope's.
26:37The things we will do is just to put the ribbon inside the needle.
26:43Under Asilda's watchful eye, I'm a willing pupil.
26:47Look for the pole in the middle, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
26:51Mm-hmm.
26:52And through.
26:53Yeah.
26:54Yeah.
26:54And then go to the back.
26:58Okay.
26:58Pass the ribbon through the holes.
27:02Then the third hole to the second hole.
27:05It's getting complicated with all these ribbons.
27:08And then now to the other side.
27:10I had a feeling.
27:11You're doing quite nice.
27:19It's a warm day.
27:20It's quite a physical activity, isn't it?
27:22I'm sweating with attention.
27:24Here we go.
27:24That's nice.
27:26Do you know this is looking so pretty?
27:29Perfect.
27:30Good.
27:31Asilda, we have made a thing of beauty.
27:34Yeah.
27:35You have made it.
27:36Well.
27:39Ah, I think that is the sexiest and most elegant shoe that I've ever worn.
27:53Oh, my God.
28:01At the time that Barcelona's fabulous footwear was finding favour with the 1950s and 1960s jet
28:08set, I first visited the city completely by accident.
28:15When I was 10 years old, I travelled to Spain unaccompanied to stay with a lady in her 60s who
28:21was a family friend who had recently been widowed.
28:25On my return, my flight to Madrid, where I was to take a jet to London, was cancelled.
28:32And so they sent me instead to Barcelona.
28:36Two other people shared my predicament.
28:38They were Miles Burkett, who was an archaeologist at Cambridge University,
28:43born in the 19th century, and his wife.
28:47And the three of us were brought here to the Ritz Hotel.
28:50This was the sort of experience I had never had.
28:54I had a bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.
28:57I had my own telephone.
29:00We dined in the hotel restaurant.
29:03And the next day, they flew us home, leaving me with an anecdote and also a taste for the high life.
29:12My hotel tonight is just a stone's throw away, built in 1879 as a palatial home for a family
29:23made wealthy by the city's textile industry.
29:26I chose it, both for the decor and features from that illustrious past, and because of the vista from its terrace.
29:36Why jostle with the crowds and queues to see Gaudi's best-known act of architectural devotion,
29:45when without craning your neck, you can appreciate its magnificence from the comfort of the hotel's rooftop bar?
29:53Fantastic. You may have seen the Holy Family Church by Gaudi before, but are you up to date?
30:02Because after more than a century of construction, it is now racing towards completion.
30:08I can't believe how much it has changed since I last saw it.
30:12Gaudi accepted the commission of designing Barcelona's new basilica in 1883.
30:19As ever inspired by nature, he conceived 18 towers, each emblematizing a biblical figure.
30:27But in place of columns and buttresses, the spires appear organic, like stalagmites.
30:34And the saint's proximity to Christ is represented by the height of their pedestal.
30:39There are 12 towers for the Apostles, well and truly complete.
30:44Now, four taller towers, representing the winged vangers, have been completed.
30:50So we've got Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, and also the Virgin Mary tower, that's denoted by a star.
31:00And now, most excitingly of all, the central Christ tower is heading towards completion.
31:05They're going to put a giant cross on the top. At that point, it will be 566 feet high, the tallest church in the world.
31:16The ambition is to have it completed in time for the centenary of Gaudi's death in June 2026.
31:23Another reason to choose this hotel is for a discreet service offered to its guests.
31:39David.
31:40Buenos dias.
31:41Buenos dias, Michael Portillo.
31:43David Moyes.
31:44David works with one of the city's oldest tailors, established in 1843 at the height of the cotton trade.
31:51I've presented myself for a made-to-measure shirt.
31:55Perhaps you could begin by giving me your opinion of my shirt.
31:59La camisa va un poquito larga de mangas.
32:01A bit long in the sleeve.
32:03What would you say? How much is that?
32:06This is four centimetres.
32:07Four centimetres should come off there.
32:09What about the rest of the shirt?
32:11Bien.
32:11Yes, exactly right.
32:12Es una camisa de sport.
32:13Yes.
32:13Un poquito ansa.
32:14Casual shirt.
32:15Va bien.
32:15Worn quite broadly.
32:18Se podrĆa hacer un poquito mĆ”s slim.
32:19I could have it more slim, right?
32:21Yes, yes.
32:22The skill of a tailor can be compared to that of a doctor.
32:26Ah, hello.
32:28He sometimes delivers news you don't want to hear.
32:32Maybe because when you see the measurements, you need a little cover to fortify you.
32:37Bueno, let's begin the painful part.
32:40ĀæCĆ³mo quiere medirme?
32:41AsĆ mismo.
32:42AsĆ mismo.
32:43Relajado, relax.
32:44Okay.
32:45David, what do you say to a client who is bigger than he was last year?
32:55Que se tiene que hacer una camisa nueva.
32:58Is it very important to flatter your client?
33:02SĆ.
33:05Pero David, are you measuring my bottom?
33:08SĆ.
33:08You have to measure my bottom for a shirt?
33:10Yeah.
33:11My goodness.
33:11All right.
33:13I'm afraid my shirt is going to be shaped like this.
33:17How long until I get my shirt?
33:20We need four weeks.
33:21And where will it be made?
33:23Lo hacemos en nuestra sastrerĆa, en Paseo de Gracia.
33:26Nosotros somos una tienda centenaria.
33:29How absolutely charming.
33:31The shirts are made in their own workshop, in the Paseo de Gracia, and it will take four weeks.
33:37Gracias, hombre.
33:38Gracias a usted.
33:39Encantado.
33:40Encantado.
33:41The perfect excuse for a return trip.
33:47Next.
33:47Inside this pan, it's full of traditions.
33:50It's emotional for me.
33:52I savour the heartiest Catalan cuisine.
33:55Strong flavours and strong textures.
33:59That is a good dish.
34:09Our final morning in Barcelona dawns, and there's still so much to show you away from its crowded centre.
34:17Barcelona acquired its modern layout towards the end of the 19th century, when workers flocked to the city to toil in the textile industry.
34:31The city was then confined inside its medieval walls, where tourists crowd today.
34:37The cramped living conditions were amongst the worst in Spain.
34:41The poorest had a life expectancy of just 24 years.
34:47With the city's expansion came new neighbourhoods, with impressive avenues, residential blocks built around a central garden, and cafes spilling onto the broad pavements.
35:00This area of Barcelona is called Echample, and it was planned in the 19th century on a strict grid layout.
35:16And wherever two streets meet, the corners of the building are chamfered, cut off, so that each junction effectively is a little square.
35:26A more modern movement has been to divide the city into rectangles that consist of nine city blocks.
35:34And true traffic is allowed only around the exterior of the rectangle.
35:38Inside, it's restricted to pedestrians and bicycles and gardens.
35:46Like everything in Barcelona, it was controversial.
35:50But for the visitor, it provides an environment which is safe and breezy and quiet.
35:55Barcelona's city expansion also brought another benefit, food markets.
36:06Today, the city has 39 neighbourhood markets, and they're a staple of daily life.
36:13We're worth visiting to eat fine Catalan cuisine for a few euros.
36:17Local food writer, Marc, is meeting me at his favourite, Mercat del Ninot, here in Echample.
36:25Encantado.
36:26Un placer.
36:26Lovely to see you.
36:28Ooh, and what a beautiful market. Ninot Market.
36:31Ninot Market.
36:32How long have you known it?
36:34My grandma and my granada had a stall outside the market, just here, around here.
36:40And my childhood, every weekend, I spent time here.
36:43Ninot Market opened in 1893, just outside Barcelona's overcrowded city centre, and was the first in the area.
36:56Ninot means doll and derives from a ship's figurehead that was displayed at a nearby tavern.
37:02That connection to the sea can also be found in heritage Catalan foods, such as salt cod.
37:08We have a strong culture of codfish, but we don't have cod in our sea.
37:15It's a tradition here in Catalonia, because during the war, for soldiers, it's more easy to carry cod than meat.
37:23Salted cod?
37:24Salted, of course, salted, because it's easy just to put water, and then you can eat it.
37:30Very interesting.
37:30What are your best animals? Pigs or beef or what?
37:34Pig. The culture of pig is super strong, and I think we are one of the top producers in Europe right now.
37:43One of the region's most traditional dishes is capipota.
37:48Vale, pues aquĆ tenemos unos callos, chorizo, hay capicota.
37:51Cheap cuts, including pig's trotters, slow-cooked in a rich gravy.
37:57I just hope it tastes better than it looks.
38:01Now, we've got tripe, and we've got chorizo.
38:04Yeah.
38:05But capipota, what does that mean?
38:07Capipota, cap is head, and pota is leg.
38:11Yeah, it's different parts of the animal.
38:13Strong flavors and strong textures.
38:19The tripe is, of course, very, very chewy.
38:22And, of course, it's not beautiful as a Japanese or Mexican food, but we love it, and it's perfect.
38:31Another dish contains a sausage, known as a botifarra, thought to have originated in Roman times.
38:38It's carne picada de cerdo, con pimienta, y alguna especie aromƔtica, o tomillo, romero.
38:47Served with beans, this was a staple of working-class families.
38:52We better leave room, because I'm interested in fish as well.
38:54I'm interested in well.
38:56To finish, we are visiting one of the market's oldest stalls that dates to 1898,
39:03where another style of food, curmar y montaƱa, is served.
39:08Mar y montaƱa, it's like, the translation is sea and mountain, of course.
39:14Some cultures, when they cook, they decide, okay, that's time to cook fish or to cook meat.
39:19Catalans, no.
39:20Catalans, we prefer, like, to put everything inside the same plate.
39:23For example, the most popular dish is lobster with chicken.
39:27We love, we love, we really love this mar y montaƱa, especially in Christmas time.
39:34But there's a lot of more possibilities.
39:36Well, let's see, Gabriel.
39:39It's a head of a ternera, cooked, and a tripa of bacalao, and garbanzos.
39:45I'm sure I remember it.
39:46It's the traditional cuisine of the grandparents.
39:48Precisely, of yours?
39:49Yes.
39:50We need to preserve this.
39:51Inside this pan, it's full of traditions, of generations, of history.
39:57It's emotional for me.
39:59And then when you taste it, it's incredible.
40:02MuchĆsimas gracias.
40:03No, no.
40:05Gracias.
40:06Okay, so here's your perfect example of mar y montaƱa.
40:12That is the tripe of a cod.
40:15Yeah.
40:15Please, taste it.
40:20It's absorbed so many flavors, hasn't it?
40:22Yeah.
40:22Wow.
40:23That is a good dish.
40:24Mark, do you think that the cuisine is also an important part of Catalan culture?
40:31Super important.
40:32Yeah, yeah.
40:33The food culture is important to preserve, for example, our language.
40:37Yeah, yeah.
40:38For example, Catalan is disappearing from streets.
40:40But when you are using all recipes, when you are using all ingredients, you are using a Catalan that is not in the streets.
40:48So these less common words, these sometimes quite obscure words that describe a fish or a meat or a sauce.
40:54Parts of cat, parts of animals, recipes.
40:58It's full of works in Catalan.
40:59So these go together.
41:01Catalan region, Catalan history, Catalan flag, Catalan language, Catalan gastronomy.
41:06Yeah, yeah.
41:06That's an important part.
41:10Cheers.
41:11Cheers.
41:16I've run out of time to show you more of this wonderful city, hidden within its little-known neighborhoods.
41:23But I hope I've shown you that if you leave the tourist trail behind and come with an open mind, you'll experience the essence of the place and meet the people who make it so special.
41:36Tall towers of people and of stone.
41:40Have been a theme of this excursion.
41:42And perhaps appropriately, because Barcelona is determined not to be overshadowed by the Spanish capital of Madrid.
41:50Certainly the visitors have become a problem.
41:52But any very large city can deal with tourists, provided that they don't all just go to the same few places.
42:00So, look at the Sagrada Familia through your binoculars and head for the neighborhoods, where Catalan culture is so proudly on display.
42:10And if you do that, the sky is the limit.
42:21Next time, I'll show you Asturias.
42:25Smell the money.
42:26One of the largest buildings I have ever seen.
42:35Superb.
42:36Embuco.
42:37But I'm inside the barrel.
42:39I may have to stay here until I've lost some weight.
42:41More, more.
42:42Yes, discover Spain's Celtic coast next Thursday at eight.
42:51Who better to absorb the serene beauty of Lake Como than Tom Reed Wilson?
42:55Join his magnificent journey new tomorrow at eight.
42:58And brand new next.
42:59Star witnesses, shocking revelations, and a world gripped by the trial of Michael Jackson.
43:04You've never seen courtroom drama like it.
43:07Stay with us.
43:08That's a secret.
43:09You've never seen ač.
43:10That's a secret.
43:13äøč¦ funny aboutę.
43:15Because I'm inside the interior.
43:17You've never seen someč²¢ļæ½ji national lottery is a natural.
43:18Your hope they've experienced a lot.
43:20Bye.
43:20Yeah.
43:20Bye.
43:21Bye.
43:21Bye.
43:21Bye.
43:21Bye.
43:22Bye.
43:23Bye.
43:24Bye.
43:24Bye.
43:25Bye.
43:25Bye.
43:26Bye.
43:26Bye.
43:27Bye.
43:27Bye.
43:28Bye.
43:29Bye.
43:29Bye.
43:30Bye.
43:31Bye.
43:32Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:34Bye.
43:35Bye.
43:36Bye.
43:36Bye.
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