Pa de Sant Jordi, bread striped with the bright yellow and red of the Catalan flag to celebrate La Diada de Sant Jordi, may be the new-kid-on-the-block of culinary traditions in Barcelona, but it’s been accepted by nearly everyone as a genuine part of the holiday. The patriotically colored bread is now a ubiquitous presence in bakeries throughout the city come April 23.

While Barcelona has lots of green space – almost 3,000 hectares spread out over 34 parks and gardens – not all of it makes for good summer picnicking. What you need are those dark, open refuges under the treetops, where you can breathe and relax and your wine isn’t going to start boiling. And especially now, with everyone warily eyeing indoor seating and air conditioners due to Covid-19, taking shelter under some precious shade is even more appealing. In a previous piece on outdoor feasting in Barcelona, we extolled the virtues of the pine-shaded stretches of green grass alongside La Mar Bella beach in Poblenou as well as La Ciutadella, the most popular city park in central Barcelona, and offered tips on where to buy excellent food items in the nearby El Born neighborhood.

Sometimes the wine is so good, you forget about the food on your plate. And sometimes, the simplest bite has you forgetting your expensive wine, the people you’ve come out to dine with, and maybe even your own name. Your friends around the table are all laughing, and you have no idea about the joke. For a few seconds, you're lost in primitive aesthetic bliss, pure satisfaction, and something akin to communion with the universe. Here are a few moments from 2024 when we got lost in food, oblivious to the jokes and comments of our competitions at tables in Barcelona, La Garrotxa (in north Catalonia), and Galicia.