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A friend of mine suggested last week I go get a fish pedicure, as it is supposed to be the new must-do in terms of beauty treatments. The thought of fish nibbling at my feet was not necessarily very appealing to me, but still, I was tempted to try this new trend, and see if the fish really did leave your skin as smooth as a baby's bottom.

So yesterday I headed towards the mall with my friend - we went to Las Arenas on Plaça de Espanya, because several times a week they offer promotions on fish pedicures.

• 5 minutes - 5 € 

• 10 minutes - 10 € 

• 20 minutes - 15 €

We decided that 10 minutes would be enough, and we sat down in front of the aquariums, slightly nervous. The monitor ordered us to spread our legs with our feet in the water basin, and almost immediately a swarm of tiny fish darted towards our feet, hungry for our old skin cells.

I am quite ticklish and it was not easy at first to not scream out in surprise, yet it was not unpleasant, and after a few minutes it was easy to relax and let the fish do what they apparently do best.

The tanks were separated by partitions but we were visible to all passers-by. Many stopped and wanted to take pictures, which I must admit was a little annoying after a while, but funny nonetheless. Aqua Bliss Spa, near the Urquinaona metro station offers private fish pedicures, if you do not feel like being on display.

After treatment, our feet were indeed, as promised, completely soft and tender - we will definitely go back to a fish pedicure.

I headed back home to my apartment in the center of Barcelona, and my feet were happy. 

I have already mentioned my endless quest for the perfect ensaladilla rusa: here is that story.
Four score and seven years ago, I landed in Spain, fully ready for my new adventure. It was not my first time in the Iberian peninsula, but it was my first time away from home, about to live without my parents. I headed for my apartment in Valencia, where I met my three roommates, two Spaniards and a Cuban man, who took me directly to a tapas bar on the Valencia beach. I ordered an Ensaladilla Rusa - that's where it all started.

A history of the ensaladilla rusa.

The ensaladilla rusa is in fact Russian, as its name indicates it. Invented in 1860 by Lucien Olivier, a respected cook in a fancy Muscovite restaurant, the original dish became one of the most popular salads in Russia in only a couple of months - and yet its creator swore the recipe to secrecy, no matter how much the Russian leaders begged and pleaded.

His assistant, on the other hand, tried with all his might to recreate the secret recipe, and succeeded in selling a very similar version to a competing Muscovite restaurant. Although the public as well as the creator admits that it is not a succulent as the original version from Olivier, who still refused to oblige, this second version spread across Europe nonetheless, becoming extremely popular. The original recipe unfortunately died with the permanent closure of Olivier's restaurant in 1905, but the second version of the Ensaladilla Rusa had had time to become iconic in many European countries.

The first version of the Russian Salad, Olivier Salad or Ensaladilla Rusa called for precious, elegant ingredient, but as it becomes more and more popular among less fancy countries the ingredients become more common - the recipe ended up becoming a cheap and easy-to-made dish, traditional in many countries, each one adapting it to its customs and tastes. As such, it is sometime prepared with chicken, other times with ground beef, however the local customer prefers his salad.

The Spanish tapa called the Ensaladilla Rusa bores no meat:

Ensaladilla Rusa Recipe :

• 7 medium potatoes
• 2 roasted red peppers (bottled is fine)
• 1 16 oz can of peas and carrots, drained
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 6 oz can tuna, drained
• mayonnaise - For home-made, see recipe link below.
• Optional:
• 4-5 spears white asparagus for garnish

Click here for the complete recipe of the ensaladilla rusa

Where can I eat an Ensaladilla Rusa in Barcelona?

Since I started renting an apartment in the center of Barcelona, I have actively searched a great place to eat an ensaladilla rusa. Here is my selection of the best ensaladilla rusas in Barcelona:

Bar Alastruey

It is a calm bar in the heart of the city, on a pedestrian street, hidden away, perfect for a nice relaxing tapas afternoon with friends.

Carrer dels Mercaders, 24
08003 Barcelona, Spain

La Pineda

This tapas bar is almost 100 years old, and every piece on the menu is a real treat, prepared with love just a few hours prior. The authentic catalan bar, waiting for you.

Carrer del Pi, 16
08002 Barcelona, Spain