Sidetracked! Museu de la Xocolata, Barcelona
April 8th, 2009 | by Rebecca Tompkins 9 comments
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side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
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Who: 
Me, my husband, and our chocoholic kids.
What and Where:
Museu de la Xocolata (the Chocolate Museum), Barcelona.
Why:
This is what happens to family travel when your children get old enough to read the guidebook themselves.
The High Point:
Missed La Sagrada Familia? No problem — you can see it in all its chocolate-replicated glory here at the museum. No time to hit Barcelona’s Picasso museum? No worries — you can find chocolate replicas of his work here, too. As odd as that all sounds, the handiwork and artistry on display is truly remarkable. The museum’s chocolate sculptures are whimsical and fun and surprisingly impressive (although I hasten to add that they don’t actually supplant the need to see the real stuff).
The Low Point:
If I were running a museum, I might opt not to hand out chocolate bars to small children as they enter the museum. I might pause to think about the sticky fingers factor and the sugar high factor and then decide that it would be wiser to hand out the free candy as visitors depart. But… that’s just me.
The Kids’ Take:
I mentioned the free chocolate already, right? My kids were fairly entertained by the museum’s elaborate chocolate sculptures and only a little bored by the exhibit about the history of chocolate. But it was the regular old candy bars that they received along with our tickets for entry which held them the most in thrall.
The Bottom Line:
Given my minimal expectations for this particular outing, our Museu de la Xocolata visit was actually surprisingly fun. Yes, we could probably have stopped off at the corner store and purchased a couple of Cadbury bars and our kids would have been equally overjoyed. But people, I got to see shoes made out of chocolate. If that’s not art, I just don’t know what is.
Recent posts by this author
Jamie Pearson on April 8th, 2009
I imagine museums in general would be a much bigger hit with kids if they issued candy bars at the door. Great post!
Tamara Rice on April 9th, 2009
Candy bars at the door of a museum. What would happen if the Louvre tried it? I shudder. Very funny.
Easter Peeps Pictures, Candy Shops and Chocolate Museum | Venere Travel Blog on April 10th, 2009
[...] a family holiday in Barcelona, Spain? Travel Savvy Mom recommends a visit to the children-friendly Museu de la Xocolata, the city’s Chocolate [...]
Carolina on April 10th, 2009
Here’s another post of “Sidetracked” where I’m on the side of the kids. I would probably go to this, even without the encouragement of my kid. Wait, do they hand out candy bars to the adults too?
wandermom on April 10th, 2009
rofl laughing at this one – will definitely try to visit it if I’m in Barcelona with kids (my kids, any kids) again.
marina k. villatoro on April 10th, 2009
ohmygod, my son and husband would be sooooooooo all over this musuem. they are both chocolate freaks. complete and total. I’m not a big lover, but i love to watch them drool:)
The Travel Expert(a) and an Expat with a Twist
Lorraine Akemann on April 10th, 2009
Classic comment about what happens to travel when children get old enough to read the guidebook themselves! Fun post!
Mara on April 13th, 2009
I just wrote a post about Barcelona and can’t believe I missed this! I think that *every* museum should give you a chocolate bar at entry.
Juan Millalonco on July 1st, 2009
Just wanted to say great job with the blog, today is my first visit here and I’ve enjoyed reading your posts so far :)
Juan
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