Finding a home abroad

Here's the big secret to staying in Barcelona: apartments!  For about the same cost as a hotel room you can get a bedroom, small sitting/living room, kitchen, bathroom, and an all-in-one clothes washer.  My experiences in Rome on a prior study abroad trip left me with the notion that you really can't experience a place unless you not only visit local restaurants, but also visit local markets and cook your own food.  In Italian markets (not the same as mercado grocery stores) it was frowned upon to touch the food yourself.  The only way to buy a peach was if the matron picked it out for me.  Since she was responsible for ensuring a repeat visit, there was an incentive for her to make sure I got the best of what was there-- since I'm totally clueless about exactly how ripe a melon needs to be, leaving it to the expert gave me better food than I would have picked out myself.  I have no clue how things work in Spain, but I look forward to seeing how their markets operate and bringing back piles of unusual foodstuffs to fry up in my apartment kitchen.