Plaza Mayor

One of the most breathtaking sights Salamanca has to offer is undoubtedly the Plaza Mayor, it's a must see for anyone visiting Salamanca, and is incredible both by day and by night. I thought I would write a little bit about the history of the square and about its uses in the modern day.

The construction of the Plaza Mayor was ordered by king Filipe V and began in 1729. The square was designed by the Churriguera family, famous for their baroque style architecture which can be seen in many cities throughout spain,  and was first overseen by Alberto Churriguera between 1729-35. Then with the second phase of building came Alberto's nephew Manuel de Larra between 1750-1755. The City Hall was also added in 1755 by Andrés Garcia de Quiñones. Similar to many buildings in Salamanca, the square was built in sandstone. Due to this Salamanca has been nicknamed 'the golden city' due to the golden hue many of the buildings give off when hit by the sunlight, and when lit up by the nigh time lights.

The Plaza is an irregular square, designed this way on purpose out of respect for the church of San Martín. None of its facades have the same height, though each side has three floors aside from the main facade. The Plaza has six entrances leading off to different streets in the city, and has a clock tower on the main facade which in the original design was supposed to have two towers either side of it. However due to fears that the building would not support the weight of these towers the plans were shelved. The city hall is also located within this main facade, and on its face you can see medallions of famous Spanish people, such as Charles I, Cervantes and St. Teresa.  Surrounding the plaza are some 88 arches and more than 200 balconies, which are now home to hotels and private residences.

The Plaza was originally used for bullfighting, and continued to host bullfights for a 100 years after the plaza was built before the more popular circular bullrings came to Spain. It has been a meeting place for people of the city for many years, and when the city's commerce was based around the trade of farm animals and produce people used to meet in the Plaza to sell their goods. Nowadays the Plaza is still a very popular meeting place for people of Salamanca. It is lined with cafés, bars, restaurants and shops and often hosts live concerts. One café that is worth a visit is the 'Café Novelty' as it has been in the same place in the Plaza Mayor for over 100 years and has some of the best ice creams in the city on offer! From the 8th to the 15th of September Salamanca holds one of its biggest festivals of the year, and during this time you can find live music, theatre acts and craft stalls filling the Plaza with people for the whole week.

So if you do come to Salamanca, make sure you come to take a look at the Plaza Mayor, why not sit and enjoy an ice cream during the day watching the world go by, or come and have a drink and sit outside at one of the many bars there, you might even catch some live music if you're lucky!

Activities 25/08/14-31/08/14

We have another programme filled with great activities for you to enjoy this week. Come and learn about and enjoy some of the city's history at the beautiful gardens of Calixto and Melibea. Come and watch a Spanish film with us on Tuesday, a great way to practice listening skills outside the classroom. We also have some cultural events, with a 'croquetas' cooking class and a Latin dance class. Come and relax with us in one of the city's parks on Friday afternoon, or come with us to Madrid on Saturday for our excursion.

Monday 25th: Gardens of Calixto and Melibea. We will go to visit the cathedral gardens of Calixto and Melibea to find out about its romantic history and the great views it has to offer. Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:45. Approximate duration 45 mins.

Tuesday 26th: Cinema. 'La Gran Familia Española' (Family United)-Spanish comedy from director Daniel Sánchez Arávalo-2013. During the final of the world cup in South Africa there is a wedding. This same day, while the Spanish team freezes, a family with five children with biblical names (Adán, Benjamín, Caleb, Daniel y Efraín) also face the biggest game of their life. Meeting place: Tía Tula 19:30 (we will take you up the 'Van Dyck Cinema' to watch the film). Approximate film time: 113 min.

Wednesday 27th: Cooking class. We are going to learn how to make the popular tapas dish 'croquetas', and afterwards we will try what we have made! Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:45. Approximate duration 1h.

Thursday 28th: Dance class. We are going to learn the first steps of the Latin dance together. It is important to let the receptionist know before Tuesday at 14:00 if you are interested in this activity. Meeting place: Tía Tula 19:30. Approximate duration 1h.

Friday 29th: Games in the park. We will pass the afternoon in the fresh air in one of the city's best parks playing different games between us with Spanish cards. Meeting place: Tía Tula. Approximate duration 1h30.

Saturday 30th: Excursion. This weekend we will be taking you to Madrid for the day. For more information about price and meeting place please contact reception. It is important to let the receptionist know before Wednesday at 14:00 if you are interested in this activity.

*Note: Please contact reception for information about prices for any of the activities. If you are interested in any of the activities, it is helpful if you contact the reception to let them know beforehand. Minimum 3 people for each activity unless otherwise stated.

Hornazo de Salamanca

Coming from the north of England I am a big fan of all things to do with pastry. Pies, pasties, sausage rolls, the lot. Coming to Salamanca for the summer I wasn't expecting to find many good places to get my pastry fix (there isn't a Greggs on every other corner as in England!) However was pleasantly surprised to discover 'Hornazos', Salamanca's version of a pasty. Hornazo to Salamanca is what Cornish pasties are to Cornwall. You can find pastry shops all over the city selling both hornazos and empanadas (another type of Spanish filled pastry). Traditionally hornazo contains pork loin, spicy chorizo sausage and hard boiled eggs, but you can now find many different versions, such as ham and cheese, tuna and smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Hornazo is traditionally eaten in Salamanca on Easter Monday, or 'Lunes de Aguas' (Monday of the waters). The name of this festival supposedly comes from a twisting of the word 'enagua', meaning petticoat, which is historically what the prostitutes used to wear under their dresses. The story goes that during lent the prostitutes of the town were sent to the other side of the Tormes river, so as not to temp or distract the men of the city during the religious festivities. On the 'Monday of the waters', the students of the town threw a party on the banks of the river to welcome back the women, and cooked and ate hornazo as part of the celebrations.

Nowadays you can buy hornazo all over the city, and other parts of Spain have their own variations of the dish as well. Here is a recipe so you can try and make the traditional pie at home!

Ingredients:

•  200 ml olive oil
• 150ml white wine
• 100ml water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 eggs
• 40-42g of fresh baker's yeast (or 3 packets of dry baker's yeast)
• 900g bread flour
• Filling (the proportions of which you can alter to your taste preferences):
• Boiled egg
• Jamón serrano
• Pork loin steaks or saddle
• Chorizo

Method:

• In a bowl lightly heat the water and slowly crumble in the yeast until smooth.
• In another bowl mix the oil, wine, salt and the sugar. Add the water and yeast mix. If using dry yeast  mix with the flour.
• Add the lightly beaten eggs and continue to mix.
• Add half the flour and mix. Add the remaining flour saving a little. Form a ball with the dough and add the rest of the flour as needed if the dough sticks to your fingers.
• Knead for about 10 minutes on a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into two parts. Put half in a greased bowl and cover with cling film and leave to stand for around 30 minutes or until the mixture has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Roll out half of the dough with a rolling pin and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Add the filling on top in layers, first the chorizo, then the jamón, on top the pork loin which you need to lightly sear in a frying pan, and finally the sliced boiled eggs.
• Cover this with the other part of the dough, rolled out into a flat surface. Trim any excess dough and pinch seal the edges. Use any excess dough for decoration.
• Cut a small hole in the centre of the pastry to allow any vapour to escape and brush the top with beaten eggs.
• Bake for 30 minutes until golden and repaint the top with the left over beaten eggs as soon as you take it out of the oven to make it shiny.
• Leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Enjoy!

If you do come to Salamanca, why not give this local dish a try? Many places sell pieces cut to size, or if you like you can buy a large one for a group of people. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I do!

The Frog of Salamanca

When walking through Salamanca, one of the things I noticed was the abundance of frog paraphernalia, key rings, t-shirts, mugs, pretty much every tourist thing you could think of! The frog is the symbol of Salamanca and is said to be good luck. I thought I'd give you a brief overview of the story behind the frog and why it's supposed to bring you luck.

The famous frog of Salamanca can be found on the main university building's most famous architectural piece 'La Puerta de Salamanca'. The University's facade is a plateresque design (a type of intricate stonework seen on many of the famous buildings of Salamanca) containing many highly decorative stone carvings. The facade was an addition to the university in 1592 by the Catholic Kings, though the building itself was built in 1134, making it one of the oldest universities in the world.

You can find the frog sat atop a scull carved into the facade, and there are a few different theories as to why it's there. One such theory is directly linked to the university. This story says that the students studying at university had to try and find the tiny frog amongst the carvings on the facade, and if they managed this without help they would pass their exams and have good luck.

An alternative story gives a slightly darker meaning, saying that the frog is a symbol of sexual temptation and the skull a symbol of failure or death. A toad was often used in Spanish history as a symbol for prostitutes and sexual temptation, and some argue that the frog is actually meant to be a toad. According to the legend the frog on the skull was there to warn the students to be aware of women, as they may distract them, thus not focusing on their studies. There used to be a high volume of prostitutes in Salamanca due to the large university filled with young men, some of whom carried diseases that could be fatal, thus the image of the scull a as a reminder of death.

Though this has been the legend for many years, recent studies have offered a different story behind the famous frog. Historian Benjamin Garcí-Hernández argues that the scull represents Prince Juan, a son of the Catholic Kings, who died in 1497 before reaching 20. The frog is said to represent his physician Doctor Parra, who tried as hard as possible to save the prince but without success. This is why the frog has been given the nickname 'Parrita' (Little Parra) as a symbol for the doctor.

Regardless of the story the facade is a very impressive piece of art, maybe you can come and search out the frog for yourself in Salamanca, and hopefully it will bring you good luck in your studies!

Activities 18/08/14-24/08/14

This week we have lots of activities going on with Tía Tula. Come for a guided tour of the city to learn more about its history on Monday, or visit the Cave of Salamanca on Wednesday to learn the legend behind it. Fill your belly with great Spanish food with our cooking class and tapas tour. Once again at the weekend you have two different opportunities to travel, with a trip to Leon on Saturday and a trip to relax and enjoy the beach in Aveiro, Portugal on Sunday. Which activities will you go to this week!?

Monday 18th: Guided tour. A member of staff from the school will take you around the city telling some of the stories and history of the most important monuments of the city. Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:50. Approximate duration 1h.

Tuesday 19th: Cooking class. We are going to learn how to cook the famous Spanish tortilla, alongside another tapas dish, then we will eat what we have made afterwards! Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:45. Approximate duration 1h.

Wednesday 20th: The cave of Salamanca. We will go to discover the Cave of Salamanca and it's mysterious legend. Meeting place: Tía Tula. Approximate duration 40 min.

Thursday 21st:  Dance class. We will go to learn the first steps of the Latin dance. It is important to let the receptionist know before Tuesday at 14:00 if you are interested. Meeting place: Tía Tula, 19:30. Approximate duration 1h. Minimum 8 students needed.

Friday 22nd: Tapas tour. We will go to some of the best bars in the centre of Salamanca to try some of their local tapas specialities. Meeting place: Tía Tula, 19:30. Approximate duration 1h30.

Saturday 23rd: Excursion. We will be going to the beautiful town of Astorga in Leon for the day. It is important to let the receptionist know before Wednesday at 14:00 if you are interested. For more information about prices contact reception. Leaving at 8.00 am.

Sunday 24th: Excursion. We will be taking you to Portugal to spend a day relaxing on the beaches of Aveiro. It is important to let the receptionist know before Wednesday at 14:00 if you are interested. For more information about prices contact reception. Leaving at 8.00 am.

*Note: Please contact reception for information about prices for any of the activities. If you are interested in any of the activities, it is helpful if you contact the reception to let them know beforehand. Minimum 3 people for each activity unless otherwise stated.

Gin Tonic

After my post last week about sangria, I thought I'd keep with the drink theme, moving on to something slightly classier that has recently become hugely popular in Spain, the gin and tonic, or 'gin tonic'.

Gin and tonic has historically been a British drink, created by the army of the British East India Company in the early 19th century. In the 1700's it was discovered that quinine (the base of tonic) could be used both as a prevention and a cure for malaria. Each British soldier had a ration of gin as part of their daily rations, so gin and tonic was a natural progression due to the dangers of the disease faced by many of the soldiers. The first 'gin and tonics'  were a mix of water, sugar, lime and gin mixed with the quinine to dilute it's very bitter taste. Nowadays quinine is no longer used as an anti-malaria treatment, and the tonic water today contains far less quinine and is often sweetened to deter the bitter taste.  

Though many people view gin and tonic as a British drink, which it undoubtedly still is, it's popularity has soared in the last few years in Spain, so much so that Spain is now the biggest gin consumer per head of population in the world, with demand growing on average 18% each year for the last five years.

A British gin and tonic is usually served in a small thin glass with a slice of lemon or lime and a couple of cubes of ice. You get the choice of one, maybe two gins if you're lucky and slim line or regular tonic. In Spain however, many bars now stock a wide variety of gins and tonics, and are garnished with a wide range of fruit, herbs and spices. When working in the Pyrenees over the winter, the bartender at my hotel made the best gin and tonics I have ever seen or tasted. Here's a step by step method to make one:

1.  Put between 7 and 10 cubes of ice in a 'copa de balon', or a balloon glass. These glasses seem like fish bowls compared to the tall thin ones you find in England, and are often bigger and wider than a red wine glass.

2. Swirl the ice in the glass to cool the glass down, a good gin and tonic needs to be cold!

3. Squeeze some juice from a lemon, orange or lime (or a mixture if the three) into the glass.

4. Add the botanicals and a bit of sugar. Many different botanicals are used to compliment the ingredients used in gin production, though José uses lavender, star anise, cardamom pods, juniper berries and some scrapings of raw liquorice.

5. Add a swirl or two of the peel of whichever fruit you have used the juice from. There are special tools to create a thin spiral of peel, though a potato peeler will do the job just fine. The peel of fruit actually contains the most flavour, which is why you won't see a slice of lemon in many gin and tonics across Spain.

6.  Rub some of the raw liquorice and fruit peel around the rim of the glass to flavour it.

7. Add the gin, a double shot at least. I have been told that the best gin and tonics have a ratio of 1:2 gin to tonic. Adding the gin first gives it a chance to mix with the juice, sugar and botanicals to bring out the flavours of it.

8. Add the tonic. Even this was done differently, rather than opening the bottle, he pierced the lid with a knife, shaking the tonic into the glass to fizz it up, again this was to bring out and fully mix all the flavours of the drink.

9. Enjoy!

Naturally this is a very extravagant version of the drink, and you can still make a great gin and tonic with the four basic ingredients, gin, tonic, ice and citrus. Due to the popularity of the drink in Spain it is now possible to find gin botanical sets in supermarkets and shops, containing a selection of the ingredients and spices needed to make yourself a special gin and tonic. As well as the aforementioned ingredients, I have also seen pink peppercorns, cucumber and strawberries used in a gin and tonic, and I'm sure there are many other combinations used across Spain.

Today you can find many specific gin and tonic bars across Spain, especially in the big cities. These bars often have over 30 different types of gin, such as the British Beefeater, Gordans or London No.1, the French G'Vine, or the Spanish Tanqueray or Larios gins. Many also stock up to 5 or 6 different types of tonic from brands such as Schweppes, Fentimans or the very natural Fever Tree.

You can get a gin and tonic in pretty much every bar in Spain, ranging in price from around €5 to up past €20. The best gin and tonics in Salamanca I have tried so far are from a bar called 'Hernández y Fernández', set in a small square with outside seating, they have a wide variety of gins to choose from and create a refreshing smooth drink.

So next time you go for a drink and fancy something a bit different to wine or beer, give a gin and tonic a try, and hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised!

Activities 11/08/14-17/08/14

We have another great timetable of activities planned for you this week. Come and soak up some Spanish culture with a trip to see a Spanish film on Tuesday or a paella and tapas cooking class on Wednesday. Enjoy one of the best views of Salamanca from the top of the clergy tower on Monday, or come and sample some of the local tapas delicacies in some of the best bars in the centre of the city on Thursday. We are making use of the national holiday this Friday by offering you an excursion to visit three cities of Portugal on a two night trip, as well as a trip to France on Saturday and the chance to relax on the beaches of Portugal on Sunday. Plenty to keep you busy this week!

Monday 11th: Cathedral Visit. We will visit the 'Scala Coeli', going up the tower of the cathedral to enjoy the great views it offers over the city from above. Meeting place: Tía Tula, 18:45. Approximate duration 45min.

Tuesday 12th: Cinema. We will take you to see the Spanish film '3 Bodas Más' (Three Many Weddings) at a local cinema. Ruth, a young researcher in a university, attends the weddings of her ex-boyfriends who were the 'men of her life' at one stage, but without finding the soul mate she is looking for. Is there something bad about your ex getting married and inviting you to the wedding? Yes, if it happens to you three times in a month, and you don't know how to say no, and if the only person who is persuading you to go is the new man in your life. Meeting place: Tía Tula 19:45 (we will take you to the cinema). Duration of the film, 94min.

Wednesday 13th: Cooking class. We will go to learn how to make the famous Spanish dish Paella and one other tapas dish, and afterwards we will eat what we have made. Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:45. Approximate duration 1h.

Thursday 14th: Tapas tour. We will go to 2 or 3 of the best tapas bars in the centre of the city to try some of the typical Salamancan tapas on offer. Meeting place: Tía Tula 19:30. Approximate duration, 1h30.

Friday 15th: Excursion. We will be running a trip to Portugal visiting the cities of Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais. The trip includes 2 nights in a hotel and breakfast each morning. For more information contact reception. It is important to let the secretary know if you are interested by Wednesday 13th at 14:00.

Saturday 16th:  Excursion. We will be taking you to the French Sierra to experience some of the culture there for the day. For more information contact reception. It is important to let the secretary know if you are interested by Wednesday 13th at 14:00.

Sunday 17th: Excursion. We will be taking you to the city of Aveiro in Portugal to enjoy a day relaxing on the beach. For more information contact reception. It is important to let the secretary know if you are interested by Wednesday 13th at 14:00.

*Note: Please contact reception for information about prices for any of the activities. If you are interested in any of the activities, it is helpful if you contact the reception to let them know beforehand. Minimum 3 people for each activity unless otherwise stated.

Sangria

One of the most famous Spanish drinks is Sangria, and you can find it in pretty much any bar you go into in Spain. The word 'sangria' comes from the word 'sangre', meaning blood due to the dark red colour of the drink.

The history of sangria is quite a simple one. As the Romans were extending their empire through the Iberian Peninsula over 2000 years ago, they planted vineyards along the way. Due to the unsafe drinking water at the time it was common practice to fortify it with alcohol to make it ok to drink and kill off any bacteria. The first Sangrias are thought to have been a heavily watered down mix of water, wine, herbs and spices.

Modern day sangria is more of a wine/fruit punch. Usually made with a mixture if different fruits, wine and spirits. However there is no standard recipe for sangria in Spain, and you can find many different varieties of the drink, including versions with white wine or cava! Other popular variations of the drink include 'tinto de verano' (red wine, ice and lemonade or sweetened tonic water) and coming from the Basque region of Spain 'calimocho' or 'kalimotxo', which is basically a mixture of red wine and cola (it tastes a lot better than it sounds!)

Sangria is really easy to make, and a great addition to a party. Here is a simple recipe that I used a couple of weekends ago for a party:

Ingredients:

•        Fruit: I used apple, orange, peach and pineapple, but pretty much any fruit will do!
•     Red Wine: We had a lot of people coming over, so brought 3 litres of red wine, you can alter the amounts of everything depending on the size of the sangria you want to make. The better quality the wine, the better quality the sangria, and the better your head will fell the day after.
•          Soda water: use to dilute the drink a little and give it a bit of fizz.
•         Sugar: many people use sugar to sweeten the drink a little, again this can be done to personal taste, I also heard that the more sugar you use, the more the alcohol affects you, and the worse the hangover is the next day! As an alternative to sugar you can use lemonade or fanta in place of the soda water.
•      Spirits: I used brandy and liquor 43, however a splash of most types of spirit will help to give your sangria a little bit of an extra kick! Common spirits used are rum, triple sec and brandy, or a combination of different ones!

Method:

•          Cut the fruit into small to medium sized pieces and place in a bowl
•          add the wine, spirits and sugar to the bowl and stir the mixture together (use as much or as little spirit as you like)
•          leave in the fridge for 24 hours for the flavours of the fruit to mix with the alcohol and wine
•          before serving, add ice and the soda water
•          enjoy!

There are now many different versions of sangria across Spain, and even the world. Have a look here  for some recipe ideas such as white wine peach sangria and watermelon sangria. I hope you enjoy your sangria experience and make a great summer drink!

Activities 04/08/14 - 10/08/14

Come for a fun tour of the city with us this week on Monday, or come and learn about the evolution of  the motorcar with us on Tuesday. For a piece of Spanish culture, we have a gazpacho and tapas cooking class and Latin dance classes on Wednesday and Thursday. Come with us to Segovia and Ávila with our excursion on Saturday, or if you fancy a break from Spaish culture come with us to Portugal for the weekend on Saturday to see the cities of Aveiro and Porto.  

Monday 4th: City tour. We will be shown around the city by a Salamancan local, telling us some of the city's famous history whilst playing some fun games along the way! Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:45, approximate duration 1h30.

Tuesday 5th: Automobile museum:  We are going to take a look at and learn about some antique cars in the Salamanca car museum. The museum hosts a permanent exhibition containing more than 90 different vehicles with which you can follow the evolution of the car from the first attempts at powered transport in 1BC, to the modern day, and even into the future with the help of prototypes. Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:30, approximate duration 1h.

Wednesday 6th: Cooking class: Gazpacho + 2 tapas. We are going to learn how to make the famous Spanish dish gazpacho as well as two different tapas to go with it, then afterwards we will eat what we have made! Meeting place: Tía Tula 18:45, approximate duration 1h.

Thursday 7th: Dance Class: We will go to practice some famous Latin dance moves in preparation for the bars and clubs this weekend! Meeting place: Tía Tula 20:00. Approximate duration 1h.

Friday 8th: Micro Theatre: In the 'Malhablada' space we will go and see a short play in Spanish. Meeting place: Tía Tula 19:15, approximate duration 30min.

Saturday 9th: Excursion: This Saturday we will be going to visit the beautiful cities of Segovia and Ávila. Meeting place: Plaza Gabriel y Galán, 08:00am. For more information please ask at reception.

Sunday 10th: Excursion: This weekend we will be going to the Portuguese cities of Aveiro and Oporto, leaving Saturday and returning Sunday with one night in a hotel with bed and breakfast and a tourist guide. Meeting place: Plaza Gabriel y Galán, 07:30am. For more information please ask at reception.

*Note: Please contact reception for information about prices for any of the activities. If you are interested in any of the activities, it is helpful if you contact the reception to let them know. Minimum 3 people for each activity unless otherwise stated.