A Taste of Salamanca

With medieval fairytale streets, numerous cultural offerings, and abundant nightlife, Salamanca provides a rich blend of old and new. The University of Salamanca, founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX, is the oldest in Spain and draws students from all over the world. It is easy to get around on foot; there are also buses, and taxis are very affordable. Salamanca is around 2 hours from Madrid by train, and a good leaping-off point for visiting nearby Avila, Segovia, or Portugal.

Salamanca is an ideal place to study Spanish; it is the capital of Castile and León, the region where the original castellano developed. The local accent is easier to understand than other accents in Spain (for example, the Andalusian accent). 

Tía Tula Spanish School is right in the heart of the city, with small classes and years of experience teaching foreign students. The teachers are professional and friendly, there are a number of levels to suit students´ needs, and the school arranges a variety of living accommodations, as well as activities and trips.

If it´s your first time in Salamanca, I would recommend visiting the university, as well as the Catedral Vieja (Old Cathedral), Plaza Mayor, Casa de las Conchas (House of the Seashells), and the Puente Romano (Roman bridge). These landmarks, with their enchanting architecture, will give you a sense of the city´s ancient feel.

After you´ve walked around, you might be tired and ready for a bite to eat. Spaniards take siesta time seriously. Shops normally close between 2pm and 5pm, during which people eat lunch and take a break from the day. I highly suggest trying tapas, which are small appetizers that allow you to try different kinds of food without feeling overly stuffed. Typical examples include patatas bravas or croquetas. 

In terms of weather, Salamanca can be very cold in winter and extremely hot in summer, so be sure to bring proper clothing. That said, if you forgot something at home, check out the weekly Sunday flea market, called El Rastro (located at the local fairgrounds), where you can find a variety of low-cost items.

These are the things I experienced my first time in Salamanca, and I liked it so much that I came back again! I hope to get to know the city better this time, and to discover even more of its delightful secrets, which are waiting if you keep your eyes open.

By Emily, student in Spring 2016

Pinchos and Tapas: the Spanish taste

Spanish people love going to tapear, one of the most common activity in Spain and well known all over the world. Just for few euros you can have tapas or pinchos, little portions served with a caña of beer or a glass of wine.

Their name originated from a curious custom. Tapas are so named because they used to literally plug (spanish: tapar) glasses of beer or wine with a piece of bread and a slice of ham. In this way they avoided that dust or flies dropped in the glasses. While pinchos are so named because they are served thrusted (spanish: pinchados) by a stick and are very common in the north of Spain.

But where can we taste some of these little but precious dishes in Salamanca? Follow this short guide to know 5 places to eat well and save money ;)

Getting started from the centre, you can really eat in Plaza Mayor at Café Real, where you can have the Salamanca typical tapas without spend a fortune.

One of the cheapest place is 100 Montaditos, in Calle Concejo nearby Plaza Mayor. On mondays there is a special offer so that you can have everything you want just for 0,50€.

Tiempo de Vinos, in Calle Doctrinos, a short step from Calle Compañia, deserve you stop off here in order to sip an excellent wine combined with tradicional tapas and jamón serrano, a typical kind of Spanish ham. So good!

Turning a corner in Rúa Mayor you can go to Tapas 2.0, whose name says everything. Here tradition and modernity are combined in a successful way. Maybe less cheap than other places in this list, but you should really try it for the quality of its dishes and their original look. 

Lizarran, in Gran Vía, is known for its unusual style. You just have to take a drink and then get something from a variety of just done tapas and pinchos which waiters bring from the kitchen. Then you pay just depending on how many sticks you collected and their dimensions, so you eat whatever you want with a fixed price.

And if you don't still have enough to eat and want to try something good, the Van Dyck area is what you are looking for.

¡Que aproveche!

Ester - student at Tía Tula

Activities 9.3.2015 - 14.3.2015

Spring is around the corner and you can already feel it. Enjoy the nice weather and keep practising your Spanish outside the classroom with our fun activities:

Monday 9, 6:00 pm: Monument – Come enjoy the spectacular views from the towers of La Clerecía – Scala Coeli . Approximate duration: 40 min.

Tuesday 10, 7:45 pm: Language exchange – By popular request, the language exchange is back. The perfect opportunity to meet people and improve your Spanish speaking skills. Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min

Wednesday 11, 7:30 pm: Cookery class – Do you want to surprise your friends a family with a delicious paella once you are back home? Well, the first step is to learn with a Spanish teacher ;-) Approximate duration: 1 h.

Thursday 12, 5:50 pm: Workshop: celebrations and music in Salamanca – By the always joyful Carmen, one of our teachers. Approximate duration: 1 h 15 min.

Friday 13, 7:45 pm: Tapas tour – Taste mouth-watering tapas in some of the best bars of the city centre. Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min.

Saturday 14: Excursions – Several destinations available. Further information at the reception desk. 

Please don't forget that you need to sign up for each activity at the reception desk (to reserve your place, the minimum number of participants required is usually three). Also, unless stated otherwise, the meeting point is always the same, Tía Tula school. Lastly, if there's no price mentioned with the activity, it means it is for free.

And don't hesitate to participate in as many activities as you can; they are designed not just for you to have fun (that is guaranteed) but also to improve your knowledge of Salamanca and Spanish culture, and to put into practice the Spanish you learn in class.

The Almond Tree Blossom Festival, what an spectacle

Next Suday, March 1st, the Almond Tree Blossom Festival will be celebrated In La Fregeneda, in the Arribes del Duero nature park, in Salamanca. The town is located 524 metres above sea level, which prevents temperatures from being extremely low throughout the year. As a result, vegetation in the area is totally different from the wheat and holm oak landscapes that we are used to see in the region and that Miguel de Unamuno described so well.

Pareja de alumnos de español de Tía Tula en La Fregeneda

The Almond Tree Blossom Festival is a traditional festivity celebrated late February - early March. The bond between Castilian and Portuguese people can be felt in this celebration. They used to cross countries via a railroad which, despite not being operative anymore, is a very popular hiking trail these days. 

The festival celebrates the short period of blossom of this kind of tree, which also announces the arrival of spring. Among other things, an almond tree is symbolically planted and literary and photographic festivals are announced. Also, in Barca de Alba, a very lively street market is held and livened up by regional dances. A perfect day in the countryside surrounded by the breathtaking beauty  of the pinky-white flowers of the almond tree.

We didn’t want to miss this celebration at Tía Tula, so we have organised a trip there. Check it out on this week’s activities post.

* The almond tree flowers close-ups were taken by our colleague Macarena López.

University New Year's Eve

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

La Nochevieja Universitaria (something like a student’s New Year’s Eve) is one of the most ‘important’ events of the academic year although it doesn't have many things in common with studying and a lot more to do with enjoying the student life itself. It has a ‘long standing’ tradition (this year is its 10^th anniversary) and became an event not only for the students in Salamanca but also for the students from the whole of Spain and even other countries.

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

It started in 1999 when around a dozen of students gathered in Plaza Mayor to celebrate the end of the year with their classmates and flatmates before they all headed to their respective homes to spend the holidays with their families. The following year they did it again but with more people since the word spread and the ‘event’ kept growing. Since it was becoming a ‘large’ phenomenon, in 2004 an event management company took over the event and from then onwards it keeps gaining popularity. In 2013, almost 45,000 people attended the event and the whole show made it to the national news. This year La Nochevieja Universitaria takes place on December 11^th and even more students are expected to arrive.

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

The show (live music, visual show, etc.) at Plaza Mayor is open to everyone, however, people can buy tickets for ‘pub crawls’, VIP back stage access, special ‘La Nochevieja Universitaria package’ including ‘gominolas’ (gummies), Santa hats and other accessories needed to make it a special and unforgettable night. The ‘gominolas’ are tied to the Spanish NYE tradition of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight for good luck in the New Year. However, in 1999 the students didn't have grapes and thus they ate 12 gummy bears. Since then the tradition has evolved and now you can even buy gummies that look and taste like grapes but are in fact made out of jelly thus bridging the traditional NYE with the student one. 

What is definitely worth mentioning is the amazing 3D light show that took place last year. This visual spectacle raised certain questions since it was sponsored by a brand of rum and some people were asking whether it was appropriate. However, rum or no rum, it was seriously cool (as you will see for yourself in the video at the end of the post) and I would have definitely liked to see it live.

Photo retracted from http://www.nocheviejauniversitaria.com/historia-nochevieja

Lot of students will also stay in Salamanca overnight or even for the weekend since accommodation can also be included in the 'package'. Therefore, it goes without saying that this event is also economically significant to the hospitality sector which is highly important for Salamanca as well as the municipality itself. In 2011 only the consumptions related directly to La Nochevieja Universitaria reached a revenue of 150,000 euros. To ensure that everything runs smoothly the municipality strengthens the police presence as well as the intensity of the cleaning services.

So, as you can see, if you are in Salamanca on December 11, 2014 it is almost obligatory to attend La Nochevieja Universitaria. It might even be a good idea to invite your friends over and let them experience this unique event and its atmosphere. After all, it’s not every day you will see something like this…

The Film Festival is back!

If you like to the movies then this is good news for you! On October 27th, 28th and 29th (Monday-Wednesday) the tickets cost only €2,90 and one might ask: is there any good reason why you shouldn't go? You can watch a variety of films ranging from Spanish to Hollywood productions. And what's even better, all the movies are in Spanish which means that you can practice your listening and comprehension skills!

The film festival started in 2009 and is held biannually. The latest edition took place on March 31 - April 2 and was one of the most successful so far. Originally, the festival was proposed by various agencies related to the film industry to attract people back to the movie theaters. As we all know, this cultural activity has been severely affected by a large increase in piracy and ticket prices in Spain. Thus, in addition to having a good time at the movies, you can support the industry, which employs thousands of people in Spain.

To be able to attend the festival, you must register online at http://www.fiestadelcine.com/. Then, you will receive an email including a promotional code. Using the code you can buy your ticket either at the cinema or online.  When you go to see the movie do not forget to bring the promotional code together with your ID as you will need to show it before entering the theatre.

This is a list of theatres in Salamanca participating in the festival: 

Cinebox Vialia
Dirección: C.C. Vialia
Teléfono: +34 923 259 326
Web: cinebox.com

Cines Van Dyck 
Dirección: Paseo de Torres Villarroel, 40
Teléfono: +34 923 243 538 
Web: cinesvandyck.com

Cines Van Dyck Joven
Dirección: Paseo Torres Villarroel, 45 
Teléfono: +34 923 123 700
Web: cinesvandyck.com

Cines Van Dyck Tormes
Dirección: C.C, El Tormes, Santa Marta de Tormes
Teléfono: +34 923 131 329 
Web: cinesvandyck.com

And here are a few films we would like to bring to your attention:

EL NIÑO – thriller from the director Daniel Monzón (trailer here)

MAGICAL GIRL – tragicomedy from Carlos Vermut (trailer here)

LASA Y ZABALA – thriller from the director Pablo Malo (trailer here) 

TORRENTE 5 – comedy from the director Santiago Segura (trailer here)

LA ISLA MÍNIMA – drama, thriller from the director Alberto Rodríguez (trailer here)

RELATOS SALVAJES – Argentinian black comedy from Damián Szifrón (trailer here) 

Whether you want to see one movie or all, do not waste this opportunity to enjoy the Spanish and international cinema for a great price! 

Newbie to Salamanca

Hola! My name is Mária and I come from Slovakia. I’ve been asked to write a few articles for this awesome Tía Tula blog. First of all, I think I feel I should tell you a bit more about myself and so my first post will be about exactly that but don’t worry, I will keep it short. I am still less than a quarter of a century old and in my ‘relatively’ short life I’ve managed to live in Slovakia (big surprise), Thailand and The Netherlands and I’ve visited a few more, mostly across Europe. I love old but vibrant cities such as Prague and that is also one of the reasons why I chose Salamanca as a place to improve (or actually ‘start learning’) my Spanish. Before I arrived I could say ‘¡Hola!’ and now after a few days I can add a bit more to it so it became ‘¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?’. But more on my Spanish language skills later. People say I sound (almost) like an American when I speak English which is probably due to the unimaginable amount of hours I spent listening (and sometime watching) Friends and Two and a Half Men. 

As the title of this post suggests, I am a newbie to Salamanca. I’ve never been to Spain before so I was noticing everything (for example the nice scent of the toilets at Madrid airport – really nice, I am not being sarcastic here). Once I got to Salamanca’s bus station I took out my Google Maps printout and started walking to my apartment. Until I noticed I was supposed to go ‘southeast’ and I had no idea whether that was right or left. So I asked. In English. And I found out I was supposed to go left, in the direction of city centre. As soon as I saw Salamanca’s two Cathedrals (at that point I thought it was just one cathedral), I knew I am going to like it here. But when I saw the buildings in the city centre I fell in love. So once I managed to get my things to my room (which is 2 minutes from the 2 Cathedrals) I decided to get lost in Salamanca (some people prefer to use the word ‘wonder’ or ‘explore’, I say ‘lost’ because that’s how I usually start in a new town). Once I finished my ‘lost in Salamanca’ session I decided to meet up with a friend at McDonald’s at Plaza Mayor which is one of most stunning squares I’ve ever seen. I was surprised by the amount of people everywhere at such a ‘late’ hour. Now I laugh when I realize I thought 11pm is late. I guess I am getting used to the Spanish life style. I can’t say more about it now as I’ve just arrived but if you would like to know more about Salamanca, Spain and Spanish culture from my point of view please stay tuned for more stories! 

To sum it up, my name is Mária, and you will read more posts on this blog authored by…me. My first impressions of Salamanca are positive: it’s full of people, stars some beautiful old buildings, has an awesome garden with an amazing view of the Cathedrals, and there’s always something going on. As I told all my family and friends, you definitely have to come and visit! 

¡Hasta luego! 

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!

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!

Skateboarding in Salamanca

I have been skateboarding for many years in England and as I'm sure you all know, the weather in England is far from perfect, and living in a small rural town in the north of the country there aren't any skate parks within skating distance (the best I get is a smooth driveway/car park at our village hall) Therefore when I knew I would be coming to Salamanca to study and work here at Tía Tula language school I was really excited to explore what the city had to offer in terms of skate spots. I'm sure I still have a lot more to discover but will try and fill you in on my findings so far!

Naturally the first difference to skateboarding in Salamanca compared to back home in England is the weather. Even if it does rain (which is rare) the weather changes quickly enough in the summer months that within a couple of hours everything is dry. Another benefit of being here is Salamanca is a small city, therefore most things are only a 10-15 minute skate away from each other. Further to this many of the streets are paved with smooth concrete or marble like slabs which make for a smooth roll around the city. I came with a cruiser board (mindless 24/7) which is such a great way to get around and see the city, as well as a normal set up to take to street spots and down to the parks.

Now, the skate parks that they have here are nothing like the ones you can find in some of the bigger Spanish cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, there are also many superior parks in England, however there a good crew of skaters in the city who can make any session into a fun one. The main skate park in the city is situated next to the river just next to the start of the 'Puente Romano' bridge. The park has some small metal features-a fun box, a manual pad and two small kickers, one of which is moveable and the other crosses a gap. They also have a grind rail and a couple of grind boxes, as well as a covered area with small stair set and down-rails leading up to it. Though it might not seem like much, I have never been bored skating here, and the obstacles are both good for learning tricks and for pushing your skating. Some are easy, such as the 2 set up to the covered area, whilst others are hard to skate-a steep flat bank next to the fun box and a bigger stair set near one entrance to the park. There are also some good skaters here, and I've already seen some good stuff thrown down (hard flip off the kicker and over the gap, blunt stall flip out on the flat bank...) The skaters who frequent this park are all very friendly and helpful, and there is no feeling of intruding on their session. Games of skate are a common thing at the park, I've played countless games against different people since I've been here, so get learning some strange tricks to catch people out with! The location of the park next to the river means it stays slightly cooler than other parts of the city, and with the water and some greenery it really feels that you have got out of the city (despite the park only being a ten minute skate from the centre). This is definitely the place to come to meet other skaters in the city, however don't expect it to be full all day. Due to the heat and the general Spanish way of life people don't usually start showing up until around 6 or 7 in the evening at the earliest, however due to the floodlights and the cooler temperatures sessions can go on late into the evening.

There is also another park I have found set in the lower end of one of the bigger parks of the city 'el parque de los jesuitas'. This park is smaller than the main one by the river, but has concrete features and some transitions so if you are more into ramps than street skating this could be a better option for you. The park has a couple of quarter pipes, a small concrete launch pad and some flat banks linked to one of the quarter pipes to act as a kind of fun box. This isn't the easiest park to skate which makes any tricks landed that bit more impressive. This park is generally quieter than the main skate park, though I'm sure with the right crew a good session could go down there. There are also basketball and football pitches right next to it, and a bar in the middle of the park if you feel like you need a bit of refreshment!

One of the best street spots I have seen is on the main shopping street of Salamanca, the 'Calle Toro' by the side of the church of 'San Juan de Sahagun'. Though right next to the church I have never seen skaters get any trouble skating here. The spot consists of consecutive 2 and 3 sets with well waxed ledges next to each one. This is a good spot for learning new tricks down stair sets and for trying to put lines together down the stair sets or with the ledges. This spot is easy to find and right next to a supermarket. Not that I've tried but I would imagine Sundays to be a no go as Spain is a very religious country, but I can't say for sure!

There are many other waxed ledges of varying heights dotted around the city as well. One I've spotted is on the Rua Mayor as part of a statue/monument. It has both a tall straight ledge and a curved one to try some tricks on.

In terms of equipment there are 2 main skate shops in Salamanca, both close to each other in between the 'Calle de Toro' and 'Gran Via'. 'First Love' seems to be the main skate shop, stocking everything you need to get set up and with a range of clothing from brands such as Element, DC and Vans. Check out their website here for more information and some videos and pictures. The other skate store nearby is called 'K-Lab'. Compared to 'First Love' it seems more of an all round outdoor extreme sports shop selling snowboard equipment and clothing as well as skate stuff. See their website here for more info and an idea into the kind of things they sell. A bit further out of the city you can also buy complete skateboards, penny style cruisers, long boards and skate clothing from brands such as DC and Hurley at the 'Corte Ingles' on 'Calle de Maria Auxiliadora'. This is a big department store and the sports section is on the 5th floor.

I hope that this gives you a good introduction to skateboarding in Salamanca. If you are a skater and are debating whether or no to bring your board, do it! Maybe I'll see you down at the skate park for a game of skate some time this summer!

Radio interview of three students from Tía Tula

As we recently posted on our Facebook page, three students of Tía Tula, Colegio de Español took the opportunity to participate in a programme on Radio 5 (RNE), the national Spanish radio station, in which they shared some of their experiences about being Spanish students in Salamanca.

If you would like to know more about what makes Salamanca the perfect city to come to for learning Spanish, watch the video that we recorded during the interview:

We also have a podcast of the whole programme, which includes a talk between Enrique Clavero (the joint director of Tía Tula), Ricardo Ortiz (the director of 'Lingua Globe') and Carmen Ballesteros (the director of 'Salamanca City of Spanish'):

And for you? What do you like the most about Salamanca?

Spanish version

Basketball in Salamanca

I have played basketball for a few years back in England, but after almost a year of travelling around and being in places where it wasn't a popular sport, I was excited to come to Salamanca and try and seek out some opportunities to continue playing.  I knew the sport was big in Spain with some Spanish players, such as Pau Gasol playing at a top level in the NBA in America.

Compared to England where for most of the year we are limited to playing inside, I knew with the great Spanish weather there would be some opportunity to play basketball in the open air, and wasn't disappointed with what I found! Here in Salamanca there are loads of good quality outdoor courts to play and practice on.  The most popular that I have visited so far is in the 'Parque de los Jesuitas' not far from 'Paseo Canelejas'. Here they have four outdoor courts next to each other with good smooth ground and good quality baskets. You can often find locals playing basketball down here and it's really easy to get into a game with them! This gives you the option of just practicing on one of the rings (with so many there it is very rare that all are occupied) or joining in for a bit of a scrimmage with the locals! The setting of the courts is great, set at the bottom end of the park in between trees and next to some fountains, it's a very pretty place to play basketball. There is also a bar in the middle of the park and plenty of trees to relax under in the shade after a hard game out in the sun! Though this park seems to be the main place to go as it is the closes to the city centre, there are plenty of others dotted around the city, check out a map here  to see where the closest court is to you!

Salamanca has a professional Woman's team who go by the name of 'Perfumerias Avenida'. In 2011 they won both the national league and the European  championship, so there is obviously a high standard of basketball here in the city! They play their home games at the 'Pabellon Wurzburg', situated a little further out of the city centre but still within walking distance. Though at the moment it is off season for basketball, so it might be difficult to see a game over the summer, however if you are here over the winter months then a live basketball game always has a great atmosphere! As I previously said, basketball is a big sport in Spain, being one of the most popular together with football. Many cities in Spain have a team that compete in the national league, with Barcelona taking the title last year. If you want to get up to date on any basketball news in Spain, check out the official league website here for any news, transfers and fixture lists!

So if you do come and visit Salamanca and fancy a game of basketball, let me know! I am hoping to get a group together for a regular game every week, this Saturday is the first one so hopefully it will become a weekly event. Even if you haven't played before and want to give it a try, come on down and enjoy yourself!

¡Buenos Días!

Hi there! My name is Joe and I have just started the intern programme at Tía Tula in Salamanca, and have had a great time in my first few days! I am undertaking the intern programme here as part of my year abroad for my 3rd year of university studies. As well as gaining experience working in a different culture and in an office environment, I am here to improve my communication, marketing and of course my Spanish language skills!

I arrived on Sunday evening and was met at my student flat by the landlord and introduced to my other flatmates. All were really friendly and welcoming and I instantly felt at home. The flat is perfectly situated behind the church of 'San Juan de Sahagun,'  just off the 'Calle de Toro' (the street of bulls) which is the main shopping street in the city centre and less than a ten minute walk to the language school!

Tía Tula is a fairly small language school with small class sizes, and for that it reason it has a close 'family' feel to it. With lots of young teachers and students of all ages it's easy to meet new like-minded people! Everyone is very friendly and helpful and always willing to stop what they are doing to give you a hand if you have any problems. I haven't once felt bed for asking a question, even if it's something as simple as 'where's a good place to get breakfast?' (there is a great little pastry shop just across the road from the school that sells all kinds of amazing croissants!)

Though I have been here less than a week I already feel settled in Salamanca. It is a small city, thus easy to get everywhere on foot, with lots of impressive architecture, a rich history and a great nightlife there are all kinds of things to explore and discover here! The people here are very friendly and easy to talk to, and will always try and help if they see you struggling with a word or phrase. Further to this Salamanca has the purist form of spoken Spanish in Spain with no regional accent to confuse you!

I will be here for the next three months and will do my best to give you an insight into some of the fun things to do Salamanca that has on offer, as well as a bit of Spanish culture and history. Until then, ¡hasta pronto!