Activities 23.03.2015 - 28.03.2015

Spring has arrived and so have a flood of Tía Tula activities! A scavenger hunt, afternoon 'pinchos', a literature workshop, a guided tour of the city and a weekend trip for next Saturday - the week is shaping up to be a busy and fun-filled seven days!

Monday 23rd, 5:00 pm: Scavenger Hunt – We will split into teams to complete a range of different tasks and activities in the centre of the city. The fastest team will win a prize! Interested? Sign up now! 
Approximate duration: 1h30min.

Tuesday 24th, 7:30 pm: Exhibition and ´'pinchos' -  Artist Paula Noidat (illustrator and photographer) presents her exhibition 'Beyond my Imagination' at El Rastrel Etic Café. Come and see her work and try a selection of vegan tapas or home-made cakes and organic coffee . 
Approximate duration: 1h.

Wednesday 25th, 4:50 pm:  – Literary Workshop. Brush up on your knowledge of contemporary Spanish literature with Montse. Come and listen to a selection of poems and literary readings. 
Approximate duration: 1h30min.

Thursday 26th, 5:20 pm: Charlamos – We will watch a short film, then discuss the ideas presented, and their relevance to current issues. Don't miss this great opportunity to practice your Spanish!  
Approximate duration: 1h30min.

Friday 27th, 6:10 pm: City Visit – A fun and interesting look at the history of various monuments and buildings around Salamanca. 
Approximate duration: 1h30min.

Saturday 28th: Weekend trip – We have a range of trips for the perfect end to the week!
Please ask our secretary for more information.

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

Try to participate in as many activities as you can; they are designed not just for you to have fun, but also to improve your knowledge of Salamanca and Spanish culture, and to put into practice the Spanish you have learnt in class.

Veggies, veggies, veggies…

Fresh vegetable tempura at Aguaclara.

There always comes a time when people decide to visit you in Spain as did my German friend. I was looking forward to see her, however, I was facing a small difficulty as a ‘host’ – she is vegetarian and I am not. Of course there’s nothing wrong with either, but Spain is known for its chorizo and jamón and farinato and not for its spinach quiche. Spain has a very strong meat culture and I wasn't quite sure what to do with my friend. I decided to do some research and I have to say, it’s been very successful. Therefore, in this post I would like to share my results with you.

My all-time favourite is a bar called El Rastrel. It is a small vegan bar close to the city centre with great ambiance and cool staff. The tapas are delicious and once I tried them -the Galician beer they serve, too-, I knew I would be coming back. They also have a piano and some board games that anyone can play and, best part of all, dogs (with their owners) are allowed in so it is bound to be fun!

Another place to keep in mind is Café Mandala which is very conveniently just a few steps away from Tía Tula. Mandala is not a strictly vegetarian establishment, however, they have a lot of vegetarian tapas and 80% of their lunch and dinner menu is vegetarian. Moreover, they offer great smoothies and cakes which means that vegetarian or not, you will be going back.

At El Rastrel in an after-school activity organised by Tía Tula. 

In the course of my research I also came across with a vegetarian café/bar/restaurant called Café Atelier. It is located in the city centre, just round the corner from my flat which makes it a perfect place for dinner and/or tapas and some drinks. They also have some very nice fair trade coffee which you can sweeten with one of their cakes.

Also, there’s the restaurant El Laurel which offers vegetarian meals and also some vegan options. It is a nice place, quite small so you can enjoy its tranquility and relaxed atmosphere. The food is good and there’s quite a lot it so you won’t be going home hungry (and still have money left in your wallet). The staff is friendly so you can enjoy your vegetarian food while relaxing and talking to your friends.

There are other restaurants and tapas places that offer vegetarian or vegan options among their tapas and dishes range. That is the case of, for example, El Bardo and Aguaclara.

Last but not least, I as amazed when I found out that there even is a vegan eatery held in a self-managed social center. Aside from, of course, serving vegan food, their aim is to fight animal cruelty and raise awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

I hope this article showed you that although Spain is known for its meat products, it doesn't mean vegetarians and vegans are not welcome. In fact, based on my ‘research’, there are quite a few places in Salamanca worth visiting even if you are not a vegetarian or vegan.