BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture European Travel Spain-additional advice

Shopping:
The price that is marked, in many cases, is not the final price. A little bargaining is to be expected and brings satisfaction to all. In some cases you may get a lower price and in other cases something extra may be included.

Drinking:
A conac in the morning with your coffee is ok but if you drink any wine during the morning or afternoon you may be considered a "drunk". Table wine or beer with your afternoon meal is OK.

Breakfast:
Churros "Spanish Deepfry" and coffee are very good in the morning. When translated, Churro has a different meaning. I bet you cannot stop with only one.

Cameras:
Bring a digital camera to record the many things you see. If your camera uses "AA batteries" so much the better. If you don't have a camera that uses AA batteries than get one: reason, you may not be able to recharge that rechargable battery/or the battery your camera uses may not be available. AA batteries can be had ANYWHERE. Invest in a couple of extra memory cards; you don't want to miss that extra shot.

I'm Spanish. I live in the north of the country. As regards bargaining, well, it's not so common. It's only when you go to street markets or flea markets = rastro, that you're expected to bargain but never do it in a shop. You may ask for a discount but it's not very often that you get it.
Greetings from Spain

I'm Spanish. I live in the north of the country. As regards bargaining, well, it's not so common. It's only when you go to street markets or flea markets = rastro, that you're expected to bargain but never do it in a shop. You may ask for a discount but it's not very often that you get it.
Greetings from Spain
Obaya

Welcome Obaya! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Do you have any more advice you can share with people who are planning trips to northern Spain?

You live quite near to Pamplona! Do you know anyone who has ever run with the bulls? <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Could you perhaps share a little with us about La Tamborrada (Festividad de San Sebasti�n) in San Sebasti�n? Any other famous Spanish festivals not so close to your home - Las Fallas in Valencia or La Tomatina in Bu�ol?

With Easter approaching, perhaps you could share with us the experience of Semana Santa (holy week) in Spain.

Obaya. It doesn't hurt to put that forlorn look on you face and say " the item(or whatever you are looking at)" is very nice but it is a little too expensive for me. Perhaps you will get a little off the final price or maybe a little extra something thrown in; it does not hurt to try. In Andalucia this was almost a habit. Perhaps times have changed but the fun of shopping in Espana have not. Siento mucho, pero Sevilla en dentro de verano es muy caliente tanbien. Caceres y el norte de Espana es muy bonito y tengo ganas a visitar. Mi esposa es Malaguena y tengo tantos familia en el capital. En mi computador tengo enlaces a Andalucia en la Red, S.C. (AERED), Diario SUR Digital Actualidad Y Recetas. Por ahora 'hasta pronto' y bienvenito a la foro. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

LOL Bob -- I am imagining you with the "please give me a discount" look on your face! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> We should explain to Obaya that you are the original "Nadine Taylor" also! It is always easier to haggle in touristy areas like the Costa del Sol.

Oh, and for the curious non-Spanish speakers reading the forum ... a rough translation

Bob explains that Caceres (and northern Spain) is pretty and he would like to visit. He explains that his wife is from Malaga and he has family in the capital. He explains he has computer contacts in Andalucia. He welcomes Obaya to the forum.

Sarah. You NEVER come right out and ask for a discount, its more like a game that is played and you sort of have to know a little of the rules. You also have to know when and where this is appropriate and how to act. The fun is in learning the game and learning the rules. Don't expect anything in the department stores or malls and expect to pay the full price. The idea is to have fun and enjoy yourself. In the South of Spain, stores and businesses usually close at noon during Semana Santa and the processions last all night. In some ways this seems to be a more joyful and important time than the Christmas season. My advice for Semana Santa? take a long rest during the day and expect to be up most of the night. LOL <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Check out these beautiful photos of Semana Santa in Seville at [url=BellaOnline ALERT: For anti-spam reasons, we restrict the number of URLs allowed in a given post. You have exceeded our maximum number of URLs.

Hello again

You've asked me about Pamplona and running the bulls. I know several people who run with them every year. Most of them are from Pamplona. Running the bulls is something dangerous. You have to know that every year there are people seriously injured by the bulls, unfortunately most of them are tourists. If you want to run the bulls, first and most important, don't drink the night before, secondly get a newspaper to make the bulls follow it instead of you and thirdly, spend the first days looking at how professional runners do it. Otherwise you will put yourself and others at a risk.

As for la Tamborrada, it's a special day when most people in San Sebasti�n go in the streets playing drums = tambores. It's only recently that women have joined in this ancient tradition. It's kind of a parade, you know, people walking in the streets wearing traditional clothes and playing their drums. My favourite area in San Sebasti�n, apart from the beach, La concha = the shell (because it looks like a perfect shell) is the old city, pedestrian areas full of bars where you are expected to have a chiquito =small glass of beer and the famous pintxos = little snacks. In the past they were free with your drink but now you have to pay for them.

Other areas worth-visiting in the north of Spain are:

Cantabria, you can visit a wild life park in Cabarceno and should book in advance a ticket to visit the Altamira Caves; they are a prehistoric site full of amazing prehistoric pictures. Quite close to it is Santillana del Mar, a very popular Mediaeval village. One of my favourite villages there is Comillas. It's a small village where you can eat at Comillas Palace, designed by Antonio Gaudi. You should try fish in this area, especially the calamari but they call it rabas.

Galicia is another area worth-visiting. Most tourists go to Santiago de Compostela to visit the cathedral which is wonderful. I also like La Coru�a very much. It's a city by the sea and you can visit a roman lighthouse, for example. Eating in Galicia is cheap and good, crab, lobster, oysters, etc. It's also very popular having pulpo a la gallega con cachelos y vino de Ribeiro = octopus Galician style with potatoes and Ribeiro wine. Their white wines are pretty famous.

As for Asturias, which is my home area, I recommend you Llanes in case you like going to the beach. Our beaches are sandy and there're many surrounded only by green fields and mountains but you should bear in mind we are in the Cantabric sea; therefore water is cool and there're lots of waves. If you go to Llanes, you should visit the European Peaks and Covadonga. This is a religious site, there's a basilic and a cave where religious people believe the virgin appeared to king Pelayo before he defeated the moors that had conquered most of Spain. The reconquering of the country began here. If you like nature, you should visit Somiedo, Los Oscos, Muniellos. They are protected areas where natural life is protected, there're wild bears, eagles, wild boars, etc. If you like cities, I recommend you visiting Oviedo. It has been awarded with the golden broom for seven years as it is considered one of the cleanest cities in Europe. Most of the city is pedestrian so forget about using your car. There's an interesting cathedral and lovely pre-romanic buildings. I live in Gij�n, not so clean but by the sea. We have five beaches in our city and it's full of life during the summer. You can visit the Roman Baths or cimadevilla, the old fishing village. Our traditional drink is the sidra = cider, we serve it in a big glass and the waiter throws it from the bottle to the glass raising his hand over his head. We are also famous for our food, generally fish and of course, la fabada, it's a special broad beans stew. Our rice pudding and sweets are pretty popular too.

If you decide travelling north, you'll discover it's totally different to the south. It rains more often and it snows heavily during the winter, our fields are green and the landscape is mountanous. People are helpful although most of them can't speak other language than Spanish. Recently, we have been receiving travellers from northern Europe but not many British or North-American travellers. Our origins are Celt and we didn't have much influence from the Arabs so we aren't so deeply religious as in the south.

Well, I think, this post is longer than I intended. I hope I haven't bored you all and ask me for any other information you should like. I promise, I'll try to make it brief.
Best Regards
Obaya

Gracias for the info obaya and I for one was not bored with your post. Here at my home we receive TVE over the satellite system and they have a lot of information about the North of Espana and your area. I only have one problem with TVE; they dropped "Noche de Fiesta" on Saturday night. We still receive "Trenderete" from Tenerfe and that is a good program too. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />