Eating and Drinking in Spain - !buen provecho!

When in Spain, eat and drink as the Spaniards do!

To be more precise, have a light breakfast, a substantial three-course lunch and a little dinner as you travel Spain.

And now let us start our Spanish class!

The first word to remember is desayuno and try hard to learn it before 11 AM as then the breakfast will be over. Have a cup of coffee con leche(with milk) or un zumo (juice) accompanied by a croissant or una tostada (toast), and charge yourself with energy for the whole day to visit best places in Spain. In case you still don't feel very energetic continue with the second breakfast or have some tapas. These are basically finger food and can range in taste and price. Tapas are served in restaurants all day long and can be great to take the edge off your hunger. This type of food is followed by wine or beer and is sometimes a free addition to your meal in which case it is considered improper to ignore it. The legend says that barmen used to cover glasses with pieces of bread for the flies not to get into wine, and this is how the tradition of tapas originated. Bocadillos are delicious snacks, too. 2 or 4 Euro for the breakfast and proceed with sightseeings and attractions of Spain.

Lesson two. El almuerzo or la comida are the most important words in our vocabulary when you travel Spain as it is at lunch that you get a proper meal. Fresh marine products, lamb and ham, beans, tomatoes and garlic and naturally olive oil are the most common ingredients. The names of dishes to be memorized are Gazpacho (cold tomato and cucumber soup with pepper), Albondigas (meatballs, a popular kind of tapas), Flan (a dessert with caramel-flavored custard) and Tortilla (potato and eggs baked as a cake) to start with. Primer plato, segundo plato, and perhaps a postre (dessert) – and don't forget to return to more adventures than just eating and drinking in Spain. Prices start from about 8 Euro.

If you didn't manage to get full at lunch, don't count much on dinner, la cena, that comes about 10 PM as it is usually not the type of substantial meal we associate with this word. Instead, you can have a cup of cafe solo (Espresso), merienda (tea), try some cava (Spanish sparkling wine), jerez (sherry) or cerveza (beer).

If you work up a great thirst while admiring the magnificent architecture of Spain, which is very probable, especially iа you travel Spain in summer, simply ask for un vaso de agua (a glass of water) in most bars – and you'll get one for muchas gracias!

Dear friends, our class is over; travel Spain with us and you will always learn more!