To eat
To nibble something before eating, sitting around a cold beer or a tasty wine, the famous Spanish tapas will suit you at (almost) any time of the day and night. Ham toast, meatballs, portion of tortilla, small shrimp, fish rillettes, skewers, mini portions of paella, meaty olives and sheep's cheese will satisfy the most difficult taste buds!
In particular rue Van Dyck, along which you will find many bars, bistros and various troquets all offering different tapas, often with a lot of meat, at unbeatable prices. Do not miss the “Minutejo”: a slice of hot bread on which melts a slice of cheese, a strip of Iberian ham, a slice of sausage, all topped with a slice of Lomo.
If a bigger hunger assails you but you don't want to go through the formal heaviness of a five-star restaurant, grab a scrumptious (but horribly heavy) calamari and mayonnaise sandwich. A real treat but very stuffy.
The "Casa Paca", a bit expensive restaurant (bourgeois – even petty bourgeois) offers succulent, more consistent tapas in the bistro part and you eat very well there once you are seated at one of the restaurant's tables.
When the coffee break arrives (yes, visits are tiring) don't miss the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the “Clavel 8” café, a few steps from the Plaza Mayor.
Housing
If sleeping in Salamanca all year round is as simple as “buenos dias” (shared apartments in tire larigot, very low prices), it is the same for the tourist passing through for a few nights. Small scholarships can take refuge in youth hostels or student residences from €12 per night. It is also possible to break the piggy bank (while remaining reasonable: for around fifty euros a night) and treat yourself to the luxury of a view of the Plaza Mayor at the “Petit Palace Las Torres” hotel.
Useful information
Petit Palace Las Torres : C/ Concejo 4-6, 37002
Youth Hostel Salamanca : http://www.alberguesalamanca.com/
Hernán Cortés Hispano-American College: Paseo San Vicente 103-139
Jean-Baptiste Gibily
