Go West. Feel young again. They speak one of the purest forms of Spanish, which here and throughout Spain is commonly referred to as castellano βa nod to its birthplace on the central planes of Castilla. Spanish courses for foreigners abound, as do young Americans and Europeans studying abroad. Why not join them? This is a meat town. For the most potent expression of Castilian protein prowess, try chanfaina , a slow-cooked stew of lamb organs, blood, garlic, and spices.
Salamanca is golden. The city is know as La Doradaβthe golden one, for the glow of its sandstone buildings. Start across the Roman Bridge preferably with a sunset bottle of local vino tinto , and work your way up towards the cathedral, past the university, and down as many back and side streets as possible before landing in the Plaza Mayor.
Stretch out, enjoy the plaza, drink a few beers, but keep your clothes on. Bring your night game. If you want to roll with the crisp-collared elite, check out the polished bars around Gran Via. If down and dirty is your thing, join the crush of young souls giving it their all along Calle Varillas at spots like Paniagua and Potenkim. This is a university town, so expect Thursday nights to be especially raucous. Pork is for sinners and saints alike. Hornazo fun fact: Centuries ago, this deeply Catholic city would banish the local prostitutes across the river during Lent to avoid any unnecessary temptations.
On Monday, citizens would welcome the returning prostitutes with a wedge of hornazo. Choose your tapas crowd. There are two prime areas for tapas crawls in the city. For a younger, livelier and more affordable scene, head to Calle Van Dyck just outside the city center. The street is packed with restaurants serving grilled skewers of meat, open-faced sandwiches, and other solid booze food. A good evening would start out at Don Cochinillo Asado, with cold beer and the namesake suckling pig with crackling skin, and end with a few cubatas mixed drinks shared with a group of new friends.
Learn the language of ham. Spanish ham production is concentrated around three regions in the central and southwestern corner of the country: Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castilla y Leon. The nuances of the product vary depending on the region, but the parlance is consistent across the peninsula. Bring home the bacon. If fact, buy a second bag and fill it up, too. If you are from the US, beware: Those sinister border agents will seize your porcine bounty without the slightest tinge of remorse.
