Salamanca, Spain is one of my favorite places to go in the summer. Yes, it’s rather hot. But what I like is that after your (late) siesta you can wait for the searing, Spanish sun to set, then stroll over to the Plaza Major, sit down at a cafe and order something, anything–a drink, a plate of Jamon Iberico, some squid on a stick. Then you slowly sip and nibble as you watch the polished paving stones of the plaza start filling with people. Soon a band will come, and there will be glorious noise, then students will sit on the stones and play chess amidst the masses. It’s a togetherness thing.
For the best results (this is, after all, a university town with lots of night life) be sure you’ve rested well. This wild raucous togetherizing goes on all night. Food, music, conversation, noise.
You won’t be able to handle it well if you’ve just come from France. You need to spend some time to get acclimated. Why not rent Casa de la Luz ? It’s an apartment 10 minutes away.
With a vacation rental apartment, you can sleep any time. You don’t have to worry about the maid barging in. You can make something to eat from the kitchen if Spain’s legendary late dinner time bothers you.
And go to the Salamanca public library. It’s decorated with conch shells, and is very, very cool inside and out–architecturally speaking I mean.
Friends of abstinence might wish to go during lent and leave before the Monday after Easter, the day Salmantinos call Lunes de Agua, when folks chow down on hornazo–a pie stuffed with local jamón and pork loin and chorizo–while awaiting the return of the prostitutes that have been led out of Salamanca in the charge of a priest given the title “El Padre Putas.” All this was started in the 16th century by Filippe II to ensure the villagers’ abstinence during lent. It worked…for a short time.
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