Tapas!

Last night our class went out for tapas together on Calle Van Dyck, and we had a great time! The first tapa bar we went to was called Don Cochinillo. Most people got suckling pig there, which I heard was great, but since I'm a vegetarian, I ordered salpicon marisco, a fish tapa. It consisted of crab, onion, peppers, squid, and shrimp in a vinegar dressing, and it was very good. I'm not crazy about squid, but I enjoyed everything else in it a lot. I had this drink that was a mix of wine and sprite, but I can't remember the name of it at the moment.

At the second bar, I had queso y pan (cheese and break) and a glass of red wine. The queso was strong, but very good. Other people got blood sausage and ribs, which looked great. I really might have to try some of the meat here because it all looks incredible. When we went to the market today, we got to see people de-boning fish and preparing different types of meat. Everything looked so fresh, and I actually did want to try some of it, so we'll see if I can get myself to go back to meat for a while.

At the last place we went to, I just had a drink because I was so full from the first two dishes. It sounds ridiculous, but a few tapas really do fill you up quickly. After the third bar, we went to one more small local bar that Andy said is his favorite--I think it's called Su Casa. It was a tiny little place with a husband and wife who run it. I had another glass of red wine and a few people took chupitos (shots) of this acorn-tasting stuff that they loved. After that, we walked to the Plaza Mayor, Andy went home, and we all went to another place he recommended, a local hangout spot I guess, called Paniagua. I loved Paniagua--it had pictures of their patrons hanging all over the place, and the bartender took a picture of us for the wall. It was tiny, so we basically filled it up, and as the night went on, more and more locals and other foreign students showed up. Over all, I think the salpicon marisco was my favorite tapa, and I'd like to try some meat here in the near future. I'm in Spain, so I should step out of my comfort zone. I have to say that over all it was a great night complete with delicious tapas!