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The burger king presents a health risk to pilgrims.
They have a nasty thim foam bar that protudes from this ninety degree frame. It pushes midway into your spine making it bend in an unnatural way.
One of my vetebra moved and it was painful. It took a days rest and a 1500m freestyle swim to click back in.
Oz
Why on earth would anyone go to the Burger King? There are some great places with much better food close to Jesus y Maria. I love my bacon and egg boccadillas for breakfast around 10am.
On Tuesday the FDA gave the USA food industry 3 years to eliminate trans fats. Go FDA!I don't even eat that poisonous garbage here in the US.
Unhealthy junk food. Not our proudest export or contribution to the world.
Obviously there are several sides to this story. Firstly BK in Spain? I think there are much better options to keep yourself fed and watered. However, that is just my personal opinion, and I would not judge anyone on what they prefer. Don't we all at times crave certain things we know? I think there is nothing wrong with doing what your body is telling you to do, especially when doing such strenuous exercise over so many days as walking the Camino. Secondly, I hope that the original poster is able to continue his/her Camino without much further problems. He/she must be quite a fit person in any case, as swimming 1500 meters is certainly not an easy thing to do.
So, I wish a Buen Camino to Oztrekker and I hope all is going well for the rest of your Camino.
It is such a pity that the traditional coffee shop next door closed - fantastic tortilla ..........when I firt saw BK had crept in to that square I could have wept!........... a great location for pilgrims to wait for the municipal so be warned and careful.
Oz
The salt is the hidden killer Col- my vice as well. I remember walking though the Maseta once craving that same fresh tomatoe .......with salt.I love going into the garden with a salt shaker and pulling a big red tomato off the vine, full of sunshine, and eating it right there with the bees buzzing around me and birds soaring over my head. Mother Nature incarnate.
I have also hidden Big Mac boxes inside three layers of bags so no one will know I had one. Sigh.
It is such a pity that the traditional coffee shop next door closed - fantastic tortilla ..........when I firt saw BK had crept in to that square I could have wept!
Yaaaay - down with bk , up the new guys next door - I will certainly be visitig them - thanx for the good news Pa.I guess you are talking about the Iruñazarra. If so, you must know that it is open again after two years. Different owners and a different style, but I think they still keep the pintxo's spirit the former had got.
I love going into the garden with a salt shaker and pulling a big red tomato off the vine, full of sunshine, and eating it right there with the bees buzzing around me and birds soaring over my head. Mother Nature incarnate.
I have also hidden Big Mac boxes inside three layers of bags so no one will know I had one. Sigh.
The deep fried fish is generally cod of the frozen square fish variety and the chips are famously very soggy. Tom sauce has become more and more available allowing some place to make a really awful plate of patatas bravas.What's the fish and chips situation in Spain? Do they have tom sauce (ketchup) for the bacon bocadillas?
I was going to mention that but not sure it is the same place. There is really great tapas, bocadilla bar very near the BK, amazing anyone would opt for the BK.Yaaaay - down with bk , up the new guys next door - I will certainly be visitig them - thanx for the good news Pa.
What's the fish and chips situation in Spain? Do they have tom sauce (ketchup) for the bacon bocadillas?
Having spent a semester in England at Oxford, I love a good fish and chips as much as the next guy----my wife and I made it a week ago and drained half a bottle of malt vinegar in one sitting.Fried fish is often wonderful in Spain especially in Andalucia specifically Cadiz and Puerto Santa Maria and the surrounding area. The Spanish love fish and are prepared to pay highly for good quality. Chips on the other hand are not a Spanish speciality.
Having spent a semester in England at Oxford, I love a good fish and chips as much as the next guy----my wife and I made it a week ago and drained half a bottle of malt vinegar in one sitting.
But the Spanish equivalent is better: A plate of fried eggs, french cut fries, chorizo, (and sometimes a piece of) bacon. It's heaven. We now make this monthly, and if I had to choose a "last supper" before death, it would be it.
It's almost a crime against humanity!I was going to mention that but not sure it is the same place. There is really great tapas, bocadilla bar very near the BK, amazing anyone would opt for the BK.
A great meal. However, my companion had them one time, and was projectile vomiting within the hour. The next day we met another pilgrim in Obradoiro who had admired his platter in the restaurant and duplicated the order. His first words were, "Did you get sick yesterday?" Both had food poisoning from the undercooked eggs. I had revuelta, so was spared. Eggs are not refrigerated in France and Spain. They can be contaminated. Beware!A plate of fried eggs
Eggs aren't refrigerated in most of the world, they are kept at cool temperatures. The restaurant in question most likely wasn't using the freshest eggs, and that is not a good thing for that dish (where you want a runny yolk). You usually can tell how fresh an egg is by the color of the yolk, so pay attention when they serve you your eggs (the ones in the picture are just about perfect)A great meal. However, my companion had them one time, and was projectile vomiting within the hour. The next day we met another pilgrim in Obradoiro who had admired his platter in the restaurant and duplicated the order. His first words were, "Did you get sick yesterday?" Both had food poisoning from the undercooked eggs. I had revuelta, so was spared. Eggs are not refrigerated in France and Spain. They can be contaminated. Beware!
Good stuff. After walking all morning, and working up an appetite? I would destroy that plate. Be very difficult for me to be polite and eat slowly, ha ha.Villafranca, June of 2013
That is my favorite dish in Spain at 10am. I have yet to decide which region has the best bacon. Maybe we should do a poll. I'd happily trade the frites for fresh pan.Villafranca, June of 2013
Well, that's a risk when eating perishables like eggs in any foreign country. There's always the possibility that it may have "turned". I consumed eggs (hard boiled and fried) on both my Caminos. Never got sick. I've eaten eggs in the Phlippines (including balutA great meal. However, my companion had them one time, and was projectile vomiting within the hour. The next day we met another pilgrim in Obradoiro who had admired his platter in the restaurant and duplicated the order. His first words were, "Did you get sick yesterday?" Both had food poisoning from the undercooked eggs. I had revuelta, so was spared. Eggs are not refrigerated in France and Spain. They can be contaminated. Beware!
No offense taken, but I think that speaks more to the Camino than to the region. Northern Spain, especially the Basque region, is largely considered the heart of gastronomy for all of Europe (along with Paris and maybe Lyon, France). Castilla y Leon less so, but there are still some really interesting dishes there. But they are very, very difficult to find along the Camino. The Camino really changes things. You are "in Spain" but you are not "in Spain" all at the same time. Alburgue food may be good or bad, but it is rarely a shining example of local gastronomy. Restaurants can be a little bit better, but usually, along the Camino, they are the equivalent of the cheap tourist restaurant in Paris or London........their audience is an international community that doesn't know much about Spain, isn't there (primarily) for the food, and doesn't want to pay much......so they cook accordingly.At risk of causing offence I have to say the food was the only disappointment on my recent Camino. So bland
About 30-40 % of the time I tried a la carte rather than pilgrim's menus or menu del dia and it wasn't much better.
Maybe Northern Spain is not the gastronomic heart of the country......
but it was cheap and filling..... much like a burger really
In fairness, your experience with the salad might partially be attached to the fact that a tossed salad is about equally foreign to Spanish cuisine as Burger King.I could tell you about the time in Alicante when I ordered a salad. The salad came looking exactly as pictured in the menu. All sorts of vegetables. Except that the attractive looking salad was merely a covering. Most of it was iceberg lettuce. 5 Euros later and feeling ripped off ... I went on to the local Burger King and ate another much more satisfying meal. I dined there frequently during my stay at Alicante. At least you know what you are getting before you put your money down.
Ensalada mixta is almost universally an option in the menu peregrino or menu del dia. Toss it, if you like.a tossed salad is about equally foreign to Spanish cuisine
Yes. ensalada mixta is everywhere in Spain now that you find tourists, but it is usually an afterthought at most restaurants.....and has likely been sitting out for hours. My mother once got really sick after eating a salad in Pamplona that she realized had been sitting in the sun all day. I'm not saying you can't find salad in spain (it's lots of places) or that you can't find good salads in spain (I've had some!), I'm just saying it isn't particularly Spanish, and it was probably made with a tourist (or local person on a major diet) in mind.Ensalada mixta is almost universally an option in the menu peregrino or menu del dia. Toss it, if you like.
Ensalada mixta is almost universally an option in the menu peregrino or menu del dia. Toss it, if you like.
Look out for Patatas bravas (maybe not correct spelling) lovely with lashings of mayonnaise and hot chilli sauce....much nicer than the chips that usually come with pilgrim meal.What's the fish and chips situation in Spain? Do they have tom sauce (ketchup) for the bacon bocadillas?
I smelled balut. I would not have the gumption to try. Kimchee yes. I have not had octopus yet, but everyone tells me I should try it when I'm in Spain. Hmmm.Well, that's a risk when eating perishables like eggs in any foreign country. There's always the possibility that it may have "turned". I consumed eggs (hard boiled and fried) on both my Caminos. Never got sick. I've eaten eggs in the Phlippines (including balut) and in Thailand (even small quail eggs) off of street vendor carts. Knock on wood, never got sick.
That's not saying I have never been sick from food while travelling. I have a few times. You just can't let the possibility of that keep you from having a good time.
cheers
Well, when I ate balut in the PI was while in the Marines, a bit intoxicated and thought what da heck. I remember when you ordered it you did so by a number, something like 7-21, that being what stage of development the duck was in. I picked 7, ha ha. The locals got no problem with the 21's, ugh. Ha ha.I smelled balut. I would not have the gumption to try. Kimchee yes. I have not had octopus yet, but everyone tells me I should try it when I'm in Spain. Hmmm.
Galician octopus, when executed correctly, is sublime, but when overcooked, tastes like rubber. It's beauty is in its simplicity, but that also is why it gone go awry so quickly. I love pulpo, but I'm never shocked when other peregrinos have bad pulpo experiences. The best, and most consistent, octupus I've ever had is in Croatia. They have a lot of good dishes with it but the best may be squid ink pasta. Yes, it's black.I smelled balut. I would not have the gumption to try. Kimchee yes. I have not had octopus yet, but everyone tells me I should try it when I'm in Spain. Hmmm.
Reminds of a time I got sick after eating a can of sardines in mustard. Loved those things on crackers. Don't know if that's what got me sick, or a bout of flu bug at the same time, but for years afterwards the mere thought of eating them, let alone the smell of them turned my stomach.After walking into Pamplona last May on a very very wet rainy day, I stopped at at Bar and saw a sign that said "American Hamburgers here". I said whoopie!!! And had one. 45 Minutes later back at my Albergue the ole stomach starting making noises. Long story short I was sick for 8 days and three Farmacias later.....Life was very unpleasant for me and my Camino family whilst I was sickly......Have not had a Burger since....I can live without them now.....
While pulpo is offered many places, look for a pulperia. There is at least one great one in Sarria down by the river, and several in Melide right on the Camino.Ok. Octopus it is. This is an adventure.
Bacon and eggs are more for dinner in Spain. You might be able to find it at breakfast (Biaritz seems to have), but not as easy to find.I am a little behind & supprised some of you actually found eggs & bacon In the morning. Once again the power of learning a language!
The food Agree is bland for the most part as all I ate was the pilgrim meals unless I cooked. But once I made it to Madrid I ate very well indeed. I simply took the time to explore the city & it's food. I am curious if anyone has walked the Norte & the food experience on the coast.
I am curious if anyone has walked the Norte & the food experience on the coast.
A piece of bread often comes with it, but you need the fries to dip in the yolk!That is my favorite dish in Spain at 10am. I have yet to decide which region has the best bacon. Maybe we should do a poll. I'd happily trade the frites for fresh pan.
Arzak. Most expensive meal of my life and worth every penny. I still dream about it.From what i understand the 6th best restaraunt in the world is near san sebastian.
Oz
Please stop the torture! I am wondering now if I should go back for another Camino but secretly go for food exploration...Arzak. Most expensive meal of my life and worth every penny. I still dream about it.
Actually, San Sebastian/Donostia has more michelin stars per capita than anywhere else in the world save Paris.
We met a mother and her 15 year old daughter in Hendaye (on our way to Pamplona after snow forced us to abandon St Jean) who were getting ready to start the Norte in Irun. They said that their decision to do the Norte was 100% determined by food.Please stop the torture! I am wondering now if I should go back for another Camino but secretly go for food exploration...
Dying to eat at Mugaritz. And I don't trust anybody who is shy about baconDon't forget Mugaritz another 5 star restaurant just a little of f the way.
PS I have never been shy about ordering huevos fritos y bacon any time of the day.
Two Michelin stars. There are three three-star restaurants nearby!Don't forget Mugaritz another 5 star restaurant
I thought the "warning" was going to be that they put a Burger King in the Basque Country
You usually can tell how fresh an egg is by the color of the yolk
that's a risk when eating perishables like eggs in any foreign country.
Northern Spain, especially the Basque region, is largely considered the heart of gastronomy for all of Europe (along with Paris and maybe Lyon, France). Castilla y Leon less so
the Basque Country (the Iberian peninsular's gastronomic center)
I'm not saying you can't find salad in spain (it's lots of places) or that you can't find good salads in spain (I've had some!), I'm just saying it isn't particularly Spanish
My wife, who has lived in Spain, says at home you do see a bit of lettuce with oil/vinegar thrown in the middle of the table sometimes, for everybody to stab a piece or two of, but it is, again, an afterthought. Something thrown out by the cook at the last minute to try to help make up for the (likely) lack of green veggies on the table.
Actually, San Sebastian/Donostia has more michelin stars per capita than anywhere else in the world save Paris.
There are three three-star restaurants in San Sebastian
And since this will be my first Pulpo, I want it to be special. (blush). So I will look for a pulperia, and just hope it lives up to my rather large expectations.While pulpo is offered many places, look for a pulperia. There is at least one great one in Sarria down by the river, and several in Melide right on the Camino.
A great meal. However, my companion had them one time, and was projectile vomiting within the hour. The next day we met another pilgrim in Obradoiro who had admired his platter in the restaurant and duplicated the order. His first words were, "Did you get sick yesterday?" Both had food poisoning from the undercooked eggs. I had revuelta, so was spared. Eggs are not refrigerated in France and Spain. They can be contaminated. Beware!
Relax dude, I never said the US had zero risk in bad eggsI'm wondering: How did your home country achieve the zero risk? Surely, the rest of the world should be interested in it.
Yes Mark, I know the feeling..... I Love sardines, mustard on a cracker as well and have not been sick with them...knock on wood.....Anyhow, that "hamburger" in Pamplona was really made out of Ham (Jamon). Not beef as we get in the states..Reminds of a time I got sick after eating a can of sardines in mustard. Loved those things on crackers. Don't know if that's what got me sick, or a bout of flu bug at the same time, but for years afterwards the mere thought of eating them, let alone the smell of them turned my stomach.
When I lived in Jamaica no one at all stored eggs in the fridge...many didn't have a fridge. I also was used to seeing people leave food out overnight including fried chicken or fish...covered of course... and it never made anyone sick. I think we have become overly concerned with germs and bacteria...etc. Honestly the older I get the more I am told I shouldn't do things that never made one blink an eye back when I was growing up. Now the one time I remember getting really really sick from food contamination was when I bought potato salad at a grocery store in Canada...lolThis issue of undercooked / raw eggs has long puzzled me. I grew up in the tropics where an aunt of mine always stored her eggs in the open on top of her fridge, and I don't recall anyone ever getting sick from eating them. How long they remained in the open before they were eaten, I don't know.
As to eating raw eggs, I phoned the health department a few years ago as I was concerned about adding a beaten raw egg to a chiffon pie I was making. I was told that if the egg had any bacteria, the bacteria would be on the outside of the shell and, if I was concerned, I should wash the egg very well before cracking it open.
The standards way-back-when in the tropics of processing eggs for sale would have been vastly different from what they are now in North America. I think it's been only recently that we are being told not to eat undercooked eggs. Who knows what to believe.
Thing about food/stars/ratings on anything really is personal preference and personal perspective. I have dined at 5 star restaurants that totally unimpressed me and at little out of the way shacks serving home cooked meals that were to die for. It all depends on what you like. Stars don't mean much except to the critic who is tasting it that day. Its like that with hotels too. I know several 1 star hotels in Jammy for instance that if you read the reviews and based it on the stars you wouldn't even want to stay there, yet some of the best and most restful sleeps I have had in my life were in a room at that hotel. Its all relative.For reasons known only to the Michelin people, this restaurant lost its star, but is still a great place to dine:
http://www.casamarcelo.net/
There are three three-star restaurants in vicinity of San Sebastian:
View attachment 19403
This is all true, and one must also remember how French centric and euro centric Michelin is. Arzak is my best food experience ever, and worthy of their maximum 3 Michelin star rating. But I've also been to mom and pop places in Ocho Rio Jamaica that would blow your socks off and Michelin ain't going there. They wouldn't leave their resort (I, conversely, wouldn't go on the resort).Thing about food/stars/ratings on anything really is personal preference and personal perspective. I have dined at 5 star restaurants that totally unimpressed me and at little out of the way shacks serving home cooked meals that were to die for. It all depends on what you like. Stars don't mean much except to the critic who is tasting it that day. Its like that with hotels too. I know several 1 star hotels in Jammy for instance that if you read the reviews and based it on the stars you wouldn't even want to stay there, yet some of the best and most restful sleeps I have had in my life were in a room at that hotel. Its all relative.
You call it "dining" at a Burger King, Mc Donalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken" .?I could tell you about the time in Alicante when I ordered a salad. The salad came looking exactly as pictured in the menu. All sorts of vegetables. Except that the attractive looking salad was merely a covering. Most of it was iceberg lettuce. 5 Euros later and feeling ripped off ... I went on to the local Burger King and ate another much more satisfying meal. I dined there frequently during my stay at Alicante. At least you know what you are getting before you put your money down.
elBulli (Catalan pronunciation: [əɫ ˈβuʎi]) was a Michelin 3-star restaurant near the town of Roses, Catalonia, Spain, run by chef Ferran Adrià. The small restaurant overlooked Cala Montjoi, a bay on Catalonia's Costa Brava, and was described as "the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet."[1] The restaurant was also associated with molecular gastronomy. The restaurant closed on July 30, 2011[2] and was reopened as a creativity centre in 2014.many considered El Bulli the worlds greatest restaurant
Does this have anything to do with the seriously critical eye roll I get when I request mayonnaise with my bocadillo or calamari fritos.On Tuesday the FDA gave the USA food industry 3 years to eliminate trans fats. Go FDA!
When I worked in Catalunya for some years I regulary stayed in Rosas .you had to reserve at least half a year in advance to be sure to get a table at el Bulli.elBulli (Catalan pronunciation: [əɫ ˈβuʎi]) was a Michelin 3-star restaurant near the town of Roses, Catalonia, Spain, run by chef Ferran Adrià. The small restaurant overlooked Cala Montjoi, a bay on Catalonia's Costa Brava, and was described as "the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet."[1] The restaurant was also associated with molecular gastronomy. The restaurant closed on July 30, 2011[2] and was reopened as a creativity centre in 2014.
There are three 3-star (Michelin) restaurants in the San Sebastian area (Basque-ish), and only two in the Barcelona area (Catalonia-ish).
(Only one in Madrid.)
Relax, my friend. The term is used loosely. On my last night in Spain (in a small town just outside Barcelona on a fiesta day) when faced with only two choices for eats; the first being a dinner at 34 euro (far more than I needed or wanted) and a chicken salad at McDonalds, I happily chose the fine dining offered by the latter.You call it "dining" at a Burger King, Mc Donalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken" .?
I have different thought about "dining" The services these "companies" offer is a direct and severe insultment to mankind. Lining up for food, paying in advance and the rubbish they sell thrown on a plastic plate and your hot drinks in a cardboard cup, covered with a plastic lid so they are'nt not responsable when you burn yourself by spilling the hot stuff that they call coffee. Over my dead body I never put one step in these degenerated way of supplying "food". Do not make me mad !
In Spain are real local restaurants . They deserve to be visited. Not that fastfood crap.
Someone needs a nap...or a happy meal....You call it "dining" at a Burger King, Mc Donalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken" .?
I have different thought about "dining" The services these "companies" offer is a direct and severe insultment to mankind. Lining up for food, paying in advance and the rubbish they sell thrown on a plastic plate and your hot drinks in a cardboard cup, covered with a plastic lid so they are'nt not responsable when you burn yourself by spilling the hot stuff that they call coffee. Over my dead body I never put one step in these degenerated way of supplying "food". Do not make me mad !
In Spain are real local restaurants . They deserve to be visited. Not that fastfood crap.
You call it "dining" at a Burger King, Mc Donalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken" .?
I have different thought about "dining" The services these "companies" offer is a direct and severe insultment to mankind. Lining up for food, paying in advance and the rubbish they sell thrown on a plastic plate and your hot drinks in a cardboard cup, covered with a plastic lid so they are'nt not responsable when you burn yourself by spilling the hot stuff that they call coffee. Over my dead body I never put one step in these degenerated way of supplying "food". Do not make me mad !
In Spain are real local restaurants . They deserve to be visited. Not that fastfood crap.
I'm not saying this to completely agree with his argument, and CERTAINLY not to agree with his tone (I loved the response that "someone needs a happy meal"!) but it is worth pointing out that placing the veggies on top in a salad is not uncommon in a lot of Europe. That doesn't excuse the fact that it may well have been a subpar salad, but it isn't necessarily fair to assume it was an attempt to "hide" that there was only lettuce underneath. In the US we tend to serve salads at restaurants pre-tossed......I've rarely seen that in Europe. They display the cherished bits on top much as a fishmonger displays his best fish.Not when you get a facade of vegatables over a pile of iceberg lettuce and get a bill for 5 euros.
.
My McDonalds chicken salad was served on a receptacle of some sort - styrofoam maybe - and I ate it with a fork, with a napkin. I think there was even Wifi.I can remember when the first McDonalds in Britain.....was proposed in the mid 70s, some of those in the press thought it would fail as no Brit would/could eat food not on a plate accompanied with cutlery.
I'm not saying this to completely agree with his argument, and CERTAINLY not to agree with his tone (I loved the response that "someone needs a happy meal"!) but it is worth pointing out that placing the veggies on top in a salad is not uncommon in a lot of Europe. That doesn't excuse the fact that it may well have been a subpar salad, but it isn't necessarily fair to assume it was an attempt to "hide" that there was only lettuce underneath. In the US we tend to serve salads at restaurants pre-tossed......I've rarely seen that in Europe. They display the cherished bits on top much as a fishmonger displays his best fish.
Relax dude, I never said the US had zero risk in bad eggs.
I consider Navarra Basque. I am far from alone in that opinion, though like most things Basque, I realize that is a contentious claim, and not really appropriate for further debate on this forum
Basque cuisine has been more influential than Catalan, though both, I would argue have been more influential than Spanish.
I don't pretend to debate. Just some facts:
- Some people (you included) consider Navarre Basque.
- Some people doesn't consider Navarre Basque.
- Some people consider Navarre has a Basque part (area) and a not-Basque part (area).
- Some people wants Navarre to join the Basque country.
- Some people doesn't want Navarre to join the Basque country.
- Spanish Constitution allows the Autonomous Community of Navarre to join the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country to form a single Autonomous Community within Spain if Navarrese people decide so in referendum.
- Right now, in Spain, the Autonomous Community of Navarre and the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country are two different Autonomous Communities.
Now, if there's anyone interested in knowing more, s/he can look by him/herself for the reasons each of the some peoples I quoted above have to sustain their point of view.
You know that's another controversial quote (mainly for the differentiation you made between Basque and Catalan on one side and Spanish on the other)... Food for thought: Do politically controversial quotes help to keep the forum free of political discussions (forum's rule 2)?
I was speaking of culture and cultural artifacts (food), not nationality.
My intent in this thread was never to incite political debate (though I think you know that too). There's no reason it needs to turn the direction you seem to want it to go.
In some countries/cultures/cultural contexts it may unwise to start a conversation about politics or about religion or about sports, and in others it may unwise to start a conversation about language or about the Euro or the European Union project as such, while religious or other political issues may be totally safe. Welcome to the cultural diversity of our big old continent.I apologize if my posts were found off-topic, bothered someone, had the opposite effect to the one I pretended (i.e.: arised discussions seen as political instead of preventing/avoiding them) and/or were trying to prevent a risk when it wasn't really necessary. In other words, I apologize if my posts were found unnecessary and/or inappropiate.
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