frmikeminn said:
culture, food and wine's a bit...
I was lucky enough to have some Spanish folks take me under their wing for the Galician part of the Camino, right up into Santiago (which is probably the best way to learn and get an "in" to the local culture). Here are a couple of pointers that I took away from them, along with other bits of trivia:
When you head into Galicia, make sure you get into seafood, particularly pulpo (octopus). Along with that, try crab, clams, and fish in general (Santiago has some great stuff to offer the palate here: Cafe/Restaurante Casa Manolo, O Beiro Vinoteca, and Casa Camilo). Pair it up with some of Spain's white wines, and you'll be in heaven.
Take some time to learn some Spanish wine facts, such as terms like "Reserva" and "Crianza," that have to do with the vino preparation and aging process, vintages, wineries, and so on.
In general, try straying from the pilgrim menus (which tend to get monotonous after awhile) and hit restaurants where the locals gather. Play with the menu and try plenty of tapas dishes and local wines accordingly.
When you hit Logrono, you'll be at the gateway to Rioja wine country. There are lots of vino stores in Logrono. I spent an extra day there, and when I left the city I took a half-bottle of red from the 82 or 83 vintage, which was supposed to be great. Despite my mangling the cork, it tasted muy bueno with breakfast on the trail.
There are two streets in Logrono that are famous for their foods - a stylish gal working at the Planeta Agua outdoor store (a good place to stop for Camino supplies) steered me towards them. I can't remember what they are off the top of my head - if I find them in my notes, I'll post them. If not, you can always find them out when you get there.
Speaking of wines, Rioja always seems to get the big press. But the wines from other regions are worth trying as well. For example, the region around Leon is an up-and-coming wine area, so when you get there, try some of their offerings (and there's an underground restaurant near Leon called Cueva San Simon that's to die for - check
http://www.cuevasansimon.com for more info).
I also recommend you give orujo de hierbas a go, particularly after dinner. Folks drink it to help digestion and as a cap to a good meal. Just be careful - it's high in alcohol content, so too much can send you for a loop (hehe).
In colder areas, mixing booze and coffee helps to stave off the chills. I used cafe con cognac (which I first saw combined in a bar right before Logrono) to bolster myself for the cold, rainy, and windy climb up to O'Cebreiro (which, by the way, is supposed to have a great restaurant for pulpo) and down the other side.
All of this will be helped by learning as much Spanish as you can - or at least making the effort to do so, especially as it relates to interpersonal stuff and cuisine. The locals like it when you at least try to speak Spanish.
Note that the usual dinner meal (vs. pilgrim dinnertime) in Spain doesn't get kicking until around 9-10PM or so. If you eat earlier than that (as I did much of the time), you'll be mostly on your own. Keep that in mind depending on the experience you're looking for - solitude or lots of company.
And last, but not least, there's a Pizza Hut in Burgos! Yeah, baby!! :lol: :arrow: