Climate
Spain is famous for its number of sunny days per year. The country has four very different seasons. Spring and Fall are the best times to visit Spain.

The weather varies a lot in Spain. Even though it is true that the sun shines often, temperatures vary quite a bit from season to season. It is better to be prepared with adequate clothing for the time period when you will take the course. The following are some suggestions for choosing the clothing to bring with you on the trip:

Summer. The sun is strong in all of Spain and it is very hot during the day. However, in Alcalá and Salamanca it is a dry heat, and the temperature in the shade is pleasant. Málaga has a humid but pleasant climate with occasional sea breezes to cool you off. Since it is near the sea, you can enjoy the beach in your free time. You will need light clothing such as T-shirts, shorts, skirts, light dresses, light-weight slacks, and a jacket for some cooler evenings. Temperatures range from 25-35ºC or 77-95ºF.

Autumn. In Alcalá de Henares and Salamanca, the climate is variable. There are still sunny days but mixed with cloudy days, also with occasional rain. You will need a jacket, a raincoat, an umbrella, long sleeve shirts and some sweaters, but also some T-shirts when the sun is out. Temperatures range from 5-19ºC or 41-66ºF. Málaga has a sunny climate with warm temperatures. There may be an occasional cloudy day, but most of the time it is sunny and it hardly ever rains. You can bring T-shirts, long and short sleeve, and one or two sweaters or a light jacket. Temperatures range from 15-19 ºC or 59-66ºF.

Winter. In Alcalá de Henares and in Salamanca, the winter season is cold and it sometimes snows. You will need thick sweaters and a warm coat. Temperatures range from 2-15ºC or 35-59ºF. Málaga has a warm sunny climate. You will need Spring/Summer type clothing. Bring a jacket or sweater for when it cools down at night. Temperatures range from 12-15ºC or 54-59ºF.

Spring. In Alcalá de Henares and Salamanca, the weather varies a lot. When it rains or if it is cloudy, it is relatively cold. But if the sun shines, it can also be warm. You will need Winter/Spring type clothing. Temperatures range from 10-21ºC or 50-70ºF. Malaga is warm and sunny in Spring. You will need Spring/Summer type clothing. But don’t forget to bring a jacket or sweater for when it cools down at night. Temperatures are the same as in autumn.

Check out the weather in the majority of Spain at www.weather.com. Click on the city name that you want to know the weather about.

Currency and Money
The monetary unit is the Euro. It is possible to cash traveler’s cheques at many banks. Credit cards are widely accepted in the majority of the tourist establishments and stores. Check your currencies exchange rate with the euro at www.oanda.com/convert/classic

If this is the first time that you will travel to Spain, please read carefully the following information about the cost of living and general prices. These indications will help you to plan in advance for the amount of money you may need for your stay.

We recommend that you bring some cash for the trip and the first few days, and an international credit card, to be able to withdraw money during your stay. You can also bring travelers’ checks to exchange money at the bank.

For example, you could bring about € 90,00 for use during the trip and the first few days you are in Spain. The amount of money you will need during your program will depend on the type of course, accommodations and meal plan you have chosen. If you have chosen a Summer course, which includes the price of cultural activities and excursions, and live in a host family with full board, you will need less money overall than someone who has chosen to live in a shared student apartment and has selected a course which does not include the cost of cultural activities. We recommend that you plan for about € 60,00 per week.

Gastronomy
Spanish cuisine is known and valued throughout the world for the quality and variety of products and the wide range of dishes. Differences in climate and lifestyle make for distinct types of foods and dishes in each region. Spanish dishes reinterpreted by chefs today make Spanish cuisine one of the most interesting among international cuisine. Of special note is the arabe influence in use of fruits and vegetables, use of olive oils, and certain deserts of the southern region. Students should make sure they try the large variety of regional dishes; the Cocido Madrileño, the roast lamb and pork of Castilla y Leon, Valencian Paella and Andalusian Gazpacho are a must.

Cocido Madrileño
Without a doubt, the most typical dish in Madrid is "El Cocido". The meal comes in many varieties but is basically a wholesome stew, predominantly consisting of chick peas, cabbage, chorizo, blood sausage or pudding and vegetables, stewed in broth. Chicken, beef or pork varieties exist also. Usually, a bowl of the broth with small fideos pasta is first eaten as a soup appetizer, followed by the solids.

Andalusian cuisine
This is the land of the grape and olive, olive oils are produced here and particular grapes with a distinct flavor make the genuine jerez (sherry) of the region. There is an exotic Arab influence to the cuisine, especially the desserts that use almonds, figs, and egg yolks, like the tocino de cielo, a toffee caramel-rich custard.
Tapas are a tradition in Andalusia, and the little banderillas of skewered meats or tidbits. They make the traditional tortilla española, with onion. They use sherry for cooking too, and other very important wines like fino or amontillado are used in cooking or enjoyed cold on a warm sunny terrace in the afternoon.
Gazpacho comes from the Arabs and is a classic cold soup made with tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlis, salt and extra virgin olive oil. There are endless other variations.
In Andalusia tiny fish are enjoyed as an appetizer, tapa or quick snack. Boquerones are anchovies, small silvery fish, and are delicious eaten fresh or marinated in vinager. Floured and fried boquerones, pinched together at the tails in little bouquets, accompany a vegetable pasta dish known as Fideos a la Malagueña. Other information about Malaga gastronomy.

Paellas, Valencian in origin
Although Valencian in origin, paella is often thought of as the most typical Spanish dish and no visit to Spain is complete without tasting it. Paella may follow a traditional recipe, but it comes in many variations. If the ingredients are too diverse to single out individually it is simply called Paella mixta, a combination of rice cooked with seafood, chicken, chorizo - a type of spicy sausage - and vegetables in a saffron broth. Paella a la marinera combines rice with seafood, Paella a la Valencia is prepared with rabbit, snails and broad beans, while Paella huertana is a vegetarian version. Other rice-based dishes are simply called Arroz (rice) followed by the main ingredient such as chicken - Arroz con pollo - or flavored with squid ink - Arroz negro. Paella is cooked in a wide, flat pan called a paellera, and is usually prepared for two or more people.

Cantabria and Asturias
Apple cider many years ago became the preferred drink in this region. Drinking Sidra, a natural fermented cider, becomes almost a ritual. Small groups gather in chiges, the cider-making equivalent to a bodega, to share a glass. The escanciador, is the master in charge of the pouring, who must pour from the bottle held high above his head into a large glass held near his knees. Only enough for a good swallow is poured and the first person drinks this leaving just enough to swill over the rim of the glass to rinse it before handing it back to be refilled and passed on.
It is also a dairy area, because of the unique milk that comes from the cows that are fattened on the grassy areas of the Picos de Europa. There are famous desserts such as arroz con leche, a cream-rich milk rice pudding, Spain's best butter -mantequilla , and queso de Cabrales made with a mixture of cow, sheep and goat milk, creating a soft creamy cheese which is wrapped in chestnut leaves and stored in humid caves.
Fabada is the most important dish in Asturias.
Beans and sausage are popular in this area, and both are in the fabada, large dried white butter beans cooked with chorizo, tocino, bacon and morcilla.If you prefer something lighter like fish, the rocky, coastline of Asturias is abundant with tuna, hake, shrimp and prawns. Caldereta is a hodgepodge of shellfish and fish, a soup-stew mixture of wonderful aromas, textures and flavors. Fabes con almejas is a delicious stew of beans with clams.

Castilla and León
The area of Old Castilla, up to Madrid, is countryside with massive castles, majestic cathedrals and ancient fortifications dating to Roman times. It is known as the zona de los asados, an area known for roast lamb and pork. Baby lambs and suckling pigs are split lenghtwise and roasted in a big brick oven, and served with white potatoes, and crusty white bread. The best place is in Segovia, in the village of Sepúlveda, but is also well prepared in Salamanca.
There is also famous the charcutería industry, the cheese from the North, the morcilla from León (blood sausage with onions), or from Burgos (blood sausage with rice), the Chorizo de Salamanca, good jamón serrano (cured ham).
The Hornazo is a round bread with cured ham, chorizo and morcilla baked inside, typically made around Easter time in Salamanca.
A cooking tecnique introduced by the Moors is escabeche, a marinade that partially cooks and pickles chicken.
There is also a special cocido from this region, called cocido maragato, similar to Madrid, but served in a different way.

Galicia
Galicia, in Spain's northwest has a spectacular coastline that provides a secluded habitat for a variety of delectable crustaceans, fish and shellfish. The fan-shaped sea scallop, called vieira, or the pilgrim's shell, are sweet and plump; they may be eaten straight from the water with a squeeze of lemon, or baked on their shells in a splash of local Albariño wine, from the Rís Baixas, or with a coating of crumbs and spices. The fabulous percebes and oysters are prized too.
Pulpo a la gallega, is octopus, beaten and boiled to tenderize, sliced and dressed with oil and paprika. Served with cachelos, galician potatoes.
Lacon con grelos, cured pork shoulder -lacón- slow cooked with grelos -the bitter greens of young turnip plants.
Empanada gallega is a pastry pie. The pastry is a yeast-risen dough that wraps around layers of sliced meat, peppers and tomato.
Because of the hard cold winters, galician food is warm comfort food, served in the pot in such dishes as pote gallego, a chunky stew of chorizo and morcilla, root vegetable, white beans and tangy greens.
At the end of a meal, you move from wines to aguardiente, a potent grape liqueur that at times is flamed in a pottery bowl and called queimada or "witch's brew".

TOP

Eating in Spain - Dining Customs
Breakfast - el desayuno
This meal is often eaten in a bar or café at mid-morning and many people have little more than a coffee and a sweet roll or croisant for breakfast. Freshly squeezed orange juice is also popular and widely available and don’t be surprized when they serve it with a packet of sugar. In family homes breakfast consists of coffee, or chocolate milk or milk for children, accompanied by cookies, magdalenas, toast or rolls. Many students take advantage of the morning break to have a “second breakfast” in a nearby cafeteria, as lunch is served quite late in comparison to other countries. Possibly the most traditional Spanish breakfast is “churros” or “porras” with thick hot chocolate. Have these fried donut-like goodies freshly deep fried in the early morning. If you prefer a more substantial breakfast you can try a “pincho de tortilla”, a “Sandwich mixto” or a “mixto con huevo”

Lunch - la comida
Eaten between 1:30 and 16:00, it may be more appropriate to call this meal “dinner”, as it is the principal meal of the day for many Spaniards. Virtually all restaurants offer a lunch time “menu” which is usually a much better value than an a la carte selection and they can include excellent dishes. A “menu” is usually a three course meal, with 2 or 3 choices for each course. And generally includes bread and an inexpensive wine or other beverage.
The first course can be as light as a bowl of soup or a salad, or as hearty as a bowl of lentils with chorizo. The second course will probably be selection between fish and meat or poultry. Desert will often be a choice of fruit or some sort of pudding or cake. The wine included with the price of the meal will almost never be of the finer variety, and it is often mixed with 'casera' or 'gaseosa', a sweet, carbonated drink. Of course it is possible to pay more and get a better quality bottle. It is not uncommon to follow lunch by a siesta.

Evening Meal - la cena
Spaniards eat the evening meal quite late in comparison to other countries - anywhere from 9.00 to 11.00 is reasonable, particularly in the summer and on weekends. While some people have a full meal at dinner many have a only light meal, which might consist of a few tapas, or just a salad with soup or a sandwich or “bocadillo”.
Eat well, inexpensively
Spain has a lot to offer for those wishing to eat well without spending a lot of money. There are a few tips to follow. Try and eat 'typical' food. As mentioned before, it's best to have a more filling meal at lunch, choosing from the variety of small restaurants offering the lunch time 'menu'. Seafood is less expensive, and often fresher than in other European countries, in fact, Spain is the second biggest per capita seafood eating country, after Japan. Sit-down meals are usually more expensive at supper than at lunch. It may be more economical to eat tapas for dinner, which are usually accompanied by a glass of wine or a caña (glass of beer). Tapas also offer you a means of trying a large variety of Spanish foods and flavors, without spending a fortune. Just about any type of Spanish food comes in the form of tapas, and as such it's a very good way to go about trying the huge variety of Spanish dishes. Don't worry if you don't understand the menu, most tapas bars have the items on display at the bar so you can simply point at what looks appealing to you.