Help planning Spain/Portugal Itinerary
Apr 14th, 2010, 10:49 PM
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HappyTrvlr: Unfortunately I am a tourist LOL. My wife loves Santorini. We do have 8 days though, any suggestions are appreciated.
ribeirasacra you sound pissed off: LOL You from Spain or something? Sorry you wasted your time, perhaps stop commenting on threads then. I always comment to help people, not to utilize my time wisely! The only one that really wasted his time and $$$ was me.
I got to see lots of Spain in the last week. I just decided I am ready for a change of scenery, both in culture and food! No one feels more sad about that than me. I anticipate Spain to be a dream, but it has not lived up to my expectations. But I believe in cutting losses when you know its time. Welch I will be in touch.
ribeirasacra you sound pissed off: LOL You from Spain or something? Sorry you wasted your time, perhaps stop commenting on threads then. I always comment to help people, not to utilize my time wisely! The only one that really wasted his time and $$$ was me.
I got to see lots of Spain in the last week. I just decided I am ready for a change of scenery, both in culture and food! No one feels more sad about that than me. I anticipate Spain to be a dream, but it has not lived up to my expectations. But I believe in cutting losses when you know its time. Welch I will be in touch.
Apr 20th, 2010, 06:52 AM
#42
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,934
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jayc,
Read your blog on www.tastytravels.ca.
Just a couple of comments. I'm not a corrida fan, and I'm not inviting to a lenghty debate about the subject. But I know from personal experience that this is least of all a bravado show for tourists who happen to pass by and know absolutely nothing about what they're about to see. It has nothing whatever to do with if the bull "had a chance" or not, even though the english word "bullfighting" might suggest that.
It also seems as if you were unlucky with the food experiences in Madrid, Toledo and Sevilla. I know Madrid and Sevilla enough to say that you should have had every opportunity in the world to find those great "hole-in-the-wall" food experiences you ask for in these cities. Think you have opted for too much italian, japanese and platos combinados. The more touristy places can also be totally uninteresting. If you ever go back, these sites would give good recommendations.
A beginning in Madrid: http://tapastalk.wordpress.com/tapas-bars/
Great site about the excellent tapas scene in Sevilla:
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/
A couple of spesific suggestions:
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/category/eslava/
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...rique-becerra/
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...ceria-giralda/
Also a pity that Elkano in Getaria was closed, but it is only the most famous and most expensive of several other top class seafood restaurants in the harbour area.
Seems as if you came out on the wrong foot, hope you will give things a second chance.
Best,
Kim
Read your blog on www.tastytravels.ca.
Just a couple of comments. I'm not a corrida fan, and I'm not inviting to a lenghty debate about the subject. But I know from personal experience that this is least of all a bravado show for tourists who happen to pass by and know absolutely nothing about what they're about to see. It has nothing whatever to do with if the bull "had a chance" or not, even though the english word "bullfighting" might suggest that.
It also seems as if you were unlucky with the food experiences in Madrid, Toledo and Sevilla. I know Madrid and Sevilla enough to say that you should have had every opportunity in the world to find those great "hole-in-the-wall" food experiences you ask for in these cities. Think you have opted for too much italian, japanese and platos combinados. The more touristy places can also be totally uninteresting. If you ever go back, these sites would give good recommendations.
A beginning in Madrid: http://tapastalk.wordpress.com/tapas-bars/
Great site about the excellent tapas scene in Sevilla:
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/
A couple of spesific suggestions:
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/category/eslava/
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...rique-becerra/
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...ceria-giralda/
Also a pity that Elkano in Getaria was closed, but it is only the most famous and most expensive of several other top class seafood restaurants in the harbour area.
Seems as if you came out on the wrong foot, hope you will give things a second chance.
Best,
Kim
Apr 20th, 2010, 07:26 AM
#43
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I also checked out your blog post, and I just don't get it. I understand not liking a place, but I had such a different experience.
I did experience a language barrier more so than anywhere else I have traveled, but I did not have the negative experience you had. And with tapas, you just point, so language skills were not a barrier. The food was the biggest revelation to me. I found hole in the wall places plentiful--especially if you get out of the tourist areas.
The Mexico comparison really does not help your case. No country is beautiful in every aspect, but there are some simply stunning places in Spain that you would have found had you persevered. And how could you not know what to expect at a corrida?
I'm sure you learned lessons about traveling and that will be what remains, instead of a bad taste about Spain.
Happy Travels
I did experience a language barrier more so than anywhere else I have traveled, but I did not have the negative experience you had. And with tapas, you just point, so language skills were not a barrier. The food was the biggest revelation to me. I found hole in the wall places plentiful--especially if you get out of the tourist areas.
The Mexico comparison really does not help your case. No country is beautiful in every aspect, but there are some simply stunning places in Spain that you would have found had you persevered. And how could you not know what to expect at a corrida?
I'm sure you learned lessons about traveling and that will be what remains, instead of a bad taste about Spain.
Happy Travels
Apr 20th, 2010, 07:45 AM
#44
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I´m a local from the BAsque Country and have read your blog. Your opinions on food coming from a chef are quite astonishing. You may not have been lucky with the restaurants you´ve been to, but having ITALIAN food in Toledo? Japanese in Seville?? It just doesn´t make sense.
And what has Mexico in common with Spain? Almost NOTHING, what has Australia in common with the US? NYC with Nebraska? I just don´t see the comparison.
The corrida: not a bullfight fan and not much interested, but you have understood little of it. Like going to the opera and saying that you liked the acting but why those guys sing so much? Bullfights have a "tempo", its own rites, and you can´t just sit and watch understanding nothing. It´s just not like that, sorry.
Food: you never looked for the right restaurants. Tapas and daily menus, or tourist menus. What did you expect? And following Lonely Planet recommendations just doesn´t seem the right thing to do.
Sorry, but I don´t feel that your opinions are suitable for someone coming to Spain for the first time. Of course it´s your opinion and I must respect it, but it seems you got everything wrong from the very beginning, starting by your attitude...
In any case, better luck next time!!
And what has Mexico in common with Spain? Almost NOTHING, what has Australia in common with the US? NYC with Nebraska? I just don´t see the comparison.
The corrida: not a bullfight fan and not much interested, but you have understood little of it. Like going to the opera and saying that you liked the acting but why those guys sing so much? Bullfights have a "tempo", its own rites, and you can´t just sit and watch understanding nothing. It´s just not like that, sorry.
Food: you never looked for the right restaurants. Tapas and daily menus, or tourist menus. What did you expect? And following Lonely Planet recommendations just doesn´t seem the right thing to do.
Sorry, but I don´t feel that your opinions are suitable for someone coming to Spain for the first time. Of course it´s your opinion and I must respect it, but it seems you got everything wrong from the very beginning, starting by your attitude...
In any case, better luck next time!!
Apr 28th, 2010, 03:52 AM
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
mikelg,
We just got back from Barcelona and it was fantastic. Perhaps I had some bad luck in the South and North but it seemed like we couldn't go wrong in Barcelona. Great restaurant after great restaurant. I have concluded that traditional Spanish cuisine is to be frank, bland. It is just my opinion.
I agree that first timers to Spain should not heed my advice and feel free to experience it for themselves.
We just got back from Barcelona and it was fantastic. Perhaps I had some bad luck in the South and North but it seemed like we couldn't go wrong in Barcelona. Great restaurant after great restaurant. I have concluded that traditional Spanish cuisine is to be frank, bland. It is just my opinion.
I agree that first timers to Spain should not heed my advice and feel free to experience it for themselves.
Apr 28th, 2010, 03:55 AM
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And also mikelg, I did nothing but look for restaurants, high and low, using Tripadvisor, Fodors, Frommers etc. all yielding quality in all the other places I have travelled. I really wanted to love the food in Spain, just didn't. I hope to meet a local there one day that can change my mind.
Apr 28th, 2010, 04:04 AM
#47
My opinion is what 'jayc' said, 'I agree that first timers to Spain should not heed my advice'. For me , all of Spain is wonderfull. The food is very good and the people are lovely. Richard P.S To repeat a web site previously posted, See Maribels guides for good downloads of information. www.maribelsguides.com
Apr 28th, 2010, 04:27 AM
#48
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We had some lovely meals in Spain--I think it's a matter of personal taste. I don't care for most Southeast Asian food, but that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it or that it's "bad" food--all it means is that I don't like it very much.
We enjoyed very much tapas bar hopping and schmoozing with the people we met while doing so. Gave us a chance to sample many different dishes before dinner at 11 or so--some dishes we liked, some we didn't. But that's true of any nation's cuisine.
We enjoyed very much tapas bar hopping and schmoozing with the people we met while doing so. Gave us a chance to sample many different dishes before dinner at 11 or so--some dishes we liked, some we didn't. But that's true of any nation's cuisine.
Apr 28th, 2010, 05:34 AM
#49
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 60,892
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interestingly on the San Pelligrino list of the top restaurants in the world http://www.theworlds50best.com/ 4 of the top 10 are in Spain, two of the top 4 are Catalan.
Apr 30th, 2010, 02:34 AM
#51
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Food is a religion for us. I´d say it´s OUR religion. Men gather in "txokos", private places with a kitchen and a table just to cook, for hours. We love GOOD food...so it´s a surprise when someone feels this is not the right place for a nice meal.
Apr 30th, 2010, 09:16 AM
#52
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mike I was also astonished by this guys posting...he visited what I would suggest is a small amount of locations in Spain, just could not find anything, so went off to Greece.
You do not need Michelin earth food restaurants to discover the delights of local food either.
You do not need Michelin earth food restaurants to discover the delights of local food either.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
teacherCanada
Europe
15
Dec 14th, 2010 05:58 PM
