not nightowls
 

Hi - We are going to Spain in mid-June and are really looking forward to seeing the sights, eating great food etc. However, we are traveling with a 12 yr old and also we're not used to really late nights. Any tips on how to enjoy what Spain has to offer without staying out until the wee hours?

My suggestion would be to use the lunch hour as your main "dinner" meal, then go to a tapas bar for a light meal at the dinner hour. As you probably know, most restaurants open late in the evening for dinner in Spain. The tapas bars are open early, and you could, in fact, make more than a complete meal, splitting a bunch of them among you, and the 12 year old will find a variety of little foods that he or she will love.

In Spain, as is true for much of the Northern hemisphere, the sun won't set until close to 10 pm, and surely your twelve year old won't be looking to go to bed before it gets dark.<BR><BR>It's true that many restaurants won't open until 10 pm - - but that's not universally true. And try having meals with this European variation: pack in a full morning of activities with a light breakfast - - like at a churreria - - you'll be ready for your main meal of the day around 1 or 2 pm and eat plenty. Then take a light break (or an outright siesta) and enjoy the rest of your touristic day from 4 to 9. Somewhere along the way buy what you need for a lighter picnic-style supper. Maybe you eat it in your room or in a park or other public people-watching spot.<BR><BR>Nothing wrong with going to bed at 10:30 or 11 after that.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

up. for Julie<BR>

shannon has the right idea. big lunch around 2 or 3 pm and then tapas for dinner. my daughters were not "experimental" with their food choices when we went to spain and they loved the tapas b/c they could pick at different things. this will cut down on potential whines!

I just returned from Spain and not being a tapas lover I ate regular meals at regular times and was not alone in doing so. While it is true that many people were out walking and eating late I was not comfortable with that and never felt out of place.