I think the reference is that the Basque name for tapas is pintxos. Yes, they are the same thing, but the regional name is different and when in Basque country you should ask for them by the Basque name. Of course some Basque pintxos may also be variations of the tapas of other regions of Spain.

How do you pronounce pintxos?

pin tshoosh

tahnk you Lobo- hope all is well w/ the family.

Everything 120%. We miss that end of dinner in Manhattan around a coffee table (yes, I mean saudades). Next time you or your friend are in this side of the world, please let us know.

Lobo, this is the portuguese pronunciation of pintxos ? LOL
Glad to read you're doing OK :)

Kendy, there are no pintxos in Portugal. I was trying to remember as they say it in Barcelona. If I failed, please correct me.

No, it's OK !! I was joking because I know there are no pintxos in Portugal ;)

pintxos are the bits of stuff on the bits of bread and tapas are the portions or things, like a bit of jamón ibérico. innit?

I love Spain! I find the countryside fascinating in its diverse landscapes, and the cities magical. I think Barcelona is exotic and truly unique, Seville glorious. The streets are lined with orange trees--we don't have that in Spokane! I mean I love them all--Toledo, Avila, Segovia, Ronda, Cuenca, Sevilla, Madrid, and anywhere else I visited but forgot to mention. With the richness of its architecture and the variety of its landscapes, Spain ranks among my top two or three destinations in Europe.

I too had some difficulty adjusting to the hours for meals, but I could always find something, even if I had to resort to Mickey D's a couple of times. Tapas are always an option, and there's no law against having an apple and some cheese in your room.

After reading mikelg's comments, I think I need to include a jaunt to the north the next time I visit. I'd hoped to do a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, but I need to make some changes in my physical being before I would be ready to do that.

Having said all that, I must respond to the tone of the posters who are criticizing Parrothead for his/her negative comments about Spain. I suspect that it's the anonymity of a board like this that persuades posters that they can be nasty to someone whose post doesn't reflect their own views.

Let me clarify the difference between tapas, pintxos and raciones:

- Tapas: they usually are offered for free, mostly in southern Spain, when you order a drink in a bar. They may be a piece of something with bread, or many times a small portion of something previously cooked (artichokes with ham, mushrooms, meatballs, fried fish, cold tuna salad,...), taken from pans in the counter. In most cases, they are complimentary.

- Raciones: these you pay for, and many times they consist of tapas but in bigger portions. You usually share them (you don´t normally order a ración for yourself) and put them all in the middle of the table. You may have one for two or three people per bar.

- Pintxos (or pinchos): You find them in the Basque Country, basically, although also in other parts of Northern Spain. There are two kinds: those that you help yourself to them (1, 2, 3...) or those made right away. The most renown ones are small pieces of haute cuisine, miniaturized. Also, for the most simple ones you find small iberic ham sandwiches (in Spanish bread), or tortilla de patatas, or some spicy ones...check www.todopintxos.com, available in English. You have one or two per bar, along with a small drink (half a beer, a glass of wine, natural cider,...). And you pay for them, in a system always based in honor (you tell the barman how many you´ve had, and he will always believe you).

Hope this helps.

I'm going to give Parrothead the benefit of the doubt as a seasoned traveler, but I grinned at the handle -implying that he'd be happier in Key West (I suppose my own handle would suggest that I would prefer to travel alone and that's certainly not the case!). I wonder if the language issue - and particularly the rareity of fluent English-speakers - is one reason for some neutral, or negative, impressions of Spain. The other flag, for me anyway, is when a foreign vacation is spent looking through a windshield. It's a necessity in Provence, as discussed here daily, but rarely necessary in Spain unless you're venturing off the beaten path in Andalucia, or driving the coast below Barcelona. I get a completely different sense of immersion when riding rails or bus through the countryside.

As to mealtimes, siesta hours, what exactly constitutes a 'desayuno completo', I understand your aggravation. My daughter was living in Madrid when we visited and artfully steered us around many of the pitfalls that you mentioned - understanding that it is those peculiarities which also give the country its unique flavor.

And don't forget the frustration Spaniards would feel in many a US city where there is nothing to eat after 10:00 - except at the I-Hop.

Mikel, your explanation makes me hungry for a sampling of great pintxos in Donostia or Bilbo, even though we just had some great pintxos at Joseba's Harvest Vine in Seattle Sunday evening.

Robert, it´ll be a real pleasure to meet you here and take you to some places you (probably) don´t know, for great pintxos.

tomassocroccante, you are right. In New England, latest hour DW and I could sit to dine and be served was at five to 8,00PM, to eat lobster with milk, Coke, water or cold tea, no beer or white wine....It was upsetting to have the waiter standing and sneezing near us, waiting for us to finish.

Everytime I see this thread lately, I'm picturing a thin slice of large salami over the top of a glass of white wine!!

Same here. If I had seen this thread before I picked my ComfyShoes ID (that I picked because I was looking for travels and shoes), I may have used pintxos. Although, given lobo's post, U.S. posters would have started calling me "pin" for "pin tshoosh"!

Josele, At IHOP, you can also get diet pepper. Just kidding :)

Oops! "Dr" Pepper. That tells you how often I drink it.

I'll be visiting Sevilla in December. Problem - I am not allowed to drink alcohol due to medicines. What can I order as a drink and would I be able to get tapas along with my drink?