We leave for Madrid on 1/18 and are looking forward to churros and hot chocolate. It has been over 30 years since I was last in Spain, but back then we were advised not to drink milk there. I take it from postings here @ MM that things have changed and its ok. Is that so?

And while I'm at it...what about eating beef in Spain? Is it safe with all we've read about mad cow disease in Europe?

Thanks for the advice.

El Viejo,
Milk is definitely safe now, unless of course, the mad cow disease would have some sort of impact on that -- which, like with the beef itself, I don't know. About the hot chocolate there was a post recently about places in Madrid with really good chocolate, so you might want to check that out.
Enjoy!

The milk's fine and the beef's OK too. This mad cow scare has got out of hand. Spain has no cases of the human form (as far as I know)and the agent does not appear in beef or steak (ie. in cuts of meat).

It makes me very sad when people (sometimes because of ignorance) say the milk, water or other stuff, is not good in Spain. I feel like they think Spain is a third world country. You can eat anything there because it has to pass quality controls. If you can buy it is because it is safe. So enjoy your chocolate con churros and have a nice beef steak!
Nuria

Nuria, Please forgive me if I seemed insensitive to the people of Spain. Your posting was correct when you wrote the such things are asked in "ignorance." When I was a child(over 40 years ago), we spent 4 years in Madrid. I developed a deep love and respect for the Spanish people. I meant no disrespect in any way. So, if my question troubled you or anyone else, please forgive me. I was simply an uninformed American trying to do the right thing.

Way back in the 50s and 60s, when I first went to Spain, there was in fact the need to be cautious. It was not unusual to find a few cows locked into a shack, with nothing to do but be milked occasionally. The risk of TB was there if you drank that stuff. But milk has always been a available in bottles from reputable suppliers, and I never experienced any problems with it. Ditto water. One need not fear the water in the large cities. If there was anything wrong with it, you'd see people dying in the streets. But you don't.

In the boonies, you can always buy bottled water if you don't trust the local stuff. Or stick to drinking beer. That does become a problems at toothbrushing time, however.

As far as Madrid goes, life there is no more perilous to your health than life in any similarly large city. Except that being in Madrid is usually more fun.
Cantabene

All travelers think the water/food/air isn't safe/good where they are going (or they suspect). And sometimes it isn't! And lots of times it isn't at home, either. However, here's a fact. Food-borne illness and food poisoning is always a possibility when you travel (or eat at a restaurant, etc), everywhere. I had a nasty case in Sevilla. It's just part of the risk of dealing with many people handing many foods. So it isn't the milk or water that will get you, it is the bacteria and virus material contaminating food/drink. SOme precautions help, but mostly it is luck, time, proper care if you get hit, etc. I consider "toledo tummy" a normal risk of travel (just travel can induce upsets of all sorts), and I deal. Hope you have good luck!

Much of the information tourists get about the water is from Camareros in restaurants. They prefer to sell bottled water (which may not be as good and pure as Madrid water, for example), so they caution tourists about the local water.

Back in the 60's, buying bulk milk from a neighborhood dairy used to be a risk. I don't know if those 1-or-2 cow operations still exist. And, I apologize to Nuria for the implication, but Ice in soft drinks was risky. Sanitation has improved much since then, but I still don't take ice in my soft drinks.

ElViejo, please don't feel bad, I didn't mean to say that I am sad for what you said . it is not your words the one that I complain about, you are just trying to inform yourself. What it makes me sad is when people afirm without a doubt that you shouldn't drink or eat some things in Spain. I remember that one of my co-workers said once that the hamburgers that we eat in Europe are made with horse meat. and he said this without a doubt (he thought that I was Mexican and I wouldn't desagree) The thing is that if I am from a different country, and I hear something like that I would believe it.
sorry if I made you feel bad, I didn't mean it. Are you still going to have your chocolate con churros?

Nuria,

Gracias para las pelabaras buenas. No hablo espanol bastante, pero voy a Madrid el miercoles. Y claro que si...voy a comer churros y chocolate tambien! Viva Espana!