El boqueron made an eloquent appeal to travelers to GET IN THERE and try things. Such good advice. In Salamanca especially, where there are so many international students, I see the kids speaking English, hanging at the McD's. But the ones who walk in that bar and take a seat, who go to the little shops, who get on the bus and go to the little towns: those are the ones who have a complete experience. I know Spain well, so all this is lo normal for me. When I went to Italy, I discovered what it feels like to do those things when you know the language half-well. And it was great. SImilar to Spain, but the differences stick in my mind: the little pastery shops where you get sandwiches and beer (claro); the trattorias where everyone sits pretty much together at one long table, etc. A fun thing to do in Salamanca is check out all the bars in your neighborhood, find the one that feels comfortable to you, and go EVERYDAY for something. You will end up feeling like they are all your friends in there! rgf