The third international Spanish language conference (III Congreso Internacional del Español), taking place this year in Salamanca from June 26 – 28, promises to offer participants the valuable opportunity to make contacts with employers in fields related to Spanish. Conference organizers assert that Spanish is becoming a catalyst for a “cultural industry”, and this event provides a forum for exploring the latest research, news and trends related to Spanish as it is used and taught around the world. Salamanca’s counselor of culture and tourism has confirmed that over 500 people from nearly 40 different countries have already registered to attend the conference.

The conference’s website features a section entitled “area de ofertas de empleo” that is of particular interest to job seekers looking for work in fields that require Spanish skills such as teaching and translating. The section lists over 100 jobs offers from countries around the world including the US, India, and Australia.

A full program of events are lined up for the three day conference which includes lectures and round table discussions on second language acquisition and learning Spanish. A special focus will be placed on how new technology is affecting the field of teaching with talks on subjects like the use of digital books, wikis and interactive whiteboards. Maria Angeles Mayor from the University of Salamanca’s psychology department will also present teaching material for children.  The Association of Castile and Leon Schools will put on a workshop entitled how to organize a study abroad program in Castile and Leon.  Events are also scheduled to discuss the way Spanish as a foreign language education is developing in other countries such as Kenya, Brazil and Germany.

Information on accommodation options for those interested in attending the conference is also available on the website. The conference itself will take place at Salamanca’s Palacio de Congresos. This is the third edition of the conference which is put on by the junta de Castilla y León with special participation from the Cervantes Institute. Earlier editions were held in 2008 and 2010.

Spanish studies in Salamanca

The city of Salamanca has a long-standing tradition of attracting Spanish language students from around the world given its lively university atmosphere and rich historical scenery. The Universidad de Salamanca was founded in 1218, making it Spain’s oldest university and one of the oldest in Europe. Moreover, the Spanish spoken here is known as being one of the country’s most standard varieties of the language. The city is an engaging vacation destination and an ideal setting for an international conference of this type.

The Third International Spanish Language conference is an exciting opportunity for anyone interesting in networking with international professionals to broaden their career possibilities and gaining valuable insight into the latest research, methods and approaches in fields related to Spanish.    

So, you are travelling to Spain, the land of beautiful culture and lovely people. While your trip might give you butterflies in the stomach, the very idea of eating in Spain might not appeal to your vegetarian tastes. Of course, it isn’t impossible to find something to eat in a land known for its ham and meat. Nothing spoils a trip more than food that is below par. Worry not, because, contrary to popular belief, Spain is also the land of hidden delights for vegetarians.

Madrid, Seville, Granada, and Barcelona must be your top spots to visit. Fortunately, these are also the places where you can find good vegetarian restaurants to make your trip even more enjoyable. 

Madrid

The city of Madrid is breath-taking with its adrenaline charged bullfighting and the picturesque Manzanares River. The food isn’t far behind either. Here are some restaurants vegetarians should watch out for: 

1. La Isla Del Tesoro, Bilbao – Walking into this restaurant is like walking into your dream garden and having lunch in it. There is a lot of variety for vegetarians to choose from. One of the favourites is the “Jungle Burger” but that isn’t quite the most surprising item in the great menu. They take a national cuisine as their theme every day and centre their menu around it, which makes every day a surprise.

2. Restaurante Vega Viana, Chueca – Gorge on zucchini burritos that come with Manchengo cheese and carrot croquettes that are served with yoghurt cream and sultanas. The menu is in English, and it has options for your carnivore eating friends as well.

3. El Estragón, La Latina - Every vegetarian tourist swears by this restaurant and it is, undoubtedly, one of the best vegetarian places in Madrid to eat. Another great thing is the affordability of the restaurant that makes matters even better. They do use butter in their dishes, though, so vegans might need to ask if they can cook them in oil.

Barcelona

This colourful city and the gentle Mediterranean are slowly embracing vegetarian food. The little vegetarian places cropping up everywhere are an indication. There are a lot of fun options for you to explore here: 

1. La Bascula – This eco restaurant uses everything organic, from its juices to its food. The eating utensils and plates are bio degradable. The food is to die for as the desserts are homemade and the meals are immensely satisfying. 

2. Teresa Carles – It’s like walking into New York with its wooden tables and neat interiors. The restaurant has a huge variety for vegetarians as well as the meat eaters if you are in a group and the food is traditional and tasty. 

3. Vegetalia – This place is calm and when you’re in it, you want to do nothing but quietly sip your smoothie while standing on the terrace. However, if you do have time, the food is great and exotic. The vegetable paella has many fans and the tofu tempura is delicious as well. 

Granada

The weather is lovely here, and the mood is forever hippie. Just lay back and enjoy the small and lazy city with its gorgeous food. Most restaurants have options for both vegetarians and Vegans, and here are a few places to look out for: 

1. HICURI – A fully Vegetarian restaurant. There are also options for vegans on the menu. You can choose from the prix fixe and a-la-carte options. It is prudent for tourists working on a tight budget to choose prix fixe and their lasagne is a speciality. Beer and Tapa dishes combined are €1.80.  The cream soup and chocolate cake are a favourite for everyone and you should definitely try them. 

2. Muglia II – Are you missing Indian food in Spain? This restaurant serves authentic Naan and Indian curry for Indian food lovers who appreciate the spice palate. Even foodies who know Indian food appreciate this place for its great meals.

3. Hannigan & Sons – This is a nice Irish pub and you can hang out here with your friends and sip on an ice cold beer, or try their Veggie burger with fries, which is filling and delicious. For a list of vegetarian beers in Spain visit here.

Seville

You’ll find quite a few nice places here: 

1. Almanara Restaurant – The décor at this place is minimalistic and the food is anything but that. Treat your taste buds with gorgeous and fresh dishes and have generous helpings of goat cheese. 

2. Gaia Restaurant – The food used is organic and there are options for vegans. You must try the hummus and the cream tomato soup if you visit this place.

Knowing a few good vegetarian places to eat might make your trip better, if you would like to find more restaurants across Spain you can also use Happy Cow; they have a huge database of Vegetarian and vegan eateries.  Enjoy in Spain, the place that taught the world how to have fun and if you are a Vegetarian in Spain and want to venture out to a new country see these Vegetarian options around the world.

Preeti Vadgama is a lifelong Vegetarian who likes to write about the best Vegetarian places to eat around the world. She works for HostelBookers.com in London.

Protecting biodiversity

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization created the world network of biospheres program in the 1970’s to reduce the loss of Earth’s biodiversity. The program focuses on selecting places where local communities interact closely with the environment to adopt sustainable development practices. Sites designated as biosphere reserves serve as models for other communities in implementing innovative approaches to conserving biological and cultural diversity. There are currently 621 reserves located around the world.

Spain is unique in that its physical space is relatively small compared to the other countries listed as having the most biosphere reserves. Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area and the US is the fourth largest while Spain ranks 52^nd. The high density of areas in Spain recognized by UNESCO’s MaB program as “sites of excellence” for managing natural and human activity attests to the rich diversity of carefully conserved biological landscapes there. Its vast lands of protected wildlife make Spain an ideal destination for ecotourism, where visitors can experience life in peaceful rural destinations and gain personal insight into these communities’ successful partnerships with nature.

Spain’s 3 new UNESCO biosphere reserves

Terres de l’Ebre in Tarragona is on the northeast coast of Spain. About 190,000 people live in this area, which features numerous coastal and inland ecosystems. Energy technology from wind, water and solar sources has also been developed here in a special effort to protect the stunning local landscape.

La granja y el espinar (Segovia) is located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, a central Spain mountain range that extends nearly 80 km north to south and ends close to Madrid. This wooded region is home to about 14,000 people, various centers for forest research, and small scale agricultural activity.

Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo is on Galicia’s northeastern Atlantic coast, an area that includes 18 towns and where rural communities pay special attention to sustainable development.

Other reserves in Spain: Reserves in Spain are scattered throughout the country and include island landscapes such as La Gomera on the Canary Islands to woodland areas like Las Ubiñas - La Mesa Reserve in Asturias, which provides a natural habitat for the Eurasion brown bear. The Sierra Nevada near the city of Granada is the highest mountain chain on the Iberian Peninsula and was added to the world network of biosphere reserves given its ancient monuments of Roman and Arab origin, unique architecture, and popular festivals that attract over one million visitors every year.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain

Spain also has a long list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the entire old town of certain cities such as Salamanca, with its historical and scenic architectural landscapes. Some Spanish traditions have also been listed on UNESCO’s list of intangible world heritage, including flamenco, the Mediterranean diet, and Catalonia’s curious castells performances, in which teams of traditionally dressed castelleres stand on top of one another’s shoulders to create incredible human towers.

The local government of the Spanish autonomous community Castile and Leon has recently released a recipe book that showcases the most celebrated dishes of the region, an area with a reputation for pleasing the palates of even its most food-fussy visitors. The book, entitled Jornadas Gastronómicas de Castilla y León, offers anyone planning a trip there a tantalizing sneak preview of the rich culinary landscapes they can expect to explore. Spanish cooking has in very general terms grown in popularity around the world, and there is no better way to find out why than by journeying to its place of origin.  If you haven’t already booked your trip to Spain, the succulent creations sumptuously displayed throughout this handsome book seem to beg the question “what are you still waiting for?”

The book’s introduction presents cooking in the region as a cultural aspect of “enormous” value, and goes on to point out that Castile and Leon includes great culinary diversity and varied cooking traditions. Delve deeper into the book’s interior and prepare for generous rations of appetizing images to leave your tummy craving western Spain’s yummiest entrees, sides, and desserts. Nineteen carefully selected recipes are broken down into five categories: main dishes, meals eaten with a spoon, fish, meats, and desserts.

The cover feature is Castilian soup served up piping hot in an earthenware pot, garnished with a slice of jamón ibérico. This, along with other hearty offerings such as Judiones de La Granja estofados con escabeche de pavo (a butter bean stew with pickled turkey and a dash of saffron) are designed to warm chilly eaters during Castile and Leon’s cool months. Flip ahead to the desserts and check out Burgos-style cheese cake flanked by red berry sauce and sweet chestnuts. Also find here Crema de arroz con leche en texturas (rice cream with milk in textures), a zesty zinger of a sweet treat that calls for lemon and orange peels and cinnamon.

If you’re planning on preparing some of these Castile and Leon offerings, finding the ingredients at your neighborhood supermarket may prove an impossible challenge. You’ll likely have to substitute items such as Ribera del Duero red wine and Valladolid olive oil with more generic varieties or brands specific to different regions.

A modern twist on traditional Castilian dishes

Many of these recipes put a modern twist on traditional Castilian dishes and capture the historical flavor of this region splashed with an updated edge; fresh new takes on firmly established classics that will appease the demanding appetites of a wide array of diners, from