Local legend says that back in the day, workers would wander into a bar after a hard day’s work. Trouble was, they had enough money for a beer or food, not both. Obviously, they went with the former, and that led to increases in public drunkenness and all the shenanigans and debauchery that come with it. To remedy this, the bars ended up serving small plates of food with the beer, though it’s unclear whether this was voluntary or compelled by the law. Either way, the small plates were designed to literally fit on top of the beer glass, hence the term tapas. The inclusion of food with a beer decreased public drunkenness and all was well. Today, when you visit a tapas bar in Spain, you’ll usually order your drink (beer, usually, but also sangria) and will find it accompanied by a snack, usually chips, pickled olives, or maybe some meat and bread. This is a thing you now know.

Of the multitude of tapas bars in Madrid, my favorite is the Museo del Jamon (MDJ), literally the ham museum. Not familiar? Your loss but let me paint a picture for you. When you walk in, the MDJ presents you with two options. On your right you’ll see a familiar deli counter and cases, filled with all kinds of, you guessed it, ham products. None is more impressive than the tasty Iberian Ham, which is kind of like Italian prosciutto, but a little different. But there are all kinds of swine-based meat products: sausages, salamis, and so on. Also, cheeses, lots of cheese. Just like in the US, you’re able to order what and however much you want, it gets weighed and packaged and they send you on your way.

On your left, however, is the real treasure of the MDJ: the bar. In most MDJs (there are tons of locations all around Madrid), the bar is a significant size. There is usually a random assortment of bar stools, but I rarely see people sitting. Instead, we stand in groups, usually just close enough to the bar so they know we’re still customers, but also just far enough away so as to be in the way of people walking through. Anyway, when you walk up to the bar, the barkeep will ask what you want (or I think that’s what they’re doing…it’s in rapid-fire Spanish, so a little hard for me to follow). We always order a cerveza (beer, in Spanish). They ask poco (small) or grande (large). We laugh, as if that’s a real question, and indicate we’re Americans and don’t understand the concept of a small adult beverage. This usually meets with their approval, and the beer is quickly dispensed.

That’s all fine and well, but remember, this is a tapas bar, and so the tapas accompany the beer. The neat thing we’ve discovered about the MDJ is that the longer you’re there, and the more beers you order, the quality of your tapas improves (and no, this isn’t just a perception from the large quantity of beer you’ve consumed). So, to start you might get the usual pickled olives or chips (they seem to prefer regular Lays chips for whatever reason), but the next round might have some salami or ham. Stay long enough and eventually they’ll bring around the prize of the MDJ tapas assortment: the fried chicharones. Imagine square chunks of what appears to be pork belly. Now imagine they’re fried. Amazing, right? As it happens, they pair nicely with an ice-cold beer.

We always have a good time, and stay a bit longer than we anticipate, at the MDJ. Friendly people, cold beer, and tapas to keep you ordering more rounds. Oh, and the best part? Your beer and tapas will run you somewhere between $2 and $3 per person. Nice.

So, the next time you’re in Madrid, make sure you visit the MDJ. Or, if you want to be secret and fancy, just say you want to meet at the Museum. Just…make sure you’re clear on which museum because Madrid has lots of regular museums, too. They’re neat and all but have a decidedly different vibe. Also, they don’t serve beers.

The post Let’s meet at the Museo – Not THAT One! first appeared on The DeBode Way.

First, when booking your hotel, see if they have a B&B rate. Most of the time that means the rate you’re paying includes your room and breakfast at the hotel the following morning. Booking the B&B rate, rather than paying separately in the morning, will typically give you a discount on breakfast. At least in Europe, these are real breakfasts, not just a cold, limited bar with yogurt, cereal, and toast. Instead, at all the hotels we’ve stayed at in in Europe, breakfast has starters (what we’d normally consider a regular included breakfast at most US hotels…pastries, cereal, yogurt, fruit, juice, and so on) plus mains, which are hot, full meals (things like French toast, eggs and salmon, and so on). Importantly, many of these breakfasts have – or can have – loads of protein that’ll keep you full throughout the day. Jason’s go-to breakfast in Europe is the Full Traditional Irish/Scottish/English breakfast. This includes sausage, bacon, black pudding, haggis or white pudding, eggs, baked beans, a potato scone, a roasted tomato, and roasted mushrooms. Oh, and toast. And that’s just the main; there’s the starter that comes before it. Heart-healthy it might not be, but filling it is aplenty.

Second, because we eat such big breakfasts (again, remember to focus on protein here, not just carbs), we typically aren’t hungry again until very late in the afternoon, sometimes even until dinner. If we get hungry during the day, we’ll usually opt for one of two choices. First, we’ve either packed protein bars in our luggage or looked for them as soon as we get in-country. These quick snacks will keep us good until dinner. Second, sometimes we’ll stop into a hotel or restaurant for afternoon tea, which includes scones or something similar along with your tea or coffee. Not a ton of food, but enough to keep you going until dinner and the little kick of caffeine helps, too.

The above means we’re almost always able to do without lunch even though we’re walking a ton and burning lots of energy. And, given that lunch can easily cost $15-$20 per person, that can add up to real money you’re keeping in your bank account.

Dinners can be as extravagant as you like; we usually opt to split a starter, have our individual mains (go halvesies to try more things!), and then either share a dessert or each get our own. Afterwards we’ll go for a walk before heading in for the night. We’re not really night scene people and like to put the plan together for the next day before bed. Since we have some food allergies and restrictions, we typically stick to options that are more farm-to-table and super fresh whole foods without preservatives. Depending on where you eat, your dinner might cost you in the ballpark of $50 per person (if you try to avoid chains and opt for local, whole food options), but if that’s the only meal you’re paying for throughout the day, it’s a bit more palatable than if that’s in addition to breakfast and/or lunch. There are lots of ways to keep this cost down, like sharing items, skipping the starter, and not ordering a drink – but you’re on the trip of a lifetime, right? Plan ahead and let yourself enjoy it.

Another way to avoid the expense of restaurants is to cook for yourself. Occasionally we’ll book an Air BnB or apartment with a kitchen if we’re planning to be in an area for awhile. It’s a fun experience to go grocery shopping in a country you’re not completely familiar with. One of Jason’s favorite things to do is to try to find foods/brands that we have at home and compare their ingredients, tastes and prices to what we have at home. You will find they are VERY different. This is another great way to immerse yourself in an area and mix with the locals as well. Don’t forget to bring you own bag, as most grocery stores in Europe and Asia charge for plastic bags, and some stores don’t have them at all.

If you’re worried about any food restrictions you may have, don’t be. Our experience with Europe (and even the far reaches of Scotland) has always been that there are more/better options available than we can get in the Midwest and our allergies and health issues aren’t as big of a deal because the food is so clean. It’s truly amazing! When you walk into a restaurant, typically the first thing you are asked is if you have any allergies or restrictions and they are very accommodating. We’ve often had dishes completely recreated to avoid dairy at their suggestion and they don’t even blink. Coming home again and the reintroduction to those issues is the bummer of travel for us. Our struggles with the broken food system in the US is a topic for another day, but just know that if you have restrictions, you’ll probably be more than fine in Europe. You may even find yourself considering staying for the food alone.

Happy exploring!

The post Eating While Traveling Doesn’t Need to Cost a Fortune first appeared on The DeBode Way.