On this page Towns and monuments Food Festivals and traditions Everyday life and institutions Languages A small dictionary of the Spanish words, and a few Catalan, Basque and Galician terms, that you meet most often travelling in Spain or reading our guides.
Towns and monuments Word Meaning Alcázar fortified palace, from Arabic al-qasr (Seville, Toledo, Segovia) Alcazaba Moorish fortified citadel (Málaga, Almería) Ayuntamiento town hall, municipality; in Catalan ajuntament Barrio neighbourhood Calle , plaza , paseo street, square, avenue Casco antiguo / casco viejo old town Ermita hermitage, small country church Judería old Jewish quarter Mezquita mosque, especially Córdoba's Mirador viewpoint Parador state-run hotel in a historic building Plaza Mayor the arcaded main square of Castilian towns Seo / Seu cathedral, in Aragonese and Catalan
Food Word Meaning Tapa , pincho , ración small bite, mouthful, sharing portion (see tapas ) Menú del día fixed-price lunch menu Jamón ibérico de bellota ham from acorn-fed Iberian pigs Caña small draught beer Tinto de verano red wine with lemonade Cava traditional-method sparkling wine, mainly Catalan Chiringuito beach kiosk or restaurant Bodega winery, wine shop Sobremesa time spent chatting at the table after a meal Churrería shop making churros
Festivals and traditions Word Meaning Fiesta , feria festival, fair Romería festive pilgrimage to a shrine Cofradía , paso , nazareno brotherhood, processional float, penitent (see Holy Week ) Encierro running of the bulls through the streets, as in Pamplona Castells Catalan human towers Fallas satirical monuments burned in Valencia (see the Fallas ) Cabalgata parade, especially of the Three Kings Tablao venue for flamenco shows
Everyday life and institutions Word Meaning Siesta after-lunch rest Paseo evening stroll Movida nightlife; the 1980s Movida madrileña NIE foreigner identification number (see living in Spain ) Empadronamiento registration on the municipal register Comunidad autónoma autonomous region Cortes Generales parliament, made up of Congreso and Senado Generalitat , Xunta , Junta , Gobierno Vasco regional governments of Catalonia and Valencia, Galicia, Andalusia and others, the Basque Country Renfe , AVE state railways and high-speed trains (see getting around Spain ) Estanco tobacconist, where you also buy stamps
Languages Castellano (Spanish), català (Catalan), euskera (Basque), galego (Galician): see the Spanish language and the phrasebook .
