# Your biggest surprise when you moved to Spain



## alanp26

Hoping to move to Spain in 2017, and also hoping that we have all bases covered. Well prepared and making wise choices well ahead of time.

However surprises always happen! Some pleasant and welcome, others less welcome!

What was your biggest surprise?


----------



## Helenameva

Nobody speaks English! Well, maybe not a surprise in itself, but how hard everyday life can be without being able to communicate as easily as you are used to. I studied Spanish for 5 years at night school, been living here over a year, my wife is Spanish (Catalan) and I can still struggle. So work hard to learn the lingo before you come and work even harder when you are here. And accept you'll never be as articulate as you would like to be.


----------



## Sirtravelot

How (artificially) rich Spain is. Some parts make the UK look pitiful.

How many people from all over Europe, and other parts of the world, come here or have a home here.


----------



## jojo

How cold, wet and windy it can be in the winter! 

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


----------



## stefig

The one that comes to mind right now...how hard it is to find 'foreign' food in the supermarket. There might be one single type of soy sauce, it's hard to find basmati rice, etc. Compare that to the UK where you have entire aisles of different curry pastes, dozens of types of rice, stuff from all over the world. I ended up cooking only Spanish food at home because it was just much easier to adapt to that rather than go hunting for ingredients at El Corte Ingles.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

That not everything is dirt cheap or at least cheaper than the UK. 
That cheap wine is just that - cheap wine so shell out a bit more and you'll get an excellent wine (more well known wines could be Campo viejo, Cune, El Coto, Faustino...but just lately OH has been buying some lovely wines for around 3- 4€ that we've never heard of)
That not everything is badly organised and to be laughed at. The local health centre for example works very well and the escuela infantil (state run) that my daughter went to was wonderful.

The shop hours can catch you out for a good long time until you get used to it though


----------



## DunWorkin

I agree - the shop hours. 

Not exactly a surprise as I knew most of the smaller shops closed for about 3 hours during the day. What surprised me was how difficult it was to adapt to that.

I would go out shopping about 10am (I live about 30 minutes from the nearest shops). I would often find I hadn't finished everything I needed to do before some of the shops would be shut. I then had a choice of staying in town until they re-opened or had to come home and go out again late afternoon.

Even after 11 years, I still sometimes get caught out by this.


----------



## Rabbitcat

Have only limited experience of this - but it seems a bloody nightmare

So some of you long timers- what's the way to do it. Do you go out real early every morning and get finished before lunch or is it nighttime shopping all round?

Been there for only short periods at a time and have found myself frequently on my knees crying as I hammer on closed shutters


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Rabbitcat said:


> Have only limited experience of this - but it seems a bloody nightmare
> 
> So some of you long timers- what's the way to do it. Do you go out real early every morning and get finished before lunch or is it nighttime shopping all round?
> 
> Been there for only short periods at a time and have found myself frequently on my knees crying as I hammer on closed shutters


Depending on the shop you can't go out really early because a lot don't open until 9:30 - 10:00.
You have to remember that the evening exists too and most shops will be open until 20:30 - 21:00.
Now, when I go back to WSM I'm appalled to see that some of the smaller shops close at 16:30 - 17:00...

Which reminds me. Another surprise was the general use of the 24 hour clock.


----------



## Rabbitcat

Well it really gets to me!!

I turn up, everywhere closed except maybe a cafe . I sit there for a while to calm down and stop cursing Mussolini under my breath (was rubbish at history) - and next thing someone walks by with a bag clearly from one of the shops I want in to

I splutter out my drink and tear round to the store- still friggin shut. I seriously get paranoid that these shops ARE all open- but just pull the shutters down when they see ME running up the street


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Rabbitcat said:


> Well it really gets to me!!
> 
> I turn up, everywhere closed except maybe a cafe . I sit there for a while to calm down and stop cursing Mussolini under my breath (was rubbish at history) - and next thing someone walks by with a bag clearly from one of the shops I want in to
> 
> I splutter out my drink and tear round to the store- still friggin shut. I seriously get paranoid that these shops ARE all open- but just pull the shutters down when they see ME running up the street


When I first came to Spain I ended up in Valls, Catalonia. I didn't like it at all and didn't make any effort to learn Catalan. (I'd come from Colombia, so it was enough for me to learn more Spanish and "de Latinise" what I'd already learnt). I did learn *tancat* though which is _*closed*_ in Catalan just because I saw it so many times staring me in the face


----------



## Rabbitcat

Well it is a serious problem which needs rectifying

Now I am not someone who believes in exceptions being made but I reckon exceptions need to be made

Surely there could be a system whereby if all your paperwork is in order - you have a rhd satellite dish, your S1 card has been matriculated and you have signed on the medical register etc- you should be allowed in to these so called "closed" stores

I say " so called closed" because make no mistake the staff ARE still in there. They're just hiding behind the shutters ( I have listened carefully and am convinced I have heard them giggling at my wailing when I find them closed))- when they see Johnny Foreigner turn up at 2pm wanting a pot noodle. 

I think a petition is called for 

Frustrated Shopper 
Tunbridge Wells


----------



## chris678

The way so many Expats talk about the UK as home and moan about how different Spain is. ****** off back then.


----------



## jimenato

chris678 said:


> The way so many Expats talk about the UK as home and moan about how different Spain is. ****** off back then.


You must know a different flavour of expat from me.

Most of the ones I know love the differences and will have to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the UK.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

chris678 said:


> The way so many Expats talk about the UK as home and moan about how different Spain is.


But this thread is only about things that surprised you, not about moaning and where you call home...

Another thing that surprised me was how bright and sunny winter days in Madrid can be with blue skies this colour









Strange photo I know, but this is the colour I see almost every day and when it's contrasted with the mountains and the encinas (holm oak trees) it's beautiful


----------



## Helenameva

Rabbitcat said:


> Well it is a serious problem which needs rectifying
> 
> Now I am not someone who believes in exceptions being made but I reckon exceptions need to be made
> 
> Surely there could be a system whereby if all your paperwork is in order - you have a rhd satellite dish, your S1 card has been matriculated and you have signed on the medical register etc- you should be allowed in to these so called "closed" stores
> 
> I say " so called closed" because make no mistake the staff ARE still in there. They're just hiding behind the shutters ( I have listened carefully and am convinced I have heard them giggling at my wailing when I find them closed))- when they see Johnny Foreigner turn up at 2pm wanting a pot noodle.
> 
> I think a petition is called for
> 
> Frustrated Shopper
> Tunbridge Wells


There are elections going on in Catalonia today about this very subject. I think that's what it's about anyway, can't think of anything else that'll get them this worked up on a Sunday.


----------



## Helenameva

Pesky Wesky said:


> Strange photo I know, but this is the colour I see almost every day and when it's contrasted with the mountains and the encinas (holm oak trees) it's beautiful


Eres un artista!


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Helenameva said:


> Eres un artista!


Not my photo!!


----------



## Helenameva

Pesky Wesky said:


> Not my photo!!


Eres un ladrón!


----------



## jimenato

Pesky Wesky said:


> But this thread is only about things that surprised you, not about moaning and where you call home...
> 
> Another thing that surprised me was how bright and sunny winter days in Madrid can be with blue skies this colour
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Strange photo I know, but this is the colour I see almost every day and when it's contrasted with the mountains and the encinas (holm oak trees) it's beautiful


I've noticed that - the deep blue of the sky particularly when contrasted with something high like the mountains or the castle which towers above Jimena. 

I think it's because the sky is 'bluer' the higher it is. On your photo it is almost white and the bottom and deep blue at the top. I think it's a surprise to us Brits because there is not so much mountainous landscape in the UK to contrast against that deep blue. 

And, of course, the sky in the UK is usually obscured by clouds.


----------



## tarot650

jimenato said:


> I've noticed that - the deep blue of the sky particularly when contrasted with something high like the mountains or the castle which towers above Jimena.
> 
> I think it's because the sky is 'bluer' the higher it is. On your photo it is almost white and the bottom and deep blue at the top. I think it's a surprise to us Brits because there is not so much mountainous landscape in the UK to contrast against that deep blue.
> 
> And, of course, the sky in the UK is usually obscured by clouds.


Jimena last sunday on are way home


----------



## Lynn R

Rabbitcat said:


> Well it is a serious problem which needs rectifying
> 
> Now I am not someone who believes in exceptions being made but I reckon exceptions need to be made
> 
> Surely there could be a system whereby if all your paperwork is in order - you have a rhd satellite dish, your S1 card has been matriculated and you have signed on the medical register etc- you should be allowed in to these so called "closed" stores
> 
> I say " so called closed" because make no mistake the staff ARE still in there. They're just hiding behind the shutters ( I have listened carefully and am convinced I have heard them giggling at my wailing when I find them closed))- when they see Johnny Foreigner turn up at 2pm wanting a pot noodle.
> 
> I think a petition is called for
> Frustrated Shopper
> 
> Tunbridge Wells


Er,you could always try going to a supermarket because they are open all day from 9.00/9.15 until 21.15. Going in during siesta time is the best time to go really, because they are deserted and there aren't any queues at the checkout.

I've never found the shop opening hours a problem but it must be much more difficult for people who are working. We go out every morning just to buy what we need that day, and even on Sundays to buy a newspaper and have a walk. No need to go out very early, sometimes we don't set off until noon, but it takes an hour at most. I never go to the shops in the evening unless we've been out somewhere else all day and just want some bread. On Sundays the bakeries are open and also in the mornings a number of fruterias and mini-markets are too, so no panic if something has been forgotten.

What surprised me when I moved here? In a bad way, how many people don't care for their pet cats and dogs properly and especially don't have them spayed or neutered so there are endless litters of unwanted kittens and puppies. When I've mentioned it to people they don't cite lack of money as the problem, but say it's cruel. More cruel than destroying the litters in very inhumane ways or simply abandoning them??? Also the lack of care many people have for the environment outside their front doors, just tossing litter on the floor without a thought.

In a good way, the fact that there are bus services even on Xmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter. I certainly wasn't used to that. And the fact that the rubbish bins are emptied 365 days of the year too. I am still pleasantly surprised sometimes when I go to buy something by how little it costs - lost my house keys, for example, and was expecting to have to pay about €15 to have 3 new keys cut. It was actually €3.20.


----------



## jimenato

soulboy said:


> Jimena last sunday on are way home


Here's one I took that demonstrates the deep blue of the sky.


----------



## VFR

rabbitcat said:


> well it is a serious problem which needs rectifying
> 
> now i am not someone who believes in exceptions being made but i reckon exceptions need to be made
> 
> surely there could be a system whereby if all your paperwork is in order - you have a rhd satellite dish, your s1 card has been matriculated and you have signed on the medical register etc- you should be allowed in to these so called "closed" stores
> 
> i say " so called closed" because make no mistake the staff are still in there. They're just hiding behind the shutters ( i have listened carefully and am convinced i have heard them giggling at my wailing when i find them closed))- when they see johnny foreigner turn up at 2pm wanting a pot noodle.
> 
> I think a petition is called for
> 
> frustrated shopper
> tunbridge wells


lol.


----------



## baldilocks

Rabbitcat said:


> Well it really gets to me!!
> 
> I turn up, everywhere closed except maybe a cafe . I sit there for a while to calm down and stop cursing Mussolini under my breath (was rubbish at history) - and next thing someone walks by with a bag clearly from one of the shops I want in to
> 
> I splutter out my drink and tear round to the store- still friggin shut. I seriously get paranoid that these shops ARE all open- but just pull the shutters down when they see ME running up the street


Damn, you've sussed it!
___________________

What surprised me? Quite surprisingly - nothing but then like PW, I'd been in Colombia. 

Tell a lie, having heard about the macho attitudes, I was surprised to see how well most Spanish drivers behave with zebra crossings - they behave! Somebody is walking towards the crossing, and the vehicles stop before you are actually at/on the crossing itself which didn't happen all that often in UK.


----------



## baldilocks

Rabbitcat said:


> they see *Johnny Foreigner turn up at 2pm wanting a pot noodle. *
> 
> I think a petition is called for
> 
> Frustrated Shopper
> Tunbridge Wells


They are thinking of your health!


----------



## Simon22

Rabbitcat said:


> Well it really gets to me!!
> 
> I turn up, everywhere closed except maybe a cafe . I sit there for a while to calm down and stop cursing Mussolini under my breath (was rubbish at history) - and next thing someone walks by with a bag clearly from one of the shops I want in to
> 
> I splutter out my drink and tear round to the store- still friggin shut. I seriously get paranoid that these shops ARE all open- but just pull the shutters down when they see ME running up the street


If I'm paying for a plastic bag I am getting my moneys worth out of it!


----------



## 90199

Hardly any crime, cars left unattended with the engines running, people leaving house doors unlocked, polite children, total strangers greeting us on the street.


----------



## Rabbitcat

Hepa you are a lucky sod living in such a gorgeous place and thoroughly enjoying life.

I am jealous beyond comprehension and have now lodged an official complaint with this forum.


----------



## Alcalaina

The importance of trust and personal integrity. People going the extra mile to do a good job for you, then refusing to take a tip; shopkeepers refusing to take money in advance for things they order for you; waiters checking with you at the end of the night whether you think the bill is right. Such a contrast to the UK where (as a rule) you have to pay for everything up front and nobody trusts anyone any more.


----------



## AllHeart

What a cool thread! You've got me smiling ear to ear. Here's my contribution...

I don't know about the rest of Spain, but here in Malaga...

I'm surprised how stores typically don't put their store hours up. I'm also surprised stores typically don't say when they're closed for vacation; they're just closed until they reopen. I'm also surprised stores often don't even have store signs, so when their steel gates go down, you have no idea what the store is. All three of those phenomenon are unheard of for businesses in my neck of the woods in Canada. 

I'm surprised how on escalators people don't pass each other; everyone just goes with the escalator without walking and without passing.

I'm surprised there is no close-door button on the elevators...only an open-door button. 

All of these surprises point to the gentle and relaxed atmosphere that Spain is famous for. I  Spain.


----------



## Desiato

I like the surprised look on Spanish faces when I tell them we put vinegar on chips. 
I like the surprised look on British faces when I tell them the Spanish put vinegar on strawberries.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Desiato said:


> I like the surprised look on British faces when I tell them the Spanish put vinegar on strawberries.


Do they?
Why's that?


----------



## Desiato

Pesky Wesky said:


> Do they?
> Why's that?


Because it tastes delicious! Ok, It's not exactly the same vinegar but even so, it's still good fun watching the expressions.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Desiato said:


> Because it tastes delicious! Ok, It's not exactly the same vinegar but even so, it's still good fun watching the expressions.


Perhaps it's a catalan thing. I've never heared of it in Madrid or the basque country. Is it balsamic vinegar?


----------



## Desiato

I'm not sure about the origins but I'm looking at a bottle and it says "Vinagre de vino tinto" and smells just like the vinegar we are used to, maybe just a little milder. I was very dubious when I first tried it but was pleasantly surprised, can't eat them without it now!

Chopped with a sprinkiling of sugar and left to marinate in the fridge for an hour....scrumptious!


----------



## xabiaxica

Desiato said:


> I'm not sure about the origins but I'm looking at a bottle and it says "Vinagre de vino tinto" and smells just like the vinegar we are used to, maybe just a little milder. I was very dubious when I first tried it but was pleasantly surprised, can't eat them without it now!
> 
> Chopped with a sprinkiling of sugar and left to marinate in the fridge for an hour....scrumptious!


that's red wine vinegar

I've had strawberries with black pepper

I've had strawberries with balsamic vinegar

but not with red wine vinegar


----------



## baldilocks

Desiato said:


> I'm not sure about the origins but I'm looking at a bottle and it says "Vinagre de vino tinto" and smells just like the vinegar we are used to, maybe just a little milder. I was very dubious when I first tried it but was pleasantly surprised, can't eat them without it now!
> 
> Chopped with a sprinkiling of sugar and left to marinate in the fridge for an hour....scrumptious!


Can't say I've noticed red wine vinegar around here, only white. But then I haven't been looking since, as a rule, I don't like vinegar except a small amount in an "adobo" dish as in _beef adobo_.


----------



## webmarcos

Here's my list (mainly from the first time I "moved" to Spain, but I've been back and forth since, yet they still on the whole apply):

1 How cold it gets in the depths of winter (talking inland Spain here). 

2 How there can be two climates in the street depending on whether you are in the shade or sun. It can feel strange before the heat of summer descends.

3 The amount of trade many bars do in the coffee/breakfast mid morning slot. 

4 The comfort of using trains (and long distance buses). 

5 As mentioned already, the fact that you can say catch a regular train on December 26.

6 The lack of thought that goes into the dessert part of the MDD - to be fair the whole package is great value, and a good restaurant will have better options for dessert if you are dining at night.

7 The fact that many bars will close at 10 or 11 in the winter season - and some places eg Catalunya the places close even earlier.

8 The speed you are served in places once you know the language and etiquette. A particular example (again) is coffee. 

9 In my example, the fact that I always got deposits either returned (or a rent free period as negotiated). This has been the case on the commercial as well as residential side. I say it surprised me as perhaps I listened to the haters too much at one point...

10. In counter point to 8, how it can be difficult to get the bill presented and paid. 

11. No longer a surprise, but the free tapas were a shock, particularly as the bar prices were still far lower than home.

12. That once a week most establishments will close - and also on certain holidays.

13. It may not rain that often, but when it does it can pour for days, sometimes weeks. Serious stuff, and you must never underestimate how much it can rain even in "dry" areas of Spain.


----------



## Madliz

We'd had skips in the UK and found them filled up overnight. Our first one here was emptied overnight.


----------



## baldilocks

Madliz said:


> We'd had skips in the UK and found them filled up overnight. Our first one here was emptied overnight.


We have noticed that there is far less waste of many things here by comparison with UK. Personally I have rescued old TV aerials (good supply of aluminium tubing); broken pallets (leña); broom/mop handles that have rusted at the business end (good supports for shrubs and small trees), etc. from the basura.


----------



## webmarcos

baldilocks said:


> We have noticed that there is far less waste of many things here by comparison with UK. Personally I have rescued old TV aerials (good supply of aluminium tubing); broken pallets (leña); broom/mop handles that have rusted at the business end (good supports for shrubs and small trees), etc. from the basura.


could that be comparing different sized towns though? No shortage of people in London who recycle things, look over the recycling bins to salvage something...


----------



## baldilocks

webmarcos said:


> could that be comparing different sized towns though? No shortage of people in London who recycle things, look over the recycling bins to salvage something...


Village people have always recycled things and scavenged. I remember my grandfather and I recovering large baulks of timber off the shore and wheeling them home on my bike- devil of a job to lift them on there; recycling an old garden shed that ended up on foundations made from the baulks of timber and that garden shed replaced an old one that had been made out of military target boards. Here, we live in a village!


----------



## jimenato

webmarcos said:


> could that be comparing different sized towns though? No shortage of people in London who recycle things, look over the recycling bins to salvage something...


I suspect more of that happens nowadays in the UK.

My SIL is an Urban Scavenger. 

She goes around her area in her van every other evening looking for things people have left out by their front gates, and sells it all at car boot sales. 

Makes a couple of hundred quid a week.


----------



## Maureen47

Upcycling is fab , I have furnished my Spanish house in this way , in the UK we had a shop that sold damaged items from top of the range stores , I have a wine rack that retails at £400 , I paid £8 and fixed it , I paid £20 for 2 vintage spoon back chairs from the charity shop , £60 to have them recovered and the upholsterer telling me I can ask £400 per chair ! , recycle is the way to go ! My outside cane furniture was £10 for a sofa and 2 chairs , mad the cushions myself and have a quality set of outdoor furniture for a great price , need to find a way to upcycle in Spain lol


----------



## stefig

Alcalaina said:


> The importance of trust and personal integrity. People going the extra mile to do a good job for you, then refusing to take a tip; shopkeepers refusing to take money in advance for things they order for you; waiters checking with you at the end of the night whether you think the bill is right. Such a contrast to the UK where (as a rule) you have to pay for everything up front and nobody trusts anyone any more.


This is so true. I remember when I returned to London having spent about 18 months in Spain and being shocked by how many people were prepared to assume the worst from everyone, especially shop staff and shop security guards.

Another vote for how cold/rainy it can be. Talking of cold and rainy, it's not the nicest day here in Valencia. I seem to remember it still being up in the high twenties or low thirties the last time I was here at this time of year. I was going to the beach most days throughout September. Was that a one-off or is particularly cold this year?


----------



## Leper

My biggest surprise when I moved was the extent to which Spain was so unprepared for the downturn in the economy. But, things are on the up now, but not anywhere near where things were . . .


----------



## Overandout

I was surprised by the fact that the extremely animated and gesture accompanied "discussions" in the bars never lead to a fight!

The English would never get so passionate about any topic before throwing a punch or two.


----------



## stefig

I've lived here several times before, so it shouldn't still surprise me but...

the price of booze! I was just at Mercadona and was astounded by how cheap everything is compared to the UK. 50 cents for a can of beer, 2 euros for a reasonable local wine, 4 euros for a good wine. I had forgotten just HOW cheap it is.


----------



## 90199

stefig said:


> I've lived here several times before, so it shouldn't still surprise me but...
> 
> the price of booze! I was just at Mercadona and was astounded by how cheap everything is compared to the UK. 50 cents for a can of beer, 2 euros for a reasonable local wine, 4 euros for a good wine. I had forgotten just HOW cheap it is.


€1.50 to €2.00 a pint……………...


----------



## amespana

One off.


----------



## Elyles

Diré a los españoles que volveré a los EEUU cuando el precio del vino aquí es el mismo allí---NUNCA


----------



## raFL

Exactly. The thing is that even the expensive wines are bad in the USA nowadays...


----------



## mrypg9

Alcalaina said:


> The importance of trust and personal integrity. People going the extra mile to do a good job for you, then refusing to take a tip; shopkeepers refusing to take money in advance for things they order for you; waiters checking with you at the end of the night whether you think the bill is right. Such a contrast to the UK where (as a rule) you have to pay for everything up front and nobody trusts anyone any more.


That is true of where I live but then is it true of all of Spain, I wonder? You live in a small town and just as where I live people generally are known in the community. Go beyond a certain size and trust may be thinner on the ground?
I once went to buy gas bottles for the first time and didn't realise that it was cash only, I only had a card. The guy in the depot insisted I took the bottles and came back to pay later even though he hadn't seen me before....that was a case of trust as I had over 50 euros worth of bottles. But similar things have happened to me in the UK. I once left my wallet with credit cards and about £50 on the counter of a filling station in Rednal near Birmingham. It was intact when I returned to collect it a week later and the attendant refused a tip. I left my passport in a Prague taxi when tipsy on free BA champagne and the driver tracked me down via a phone number of a Czech friend he found in the case. He refused to take a tip and when pressed would only accept the fare from the airport.
Human kindness exists not only in Spain. Perhaps it has more to do with community expectations than any specific national culture? Even within big cities smaller communities form. But of course nowadays especially in the UK communities are fracturing under the strains of the neo-liberal economy and migration.
I personally have found people on the whole to be kinder and more trusting in my locality. But the key words are personally, on the whole and locality.
If Spain were a totally kind and trusting country there would be no rape, gender violence, prejudice or murder.
But I was surprised at the incident with the gas bottles, very surprised and I know it would not have happened where I lived in the Czech Republic and probably not where I lived in the UK. It gave me a warm, happy feeling for a long time afterwards and temporarily restored my faith in humanity.


----------



## baldilocks

mrypg9 said:


> That is true of where I live but then is it true of all of Spain, I wonder? You live in a small town and just as where I live people generally are known in the community. Go beyond a certain size and trust may be thinner on the ground?
> I once went to buy gas bottles for the first time and didn't realise that it was cash only, I only had a card. The guy in the depot insisted I took the bottles and came back to pay later even though he hadn't seen me before....that was a case of trust as I had over 50 euros worth of bottles. But similar things have happened to me in the UK. I once left my wallet with credit cards and about £50 on the counter of a filling station in Rednal near Birmingham. It was intact when I returned to collect it a week later and the attendant refused a tip. I left my passport in a Prague taxi when tipsy on free BA champagne and the driver tracked me down via a phone number of a Czech friend he found in the case. He refused to take a tip and when pressed would only accept the fare from the airport.
> Human kindness exists not only in Spain. Perhaps it has more to do with community expectations than any specific national culture? Even within big cities smaller communities form. But of course nowadays especially in the UK communities are fracturing under the strains of the neo-liberal economy and migration.
> I personally have found people on the whole to be kinder and more trusting in my locality. But the key words are personally, on the whole and locality.
> If Spain were a totally kind and trusting country there would be no rape, gender violence, prejudice or murder.
> But I was surprised at the incident with the gas bottles, very surprised and I know it would not have happened where I lived in the Czech Republic and probably not where I lived in the UK. It gave me a warm, happy feeling for a long time afterwards and temporarily restored my faith in humanity.


Much depends on the "aura" you emanate as to how people will react to, and treat, you.


----------



## thrax

I had an aura once but a good shower soon sorted it out.


----------



## Alcalaina

mrypg9 said:


> That is true of where I live but then is it true of all of Spain, I wonder? You live in a small town and just as where I live people generally are known in the community. Go beyond a certain size and trust may be thinner on the ground?


Quite possibly, but the question was "What was your biggest surprise" and that was mine. I can only comment on what I have experienced personally.


----------



## Elyles

I was visiting Jaca for the first time and as normans, I found a great little bar. I left but had dropped my wallet at the table with over1000€ in it and did not realize it was missing till I got back to the hotel, Of course I freaked and went back to the bar and it was still where I had dropped it in the full bar. The bartender just said. _"| knew you would come back for it so I watched it for you. I have kept going back since because nothing was missing.


----------



## mrypg9

Alcalaina said:


> Quite possibly, but the question was "What was your biggest surprise" and that was mine. I can only comment on what I have experienced personally.


Well, we are all limited to our personal experiences and it's more than likely that they will vary according to where you live and your expectations, as well as past experience.
My greatest surprise was the extent of corruption especially in municipal life. It was something I hadn't come across in my political experience in the UK. It was part of everyday life in the CR and I didn't expect it to be so rife in Spain.
But I was pleased, albeit not surprised, to note that great efforts were being made to tackle the problem whereas in the CR it was seen as an inevitability like snow in November.


----------



## mrypg9

baldilocks said:


> Much depends on the "aura" you emanate as to how people will react to, and treat, you.


Oh yes, I totally agree... As I come across as a respectable, mild old(ish) Englishwoman who smiles sweetly at (most) people I am met always with courtesy and respect.
I am often the only person to be waved through police blocks with a 'Pasa Senora'.
I am accordingly available for the transport of contraband, price to be agreed according to nature of cargo.


----------



## thrax

My big surprise was my first shop at a local supermarket to get our first home stocked with all the staples and cleaning stuff. I had a trolley brimming over and was worried about the cost as we only had a limited amount of money for the first month. In UK I knew that it was likely to be around 140 - 160 pounds but was totally shocked when it came to €72. In the UK I never bothered to add up as I went around and I didn't during that first shop so I had no idea it was going to be so cheap. (I still don't add up as I go round unless OH is doing the shopping...)


----------



## Pazcat

That's true, I still reckon it costs 30-50% cheaper to do a load of shopping than it did in Belgium depending on what you buy. Even when adding Blu-rays, clothes and other things it still works out far cheaper.

I was also surprised to see workers scooting around on roller skates and the fact I can stop for a beer in the middle of food shopping(never have though but I could if I wanted).


----------



## Rabbitcat

Do you mean there was a bar in the supermarket???


----------



## Alcalaina

Pazcat said:


> I was also surprised to see workers scooting around on roller skates and the fact I can stop for a beer in the middle of food shopping(never have though but I could if I wanted).


Yes, I was surprised by the bars in big stores, like Leroy Merlin and Carrefour. Maybe B&Q should try it in the UK, it might save a few domestic arguments. The wife can enjoy a beer or two while the husband spends hours searching for the right kind of rawl plug.


----------



## Pazcat

Rabbitcat said:


> Do you mean there was a bar in the supermarket???



Yeah, a little counter where you can get some baked goods and a beer right next to the fruit and veg. 

Also most fast food places will sell beer like McDs or Burger King if you can stomach it.



> Yes, I was surprised by the bars in big stores, like Leroy Merlin and Carrefour. Maybe B&Q should try it in the UK, it might save a few domestic arguments. The wife can enjoy a beer or two while the husband spends hours searching for the right kind of rawl plug.


Not seen any at Leroy Merlin, they have some outside the shop though.
It's a good idea though.


----------



## baldilocks

Alcalaina said:


> Yes, I was surprised by the bars in big stores, like Leroy Merlin and Carrefour. Maybe B&Q should try it in the UK, it might save a few domestic arguments. The wife can enjoy a beer or two while the husband spends hours searching for the right kind of rawl plug.


Perhaps they should also have a bar/cafetería in places like M&S and other clothes and shoe shops - many don't even have a sitting area for the poor (or soon to be poor after he has foot the bill) neglected partner.


----------



## Rabbitcat

Pmsl!!

Never ever heard of this, or am I being dumb and this is a wind up???

It sounds like " if Carlsberg ran supermarkets, they would be like this...."

It sounds too cool to be true


----------



## baldilocks

Rabbitcat said:


> Pmsl!!
> 
> Never ever heard of this, or am I being dumb and this is a wind up???
> 
> It sounds like " if Carlsberg ran supermarkets, they would be like this...."
> 
> It sounds too cool to be true


Ah. There are many things here in Spain that people from other countries might find unusual such as actual fresh fruit and veg in the fresh fruit and veg department, or being offered a coffee while SWMBO tries on shoes or while she translates for some Brits, or doctors and consultants, etc shaking your hand when they say hello or goodbye or the abogado, nurses and nuns greeting you with kiss/kiss, etc.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Pazcat said:


> That's true, I still reckon it costs 30-50% cheaper to do a load of shopping than it did in Belgium depending on what you buy. Even when adding Blu-rays, clothes and other things it still works out far cheaper.
> 
> I was also surprised to see workers scooting around on roller skates and the fact I can stop for a beer in the middle of food shopping(never have though but I could if I wanted).


You must be thinking of Carrefour, is that right?


----------



## Rabbitcat

So just to be clear

In some supermarkets, there's a wee bar?

Not an aisle selling carry out booze- an actual bar?


----------



## stefig

Speaking of booze (again), I had forgotten how different the drinking culture is here. You can order a beer in pretty much any cafe, so a party of 4 could sit on a terrace, 2 drinking coffee, 2 drinking beer. There's no 'big deal' made out of drinking alcohol. In London, I often felt as if I was doing something wrong by buying alcohol - I was constantly ID'ed right up until I turned 30! I also love the evening atmosphere here when people are out having a drink - no violence, no aggression, no weird atmosphere.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

baldilocks said:


> Perhaps they should also have a bar/cafetería in places like M&S


M&S in upmarket WSM has a cafeteria.


----------



## Rabbitcat

stefig said:


> Speaking of booze (again), I had forgotten how different the drinking culture is here. You can order a beer in pretty much any cafe, so a party of 4 could sit on a terrace, 2 drinking coffee, 2 drinking beer. There's no 'big deal' made out of drinking alcohol. In London, I often felt as if I was doing something wrong by buying alcohol - I was constantly ID'ed right up until I turned 30! I also love the evening atmosphere here when people are out having a drink - no violence, no aggression, no weird atmosphere.


Totally agree

Absolutely loved that when I was sitting out at night in downtown Denia. The other thing I noticed was even in evening times there were families out having a meal in bars restaurants. Amazing peaceful friendly atmosphere.

VERY different to here in Belfast. Our bars are that rough that they don't have doormen to keep you out-they have " chucker-ins!!!"


----------



## Pazcat

Pesky Wesky said:


> You must be thinking of Carrefour, is that right?


Yeah in Carrefour, no idea if they are in other shops. 

It's not a bar in the sense you would down half a dozen pints and prop it up but just a snack counter that happens to sell beer.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Pazcat said:


> Yeah in Carrefour, no idea if they are in other shops.
> 
> It's not a bar in the sense you would down half a dozen pints and prop it up but just a snack counter that happens to sell beer.


Well, in theory you could if you wanted to, but of course no one really wants to. I think they sell wine too. It's a fairly recent addition (about 2 years??) in some of the bigger stores.
Could you imagine that in Tescos in the UK? Can't see it working myself...


----------



## Pazcat

I still can't get used to the fact you can buy booze in supermarkets as part of your weekly shop in Europe as it is.

No way would they allow it in Australia, then again we have drive through bottle-Os which I do kind of miss.


----------



## thrax

Pazcat said:


> I still can't get used to the fact you can buy booze in supermarkets as part of your weekly shop in Europe as it is.
> 
> No way would they allow it in Australia, then again we have drive through bottle-Os which I do kind of miss.


I'm curious. Why don't they allow it in Australia??


----------



## Pazcat

We are a bunch of piss heads and can't be trusted enough to make it that freely available.

No idea really, I suspect it is to do with licensing and tax, you need to be licensed to be ale to sell it and it can only be brought from a licensed business and that is either a pub or a bottle shop.


----------



## Alcalaina

Pazcat said:


> We are a bunch of piss heads and can't be trusted enough to make it that freely available.
> 
> No idea really, I suspect it is to do with licensing and tax, you need to be licensed to be ale to sell it and it can only be brought from a licensed business and that is either a pub or a bottle shop.


That's similar to why Spanish supermarkets can't sell pharmaceuticals or tobacco products - they have to be bought from farmacias and estancos respectively.

I once walked into a drive-in offie in Perth, WA, and got some very strange looks. I think they thought I was going to pull a gun on them. Fact is I didn't have a car and needed a bottle of wine!


----------



## Alcalaina

Pazcat said:


> Yeah in Carrefour, no idea if they are in other shops.
> 
> It's not a bar in the sense you would down half a dozen pints and prop it up but just a snack counter that happens to sell beer.


Eroski does too, at least in the one nearest to us. It sells snacks plus the whole range of wines and spirits. 

I've often seen men have a large brandy or whisky in the morning, which is another thing that takes some getting used to.


----------



## Rabbitcat

Alcalaina said:


> . Fact is I didn't have a car and needed a bottle of wine!


We have all been there Alcalaina, but booze isn't the answer . I will send you some religious tracts and an Alcohol Anon leaflet. Say strong, Jesus loves you


----------



## AllHeart

In Canada they don't sell booze anywhere but licensed government stores - with the exception of the Province of Quebec. People get carded all the time too. So this culture of in Spain of being booze friendly is different for me too. It used to be friendlier, though, because when I visited Spain 35 years ago, even kids were allowed to drink alcohol in restaurants! For real!

So here's one of my favourites - comparing Canadian and Spanish Ikeas... I'm surprised at how the Malaga Ikea cafeteria sells booze....and paella.


----------



## jimenato

Interesting about the bars while shopping. It didn't surprise me at all as I was used to France where beer and wine are available nearly everywhere, but I suppose it is different from the UK where most big stores have a cafe but I don't think they serve alcohol (yet). 

Interesting also about not selling alcohol in Australian supermarkets. I can remember (just) when it became allowed in the UK but it must be 50 or so years ago.

The drinking of alcohol first thing in the morning before driving off to work (and frankly the level of drinking and driving in general in Spain) was quite a shock.


----------



## thrax

A local bar we walk past often in the morning after dropping the boy off at school has dozens of people drinking alcohol with their breakfast (usually tostadas) but so often I see men with a beer and a brandy. 9.30 am. I couldn't do it. just couldn't...


----------



## Elyles

I lived in Nevada once in the US. The same freaked me out there as well as the slot machines at petrol stations and supermarkets


----------



## Elyles

The carajillo is a way for life for some. I used to cycle with a bunch of Spaniards and sometimes we would start with breakfast. To drink, in a porrón we soul de have sine and gaseosa mix then rinde mostrar of the dar in the Pyrenees. (Wine, not just for breakfast any more)


----------



## jimenato

thrax said:


> A local bar we walk past often in the morning after dropping the boy off at school has dozens of people drinking alcohol with their breakfast (usually tostadas) but so often I see men with a beer and a brandy. 9.30 am. I couldn't do it. just couldn't...


Where I was these would have included the guys doing the refuse collection round, the Guardia Civil, Policia Local, people in suits who I suspect might have been abogados, teachers etc. the labour gangs doing road works and the beer, bread, gas and fish delivery men. 

All prior to driving and doing a full day's work. 

They would probably have topped up at lunchtime.


----------



## baldilocks

jimenato said:


> Where I was these would have included the guys doing the refuse collection round, the Guardia Civil, Policia Local, people in suits who I suspect might have been abogados, teachers etc. the labour gangs doing road works and the beer, bread, gas and fish delivery men.
> 
> All prior to driving and doing a full day's work.
> 
> They would probably have topped up at lunchtime.


Our refuse collectors don't start work until 8 pm.


----------



## xabiaxica

AllHeart said:


> In Canada they don't sell booze anywhere but licensed government stores - with the exception of the Province of Quebec. People get carded all the time too. So this culture of in Spain of being booze friendly is different for me too. It used to be friendlier, though, because when I visited Spain 35 years ago, even kids were allowed to drink alcohol in restaurants! For real!
> 
> So here's one of my favourites - comparing Canadian and Spanish Ikeas... I'm surprised at how the Malaga Ikea cafeteria sells booze....and paella.


even Macdonalds sells beer....


----------



## Chica22

And I was surprised to see MacDonalds serving gazpacho during the summer months


----------



## thrax

Chica22 said:


> And I was surprised to see MacDonalds serving gazpacho during the summer months


What kind of bun did they use for that?


----------



## jimenato

baldilocks said:


> Our refuse collectors don't start work until 8 pm.


They must be seriously bladdered by then.


----------



## Elyles

Hey guys, I'm from McDonaldsland ( US) Those guys even change the menu's for varios parte of the country there due to popularity bit come to trino of it I never saw Armadillo burreros or road-kill salad in Texas. I did however ser Buffalo in Wyoming.


----------



## stefig

Here's my surprise of the day.

Taco Bell has opened in Valencia since I was last year. Taco Bell! As far as I know, it failed last time it entered the European market and all the branches closed, but this one looked really busy. The popularity of fast food/junk food in general surprises me. You can get a cafe and tostada for a few euros, a menu del dia for 8 or 9. Good, fresh food everywhere. Why would you pay more money to eat junk?


----------



## baldilocks

stefig said:


> Here's my surprise of the day.
> 
> Taco Bell has opened in Valencia since I was last year. Taco Bell! As far as I know, it failed last time it entered the European market and all the branches closed, but this one looked really busy. The popularity of fast food/junk food in general surprises me. You can get a cafe and tostada for a few euros, a menu del dia for 8 or 9. Good, fresh food everywhere. Why would you pay more money to eat junk?


Maybe there are a number of American tourists visit that area and you know they can't eat real food, it all has to be from the likes of McD, etc.


----------



## Justina

*Food*



baldilocks said:


> Maybe there are a number of American tourists visit that area and you know they can't eat real food, it all has to be from the likes of McD, etc.


A friend was in Llandudno in July and she was quite amazed at the number of obese people zooming around in their buggies, which could be hired for the day or whatever.
It seems to be a money spinner.
Perhaps a little off topic.


----------



## jimenato

stefig said:


> Here's my surprise of the day.
> 
> Taco Bell has opened in Valencia since I was last year. Taco Bell! As far as I know, it failed last time it entered the European market and all the branches closed, but this one looked really busy. The popularity of fast food/junk food in general surprises me. You can get a cafe and tostada for a few euros, a menu del dia for 8 or 9. Good, fresh food everywhere. Why would you pay more money to eat junk?


I would actually class much Spanish food (tapas, MDD etc) as fast food - often at its worst.

It's easy to get carried away with the 'romance' of eating foreign food in a foreign country and overlook the fact that a lot of it is actually pretty dire.


----------



## baldilocks

jimenato said:


> I would actually class much Spanish food (tapas, MDD etc) as fast food - often at its worst.
> 
> It's easy to get carried away with the 'romance' of eating foreign food in a foreign country and overlook the fact that a lot of it is actually pretty dire.


But if you are in the right place, you don't pay for the tapas!


----------



## jimenato

baldilocks said:


> But if you are in the right place, you don't pay for the tapas!


Doesn't change the quality.


----------



## baldilocks

jimenato said:


> Doesn't change the quality.


Most of the tapas around here are pretty good apart from the rubber rings.


----------



## jimenato

baldilocks said:


> Most of the tapas around here are pretty good apart from the rubber rings.


There's good and bad in everything. 

Tapas and MDDs can be good and they can be very ordinary. They can also be very poor.

My BH ordered me to stop eating MDDs because of their quality - said I should be eating more fresh veg and less fatty meat and greasy chips. 

Tapas when prepared from fresh can be fine but many are supplied pre-packed. This doesn't necessarily mean they are bad of course but it certainly isn't home cooking by any stretch. They are also often left for long periods in the bar-top coolers.

The rubber rings are ...umm... an acquired taste I believe.


----------



## amespana

Never eat in the local piscina!


----------



## stefig

jimenato said:


> I would actually class much Spanish food (tapas, MDD etc) as fast food - often at its worst.
> 
> It's easy to get carried away with the 'romance' of eating foreign food in a foreign country and overlook the fact that a lot of it is actually pretty dire.


A lot of it can be quite greasy, but I don't believe for a minute that tapas or MDD is worse for you than fast food. I ate at a place around the corner from the Taco Bell. For the MDD, I had a salad, fish with potatoes, small pastry dessert and a massive bottle of water to go with it. Not the healthiest meal of all time, no, but certainly better than a burger with zero salad on it, a box of fries and a large fizzy drink.


----------



## smitty5668

*leroy merlin*

the above mentioned store has a bar and snack bit at the store in murcia city, i was using it last saturday.


----------



## 90199

Another huge surprise was when in 2011 a blooming volcano erupted just out at sea to the south of the island, somewhat unnerving at first, but very soon became fascinating, standing on the cliffs and watching the ocean bubble and throw pyroclast into the air.

Well the volcano now sleeps, let it sleep. Link below, quietly please, don't wake him 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_El_Hierro_eruption


----------



## Pesky Wesky

baldilocks said:


> Maybe there are a number of American tourists visit that area and you know they can't eat real food, it all has to be from the likes of McD, etc.


Only American tourists eh?
I think if McDonald's in Spain had to rely on American tourists for a living it would have gone down the drain long ago Baldi


----------



## LDN2ESP

On one of my home scouting trips to Spain I stopped at a Macca Ds, next to a shopping mall, near Denia for lunch ... It was closed, for lunch! When you see something like that you can understand why Spain is on its knees financially.


----------



## denik12

Bullfighting is real!


----------



## Pesky Wesky

jimenato said:


> There's good and bad in everything.
> 
> Tapas and MDDs can be good and they can be very ordinary. They can also be very poor.
> 
> My BH ordered me to stop eating MDDs because of their quality - said I should be eating more fresh veg and less fatty meat and greasy chips.
> 
> Tapas when prepared from fresh can be fine but many are supplied pre-packed. This doesn't necessarily mean they are bad of course but it certainly isn't home cooking by any stretch. They are also often left for long periods in the bar-top coolers.
> 
> The rubber rings are ...umm... an acquired taste I believe.


I think a large number of foreigners who come to live in Spain or who visit are blinded by tapas and MDD. The aim seems to be what's the cheapest I can eat for and not to think about what you are actually eating. It's something I see constantly in pubs in the UK too. 2 for the price of one, all you can eat etc some of which are good and some of which are..not.
I agree with Jimenato tapas can be great, but they can be very dodgy quality wise and bacteria wise, so choose your tapas carefully. And remember, just because they give you a tapa you don't have to eat it. In Madrid the free tapas are usually something like peanuts and olives, but sometimes, especially at the weekend there can be patatas en ali oli, salpicon, paella, chorizitos etc(try the bar El Soportal, Plaza Mayor, Madrid on a Sunday at around 12:30. In the middle of tourist land, but a great free tapa of paella. The same can be said of the bar, not restaurant, La Rueda en El Escorial Avda de la constitución)
It seems to me there are several types of MDD. There are


dirt cheap, made up of frozen goods (frozen fish, those little frozen empanadillas stuffed with ???, frozen San Jacobos [breaded ham or mystery meat and cheese]...) Iceberg lettuce salad, factory made cake or flans. They are probably better than going hungry, but just because it's a Spanish menu doesn't mean that it's "good" food. As Jimenato says, it's basically junk food.
Good quality restaurants that offer a number of dishes at a reduced price. In the Madrid area that might start at around 15€ a head. Here you're usually going to get fresh ingredients, probably the more basic recipes from the original menu in the restaurant and maybe not so abundant portions.
The gourmet places that do a special menu as away of showing their best produce and that might come in at around 30€ per person.
Half menus. More and more restaurants offer the option of one dish, either a starter or a main course and a coffee for half price which is what a lot of office workers now do as more and more people a) say they don't want a 3 course meal at lunch time b) find it expensive, but also find that their only option is to eat out every day.
That's what I think, anyway


----------



## Pesky Wesky

stefig said:


> A lot of it can be quite greasy, but I don't believe for a minute that tapas or MDD is worse for you than fast food.


Not worse, the same as


----------



## Pesky Wesky

denik12 said:


> Bullfighting is real!


Yep, and 13 people have died in local fiestas this year.
Una nueva víctima mortal eleva a 13 los fallecidos este 2015 en festejos taurinos - 20minutos.es


----------



## Brangus

alanp26 said:


> What was your biggest surprise?


The physical ugliness. It was like a punch in the stomach when I first came off the motorway, in spite of being aware that many Spaniards consider Albacete to be Spain's armpit and that Lonely Planet bluntly advised "a good thing to do in Albacete is leave."

It has taken five years, but the place has grown on me. Albacete ranks high for quality of life among Spanish cities, and I appreciate that now.


----------



## Asian lady

Wow sound very hard..as am.going.to move by.next year..


----------



## thrax

Baldi, the rubber rings are a buoyancy aid and you are not supposed to eat them. Having said that, I've never been able to eat a whole one...


----------



## baldilocks

thrax said:


> Baldi, the rubber rings are a buoyancy aid and you are not supposed to eat them. Having said that, I've never been able to eat a whole one...


I have usually avoided them but, being brave, decided to try to eat one that was part of the mixed fish dish - I was still trying to eat it five minutes later.


----------



## jimenato

baldilocks said:


> I have usually avoided them but, being brave, decided to try to eat one that was part of the mixed fish dish - I was still trying to eat it five minutes later.


Bad jamon can be like that. 

The good stuff however is sublime.


----------



## Alcalaina

stefig said:


> Here's my surprise of the day.
> 
> Taco Bell has opened in Valencia since I was last year. Taco Bell! As far as I know, it failed last time it entered the European market and all the branches closed, but this one looked really busy. The popularity of fast food/junk food in general surprises me. You can get a cafe and tostada for a few euros, a menu del dia for 8 or 9. Good, fresh food everywhere. Why would you pay more money to eat junk?


Some Spanish families here take their kids to Burger King or Macdonalds for a special birthday treat. The nearest one is 40 km away so it's a day out!


----------



## Desiato

Brangus said:


> The physical ugliness. It was like a punch in the stomach when I first came off the motorway, in spite of being aware that many Spaniards consider Albacete to be Spain's armpit and that Lonely Planet bluntly advised "a good thing to do in Albacete is leave."
> 
> It has taken five years, but the place has grown on me. Albacete ranks high for quality of life among Spanish cities, and I appreciate that now.


Sounds a bit like my first day in Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Now maybe I've been fortunate in that the inhabitants of places I've lived (Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Haywards Heath, Crawley, Hailsham) have been relatively normal but for the love of God, what an ugly bunch of 'inmates' reside on this self imposed prison. I literally had to stop in the middle of the high street and stare at the parade of "Shaun of the dead" characters as they shuffled past me. I decided to move on when I'd seen a 'normal person' but after 2 minutes had to accept that Ryde (pit-bull's optional but you'll stand out as an outsider if you don't have one) had banned normal people so scuttled north to Cowes where the luvvies hung out. 

Sorry IOWies, most of the island is fine but Ryde! Jeez, drag it out to sea and sink it.


----------



## Elyles

In comparison to the US, very few go to McDonalds here. In the US, fewer are going because of the large publicity on high sugar and fat in their foods. Their hamburgers are what we call (sliders) because you can slide them under a door. Basically, their food is crap. Best lean burgers I ever ate were in Wyoming made from very lean buffalo. Here in Spain I have had marvelous burgers locally that are gourmet and big. The Spanish in general don't know what good burgers are. The BEST of course we're those that came off my grill at home. The Spanish in general don't know really good pizza either. Tele-pizza is basura.


----------



## Elyles

We called it Taco Smell in the US


----------



## Alcalaina

Elyles said:


> In comparison to the US, very few go to McDonalds here. In the US, fewer are going because of the large publicity on high sugar and fat in their foods. Their hamburgers are what we call (sliders) because you can slide them under a door. Basically, their food is crap. Best lean burgers I ever ate were in Wyoming made from very lean buffalo. Here in Spain I have had marvelous burgers locally that are gourmet and big. The Spanish in general don't know what good burgers are. The BEST of course we're those that came off my grill at home. The Spanish in general don't know really good pizza either. Tele-pizza is basura.


We have a breed of beef cattle down here in SW Andalucia known as _retinta_. The meat is fantastic and the market is growing. Many places now sell _hamburguesas de retinta_, 96% beef, and so meaty you don't actually need a bun. Hope they get to your part of the country soon!


----------



## Rabbitcat

Well on my ongoing sortees to Espana I have been really surprised by the high quality even of cheaper meals. 

Like any place on earth there's good and bad food but my own experiences so far have been very positive


----------



## stefig

Pesky Wesky said:


> Not worse, the same as


We'll have to agree to disagree. I've had lots of very good MDDs, but even the really bad ones were a step up from McDonald's.


----------



## Rabbitcat

Had some amazing mdd's especially in Loretto St in Denia. Bloody amazing quality and price


----------



## Elyles

I guess that's what you Brits call it? We call it MickeyD's


----------



## Brangus

Desiato said:


> for the love of God, what an ugly bunch of 'inmates' reside on this self imposed prison.


Yikes, that sounds worse than where I live. I should have said architectural ugliness. The people in Albacete are normal enough!


----------



## Rabbitcat

Elle's I have visited many parts of your country many times
Beautiful country, smashing people

BUT there was one thing- a food- which was beyond vile- yet adored by the locals..............

GRITS!!!!! Jesus wept they are disgusting.

Came across them in Alabama and Tenessee . I charge you now if you had dropped those on the Germans in WW2 the war would have ended much quicker


----------



## Elyles

Depends on how and where they are served


----------



## Rabbitcat

Good god man they were almost illegally dire!!

Acquired taste I presume


----------



## Desiato

Brangus said:


> Yikes, that sounds worse than where I live. I should have said architectural ugliness. The people in Albacete are normal enough!


Yeah I got that but it was this statement _"The physical ugliness. It was like a punch in the stomach when I first came off the motorway"_ that brought those hideous images back to me...think I'll go for a lie down.


----------



## Elyles

Grandfather was a cattle rancher in Texas. As a kid I thought it was great beef. Later in life in Wyoming I discovered buffalo with less than 20 % fat and really tasty. In the US it is getting big again since most were killed in the 1860's for their hides. I'm probably the only guy in Spain with the full skin of a buffalo as an alfombra en mi salón


----------



## Elyles

Also, grits are made from a corn product called hominy which is Dried corn soaked in lye then the lye is washed out. By that time it has swollen 20x and it is chopped and dried. The cleaned dried product is called grits. If served with bacon or other animal fat they are pretty tasty. I ate them a lot in Texas but never anywhere else. Yes, they really are an acquired taste, kind of like some Brittish food to us.


----------



## AllHeart

I don't know if it's the same phone culture throughout Spain, but in this neck of the woods my biggest surprise with phone technology is that people don't use answering services for cell phones or land lines - for business or personal use.


----------



## jimenato

Elyles said:


> I guess that's what you Brits call it? We call it MickeyD's


Just in case there is any confusion...

MDD = Menu Del Dia. MacDonald's = MacDonald's.


----------



## Desiato

AllHeart said:


> I don't know if it's the same phone culture throughout Spain, but in this neck of the woods my biggest surprise with phone technology is that people don't use answering services for cell phones or land lines - for business or personal use.


Or if they do have an answerphone, they never reply. Same goes with emails. :noidea:


----------



## Elyles

Is that a Happy Meal?


----------



## Pazcat

Desiato said:


> Or if they do have an answerphone, they never reply. Same goes with emails. :noidea:



Drives me to despair this, good way of sorting the wheat from the chaff though.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

AllHeart said:


> I don't know if it's the same phone culture throughout Spain, but in this neck of the woods my biggest surprise with phone technology is that people don't use answering services for cell phones or land lines - for business or personal use.


Spain is the Kingdom of watsuuuuuuuuuuup for business social and everything in between.
For anything more formal like sending an invoice, confirming an appointment, giving info about a product email is still number one for business at least it is the companies I deal with which are many and varied (banks, database firms, calls centre, phamacuetical services, universities, catering and more)


----------



## Pesky Wesky

stefig said:


> We'll have to agree to disagree. I've had lots of very good MDDs, but even the really bad ones were a step up from McDonald's.


But I never said I haven't had good MDD's. I have had a lot of just ok ones though. nothing to write home about.
Actually what I think is that I'm very lucky in that I've never had a 12 hour a day job like a lot of Spaniards do, and that if I need to eat out I can usually take my own stuff in a lunch box.
I also think that after a few years the allure of the MMD wears off and that's certainly true for my Spanish OH


----------



## deefitz

AllHeart said:


> I don't know if it's the same phone culture throughout Spain, but in this neck of the woods my biggest surprise with phone technology is that people don't use answering services for cell phones or land lines - for business or personal use.


I never use voicemail on my mobile. My thinking is, if it's important they'll call back (with the caveat that if I see a missed call from a recognised friend or family number I will call back).

The landline at home has an answerphone but more often than not people hang up when it cuts in. I won't phone back to a hang-up number. Again, if it's important they will call back - or leave a message!


----------



## Pesky Wesky

deefitz said:


> I never use voicemail on my mobile. My thinking is, if it's important they'll call back (with the caveat that if I see a missed call from a recognised friend or family number I will call back).
> 
> The landline at home has an answerphone but more often than not people hang up when it cuts in. I won't phone back to a hang-up number. Again, if it's important they will call back - or leave a message!


I have the same policy.
In fact I think it positively weird that I should call back a number when that person hasn't left a message.
I will normally look the number up online though to see who's phoned. About 8 times out of 10 it's a reported scam number


----------



## Elyles

We don't se our home phone for that reason and the easiest way to get rid of salespeople, Mormons and Jehova's Wittnsses is to say "habláis inglés?"


----------



## Alcalaina

Elyles said:


> Also, grits are made from a corn product called hominy which is Dried corn soaked in lye then the lye is washed out. By that time it has swollen 20x and it is chopped and dried. The cleaned dried product is called grits. If served with bacon or other animal fat they are pretty tasty. I ate them a lot in Texas but never anywhere else. Yes, they really are an acquired taste, kind of like some Brittish food to us.


Sounds like what the Brits give to their pets.


----------



## Alcalaina

AllHeart said:


> I don't know if it's the same phone culture throughout Spain, but in this neck of the woods my biggest surprise with phone technology is that people don't use answering services for cell phones or land lines - for business or personal use.


Our gas bottle delivery company does use voicemail - leave a message the night before and they will deliver a bombona next morning. The only other ones I've come across (mainly parcel delivery companies) just have a message telling you to phone back after 5. As for personal use, as PW says, it's wassap or nothing.


----------



## Alcalaina

Elyles said:


> Is that a Happy Meal?


Not always! It's a fixed-price 3-course meal with a drink, served at lunchtimes on weekdays. There is usually a choice of two or three options for each course. They are rarely written down and the waiter will reel it off at speed. There is usually a substantial first plate (garbanzos, macaroni etc) followed by a sliver of meat or fish with a spoonful of unidentifiable mixed veg and some soggy chips. For pudding, choose between flan or flan. But for €8 you can't really complain.


----------



## Lynn R

Alcalaina said:


> Not always! It's a fixed-price 3-course meal with a drink, served at lunchtimes on weekdays. There is usually a choice of two or three options for each course. They are rarely written down and the waiter will reel it off at speed. There is usually a substantial first plate (garbanzos, macaroni etc) followed by a sliver of meat or fish with a spoonful of unidentifiable mixed veg and some soggy chips. For pudding, choose between flan or flan. But for €8 you can't really complain.


There are some really good options for menu del dia if you pay just a little more, though, especially in the big cities. We've just got back from a visit to Madrid and had a lovely menu del dia in an Italian restaurant called Gioia. There were 4 choices for each course, for starter I had cream of broccoli and spinach with croutons and my OH had a caprese salad, main courses were salmon ravioli with a cream and courgette sauce and trofie pasta with cherry tomatoes, rocket and parmesan shavings, and desserts were profiteroles and tiramisu (neither of which were supermarket offerings). Bread and one drink (glass of wine, beer or soft drink) and bread were included, and the cost was €10.99 per person in the Chueca district of Madrid.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Lynn R said:


> There are some really good options for menu del dia if you pay just a little more, though, especially in the big cities. We've just got back from a visit to Madrid and had a lovely menu del dia in an Italian restaurant called Gioia. There were 4 choices for each course, for starter I had cream of broccoli and spinach with croutons and my OH had a caprese salad, main courses were salmon ravioli with a cream and courgette sauce and trofie pasta with cherry tomatoes, rocket and parmesan shavings, and desserts were profiteroles and tiramisu (neither of which were supermarket offerings). Bread and one drink (glass of wine, beer or soft drink) and bread were included, and the cost was €10.99 per person in the Chueca district of Madrid.


That sounds good, but isn't the Spanish MDD that I was referring to


----------



## baldilocks

Most of the MDDs around here have a choice of at least three or four options for each course, some times six or more. And the quality is usually quite good.


----------



## jimenato

Alcalaina said:


> Not always! It's a fixed-price 3-course meal with a drink, served at lunchtimes on weekdays. There is usually a choice of two or three options for each course. They are rarely written down and the waiter will reel it off at speed. There is usually a substantial first plate (garbanzos, macaroni etc) followed by a sliver of meat or fish with a spoonful of unidentifiable mixed veg and some soggy chips. For pudding, choose between flan or flan. But for €8 you can't really complain.


That's about it usually but to be fair the really big ones on poligonos industriales (400 covers turned over three times at lunch) can be pretty good.

Incidentally, the equivalent we are taking advantage of at the moment here is the 'Golden Years' option (age 60 plus - I have to lie to get it) two courses for £4.59 (pudding extra at £1.59). Many pubs are doing this kind of offer.


----------



## Dedaneen

Elyles said:


> We don't se our home phone for that reason and the easiest way to get rid of salespeople, Mormons and Jehova's Wittnsses is to say "habláis inglés?"


Oh I invite them in, lock the door and love watching them scream to get out


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Brangus said:


> The physical ugliness. It was like a punch in the stomach when I first came off the motorway, in spite of being aware that many Spaniards consider Albacete to be Spain's armpit and that Lonely Planet bluntly advised "a good thing to do in Albacete is leave."
> 
> It has taken five years, but the place has grown on me. Albacete ranks high for quality of life among Spanish cities, and I appreciate that now.


I've come to believe that "ugly" places can be the best ones to live in. The people seem to be friendlier, seem to look to do thing together more as there isn't a natural environment that invites you to mooch around


----------



## Elyles

Same here! Even one place has an MDD for 5€ that is fair and with a bottle of cheap tinto


----------



## Elyles

Living in Texas many years took me to Mexico many times. I ate in some of the sleaziest places where the best food was to be had.


----------



## baldilocks

Elyles said:


> Living in Texas many years took me to Mexico many times. I ate in some of the sleaziest places where the best food was to be had.


When they spend more on the fancy decor than on the preparation and service of the food, then you know you're in trouble. There was one place we used to go for Sunday lunch in Colombia and you had to fight the flies for the food but that was because the food was very good. The decor was sh*t! We used to know it as "carne con mosco!"


----------



## Rabbitcat

Ah but if it was decorated with s***- that would explain so many flies!!


----------



## baldilocks

Rabbitcat said:


> Ah but if it was decorated with s***- that would explain so many flies!!


You could be right. We noticed that the flies were also attracted to a fizzy drink that was a dead ringer for Ir'n Bru.


----------



## kimuyen

alanp26 said:


> What was your biggest surprise?


One cold night and with limited Spanish, we were happy to see a shop that sold "hot chocolate" (Coming from North America, we were happy to find a taste from home!). We ordered one. Well, it came out with a spoon and a density of mud. What would one do with a spoon and a "hot chocolate"? We later learned there is a wonderful companion to this mud thick "hot chocotate" called churros. 

_____________________

Pic credit: Spanish Churros Recipe, Spanish Churros con Chocolate, How To Make Perfect Churros, Whats Cooking America


----------



## Dedaneen

Remember being taken to a 
cafe in Valencia that seemed to specialise in that oh it was soooo good &#55357;&#56835;


----------



## Pesky Wesky

kimuyen said:


> One cold night and with limited Spanish, we were happy to see a shop that sold "hot chocolate" (Coming from North America, we were happy to find a taste from home!). We ordered one. Well, it came out with a spoon and a density of mud. What would one do with a spoon and a "hot chocolate"? We later learned there is a wonderful companion to this mud thick "hot chocotate" called churros.
> 
> _____________________
> 
> Pic credit: Spanish Churros Recipe, Spanish Churros con Chocolate, How To Make Perfect Churros, Whats Cooking America


On a cold night in Catalonia I was introduced to carajillo...


----------



## baldilocks

kimuyen said:


> One cold night and with limited Spanish, we were happy to see a shop that sold* "hot chocolate" (Coming from North America, we were happy to find a taste from home!*).
> 
> _____________________
> 
> Pic credit: Spanish Churros Recipe, Spanish Churros con Chocolate, How To Make Perfect Churros, Whats Cooking America


Sorry but it is a taste from *South* America, to which the Yanks were introduced by South American immigrants.


----------



## Brangus

kimuyen said:


> One cold night and with limited Spanish, we were happy to see a shop that sold "hot chocolate" (Coming from North America, we were happy to find a taste from home!).





baldilocks said:


> Sorry but it is a taste from *South* America, to which the Yanks were introduced by South American immigrants.


We're talking about cacao, not coca.


----------



## Elyles

You talk about UGLY. I lived around Houston, Texas for about 30 years. I could have relocated at any time but after finally getting tired of the then Governor (George Bush-later a war monger President) who took millions of dollars out of mental health services, I finally got the guts to leave and took a huge financial pay cut to do so. While living in Houston I was fortunate enough to travel to ski in the mountains of Wyoming. When I discovered that there was a crisis in re to an insufficient amount of mental health professionals, we packed up, sold our house and went. We then became addicted to living in the mountains. Later we traded for another different set, the Pyrenees. I consider NOWHERE in Spain as ugly. It's all new and exciting.


----------



## baldilocks

Brangus said:


> We're talking about cacao, not coca.


So am I - where do you think Cacao came from? In particular, modern (i.e. post ice-age) cacao comes from the area that encompasses the border between Brazil and Peru and the southern part of the Colombian-Brazilian border

One of the biggest imports of coca (as coca) was the Coca Cola company - that was their "secret" ingredient. Its derivative, cocaina (including the refined cocaine), was widely used throughout the western hemisphere as an anæsthetic. Chewing of coca leaves or taking the chemicals in the leaves by way of an infusion or tea enables people to work high up in the more rarified atmosphere in the high Andes but it does not have addictive properties.


----------



## Elyles

Old info! It was also once advertised as the Original Brain Tonic at the 185? World's Fair.


----------



## baldilocks

Elyles said:


> Old info! It was also once advertised as the Original Brain Tonic at the 185? World's Fair.


I did say "was" and extract from coca leaves was used from about 1885 until around 1929.


----------



## samthemainman

My four biggest surprises:

1) quite how much the Spanish drink. And beer especially. I hardly ever see Spaniards drinking wine, and if I do they are either having a meal, or are over 65. Compared to the Italians, the Spaniards appear enjoy to enjoy their regular boozing. (Granted - most alcohol is a lot cheaper in bars in Spain compared to Italy)

2) the amount of dogsh1t around- especially outside a city centre. It's a disgrace.

3a) the national addiction to black money
3b) that people spend a lot of time moaning about the 'corrupt' PP and that 'all politicians are the same' and yet they do most things under the table themselves wherever they can;

4) that the bureaucracy isn't bad enough to make me want to waste hundreds of pounds on opportunist cowboy estate agents, gestors and tax advisors. With a bit of perseverance you can do most things by yourself.


----------



## Alcalaina

samthemainman said:


> My four biggest surprises:
> 
> 1) quite how much the Spanish drink. And beer especially. I hardly ever see Spaniards drinking wine, and if I do they are either having a meal, or are over 65. Compared to the Italians, the Spaniards appear enjoy to enjoy their regular boozing. (Granted - most alcohol is a lot cheaper in bars in Spain compared to Italy)
> 
> 2) the amount of dogsh1t around- especially outside a city centre. It's a disgrace.
> 
> 3a) the national addiction to black money
> 3b) that people spend a lot of time moaning about the 'corrupt' PP and that 'all politicians are the same' and yet they do most things under the table themselves wherever they can;
> 
> 4) that the bureaucracy isn't bad enough to make me want to waste hundreds of pounds on opportunist cowboy estate agents, gestors and tax advisors. With a bit of perseverance you can do most things by yourself.


1) Wine is for drinking with a meal in most parts of the world. That's why they give you a free tapa (olives etc) when you order a beer, but not when you ask for a glass of wine - they assume you'll be eating shortly. I know my region is exceptional in this respect though. Sherry is produced here and is a working-class drink. A glass of "Chiclana" or "ligao" (a mixture pale and sweet) costs 70 cents and is mainly drunk by men on their way home from working in the fields.

2) Don't get them started on dog poo ...


----------



## baldilocks

Alcalaina said:


> 1) Wine is for drinking with a meal in most parts of the world. That's why they give you a free tapa (olives etc) when you order a beer, but not when you ask for a glass of wine - they assume you'll be eating shortly. I know my region is exceptional in this respect though. Sherry is produced here and is a working-class drink. A glass of "Chiclana" or "ligao" (a mixture pale and sweet) costs 70 cents and is mainly drunk by men on their way home from working in the fields.
> 
> 2) *Don't get them started on dog poo ...*


What do they do? steep it in alcohol first or just take it neat?


----------



## stefig

samthemainman said:


> My four biggest surprises:
> 
> 1) quite how much the Spanish drink. And beer especially. I hardly ever see Spaniards drinking wine, and if I do they are either having a meal, or are over 65. Compared to the Italians, the Spaniards appear enjoy to enjoy their regular boozing. (Granted - most alcohol is a lot cheaper in bars in Spain compared to Italy)


And that despite this, they hardly ever seem to get drunk. 



> 2) the amount of dogsh1t around- especially outside a city centre. It's a disgrace.


I had forgotten about how you need to look down when you walk. I stepped in three different piles of dog sh1t today on my way to Mercadona, which is round the corner!


----------



## Guest

How polite people are.

The LACK of dog ****.

The lack of litter.

Seeing men (usually but not exclusively) drinking wine or beer with almuerzo, which I hope I've spelt correctly.

The marked difference between the two systems - the way things should be done and the way they actually are done.


----------



## Elyles

Not to worry, the beer here is very weak


----------



## AllHeart

Elyles said:


> Not to worry, the beer here is very weak


...says an American, the Canadian says with shock!


----------



## Overandout

AllHeart said:


> ...says an American, the Canadian says with shock!


I'm glad you said that! 

Spanish beer is certainly no weaker than prime US beers:

Top 3 selling beers in the US are:

Bud Light: 4.2%
Coors light: 4.2%
Budweiser: 5%

And although I cannot find a "top 3 of beers in Spain" for recent years, it seems that the top sellers are:

Cruzcampo: 4.8%
Mahou Clasica: 4.8%
Estrella Damm: 5.4%


----------



## Gazeebo

Ah yeah but I bet you can't buy a large beer and large white wine for 3.50 euros! Our local bar is marvellous!


----------



## Elyles

Budweiser is not beer nor is Coors Light. Nor are they quality. Bud Lite is the number one beer of Ireland. The thing in the US for a long time has been selling craft brews that are maltier, hoppier, and with more alcohol. Budweiser is no longer an American beer, having been sold to a Belgian family a few years back. ,says an American who brewed craft beers for years. Spanish beers are weak in taste as well and are very limited in variety of hops and malts used. Find me a Spanish beer like a German or British barley wine and we'll talk about it.


----------



## Elyles

Good beer is like good wine. I have heard of some good dark beers here but have yet to see any. Personally, I like taste in my beer no matter what the cost. When in undergrad school we thought Coors Light was good beer because it was smooth and cheap. Only ******** drank Budweiser and other mass produced beers then. Now, there are so many quality craft brews available as well as many microbreweries to sample from. I no longer drink much beer but have tried a few Spanish beers and they are not of my personal taste. Good beer is good beer no mater what your culture.


----------



## Dedaneen

I assume Guinness is way too heavy for Spanish taste?


----------



## AllHeart




----------



## Rabbitcat

Elyles said:


> Budweiser is not beer nor is Coors Light. Nor are they quality. Bud Lite is the number one beer of Ireland. The thing in the US for a long time has been selling craft brews that are maltier, hoppier, and with more alcohol. Budweiser is no longer an American beer, having been sold to a Belgian family a few years back. ,says an American who brewed craft beers for years. Spanish beers are weak in taste as well and are very limited in variety of hops and malts used. Find me a Spanish beer like a German or British barley wine and we'll talk about it.



Bud lite is NOT Ireland's top selling beer!!!!!


----------



## Elyles

Probably because they can't spell STOUT much less brew it


----------



## Elyles

Unfortunately, it is


----------



## baldilocks

My first big surprise hit me about two months after we arrived - how cold it can get. Winter 2008/9 I got frostbite.


----------



## jimenato

Spanish draught beer is normally 5.5%. This is not weak unless you are comparing it with specialist craft beers in bottle which is hardly a true comparison. 

We used to sell loads of Alhambra Reserva in bottle at 6.4%.


----------



## jimenato

Dedaneen said:


> I assume Guinness is way too heavy for Spanish taste?


Irish bars are very popular. I used to sell loads of Guinness in my bar.


----------



## Elyles

It tastes weak to me, guess it is the brewing style.


----------



## Elyles

When in Ireland I kept seeing signs advertising Bud as the #1 beer in Ireland. I like Guiness as well as other oatmeal stouts.


----------



## Elyles

I used to make some pretty fine barley wines that kicked all dratghts in the ass.


----------



## baldilocks

Elyles said:


> I used to make some pretty fine barley wines that kicked all dratghts in the ass.


Barley wine used to be a compulsory ingredient in Christmas puddings.


----------



## jimenato

Elyles said:


> When in Ireland I kept seeing signs advertising Bud as the #1 beer in Ireland. I like Guiness as well as other oatmeal stouts.


Guinness has 19% of the Irish beer market, Budweiser has 7%. Even Carlsberg is bigger than Bud.


----------



## Elyles

Thank God! Budweiser is horse piss. I was glad to hear that.


----------



## Elyles

And was also glad to hear about Guinness because that is good beer. Goes to show you that one cannot believe everything they hear or see


----------



## Rabbitcat

No idea why you would have thought you knew more about booze in Ireland than someone who lives here!!!


----------



## Elyles

I was going by signs I read when there but I guess any company can call themselves the #1 beer of a country without having the data to back it up. I wouldn't' dare argue with a Brit about gin or scotch.


----------



## baldilocks

Rabbitcat said:


> No idea why you would have thought you knew more about booze in Ireland than someone who lives here!!!


The trouble is with all your playing around with your flags, we never know whether you are in Tanzania or Timbuktu.


----------



## Elyles

You mentioned the barley wine being a mandatory ingredient in puddings historcially. To me that is strange but I don't know anything about English puddings.


----------



## baldilocks

Elyles said:


> You mentioned the barley wine being a mandatory ingredient in puddings historcially. To me that is strange but I don't know anything about English puddings.


Christmas pudding aka Plum duff

Comprises: 
breadcrumbs, suet, raisins, sultanas, lots of spices, grated apple, brandy, barley wine and lots more

Here's delia's recipe:
Traditional Christmas Pudding - English - Recipes - from Delia Online

There are variations. Traditionally it used to contains silver threepenny pieces or lucky charms but not any more. I used to make my own but we have a friend who loves making them and she has promised to make us a couple this year.


----------



## Elyles

Lucky you!


----------



## jimenato

baldilocks said:


> Christmas pudding aka Plum duff
> 
> Comprises:
> breadcrumbs, suet, raisins, sultanas, lots of spices, grated apple, brandy, barley wine and lots more
> 
> Here's delia's recipe:
> Traditional Christmas Pudding - English - Recipes - from Delia Online
> 
> There are variations. Traditionally it used to contains silver threepenny pieces or lucky charms but not any more. I used to make my own but we have a friend who loves making them and she has promised to make us a couple this year.


:ban:

Talking about christmas

:ban:


----------



## Pesky Wesky

jimenato said:


> :ban:
> 
> Talking about christmas
> 
> :ban:


Fed up with it already?
Are you in the UK?
Around here were just starting on autumn, so no mention of Christmas yet, except, of course the all important

*LOTTERY

*_PS You needn't bother buying it 'cos it's earmarked for MEEEEEEEEE_*:eyebrows::fingerscrossed::fingerscrossed:*


----------



## mrypg9

Elyles said:


> You mentioned the barley wine being a mandatory ingredient in puddings historcially. To me that is strange but I don't know anything about English puddings.


Barley wine....that brings back horrible memories. The evening of the day we had finished our final exams at Uni a group of us went to celebrate in our local pub, the Fishmongers Arms in North London. I think I drank about nine bottles before passing out and crashing into the whelk, winkle and jellied eel stall that was always situated outside. I had to be carried home and spent the next two days in bed really ill recovering.
Since then I haven't touched a drop of the stuff and that was many many moons ago.


----------



## Guest

I first explored barley wine at the 100 Club in Oxford Street during my student days. It tasted good and it was cheap. It was decades before I could stand even he smell of it after that night.


----------



## Dedaneen

mrypg9 said:


> Barley wine....that brings back horrible memories. The evening of the day we had finished our final exams at Uni a group of us went to celebrate in our local pub, the Fishmongers Arms in North London. I think I drank about nine bottles before passing out and crashing into the whelk, winkle and jellied eel stall that was always situated outside. I had to be carried home and spent the next two days in bed really ill recovering.
> Since then I haven't touched a drop of the stuff and that was many many moons ago.


Thats quite a celebration lol
Did something similar after winning the main horse race at a meeting by drinking straight from the Cup not realising it was straight whiskey ( I was young and hadnt eaten all day) it knocked me for six, took two days to recover


----------



## Elyles

Yeah--it really kicks ass! It was difficult to make but my friends loved the stuff. I never drank more than two bottles at a setting.


----------



## mrypg9

Dedaneen said:


> Thats quite a celebration lol
> Did something similar after winning the main horse race at a meeting by drinking straight from the Cup not realising it was straight whiskey ( I was young and hadnt eaten all day) it knocked me for six, took two days to recover


Ahh...but was it by chance Bushmills ye were drinking....


----------



## Dedaneen

mrypg9 said:


> Ahh...but was it by chance Bushmills ye were drinking....


I dont have a clue didnt realise what I was drinking till someone took it away 

Im a Jameson man myself now


----------



## mrypg9

Dedaneen said:


> I dont have a clue didnt realise what I was drinking till someone took it away
> 
> Im a Jameson man myself now


I want to know more...were you riding the horse or had you just put money on it?

P.S. My father's family were McMullens from County Cork..


----------



## alanp26

Ha! I do believe that my thread has got just a tad sabotaged!


----------



## jojo

alanp26 said:


> Ha! I do believe that my thread has got just a tad sabotaged!


I'm afraid we do get carried away sometimes, but its chit chat that might give people an insight as to life in Spain ?????

Jo xxx


----------



## baldilocks

alanp26 said:


> Ha! I do believe that my thread has got just a tad sabotaged!


Ah, but have you found out anything (incriminating or otherwise) about your fellow forum members?


----------



## Elyles

I'm a Bombay Saphire and tonic guy now myself


----------



## Dedaneen

mrypg9 said:


> I want to know more...were you riding the horse or had you just put money on it?
> 
> P.S. My father's family were McMullens from County Cork..


We had trained the horse and I rode it in the race, been up from 6am ish and the celebrations took place after 5pm. Didnt get much chance to eat during the day as I was riding in other races too.
Being young and foolish and very proud of myself the above took place, hehe my poor mother was mortified when I got home.

Oh and my apologies the thread starter


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think a large number of foreigners who come to live in Spain or who visit are blinded by tapas and MDD. The aim seems to be what's the cheapest I can eat for and not to think about what you are actually eating. It's something I see constantly in pubs in the UK too. 2 for the price of one, all you can eat etc some of which are good and some of which are..not.
> I agree with Jimenato tapas can be great, but they can be very dodgy quality wise and bacteria wise, so choose your tapas carefully. And remember, just because they give you a tapa you don't have to eat it. In Madrid the free tapas are usually something like peanuts and olives, but sometimes, especially at the weekend there can be patatas en ali oli, salpicon, paella, chorizitos etc(try the bar El Soportal, Plaza Mayor, Madrid on a Sunday at around 12:30. In the middle of tourist land, but a great free tapa of paella. The same can be said of the bar, not restaurant, La Rueda en El Escorial Avda de la constitución)
> It seems to me there are several types of MDD. There are
> 
> 
> dirt cheap, made up of frozen goods (frozen fish, those little frozen empanadillas stuffed with ???, frozen San Jacobos [breaded ham or mystery meat and cheese]...) Iceberg lettuce salad, factory made cake or flans. They are probably better than going hungry, but just because it's a Spanish menu doesn't mean that it's "good" food. As Jimenato says, it's basically junk food.
> Good quality restaurants that offer a number of dishes at a reduced price. In the Madrid area that might start at around 15€ a head. Here you're usually going to get fresh ingredients, probably the more basic recipes from the original menu in the restaurant and maybe not so abundant portions.
> The gourmet places that do a special menu as away of showing their best produce and that might come in at around 30€ per person.
> Half menus. More and more restaurants offer the option of one dish, either a starter or a main course and a coffee for half price which is what a lot of office workers now do as more and more people a) say they don't want a 3 course meal at lunch time b) find it expensive, but also find that their only option is to eat out every day.
> That's what I think, anyway


Going back to MDD, I had one in San Lorenzo de El Escorial (town of the famed monastery ) this week for 10.50€ and I'd say it was quite good. Crema de veduras which was home made, pollo al ajillo, all the boney cheap bits of chicken cooked for ages with garlic and parsley, chips and a coffee.


----------



## baldilocks

Pesky Wesky said:


> Going back to MDD, I had one in San Lorenzo de El Escorial (town of the famed monastery ) this week for 10.50€ and I'd say it was quite good. Crema de veduras which was home made, pollo al ajillo, all the boney cheap bits of chicken cooked for ages with garlic and parsley, chips and a coffee.


What, no dessert?


----------



## Pesky Wesky

baldilocks said:


> What, no dessert?


You usually get a choice of coffee or dessert


----------



## el romeral

Probably there were several but the biggest has to be how utterly rubbish the locals are at driving.


----------



## jimenato

... seeing a family of four and a goat on a scooter.


----------



## baldilocks

Pesky Wesky said:


> You usually get a choice of coffee or dessert


We get three courses plus a drink and it only costs 9-10€. The drink can be wine, beer, tinto de verano, Coke or similar or coffee. The tinto de verano option is a bottle of cheap wine and a bottle of casera lemon.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

baldilocks said:


> We get three courses plus a drink and it only costs 9-10€. The drink can be wine, beer, tinto de verano, Coke or similar or coffee. The tinto de verano option is a bottle of cheap wine and a bottle of casera lemon.


Well, if it's edible, yours is better than mine!


----------



## Pesky Wesky

jimenato said:


> ... seeing a family of four and a goat on a scooter.


Sounds more like Vietnam or Colombia


----------



## baldilocks

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well, if it's edible, yours is better than mine!


Not just edible but very eatable (I don't subscribe to American!)


----------



## Lynn R

jimenato said:


> ... seeing a family of four and a goat on a scooter.


.... seeing two horses tied up outside a town centre bar whilst their riders were drinking inside (and it wasn't during a féria).


----------



## Gazeebo

The amount of people that smoke. If people want to smoke, that's fine, but don't blow it in my direction as it plays havoc with my nose and throat.
AND dog poo. Are people too up their own a---- to pick up their dog's poo? A lovely walk in the hills spoiled because we had to constantly look down where we were going and Alfie thinking all's alright with the world if he sniffs every poo he finds. Good job I gave him a worming tablet this morning.
PS Alfie is a dog.


----------



## Mitch1717

That was funny


----------



## Mitch1717

That was very funny was for a video I watched. Not what you had written about sorry if anyone thought that...


----------

