Some (Surely) Useless Facts About Spain
Mar 19th, 2012, 09:26 AM
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Some (Surely) Useless Facts About Spain
Apart from those that I have mentioned in previous posts (like tipping, pintxos/tapas, timetables, etc…), and that may have been of some interest, you may find the facts below as completely useless. But my US visitors have always made a comment about some of the items on the list:
1- Traffic lights are posted right where you must stop, not hanging from a wire several meters ahead of you.
2- U-Turns are (almost) always prohibited
3- Most cars run on diesel and are manual.
4- Size (of cars) is not (very) important to us. Size is never important, isn´t it?
5- 100% of apartments are completely furbished with washing machines. No basement for laundry.
6- You can have your TV programs in their original language (English, French…)simply change the language option. Or subtitled.
7- We like to have Coke (not that popular compared to the US) with a couple of icecubes, not icecubes with a bit of Coke on them.
8- There´s no such thing as “double whisky”. Amounts are at waiter´s discretion. Gin and Tonic is served in large glasses, with lots of ice and little gin.
9- In a restaurant your rarely ask for a glass of wine…it´s always a bottle, although you don´t have to drink it all.
10- Liquors are served after the meals, for a long aftermeal chat. Never after.
11- Beer has some taste and a “light” version is hard to find. You´ll easily find 0,0º alcohol beers.
12-Two drinks at the same bar is kind of odd…one per bar, and several bars in a row.
13- Signs in Galicia, Basque Country, Majorca, Catalonia are in two languages, Local and Spanish. Those most complicated to read are the Basque ones.
14- People don´t eat and walk at the same time...if you see somebody doing it, he´s a tourist.
15- You can have beer at any fast food chain
16- English is rarely and poorly spoken in off the beaten track places, even by young people.
17- White wine in the morning, red wine in the evening.
18- It´s perfectly acceptable to throw your paper napkins to the floor in a bar. In fact, it´s weird when you put it somewhere else. In the same way, use your hands to eat almost anything in the counter of a bar.
1- Traffic lights are posted right where you must stop, not hanging from a wire several meters ahead of you.
2- U-Turns are (almost) always prohibited
3- Most cars run on diesel and are manual.
4- Size (of cars) is not (very) important to us. Size is never important, isn´t it?
5- 100% of apartments are completely furbished with washing machines. No basement for laundry.
6- You can have your TV programs in their original language (English, French…)simply change the language option. Or subtitled.
7- We like to have Coke (not that popular compared to the US) with a couple of icecubes, not icecubes with a bit of Coke on them.
8- There´s no such thing as “double whisky”. Amounts are at waiter´s discretion. Gin and Tonic is served in large glasses, with lots of ice and little gin.
9- In a restaurant your rarely ask for a glass of wine…it´s always a bottle, although you don´t have to drink it all.
10- Liquors are served after the meals, for a long aftermeal chat. Never after.
11- Beer has some taste and a “light” version is hard to find. You´ll easily find 0,0º alcohol beers.
12-Two drinks at the same bar is kind of odd…one per bar, and several bars in a row.
13- Signs in Galicia, Basque Country, Majorca, Catalonia are in two languages, Local and Spanish. Those most complicated to read are the Basque ones.
14- People don´t eat and walk at the same time...if you see somebody doing it, he´s a tourist.
15- You can have beer at any fast food chain
16- English is rarely and poorly spoken in off the beaten track places, even by young people.
17- White wine in the morning, red wine in the evening.
18- It´s perfectly acceptable to throw your paper napkins to the floor in a bar. In fact, it´s weird when you put it somewhere else. In the same way, use your hands to eat almost anything in the counter of a bar.
Mar 19th, 2012, 09:48 AM
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Great post:
Here are my comments with numbers heading for the same points.
1-Note that there are usually small repeater lights on the pole for the Traffic light at drivers eye level. There is no right turn against the red. Even if you have green if there is a flashing amber light on the road you turn into that means give way to pedestrians.
2- Basic rule is never cross a solid white line. Fines are heavy if you are caught, this includes overtaking tractors. Locals know the risks so usually we do.
5- Most machines are front loaders and are fixed programmed washes.
6- Unless you watch a local TV station where there is a local language. Like here in Galicia the local TV station shows repeats of Bonanza only in Galician!
9- Meals usually come with a choice of wine or water included.
11- 0,0º alcohol beers. In Spansih Sin alcohol
Here are my comments with numbers heading for the same points.
1-Note that there are usually small repeater lights on the pole for the Traffic light at drivers eye level. There is no right turn against the red. Even if you have green if there is a flashing amber light on the road you turn into that means give way to pedestrians.
2- Basic rule is never cross a solid white line. Fines are heavy if you are caught, this includes overtaking tractors. Locals know the risks so usually we do.
5- Most machines are front loaders and are fixed programmed washes.
6- Unless you watch a local TV station where there is a local language. Like here in Galicia the local TV station shows repeats of Bonanza only in Galician!
9- Meals usually come with a choice of wine or water included.
11- 0,0º alcohol beers. In Spansih Sin alcohol
Mar 19th, 2012, 09:54 AM
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It is common to see entire families at a bar.
Many restaurants have a Menu Del Dia for the mid-day meal called La Comida. It is a prix fixe multiple course meal and usually a very good value. (In the old days it was called el cubierto.)
Breakfast is a light meal, lunch is the main meal, tapas between 5 and 7, and a light dinner at 10 PM.
There is no US equivalent to the way tapas is eaten in Spain. Uusally you will have one or two plates at one with one drink an one "tasca" (literally a gathering palce or tapas bar) and then go onto the next. In the larger cities and towns, it is common for for a tasca to have a speciality. In Spain they never make a meal of tapas.
Sangria was a way of masking terrible wine by adding fruit. It was popular in the south with tourists and spread to other countries. Now that the quality of wine has improved it is drunk by more people including including younger Spaniards.
Paella is basically southern and more of a family dish, often cooked outside in a huge pan. That too has become popular and is offered now throughout the country.
In large cities like Madrid or Barcelona or at the many Cortes Ingles, you can get food at any time of the day.
Many restaurants have a Menu Del Dia for the mid-day meal called La Comida. It is a prix fixe multiple course meal and usually a very good value. (In the old days it was called el cubierto.)
Breakfast is a light meal, lunch is the main meal, tapas between 5 and 7, and a light dinner at 10 PM.
There is no US equivalent to the way tapas is eaten in Spain. Uusally you will have one or two plates at one with one drink an one "tasca" (literally a gathering palce or tapas bar) and then go onto the next. In the larger cities and towns, it is common for for a tasca to have a speciality. In Spain they never make a meal of tapas.
Sangria was a way of masking terrible wine by adding fruit. It was popular in the south with tourists and spread to other countries. Now that the quality of wine has improved it is drunk by more people including including younger Spaniards.
Paella is basically southern and more of a family dish, often cooked outside in a huge pan. That too has become popular and is offered now throughout the country.
In large cities like Madrid or Barcelona or at the many Cortes Ingles, you can get food at any time of the day.
Mar 19th, 2012, 10:01 AM
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hahaha, c´mon, this post is about useless facts...
some more here, specifically for the Basque Country...http://www.blogseitb.us/basquetouris...que-country-i/
some more here, specifically for the Basque Country...http://www.blogseitb.us/basquetouris...que-country-i/
Mar 19th, 2012, 12:54 PM
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Paella is from Valencia! And tapas are consumed at almost anytime before or at lunchtime,or in the evening or at night...all depends but no set time.Gin and tonics are normally large on gin as well as ice.
And it is perfectly normal to have a meal based on tapas.
http://theartichokeadventures.blogspot.com.es/
And it is perfectly normal to have a meal based on tapas.
http://theartichokeadventures.blogspot.com.es/
Mar 19th, 2012, 01:04 PM
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mmm, a meal on tapas? Could be...not on pintxos, for sure. I reckon it´s more overly popular to have "raciones", which are not tapas, http://www.blogseitb.us/basquetouris...-not-a-racion/
Mar 20th, 2012, 09:32 AM
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I forgot what the young crowd calls it but it's a mix of Coke w/cheap red wine.............
No tickets given out when there's aline in shoops but the ladies sure set you straight as to who is the last in line!
God forbid you touch the fruit/vegetables,you will be reprimanded-it's their choice!
No tickets given out when there's aline in shoops but the ladies sure set you straight as to who is the last in line!
God forbid you touch the fruit/vegetables,you will be reprimanded-it's their choice!
Mar 20th, 2012, 09:49 AM
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Sangria=tourists!
I was really surprised during our last trip to Spain, our young cousins ordered Sangria. I guess it has become hip because it was so anti-hip for all these years.
________
Here in Galicia tapas are for the tourist.
How about tortilla and pulpo?
I was really surprised during our last trip to Spain, our young cousins ordered Sangria. I guess it has become hip because it was so anti-hip for all these years.
________
Here in Galicia tapas are for the tourist.
How about tortilla and pulpo?
Mar 20th, 2012, 10:28 AM
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Coke + wine, it´s called Kalimotxo, invented right where I live during fiestas, when they found out that wine for the festivals was ruined...so they mixed it. Motzo or Motxo means "ugly"...the alias of one of the inventors. Today, a delicacy, if served right, in a big glass, with ice and lemon, and a nice wine.
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