Eating out

The Spanish have got the art of eating out down to a fine art.

It is very easy to slip into their way of life and join the masses that choose to eat lunch in restaurants. It is the most important and biggest meal here and a ´Menu del Dia´does it very well. For something between 7 and 9 Euros ($A 12-16) you can fill up for the whole day.

There is usually a first and second course (el primero y segundo plato), bread, dessert and drink. (pan, postres y bebida). The choices are varied in quality but usually substantial and the drinks include anything from beer, wine, soft drink or milkshakes. Salad often features too so it is not all heavy.

So from about 1.30pm-4pm the restaurants do a busy turn over. It provides the workers with a good meal in the middle of the day, it fills up those hours of siesta when you might not want or be able to go home and it gets you out with the crowd.

In fact the only draw back is that it seems everyone smokes over here. In the cafes, restaurants and bars. I guess the anti-smoking lobby hasn´t made much ground here in Spain yet but aprt from that eating our has been a generally fulfilling experience.