Tapas
Last night I had my first tapas experience and the concept of it amazes me. Tapas is more of a social experience than it is a meal. At the basic level tapas are small plates of appetizers that you eat with a copita (small beer). The tapas I had last night included bacon wrapped chicken with a sweet mustard sauce and a plate of sweet sesame chicken and both came with patatas (potatoes). A tapa usually runs you around 1-2 Euros and one usually orders around 3-4 per site. How it usually works is a few friends get together and sit at a tapas bar and order a round of copitas and a few tapas. One person takes care of the bill, and then you’re off to the next tapas bar to talk, eat, drink and be merry. A night of tapas and beer will cost you no more than 15 Euros. Time flies when you tapaiando and before you know you’re at your fourth or fifth bar and stuffed from all the amazing variety of tapas. There is no lack of laughter and conversation in these bars and you can easily make friends with all those around you. Within 5 minutes of my apartment you can find more than 50 tapas bars. So for all of you that are coming to visit, prepare to gain 10 lb!!!
Siesta
Another Spanish concept that intrigues me is the siesta. The people in Sevilla are on a completely different time schedule than we are accustomed to. The day in Sevilla usually doesn’t start until 10 am and many shops and cafes open at their leisure thereafter. In Sevilla, waking up any earlier than 8 am is absurd. Around 3 pm the city becomes eerily desolate and quiet. This period is called siesta. People here usually take a 3 hour lunch break where most usually head home have a large meal and recharge their batteries. Most shops and cafes also close down during this period. The siesta is like being in the eye of a hurricane, everything appears calm but you sense that something big is coming. Between 5 and 6 the city explodes with action. Shops re-open as people head back to work with a new sense of energy. Sevilla peaks as the sun sets and the city lights come on. The typical work day usually doesn’t end here until closer to 9pm. After a late dinner the city usually sleeps closer to 1 am.
More to come….
Last night I had my first tapas experience and the concept of it amazes me. Tapas is more of a social experience than it is a meal. At the basic level tapas are small plates of appetizers that you eat with a copita (small beer). The tapas I had last night included bacon wrapped chicken with a sweet mustard sauce and a plate of sweet sesame chicken and both came with patatas (potatoes). A tapa usually runs you around 1-2 Euros and one usually orders around 3-4 per site. How it usually works is a few friends get together and sit at a tapas bar and order a round of copitas and a few tapas. One person takes care of the bill, and then you’re off to the next tapas bar to talk, eat, drink and be merry. A night of tapas and beer will cost you no more than 15 Euros. Time flies when you tapaiando and before you know you’re at your fourth or fifth bar and stuffed from all the amazing variety of tapas. There is no lack of laughter and conversation in these bars and you can easily make friends with all those around you. Within 5 minutes of my apartment you can find more than 50 tapas bars. So for all of you that are coming to visit, prepare to gain 10 lb!!!
Siesta
Another Spanish concept that intrigues me is the siesta. The people in Sevilla are on a completely different time schedule than we are accustomed to. The day in Sevilla usually doesn’t start until 10 am and many shops and cafes open at their leisure thereafter. In Sevilla, waking up any earlier than 8 am is absurd. Around 3 pm the city becomes eerily desolate and quiet. This period is called siesta. People here usually take a 3 hour lunch break where most usually head home have a large meal and recharge their batteries. Most shops and cafes also close down during this period. The siesta is like being in the eye of a hurricane, everything appears calm but you sense that something big is coming. Between 5 and 6 the city explodes with action. Shops re-open as people head back to work with a new sense of energy. Sevilla peaks as the sun sets and the city lights come on. The typical work day usually doesn’t end here until closer to 9pm. After a late dinner the city usually sleeps closer to 1 am.
More to come….
HAHAHA! If only America can follow in Spain's footsteps and adopt a siesta period, we'd be much happier people going back to work. I'm glad you enjoyed your first tapas experience, it definitely won't be the last!
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