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I've never had a problem with olive pits dining al fresco, as many an olive grove has grown besides friends' patios and terraces after I have planted - rather lobbed - the pits into their gardens.
And I've always enjoyed the paper napkins and other detritus (pits included) casually dropped on the floor in bars - you can always tell how busy a bar is by how difficult it is to shuffle your way to the bar.
Interestingly, the old, old London wine bars (and pubs too) always had sawdust on the floor, as did butchers' shops.
"To date, I have yet to get into this habit, partially because I don’t care that much, and partially because, um…I still don’t care that much."
That made me laugh. I've never got into that habit either. Dropping olive pits on the floor used to be more acceptable 15 years ago than it is now, at least in Sevilla. In fact, I've noticed that most places prefer that you drop used napkins, olive pits, chicken bones, etc into recently placed bins provided by the establishment.
Tipping! I always tip 10% when I am out having a proper meal (or even a whack of tapas). If I am just having coffee & brekky, or a drink & a snack, I usually just leave whatever change is leftover. The idea that "one doesn't have to tip in Spain" has always rankled, and I just tell friends who visit that they can well afford a decent tip (and 10% is way cheaper than the standard 20-25% tip in Toronto or New York these days) so why not do so? Why try to take advantage of people who work split shifts six days a week and make a pittance in wages? (sorry for the mini rant, I feel quite strongly about this).
Is double-dipping considered okay anywhere??? Other than with an intimate friend? Ewww.
I've never heard the "hands under the table" one before - funny. And as I never eat dessert, I've never noticed the "coffee after" thing.
Good post!
So as to dipping and double dipping, where do they stand on the all important cookie dunking....is this allowed as long as you don't dip/dunk in your neighbors coffee, milk or wine?
Fun post - thank you.
Besos!
J.
Although the first time I EVER saw someone eat a hamburger with a knife and fork was here in London - those eccentric Brits!
If you put the knife and fork together sloping diagonally down (like the hands of a clock at 4:20) it means "I'm done eating, so please remove this plate."
So if you're just pausing, set the knife and fork down on the table, next to the plate.
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Steven
I always hear that Spanish people don't give good service and don't smile, I've not had that problem more in Spain than anywhere else than other places. I find London very bad on this front...Maybe its my Aussie accent (both in Spanish and English!)
By the way, is the aussie brit issue really that overt?
The aussie/brit thing is an issue at times(i.e. you colonials should be serving my beer, not drinking it!), but for the most part it's just that London is gloomy and a massive city and Melbourne is smaller and generally sunny so people adjust their attitudes accordingly. There
Luego
Richard
?????
You really must leave the coastal regions and venture inland. Come out to Extremadura and observe the locals drinking wine at any time of day....with a bit of tapas of course. Unfortunately it seems the beauty of the sea has brought too many a northerner and their hang ups seem to be catchy.
No need for nordic politically correct vaccinations out here....yet
What a strange comment Troy. I'm still not sure exactly what you mean, and for all you know Gabriella might well be three quarters Navajo. Slightly insulting to Nordic people if anything.
If you could be bothered to read Gabriella's brilliant piece again you'll see that, unlike yourself, she was making an observation - not any kind of judgement, least of all "politically correct".
Like Gabriella, I've also noticed that "locals", as you like to call them, in my inland and very Spanish town, tend to drink alcohol with meals and tend not to drink it between meals. The only people in my town able to spend all and any hour of the day in bars having a drink are the "parados", the unemployed. As I'm sure you already know Extremadura has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the European Union, so I imagine the people you have noticed are some of the many Extremeños in this unfortunate position.