Hungry British tourists can often arrive at Spanish restaurants in the early evening only to find the kitchen is closed.
Forced to survive on tapas until the restaurant finally opens, holidaymakers can struggle to adapt to Spain’s famously late eating habits. Dinner often only starts at around 10pm and can go on until the early hours at least. The thought of tucking into an evening meal at Anglo-Saxon hours seems unthinkable to most Spaniards.
At lunchtime, things are no better. Most Spaniards settle down for a long relaxing almuerzo (lunch) from 2pm to 4pm. If brandy comes out, this can last even longer. However, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the populist conservative Madrid regional leader who has been tipped to one day become Spain’s first female prime minister, has proposed the unthinkable: opening restaurants earlier to suit the tourists.
Once considered a backwater compared to slick Barcelona or the pleasures of the Costas, Madrid’s tourism industry is now booming after the city promoted luxury hotels which drew foreign holidaymakers. This year, international tourists are expected to bring the Spanish capital €16bn (£13.4bn) in income, compared with €13bn last year.
Keen to capitalise on this growing and lucrative market, Ayuso is not averse to persuading restaurateurs to change culinary customs forged after the civil war. In 1940, the dictator General Francisco Franco moved the clocks forward so fascist Spain was aligned with Nazi Germany. It meant lunch started at 2pm instead of 1pm as before.
Denne historien er fra October 08, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 08, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tuchel left with big calls to make after Carsley refresh
No pressure, Thomas. Lee Carsley hands over to Thomas Tuchel promising to give England’s next manager a comprehensive debrief on the three autumn camps but perhaps also elevating expectations. Not so much with the results – promotion in the Nations League was anticipated for a team ranked fourth in the world and who reached the final of Euro 2024 – as with his assessment of England’s prospects for the time covered by Tuchel’s 18-month deal.
Wiegman calls up uncapped trio for injury-hit Lionesses
England manager Sarina Wiegman is confident Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace can both make the most of their first senior call-ups to an injury-hit squad.
Wales promoted as Cullen double freezes out Iceland
Wales won Nations League promotion as Liam Cullen’s first two international goals helped them to a 4-1 victory over Iceland.
Retail bosses gifted excuse for when things go wrong
It’s not just British farmers who are hacked off by the latest Budget some of the biggest names in retail have now joined forces to send one of those angry, multi-signature letters to the chancellor, scolding her for the imminent tax hikes coming their way.
Jaguar pounces on new logo
Car giant Jaguar has unveiled a new logo and a rebranded range of electric cars alongside marketing slogans such as “delete ordinary,” “live vivid,” and “copy nothing.”
OF UNSOUND MIND
A disquieting mood permeates the BBC's 'The Listeners', the complex story of a teacher whose life unravels after she starts hearing a ceaseless, mysterious hum, writes Nick Hilton
It's grit over gloss in photo show's eye on the Eighties
Protest, poverty and privilege - The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain offers an exciting, if partial, view of a decade that remains highly polarising, writes Mark Hudson
Publicly-owned rail may not get us back on right track
Nationalisation is often touted as a golden ticket to a better train service. Simon Calder is less optimistic it will work
CAFFEINE FIX
Why does a squirt of syrup in your coffee at Christmas burn such a massive hole in your wallet? Olivia Petter finds out.
Longing and loss: our era of British cinematic elegance
It is four decades since A Room with a View’ made Merchant Ivory a household name. Sarah Sands recalls a world in which her brother Kit and her then husband Julian were central
