Even though we have been in Spain for a couple of weeks, we are still adjusting to the daily schedule. Spaniards are night owls, so we seem to fit right in there, but our eating schedule is totally out of whack from the locals.
The routine we have slowly rolled into isn't helping. We have all been sleeping in later and later and eat breakfast at home around noon. After completing schoolwork, we head out to walk around town around 3-ish. Not much is open for lunch, so we have a snack and then are hungry for dinner around 5 or 6 pm.
This schedule puts us out on the town just when all the shops and most restaurants close for a late afternoon break. When we are ready to eat dinner, most restaurants are still closed for another hour or two. The open ones are empty, which is excellent for social distancing, but we end up dining alone. I miss eating in restaurants with the buzzing energy of people laughing and sharing stories around us... bleh, COVID!
As we finish dinner, the locals are just starting to come out. Once at home, we are all wired until after midnight. Clint and I are striving to shift our schedule back a couple of hours to allow three meals a day that mesh closer with our surroundings, but neither of us is making the first move!
A traditional Spanish tapas bar—we were the only ones eating there at 6 pm.
A Rough Guide to Eating in Spain
Breakfast Spaniards are not typically early risers. Breakfast is light and consists mainly of coffee with milk and carbs—pastries, churros or baguettes. I was taken by surprise one morning when I ordered toast with jam. Anxious to eat it (I hadn't had a plain ol' piece of sliced bread the entire trip), I opened the familiar-looking individual jam container as seen in an American diner. I bit into it and almost spit it out. It wasn't strawberry jam but tomato puree—a common breakfast accompaniment to bread in Spain!! It was good, just unexpected!
Lunch Traditionally, Spaniards have a two-to-three-hour break from work or school to enjoy lunch with their family. Lunch consists of multiple courses and is by far the biggest and most important meal of the day. Many businesses, restaurants and schools close during this time. We were surprised to see kids walking home from school at 5 pm. Now we know why!
This siesta tradition goes back centuries when most people worked in agriculture and air conditioning did not exist. People needed a large meal to refuel and some time to rest from the hot sun before returning to work in the evening. This daily family time helped cement the importance of family in Spain's culture. There are also many health benefits from eating your main meal in the middle of the day and no one can argue that a power nap is bad for you. This routine is still an important part of Spanish life though it is not as common in larger cities like Madrid and Barcelona, where some can't leave work and go home for a meal and nap.
Dinner They say the real fun of eating in Spain begins after 9 pm and can easily extend past midnight. As the sun sets, the Spanish head to tapas bars for a light dinner. It is common to see entire families—young children, adults and elderly people—dining in cafes and restaurants well beyond midnight. All bars and restaurants must close at 10 pm because of COVID this week.
The tasty tapas bar under our apartment.
The tasty tapas bar under our apartment's ham sandwiches.
Churros snack
Moroccan dinner
And last but not least, everyone needs a sexy paper towel with their meal!