SOME little notes ABOUT THE CULTURE OF SPAIN

 Intro

During our adventures in Spain, I have noticed some littles things that are interesting to me. However, for this blog's sake they will be grouped together so that they will offer a full post.

Soccer Jerseys

               In the US you might see a local jersey here or there but any outside of that (unless at a soccer stadium or watch party on game day) were rare. Any European jerseys were rarer due to many factors including price from buying and shipping or simply that the US simply isn’t the biggest soccer country in the world meaning that people are just less likely to buy them. Overall, you don’t see many in the US. (I will say that soccer culture has been building in the US and with time and this may change) The people of Zaragoza at least, differ in this matter greatly. When out and about you might see a Liverpool jersey on one block with a Dortmund one on the next. (Liverpool and Dortmund are elite soccer teams in their respective leagues.)

Food Size Difference

               Before coming to Spain, we discovered that Spain was a country with Tapas restaurants. To me that meant smaller food platters that would be shared. I did not comprehend the fact that when considerably hungry (as I was the day before writing this post after eating breakfast at ten and ordering lunch at seven) that I would have dinner leftovers at nine when I ate them and then breakfast leftovers today… from an Udon noodle soup. On a different occasion I ordered a charcuterie board to share with my mother and good thing because it came out on a plate that could’ve held a medium going on large pizza.

No Tap Water

               My perception of restaurant world in the US was that water was given as a starter and was free. (This however may be a more rural thing because during a trip to Chicago water was not free at the one restaurant we ate at.) In Spain you order your drinks as part of the menu item that are then brought to you bottled, canned, or on occasion (in the case of ordering a lot of one thing) put in a pitcher for you to then pour into a provided glass. An interesting note to this is that most venues carry sparkling water with (according to my father) less ferocious carbonation compared to a US La Croix.

               Unrelated, Fanta (both lemon and orange) are over 5% juice. 😉