Viva las Tapas!!

Anyone who has visited Spain will know about TAPAS. Tapas are to Spain what pasta is to Italy – quintessentially part of Spanish cuisine. Tapas however vary considerably from region to region as it is necessary to use fresh, local ingredients to produce good tapas. The origin of tapas is cloudy and it is believed they came from Andalusia in the south. The following story might be true: King Alfonso X, The Wise, (1252 -1284), was ill and needed to take small mouthfuls of food with wine between meals. Once he had recovered he wisely passed a decree stating that no tavern in Castille should serve wine unless there was food to accompany it. This was to prevent the poor of the land drinking alcohol on an empty stomach because they could ill afford a nourishing meal.

Another story relating to King Alfonso and the possible origin of tapas, was that he was travelling with his retinue when they came to Cadiz situated by the sea and well known for its high winds. The servant presenting the king with his glass of sherry, covered the glass with a slice of ham to prevent the sand from entering the king's glass. The word “tapa” literally means “cover” or “lid”. Medieval Spanish inns were no doubt dusty places, so “tapas” would have been a useful method of keeping the sherry or alcohol untainted. Many tapas are rather salty and this might have been to get the clients to drink more alcohol.

Whatever the true origin of these delightful morsels, they are to be found throughout Spain using whatever nature and agriculture has to offer in each area. For example, on the coasts, tapas are made mainly from fish and shellfish, whereas inland, they consist of ham or cheese. In Galicia they are called “pintxos” and elsewhere in the north, “alifara”. Unfortunately these days, “tapas” are often just basic items fried in oil with added salt, catering to the mass market and tourism.

When you come to live in Spain you have the opportunity to seek out “real” tapas, to try food combinations that you might never have though of, and to enjoy the social element of a good tapas bar. In a way, they are a bit like pubs in the UK used to be – a long bar, very few tables & chairs, people standing engaging in much conversation while drinking and consuming their tapas. Some modern tapas bars are more like restaurants where you are served at tables – these are perhaps not as authentic as their narrow bar cousins, but the food and wine can be just as good. I think the best tapas are still to be found in Andalusia, with Galician specialities a close second. Major cities like Madrid and Barcelona also have excellent tapas bars, but they are not usually found in the main tourist areas.

Near to where I live is the pleasant seaside town of Palamòs, which welcomes cruise ships and has an excellent local hospital. The old town, uphill from the port, is quite small but pretty with narrow streets of ancient stone buildings, many of which have become shops and bars. On Saturday, I was invited by friends to join them in Palamòs at a tapas bar which had recently opened. To my delight it is of the traditional style, long bar groaning with a myriad of different tapas to choose from, full of noisy and happy clients, TV showing a Barça football match, excellent beers and wines – plus between 9.00 pm & 10.00 pm, waiters emerging from the small kitchen handing out freshly made hot tapas to the assembled throng, rather as if you were at a cocktail party. I have to say the quality and variety of the tapas they serve are fantastic. How, you may wonder, do they know the amount each customer has consumed? Indeed there is a traditional and clever system...small cold tapas are all served with a cocktail stick in the centre, so they merely count up the number of cocktail sticks you end up with. Other tapas come in small, different shaped dishes, so you pile them up with the cocktail sticks and the staff recognise what you have eaten by the shape of the dish. As to the alcohol imbibed, some bars keep a running tab for each person, others – like the one in Palamòs – rely on the honesty of their clientèle! We were 5 people, the guys had 3 large & 3 small beers, there was a bottle of red wine, one lady had 2 glasses of white wine & another a glass of cava. Together with the tapas eaten, the entire bill was just under 60€!! Wonderful value, wonderful tapas.

I would suggest that you seek out such a bar when you are next in Spain. You may have to ask local people for recommendations, but it is well worth it and don't be afraid to try something you don't recognise as you may well have found what will become your favourite “tapas”!

Sally

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.spainbuyingguide.com/

Discounts, octopus and car parks...

Last week I went to Girona, capital city of the region in which I live. A friend and I decided to investigate the “fiera” which had been advertised – apparently this happens every year around now, and is set up so that clothes shops, linen and sports shops and others can sell off winter and last season's summer goods at up to 50% discounts. Spain is not like the UK, there are no “permanent” sales or heavily discounted events except in January and in July, at the end of the winter and summer seasons. Even then, you rarely see items for sale at more than 40% discounts, so this “fiera” in Girona is a major opportunity for people to find a good bargain.

The “fiera” was held in a large exhibition hall with each stand well spaced apart, displaying the name and location of the shop. Parking nearby was free and the car parks were full. The strange thing was that, once inside (no entry fee!), the hall seemed very tranquil and we remarked on how civilised it seemed compared to say Olympia in London, where the throng is quite overpowering. This was the perfect place to go if you were looking for something in particular – quality trainers for example, lovely bedlinen or new additions to your wardrobe. Neither my friend nor I had gone with such intentions, so we just wandered around looking for the best buys at each stand. In fact, we came away with very little but the locals were carrying several bags, especially the young, so they had found things that they had wanted.

Smaller towns hold end of season “street sales” whereby local shops sell their discounted stock from stalls, often placed outside the business itself. Here you find a mixture of wares, sometimes handmade items are next to piles of clothes or towels. These sales are usually at the weekends and the public tannoy systems blare out music to encourage a festival atmosphere. How much business is actually done is anyone's guess, but the bars and cafés take full advantage of the crowds so they at least do rather well.

From time to time, towns and larger villages have artisan fairs, where local producers of cheeses, hams and other meats, pastries and breads, wines and olive oil sit side by side with lace makers or wooden toy makers, crafts people and leather workers. It would be wrong to assume that these fairs sell things cheaply, in fact most items are rather expensive but bearing in mind they are not mass produced nor advertised, they offer the chance to taste some really excellent food and drink or to buy a handmade, one-off item for the house or as a present.

Well, after we had walked around both floors of the exhibition hall in Girona, we felt that it was definitely time for lunch and a glass of wine. My friend introduced me to a great little Italian restaurant which offered 2 courses plus glass of good wine for 12.50€ a head, slightly more costly than the usual “menu del dia” but as it turned out well worth the extra euro or two. We both started with “carpaccio de pulpo” (carpaccio of octopus) which was delicious and then had a risotto with sausage and mushrooms which was even more delicious. These, washed down with a glass of good dry white wine, rounded off our day perfectly.....
…. or it would have done had someone not hit my car in the nearby car park and broken the nearside rear light. However, our faith in human nature was quickly restored when we noticed a piece of paper on the windscreen, which turned out to be hastily written note in Catalan with a telephone number.

The next day, I rang the number and spoke to a charming man who explained that a colleague from the college where he worked in Girona had accidentally hit my car and if I would get an estimate from a garage in my town, the college would pay for the damage. This evening, I am going to collect my car, now repaired and all being well the college will refund the cost as promised. Watch this space.

Sally

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Spainbuyingguide.com

To buy or not to buy...that is the question

I was sitting in the town square on Sunday morning, drinking coffee with some friends. It was warm enough for just a top and cardigan so we were really enjoying the sunshine. Sunday is market day here, so all the shops are open until 1.00 pm and there is a real bustle going on. We have a daily food market Tuesdays to Saturdays but on Sunday the streets come alive as much of the town is taken over by stalls selling everything from oranges to suitcases!

My friends have been renting an apartment in a pretty seaside town while they search for a property to buy. The have been renting now for 5 months and are considering renting permanently rather than buying but this will mean they will have to move as they only have a short-term lease on their apartment, which is up to one year. Long term letting requires different regulations and is heavily weighted in favour of the tenant. The duration of the lease is 5 years, during which time the tenant may leave, giving one month's notice. The owner must inform the tenant in writing that they do not wish to continue renting the property one month before the 5 year period ends or the contract will continue for another 3 years.

My friends see advantages in renting. Apart from paying the rent which sometimes includes a community charge if it is in a block of flats, and the usual utility bills, all other expenses fall upon the owner who must, by law, keep the property in good condition, but the owner is not responsible for repairing any damage caused by the tenant. It is the owner who must pay property taxes and insure the building. You can find both furnished and unfurnished rentals, many these days in brand new blocks. Some come with an opportunity to purchase the property after a period of 2 years and the rent already paid will go towards to the purchase cost.

By renting, my friends feel that they have less to worry about with inheritance tax, which is true, as all property is liable to this tax in Spain, whether it is owned by a resident or not. We discussed the question of security, knowing that no-one can force you to move within the rental period, but also the insecurity of knowing that at the end of 5 years you might have to move. Five years may seem a long time, but in fact it passes quickly, especially if you are settled and enjoying life.

The owners of the apartment they are currently renting are only interested in renting the property for short-term lets, mostly to holidaymakers. This involves extra expense as unless you are on the spot and have the time, you will need to employ a managing agent to arrange for cleaning , linen change, etc between lets. Some people advertise their holiday property on websites especially formulated for owners to manage the lettings, others prefer to use trusted local agents to fill their properties and yet others use a mixture of the two. Good properties in popular areas can generate a reasonable income but beware – this income is taxable, whether you are a UK or Spanish resident and must be declared.

I have quite a few friends who act as managing agents for UK property owners, some require a percentage of the rental, others a flat fee for the year. This can be quite stressful work especially during the height of the season in July and August, when there is just a short time to clean a property between one tenant leaving and the next arriving. The managing agent also has to deal with any urgent repairs or other problems on behalf of the owner, make sure the pool is in good order, that the pump works properly and that the gardens are well maintained. It is not a job for the faint-hearted!

Well, only time will tell whether my friends finally decide to rent or buy. For the moment, they are enjoying their rental apartment by the sea, content in the knowledge that should there be any problem, the landlord is required to deal with it efficiently.

Sally

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Spainbuyingguide.com

Baked beans and Cheddar cheese in Spain

It was a Monday. I had just been to a meeting at my bank and was driving home via a supermarket. I looked up at the sky which was the clearest blue you can imagine, not a cloud in sight and my car registered an outside temperature of 10º. The clock indicated 3.15 in the aftrnoon. Instead of turning left for the supermarket, I went right at the roundabout and headed 4 kms towards the little village of Llafranc.

I live on the Costa Brava, roughly a costal area that stretches from the French border in the north to Lloret de Mar to the south. My town is about one hour from France and is 4kms inland from the sea, but I have 3 fabulous beaches, set in small coves just a few minutes' drive away – Calella de Palafrugell, Tamariu and Llafranc. So, that day I headed to Llafranc,the smallest, but for me, the most charming of the three. Parking was easy because we are in winter. Sadly, in the summer, parking is more of a problem, though one can always find a spot in which a car will fit, albeit a bit of a walk away from the sea. On that Monday however, there was virtually no one there. The sun was warm, the shade chilly. I walked along the seafront looking at the light glistening on the shimmering sea. I went to the little port and walked to the promontory as far as it stretched out to sea and then back towards the village. It occurred to me that I was indeed fortunate to live where I do. Sometimes our busy lives prevent us from appreciating what we have, what is on our doorstep and what opportunities there are to enjoy ourselves locally, often for free. On that Monday, I was in the sun, strolling in a beautiful place, breathing in iodine and sea air, virtually alone and it did not cost me one centim!

There were a few people in the Hotel Llafranc, drinking coffee or finishing their wine after, no doubt, a very good lunch, all looking at the lovely view across the bay. This hotel/restaurant, like many of a similarly good standard, have weekday menus from 18€ a head, inclusive sometimes of wine, water and bread. The service is always good, the food often a modern twist on traditional fare.The house wines are always worthy of the restaurant so I see no reason to go to their excellent wine list unless you are celebrating a special occasion.

Just about an hour later, I arrived back at my car, feeling altogether much better for the exercise and fresh air....but also for the stillness, the tranquillity and the visual therapy of the beauty that is Llafranc. All too soon, daily life resumed as I headed for the supermarket.

Having said that, it needs qualifying. When I am in the UK, I much enjoy a visit to Sainsbury or Morrisons, both of which are near where my sons live, each in different parts of England. Every time I am frankly astounded about the choice available for every conceivable item and I treat myself to things not readily available in Spain. Although we have many different supermarkets here – some you will already know, like Carrefour, Lidl and Aldi – others are more regional or Spanish, such as Esclat (a bit like Waitrose) or Caprabo or Mercadona, you will not find everything you feel you need in one alone. My supermarket trip that Monday was to my local Carrefour, where I go for very specific things. Their fish counter is small but good and much cheaper than the fishmongers in the daily market. They do also sell a small range of goods for “foreigners”, baked beans, water biscuits, some English and other cheeses, etc. Being of French ownership, Carrefour caters very much for French tastes, which suits me well as I lived in France for 12 years before moving here to the Costa Brava. There are throughout Spain specialist “English” food shops for those who really miss a taste from home, my nearest is actually a good hour's drive away in Lloret de Mar, so I never use it, though I know several people who do.

I also feel quite strongly that if you choose to move abroad to live, for whatever reason – better climate, better way of life, children's education, retirement, then as much as possible you should embrace what your new country has to offer and perhaps forego certain items that are traditionally from your country of origin in favour of new flavours and new cuisine. Most expats I know ask friends and relatives to bring them “treats” such as a good cheddar cheese, back bacon, even jersey new potatoes! This is good, this is how it should be as these things should be “treats” or they become a necessity in a country where they are frankly, a rarity!

Bon appetit! Buen aprovecho! Bon profit! (Catalan)

Sally

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.spainbuyingguide.com/