Spanish views from a small town

Again, today I had to cross the red lines into a semi-locked township to pass inspection on my husband's car. Again, no one stopped or challenged me driving into Vilagarcía. I'm starting to think that this lockdown of various townships is more on paper than anything else.  What is locked is every bar and restaurant I passed by. No, I saw a cafeteria that was open, but had tape across the door, and some people were waiting outside. Most likely, they serve coffee and sandwiches to go, which is the only kind of service bars, cafés, and restaurants can offer in the locked townships. But it was only one of many that were shuttered.  Other businesses were mostly open. Maybe one or two, non-essential ones, were closed. There were people and cars in the streets. Even driving in, while there wasn't the usual amount of traffic, the road wasn't empty or even close to it.  Seeing those things, I understand how hosteliers are angry that they are the targeted businesses. Many have cl...

There is a habit, not at all laudable, of ordering food at a restaurant, or a drink at a bar, and then leaving without paying. The habit exists in just about the entire world. Sometimes it's caused by necessity, but other times by a hatred of giving up one's precious money. There are few who have never even contemplated doing a "sinpa" or sin pagar , and leave without paying for one service or another. Until recently, some have even done it at the automatic toll booths on the highway. Someone approaches, and waits for a car that pays telematically with a device that pings off an antenna in the booth. Then, they stick to the back of the car with the device, and rush through before the barrier slams down. Things have changed now, though, cameras have been installed, and it's been declared a more expensive crime with a he fty fine .  Some have done it unconsciously, drinking at a bar, and walking out without remembering to pay for it. Generally, if they're h...

What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet. That's what Shakespeare or his friend, Christopher Marlowe, asserted. Yet, if we were to call a rose a stink-cabbage, our minds would shrink from sticking our nose in one. Can we use the name of a criminal organization and turn it into a diner's gratifying experience? Certain Italian associations and the European Union don't think so.  The European Union, pressed by the Italian government, has issued a comp laint against La Mafia Se Sienta a la Mesa chain restaurants oblig ing the m to ch ange the ir name. If the chain does not do so, it will be forced to close. Various associations within I taly claim that the co mmon use of the name "Mafia" is an attempt to norm alize that crimina l or ganization and should be stopped by the European Union. The decision has been appealed, and the view of the owners of the original rest aurant an d the chain, is that they do not prom...

When we were married my husband and I travelled to Boston because I wanted to show him where I had grown up. He loved it all (except the food, but that's another story), especially the politeness of the people. He was amazed that wherever we went, people would smile, say "Hello!" or "Thank you!" and look like they really meant it. He wasn't accustomed to that.  Because if you go to an office, a bank, a store, etc., where someone will wait on you, friendliness is the last thing you notice. Yes, they'll smile, say "Hello" and possibly "Thank you" but they'll mostly look like they're waiting for the fly to leave. Especially in banks. There has been a revolution in banking due to the crisis, and banks have swallowed other banks and almost all cooperative banks (that didn't charge for everything) have disappeared into the whale's belly of large, impersonal banks that only look at the bottom line. So, if there used to be t...