So we are getting into our routine now - life is getting back to more or less normal well as normal as you can get when your life is revolving around food and coffee.


The Catalans really take their food and drink seriously. In a morning I drop the kids at school and then meet up with hubby and friends at our local cafe, Jas in Gava Mar, now I thought at first it was just a nice way for our friends to get us used to the area .... but it's not, every morning the same people are in there for their cafe con leche, espresso and in some cases beer, wine and brandy (maybe they are coming in from a night out - see previous post)!!! Now I am addicted if I don't get my cafe con lech (coffee with milk) in a morning I am in a seriously bad mood, it's not just the caffine (i hope) it's being part of the local culture - I like the fact that when I walk in I get a Hola from the staff and nods hello from some of the locals in there it make you feel like you are starting to belong. Although how anyone get's to work before 10.00am I will never know!


We arrive back from morning coffee at around 10ish and hubby starts to work, I either pretend to do some housecleaning or disappear to our local gym, the Accura in Gava Mar, where I pretend to do some exercises and sit in the saunas (I'm joking ..... I don't go in the saunas)!!! Now last week hubby came to meet my in the cafe after my "work out" - that he left the computer was astounding - and we decided to try the Menu del Dia (menu of the day) in the restaurant at the gym. Now a Menu del Dia is something that most places in Spain do, it's a fixed price 3 course meal that sometimes includes wine for a (well I think) very cheep price, it can be anything from 6Euro's up.


Coming from the Bahamas where a decent 3 course meal can cost you upwards of $40 not including drink I wasn't expecting much from the gym seeing as the menu was 12Euro's (expensive one i'm told) which is the equivalent of around $15. How can you have a decent 3 course menu for the price of what just about 2 large Starbuck's, well let me tell you you can. It certanly wasn't tiny portions it was propper rib sticking food, for me egg and potatoes followed by (practically) 1/2 a roast chicken and then a lovely chocolate mouse, hubby had seafood salad followed by roasted pork and ice cream. All washed down with a couple of bottles of water and finished with coffee, well we waddled home luckily it's just across the road so we didn't have far to go.


And now we come to the siesta I finally understand why everything shuts down for a few hours in the afternoon - you can't go out for these lovely long lunches eat the food drink the wine and do anything else but have a snooze on the couch afterwards. I never really understood before in fact I have been known to be quite cross when I shop I wantd to go to is shut for lunch - I would now like to appologise wholehartedly, I finally get it you Spanish are of course quite right, in fact I think the whole world needs to get in on the act. Instead of this rush rush eat at you desk imagine how much more relaxed everyone would be if they have 2 hour lunches then a snooze, then go back to work in a happier frame of mind for the rest of the working day. Yes you would have to work later in the evenings but somehow you don't mind about it, also did you know that if you have a snooze in an afternoon it reduces your risk of heart attacks (true).


Of course after you finish your work later on the evenings it's normal for you to pop in your local bar on the way home for Tapas and a quick beer - what a life i'm sure I can get used to it.


So there you are Siestas are good for you they allow you to recharge after eating a mountain of food at lunch, they reduce the risk of heartattacks and best of all if you do eat out before the siesta your kitchen is clean so less housework to do - a winner all round I say !!