The Alcázar of Sevilla after a Week & a Half of Thinking.

If you have never been to Spain before you Must be ready to adapt to the Fact that the dining schedule is quite different. It is very very different & took me almost 9 minutes to embrace this new way to eat.

Breakfast -El desayuno Before 10am but not always
Breakfast in Sevilla, if eaten at all, is often a lone cup of coffee you will not find any bacon & eggs with grits(Sorry Bev). If you want to start the day with something in their stomach, toast, croissants, or "pan tomaca"- a piece of toast with an oil and tomato spread. My breakfast choice most days was simple bread-pan & cheese- queso different ones every day.

Coffee-Café Between 10:30am and noon.
Sevilla embraces its love of caffeine almost to the point of celebration. Combine this with the contagiously social nature of Spaniards and you've got a country where coffee breaks are an integrated part of the day.
Café solo- A simple shot of expresso.
Café cortado- A shot of expresso with just a splash of milk.
Café con leche- A shot of expresso and an equal amount of milk.
Café americano- A shot of expresso and lots of water- perfect for Americans who think Spanish coffee is too strong, yes that would be Me!

Lunch- La comida between 2:00pm and 4:00pm.
Dinner is the main meal in most countries "la comida" is typically the BIG meal of Sevilla’s. Spain's famous siesta time does exist, just ask ME & what a Great Idea & will be brought up before the next Gibsonton Town Meeting to be included in our Charter! While siesta doesn't necessarily mean going to bed or the couch for the entire afternoon, stores and businesses do close down and many people go home to eat the mid-day meal with their families during this Recharge time, another great idea.

Afternoon snack-La merienda
Once you've finished your lunch, your next meal could be as late as 11:00 at night. “O MAN I will be starving by that time” Many people have a light snack, or OSB’s case 2 not so light mini-meals also known as a "tentempié," during the afternoon to hold them over until dinner like a small sandwich, a piece of fruit, & maybe another Café solo.

Dinner-La cena
Dinner time in Spain typically doesn't start until between 9:00 and 10:30 in the evening. Dining establishments don't even think of opening their doors and firing up their ovens until at least 8:00 in the evening. During the summer months and on weekends, dinner time is pushed even later- in fact, don't be surprised if you see people sitting down for la cena as late as midnight!
Dinner is traditionally quite a bit lighter than La comida, often consisting of something as light as few tapas, a salad or sandwich. The evening hours are the ideal time to bar & restaurant hop your way around Sevilla’s tapas scene. Try their specialties here are just a few- calamares-fried squid, cod fritters, gambas pil-pil-prawns in hot, garlic oil, and boquerones-anchovies, chorizo-sausage, paella-rice dish, casserole stews like callos-tripe with chickpeas, jamón Serrano-cured ham, albóndigas-meatball and the ever classic tortilla española-Spanish potato omelets. Many bars have their own special Wine ask for it you will be glad you did or a caña-glass of beer. Be adventurous order things you have never tried before or don’t even know what they are. The portions a much smaller the supersized entries you are used to & after a few minutes of walking you are going to stop at a different bar or restaurant for your next Mini-Meal of Sevilla.

Es en torno a una mesa que los amigos comprenden mejor la calidez de estar juntos-It is around the table that friends understand best the warmth of being together.
Thank YOU TUGA!