Hello sailor
There’s a typical bread roll in Alcoy that’s called tortilongui or torti y longui; it’s a sandwich of omelette (an omelette, not a tortilla española) and longaniza (a sausage something like a British banger). Before about four o’clock last Sunday afternoon, I didn’t know that. It happens quite a lot in Spain: you go into a bar or restaurant, they ask what you want, and when you ask what there is, you don’t get an exhaustive list so much as a couple of suggestions. Many places aren’t big on printed menus or blackboards, especially outside the (relatively rigid) lunchtime slot. You order something, and then five minutes later, something much more interesting lands on the next table. Part of the problem is knowing what to ask. If you reach for your phrase book and ask if there is anything to eat—comer—you’ll often be told no. A better question is whether the kitchen is still open. And if it isn’t, you can ask if there’s anything to snack on: tapear, or perhaps picotear. Anyway,...