Casares
On a European level it’s considerably debated: Should Germany, Holland, or France pay the Spanish bill? Should they take responsibility for Spain’s Governments deficit? I hear my fellow countrymen (the Dutch) moaning every day: Can’t the Spanish take better care of their finances? Can’t they match earnings with expenses? Hmm, Rajoy, the new prime minister is trying to get some order in the cash registry. He is raising taxes, cutting back on costs and taking measures to improve the productivity of the Spanish employees by abolishing national holidays.
And this is all so un-Spanish! They cherish their holidays and they never worry about meeting income with expenses, but yes they do pay their own bills. It’s even a national sport to secretly pay someone else’s bill! I am obviously not talking about government expenses, I am talking about every days life in Spain. So different from us Dutchies. When we have an evening out with a group of friends, we don’t simply go Dutch, we carefully recalculate which part if the bill is payable by whom. Sometimes we will go one step further and ask the waiter upfront for separate bills. Don’t laugh! When we go to the pub and accidently run into some acquaintances we order a round. Yet, the next round is for them. Here in my village, Casares, they have a completely different routine. You meet someone in a local bar and they invite you to a beer and despite the fact that you ordered several rounds as well, at the end of the evening you find out that the complete bill has been paid for by your Spanish friend. Complaining at the bartender is of no use at all, he has strict orders not to accept any money from you. How embarrassing! I’ve found out that the only way for me to pay a bill in a bar is to sneak up to the bartender at the beginning of the evening and leave a 50€ note, upfront, as a down payment, ensuring that this time it will be my bill! If they catch me I have to prepare myself for a fight or hide. What on earth was I thinking, they invited me! Semi-angry faces, a lot of hand waving and in rapid Spanish the bartender is told off and instructed to never take my money again!
What’s behind this all? I don’t know exactly. I do know that the Spanish consider it an honor to pay the bill. It shows that they care about you. You are their guest and have to be pampered. At the same time they show that they can afford it, that they are generous. It gives them a certain feeling of superiority. But most of all it’s a sport, a game, and they want to win the game.
Plaza de españa Casares
It doesn’t even make a lot of difference whether you know them well or not. The other day I invited some clients for a coffee on the Plaza. I wanted them to experience the ultimate White Village lifestyle, relaxing on a terrace, observing the villagers, enjoying the sunshine. I was assuming that the bartender, since he knows me, would keep the bill for me. Unfortunately the accompanying Spanish agent was too quick for me. The bartenders comment was simple: Anita, if I have the choice I won’t let a lady pay! And that was that. My Spanish colleague walked away with a big smile on his face. He’d won the game!
I presume Rajoy will win the game as well. It would be far below his standard to let someone else pay his bill!
Interested in the white village experience? Check our properties:
Village houses for sale in Gaucin
Village houses for sale in Casares
Oscar Ernstsen | 3rd February 2012