Las Tapas Madrilenas

SPAIN IS A NOCTURNAL NATION. SPANIARDS DON’T EAT DINNER UNTIL 10 O’CLOCK AT NIGHT. LUNCH IS NEVER TAKEN BEFORE 2 PM. BREAKFAST IS A QUICK COFFEE AND A PASTRY EATEN SOMETIME IN THE MORNING. SPAIN SHARES ITS TIME ZONE WITH THE REST OF EUROPE, WHICH MEANS IN SPAIN IT GETS DARK LATE — A SORT OF PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVING. A WHOLE STYLE OF EATING HAS EVOLVED TO SUIT THIS ELONGATED TWILIGHT AND IT’S CALLED TAPAS. I’M SURE EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH TAPAS — SNACK FOOD THAT IS EATEN WITH A DRINK IN SPANISH BARS. SMALL PIECES OF VERY TASTY FOOD, PERHAPS A FEW BITES, NEVER MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL.