I hate January!  Everywhere looks so bare and boring after all the Christmas decorations have been taken down. And summer seems an awful long way off.  I can’t even drown my sorrows in a warm and welcoming pub.  Let’s face it bars in Spain don’t exactly encourage you to linger during the winter months do they?  Most are cold and uninviting.  What with tiled floors, partially tiled walls, white paint and (usually) no curtains at the windows they have about as much ambiance as a public toilet.  The ubiquitous 26 inch TV is blaring away in one corner with the bar person more interested in watching Telediario than chatting to you and your only form of entertainment is the fruit machine and the crane thing for kids to win fluffy toys on. 

Recently I went into my local watering hole.  The barmaid was dressed up like Nanouk of the North with a thick scarf almost obscuring her face and woolly gloves hindering her pint pulling skills.  

“Don’t you have any heating?”  I asked. 

“No.  We don’t need it – it’s not normally this cold.” She replied.

“Yes it is!” I wanted to scream at her. 

For the past 19 years I have been hearing this same excuse.  I have sat in offices until my feet and hands have gone numb with cold (but noticed that the secretary usually has a fan heater secreted under her desk – so she’s alright chum)!  I have stood in shops with my fingers so cold I have barely been able to pick up the goods I wanted.  And I’ve given up going to bars in the evening. 
 
Who are they kidding? Okay the sun might be shining but there can still be a bitter wind and at night the temperature plummets dangerously close to freezing point. It’s about time they came out of denial.  Here’s a newsflash for all Spanish shop/bar/office owners -       It gets cold in Spain in the winter –  DON’T BE SO TIGHT  - buy a heater!!!!

Written by

El Grumpy Gringo
Owners Direct Group
 

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