Bad weather - Bad mood

Looking out of the window at the so called "Great British Summertime" I feel like bursting into tears. There is very little great about it and should be re-branded to something which doesn't give such big expectation in the local population. We are just building ourselves up for a fall.

Like many people in this country I am fortunate to have travelled quite extensively. During my university days I used to live in Spain, in a region called Murcia, there they have a great summertime, not to be confused with the Great British summer which doesn't have anything great about it at all.

I used to work in a butchers shop which was a great experience and also as a barman in a very annoying English pub - which I didn't like at all...was awful in fact. I really did learn that I am a terrible barman. The thing I love about Spain are the people they are such a fantastic lot. It must have something to do with the weather as they are always out and about and laughing and talking (normally between cigarettes).
It is their way of life perhaps, I don't think you can put it down to just a Mediterranean culture as I am sure someplace in Eastern Europe have a similar way of life e.g. Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia(Slavic country still!), and so forth. I am still sure that they have a better cafe culture in Iceland than in the UK.

After coming back recently from Spain I was thinking about how wonderful it was, in the height of the tourist season and in one of the most expensive Costa's in Spain to be able to order 2 plates of tapas(ternera and lomo), one a beef stew and the other was a very nice pork dish along with 3 coffees and a bottle of water with a basket of bread. 7 Euros.

7EUROS

I come back to the 'Great Satan,,,I mean Britain' and they don't even sell stuff like that in a cafe, probably due to Health and Safety reasons. Instead we are offered pizzas, which are generally some poor bread stick with melted cheese on top which look as if they are embarrassed to be on sale normally £2, other food which I cannot get the strength to talk about because it is too depressing to think of and also coffee that tastes like is is either far too milky and served in Bucket mugs or watered down burnt variety that scolds the mouth instantly and normally served in polystyrene cups that keep the molten contents too hot for far too long.

Pass me a shotgun please, ever seen 'Falling Down' the movie?

I think we have to change our culture folks we are paying for these things and we deserve some sort of service. Fair is fair. I would hate to see how much the simple but great tapas would cost in this country - they would probably sell less good things under the name of Tapas in some rip off Tapas bar in the west end.

Anyway Bad weather, bad mood...I will just sit here and breathe and think of when I will get back to Spain...