spain

I can anticipate the answer, but hopefully and hungrily I decide to try anyway: “do you have anything vegetarian?” the answer is as i imagined: "of course not senora." at least this waiter is honest, half the time they claim they do, and then bring some salad or tortilla covered in tuna or ham. I am so hungry i feel light headed. i havent had anything since last night's Yo Sushi special in heathrow's terminal 3. there was no time for breakfast in the hotel, my meetings ran through lunch, and all i want now is an early dinner, as i know i will not get anything on my Iberia flight tonight. but i cant find anything to eat.

I love spain. i love working in spain. the companies are, generally, well organised and relatively creative. the people are honest seeming and friendly. it is late February and the temperature in the afternoon hits 23 degrees. it is sunny and i sit outside drinking an espresso between meetings. i would be perfectly content here- if only there was something i could eat! it is not a sheer produce problem- i have gone to the supermarket here and stalked up on supplies that i always buy in spain as they are more expensive in england: my favourite brand of pasta that you can get in italy and spain but not in Britain, dulce de leche imported from argentina, coffee, manchego cheese. the supermarket is well supplied, but i don’t have a kitchen here in spain and i am hungry now. there is nothing ready made available.

It isnt a language problem either, i speak spanish and have explained in great detail to several people what vegetarianism is, but these explanations never get me anywhere. back in barajas, i try to order a salad. i specify that i am talking about lettuce and tomatoes, nothing else. the waiter nods understandingly, and brings me a plate covered in tuna. I try to scrape the tuna away and eat the lettuce as I am hungry, but I guess I got some of the juice anyway, as I end up throwing it all back up again in Barajas airport's toilets. grim. I am going to have to start packing bags of sandwiches for future trips here i think.