Solotapas

Going to a tapas bar at lunchtime in the Andalusian city of Granada is a beloved social activity. People meet with work colleagues, fellow students or friends to enjoy a few cañas (small beers) along with the small complimentary snacks during the warmest part of the day. This was my daily routine while studying a year abroad there. Eighteen years later I returned and, because I hardly knew anyone who still lived there, I had to get used to wandering the tapas bars alone. In the small bar “Avila II” near the Puerta Real I initially felt lonely and foolish standing at the bar without company. But by the second beer, I realized I had the best entertainment program right there around me: local workers having their lunchtime chat, cool Alhambra beer and the best jamón asado I had ever eaten.

Granada (Spain), July 2018