Am I one of the few who noticed, during our year-end trip, that people in Madrid/Sevilla and elsewhere don't walk down the street with cups of coffe! We are jaded by all the coffee shops here in the States and the untold masses that "grab and go" coffee cups are tossed everywhere...maybe the 15 days we were in Spain they were out of to-go-cups? Because Starbucks opens so many new sites; did you here where they opened the latest store.......in the bathroom of an existing Starbucks.......

If Starbucks does open in Spain, like McDonald's, you will "often times" find a clean bathroom with toilet paper while traveling abroad. Just like home. Think about it...



[This message has been edited by Sofia (edited 01-21-2001).]

People in Spain usually don't eat and drink while they walk along the streets. I have seen it a couple of times but for the most part it is rare. As for why they don't walk around and drink coffee "on the run" has maybe partly to do with the fact that having a coffee is a social event, you go and sit and enjoy it and hang out with friends or coworkers or whoever might be there at the time. It is to be enjoyed, and not rushed.

Also Sofia, I went to a McDonald's in Sevilla (a visiting friend of mine insisted, otherwise I would have never set foot in there) and in the bathroom there was no toilet tissue and it was hardly clean.

Yeah, and I went to the one in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, and just like ilovemadrid says, there was no toilet paper and it wasn't clean. But, in a pinch many other McDonald's restaurants have had an american style bathroom. In keeping with the StarBucks bathroom chatter, I just couldn't resist.

If McDonalds can survive in Spain so can Starbucks unfortunately. The young people here I work with go to Burger King and Pizza Hut for lunch daily.

I myself go for the menu del día at one of the local places with a big cup of tinto.

------------------
Laurence Sigler Asterault
http://www.fly.net/~lsigler/
lsigler_1@yahoo.com

There are lots of cute cafes that are now chains in Spain-- or have several branches in one city. They are kinda starbucky in their own way, but people do go to HANG. Caffe di Roma is one; in Sevilla, Cafe de Indias is another (great place!!). Starbucks can keep their burned coffee. Yuck. I much prefer a real cafe con leche, largo de cafe.

I prefer cafe solo & cafe con hielo in summer. Also is good from time to time carajillo(with a little bit of alcohol), have you ever tried?
I'm very worried about these coffee chains like cafe de Roma, because I think they are a big competence for cafes like cafe Gijon or cafe Barbieri which have a lot of history behind. Please, look for alternative cafes.