I have more faith in the Spanish way of life - I don't think they're going to go down that hipermarket road. The life of the barrio is too important for that, people like to shop and talk, stop at a bar for a cania or a coffee, they like to be outside "en la calle", not stuck in some windowless, soulless consumer dome. The sheer sensual pleasure of everyday life in Spain will defeat the MacDonaldisation of culture!

Visitors to Spain can help this. Sure, first time round you might feel a bit insecure about those bares and tavernas (goddamit, they don't even have a menu!), your lack of Spanish will make you frightened to enter that small, dark shop full of small, dark women, the noise and crush of the mercado will overwhelm you, as you fail to even recognise most of what's on offer. It's this fear of cultural difference, of social failure, that lies behind the success of the international pap merchants. Take heart, and just go for it! Nothing bad will happen to you, and soon, instead of looking for the menu, you'll be asking "?Que hay?"; instead of waiting for the bill, you'll say "?Que te debemos por aqui?" to the camarero who (on only your second visit) already recognises you, and, who knows, may treat you and your friends to a chupito on the house. !Viva la diferencia!