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Do you enjoy the regional cuisines that already circulate in the large midday meal and the smaller evening tapas routines?Well, it's interesting because my intent for this thread was not about what works for you on the Camino, which IMHO is to go with the culture, but whether or not you adopt this cultural norm after your return home! I am trying to implement the large midday meal AT HOME. I already do it when I am on Camino, more or less!
Any time on the Camino I passed through a village pub/restaurant offering a mid-day hot meal with a menu on a board out front, I took advantage of it.I also have been wondering about this as a Camino strategy. Lunch pricing seems to be less expensive, you’re not at the mercy of very late evening meals, and a mid-day break would give your body a rest.
Ideas?
I agree that this is a great option in the cities, but a rarity in smaller villages which make up the larger part of the Camino.Then in the evening I will go out and have tapas, which in places like Lugo, Ponferrada or Pamplona and others is ideal because it is the local culture there to go and have drinks in different places and take the complementary tapas or pincho, the advantage of this is you get to see the old towns at night
Under normal "non-Covid" circumstances we live about 2/3 of the year in Canada, and 1/3 in Portugal. We're hoping to eventually be Portuguese residents with occasional visits to connections in Canada, but current family responsibilities--quite apart from not being able to travel at all!--keep us mostly in Canada.Well, it's interesting because my intent for this thread was not about what works for you on the Camino, which IMHO is to go with the culture, but whether or not you adopt this cultural norm after your return home! I am trying to implement the large midday meal AT HOME. I already do it when I am on Camino, more or less!
Well, @Friend from Barquinha I guess we just have to stop going anywhere and doing anything in North America! Ha ha. Sounds like you are as frustrated as I. Whenever I want to get together with friends, it is always about dinner, large meal. Sometimes I get away with "Happy Hour" at about 3-4 with lots of appetizers. Sort of like the whole tapas thing! Any other tips/tricks that anyone has, I have open ears!Every time we come back to Canada, we resolve to keep with that schedule. However, North American schedules, which are centred around the 8-4 or 9-5 workday with a brief lunch break, make it challenging if you have to go anywhere and do anything.
I think it really *is* healthier for one's body. Eating a heavy meal and then shortly after, either going to bed or sitting around watching TV etc. can be hard on one's digestion!I studied in León for a semester in college, and I tried to continue that eating pattern when I came home, but I found it nearly impossible. The key to that lifestyle I think is the long lunch, which is mostly non-existent in the US. Maybe after I retire I will be able to return to that on a more regular basis, but I love it when I travel to Spain.
After living in Germany for over a decade I wholly embraced the German concept of eating a healthy and hearty breakfast, with my main meal at lunch and a very light evening meal. Upon my return to Canada, and re-adjusting to not having the fully functional kitchen (as offered in many German offices) at my new work place, I made sure to bring my very solid lunch to work with me and reheat in the microwave. My colleagues were appalled that I would choose to "dine" during my 1 hour lunch, but it gave me a relatively relaxed break. Now that I am working from home, I still prep my foods the evening before, so that I can cook and enjoy them at lunch in a relatively short time. I still maintain my "abendbrot" or evening bread with a small salad or soup and hot tea. I feel I need to have something hot in the evenings and opt for mint tea. I have found that I sleep much better when I have a light supper.Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
I just don't order a large meal in the evenings. In my part of the world, smaller, lighter evening meals are always available. All the better to enjoy my wine!Well, @Friend from Barquinha I guess we just have to stop going anywhere and doing anything in North America! Ha ha. Sounds like you are as frustrated as I. Whenever I want to get together with friends, it is always about dinner, large meal. Sometimes I get away with "Happy Hour" at about 3-4 with lots of appetizers. Sort of like the whole tapas thing! Any other tips/tricks that anyone has, I have open ears!
The best answer! Wine is most definitely an evening main staple!I just don't order a large meal in the evenings. In my part of the world, smaller, lighter evening meals are always available. All the better to enjoy my wine!
I agree that this is a great option in the cities, but a rarity in smaller villages which make up the larger part of the Camino.
I try to have my main meal at midday with a much smaller meal in the evening.Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
I have been doing intermittent fasting for about 2 years and eat from 1400 to 1800 ,having a big meal first and a small meal layer. do not get hungry in the morning,and have lose some 30 lbs. on it.After living in Germany for over a decade I wholly embraced the German concept of eating a healthy and hearty breakfast, with my main meal at lunch and a very light evening meal. Upon my return to Canada, and re-adjusting to not having the fully functional kitchen (as offered in many German offices) at my new work place, I made sure to bring my very solid lunch to work with me and reheat in the microwave. My colleagues were appalled that I would choose to "dine" during my 1 hour lunch, but it gave me a relatively relaxed break. Now that I am working from home, I still prep my foods the evening before, so that I can cook and enjoy them at lunch in a relatively short time. I still maintain my "abendbrot" or evening bread with a small salad or soup and hot tea. I feel I need to have something hot in the evenings and opt for mint tea. I have found that I sleep much better when I have a light supper.
What I found difficult on the our Camino was breakfast. I'm accustomed to an American sized breakfast. I found I purchased bread and cheese the day before to have a more substantial breakfast. We adjusted to a main meal mid day plus rest and tapas portioned evening meal around 9 pm while on the pilgrimage. At home we usually eat an evening meal around 8:30 pm.Well, it's interesting because my intent for this thread was not about what works for you on the Camino, which IMHO is to go with the culture, but whether or not you adopt this cultural norm after your return home! I am trying to implement the large midday meal AT HOME. I already do it when I am on Camino, more or less!
Yes, my husband and I tend to eat largest meal mid day, and light at “dinner time” , I must admit, it wasn’t the Camino that influenced us, but age and indigestion, luckily, we are retired, so we don’t have the challenges that you do. It is fortunate that you are more of your own boss. Is there a way to carve out more midday time and extend work hours? ( perhaps to sneak in a siesta)Well, it's interesting because my intent for this thread was not about what works for you on the Camino, which IMHO is to go with the culture, but whether or not you adopt this cultural norm after your return home! I am trying to implement the large midday meal AT HOME. I already do it when I am on Camino, more or less!
Well, @motero, I have just the camino for you. Walk in Portugal. Soup is available at every single meal I’ve ever eaten in a Portuguese restaurant!One thing I experienced is that not many places had soup available at lunch. If
Yes I lived in Slovakia almost 15 years and adapted to mid day soup, hot meal, dessert and coffee and never went back to eating heaviest meal after 4pm once back in Canada. It’s much better for weight control and sleeping plus I never eat as heavy midday vs North American evening dinner.Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
My experience likewise after 15 years in Slovakia.After living in Germany for over a decade I wholly embraced the German concept of eating a healthy and hearty breakfast, with my main meal at lunch and a very light evening meal. Upon my return to Canada, and re-adjusting to not having the fully functional kitchen (as offered in many German offices) at my new work place, I made sure to bring my very solid lunch to work with me and reheat in the microwave. My colleagues were appalled that I would choose to "dine" during my 1 hour lunch, but it gave me a relatively relaxed break. Now that I am working from home, I still prep my foods the evening before, so that I can cook and enjoy them at lunch in a relatively short time. I still maintain my "abendbrot" or evening bread with a small salad or soup and hot tea. I feel I need to have something hot in the evenings and opt for mint tea. I have found that I sleep much better when I have a light supper.
We eat this way. We live in Spain but have adapted our American eating schedule and now prefer it. We sleep better and have lost weight by not having a large evening meal. We also wait until about 10:00 for breakfast, which fits with the Spanish schedule. Give it a try!Well, it's interesting because my intent for this thread was not about what works for you on the Camino, which IMHO is to go with the culture, but whether or not you adopt this cultural norm after your return home! I am trying to implement the large midday meal AT HOME. I already do it when I am on Camino, more or less!
It's an interesting question with maybe a lot more variables than we might think. For example, in the UK in the 50's and 60's, when I was growing up, we were given school dinners and we had what was known as tea in the evening (actually a cooked meal). There was a big social change and now most British people have their main meal at night, and schoolkids have school lunch, which suggests that eating patterns are culturally determined and highly malleable.Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
A few years ago I watched a documentary on the history of meals in England (sorry reference not available). The rich ate a feast from around 10 am. Over time it got later and later, eventually requiring a small lunch to fill the gap before the main meal when it got to 4pm or similar. Eventually it drifted to the current time in the evening. Do not know what the more normal people did.It's an interesting question with maybe a lot more variables than we might think. For example, in the UK in the 50's and 60's, when I was growing up, we were given school dinners and we had what was known as tea in the evening (actually a cooked meal). There was a big social change and now most British people have their main meal at night, and schoolkids have school lunch, which suggests that eating patterns are culturally determined and highly malleable.
Individuals vary. My partner gets ravenously hungry midday, whereas I can go without eating like a camel until about 7 in the evening when I eat like a horse (or a pig, or the animal of your choice, at any rate like an animal).
My conclusion is that you want to eat a big meal midday, there is nothing to stop you, except the more recalcitrant members of your immediate household. Just go for it.
I don't know about Spain, but in Portugal, the portions of meat are bigger than I had ever seen here in Canada! Usually with about half a bushel of french fries served alongside.IIn summary, close to one meal a day, perhaps something small mid-morning and a few hours after "lunch". I now prefer a large portion of meat so hopefully the Spanish can provide.
There's a wonderful sonnet called 'Régime de Vivre' by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, possibly the dirtiest-minded poet in the English language. It describes the daily routine of a 17th century rake. Unfortunately, I can't post it here, it is much too explicit, but it is worth hunting down, if you like that kind of thing, of course.A few years ago I watched a documentary on the history of meals in England (sorry reference not available). The rich ate a feast from around 10 am. Over time it got later and later, eventually requiring a small lunch to fill the gap before the main meal when it got to 4pm or similar. Eventually it drifted to the current time in the evening. Do not know what the more normal people did.
After returning from the closing down Camino In March of last year, I decided to try making the midday meal my main meal of the day. I’ve found that it works well because I’ve got more energy and focus at that time of day to prepare a meal, and less so later in the day after working for 8 or 10 hours. (I also am self- employed) Its obvious that you need the energy from food to do your activities in the day and that you don’t need quite so many calories for the evening hours and for sleeping. With this switch everything feels more in sync.Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
I mostly finish walking by 1pmJust curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
I'm not sure how much is rudeness and how much is ignorance. I think a lot of North American pilgrims aren't aware of the details of the Spanish eating schedule and don't know an almuerzo from a comida or a merienda from a cena. They probably have a vague idea that the Spanish supper is later than the North American supper and ends up often being after albergue curfew. So they are pleased when there are places offering pilgrim menus that will feed them when the albergues are open and disappointed when there aren't.I admit that I find it deeply rude of pilgrims (often from Canada, where I live, but from N. America more generally) who seem to think Spain should change its food culture to suit their general habits.
Perhaps… but do they have to complain *so much* and be *so rude* as happens so often? “Why aren’t they here, open for me with my tourist dollars? Don’t they know they need my money?” Etc etc.I'm not sure how much is rudeness and how much is ignorance. I think a lot of North American pilgrims aren't aware of the details of the Spanish eating schedule and don't know an almuerzo from a comida or a merienda from a cena. They probably have a vague idea that the Spanish supper is later than the North American supper and ends up often being after albergue curfew. So they are pleased when there are places offering pilgrim menus that will feed them when the albergues are open and disappointed when there aren't.
I walked two Caminos before convincing my husband to walk one. He wasn't keen to change our main meal timing until his visit to Spain. Now, providing we don't have to attend (or provide) a dinner with other people, we have our main meal some time between 2 and 5pm.Just curious if anyone has tried to alter their eating patterns after spending time in Spain and/or Portugal? Because of the American culture's love of the large meal in the evening, I have found this difficult to implement in my own life with much success. The days that I do have the larger meal at the midday, I feel so much better! Granted, the siesta would be nice after the large meal too, but I get that the 9-5 culture makes this almost impossible. I am now my own boss and create my own schedule, so I would appreciate any tips/strategies that some of you may have, if you have adopted this large meal at midday pattern for yourself!
Weird. I never heard pilgrims say that on any of my caminos. "Tourist dollars" generally wasn't in the vocabulary because in my experience, pilgrims often want to distinguish themselves sharply from tourists (hence the disparaging "tourigrino" epithet always applied to someone else). The closest I ever heard was "It's hard that the restaurants don't even open for the evening meal until after we have to be back in the albergue" or "There's a real missed opportunity here for them to get more business."Perhaps… but do they have to complain *so much* and be *so rude* as happens so often? “Why aren’t they here, open for me with my tourist dollars? Don’t they know they need my money?” Etc etc.
I think, “Clearly sir/madam they do not need *your* money as there is a ready, local clientele who will be returning day after day.”
I'm not sure how much is rudeness and how much is ignorance. I think a lot of North American pilgrims aren't aware of the details of the Spanish eating schedule and don't know an almuerzo from a comida or a merienda from a cena. They probably have a vague idea that the Spanish supper is later than the North American supper and ends up often being after albergue curfew. So they are pleased when there are places offering pilgrim menus that will feed them when the albergues are open and disappointed when there aren't.
I had always heard of almuerzo as a mid-morning snack (10:30-11:00), much like the "second breakfast" than many pilgrims are fond of, and not nearly as big as a comida. Something like the morning snack our kids get in daycare, or the coffee break our adults may take at work. Or like the morning version of the merienda.In Castilian, Almuerzo and Comida are both the main meal of the day (14h-15h). There are places where the word is Comida (f.e Madrid) and in others is Almuerzo (f.e La Rioja).
Merienda (17h-!8h) is a light meal and Cena is at 21h-22h.
In Galician, Almorzo is breakfast, Xantar, Merenda and Cea.
No it doesn't. It leads to convivial evenings.Whether abroad or adopting a big mid day meal at home we all know that 1 glass of wine is possible at lunch, but at a Camino dinner …. a glass quickly becomes “oh let’s get a bottle, it’s cheaper “ and that just leads to tears.
I never use Almuerzo (always Comida). I read on Internet that your meaning is possible and also could be breakfast and also the main meal depending on the region. A friend of mine from La Rioja uses it for the main meal.I had always heard of almuerzo as a mid-morning snack (10:30-11:00), much like the "second breakfast" than many pilgrims are fond of, and not nearly as big as a comida. Something like the morning snack our kids get in daycare, or the coffee break our adults may take at work. Or like the morning version of the merienda.
Live and learn.
To answer your original question (bringing your thread back on trackWell, it's interesting because my intent for this thread was not about what works for you on the Camino, which IMHO is to go with the culture, but whether or not you adopt this cultural norm after your return home! I am trying to implement the large midday meal AT HOME. I already do it when I am on Camino, more or less!
The ancient saying: "When in Rome, do as the Romans" still goes.When travelling, IMHO, it is most rewarding to live as the locals do, not to demand the recreation of home.
I often over the years have been a guest in someone's home for more than three days, and up to two full weeks in some cases...are you telling me I smelled of fish and was unaware?Remember, fish and guests smell after 3 days...
I believe you did fine. Have to talk seriously to the owners of the house first, though... But we are now hijacking the thread. Again.: Back to @Elle BielingI often over the years have been a guest in someone's home for more than three days, and up to two full weeks in some cases...are you telling me I smelled of fish and was unaware?...
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