Our first few days in Madrid were different than the last time we were here about 5 years ago. I will say, I looked at the city very differently this time knowing that I was going to live here for about a year instead of just being on vacation for a couple of weeks. It's a very different ball game. The biggest question is could I survive and could Andy survive trying to support me. I know that even by the average American standards, I am on the healthy side. For most of you who know me, you know that I am daily worrying about my water intake, exercise, protein, fruit/vegetable consumption, etc. In the Bay area, it was very, very easy to be healthy. Excellent produce everywhere, no smoking, very vegetarian friendly, lots of activity options (yoga, dance, pilates, running , biking, you know - everything). Eating out was not usually a challenge - certain establishments were always avoided (e.g. seafood restaurants, steakhouses), but I always had vegetarian options whereever I went and at the very least, could always ask for vegetarian options and the chefs were always willing to accomodate.
My life has drastically changed. I can't tell you how difficult it is to be vegetarian here - and this is supposedly not as bad as some other European countries. It's astounding. Not only are there very, very few vegetarian friendly restaurants, going into a 'normal' restaurant here is an absolute nightmare. I can eat tortilla espanol and olives - and that's about it. That's okay if I'm on vacation for a couple of weeks, but those being my only options for lunch and dinner every day for a year? I don't think so. Supposedly, lentils are common (haven't seen that yet) but they're always cooked with sausage, so still no dice. I can get cheese sandwiches occasionally - but still I can only eat so many cheese sandwiches in a day.
Early on I perked up a bit when we were here a couple of days and were eating at a place that actually had an ensalada mixta!! I could hardly believe it - we ordered that in hopes for even iceburg lettuce. But much to my disappointment, I found out the hard way that even the basic salads come with tuna on them. If vegetables are served anywhere, they are just another avenue for putting meat into their bodies. It's disgusting. I used to think walking around Chinatown in SF was offensive. That's almost nothing to here. So many animal limbs hanging on display everywhere - if they could exchange air for meat - they would. I would also not be so irked if I knew I had an endless source of ethnic restaurants to choose from as an alternative. Um, it seems that those are also rare. We went to a Japanese place one night and were told there were probably 10-20 Japanese retaurants in ALL of Madrid - a huge city of millions of people. We had 10 Japanese places in Alameda alone. Not bueno. We've seen a couple of Chinese restaurants - since they are in Madrid, they are not veggie friendly at all (it's like they've never heard of tofu and they are Chinese!!!!)- not to mention super sketchy. If they are anything like the Chinese place we tried in Salamanca last time we were here - talk about bad Chinese food. We're still in search fo Thai. We came across a couple of Indian restuarants today. Who knows about anything else.
I know to not expect tons of variety when I go to small towns in the states or back to the south or the midwest, but silly me, I just thought that most cities of millions of people in a European country would have decent selections of ethnic food. Well, let me tell you not in Madrid. You have to aggressively search for the few that exist. Andy and I have spent hours upon hours searching for eating establishments that have anything I can eat - forget the requirement of it even being healthy!!
All in all, it seems that the locals eat meat/animals as their occupation and smoke as their hobby. There are also many pastelerias around, which are their bakeries - were they sell baked goods/sweets, etc. I would defintely say that the Spanish have amazing sweet tooths also. These are more eating options for vegetarians, but I just don't know many vegetarians who would be okay with living on nothing but tortilla espanol and pastries for months on end for every meal of their day. Eventually, some protein and vitamins are required. I honestly have no idea how the Spanish have survived. Between the chain smoking by all who are above the age of 12 and the unvaried consumption of sweets, bread, and animals (often fried) - I can't imagine what their health situation is like. True they don't have nearly the obesity problem that we have in the states - which is probably largely due to the walking/strolling lifestyle they have (which is a good thing), but still - no amount of strolling can save your lungs from a pack of cigarettes a day or your colon from eating nothing but animal flesh and sugar.
In the end, it seems that the non-smokers are probably as rare and discriminated against as the vegetarians. It doesn't seem to be an active or hostile discrimination, but moreover it is a complete lack of accomodation (most restaurants serve the same food as the ones down the street) in regular restaurants and the inability to conceive of a person who would not rejoice in eating animals every meal and smoking all day everyday. Being healthy or vegetarian or having variety here are concepts so rare and foreign as men having babies or bunnies flying. There is no way a vegan could survive!!!
I truly miss the Bay Area. Those of you living there, please enjoy the variety and healthiness for me while I'm in lung cancer land searching for veggies!!!!!!
Hasta luego!
