One of the best things about Spain in general is that the people walk so much more than we do, and spend a lot of time out in public. A lot of this is due to the climate, I'm sure, as well as the fact that the country is old, so many streets were never meant to accomodate anything but pedestrians.

A lot of women still shop daily and on foot, because freshness and quality are biggies in Spanish cooking.

The existence of plazas, most frequently fronting the parish church and a government building, and outdoor caf�s, makes Spain one of the most perfect people-watching experiences you can have.

In fact, the paseo of old, with young girls and their chaperones walking in one direction, and young men walking in the other to check them out, was pretty much the only place besides church the kids could give each other the eye! Nevertheless, people congregate outdoors a lot even now.

One of the best people watching experiences I have had was in a small coastal town reachable by subway from Bilbao. I was sitting on a bench reading on a pedestrianized street. At about noon, the street started to fill up with families: kids, moms, dads, grandparents. They were walking, riding bikes, scooters, and skateboards(the kids, anyway, though I saw one mom on a scooter)

It was Sunday, so all of the old ladies were still dressed up from mass. They walked arm in arm up and down, chatting. There was a lot of happy noise washing over me, and I loved it.

At about quarter to two, BOOM!they all vanished back into their apartments for the midday meal and I was alone again. Inspired, I got up off my wide American behind and walked around the town for a couple of hours myself.

Hi Sue, I resemble... I mean "resent" that women shopping daily on foot remark, I just so happen to be the one who does the daily or tri-weekly grocery thing. You are soooooo right though, I always look forward to my trips to the "Mercado de San Miguel" (St. Michael's Market) right downstairsa from me at the start of the Calle Cava de San Miguel. I will let your comment slide by as a slip of the keyboard. People watching has always been a favorite activity of mine and living here in the Plaza makes the sport very easy. Even when I lived in NY I used to love people watching, either in the streets or from my window although on east 31st street there was not much to see but mega prostitution (still fun though ). One of the things that made me mad about Spain is the fact that there is much more life here in the streets, the daily (and nightly) activity is great. Sometimes I like to sit in the Plaza Mayor and just observe the action. As for the "young girls and their chaperones walking in one direction, and young men walking in the other to check them out" goes, there is a great old (1956) Spanish classic flick on this topic called "Calle Mayor" by director Juan Antonio Bardem (one of Spain's greats). An emblematic film of small town Spain during that time period.
See it if you can.
Saludos,
jer...

p.s. As I was writing this there was a guy in the Plaza with a Pidgeon on his head rambling on and walking in circles. Talk about good material for my site! Summertime brings out the best of them. I could not resist this one,
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTO!

Yeah, if you're doing the shopping, you do indeed "resemble" those women in the market!Only to a small degree, of course. And, yes, I have seen plenty of men there, too.

Speaking of markets and by extension, food---I just got back from picking five quarts of lovely strawberries, and I wonder if they still have the "Strawberry Train" to Aranjuez. I never took it, but I ate some of the world's best berries and asparagus there.
Also, in March, there were huge and delicious "fresones" at the market in BCN; were they from Andaluc�a at that time of year or what?