Euro Coffee Culture

by Selena Tamme-Juarez

Portland Community College

As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be? Cassandra Clair once said this in her book City of Ashes, and it’s true. Until I arrived in Barcelona I never thought about the culture behind the cup of coffee I held in my hand every day. I had assumed the rest of the world had the same coffee culture as the United States; how could it be different? I thought in my head. At home in Oregon it rains for two thirds of the year, so having a tasty hand warmer while walking to a destination is normal and quite comforting. When purchasing coffee it is known that you get in and get out, of the line at least. Coffee isn’t a break, a half hour, or even fifteen minutes for most. Coffee is a moment in-between destinations, typing on the computer, or studying. It is an escape from reality from the unbelievably hectic culture we live in, much different than Barcelona.

In Barcelona everyone should take time for a coffee. This simple quote from My Life in Ruins describes the culture I have seen and experienced during my time here. If you walk into a cafe here you won’t see laptops, cell phones, or students doing homework. However, you will see people enjoying their food or coffee, without chugging it down, or socializing daily with friends. In my favorite cafe nearest to my apartment there are 5 ladies that gather every morning for coffee and maybe a couple of bocodillos.

One by one they show up, as is the routine, and when they all arrive you will never hear a moment of silence. They share each other’s lives, laugh, and cope with every day things. Now when I walk in they say Hola guapa, buenas dias, which means hello beautiful and good morning in Spanish, and it melts my heart because I feel as if I am now a small part of the community.  

In comparison I could pick out a million differences between Barcelona’s cafe culture and our own, but I will share only a few. Cafes here generally play upbeat music -- you won’t normally hear John Mayer or Norah Jones coming through the speakers as you would back at home. I remember after going to a club one evening it was almost daytime and so I went to visit Cafe Riera and the same music was playing; I felt as if I should have still been dancing.

When you order your drink or food you will not be asked to pay beforehand here, but instead to pay when you finish. In the U.S. you are asked to pay first to make sure that the business receives their money but here they often times run on the honor system. Anytime, anywhere, you can strike up a conversation with someone, if you know the language of course. The people are not afraid to strike up a conversation with strangers, and frequently do. If someone talks to you in a coffee shop back home most people think it’s odd or that they’re up to something other than just having a friendly conversation.

The last and most important one I have noticed is that the Spanish people make time for what is important in life whether it’s family, education, or their daily coffee and conversation. It’s something I really admire when coming from a fast paced culture where we sacrifice some things that feed our soul.