Meals in Sevilla!

One of the first things I noticed when I came to Sevilla was the meal times. I was already a bit disoriented due to the time change and jet lag, however, I was not expecting the difference in the meal times. In the United States, the general lunchtime is around 1:00 pm and dinner tends to be around 6:00. After 20 years of living in America, I am very used to these general eating times. In Sevilla, lunch is normally around 4:00 and dinner can be anywhere from 8:00 to 10:30. There have been days during my time abroad when I have lunch around 5:00 and dinner at 11:00. It is ethnocentric of me to think that these late meal times are weird or different because it is a normal part of eating for Spaniards. Adjusting to the culture in Spain has been fun and exciting and the meals have been a large part of that for me. Another aspect of meals that I have grown to appreciate greatly is the pace of the meals. The Sevillanos take their time. Tapas and beers are shared with friends and family members over the course of hours. At any time of day, you can walk down the streets of Seville and find friends having a beer and spending time together. In America, there have been times where I find myself rushing through a meal or drinks very quickly. However, in Sevilla, they take meal times to socialize and converse with people they love. The relaxed pace and socialization of mealtimes is something that I love about this city and I will take this back to the United States with me, although I am excited to have dinner at 6:00 again!