Day 2: December 26 ... lunch at Antonio Sanchez and the Spanish enigma

This restaurant in the La Latina neighbourhood was founded around 1830.  The current incarnation dates from the late 19th century.  This is among heritage properties that are protected by legislation that, according to the waiter, ... "prevents a nail from being driven into the wall without express authorization."

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I sat in the front of the restaurant where I took the following panorama photos.

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click on photo to enlarge

Fixed priced menu EUR 9.60

First course:  callos (garbanzo beans and tripe stew)

Second course:  solomillo de ternera (kind of like hamburgers, just juicier). served with a mushroom sauce and fries

wine/coffee

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click on photo to enlarge

This is rather heavy food, so how do most Spaniards stay height-weight proportional?  I guess the answer lies somewhere between walking (of which they do a lot!) and sitting.  In reference to the latter, I found it curious to see pedals installed in front of benches in recreational parks.  I wondered who would actually use them.  To my surprise ... lots of people, old and young, do pedal while they sit ... perhaps out of boredom or perhaps just because they're there to be used ... think about it!