No your eyes are not playing tricks on you. This little kid in a
stroller is playing with a cigarette vending machine in a bar.
smoke early, smoke a lot. Since we got to Spain, the number of smokers seems to
have increased dramatically, and in fact I read that 30% of Spaniards
are smokers. You can't get away from smoke here - people smoke indoors, smoke while
eating, smoke while drinking, smoke in the car, smoke with the kids . . .
I remember Rick Steves saying in his snark-on-America way that
European smokers "aren't treated like criminals" the way they are in
the states. Well, whatever Rick. I think we have the right idea in
America. I think it's ridiculous to say we treat smokers like
criminals, and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with laws
protecting non-smokers from smoke.
understatement - European smokers seem to do whatever they want,
regardless of who they're bothering. I can't count how many times I've
had smoke blown in my face while I am eating, wine-tasting, or sitting
on a bench waiting for a bus. Smokers here tap their ashes all over
the ground, often dangerously close to my shoes, and toss their
cigarettes wherever they want - into streets, oceans, backyards . . . At home, I'm not someone who takes issue with smoking, but in Europe
it's definitely gotten on my nerves. Spanish smokers aren't
particularly rude about their habits, but it does seem like EVERYONE
is smoking (and you can smoke inside and buy smokes from vending
machines) so in the last week it's been really hard to find clean air.