When I first came to Spain, in 2004, it was a cheap country by most standards. In some ways, it still is, but one of the most notable shifts over the past 5+ years has been a dramatic rise in the cost of eating out. I remember visiting a bodega restaurant in Valdevimbre, Leon in 2006. The bodegas in Valdevimbre are famous all over the province – good, rustic, home cooked food served in unique caves carved into the hillside. And they used to be great value for money too. We paid €26 for lunch for three of us, including a whole tortilla guisada (stewed Spanish omelette), grilled wild mushrooms, lamb chops, bread, wine, desserts and coffees. I remember being so struck by the price that I kept the receipt to show people.
Having trouble understanding global economics and the crisis of capitalism? Here's one way of visualising it.
In the first place, a group of kebab issuing countries commence a stealth invasion of the fast-food system of another country, with the ultimate aim of securing full kebab dependency. Kabab dominance is ensured via a careful devaluation of the host county's native gastronomic culture. The indigenous population will lose their taste for 'home classics' and eventually become completely incompetent at preparing or cooking any type of food for themselves. The final stage of the attack is a biological inability of the host nation's population to digest any non-kebab food and a chemical reliance on chili sauce.