Salamanca Siesta

On top of slightly wintery weather in Madrid, I picked up a touch of stomach flu, so I was feeling a little wobbly and not super-happy.

By the third day of my trip, my tummy was feeling more robust so I decided - quite on a whim as I passed by - to stop in a little local bar in Salamanca.

Inside, it was decorated very typically Spanish - terracotta tiles, wood-lined walls painted dark red, jamón hanging from the walls.

As I sat with my drink, feeling pleased that the barman had called me 'caballero', I watched the other customers.

• A slightly swaying drunk guy good-naturedly chatting up a woman who laughed along when he won on the slot machine.
• A pony-tailed old guy fixing the cigarette machine, whilst warble-whistling along to Christina Aguilera's Beautiful and hum-singing along to Taylor Swift's Trouble.
• A woman silently drinking her coffee within minutes, who, as she leaves, turns to the staff and says, "no hay mucho blah blah blah" while pointing at her mouth.