Storm in a coffee cup
Disenchantment with politics and politicians has led many to the view that our leaders are completely out of touch with the problems of everyday living.
The Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Zapatero, had to deal with just such an allegation in the build up to the country’s forthcoming elections when he took part in a live question and answer session on television.
Did he know the price of a cup of coffee, he was asked by a member of the audience.
He thought it was about 80 cents, a response that was greeted with much laughter by those in the studio, who were quick to accuse him of being out of touch with reality.
The following day the Spanish press, quick to latch on to his obvious discomfort, despatched reporters to all corners of the kingdom to conduct a nationwide survey.
They discovered that in most towns and cities across the peninsula a cup of coffee costs between one euro and 1.20.
The Prime Minister was roundly condemned as truly being out of touch.
But riding to rescue came the people of Tenerife, who reminded the newspapermen that on their fair island a cup of coffee could indeed be purchased for 80 cents.
And they invited the PM and anyone interested in this thorny issue to visit the island and see for themselves.
And it has given those whose job it is to promote the merits of Tenerife as a holiday destination an opportunity to stage something of an advertising coup by demonstrating that the cost of living in the ‘island of eternal spring’ is indeed lower than the rest of Spain – certainly where a cup of coffee is concerned.
In my experience, 80 cents might even be considered a little on the high side because there are many establishments in Tenerife still serving café cortado – a small, strong espresso with a dash of milk, usually served in a glass – for 70 cents and even the odd one or two who still have it at 60.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Come to Buenavista del Norte and you might still get an expresso for 50 cents!