Favourite Bars 1

Favourite Bars 1

All my favourite bars are in or near the Plaza de la Fuente Arriba or 'The Top Square'.
Around this triangular plaza there are, at present, 6 bars with another 6 close by. My favourite was Bar el Chismo until it closed the year before last when the owner retired. This left the barman, Juanny without a job and the top square without its most authentic and lively bar and the best gambas pil pil in town. It's idiosyncratic opening times led to 'The Law of Chismo' which stated that if one was to pass El Chismo and it was open one was obliged to call in for a beer and a tapa. As far as I know this law was only known to a handful of people; Terry, Chris and me. There was  no obvious evidence that the bar was called El Chismo (The Gossip) except for word of mouth and a clock above the bar donated by Cruzcampo Cervezas with 'El Chismo' printed on the dial. All Cruzcampo bars have them and I plan to have the El Chismo one on my wall at home one day. You would have thought Juanny was the owner. No-one else was ever seen behind the bar. He dispensed cañas with a unique flair and  Ensalada Rusa with a teaspoon. The hot tapas, usually Calamares fritos, rosada frita and  gambas rebozadas were cooked upstairs by the owner, Pepa and handed through a hatch to Juanny. Only her arms were ever seen . The bar had no obvious toilets; these were to be found upstairs though Pepa's kitchen. They were rarely used.
El Chismo was on the corner of Calle Carmona and Calle Santa Ana and had a door on both streets. When open it was immensely popular, especially at weekends and festivals when the customers would spill out into both streets. Food and drinks would be passed out hand to hand. I don't recall it ever being open at night.
These days, during Semana Santa,  El Chismo opens for the week. No Juanny, no Pepa's tapas, just a group of chancers cashing in on the thirsty crowds that flood in for the processions. The other bar owners take a dim view of this as they have been paying rent and taxes all year when business can be slack. These 'fly-by-nights' take their custom and pay only the week's rent. Although  I miss El Chismo I'm not tempted go in for a beer. The Law of Chismo does not apply now. In solidarity with the other bars I just look in to make sure the clock is still there.


19/05/2012