Viva Ventas

Ventas are little, and not so little, places in the Spanish countryside that combine a shop, a café and sometimes a restaurant.

These places are often very old, having served as centres of rural life for hundreds of years. Some are situated on old stock driving routes, where generations of shepherds moved sheep and goats along ancient trails to and from markets and grazing grounds. In the spring time the flocks would move inland as the weather warmed and the grass grew and in the winter they would be brought down again to the lower coastal areas.

So, it is not surprising that at many ventas you can find practical equipment on sale, such as walking sticks, shepherds crooks, hunting equipment, rope and cut-throat collections of simple and ornate knives. These often hang over the counter where drinks are served. Many a regular likes a large glass of brandy, or coffee with something in it, to get the heart started in the morning.

The counter nearby sells bread, meat, sausages, biscuits, vegetables, fruit and a hundred and one other things.

But, above all, ventas are places where people gather to chat and spend time relaxing and catching up on all the gossip.

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©Phillip Bruce 2009.