The Catalans love nothing so much as a draw or a lottery, indeed this may be a pan-Spanish thing. The Christmas lottery is a HUGE deal....certain sellers are viewed as lucky, and if the owner of a ticket stand manages to sell a winner he is set up for life as people will come for MILES to buy tickets from that particular store. It is considered lucky if a pregnant woman buys the ticket, and any conceivable group of people will go in together to buy a ticket. As a result, vitually all Catalans (and I imagine Spanish) have at least three numbers. Go figure how big the pot is and what your chance of winning is.
To even up the chance of winning, many local stores will also have a lottery of their own. They put up a poster with 100 little squares, and for 2 Euros 50, you get your name in a square.
The man and I antied up at the local corner story and at our favourite bakery.
This is where it gets confusing. I was in the local corner store on the day before Xmas, all baskets are drawn on the 23rd, and ran into a friend. We had a chat, and went our way, but then she phoned me later that day to say that I had won the basket! WOOT!
Youngest and I went down on the pretense of buying a beer for the man, and they said nothing. OK, maybe she made a mistake, or maybe they were waiting till after Xmas, or whatever.
Home again.
Then today, we were peacefully pottering around the house getting nothing done that we should have gotten done, when the bell rings, and downstairs are my favourite market ladies, telling me that I had won the basket at the FORN!
I am now totally confused, and I was wondering if I had won them both.
I think not. I did win at the forn though, and LOOK what we got!
Two bottles of cava (champagne) one of vermouth (no idea what we'll do with that) one of Paul Gautier water (who'da thunk) and some sherry which the man loves. An entire leg (or shoulder, not sure) of pernil...oh my goodness! plus olives jarred mushrooms, paté etc... plus nueles which are like those circular filo cookies, and three artisnal tourons and the obligatory maria cookies.
Mmmmmmmmmm.
Sweet sweet sweet!
6 comments:
WOOOOOT! It's great to win, and that's a fabulous basket. You'll figure out what to do with the vermouth (gin, anyone?). I feel honored you stole from me. I feel like you've put me on the map! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, oh-one-I-envy-in-a-warm-climate!
Why you lucky dog, you...speaking of which, anything in that basket for Chuck?
Enjoy!
very nice. Do you think they'd go as far as get women pregnant just so that they have higher chances of winning the lottery?
Brilliant. Winning is great and winning food is extra great because it is
a) free
b) all the tastier because of that
c) (not a problem for you lot but anyway) totally free from all calories!
Enjoy.
Yahoo for you! How wonderful to win! (I never win anything, so I can only imagine the feeling.) Now you are all set for New Year's Eve.
Hurray! Cook with the vermouth or put it into a raffle as a prize! I swear there are random things that start as an unwanted present and then are given as a raffle prize at school or whatever and then the winner of them donates them again. Brillian
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