Spain: A Smoker's Disappointment

[radio807]

So here I am in the middle of a two week business trip to Spain, and I've had only four bowls of tobacco so far. Prior to the trip I'm thinking to myself that hey, Europe...Spain, everybody smokes so it must be a smoker's paradise compared to the US. I was wrong, big time. Spain is now just like the US, you can't smoke anywhere except outside. I'm in Zaragoza, a pretty windy place; pipe smoking isn't easy or fun here. I should have done some research before packing up my pipes and tobacco.
On the bright side, the Spanish people are very polite, friendly and gracious. It's a great place.

 

[gwtwdbss]

That is a bummer. I hope the wind dies down for ya. I am glad there are some nice people there though.

 

[hfearly]

Yep, no surprise. The European Union looks to the US like a little man to his bigger brother... "Oh New York city forbids smoking, even outdoors? Oh boy, oh boy! We need to do that, too!".

 

[rotschefeller]

In Germany we can still smoke inside if the owner decides to make the place 18+. So a lot of restaurants don't go for it but bars often do.
Still most places have as a policy "no pipes or cigars"
They alow smoking but forbid the best kind... :crazy:

 

[hfearly]

Rotschefeller I thought NRW county had just created a new smoking ban law that would outlaw smoking everywhere except your own home?

 

[rotschefeller]

I haven't heard anything about that. I went to a bar last week that allowed smoking past a certain time, I think it was 11 pm. After that time it was also 18+. I still see people smoking outside (streets, train stations, ect.) every day as well.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Never understood the discrimination for pipe and cigar smokers. Cigarettes smell worse than any pipe and/or cigar I've ever smelled.

 

[hfearly]

Well there always seems to be the need for a demographic to be discriminated against. History is FULL of examples. Why should things change?

 

[lazydog]

When I was young, on an aereoplane, everyone was smokin nails and as I lit my pipe, the Stew told me pipes were not allowed.

 

[radio807]

Now that you mentioned it, I do recall that pipe and cigar smokers were somewhat discriminated against back in the day. It was common for pipes and cigars to be prohibited in many restaurants, and always on aircraft as I recall. Back in the '70s when I smoked cigarettes and traveled frequently I would always choose the no smoking section on planes because I hated sitting in the rear of the aircraft.
I'll be home in two more days, and you can bet that I'm going to spend a lot of quality time with my pipes over the weekend.