Supermercados...

I might have mentioned here before my love for foreign supermarkets; I enjoy exploring the different sections and finding out what they do differently to British supermarkets. I can't get enough.

In Germany, the bakery has a much better selection, as indeed does the butchers. They are also very good at pickles and sauces. In Spain (much like Portugal), again, the bakery has a much better selection, as does the fresh fruit and veg - especially when it comes to the more exotic varieties.

Indeed, the Brits seem very bad when it comes to bread; we'll put up with any old thing. Sliced white being universally available, often at the cost of any other type of bread. Mothers' Pride was never anything to be proud of. Many Of our European neighbours don't understand why we don't buy our bread fresh every day like they do.

My favourite Spanish supermarket is Mercadona: a great range, a good service and all at a competitive price. It's a little bit off the beaten track here in Playa del Ingles. HiperDino, my least favourite, is on my way home from the beach and the ubiquitous Spar is everywhere.

Whenever I call in at HiperDino, I can never seem to find anything; the layout has no logic to it. You move from soap and shampoo into sliced cheeses and meats, turn a corner and you're met by nail clippers and hair bands.

I've been in the one at the Yumbo Centre three times this week and all at different times of the day and every time a woman has been mopping the floors. If you go anywhere near a mopped area that's not yet dry, she hisses at you and makes little tsk tsk noises. I was literally painted into a corner yesterday when I called in for a litre of milk.

This was made all the worse when I opened the carton at breakfast this morning to find that it's contents had curdled as, indeed, had any liking I may have still harboured about HiperDino. If they focused less on floor mopping and more on use by dates, I might have been able to enjoy my Weetabix this morning.