We are in the large bar of our hotel (Hotel Cueli) in Viveda. I just counted. There are 33 men in here. I’m the only woman. Most of the men are at tables of 4 or 5 playing some kind of card game. This is clearly a local hang out for the jubilantes (retired guys). It’s neat.
After my dad retired, he liked to go down to the McDonalds in Hobbs and meet up with his friends. And my granddad used to go down to the service station in Dora, NM, and play dominoes with his friends.
In the afternoons, Charlie and I’ve enjoyed lately finding a local bar in whatever town we are in and ordering a decaf and blogging, answering email, planning next stage, etc. It’s a nice way to be a part of things.
In Austria and Germany at local hangouts, like beer halls and down home restaurants, there are tables reserved for groups of regulars. They are called “stammtisch.” Their personal beer steins hang on hooks on the wall. I’ve seen them in cafés as well, where they are usually reserved for a group of women who come every day at a set time and have a kaffeeklatsch..