I usually sort the advantages and disadvantages of living abroad in two categories: little ones and big ones. The big ones, though heavier, are real no brainers: family, friends, income, etc. On the other hand, it´s the little ones that make for the most interesting conversation (or blogging). One of the biggest little disadvantages of living in a small city in Spain is the lack of choices to dine out. I´m not only referring to the kinds of food available, but also to the total absence of these four magic letters: BYOB.
BYOB (BYO in AUS and NZ) stands for "bring your own beverage" (the last B can also mean beer, bottle, or even booze). It is a system followed by many restaurants all over the English-speaking world which consists on, well, letting you bring your own alcoholic beverage to the restaurant. BYOB establishments pay for a license that is significantly cheaper than the one "fully-licensed" restaurants have to pay for, making the system a win-win situation. The restaurant saves money by not paying for a full license and the costumer saves money by buying wine or beer at retail prices (and exactly the kind they want!).
It´s true that Spain offers cheaper and more diverse wine than any other country in the world, along with one of the highest degrees of quality out there (another little-big advantage of living here!). It´s also true that this gives BYOB a lesser advantage when compared to, for example, the US. But wouldn´t it be great to be able to bring a good bottle of St Emillion to a meat restaurant? Or a Chardonnay to accompany Japanese cuisine? What about some good Trappist beer at your favorite burger joint? All at retail price!
It´s all advantages to me, except for the occasional corkage fee and the (somewhat likely) possibility of a quick run to the nearest grocery store halfway through the main course!
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