Once upon a time…
There were mesas camillas in many homes.
People who speak some Spanish will have caught the “table” (mesa) and may even have sniffed out the “bed” in the word camilla. People who remember mesas camillas are either rolling their eyes or smiling nostalgically, depending on how fond they are of this bit of Spain’s past.
So what is a mesa camilla? It’s a round table with a heavy tablecloth down to the floor. Underneath the tablecloth hides a source of heat: originally a shallow metal tray with embers from the fireplace, later an electric unit in the same shape. Prior to central heating, this was a frequent way of heating people, if not an entire room, especially in warmer parts of Spain.
People sat around the table with the tablecloth over their legs to eat, watch TV, snooze or to play endless rounds of cards. Warm legs, knees and tummy, but possibly a cold back if sitting in a hard chair instead of a sofa or armchair. Getting up after an afternoon sitting around the mes camilla was chilly, to say the least.
Obviously there’s a fire hazard here. A friend tells of a charred wool skirt, and my own memories include a pair of melted tennis shoes that had unwisely been stored under the table (not by me!).
Undoubtably mesas camillas are still alive and well in some parts of Spain. But not in Madrid, or at least not in My Madrid. Or so I thought, but Spain’s newish smoking law has brought a timid comeback for mesas camillas.
Huh? What’s the connection?
As of January 2, 2011 all public buildings in Spain are smoke-free (one wag says it’s the only country where you go indoors for fresh air). Offices, hospitals and schools, of course. But also bars and restaurants. This was a huge change: smokers relegated to the great outdoors.
Here in Madrid, that’s not a problem for about seven months of the year, but for the rest of the year, those poor smokers would shiver at the outside cafés were it not for the gas heaters placed strategically among the tables. Other bars have added fuzzy blankets to their chairs to prevent CB (cold bottom).
And at least one café, my usual coffee bar has opted for mesas camillas to keep their smoking customers warm and happy.