A European Vibe in Texas?

I thought I knew everything there was to know about my home town of El Paso, Texas, having lived in this border city all my life.  I have visited every neighborhood, eaten in restaurants elegant and inelegant around town, and shopped everywhere from malls to mom and pop stores.

But it wasn't until recently that a serendipitous happening  made me feel transported to the European Continent, where the game of football (soccer to Americans) reigns supreme. Here is how it happened.

My husband Wayne and I are always on the lookout for the best restaurant to order a plate of nachos for a mid-afternoon snack. And we are nacho connoisseurs, turning up our noses at what we derisively call "baseball nachos," a pile of bought tortilla chips, smothered with liquid cheese and topped with fiery jalapeño slices.  Ándale, a local Mexican food restaurant that strives for authenticity, was our best bet to get a plate of real nachos.

The hostess asked if we wanted to be seated in the bar to watch the game.  What game?  we wondered.  But the bar seemed lively, so feeling a bit adventurous, we perched ourselves at a table with high stools and looked around at our surroundings.  I don't spend much time in bars these days, so the low lighting, TV screens, and bar patrons gave me something new to look at.

The young waitress didn't blink an eye when we ordered iced tea and a shared plate of nachos.  I asked about the game that was being played.  Mexico versus Venezuela in the Copa América she explained,  I asked her if she is a soccer fan.  Not really.  She prefers American football, except when Cristiano Ronaldo (the handsome Portuguese footballer) is playing.

As we settled in, enjoying food and drink and joining fans watching the soccer game, an unexpected feeling came over me.

It was a European vibe, where soccer championships, star players, and victories and defeats are part of the everyday culture. For an hour or so, it really did matter to me whether Mexico, our close neighbor, was scoring. I watched every play, cheered every attempt on goal, and chastised the officials if they made calls against Mexico.

This was a serious bar.  Everyone was focused on the the TV screens.

Some alone...

  

 And some with friends.

(Chicharito is the name of a famous Mexican footballer)

The spell was broken when we decided to leave at halftime.  We walked out into the bright El Paso sunshine. I was no long in a hotel bar in Portugal, or a cafe in Spain, or watching TV in a friend's house in London. I was back in the USA, where I wouldn't pay any attention to soccer scores until the next FIFA World Cup in 2018.   But, I must admit,  the nachos were really delicious.