My first formal Spanish dinner

This past Sunday, Kirsten invited me to have lunch with her family and friends. I happily accepted her invitation, but I was nervous about having lunch. Lunch began around 3:15 P.M. and took place at the backyard under the shades provided by a fig tree and grape vines. The people present were Kirsten's family and Martin (from Germany) and Honey (from Austria). In the beginning, while we were eating salad, cheese and BBQ meat and drinking either wine or orange juice (I chose orange juice), I noticed myself to be the only person using the American style of eating, i.e., first cut up the food with fork on the left hand and knife on the right hand, and then put the knife down on the plate and switch the fork to my right hand and then pick up the food. Everyone else was his or her utensils with the Europeans whie, i.e., eating with fork always held by the left hand and knife by the right hand. But no one seemed to mind :).
Along with the salad and later a stew as the main plate and dessert, the entire meal took two and a half hours along. During which we talked about many things, including soccor and politics. It was very relaxing. I thoroughly enjoyed it, except at the end, when I was helping Kirsten putting away the dishes, I noticed the massive number of dishes and cups and utensils that needed to be washed :(.
But everything else--which was all wonderful--has definitely given this meal a special place in my memory.