Cakes disguised as burgers help men who are ashamed of sweets

Men ashamed of sweets? What a weird notion, but it's funny they should mention it, because it gives me the opportunity to say that the problem doesn't seem to exist here in Tenerife.

Somehow, I very much doubt it bothers guys in South America either, if this cop considering a vast array of sweets and chocolate at a kiosk in Argentina is anything to go by.

There's been a myth going about that men in southern Europe are more "macho". Depends on exactly how you define that word, but I would actually say they are the opposite and that they are much more comfortable with their sexuality.

It is not at all unusual to see two men of any age, obviously heterosexual men; maybe work colleagues or friends in cafes together. And, if what they want is an ice-cream sundae or the layer sponge cake with cream and "girly pink" icing to go with their coffee, that is exactly what they'll have. Shamelessly.

Afternoon cake eating isn't nearly as common in Spain as the near religious 4 p.m. German ritual of "cafe und kuchen", but it's pretty close if you consider the numbers of excellent Pasteleria on this island. There's at least one in every town, but for my money, Pasteleria Aderno in Buenavista is still the best.

Icod de los Viños is full of cake shops with seating that serve coffee, at various points in the high street. Shopping, thus consists of walking down one side of the street and stopping in the cafe at that end, then walking back on the other side, calling in at others at this end, which gives me plenty of opportunities to notice the people who frequent them.

And men go shopping without a woman "dragging" them!

The guy with the girly pink cake, I saw in a cake shop in Guia de Isora. He was in his 20's and there with another young man (didn't see what he was eating) and neither looked ashamed. Indeed, they looked perfectly relaxed and treated it as normal. And, it dawned on me then that this probably wouldn't be the case if they were in the UK or, so it seems, in Tokyo.

So, guys, if you're coming to Tenerife on a "blokes only" holiday and you like sweet things, take advantage. "When in Rome ..." and all that. Nobody will think you are a "poofter". :)