My Trip to Spain (Part 1 of 3)--The Scene in Madrid

Friday, March 7

Just arrived back from a one week trip to Madrid to visit an American friend who is working there. The last times I was in Spain were when I was in college, in 1970 and again in 1973. That would be about 35 years ago!

I don't have very distinct impressions of my college trip (the Seventies were like that!), but I do remember a few things. First, it was still the Franco regime and there were mean-looking Guardia Civil troops wearing German style helmets or patent leather three-corner hats, brandishing menacing machine guns, standing in front of all the municipal buildings.

Additionally, there was a pervasive smell of bad plumbing everywhere you went in Spain. Some of the toilets were just dank holes in the floor with treaded cutouts for you to place your feet on. And finally, everything was dirt cheap. You could get a meal for a couple of dollars, a four course dinner for around ten dollars.

Things have certainly changed. Now the cops are discrete and amiable, many of them young women. They look like the ski patrol in fashionable day-glo uniforms.

Also the sanitation has improved, and no longer do foul aromas pervade the air of Spanish cities. If I had been smart, I'd have invested in Spanish plumbing supply stock back in '75.

And finally, the prices. Oh, the prices. The dollar is now at an all time low vs. the Euro, so even Spain is pricey. A typical meal is 20 to 50 Euros, that's $30 to $75. I saw a 48 inch flat screen TV being sold for 2900 Euros which translates to $4500. You can score one for less than half that at Best Buy!

There is an upbeat air of prosperity and growth without a hint of recession. Consumer goods are in big demand as the Spanish catch up to our standard of living.

The Spanish are a gregarious people. They gather in bars to socialize and watch sports rather than huddle in their living rooms to watch TV and call for take-out pizza like many Americans.

They keep crazy hours in Madrid. I was hard-pressed to keep up with the schedule. I was starving by noon, but restaurants didn't open until one, and were mobbed from two to four when everyone eats.

Then, don't try to find an Early Bird Special. The eateries shut until 8 or so, and it's not uncommon for Madrillenos to eat at ten, and then go for some entertainment. That compounded my jet-lag.

Few inhabitants of Madrid are fat, although it seems their favorite past-time is hanging out in tapas bars. I think the secret is portion control and lots of walking around. And while everyone drinks wine and beer, I did not see a single drunk person in my week in Spain. They are all talking so fast that it's hard to o.d. on food and liquor!

Check back here soon for more on my trip to Spain.