Bureaucracy and queues go hand in hand in Spain. It doesn't matter what you need to do. If it has to do with the government, be prepared for a wait. Getting there early won't help. For some administrative tasks the queues start a couple of hours before the offices open. Residency is one of the worst. Or at least it was when I first had to go through the process. I thought I'd be smarter than the rest and get to the police station at 7am. To my surprise I wasn't the only person with the same...
I love walking around the centre of Madrid. I love doing it even more when there aren't any cars in the way. Since I've been living here, the centre of Madrid has been a congested, polluted and dirty place. The reason: Cars. Sidewalks are narrow in this part of the city and you'd often find yourself having to walk down the middle of the street because of the crowds. Then came Madrid Central. Madrid Central is an ambitious project to limit the type and amount of cars that are allowed to enter...
What? You want to know the best way to get around central Madrid? Well, if you're thinking of moving around Madrid on a bike, I'd think again. You see, Madrid is not a bike-friendly city at the moment. Madrileños, as they are known here, like to move around by car, motorbike or scooter. They see bicycles as an inferior form of transport. And we're also a bit aggressive when we drive and don't like to share our roads. Don't get me wrong. It's not that the city council doesn't want you to ride a...