And because there is almost always a national holiday beginning or ending, you quickly learn to deal with closed offices and shops. Even on a regular business day, Madrid's merchants open late, close for a long afternoon lunch, and lock the doors sometime before the dinner hour, between 7 p.m. and midnight. Not your typical Euro-capital Madrid is not the standard beautiful European city, since it is a fairly recent capital, constructed in the late 16th century. Spain's dusty Meseta, the high plain on which Madrid sits, looks parched and menacing. When you arrive, you are first visually assaulted by endless rows of concrete apartment towers that spread for miles around the center.
Traffic is bad, and the careless visitor can easily pay too much for food and lodging.
But Madrid's lifestyle is enviable and addictive, and before long you notice that, in addition to those concrete structures, there are also fine old homes, fancy palaces, and lush urban gardens. Despite the city's size, the center is fairly compact and most sites of interest don't require more than a 15 minute walk. If you tire of walking, you'll find that the Metro is cheap, efficient, and open all night. With the slightest attention to menus and prices, you can live in style for much less than in other European capitals. The locals claim Madrid's seafood is the freshest and the best, because the choicest sea creatures are delivered from the coast to the capital while still alive.