My sleepy little village in Spain ... in the news

[Mouse]

Research a few years ago showed that the spanish were the least efficient workers in europe (it wasn't including farmers in that) yet they spent the most hours in work.

Regarding banks. ...ours open on Saturdays in winter (when everyone has hours if not days to spare) but in summer they close at lunchtime. Go figure.

Mouse
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[lorca]

I agree that it doesn't make much sense outside mainly agricultural communities - and I'm sure most office workers would prefer to work straight through and have the evenings to themselves.

[Casscat]

My new office hours are going to be 10.00-18.00, but I am told that the office tends to close at 16.00 in the summer and the same most Fridays year round. Oh lordy, what a contrast to my current hours! I'm up at 05.45 and rarely home before 20.00.

[Mouse]

Siesta tradition is one of the reasons there are so many apartment blocks in Spanish towns/cities....people want to live close to work, rathr than battle through 4 rush hours.
The upside is that this makes towns/cities very lively with bars and restaurants filled with locals.

Here Mr M's Spanish pupils were always amazed to find he did a 12 km journey in to work. They are from families who have huge beautiful fincas in the campo but prefer to leave them empty and live in a 3 bed apartment in a high rise.

Mouse
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[Casscat]

I came across this attitude with my job Mouse. I almost didn't get it because unbeknownst to me they were not happy with my intention to commute from the finca to the coast. Even though my employer is British and they don't observe siesta there is still no tradition of commuting! It currently takes me an hour to travel 13 miles on a packed and unpleasant train into the City. I thought spending 45mins in an air conditioned car listening to my choice of music each day would be an absolute joy by comparison but apparently this was not acceptable to them so in the end I had to agree to rent a property closer to the office

[pambon]

I came across this attitude with my job Mouse. I almost didn't get it because unbeknownst to me they were not happy with my intention to commute from the finca to the coast. Even though my employer is British and they don't observe siesta there is still no tradition of commuting! It currently takes me an hour to travel 13 miles on a packed and unpleasant train into the City. I thought spending 45mins in an air conditioned car listening to my choice of music each day would be an absolute joy by comparison but apparently this was not acceptable to them so in the end I had to agree to rent a property closer to the office

Unbelievable; and here we have the Italian government telling job seekers that they must look further afield than the office next door and be prepared to either commute (sp?) or move to another city for work placement.

When I arrived here in the early sixties people worked locally for most of the year. Travelling 'to work' was virtually unheard of. Now local work is hard to find and when found is just a few short months.

[pepsipuss]

Regarding banks. ...ours open on Saturdays in winter (when everyone has hours if not days to spare) but in summer they close at lunchtime. Go figure.

Mouse
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Ours too, Mouse. Leaves the summer tourists totally bemused!