Estate agents on the Costa del Sol

Spanish timetable: Even the Spaniards think it's a waste of time!

Us expats often bemoan the strange timetable that Spain follows, though one does adapt and come to understand it over time. Starting the day later, taking the afternoon easy and being more active in the evening makes sense when it's boiling hot, which makes sense in the southernmost tips of the country, but does it make that much sense in Madrid? Or Asturias? These more temperate environments may not necessitate this large break in the middle of the day, and many people have expressed their concern that this may be damaging productivity and even the happiness of inhabitants.

The Olive Press published an article detailing the findings of a study by a sociological organisation named Ulises. The findings are quite astonishing - many of us may have experienced an impassioned Spaniard defending this unique daily timetable, but apparently over 90% of Spanish people would prefer a "normal" British working day from 9am to 5pm.

This makes sense also from a timezone perspective. Spain is mostly west of GMT and yet is in the same timezone as Poland, almost 3000km to the east. A majority of polled Spaniards would like to change this, to be aligned with their neighbour, Portugal.

Interestingly enough, a large minority of respondents would not disrupt their normal lunch time, but would make it a shorter period of time (that currently allows for a siesta) in order to leave work earlier. How will you adapt to this use of time when you move into your lovely villa on the Costa del Sol? Read the full article to find out more!