large chains still closing for lunch!

 One thing that hasn't been mentioned, is that if they got rid of the siesta then all workers who take one at the moment, would be better off as they would cut their travelling expenses to and from work by 50%.  They would then have more money to spend and that might just help to stimulate the economy

actually....its time for my siesta....

good way to end my time on this post

cheers

Well said jokamac but like someone said earlier this centuries old hatred of business, even to their own detrement, is so ingrained in spanish society it may never be removed, of course what you say makes sense, but to the spanish this would be seen as helping the business owner, no matter that it would help themselves too.  A friend of mine says there is just no way to convince the spanish that it may be worth their while to change, their mentality is wired completely diffferently to that of northern europeans, frankly i kind of agree although hope springs eternal.

Yes, good point jokamac about how getting rid of the siesta hours would have advantages for the worker, especially as many Spaniards have to work a long way from home.  If they then have to hang around the building doing nothing, what a demoralising way to spend the afternoon and it also means they will have far less of a family life, as they then get home much later than they'd need to.  The Government should do an economic costs-benefits analysis of this and of anything else that will help stimulate the economy.  It is generally important in life to keep an open mind and be open to change.   

Lawrence, it was me who mentioned the centuries' old hostility towards business.  I was reading a general European history book and it said that this attitude was prevalent at least five centuries ago.  And it wouldn't have suddenly appeared out of the blue even then; God knows how old it is.  It is very difficult to change cultural attitudes but it can be done.  The Government should get some good minds, maybe from Spanish Universities to look at this and produce some recommendations.  In the UK, there was a change in attitude, for example, about drink-driving.  It would be useful to examine how this was achieved.  Did it just happen or was it a successful result of various publicity campaigns for instance?  It's not easy, but Spain can't just give up and let itself go down the swanny.  If there is a general reluctance to change, then legislation can be part of forcing changes that are necessary for the Spanish economy.  The siesta issue may or may not be part of this.

eggcup

You bring up some very good points although the drink driving thing is not quite the same although tougher legislation in this regard i think tipped the balance, greater sentences etc.  With this spanish topic we are talking about fundemental issues literally of the very existance, in the mordern world, of a state called Spain.  I think perhaps you are right and that the only way for spain to move ahead is by force, via legislation, either at the spanish government level or via the EU.  The world is far more interconnected now than it was centuries ago, today Spain and other countries like it cannot hide from the wrath and displeasure of the global community.  Like i said earlier, i have no problem at all with spain wishing to keep its old ways, thats fine, but i for one do not want to pay for that with a never ending stream of bailouts etc and frankly the rest of the EU and not just the Euro zone countries are of like mind.  Its ok to blindly go your own way when that path impacts no one but yourself but then to hold out the begging bowl every time you hit a brick wall is completely unacceptable and will not fly any more.  Spain has done very very well out of its membership of the EU, it should not expect and will not receive much more unless it plays ball.  I dont really give a rats arse about their siestas but as a citizen of an EU member state if this kind of behaviour affects me then i mind a great deal, when such behaviour is impacting on a nations productivity, a nation that is in effect broke and asking for/getting money from the larger community then as i said earlier its time for spain to get a grip and if they dont the EU will do it for them by letting them sink.

 Do you know what I find so distateful about all of this?   It is the undying belief that the UK has it right, and Spain, and others have it wrong.   Have I missed something?  Is the UK suddenly free of all its debt and problems?   The pontificating about what Spain should and should not do is incredible, coming in part  from people who have moved here to get away from the 'rat race' of the UK.  Give it a rest - or should I say siesta?

Yes, Lawrence, it is a common mantra of mine that there should be no power without responsibility.

Hey Roly2 who said the UK had it right? but the conversation was about spain wasnt it? and lets get one thing straight my friend i dont give a damn what spain does as long as it in no way affects the larger european cummunity and therefore by definition, me! You may have left the UK to as you say "to get out of the UK rat race" but i for sure didnt, in fact i havent left anywhere, i take full advantage of what is my right as a EU citizen to lay my hat wherever i happen to fancy at any given time anywhere in the EU, actually i dont limit myself to the EU but thats another story. I love London, where i grew up, but also very much like Rome, Paris, Barcelona and other EU cities.  Dont assume that everyone thats currently in Spain is here because of some dislike of something in their own country, frankly the only reason i even bother to spend any time here at all is because of the weather in southern spain, BUT, i like many others i think are finding that less and less an accpetable reason to put up with things like silly siestas and the manana attitude.  I say it again, Spain and any other similar country will not be allowed to steal, yes i said STEAL, the life blood from the rest of the EU.

Wow....so the cause of  Spain economic plight is the siesta...

Thats what has caused the situation and thats what will get them out of it...

Im not economist, financial whizzkidd etc etc...but sorry folks.....its not the answer...

and can anyone tell me what is???....."manana"

yeah graeme13 thats right if you say so, now go have a sleep

lawrence .....you are almost right....but i think most on this post are wishing its in fact ...yourself that will go and sleep

not manana but today

Well Lawrence MY FRIEND, you need to read the posts before freaking out.  I certainly never said I left the UK to leave the rat race, and it was you MY FRIEND who was arguing international economics (yawn).

You need to chill out MY FRIEND - I doubt a siesta would be enough. 

Merkamueble, a spanish company right? Companies that are open all day, Carrefor, McDonalds, Leroy Merlin, Nordauto Feuvert what do they have in common? Not spanish companies! Oh btw if you are stuck for finding furniture may I suggest your nearest IKEA?  Open all day and you can pretty much always get what you want rather than hearing that you will have to wait 6 weeks! Which is what we were told by all the local spanish companies when we wanted to buy something as simple as some bunk beds.

 Zara, Spanish company, open all day.  Loads of them are.

And you either live in the wrong part of Spain or you are making things up.  6 weeks delivery in Spain?  Tripe!

Procomobel (Spanish company, open all day 9.30 to 21.00 and Saturday and Sunday 10 to 2).  2 and 3 seater settees ordered at 11 am, delivered 4:20 pm.  Dining table and chairs, AKI (OK, same chain as Leroy Merlin so not Spanish), ordered 10am and waiting at the gates for us when we got home at 12 noon.  White goods from Torregrosa, ordered about noon, all delivered and installed that evening.  Loads of examples and have even had apologies when delivery couldn't be made until the following day.

Now, UK.  7 weeks wait for a bed from Bedland (who you'd think would have them in stock), 6 week wait from John Lewis for a 3 piece suite.  Companies like DFS and Harvey's give you a 6 to 12 week waiting time.  Even ads on UK TV only gave until Saturday just gone for Christmas delivery.

Now, I know you have a downer on Spain, but your post was just ridiculous.  Let's get a bit of a reality check on here and stop slagging the place off because of perceived attitudes.

Zara, Spanish company, open all day.  Loads of them are.

Yes because they are finally catching on that people do want to buy things in the afternoon.

And you either live in the wrong part of Spain or you are making things up.  6 weeks delivery in Spain?  Tripe!

I do believe you are calling me a liar? How dare you? I did have to wait  six weeks!  And was told so at all the local places around here as they are all getting their furniture from the same supplier, as we we were shown the same furniture from the same brochures time and time again!!! So again how dare you?

Now, I know you have a downer on Spain, but your post was just ridiculous.  Let's get a bit of a reality check on here and stop slagging the place off because of perceived attitudes.

Downer on Spain? Am I not entitled to have an opinion on here and voice one as such? It's the same people on here time and time again who come on here with a machine gun attitude to peoples posts, bullying the maybe non regular users (we have other more pressing matters to attend to besides hanging on here!) who were enticed in by the newsletter. We stupidly click what seems like an interesting topic such as this one and then have to read through a whole load of attitudes to people like myself who dare to place a comment opposing anything Spain related and then be personally attacked for doing so by people such as yourself. It is simply not good enough and should not be tolerated on any forum!

Wake up and smell the coffee! If Spain was oh so so good why is it in oh so much of the proverbial? There are lots of things I don't like about the UK and I would voice my opinion just the same and hope it would be respected. Instead of being called a liar!

This message was last edited by k 5ive on 12/11/2012.

 Sorry you took it that way.  It's just that your experience of delivery in Spain is totally at odds with anyone else I have spoken to.  Everyone else says how good it is here that they get delivery so quickly and the longest they have had to wait for furniture delivery has been 3 days when a particular item has been out of stock.  You have either been very unlucky in your choice of stores, which are definitely a minority, but no-one else I have spoken to has had that problem.  I find it difficult to reconcile your experience to those of others.  Maybe it is a Catalan thing but is definitely not the way it works elsewhere.

Torregrosa, Spanish company, OK it closes in afternoon but is open to 10 each evening.  White goods (fridge, oven, washing machine, dishwasher, ceramic hob) all ordered one day and delivered and fitted the next.  We see vans arriving here on a daily basis from Procomobel, Garcia, Euromarina Home, Torregrosa and others, all Spanish companies and all delivering on the day of order or the next day.  

There are many things wrong with Spain (jobsworths in the government departments, quite poor service by counter staff in some supermarkets and yes, even the closing in the middle of the day) but the delivery service cannot, in general, be faulted especially when compared to the same service in UK.  

And if everything got to me as it seems to get to you, I would have been on the first plane out of Spain years ago.