by Ian Hawkey
With its strident, martial statues peering down wide boulevards, even the best of Madrid can daunt at first glimpse.
Look for order, and you encounter bustle, sometimes even brusqueness. This shouldn't be mistaken for discourtesy.
Madrileños simply have a reputation for directness, of a haste that contrasts sharply with the pace of life in much of coastal Spain.
No offense is intended.
It's a proud capital city, fastidious about curating and displaying its national treasures, home of some of the world’s greatest art and sculpture and a place that inspires great civic loyalty.
The attitude is part illusion.
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