[snkzxbs]

You are missing the fact that a lot of people in Spain, maybe the majority, do what’s called a “jornada partida”, which means that businesses close at around 1-2 pm and then reopen at around 5-6 pm. During that time people generally have lunch and maybe sleep.

Especially during the hotter months, the streets are practically empty.

[dcrazy]

This seemed to me to vary by region. It was near universal when I visited Andalucía, including in Sevilla. It was uncommon in Madrid, and I don’t remember encountering it at all in Barcelona.

[dagw]

Is that actually still a big thing? I've worked on several projects with people in Spain, and none of them did that. Lunch was never more than an hour, and basically everybody was back from lunch and working by 2.30 at the latest.

[ergl]

Jornada partida doesn't tend to apply to office workers and white collar work in general. It's common to see it in small shops, but it's in steep decline even in those areas.