A few (completely biased) observations about Madrid

In Madrid ...
- lots of people have dogs as pets (although they live in apartments)
- old people talk to young people in the street / bar (and vice versa)
- everyone drives, everywhere
- everyone who drives drives fast and too close to other cars
- people eat well
- people tend to eat only Spanish food, or Spanish interpretations of other national foods
- jamon is a staple
- everyone smokes, everywhere
- people laugh and shout and tell stories
- people stop and talk on the street / greet each other
- people let off fire crackers like bombs all the time
- young adults live with their parents forever
- there are several different varieties of police
- there are large and dirty expanses of wasteland between barrios
- public land is not cleaned up
- there are lots of parks
- there are lots of advertising hoardings and billboards
- a motorway goes wherever you´re going
- people get dressed up to go out
- the entire population of young women each own a long white puffy sleepingbag-like coat
- rosemary bushes grow in the parks like weeds
- decor is old fashioned, even in expensively kitted out places
- people are proud of Spain and act Spanish
- there are lots of great big shopping centre complexes on the city outskirts (accessible by motorway)
- people have more traditional gender roles
- people park their cars in every conceivable place, including the middle of the road
- people have shutters down and curtains closed on their windows, even on cold and crisp but beautiful sunny winter days
- people talk fast, and lots
- people spend lots of money on gifts
- people like new things / stuff / goods
- people don´t drink alcohol to excess
- people talk as if they´re arguing
- new houses and apartments are built in traditional styles, with small windows

A few observations based on my unfounded opinions, completely unsupported by any facts whatsoever.