Long work days caused by siesta

Palms in the plaza

Siesta is still part of Spanish way of living which you do not see in the touristic areas of Barcelona. However siesta is very visible in the areas outside of the city center. This means that shops are closed during the hottest time of the day for two to three hours from 14 to 17 o'clock. The long brake in the middle of the day means that the work day ends late around 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening. The long siesta/lunch brake is not a problem if your work place is nearby home but if you do not live close to the work place, a long siesta brake can be a burden. Siesta in between makes the work day seem longer as your free time in the evening gets shorter. I can imagine that lifestyle with siesta is nice in a small town where commute is short, but in a big city where long commuting is needed siesta does not fit equally nicely in the day.