Yesterday was a challenge. It started off fine – my friend Jorge, with whom I had been staying for my first few days in Madrid, dropped me and my two tonne suitcase off at the metro station so I could go and sign the contract for my new flat. I’ll spare the details, but the next four hours involved lots of misunderstandings (by me) on the phone, wrong addresses, a seemingly endless amount of metro travel, and unfortunate timing for the first rain since I have been here. Exhausted, stressed and wet, I finally arrived at the office of the letting agent ten minutes before closing.

I had originally arranged to have bed linen thrown in with the room, but when signing the contract the lady said I could choose between the linen, and 75 euros off the monthly rent. That effectively puts the value of sheets at well over…