Today Cheap in Madrid is talking to expat Dave Cardillo from Florida. He’s the manager of the coffee shop and English language bookstore J&J Books and Coffee.
CiM: When did you first move to Madrid?
Dave: On September 17, 1999. September 17 is my “Spanniversary.” That’s what my friends and I call it. I was 27, and I’d never been here before.
CiM: Why did you choose Spain?
Dave: I had been to the ’98 World Cup in France and loved it and wanted to come back to Europe. My plan was to go to Germany. This was before the euro, when they still had the peseta in Spain. With the same amount of money I could stay in Spain for 4 months or Germany for one. Also, winter was just around the corner…
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