Cristina de Borbón y de Muguiro, Duquesa de Marchena

Getting around

Slow rail journeys with frequent stops

Spanish rail journeys were famously slow, with trains frequently stopping at small stations where names were not called out because everyone already knew where they were.

At the table

Common dishes for ordinary families

Ordinary families relied on simple meals like puchero, a slow-boiled stew of chickpeas, potatoes, and sometimes meat, or gazpacho, a cold vegetable soup with bread and oil. Breakfast for many working-class people was often just a jicara of chocolate with a roll.

What people wore

Dancing fashion and skirt lengths

Women's festive dancing attire often included long tails, though young unmarried women were expected to wear shorter, ground-length skirts.

Music

Musical experts in social settings

In small social gatherings, those who could play string instruments like the violin, guitar, bandurria, or lute were considered the musical experts of the group.

Daily life

Struggling to balance household budgets

A working-class family budget often faced a deficit, with food expenses accounting for approximately 60 percent of essential costs, while rent represented about 11 percent. To make ends meet, families relied on extra income from odd jobs, such as carrying travelers' luggage to inns when trains arrived.