Last week we heard some rambunctious teenagers rustling around in the courtyard of our piso. Check out the 10 second footage I took from their game in the video below. My first thought was, “Don’t they realize it’s 10:00pm!” But then I quietly scolded myself for forgetting that I was in Spain, and people don’t think about bed until midnight. I was also reminded that it was about to be World Cup time.

Spain is a favorite this year, ranked one of the top teams in the world. But as you may have heard, they lost in the first round to the supposedly under-matched Switzerland 1-nil. If they are ousted from the first round, they will return home with their heads hanging low, and the country won’t be too pleased to greet them.

The day of the game, Julie and I’s television was out of commission so we went for a walk. I’ve never seen a major city as seemingly lifeless as Madrid in those two hours: a couple of cars here and there and an old woman or two roaming on barren sidewalks. When Spain plays in the World Cup, this city stops.