I've been wintering in Spain for 17 years . I can relate with all of your article except early closures. The Spaniards have siesta when businesses close down for a long lunch and then stay open later. I've lived in other countries as well and what I've discovered is that there's a honeymoon period at first where everything is strange and beautiful, the learning curve is stimulating, and the experience is amazing. Eventually, that wears off and you then discover the things that are annoying or even exhausting. Language is daunting even for those of us who are proficient.