Illiteracy

In Madrid, Spain, for much of the city’s history, there has been a large population that was unable to read. Therefore, street signs were almost entirely worthless - nobody could read the names.

City plans thought up a clever system of putting pictures on the signs to tell locals what was on the street. This street was Santa Maria, so presumably you would find the Virgin Mary here. Other street signs had depictions of butchers, bakers, etc.

This was a clever way of solving a very real problem.

Museum of Ham

Only in Madrid, Spain. They have these locations all over the city called the Museo del Jamon – Museum of Ham. It’s not really a museum as much as it as a fast food hell.

Feel the blood trying to make its way through the clogged arteries.

Dollar Stores

In the U.S., we have Dollar Stores. In Europe, they have 0.60 Euro stores. I guess this shows the weakness of the U.S. dollar.

I foun this particular Euro 0.60 Store in Madrid, Spain.

Running Away from People

I found this sign on the streets of Madrid, Spain. No idea on this sign either. Does this mean run away from other people? Strange.

Tio Pepe

As a sign addict, every once in a while, you bag one of the great ones. You get the chance to shoot one of the all-time great iconic signs. A sign that is infamous – in location, time and aesthetic.

In November, I had the opportunity to shoot just such a sign: Tio Pepe in Madrid. This gigantic sign sits above heart of Spain – the Plaza of the Puerta del Sol. Literally, this square is the heart of Spain – it is the geographic center of the country.

Tio Pepe is an icon.