A Mystery Blackout Forces Madrid to Cope With Life Off the Grid
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At 12:33 p.m., in the span of five seconds almost two-thirds of Spain disappeared off the grid. It wasn’t just that the lights suddenly went out. In the age of cashless payments and with virtually everything on your smartphone, millions rediscovered the joys of analog technology.
By the time Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez finally addressed the nation six hours later, people in downtown Madrid were gathering around the old-fashioned transistor radio to get the latest news. Many spilled outdoors into the sidewalks to share drinks in the spring sunshine.