However there is a lot of concern here about the Spanish economy in general and safety and security

My company is sending me on a long term assignment to Madrid, Spain. I am very excited about this opportunity and planning to land there with my family asap. We want to work and enjoy the Mediterranean cruises bermuda new york charm and the rich Spanish culture and enrich our lives with Dali, Picasso, Real Madrid , Tapas and Almadovar among the many other attractions. We are already taking Spanish lessons to be able to be immersed in their culture cruises bermuda new york and way of life from day one in Madrid.
However there is a lot of concern here about the Spanish economy in general and safety and security of foreigners in specific. Many reports of violence on an almost daily increasing trend is posing a lot of questions cruises bermuda new york in our mind as to whether this is a good time to be there in Spain with family.
Expats are always a bit more vulnerable to property crime, esp. in an environment that is economically depressed cruises bermuda new york or poor. It generally does not translate into a personal safety issue. I have never lived in Spain, but I have lived in and own a house in Portugal. From a safety perspective, I feel safe.
We spent a week in Madrid in late June, our first visit to Spain, and enjoyed it very much. We rented an apartment and felt very safe, no worries. You would take the same precautions you normally would when traveling or at your home. I will mention we had several locals come up to us and warn about taking extra care with my purse but again, you need to be aware of your surroundings as you would anywhere.
The whole world's in a mess, but Madrid shouldn't pose any problems, but before you get too disappointed, Madrid is not actually considered Mediterranean. For that you would have to head to Barcelona, Valencia and the Costa del Sol.
ribeirasacra, it comes from my personal experience and that of my friends. Many times, expat, esp. corporate expats and diplomats, are seen as a bit more well off than the rest of the population. Therefore, they may be targetted. This has been our experience in central and eastern Europe, but also Portugal.
And in Madrid, as in any city, you need to use basic common sense about your belongings. I have never had a problem in almost 100 trips to europe - during many of which it would have been obvious cruises bermuda new york that I was a prime target based on results of potential theft.