Ivón, a chorus girl, Hugo, a failed writer, and Carlos, Hugo's young son, arrive at a seaside hotel on a stormy night.

Madrid, Spain. Eloísa, a self-sacrificing wife and efficient mother, lives in the neighborhood of Maravillas with her husband, a violent policeman; her sanctimonious son, who spends his life studying and praying to atone for the sins of his family; and her two daughters, obsessed with wealth, who hate each other deeply.

César Neira, an almost forgotten Spanish actor, gets involved by chance with Teresa, a teacher from a small village in the province of Cáceres, who has won a radio contest. The prize is a trip to Madrid to experience just for a fortnight the life of the famous and wealthy people.

Port of Seville, Spain, 1640. A group of people from very different origins embark on the ship Capitana. They are members of the upper class, adventurers, peasants, convicts, who have only one thing in common: the illusion of arriving in America, the promised land where they can make their dreams and ambitions come true.

Finished their careers of Law and Medicine, respectively, Antonio Redondo and Josefina Castro, a pair of young Spanish newlyweds, are looking for work to buy an apartment and start a life together, but they will face enormous difficulties throughout the process.

A widower turned Catholic priest can't overcome his memories of his deceased wife Gloria Mairena, who seems to have found a duplicate in looks and voice in the couple's daughter.

One unlucky day, a married couple with four children get an eviction notice: the building they live in is to be demolished. The family looks desperately for a new home, which is no easy task in Madrid in the fifties.