The Road from Santiago

  General Franco has a lot to answer for. I was thinking of leaving it at that but in this case it is the fact under his loving care Spanish tourism got going. The image projected to the world wasn’t grim  Castilian Catholicism but a combination of joyous Andalucian gypsy flamenco dancers who, when not bull fighting, were eating Valencian paella. I mention this because we are crossing into Andalucía today and sod all else is happening on the road. The point of abroad is somewhere to project our fantasies and pander to our need for ‘other.’  Spain - across the Pyrenes, nearer to Africa than Aldershot.  A land of the ever sleeping; corrupt officials and hopeless plumbing - but full of romantic brigands, some of home will lose their shirts so much as look at a certain sort of novel cover; who will rally round to give Napoleon a kicking from their hilltop retreat. Anyhow, we are going to head on into the Almerian part of Andalucia and embrace the difference.  The pr...

  On and on, along another of those roads which have been upgraded and bypassed.  We get to pass a temporarily closed restaurant - you can look at it and decide and a definitely no longer petrol station.  But first Spanish Flu. Why Spanish Flu I hear you cry. Well, I’d just gone on the provincial webspage https://www.carm.es/web/pagina?IDCONTENIDO=1&IDTIPO=180 and it was warning of gripe.  Where did it all start?  Generally it is thought to have been in Haskell County, Kansas although a claim has been made that it all began in the British hospitals at Etaples and Aldershot.  The American case is dated to March 1918. On 28th May 1918, El Sol [Madrid] reported ‘The Three-day fever’ - In Madrid 80,000 are infected - HM the King is sick.  As is well recorded, as Spain was not at war and censorship. On 2nd June 1918 The Times was referring to the ‘The Spanish Epidemic’ and in Moscow Pravda announced ‘The Spanish Lady’ is in town.  The total numbe...

  Today we will be walking through the countryside - occasionally peaking at the motorway.

  We are going to be walking through a lot of bleak and rolling bleached hillsides. I mean a lot. Really a lot. Enjoy the buildings while they are there, as we won’t have many soon. We are walking past El Risas - a chicken shop of 4.7 stars repute.  We will need supplies so lets pop in.  Five months ago Brenda reckoned ‘The best roast chicken on the planet🤤🤤 …’ This is a claim we will have to test later.   Lluis was equally happy. ‘During our vacation, we got chicken and potatoes a couple of times from the stand they set up on Terreros beach. It tasted amazing, some of the best I've ever had. We'll be back.’ We are leaving town on the N-342a and we will stick to it - mostly because there is so few ways across these hills that the motorway basically piggybacks along the same route.  We haven’t been to the police for awhile.  The Policia Local is on our route.   The website link doesn’t work.  Javier was happy, four years ago. ‘Good people, selfle...

  We are heading for the municipality and town of Puerto Lumbreras.  A little over 18000 people are so keen on the place they have opted to live there. 16% of them moved from other lands for the privilege.  Wiki claims ten people who are ‘notable.’  We’ve got a few moments. Let’s look at them.  Well, we will when we have struggled through the ‘we can’t translate this’ messages. Antonio Lopez was born in Puerto Lumbreras in 1989.  He is a footballer who signed for Valencia. He never broke into the big time but played for several teams and ended his career at Murcia. Juan Miguel Cuenca was born in 1977.  His greatest success was winning stages in the Vuelta a La Rioja and the Tour de l’Avenir. Gines Garcia Millan was born in 1964. He is an actor, theatre, film and television producer. He worked in his parents hotel, played football for Valladolid’s reserves and won the Actors union award for best supporting actor in TV for his part in Herederos.  gi...