Six and a half leagues to Santander. No problem. That's a six and a half hours walk from this league post. We'll give it two days by car from Alora.
It's that time again. On with the the cd of Christmas songs and off we go. It took all day to load the car up with wine, gin, oranges, lemons, mandarins, chorizo, sachichón, turrones and clothes and other stuff and there's still room in Tommy's cage for an illegal immigrant or two. I expect to be pulled in at the port for that remark. They are watching us all the time now and nowhere is safe from the eyes and ears of GCHQ, CIA, NSA, USB and HDMI. In fact, if you want to escape the prying eyes and ears of the intelligence gatherers there's no safer place than Spain, and in particular, on the autovias and autopistas.
Back in England Mrs. Sanchez and I soon get used to the surveillance cameras which seem to be installed everywhere you go and, I imagine in lots of places you don't go. (like Wales). There must be millions of them and, presumably, thousands of people or robots watching the screens that they are linked to.
There are between 4 milliion and 5.9 million of them in England at the moment according to a report from the British Security Industry (BSIA). That's one for every eleven people. You'd think they might have a closer stab at the total, wouldn't you? 1.9 million cameras can't be that hard to find. Unless, of course, they are 'hidden' cameras.
Spain had about 14,000 in 2010 and 13,000 of those are run privately and are imported from the UK.
On the Spanish motorways you are given lots of warning when a speed camera is up ahead.
and they are very few and far between so it's your own fault if you get caught. (once so far). Radar spotting devices are illegal here in Spain and you could get fined over 400€ for going just 1km. over the limit. And it's no use appealing or you'll lose the 50% discount for paying early. People will tell you that there are helicopters checking on speeding cars too but I don't believe that as you can't see a number plate from above, can you?
Anyway, we'll be off at the crack of dawn tomorrow, which is at about 8 o'clock here, so it's Hasta luego from me until the first in the next series of 'Man not in Álora
December 1st. 2014
