So it’s true, British Drivers are the most uptight. Leaving Madrid for a weekend away I found myself getting increasingly wound up by the standard of driving of the Madrileños. Leaving Madrid for any weekend is tough as the roads are full of people escaping the city for the Mediterranean coasts. That is far too many people for the motorways to cope with, especially given that of only two lanes the first lane is plagued with slow moving lorries.

A new points system on the driving licences and the “50 deaths on these roads this weekend last year” signs illuminated above the motorway do very little to deter idiotic driving. To be fair, it is not all drivers, but of those leaving Madrid 1 out of 5 are deliberately dangerous while many others have no idea about safe braking distances, how to drive around corners or how accelerating and overbraking just causes more congestion.

Worst of all are those that undertake up the inside lane and then cut at the last minute often with less than a metre gap between the them and the car behind. This then causes the car behind to brake, and the one behind that etc. This is infuriating when waiting to overtake a lorry as due to all the cars cutting in you get pushed back further and further in the line. Basically it all comes down to a complete lack of respect for other people. Which unfortunately is something that is visible in the capital from the roads to the Mayors ludicrous city “improvements”.

Anyway, I found myself getting so wound up on Friday that I had to pull of the motorway and be calmed down by Espe and a rather tasty chocolate Ice Cream. Refusing to go back on the motorway we then headed cross country, finding wonderful twisty roads, quaint villages and tons of wildlife. By far the best car journeys are made on such roads and this is exactly what Robert Pirsig talks about in Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.

Apologies for the rant. The real motives behind this post were to mention my weekend away in Valdaganga, the village where Espe’s parents grew up. A small relatively non descript place located about 20km north of Albacete. Some of the houses (including those of Espe’s Aunts and Uncles) were very impressive. Large houses with terraces and balconies are a far cry from the almost claustrophobic brick apartments of Madrid.

On Saturday we went into Albacete to do a bit of shopping and meet up with Espe’s brother and some friends of theirs. The rest of the day was spent eating, drinking and wandering around the village. I was somewhat surprised by the small village lifestyle. It seemed as though everybody knew everybody else (even though many residents are only there during the summer) and that no one was in a rush to do anything at all. In the evening we were treated to a display of Polish Folk dancing by a group of Polish Students who were touring Spain.

On Sunday morning we made a little excursion to along the river Júcar to Alcala de Jucar. It was a fantastic little trip following the canyon that the river has cut through the sandstone. The road winds beautifully along the canyon giving great views and even an even better driving experience. Equally impressive were the cave houses built into the walls of the canyon and finally the village of Alcala de Jucar with its cliff top castle and white washed houses rising up the cliff face.

After another good feasting and meeting some more of Espe’s and Juan’s friends it was time to endure the long drive home. This time I took the new toll road that was traffic free but after handing over to Espe (to continue her driving lessons) we hit traffic with the usual stop start stop start due to brake waves. Still, traffic jams are very good for improving clutch control!