In an editorial yesterday, El Pais noted that, whereas the EU couldn’t continue without France, the “British people need to know that it certainly could survive without the UK”. I think this may have something to do with Britain’s [partial] rebate from Brussels, which El Pais has somehow convinced itself is damaging to Spain, the EU’s largest beneficiary. Whatever, it sounds like an invitation to me.

Such is the pace of [EU funded] road building in Spain, it can be very confusing to know which bit of tarmac you’re actually on. This is because, for one reason or another, the multiple numbers with which major Spanish roads are blessed can change overnight. This usually happens after the upgrading of a road and/or the construction of another one alongside it. Thus, the highway from Vigo to Portugal used to be the N120/N550/E1 but is now the A55/N120/N550. I don’t know where the E1 has gone but, as it’s an EU road, I don’t really care.

The unscientific evidence of my own eyes suggests that most of Pontevedra’s drivers have progressed from Phase 0 [no seat belts on in the car] to Phase 1 [All front seat belts on] but have yet to flirt with Phase 3 [everyone in the car with belts on]. I guess this belated but impressive advance must be put down to recent campaigns from the Ministry of Traffic. But I fear it will be a while yet before it gets through to parents what it means to have a human missile hit you in the back of a head when the car brakes suddenly. Not to mention what it does to your unbelted kids, as they either come up against you or sail through your windscreen. Especially if they were standing on the console between the front seats when the brakes were applied.