Talk On Corners

Can we go back to that old chestnut, driving? Driving in Mallorca. I wonder quite what happens at the driving schools - las autoescuelas - in these parts. Let's take the art of taking a corner, as in one is driving towards a T-junction, and as one gets to the junction, one has to slam on the brakes as the other driver has turned left cutting straight across in front. Is it that the driving-school instructor teaches drivers to literally cut corners? Is there some sort of altruism being displayed by the instructor? Cut the corner and it will save a cent on petrol?

I was going along the Bot road by the Pollensa Park hotel, making for the coast road. Come to the junction, lady in a VW - right across me. And what really pisses me off is that when I give a look, the look back suggests it is all my fault - never their fault. Bear this in mind, and beware those of you who would risk the Mallorcan highways, it is always your fault. Maybe that's the most important thing taught at local driving schools - make the other driver feel as though he (or she) has made the mistake.


Urban myth time maybe. No sooner had I posted yesterday's piece about the bus to Barcelona, than John (ex-Highlander) mails me to say that this was asked of him. The certainty of the tale that Jack related me concerning the Smugglers makes me wonder - did this couple go into more than one bar and ask the same question? It could be. But on a grander scale, there do seem to be rich pickings here for some form of great work concerning the daft things that tourists ask. Jamie at Foxes gave me one more today. Couple, not the same one presumably, come in, get talking, say "we're in Mallorca" (pronounced correctly as in Ma-yorca), but where is Majorca (pronounced as in Madge-orca))" Of course, two totally different places. That's it, all this worrying about how to spell the name of the island and to pronounce it, the answer is simple. They are two places. Now why didn't I think of that?


And finally. I wouldn't normally, but ... That story about the supermarket with prices in pounds. When was it? Last year. July I think. "Selling Mallorca By The Pound" was the title. Talk on corners.


QUIZ: Yesterday - Montserrat Caballé. Today's title - album by?

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