Dead Men's Cars

Bureaucracy around cars in Spain leads to conclusion that bureaucrats want nothing to change, ever.

Beloved found out this week that his bank had paid up insurance for car written off and recorded as such two years ago. Luckily he saw it before the payment was irreversible. (Nothing so useful as internet banking here - only way of dealing with anything is frequent visits to bank and standing in long queue.)

Beloved and Granny have been driving a Landrover for 2 years which still belonged to dead man and had done through previous change of owner. (Previous one assured Beloved and Granny that it didn't matter. Not so. Especially if you want to sell the vehicle later. ) Car documentation here has to be both correct and produced instantly in case of random checks by police let alone accidents; changing it needs irrefutable proofs of identity, guaranteed signatures, tax records - not available except to registered owner; - if owner dead and executor wife uncooperative then what? Much expensive legal and notary input. (To be a notary, as far as Granny can make out, is to pass the odd exam then make fortune out of merely countersigning documents.) Fortunately G and B found a friendly policeman who wanted their problem. He of course could bypass all restrictions. He did. Car sold.

Friendly mechanic has 12 year old Mercedes knocking about for half price given for Landrover. Whoopee they say, and buy it. Well, wait to buy it while all processes are gone through - see above. In this case slowed up by immaculate conceptions, constitutions (ie fiestas) and registered owner being in Portugal. Meantime they borrow it. First time out on visit to Attic Woman, battery failed on Granny. What with first trying to contact then waiting for Beloved to find jump leads and drive down in their truck, then revisiting mechanic, etc, etc, to get new battery it took two and half hours to get home - (20 minute journey.) Granny for once was without either book or mobile phone. Sods law. (See previous post.)

Aged cousin has arrived. Is ponderously spoken, but still, Granny thinks, dishy (visiting Mrs Handsome from Blackburn concurs; is he younger than Beloved she asks? Oh dear. Beloved, fortunately, doesn't care either way.) He is white bearded, wears fetching black leather jeans and leather hat with feather; dishyness and tendency to wear black leather jeans etc might help explain the many girlfriends. His main claim to fame except for successful career as surgeon is that in the 60's he went on a bus-ride with Lee Harvey Oswald -unknowingly till visited much later by suspicious FBI . Main problem now is that he can't walk - or barely. Is having a hip operation in two weeks time. Present - Spanish - girlfriend, much younger (this figures) and nice - good for granny's Spanish too - looks after him. Weather has gone back to perfect. They sit in the sun. Their baggage has not turned up so girlfriend sports white t-shirt, matching shorts and slippers labelled 'Iberia' provided by airline. Is currently on telephone trying to get luggage back. So far vainly.

A man in Nuneaton had his ear cut off while walking down some street at midnight. Life - awful and lovely life- goes on.

Oh for two days ENTIRELY ALONE thinks Granny.

Dream on.