beware the Barcelona ringroad!

Delaying our departure until I had given my lunchtime shiatsu class (to one person!), we sped south, sat nav indicating a 10.30pm arrival time at the casa rural Juan had carefully selected 2 hours beyond Barcelona. As we swung west around the city the horizon was lit up by a glorious sunset, slow-motion fireworks suspended above the Barcelona rush hour. The traffic is heavy and it’s a relief to know that the worst is nearly over – we are making good time and may even improve on the ETA.

Suddenly, from nowhere, there’s an explosion. It feels as though we have been hit by something, from behind. Seconds later a car is powering alongside us, both windows rolled down, a man and woman gesticulating frantically. What on earth... the Barcelona rush hour at twilight is the last place to stop, but there’s no choice. We pull over onto the hard shoulder and the other car immediately does the same thing. An act of exceptional kindness. But Juan is suspicious. As the man approaches us, reflective jacket in hand, Juan urges me not to move. The man indicates in pidgin Spanish that the wheel is wobbling. Awkwardly – because the natural thing would now be to get out of the car and check it – we thank him, but don’t budge. And eventually the man returns to his car and drives off.

Shakily, we continue, Juan feeling that something is “odd” with the steering. Sucked into the western Barcelona suburbs we are too late to find a garage. Holiday Inn comes to our rescue and is the venue for the first night of our holiday. We dine on lunch leftovers.

Overnight, my disaster planning encompassed all scenarios – nothing was going to stop us having this precious holiday. What I wasn’t prepared for, when we found a kindly mechanic able to check the car over and take it for a spin, was that he could find nothing wrong. My instinct was to assume the mechanic had missed something. But Juan assured me that he had taken the car up to 90kmph. Slowly the penny begins to drop. How was it that the couple had been on our tail so soon after the explosion, with the windows already wound down? And the man had the reflective jacket ready in his hand? No Good Samaritan this. But a planned attack – as was confirmed when we then noticed the damage to the rear light, the tough plastic casing broken by what can only have been air-rifle penetration. Of course, the couple pulling over onto the hard shoulder were taking a completely unnecessary and crazy risk – unless there was another motive. THey must have been driving with the windows wound down in order to take a shot. Relief that there is nothing wrong with the car is replaced by frustration that our holiday has been delayed by a scam. Lesson learned. We motor onwards, all Juan’s prejudices confirmed.