What is it that they say about insanity? Something about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
So, why should it be any different with a GPS named Honey in the medieval streets of remote towns in Southern Spain?? She really is great about getting us to many places. But give her free rein in one of these towns and expect hair-raising turns on steep roads with signs that probably are telling you not to go there and locals standing in the doorways (to give you room to pass) looking quizzically at the locos trying to drive there.
Twice today we drove those skinny roads in little towns that you’ll never find on a map. Honey’s voice was constantly telling us to take turns at corners that Eileen knows won’t lead anywhere good. The roads 'she' takes us on for some reason also seem to take us further and further up hill. I think it's because Honey has realized her mistake and decided to just take us to the other side of town the shortest way - over the mountain.
There are three saving parts to this story. One. The non-English-speaking local Spaniards have never-ending patience and have helped us many times. Today a resident whipped out his phone and kindly pointed and repeatedly explained, in Spanish, the complicated route to get us down the hill of the little town’s streets. In another town, after another wrong turn, a policeman, carrying his shopping, did more pointing and Spanish directing and then took off running a few short blocks ahead of us, to wave us down in the right direction. We always make it out but then wonder how it all went sideways in the first place…
Oh, and the second thing? After 50 years, we manage to just laugh at the end of each crazy-making episode. Notice I said at the “end”? Don’t ask about the language, pointing, and exasperated noises in the middle.
And third? We end up in places where guidebooks never go.
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