....Once upon a time, there was a Spanish girl from the north of Spain who, after great Christmas days must come back on Sunday evening...Come back to work...But that simple trip became an adventure...

Hola, me llamo Sara... and I have to say that last evening was the worst experience in my whole life. I was coming back to Madrid with my brother and all the roads were completly covered by snow and ice. the car couldn't go too fast, 40Km/hr...and the other cars slipped through the road like if they were practicing ice-skating!! I was scared, but not too worry,as my Mama had prepared me a great bag with food (Mummy!! )...so, at least, we had something to survive in such a cold way to hell. It started to snow more, and more, stronger and stronger, and it was getting dark and dangerous so we decided to park in a little village called Santo Tom� (don't fkcng never visit it!! it was wired, like a Poe's story..ugh). The village was completly empty, just some newcomers like us with white faces and cold spirit... we couldn't find a place to stay, so... we decided to move on and try in the next village although our way to Madrid was more difficult. We finally arrived to Cerezo de Abajo, a village just before La Sierra de Madrid. That was exactly like the Hotel California of the Eagles!!!!!!!!! :l: seriously... People with a sorrow in their ices, totally frozen... cars parked everywhere...Suddenly no light and no Polic�a around...

This story concludes with my brother and I sleeping in the car, with the gloves in the feet instead in the hands... it was so cold!!! At 5 am, I opened an eye...The car was covered by the snow and I thought I was dreaming but... no!!! We had to wit another 5 hours until the Police let us get our engine started...

snif, snif... White Christmas are not good for the Spaniards like me...
cold!!!

Besitos
Sara (ohohoh!! feliz navidad :ks: )
sky_of_tulips@yahoo.es

Hola, Xari- I smiled as I read this as I realized I wasn't alone last night. And if you think snow is tough for Spanish people, think of how it was for my 100% tropical family. Where we come from, it's usually 30 degrees on Christmas day!

We left Vitoria at 2 pm yesterday. We were planning to drive to Segovia, look around, have dinner, then drive on to Madrid. Well between 4 and 10 pm, we moved around 3 km. Snow, snow, snow, and when it got dark, bitter cold. Utter chaos on the roads. Thank God we had food, drink, and lots of cigarettes with us. We finally made it to very icy Burgos at about 2 am, and after getting stuck in the snow twice (and getting rescued by a Romanian woman who ordered us to place a "trapo" under the tires so we could get out- it worked!), we finally found one of the polideportivos they were talking about on the radio. Freezing cold, but at least indoors and we could lie down. Driving in the snow and ice was frightening, and at one point I thought my mother was going to faint from the cold, but we made it through, and truth be told, the snow was beautiful and had an experience I will never forget.

Finally made it back to Madrid at 3 pm today!!

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rescued by a Romanian woman

Brrrrrr. Can anyone explain why there is always a Romanian in Spain? Why not Lithuanian or Bulgarian or even Albanian. Why are there Romanians in Spain -?

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originally posted by Nige:
[qb]

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rescued by a Romanian woman

Brrrrrr. Can anyone explain why there is always a Romanian in Spain? Why not Lithuanian or Bulgarian or even Albanian. Why are there Romanians in Spain -? [/qb]

Romanian - the language - is quite close to Spanish, I believe..

Just an fyi from am American who's had to do more than her fair share of driving in the snow. I found this on the AAA website.

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WINTER DRIVING ALERT SAFETY TIPS FROM AAA Winter weather predictions of snow and ice can make driving treacherous. If you must be on the road during a winter storm, AAA Mid-Atlantic offers some helpful driving hints that could make your driving safer. � Remember � posted speed limits are only for ideal weather conditions. Actual speed should be lower when roads are wet, icy or snow covered.� Snow cleared � Not only from windows, roof, mirrors and lights, but also from around exhaust pipe. Snow packed exhausts can cause carbon dioxide levels in vehicles to dangerously increase. � Windshield check up. Check washer fluid levels. Make sure the blades are clean and in good condition. Never fill the container with water as a substitute; it freezes.� Vehicle�s wheel system � front wheel, rear wheel or 4-wheel drive? It will help to know your type if you go into a skid� Braking system � ABS or conventional? Check your owner�s manual for proper braking technique. Don�t use emergency brakes in the winter unless absolutely necessary. Brake lines can freeze.� Start your car daily in cold weather even if the vehicle will not be driven.� Stopping distance � In temperatures at or just above 32 degrees, a thin layer of water can cover ice, causing extremely slippery conditions. The distance needed to stop on ice at 32 degrees is twice as long as long as at zero degrees.� Emergency gear - cell phone, flashlight, booster cables, ice scraper/brush, warning device (flares or reflectors), sand or kitty litter for traction, & a blanket.

To the list of emergency gear I would also add fresh water (take a fresh bottle every time as other wise it freezes and takes forever to thaw), and a big chunky candle and matches. I think I read somewhere that the candle will provide just enough heat to keep the temperture in the car from freezing combined with body temperture. It will provide additional light for a long period of time where batteries tend to die quickly. And instead of a regular blanket, I'd pack a sleeping bag if you have it as they are generally warmer. I would also try to keep some snacks in the car, possibly ones you don't like that much so you don't eat them in a non-emergency. Oh and if your Sunny, keep extra cigarettes on hand at all times. :jeje: It also couldn't hurt to have a bottle of Vodka in the car in case your stuck for a long time, it won't freeze and will provide you with warmth internally.

Have I missed anything?

Thanks, Bonnie! For the record we had a bottle of red wine, glasses, and a corkscrew in the car as well. You don�t know how tempted I was at many points during the trip to break it open. Only thing that stopped me was the thought that my mom doesn�t drive, and my dad and brother are both macho backseat drivers who�ve never driven in snow in their lives (which was why we had to be rescued by the Romanian woman: I had stopped the car to find a place to stay on foot, and my Dad, after I told him not to, proceeded to take the wheel and follow me onto a narrow street with waist-deep snow... )