Hi Jackie, well my last month’s short story prompted a few more Guardia related stories and very interesting they were too.
Having not been back to the Costa Brava for donkeys years I expect there have been massive changes but in the 70s the coast road from Lloret to Barcelona ran past the huge Knicker (Bragas) factory on the right hand side in Callela.
Well it was near the end of the season and I was returning from Barcelona, just after midnight on my own in my little Mini fast approaching the Knicker factory, over the slight brow in the road I went, when there standing in the middle of the road were 2 Guardia with machine guns on the waist pointing at me. I remember my heart pounding but not much else, the guns were pointed to the curb side indicating what I had to do, I parked and put the window down, a gun nozzle is pointed about 6inches from my nose with “Get out” “ hands on roof” you don’t make any funny remarks simply do as your told, my legs were kicked apart and I was frisked (nothing thank god) then they ask what was in the car (again nothing) when they saw a roll of posters in my back window shelf “What is that” thank god my Spanish was getting better, I had to explain they were tourist posters for the hotels with pictures of Lloret castle, the sea front etc. They took them out unrolled them all over the place then stopped some old boy who had come out his house to see what was going on, and asked him if the photos were of here? (Most Guardia were brought in from other parts of Spain and moved around so as they didn’t make friends and take bribes etc) or perhaps they were just being awkward anyhow the old chap said yes the photos were of Lloret and without so much as a good night the Guardia just Jerked the gun indicating scram. I did, checking that I hadn’t wet myself!
The outcome... Guardia didn’t normally carry machine guns unless there was an alert and it seems that day there had been some sort of ETA terrorist attack in the north and a single bloke on his own in a car was fair game, it was mid 70s and the other side of life the tourists were sheltered from, I remember calling in at the Moby for a quick one but don’t think I mentioned the incident to anyone (who would believe you!!)
Next time Bullfighting?
