As the UK trembles under a blanket of snow, nobody over there could possible consider that those down on the Costa Tropical of Granada are ‘suffering from bad weather. Well, to be honest, we’re not. What we are suffering from, in Almuñécar, especially, are lamentable infrastructure priorities.

Literally tens of thousands of euros have been spent on primming up streets: little more than cosmetic enhancement, when under these same streets is a drainage deficit more befitting of a mountaintop village than a bustling seaside town.

You see, the rainwater drains and the sewage system share the same evacuation network, meaning when it buckets down and the sewers flood, what gushes out of the manholes is not only rainwater, but also foul-smelling sewage.

Consequently, with a week of steady rainfall behind us, if you take a drive down to San Cristóbal, where Río Seco intersects, the smell of sewage is sadly noticeable. It is worth emphasising that this smelly junction is right next to one of the town’s top hotels: Hotel Playa.

On the other side of town, along Paseo de Reina Sofia, right along past the water park, lakes of water accumulate on the road because the inadequate rainwater drainage system just cannot cope with it.

But to really get the feel of the swamped trenches of Flanders 1916, but without the pyrotechnics, you have to see the road from between the new underground car park to the Tesorillo end.

How can it be that such pomp and pageantry were conjured up to announce the end of the Velilla construction work when it is worse than ever? Potholes, semi-submerged barriers and extensive stretches of water appear to be ‘Velilla finished at last.’ ‘Finished off,’ more like it.

But let us supposed that after yet another infernal winter of roadworks, all is concluded by summer; what will be the result? We shall have a bicycle lane and 50% less parking than was available before.

This is bad news for the restaurants down the eastern end of Velilla because many diners will have to use the underground car park and walk almost 1.5 kilometres to the restaurants. Isn’t progress marvellous!
[nggallery id=61]