With the cost of oil threatening to further slow down an economy that is already in the doldrums, Spain is not lying down and taking it. In the space of a week, the country and its people have decided to fight back with a little ingenuity.
First, the socialist government cut the speed limit on Spanish motorways, from 120km/h to 110km/h, as part of an energy-saving drive. Then came news of Mugardos, a small town in Galicia that has decided to operate once more in pesetas. The town's 60 shopkeepers have started accepting them again in the hope of mopping up some of the £1.5bn worth that were never exchanged when the euro was introduced in 2002. Sure enough, shoppers have been flocking to the town.
Third, they have turned to celebrity endorsement. Real Madrid has signed a deal to promote Spain and Madrid as tourist destinations. The club's star players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, will act as "brand ambassadors". Tourism authorities say they could reach an audience of more than 300 million people, which should bring in a few more tourists and their pennies.
What, some are asking, will be next? And, more to the point, what are we doing to compare? Answers on a postcard to . . .
