Posted by: Spainrico 
Filled in: Patience and Faith
By Rob Innis
One of the many valuable lessons that you have to learn to happily live in Spain is patience coupled with faith. Us Johnny foreigners love to think that we are the most organised and reliable people on earth and that our Spanish hosts are ruled by their legendary mañana attitude. I like to think that after my years here these traits come naturally but my Spanish driving licence renewal put me to the test.
Back in January I was surprised to receive a letter from the Traffic (Trafico) Department informing me that my Spanish driving licence was due for renewal. I was well aware of its expiry date but, due to a bit of British cynicism, I had doubted that they would actually send me the renewal form. However, I duly filled it in and opted to use the post office (Correos) option rather than queue in Trafico’s office in Alicante, where they do not issue it on the same day anyway. So off to the Correos I went and after what appeared to be a complicated administrative procedure for the counter clerk the job was done. Shortly afterwards I received a receipt from Trafico confirming delivery of my application, looking good I thought, remember this was still early January.
Weeks drifted by, anxiousness crept in. On March 8th my original licence expired, but my `get out of jail card’ was my receipt from Trafico. Driving without a valid licence is a hanging offense around here.
On April 9th they sent a letter requesting me to send 2 photos, not the new licence, which I was eagerly expecting as I opened the envelope. Strange I thought surely I sent those back in January and would not the Correos man have commented had they been missing? (This shows some faith huh?) But still, sent two photos by return. You learn to keep a stock when you live in Spain.
Waited, wondered, worried. Then on May 15th it finally arrived. By an ironic co-incidence the same day as a British friend was here who had recently relocated from Canada. He has a Canadian driving licence, which is unacceptable to the Spanish. He thought I had arranged it especially to wind him up as he is facing the daunting prospect of taking a Spanish driving test!
I enthusiastically reported to my Spanish wife that it had arrived.
Completely unfazed she said `Yes, so what you knew it was coming’
Now that exactly sums up one our cultural differences. She totally failed to understand my relief because it was always going to come. But of course I am at my happiest worrying about the 1,000 reasons why it might not appear. I convinced myself it was because she does not drive so a driving licence has no priority in her life. But, secretly, I know that I have not yet reached that marvellous state of Spanish patience and faith in the system, but I live in hope.
September The Inland Magazine is out now – also available online at:
You will also see ONCE (say Onsee not Wunce) which is Spanish for eleven but in this case is the acronym for a lottery run to help support the visually impaired or disabled in Spain. The sellers sit out on the streets or in their little kiosks selling a range of ONCE lottery tickets. Many bars also sell ONCE and it is quite OK to purchase them from there as well.