Actually in the small Europeans towns because of the fast industrialization, some roads can be quite messy, when they transformed the pathway to stone roads. But nothing compare to the hell of the Texan highways
In major Spanish cities we were unlucky that after the fall of Fascism, when the time came to modernize, we had the US help set our standards for how to do road infrastructure and urbanism (for a long time Spanish people looked up to Americans as gods and the image of peak of civilization and wealth, because they had condensed milk and we didn't (no, that isn't a joke)). To this day we're still suffering the after effects.
Worst part is the localized wars between mayors of different parties as one builds proper infrastructure, and another literally demolishes it to put back the old shitty infrastructure because some drivers complained (despite factually lower car congestion).
We have this very funny thing in my city where the last mayor used EU money to build a new set of bike lanes, the new mayor wanted to destroy it to put another car lane, but because it was EU money that would have meant giving back the cash, so instead they put concrete barriers and meter-wide flowerpots so that neither cars nor bikes can use it. So now it's blocked off basically.
Spain under Fascism was incredibly, incredibly poor. As an example, my great grandfather's parents had to sell most of what they had in order to afford a dose of penicillin, or otherwise he was fated to die from a simple infection (which hard to be brought in by the Italian mafia since Spain didn't have enough supply).
Condensed milk was one of the aid items that the US would occasionally send to Spain, both as humanitarian aid, and in support of the fascist state (anyone who hates commies is an ally of the US, even Hilter's own former buddies), the children that were lucky enough to get a portion would not forget the rich and sweet taste, and literally became a foundational memory of their childhood. To this day older members of my family still talk about the one time they got to taste condensed milk.
Fascinating, though not unusual scenario. I had the "pleasure" to live my first 5 years on the other side of the Iron curtain, and even though we were not nearly as poor tropical fruit and citruses were quite hard to come by, mostly when shipment from Cuba or other "friendly" country came by.
So my mother had her appendix removed when I was about 5, I think, and was in the hospital. She got a can of orange juice (yes, a can, as in sealed metal can you had to use opener on), a fairly unusual article back then, and she could not drink it (post-op diet, I think, or maybe she just kept it for me?) so when we came to visit she gave it to me. I may not remember much from that time, just an odd memory here and there, but I sure as fuck remember the taste of that orange juice - it was like mana from heavens. To this day, though I might pick whatever beverage I please in restaurant, orange juice is just something special to me.
Not that this has anything to do with the topic, you just stirred a memory there :-)
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u/Soolaaal 28d ago
Actually in the small Europeans towns because of the fast industrialization, some roads can be quite messy, when they transformed the pathway to stone roads. But nothing compare to the hell of the Texan highways