Last modified on Wed 30 Dec 2020 23.36 EST
Few paths to perdition are quite as pleasant as the one that weaves through the small town of Talaván, passing a 16th century church studded with storks’ nests and skirting lush fields of livestock before ending at a walled garden long abandoned to pokeweed, lovage and the elements.
There is no fire and no brimstone, only the scent of rain on grass and gravestone; no shrieks of the roasting damned, only the soothing muttering of sheep and goats.
But hell is just around the corner. Clamber over the graves, past the curtains of vegetation, and lift your eyes to the cracked, domed ceiling and your gaze will be returned by 20 blood-red, demonic faces whose bared teeth, malevolent expressions and general air of gleeful fiendishness has earned them the nickname of the Evil Angels of Talaván.
For Spaniards living abroad, going home for Christmas has become more complicated and expensive than they thought it would be when they bought their plane tickets. Since Monday of this week, all travelers coming into Spain by sea or air must present a negative PCR test result, carried out no more than 72 hours before arrival.
Some countries, such as France, reimburse the cost of the private test, but most of them do not. In Sweden, the price of a PCR test can be more than â¬200. Spanish embassies and consulates are receiving a growing number of queries from residents abroad seeking answers to their questions regarding where, when and how to take the test.