I've driven a lot in Greece, Italy and Spain. Italy and Spain are big countries with very diversified terrain. I once spent 36 hours on a train from Padova to Sicily (and yes, it broke down a number of times, but was not stopped for more than an hour at any given time). Greece is pretty mountainous and Spain is just big.
Note though that peripheral states (e.g. Estonia) and Switzerland have similar problems but do not suffer from the same pathology. Vencit omnia veritas.
And, lo and behold, Austria is the next most oil-dependent country in the EU, after the PIIGS. The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter
Italy has the Alps and a very mountainous north.
the appenines, while being a lot less formidable than the alps, stretch down beyond the north, and definitely make travel more energy intensive.
nothing more and better branch lines couldn't solve though.
as for energy deficit, i have often heard Italy imports 75% of its electricity, the daily hemorrhage of capital should have people in the streets, but it doesn't, unless you count beppe grillo's five star movement.
maybe this is improving as i am seeing more solar PV panels popping up all over, thanks to trying to keep up with the EU carbon reduction commitments.
on a more disturbing note, there used to be little signs by the roads entering many towns with a white dove on them, stating the community's opposition to nuclear power. they were one of the first things i noticed when coming here 18 years ago.
they seem to be disappearing in this area. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
