It's a wise child that knows its own father

It's a Wise Child That Knows It's Own Father


I have been 'Man Not In Álora' for three weeks now  and I'm starting to miss the place a lot so I've had a look at the website of the ayuntamiento (town hall) to see what's been going on in my absence.
http://www.alora.es/Inicio/Default.asp

It's good to go through the photos and pick  out familiar faces. 'Look,  there's Mario. What's he doing there?' 'I didn't know Pablo had anything to do with the town council.' and so on.
The main headline today is:

"About 400 schoolchildren take part in the 'Pepe Rosas' Villancicos meeting. "



This is the eighth annual Christmas event where the schools get together to sing traditional Christmas songs (villancicos)  in honour of  Pepe Rosas the local folklorist and expert on Verdiales music and dancing who died in 2008. There is a street in Álora named after him, Calle Folclorico Pepe Rosas.

 

                                                                   Pepe Rosas
I have just found this short film about him on YouTube. Some of the footage is quite old and shows Pepe and Alora in the 50s or 60s. It also shows children singing villancicos and verdiales dancing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=7WH7XY6urGA&NR=1

Here's another shorter film;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkfOZXsaCkI

Pepe lost his sight a few years before his death.

I was introduced to him  in 2000 by Conchi Vila who was a close friend of Pepe and had a shop on the corner of  Paseo Martos. Pepe spent a lot of time sitting in Conchi's shop, which sold upmarket Moroccan stuff. In earlier years Pepe would go to Morocco to buy items for the shop. He always wore a flat cap and in winter a Burberry scarf; the same one he is wearing in the shorter film. Pepe spoke no English but had visited many countries including the USA and Japan in the 60s and 70s presenting the Verdiales of Alora to the world.

 He was always ready for a chat. I can't say that I understood it all but he would clutch my arm in Conchi's shop, and speak,  in a conspiratorial tone, about the years  of the Franco dictatorship. He once told me that he had been very friendly with one of the putas of the town. He used to sit with her in Cafe Central in  La Plaza de la Fuente Arriba watching the comings and goings in the square. She would point out this or that businessman, politician or policeman and describe his sexual preferences, performance and physical endowment.

He once told me that the street where I live, Calle de Benito Suarez (formally Calle Bermejo) used to be called 'la calle de los curas' because, being adjacent to the parroquia (parish church),  several priests lived in the houses, including ours. My Spanish was not good enough to make out all the clearly scandalous story he told me about our house but I'm sure it included a baby.
He was always adamant that he would not write down any of his stories; they were too dangerous. What a shame. What a loss.

Pepe's real name was José Rosas Hidalgo. I've only just found this out. I knew he was called José (Joseph) because all Josés get called Pepe  (pronounced 'peppy') or Joselito or Pepín and Josefinas are called Pepa or Pepita (little Pepa).
These are examples of the diminutives and apócopes used for names in Spain. Some are just abbreviations but others are more interesting.

Most of the men I know in Álora are called Pepe, Paco or Antonio with a fair number of Juans, Pedros and Diegos ; all saints' names. Often a surname, apodo or another distinguishing name is  added to prevent confusion , eg.

Paco Gordo...Fat Paco
Antonio Motosierra.....Antonio with the chainsaw business
Juan Alto......Tall Juan
Pepín.....Little Pepe


Apparently José becomes Pepe because Pepe sounds like P.P. (PePe) which can stand for 'padre putativo' or 'presumed father' when there are doubts about the identity of the father of a child. This was the case with Jesus and so Joseph was the PP, so Pepe.

Our alcalde (mayor) is called
José Sánchez Moreno but everyone (except me) calls him 'Epi'. I don't know why.



Franciscos are usually called Paco. I don't know why this is  either. A lot of Pacos prefer to be called Francisco, like Francisco Franco and Francisco who works in the planning department on Calle Negrillos.

Maria is far and away the most popular girl´s name in Alora  so many Marias have a second name which is compressed into an apócope.

Here are a few feminine apócopes;

Marilena.......Maria Helena
Maribel..........Maria Isabel
Maripepa........Maria Francisca
Marilu...........Maria Luisa 
Mafe.................Maria Fernanda
Mayte.................Maria Teresa

and so on. I may have made a couple of these up.

Here's a few more:

Meche.........Mercedes
Conchi/Cuca.......Concepción
Dori.........................Adoración
Inma..............................Inmaculada
Puri.....................................Purificación

Some masculine names are contracted in the same way.

King Juan Carlos 1st. becomes . Juancar but I wouldn't address him as such if you ever meet him.

17/12/2012

Olives

 

Olives

 

 

Olea Europaea

 

Paddy came round on Sunday and we discussed bottles. We are now serious olive oil producers and need some bottles. This is the first year that we have produced enough oil to have our own pressing and it deserves to be bottled. We have decided to call it Finca Caicune after the area where the the trees are. We have about a hundred trees near the town of Casarabonela which is 12 miles from Álora. We picked 1027 kilos this year , about a ton, which is more than twice as much as last year. (Total Spanish production last year was 1.59 million tons. Olive Oil  Times. http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/spanish-olive-oil-harvest-sets-record/26303
From this amount we have 108 litres of oil. It takes about 5 to 6 kilos of olives to produce a litre of oil, depending on the variety of olive so that's a bit low.

                                                                      Olive Oyl

 

Mo and I picked 415kg. and Paddy and Laura picked 612kg. This has to be said because Paddy will read this. It also has to be said that they picked the best trees and we were working in very muddy conditions.



                                     Mo's Muddy Boots

Our trees are about 12 years old and so are babies. They should reach full production in another twenty or thirty years but we probably  won't be hanging around to see that. A mature tree in good condition should produce 20 to 60 kg. We got 40kg. from some of our trees this year: not bad.
Olive trees can carry on producing olives for hundreds of years and can be regenerated by cutting the trunk right down. New shoots will appear and will grow into good trees. There are olive trees around which are more than 2000 years old. Old olive trees are very valuable and can be moved without much harm. There is one in the centre of Álora which is at least 600 years old. It has been moved twice in the last ten years and is producing olives.

                                         
                                               600 year old olive tree with local talent
                                                           
If you have an olive tree more than 800 years old you could get 2100 €  for it. One more than 2000 years old would cost 9000€ plus postage and packing.

Interesting Olive  Fact (IOF)  All olives start off light green, then go dark green, then purple/black. Black olives are mature olives and contain more oil than green olives so it makes sense to pick the olives when they are black if you want oil. Eating olives are usually picked green as the flesh is firmer.

Finca Caicune is a fanega which is approximately 6500 square metres and we bought it from  Forbes and Mary who were hoping to build a house there. They fell foul of the planning laws, in particular the 'Ley del Suelo' of 2002 which prohibited house construction in the countryside; sadly a familiar story in this part of the world although thousands of houses were built round here and are  'illegal houses', many of which are threatened with demolition.
Our  trees had been neglected for  several years so needed heavy pruning, fertilisation and weed control. The weeds have been the biggest problem. Apart from robbing the ground of nutrients and water, they are a fire risk if left and the Guardia Civil can slap a fine on you. We have tried horses and sheep. The horses damaged the trees and the sheep ate the leaves (they can reach surprisingly high).
The views are fantastic and we  often see an eagle circling. We could see the sea if it wasn't for the mountains in between.

                                                            View from Finca Caicune

                             
                                                         The sheep with shepherdess

                          
                                                                   Finca Caicune


11/12/2012

In transit Gloria Swanson

In Transit Gloria Swanson

Back in Birmingham for 3 months so only a few 'Man not in Alora' posts for the time being.

 

The drive to Bilbao or Santander  on the Autoroute del Sur (to Madrid) and the Autoroute del Norte (From Madrid) is never boring. It takes about 6 hours to reach the Madrid periphery, an hour to  get tangled up and then untangled  in the ring road system and then, after an overnight stop in Aranda de Duero, another three hours or so to reach the port of Santander or Bilbao. This time we brought back back lemons, oranges, olives, olive oil, salchichón (salami) , morcilla de Burgos, morcilla de Asturias (black pudding) chorizo (normal and from Asturias), 40 bottles of wine, one bottle of Larios gin, dates, turrón (big slabs of chocolate , marzipan, praline and more), pancetta, a jamón serrano bone,  4 bags of sea salt, paella rice, two bikes, our dog and some luggage.
 We're driving home for Christmas.

Usually we set off early and drive for an hour or so before looking for somewhere for breakfast. Finding a suitable place is crucial. We want a busy cafetería that can give us good coffee and tostadas with garlic and  olive oil (and tomato for me). We have made mistakes in the past and  put up with petrol stations with a coffee machine or 'modern' places like 'Autogrill' with the oil in sachets and more than once  we have been misled by signs promising coffee, food etc and have been led miles off the road to a semi derelict venta run by a truculent ex Franco assassin . We have developed a rule of thumb with the help of Mike Newton's book (still available I believe. Ask me for a copy) which is: 'If you can't actually see the place,  don't take the exit'. Always look out for the crossed knife and fork sign and if possible a big 'H' for hotel, for these are the places where you will find Spanish travellers tucking into a breakfast tapa or tostada with red lard and a coffee and anis. The noise is often deafening, the TV banging out the news, the cups and plates rattling away and the camareros shouting orders. Fantastic.

One of our favourite stops north of Burgos is Hotel Sotopalacios in the hamlet of Sotopalacios which ticks all the boxes and has the added advantage of being next door to a black pudding factory and shop where they sell the best Burgos black pudding (made with rice) there is and will open even during 'siesta' if you ring the bell. Hotel Sotopalacios holds other fond memories. In 2001, travelling with friends Terry and Moira, we stayed the night there (black pudding for breakfast). Our room was very unusual. The bathroom had a jacuzzi and various showers. The bedroom had a big four poster bed with an array of light switches which controlled the 'images' on the ceiling of the four poster. I remember a mirror which changed at the flick of a switch to a 'romantic' scene of two lovers 'desenfrenado'. Terry and Moira's room had similar bathroom fittings and bed, but not one other piece of furniture.

This reminds me of the fact that the autonomous region of Castilla La Mancha holds 80% of  Spain's 'clubs de alterne' or 'whiskerías'(knocking shops). These establishments, which are entirely legal, are seen frequently along Spain's roads and can be identified by neon signs, reclining female figures and interesting names, like 'Venus', 'Rosa' and 'Oasis'. You can learn more about them, how to find them, reviews and  prices at www.alterning.es 

 

 

 Alora's is called 'Laurel' and is on the Malaga road. It carries the sign 'Para que te sientas bien' (so that you feel good). Some Brit linguists have translated this (missing the subjunctive) as 'So that you sit well' which has resulted in much speculation about the intended meaning.
We passed through a small town in Castilla La Mancha which had three of these 'puti clubs' alongside the main road to Madrid. The town is called 'Consolación' (pop. 223) !!

Another familiar sight on many Spanish roads is the Osborne bull.

These black 14 metre high well endowed  bulls are found nearly everywhere in Spain and have become a national symbol (that is, they are used as car stickers, t shirts etc.). They are really advertising hoardings for Osborne brandy.  They were originally erected by the Andalusian company in 1956 and had the name 'Osborne', 'Veterano' or 'Magno' written across them.

 

They were made of wood which rotted so in 1962 were replaced by the steel structures seen dominating hilltops along the autovias today . At that time there were 500 bulls in place.  Now there are 89 with only two having the Osborne name on them. We saw about ten on the way up to Bilbao.

A move in 1994 by the government to remove them because they were considered a hazard to driving was met with national protests. They bulls were allowed to stay but the company's name had to be removed.
Not all of Spain welcomed the Osborne Bull. The Basques and Catalans saw it as a symbol of oppression and many were pulled down. They now have one each. The Basques replaced some of them with 'basque sheep'.
The artist who created the bull, Manolo Prieto was a militant communist so it is ironic that this image is now used as as symbol of  'Spanishness' and flags bearing the image are waved at football matches and right wing demonstrations.

Stop press.........Paddy has just called from Alora. This year we have bagged 1027 kilos of olives which will give us 100 litres of oil. Orders welcome.

26/11/2012

The Vuelta

The Vuelta


Yesterday we did a 'vuelta'; the first for some time. A vuelta involves visiting a number of favourite bars for a drink and a tapa or two. All the bars on the route are in or near the top square (La Plaza de la Fuente Arriba) and will be featured at some point in the popular series 'Favourite Bars'. 'Vuelta' or 'dar una vuelta' means to go around as in 'dar la vuelta al mundo' (to go around the world) or it can mean to go for a walk. Or it can mean 'a pub crawl'.  Our vueltas began twelve years ago. Our leader was Antonio Martos and on Wednesdays he shut his bar and did the rounds of the competition. Terry and I were invited to join him (and later Chris and many others) to be introduced to the popular art of 'tapeando'.

Here's the routine.

 

 

Bar Alegría

 

We walk into Alegría at midday. Antonio is already standing at the bar with a caña and a tapita (a small tapa).  Pedro looks up and holds up two or more fingers and we nod. Two more cañas. 'Tapa?' 'Qué tienes?'
Pedro recites the list of hot tapas and indicates the cold ones on the bar, 'Rosada, calamares gambas plancha, boquerones, coquinas, magro, huevos cordoniz...........'
'Dos Huevos Cordoniz'. Mini full English Breakfast! A fried quail's egg and a piece of bacon on a small piece of 'pan cateto' (a dense bread). And off we go. By the time we have finished the tapas and had a few sips of the ice cold Cruzcampo,  Antonio has paid the bill and is heading for the door having left an inch of cerveza in his glass. We gulp down the beer and follow.
Variations on this procedure then take place at Bar Madrugon, Cafe Central (known as Salvador to the locals), Los Caballos Dos, (no Bar Chismo as, except on glorious rare occasions, it used to shut on Wednesday's), The Peña Barçelonista (until it closed down) and then on for the grand finale at Lod Antonio. I'm sure I've left one or two  out. Oh yes, and Antonio would sometimes backtrack to Alegría or have two drinks and tapas at Azahar which would throw out our calculations on whose round it was. This element was difficult enough as it is not unusual for the round to be paid by an apparent stranger who gives the camarero a secret nod and leaves without a word. For this reason we always keep a five  or ten euro note in our hands, ready to slap it on the bar if Antonio or anyone else gave the slightest sign of leaving or paying .
A few years ago, when times were better we'd meet other groups or individuals tapeando, especially after 2pm. during the lunch break. These days Wednesdays are pretty quiet around the bars.
The Vuelta has been a great opportunity for practising our Spanish and meeting Perotes.(come to think of it, it's the main reason for learning Spanish anyway).  Names, phone numbers, names of recommended books, bands , authors etc. are scribbled down on paper serviettes from the bar and found (or washed) at a later date in pockets. 'Now what was that about?'
We have never got to the bottom of why Antonio and other Perotes leave a small amount of beer or wine in their glasses. Perhaps it's a tip for the camarero although I doubt it. It seems a bit of a waste to me, as does their lack of concern that their glasses are not filled to the brim; indeed there is a `preference for as much espuma (froth) as possible. When I told the old joke of the man asking the barman 'Can you put a whisky in that?' ('Well if you can fit a whisky in you can fit some more beer in') it brought the house down. Then I realised that it was only being taken as further proof that foreigners are cheapskates. I had to repeat it in every bar. How we laughed!

 

Antonio Martos in his favourite spot in Lod Antonio

 

The last port of call for many years has been the bar Lod Antonio which many people still call Bar La Rampa owing to the signs outside with that name on them. Lod Antonio has a fantastic cook and a list of tapas on a blackboard which makes your eyes water (so does the cook). Lod Antonio will feature soon in the popular series, 'Favourite Bars.'
Lod Antonio is strategically situated two doors down from Antonio's bar/house and here we would part company with him  and he would go home for his lunch (!), but not before 'la penultima' (the next to the last drink) and la espuela (the last drink to 'spur' you on your way home). You never say la ultima' . That means your very last drink.
By this time we are usually well into the Vuelta and, not wishing to end the fun we have been known to continue our progress, sometimes discovering 'new' venues.

24/11/2012

Cafe-Bar El Madrugon

 

Rain is forecast for all this week and it's only Wednesday. La Plaza de la Fuente Arriba (Top Square) is busy for a couple of hours in the morning but by 1.00pm. the only activity is in the bars. The chairs and tables on front of 'La Alegría'  'Los Caballos Dos' and 'Bar Madrugon' have disappeared. Even 'El Bulgaro' isn't putting his out in this weather.

It's time for the second in the series 'Favouite Bars'. Today it's 'Cafe'Bar El Madrugon'.
I'd never noticed the 'Cafe' part before. Madrugon is probably the smallest bar in Álora and is as small as it looks here. It is run by Manolo and his son Javier You could fit about seven men around the bar and perhaps another three behind them (unless one of them is 'Paco Gordo' who runs the bar nearly next door.) I wrote 'men' because most women give it a miss.
´El Madrugon´means 'the crack of dawn' and Manolo opens every day at 5.30am. , which is two hours before daybreak at the moment,  until 2pm. and opens again at 4.00pm. until trade dries up. . I have only been there once before 7.00am. In the good old days of the construction boom El Madrugon would be crammed with men having a coffee and brandy or anis or two before meeting their lift to the hazardous building  sites on the coast.
Manolo usually stands in the doorway of his bar and always greets me with a 'Holá. Qué hay!' in his growly voice. Apart from this greeting I don't understand much of his conversation. I smile and nod and make the odd guess at what he's talking about and order a mitad doble (cafe con leche) or a caña (small beer) (Cruzcampo).  Javier speaks more clearly but faster and with a lot of shrugs and gesticulation. Manololo calls him Él niño' and Javier calls him ' El Moro' (the moor) but not to his face. El Moro has been Manolo's apodo (nickname) since he was a boy and had a dark complexion. You can see this in one of the old football team photos on the wall. His name actually appears on some of these photos as 'El Moro'. He also makes an appearance in the film 'Children of Alora' which was made in 1964 and is well worth a look. Manolo is in the crowd watching a ´Verdiales'  performance near the end of the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZCzSS9tHE He is standing between the two guitarists

That's Javier behind the bar and Manolo is sitting on the stool behind Paco 'Gordo'.

 

Like all the bars here (I think) Madrugan has a selection of tapas. Manolo's speciality is ´Caldito' which is hot spicy fish soup served in one of those glass cups that they used to serve 'frothy coffee' in during the 60s. At the bottom of the glass is a piece of fish. Try it. Manolo used to serve riñones al Jerez (kidneys in sherry), carrilla (pig's cheek) and other hot and tasty tapas but the Public Health Inspector stopped him doing them as he hasn't got a kitchen. He used to cook them at home and warm them up on a camping  gas stove at the back of the bar. His tapas now are mainly cold except for chorizo al infierno (literally chorizo from hell) which is a chorizo cooked in a pig shaped pot with a solid fuel tablet. Manolo recently asked me to do an English translation of his tapas list which is now displayed on the bar. Among them you can find  'chorizo from hen'.

José Luis Rodridgo Zapatero visited Álora during his term as Spanish prime minister. Manolo was a big fan and sent him this picture I took on the day.

 

He has a framed letter from Zapatero on the wall thanking him for the photo.

 

During the warm months Manolo has tables and chairs outside the bar. He shares them with Paco at La Alegría. Paco provides hot tapas too. They have proved very popular indeed and must have doubled Manolo's profits.



Another Monday morning

 

 

Ghouls and Gas Bottles


It's Halloween here ín Álora too. Most of the young children went to school dressed as witches, demons, monsters and ghouls and tonight some of them will be ringing our bell. I've bought a bag of 'Halloween Truco Trato' caramelos (sweets) from Mercadona. I hope they don't expect cash.

Tomorrow is El Día de los Santos' (All Saints) which is very important here. Families go up to the cemetery with flowers to visit the niches of their dead relatives and then have a bit of a do afterwards. Many will be eating huesos de los santos (saints' bones) which were on sale at the bread shop today. El Dia de los Santos is a national holiday so the shops will be shut.
Trick or Treating is an imported thing as it is in the UK. Eloisa at the library asked me what it was all about. I don't really know. 'Truco Trato' is a mistranslation too . 'Un trato looks a bit like 'treat' but it means 'a deal'. 'Un gusto' would be closer. That is unless you take to 'treat' to mean to 'deal with' (as in 'treaty') and then it's all OK.

This is our neighbour. He's a Real Madrid supporter...

It's getting colder now and I had to change our first bombona (gas bottle) for months. We have no mains gas supply here, only the big cities do, so in the winter it is a common sight to see people lugging these big orange gas bottles around on their shoulders or on little trolleys. You can exchange bombonas at garages and some shops but most people in town wait for the the Repsol lorry's weekly delivery (Wednesday afternoon on our street and make sure you have the right change!). Bottled gas is cheaper here than in the UK (16€ at the moment).
Periodically we get a letter telling us to arrange an inspection of our gas appliances. This usually costs between 50€ and 150€ and as there have been numerous bogus companies doing 'inspections' most locals ignore the letters, tell the 'tecnicos' to clear off and renew their own tubing. I went to the Repsol office in the Plaza de la Fuente Arriba to buy some official (dated) tubing this morning. The office is tastefully decorated with original oil paintings.

We had three trick or treat visits but lots of caramelos left for me.

31/10/2012





 

Another Monday Morning

 

 

María José who is in charge of the Museo Municipal de Álora is very excited about a special exhibition at the museum. It is about El día de Santos and a history of burials in Álora.The museo is at the bottom of our street next to the 'Iglesia Parroquial Nuestra Señora de la Encarnatión' (the parish church). I am interested in funerals at the moment anyway but she promised that we could go up the belltower too. (A very rare treat, apparently). We turned up with some friends and a couple of young perotes (Áloreneans) at midday and a smiling  María José gave us a tour of the exhibition. The building  is old  (16th. century) and looks like an old crypt and was  actually part of the site of the second town cemetery. They found lots of old  bones and bits of a candelabra when they were digging it out to make the museum seven or eight years ago.. The exhibition consisted of the bits of candelabra, some gravestones or nicho (niche) ends, a coffin on a stand covered with a dark purple cloth and a couple of information panels. It was atmospherically lit.
The old graveyard  was transferred  up Calle Ancha to the castle in about 1820 and remained there until it was full in about 1998  It is now on the hillside opposite our back wall .
It says on the information panel that the bodies were carried up to the castle on 'lomo de burro' a donkey's back. 'Lomo de burro' is also one of the many names for a speed hump. Calle Ancha means 'Broad Street', which it is not. My friend Antonio told me it got its name because of the large number of corpses which have had to carried up there.

We climbed the spiral steps up to the belfry just before 1.00pm. (4 clangs followed by 1 more). Safety measures have not yet been installed (and no ear protectors).  Both bells have at thick coating of pigeon shit which dulls the tone a little.

I was anxious to get up into town to buy some pigs feet and a tail before the carnicería shut at 2.00pm. They had none on Friday as it's 'callos' season now. Soups and stews are in vogue now that the weather has turned cooler and callos is my favourite

Ingredients for Callos

Callos (tripe)
Pig's feet
Pig's tail
Pig's ear
Pig's tongue
Pig's ear
Chick Peas
Chorizo
Morcilla (black pudding)
Onion
Tomato
Garlic
Paprika
Parsley
Bay leaf
Cloves
Nutmeg
Cumin
Black Pepper (ground)
Water
Salt
Añejo (Idon't know what this is but it looks like a piece dried  salty pig skin)

I called in at Bar Madrugon (see next post) where Pepe Rojas was having a beer. I proudly showed him my bag of goodies.'For a callos' I said. 'look at this then'. says he. In a bag he had about ten pale oval objects.
´Huevos de oveja' Sheep's testicles.

05/11/2012

Ghouls and Gas Bottles

Ghouls and Gas Bottles


It's Halloween here ín Álora too. Most of the young children went to school dressed as witches, demons, monsters and ghouls and tonight some of them will be ringing our bell. I've bought a bag of 'Halloween Truco Trato' caramelos (sweets) from Mercadona. I hope they don't expect cash.

Tomorrow is El Día de los Santos'  (All Saints) which is very important here. Families go up to the cemetery with flowers to visit the niches of their dead relatives and then have a bit of a do afterwards. Many will be eating huesos de los santos (saints' bones) which were on sale at the bread shop today. El Dia de los Santos is a national holiday so the shops will be shut.
Trick or Treating is an imported thing as it is in the UK. Eloisa at the library asked me what it was all about. I don't really know. 'Truco Trato' is a mistranslation too  . 'Un trato looks a bit like 'treat' but it means 'a deal'. 'Un gusto' would be closer. That is unless you take to 'treat' to mean to 'deal with' (as in 'treaty') and then it's all OK.

This is our neighbour. He's a Real Madrid supporter...

It's getting colder now and I had to change our first bombona (gas bottle) for months. We have no mains gas supply here, only the big cities do,  so in the winter it is a common sight to see people lugging these big orange gas bottles around on their shoulders or on little trolleys.  You can  exchange bombonas at garages and some shops but most people in town wait for the the Repsol lorry's weekly delivery (Wednesday afternoon on our street and make sure you have the right change!). Bottled gas is cheaper here than in the UK (16€ at the moment).
Periodically we get a letter telling us to arrange an inspection of our gas appliances. This usually costs between 50€ and 150€ and as there have been numerous bogus companies doing 'inspections'  most locals ignore the letters, tell the 'tecnicos'  to clear off  and renew their own tubing. I went to the Repsol office in the Plaza de la Fuente Arriba to buy some official (dated) tubing this morning. The office is tastefully decorated with original oil paintings.

 

 

 

We had three trick or treat visits but lots of caramelos left for me.

 

31/10/2012

 



 



Laser Death Ray Menace Threat to Álora

Laser Death Ray Menace Threat to Álora



The headline in last week's Sur in English read, 'Man arrested for blinding pilots with laser'. As this came under 'Alora news' it had my attention. It reminded me of a headline in the Sunday Sport some years ago, 'Alien bun stole my knickers'. The Sport article was a spoof and a disappointment but the laser story is almost true.
Alora is on the approach path of planes landing in Málaga. At peak periods they come over at one a minute. Pilots have reported being dazzled (not blinded but serious nevertheless) by someone on the ground with a laser pointer. The Guardia Civil patrolled the streets of the next town, Pizarra and caught the culprit red handed, or green handed as it turned out, pointing a green laser beam at an incoming aircraft. He was arrested and charged with violating aerial navigation laws.
I  have seen the beams on the shirts of footballers on the telly so it seems to be a popular prank; but are these laser pointers dangerous or not? So far there is only one reported case of permanent eye damage being caused by 'lasing' and this was by a boy pointing it at himself (!). The Pizarra pointer was aged 45.(a pause here to think of a suitable word for him. Answers to 'Sur in English') and most of the reported convictions for 'lasing' have been by adult men. The green lasers are not readily available and are illegal in many countries. They are the most dangerous. Retinal damage is unlikely unless the beam can be held steady on a fixed point. I hope we all find this reassuring as we turn our eyes to the skies (there's a plane going over at this very moment).

We put the clocks back here last Saturday night so we're still an hour in front of England. Have I mentioned why Spain keeps to GMT +1hour even in the winter even though it should be in the same time zone as the UK?  France, too is one hour ahead but is more to the east of Greenwich and can justify the hour. The story is that Franco changed Spain's time in 1940 to fit in with that of Germany. He was a big fan of Hitler.
Anyway, Andrés who runs the Carnicería and Bar Diaz turned up today just after nine to open the shop/bar. He came into the Ferretería El Pintor, next door as I was buying some strimmer cord and asked why there were so few people in town.  How we laughed.

On Friday night we went along to the Casa de Cultura for the openng of the exhibition of work by a new group which calls itself  'The Independent Artists of Alora'. Food and wine were supplied. Alora is a very arty town. Loads of painters live here and the town holds an annual painting competition for artists from all of Spain. Next year will be the 24th. The paintings are shortlisted by a committee headed by Cristóbal Perez, a local artist who with a world wide reputation. The standard is high and it is rare for a local artist to win the first prize. The 'Independents' are giving a chance to local talent to get their work on the wall.
The evening was a big success. The Alcalde (mayor) and several councillors came as did many of the 'gente bien'  of the town. The mayor is speaking to me now that I have stopped pestering him to put in some drains on our street. I hadn't a clue what he said to me but it didn't include the words 'saneamiento' or 'alcantarilla' (plumbing and drains).

 

 

29/10/2012

It never rains but it pours

It Never Rains But It Pours

The heavy rain has returned to Andalucía with an orange alert posted. Of course everyone is worried that we will have a repeat of the floods of a few weeks ago. If anyone had not noticed the heavy rain they may have received an e mail telling them just how bad it was going to be. A RED alert was even reported. Here's what they mean for those who read Spanish

Color	Nivel de Riesgo
rojo	el riesgo meteorológico es extremo (fenómenos meteorológicos no habituales de intensidad excepcional y con un nivel de riesgo para la población muy alto).
naranja	existe un riesgo meteorológico importante (fenómenos meteorológicos no habituales y con cierto grado de peligro para las actividades usuales).
blanco	no existe riesgo meteorológico para la población en general aunque sí para alguna actividad concreta. Este nivel no genera ningún aviso pero hace una llamada para que se esté atento a la predicción meteorológica en vigor. Se emite esta información en un boletín nacional de situaciones blancas.
verde	no existe ningún riesgo meteorológico.

Solo se generan avisos específicos cuando se prevé alcanzar los niveles “naranja” o “rojo” si bien se informa también sobre qué zonas geográficas se encuentran en nivel blanco.


Incidentally the reasons  for the flooding I have heard have ranged from incompetence to deliberate dereliction of duty. So far  none of the accusations is being investigated. Divine rather than human error appears to be indicated.

As usual when it rains here many 'vecinos' (neighbours) have hung polythene sheets on their doors to keep the rain out. It must be effective or they would have stopped doing it by now but we don't do it and we have not had any leaks through the front door yet. The Plaza Baja has been very quiet today; the usual groups of local men that sit on the steps of the church, outside bars or in doorways drinking from big bottles of Cruzcampo and smoking cigarettes that have a strange smell not unlike fox (or skunk, but I've never smelt a skunk) are huddled in doorways drinking from big.........
Nobody wears a 'mack' or an anorak here. They just carry umbrellas. Odd folk.

I went to renew my house insurance yesterday. Apparently 'Act of God' does not exist in insurance terms any more. Here in Spain all house insurance premiums include a levy which goes to the goverment 'consorcio' or Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros which takes responsibility for paying out compensation in the event of a 'disaster'. The Consorcios were set up in 1954 as a response to Terrorist acts and have been expanded to include floods , earthquakes etc.

Into every life a little rain must fall, as my mum used to say.

25/10/2012

Unfinished business

Unfinished Business

 

 

 

 

"HOMAGE TO THOSE MURDERED IN THE CASTLE OF ÄLORA"

 

In the early hours of the 5th. April 1937 Andrés Franco Sanchez and 75 other young men were herded at gunpoint, with their hands tied with rope or wire, up the hill to the 'castillo' here in Álora. The castle served as the town's cemetery and became the  place of execution of an unknown number of people thought to be unsympathetic to the new Spanish regime  headed by the 'Caudillo' Generalisimo Francisco Franco Bahamonde.  76 was more than the usual number for a 'paseo'. I am told they were then mown down by a mixture of local falangists (fascists) and civil guards against one of the walls which encloses the top part of the castle. The wall has recently been removed but for many years it was pockmarked with bullet holes.

The bodies were buried in a shallow 'fossa' (pit) and they are still there. After heavy rain I am told that human remains can become exposed. This unmarked mass grave along with two others within the castle perimeter served as a reminder to would- be dissidents during Franco's dictatorship (1936-1975).

 

Yesterday we went up to the castle, which at the moment is shut for refurbishment to join a campaign for the recognition of what happened on that day in 1937 and to call for a monument to be placed there to commemorate these victims of Franco's 'terror'.

 

 

One of the people there was Susana, the grandaughter of Andrés Franco Sánchez. She lives in Madrid with her mother and her teenage daughter. Her mother has been searching for 75 years to locate the resting place of her father. Susana took up the grim quest and only recently was able to find the record of her grandfather's murder. She told us about the search, which could only start in earnest after Franco's death in 1975 when her family felt safe to return from their exile in France. She read a poem she had written to her grandfather. Then she removed her black silk shawl and placed it on the grave.

 

'TRUTH JUSTICE REDRESS

FOR THE VICTIMS OF FRANCOISM'

Flowers in the republican colours of red, yellow and blue were placed on the site of the mass grave and a photograph of her grandfather with his name and the date of his death was attached to a fig tree which now grows there. I hope it will remain there until the local authorities have the courage to place a fitting memorial there

 

 

 

22/10/2012

Philipe told me that there should have been 77 victims but one young man used a stone to cut through the rope and escaped over the wall.

 

Un cuento chino or 'Chinese whispers'

It's always a pleasure to hear a new story that is going round the British 'community' here. I don't mean  'who's shagging who  stories'  but those that could be of general public inerest and are worth passing on. You could call them rumours and I started a few of them myself just to see how they developed. The English  call this process  'Chinese whispers' . The Spanish expression 'Un cuento chino.' ( a chinese tale) carries a similar meaning.  Sometimes these tales have some basis in fact but tracking down their origins is usually impossible especially if you come up against 'A Spanish person told me'.

My favourite in recent years was when the Plaza Baja was given a facelift. The four big shade-giving Indian Laurel trees (Ficus Nitida) were uprooted from the raised central area, depriving hundreds of birds of their roosting perches  (and the local residents of summer shade) and replaced with four palm tees which give little or no shade at all and do not attract birds.

 The story was that the roots of the trees were damaging the buildings round the square. No  evidence of this was visible and the residents were mystified. The square was then enclosed by netting for most of the year before it was needed for the annual 'Despedia' ceremony  and work recommenced.  The new surface consists largely of patterns made from black and white pebbles which are used extensively in Spain and resemble mosaic patterns.

Un Cuento Chino or Chinese Whispers

 

 

 

 The story went round that the ayuntiamento had imported all these pebbles from China. This struck me as rather implausible until I realised that the word in Spanish for a pebble is 'una china'.  Lost in translation?

Other past favourites include the new road which was to be built right through the town, the new road up to the castle, the shutting down of the train line to Málaga, the gay bar on La Rampa, the new Lidl supermarket.

Some stories do turn out to be true at least in essence. The tragic story of the Alora woman who died in the recent floods was distressing enough but one version had her husband `deperately clinging to her hand from the steel bridge which was ripped in two by the swollen river.

The story of the rescue of a flooded out young couple found clinging déshabillés to the branches of a lemon tree appears to be true.

Today our neighbour Isabela brought us a tortilla, still warm from the pan. It was delicious of course but instead of onions she had used chopped garlic. There was pàrsley in it too. I asked her why she didn't use onions. 'I don't like onions' was her reply. Fair enough!

19/10/2012