TALES FROM THE EBRO RIVER VALLEY
BY ROSIE REAY
ONCE AGAIN MY writings take on a two prong route. The first is light hearted and the second is on a more serious note.
Country images Sprawled out on my hammock, writing materials piled up high around me, in wonderful sunshine. Glorious, glorious sunshine- no sign of volcanic ash clouds down here. Strange things are happening out there in our dear old world, but on a softer note I too have seen some strange things out there, no not UFO’s.
I WAS AMUSED TO read a Twitter from @EbroApartments/birding when the lady’s journey was delayed by a herd of goats and sheep crossing the main route home to Mora Ebre. Though her being a Lancashire lass must have thought she was crossing the Pennines again.
Our first experience of a traffic jam was in 2004 in the riverside village of Benifallet.
WE WERE ALL new to living in an apartment after living in a Yorkshire moor side village (all with gardens). So many hours in the evening we spent on our large sun terrace “village people” watching as a pastime. The local lads normally tearing up and down on their motorbikes (“chicken chasers”) were very quiet this particular night. But the honking of horns and volatile shouting rang out amidst noisy tractor diesel engines.
MANDARIN AND ORANGE picking season had opened up in full throttle. All the farmers, tractors and trailers were backed up right out if the village on both sides.
Everyone was hot and bothered and exhausted after a long day picking out in the orchards. All of them were trying to deposit their crops at the local co-operatives. We watched with vivid interest and amusement – there was just no logistic organisation to be seen. No one would give way.
Even the side streets were blocked. It went on for hours late into the night – total grid lock!
A week ago I was lost in my reverie, driving one of my charges to an early clinic in Xerta. I was thinking, as I always do, how marvellous it would be if the local government restored these huge, abandoned and dilapidated old Spanish homes – some are 3 storeys high.
Grand in their times, I am sure. This one is between Aldover and Xerta next to the C12 and usually has wonderful purple bougainvillea creeping all over it.
Well, this morning, there was a dog (yes – a dog) on the high ridge of this very dangerous sloping roof.
It stood so still. I thought it was made of stone.
Coming back along the same route I pulled over and looked back. Well, I never! There were now 3 dogs up there, I kid you not, walking up and down, as only the Spanish know how to promenade. I drove off chuckling to myself and this reminded me of the story of “The Muscians from Brenen”.
ONE WEEK ON I am making the same trip to Xerta and noticed the dogs were still up there sunbathing. I turned off to Xerta forst access road by the canal and came around the corner and braked hard. Crossing in front of me was a Nazareen ‘Jesus’ look alike.
(Memo to self: I must clean my specs before I set off driving in the morning.)
One little white scamp of a dog was running out in front chasing a scent. Another of uncertain breed, was running to and fro behind. The donkey trudged across the road, nostrils already flared at the smell of drinking water.
A youngish looking man walked on the far side of him leading his steed by a rope-rein. He had deep brown dreadlocks, but looked clean and tanned. His hair had a hint of auburn where every now and again the sun had kindled her rays.
I smiled. He looked surprised to be acknowledged as a human being. He smiled back. The “posse” continued to amble across the road.
Not a care in the world. Nowhere to rush to. No agenda to keep.
Just each other to look after and keep fed and watered and afford each other company and safety.
I mused how far he had travelled. In a time warp he could have dropped out from Nelson or Woodstock hippy community, but he was far too young. Was he Catalan? Maybe an Expat or just a tourist walking his way around Spain on an epic adventure of his lifetime.
By the way do we still have hippy communities in the Baix Ebre? I know they are still dotted around the Canaries.
ALL HIS WORLDLY goods seemed tied in a reddish cloth bag, slung across its hind quarters, with all sorts of odds and ends needed to cook and survive. The walker stood tall and proudly held a self-styled walking stick, one I imagined he had whittled away during long hot siesta hours. A hand sewn cylindrical, orange cloth bag was slung over his right shoulder.
This possibly held a sleeping mat for when he lay under the stars. Did it rain last night? Lets hope they all found dry shelter somewhere . I wish I could have idled away an hour or so to unfold his journey tales, but I had somewhere to be and felt I might be intruding on this man who obviously enjoyed his own company.
The country sightings were far from over.
Homeward bound, I turn off towards Jesús el camp and have to give way to a three wheeler tractor trundling down the lane sounding like a sewing machine rather than a diesel engine.
Oh my goodness, what on earth is that bouncing on the back of his trailer?
There sat proudly a country old lass under a huge black Mary Poppins umbrella on a white plastic chair.
Grinning away and proudly waving some vegetables, they had so proudly grown and just freshly picked. Bless her!
I must say, it was definitely a very different vision to the white plastic chair ‘ladies’ positioned strategically along the N340 tendering to their clients…
YESTERDAY MORNING I awoke to the sound of frantic flapping in the bedroom. A yellowish bird had flown in and the cats were in hot pursuit. No, no don’t catch it! Then my eyes caught a movement to the left.
There sat on “him indoors” bed hoist ere three huge black flies swaying away and watching the carrying on. It reminded me of the monkeys -see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil! But even higher on the cross bar of the hoist were 3 kittens astride ready to hoist themselves off at the offending bird.
Oh, please don’t fall on the sleeping man…
CERTIFICATE OF HABITATION – CEDULA DE HABITACÍON
Without due prejudice.
This is a very topical subject and is causing great concern and expense amongst the Expats, but also the local Catalan communities since the Social party saw fit to alter legislation.
This has far reaching affects on other matters other than being able to sell your house. It is grinding the whole paper trail to a stop amd causing havoc and impeding economic recovery in Catalonia. Things have to change and change soon. Please read these links ( I have placed them together at the beginning of the article for an easy central access point for you all so you can work through them slowly) and support the blogs and forums. We will also issue emails and phone numbers for you to contact. Please do not sit on the fence, but offer your support and add your comments, worries, successes and experiences. This isn’t going to go away by itself.
Links: http://www.gencat.cat/temes/eng/habitatge.htm http://www.barcelonareporter.com/index.php?/news/comments/foreign_office_minister_chris_bryant_warned_spain_demolition_bulldozers_kno/
http://www.cedulahabitabilidad.com/tarifas%202.htm
A host of informative links can be found on www.tortosaforum.comhttp://ceduladehabitabilidad.wordpress.com/ ** If you hover over the What can I do? button on the above link it will display various other people to contact eg Legal Advice/ Rural Property/Planning permission/ Lawyer/ Mortgage/ Certification program/ on line surveys and so on “
http://www.ebro.tv/video/A-Day-in-the-Life-of-an-MEP-Pet ” Els britànics marxen de l’Ebre
http://www.3cat24.cat/video/2832750 an interview of Maxine of Perello Properties and valid comments from Jeff Greensmith. (Nigel has also done a translation on his TortosaForum.com) Jeff Greensmith of www.FincasDirect.com suggests you may “complain to the ‘Síndic de Greuges’ -the Catalan Ombudsman, tel. 933 018 075, http://www.sindic.cat/en/page.asp?id=65. You can do this in English. Catalan MEP Ramon Tremosa i Balcells: “President of the EU commission (I mean why not go right to the top!) José Manuel Barroso: (1.)http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/contact/mail/index_en.htm (2). http://www.tellbarroso.eu/en/ This is absolutely brilliant and is entitled What can Barrose do for you in EU? Then go to his blogspace. ” Contact Mark Smithson (the British Vice Consul in Barcelona): (Tel: 933 666 200 ) or email him on: barcelona.consulte@fco.gov.uk ” Chris Bryant MP (Minister of State for Europe) : ” Another active Euro MP is Marta Andreasen: marta@martaandreasen.com ; her office fax in Brussels : +32 2 28 49726 . Her motto is “Holding the EU to account” -exactly! “Contact your local MEP in your UK home region to lobby on your behalf ” Email Gordon Brown as to “What he is doing to look after his British Expats?” He does eventually reply or one of his officers do. ” Email Manuel Vallvé, a lawyer and the Honorary Consul for Tarragona. mvallve@vahusari.com
The Socialists voted in this reform with all good intentions, I am sure,but had not properly thought through what the knock on effect would be across all Catalonian communities, businesses and town halls and professional bodies. This is have a dramatic effect on everything involving paper chases! this is very worrying and causing untold stress, not just to Expats but affecting sale of all homes, rustic, village, urban or otherwise.
(The irony of the situation is an alleged senator can’t sell his home either as he is missing this vital document with no chance of as at today in getting one – like the rest of us.)
But it goes far deeper than just real estate. This is making the law so absurd. This storm is like a raging bull caught in a forest fire, gathering dust, temper and heat as it rolls out each day.
Local solicitors say things must change as everything is at a standstill.
How do they expect the property market recovery and crawl its way out of the economic recession when properties cannot exchange owners at the notaries without this cedula de habitacíon?
It is affecting: ” sellers ” buyers (out of time zone for placing their deposit) ” solicitors ” estate agents ” notaries ” BASE ” Ajuntaments – town halls ” 2nd home owners who want to rent their homes, long or short term. ” Holiday property owners can’t register their property for Holiday Lets
Furthermore, people can’t register now for health care with CatSalut without producing their ‘empadronament’. CatSalut will only accept this document if less than 3 months old. You can’t it get it renewed without producing a certificate of Habitation.
There is a lady desperate for an urgent operation her and can’t register for health care. They are in a catch 22 situation as they are unable to return to the UK unless they can sell their home. A local Catalan family already has himself and his wife with 2 older children on CatSalut. Now they are in a quandary. They have a new baby and are unable to add the little tot to the health care as they cannot produce an empadronament because their is no cedula for the property. But a baby cannot be denied health care, so what can they do?
Other folk have been inadvertently “chucked off” the electoral register and also cannot get reinstated without the cedula and the empadronament. So what does this mean? It means you can’t get registered for full electricity, water and other services.
Let the Peoples’ voices, of the new and old Catalan residents, unite together and be heard above the bureaucratic herd of chaos.
As Mr EbroTV declares “Lets start making some noise! I would love to chat to MEP Ramon Tremosa i Balcells about my right to live on my land.” Surely everyone has a human right to live on their land? Is this a breach of human rights under EU law..mmmh, interesting.
I can understand them wanting to protect the precious little agricultural land of Catalonia we have. So why do they not say if you want to live el campo rustica you must farm a certain acreage of your land.
By living on your land you can control your crops more or pay someone local to do it for you and still enjoy the tranquil life.
Twitter me @RosieReay Email: RosieReay@FodenPress.com
Short URL: http://www.chroniccat.com/?p=322
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Please support everyone who is trying to bring about the changeand amendments of this catastrophe regarding the Certificate of Habitation.
Follow it on Twitter @RosiReay
Also see my blog: http://www.ebrovoice.com/?p=530&preview=true
Email me pirvately. RosieREay@FodenPerss.com
or write to the Editor at http://www.ChronicCat.com
This affects so many people and businesses across Catalonia. Le’s work together on this for a Brighter Solution – a Brighter Catalonia!
Thanks for the article Rosie. It is good to have some the info together somewhere.
I believe the power given to the Catalans by the Spanish government has gone to their heads. I think this specific law will be the last straw and that they have stuck their necks out too far this time.
Yes, I did ask the question whether I, as a European citizen, have the right to live on my own piece of land, unhindered, in Spain, in Europe? This issue of the Cedula, (Certificate of habitation) indicates the answer to that question is NO.
I think a lot of other irregularities (with regard to Europe) will become exposed now. A U-turn IS THE ONLY SOLUTION on this issue, but, further to this, there are many other issues relating to our Human Rights and European Rights that should be questioned. Do the Ajuntamiento’s and Generalitat have any Data Protection act in place?
So many questions…. and this is not a theoretical discussion for politicians and couch potatoes (SLACKTIVISTS) – it affects real people in the real world, right now!
Please feel free to post any visual or audio materials you have on this issue on http://www.Ebro.TV
I would also urge people to contact their bank managers – whether they have a mortgage or not. Banks are exposed to this – they cannot currently sell on properties that have been repossessed without a cedula, and the longer this goes on the greater the potential for more repossessions….
Couple of interesting links from the API (Estate gent Association)
http://www.apitarragona.com/noticia-api?cod=317&proxima-reunion-de-los-api-con-carme-trilla-para-resolver-las-trabas-en-la-concesion-de-cedulas-de-habitabilidad
and a TV debate in Amposta…
http://www.apitarragona.com/noticia-api?cod=316&tertulia-televisiva-en-las-terres-de-lebre-para-denunciar-impedimentos-burocraticos-en-transacciones-inmobiliarias