TALES FROM THE EBRO RIVER VALLEY
BY ROSIE REAY
At last the rain has held off and deckchairs are now once again the order of the day. I have just been online to www.TortosaForum.com and am sat in the sun, but am still seething at the revelation that thieves are still about. I feel I need to share it for those who haven’t read the posting and to cover a wider area to get this man’s description out there.
Some bold white man described by the onlooker as being about 6ft in height and probably aged between 40 or 50 (so no delinquent, bored teenager then!).
He was of average build and had very distinguishing blonde/gingery hair of a very curly nature. He /they cut the chains off with bolt cutters (came prepared then!) from the boat trailer (snipe) that was attached to a car. They were seen hitching it to a British registered green/blue 4 x 4 and disappeared at double quick speed.
The witness informed the Mossos police squad of the happenings at Amposta embarcation on 29th April, between 12:-12:30.
Not a twinge of guilt…not a backward glance. How dare he be so brazen!
Now I have got my anger out of the way, my thoughts turn to food. It is that time of the day. But if only someone was here to make me a meal. It isn’t that I don’t like cooking I just get fed up of christening the meal,each and every single meal. (Memo to self : must order some sausages off Catherine.)
Talking of Catherine, did you know our local “sausage lady” also has Cheddar Cheese, Pork Pies, Sausage rolls, Gala pies, Pickled Eggs on offer, apart from her delicious arrangement of sausages carefully made by herself.
Now I could just enjoy a slice of her Gala pie with apricot chutney (my own of course) and a nice fresh green salad, locally bought. Talking of apricots I must go and check how mine are ripening for next chutney batch.
Anyway, her Gala pies are homemade and a really nice family size and ideal for family visiting or for summer evenings meals along with salads. You need not eat it all in one meal, it will keep in the fridge.
The pork pies are not imported. They even make their own jelly for it. Scrumptious!
Only snag is when you have eaten one you always want another one – so they carry a waist line warning. However, you can always trot down to the Via Verda and walk them off in this glorious weather.
Barbecues will soon be the order of the day and they make brilliant South African sausage called Boerewors that is exceptional when grilled or done on a BBQ.
They now do the thick and thin ring (for those who don’t have the patience to wait for it to cook.) But if you haven’t tried any of their other sausages have a go.
The sausages range from Leek & Pork, Apple and Pork, Honey roasted, traditional pork, honey and whole grained mustard, cumberland and for those who like a little spice in their life (or should I say on the plate) you must, simply try their chillie and garlic.
Now onto “chops” of a somewhat different nature.
I wonder if the Tortosa Tourist board realises what is the fatal attraction that draws tourists and out-of-towners to the village of Els Regeurs.
Els Regeurs is often missed as people drive through it up to the mountains. Yes, it does have one or two fine, and highly recommended restaurants – though bookings are recommended on weekends and fiestas. It is a small closely knit community and has seen the infiltration of a few Expats and you can meet up with them in the local bars (strange that you can always find at least one Expat in a bar – what does that say about British culture?)
Yes, we use the local small olive press and am guilty of using it as a short cut when heading down to Centre Verd in Roquetes for my dog food or garden fertilizing requisites,or even the evening vet clinic held there 3 afternoons a week .(Mon.Wed.Frid 5.30-6.30)
The attraction is none other than: Señor Boar. Now wouldn’t Obelix and Asterisc fancy wild boar on the plate. Some local family, on the outskirts of town as you take the back road down to Jesùs, have reared this piglet as a pet since the mother was shot on a normal hunting day and it was left orphaned.
On a weekend you will see cars queuing up to get out and pet the local chappie. He is ever so friendly and poses for photo calls on the promise of some nibble from your picnic or “padkos”. He doesn’t seem to enjoy the cacophonix chorus that his owners’ dogs render forth, well you can choose your friends but not your family we hear him grunt!
Now you know that “I am only a woman” when it comes to finca related mechanisms and “jobs for the boys” – if only they were here!
Well, once more my cheeks were rosy by blushing ignorance. A month or so ago I employed a strapping young man, with muscles on display, to slash through the elephant grass on my terraces and around the house so that it looked half-way near decent for the onslaught of family from overseas encamping here.
Well and good and a good job was done. Then it rained and rained and rained. The grass grew taller and taller, and soon the flower beds were out of view once more.
So I picked up my bootstraps, threw my electric strimmer in the back of the car and thought I am just going to have to go back to the shop in Tortosa and say it won’t work. Bless him, Jonathon was on duty.
“Maybe it is because it is so dirty?” He laughed when he saw the state of it.
Oh my gawd, I had forgotten to clean it first, as he banged it on the shop floor and a huge mound of mud flew off in all directions, much to the locals amusement of a woman in distress. So he showed me into the workshop and with air tools spring cleaned it for me.
“Now what is the problem, Rosie?”
“Well you know that red thingey coil on the bottom – well I can’t get it off . Also I need more thread to re-wire it.”
More smiles from Jonathon, he is so patient. More blushes from me now. In a twist he had it off. I had struggled and swore many a time. That was why it was abandoned in the almacen. He removed the cap lid.
It was not the old fashioned coil type. It was a single piece no longer than 10 inch with a silver thing in the middle where it clips into the machine. He preceded to remove another coil on the handle and behind it, hidden in the handle were loads and loads of them.
What a thicko am I!
Just a word to the wise, be careful when you take your river fishing boats out to sea at San Carlos de la Rapida the Guardia civil are watching you. Four boats recently escaped with a warning this time, but they had totted up fines of 12,000 euros or there about in alleged fines.
The authorities were not interested that the boats had English skipper licences or were licenced for the Ebro. They were saying the boats have to carry Tarragona registration boat licences and the skipper licences have to be in Catalan.
So am not sure what happens to other boats from other regions just in Tarragona waters for a run up the coast. Rumour is they will soon be insisting on all boats on the Ebro River to have the said same registration and skipper licences in Catalan – more paper work, more standing in queues in Tarragona.
Be careful out there are bigger fish after you than those catfish monsters!
Keep the emails and queries flowing into my Inbox or twitter me.
This month I received good feedback on my Cedula article from last month and though I mentioned Terres del Ebre. ” No, it not just for Terres d’Ebre but for the whole of Catalonia as brought in by the Catalonia Supreme Court, and bless their flip flops, yes the Socialist government.”
The Cedula issue does affect all types of properties, not just rustica. Somehow we need to get the message across to the Socialist Party what damage this law has caused to the economic recovery of Catalonia.
Our neighbouring province of Valencia have involved the EU in their dispute with town planners and someone should be accountable for allowing this to cascade.
In the UK we would sue the Estate Agent or the Surveyor,here we are left out on a limp unless we all band together and push for a solution or pressure on the socialist party and the Prime Minister himself.
Why not? Catalonia is till part of Spain! Lets not be fobbed off at the first hurdle.
Newsflash: Here’s the latest on the Spanish judge they are trying to get rid of, please sign the latest petition if you believe in justice.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_garzon_1RosieReay@Fodenpress.com
Twitter@RosieReay
Short URL: http://www.chroniccat.com/?p=397
Posted by editor
on 2010-06-01 Filed under Help and Advice, June 2010.
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