Friday, July 21, 2006
A Walk with the Dog
I live in a strange land that always surprises me.
This morning I had to take Rufo for his morning walk. Not my usual task, but as I am currently "de Rodriguez" I had no choice. After the usual frenzied fight with the lead, ( he's young and easily distracted - if you don't want a 30 minute walk to turn into a 2 hour search, you use the lead) , we set off.
Just along the road a woman was sweeping the road. Not an uncommon sight in the town but an odd choice of occupation here at this time of the morning. A cynical englishman would assume she had had a row with her husband or fancies the postman. Who knows but seemingly a rather worthless task considering the number of lorries that will pass her front gate in the next 8 hours. Nevertheless a cheerful smile and a 'Buenas Dias' was forthcoming. So, Lesson 1 - Spain is a clean country. Litter, maybe, but always a clean and tidy home, which obviously includes the road outside your home.
We trundled on, Rufo with his strange diagonal way of walking and me at the end of the lead trying to keep up. At the bottom of the road lots of noises of sawing and uprooting of foliage assailed our ears and as we rounded the corner we could see builders setting to work removing more boring hedgerow to be replaced by a nice neat pavement and a wall or two. Nothing like improving the look of the countryside by the use of bricks and mortar.
Rufo barked his disapproval and was all ready for an immediate set-to to show his feelings about the loss of his own private toilet but we decided against any confrontation so early in the morning, shook our heads sadly and turned in the opposite direction along the track up into the woods. Lession 2 - Spain is a building site.
This morning I had to take Rufo for his morning walk. Not my usual task, but as I am currently "de Rodriguez" I had no choice. After the usual frenzied fight with the lead, ( he's young and easily distracted - if you don't want a 30 minute walk to turn into a 2 hour search, you use the lead) , we set off.
Just along the road a woman was sweeping the road. Not an uncommon sight in the town but an odd choice of occupation here at this time of the morning. A cynical englishman would assume she had had a row with her husband or fancies the postman. Who knows but seemingly a rather worthless task considering the number of lorries that will pass her front gate in the next 8 hours. Nevertheless a cheerful smile and a 'Buenas Dias' was forthcoming. So, Lesson 1 - Spain is a clean country. Litter, maybe, but always a clean and tidy home, which obviously includes the road outside your home.
We trundled on, Rufo with his strange diagonal way of walking and me at the end of the lead trying to keep up. At the bottom of the road lots of noises of sawing and uprooting of foliage assailed our ears and as we rounded the corner we could see builders setting to work removing more boring hedgerow to be replaced by a nice neat pavement and a wall or two. Nothing like improving the look of the countryside by the use of bricks and mortar.
Rufo barked his disapproval and was all ready for an immediate set-to to show his feelings about the loss of his own private toilet but we decided against any confrontation so early in the morning, shook our heads sadly and turned in the opposite direction along the track up into the woods. Lession 2 - Spain is a building site.
Here the destruction is a little more subdued ( at the moment) and as we approached the only house in the lane we noticed an old man, one that at first I did not recognise, walking with head bowed deep in thought. As we got within a few yards, sorry metres, of him he turned and retraced his steps. He looked up, saw us and gave the usual 'Buenas Dias' with a big smile. It was the old priest that has just retired but says the odd mass. ( at an unseemingly rapid tempo I might add - but then impatience is one of the main spanish characteristics.)
He was obviously mentally writing up a rare sermon or solving a thorny problem that a parishioner had set him. In these parts the priest is still the fountain of all knowledge and adviser of morals.
Lesson 3 - Spain is more Catholic than the Pope.
// posted by daniel @ 11:50 pm 
