Author: Kate Wilson

25-N

~ Kate Wilson ~ 1 Comment

While the voters of Catalunya try to make their minds up about which party to support on Sunday, I am having my own struggle just to understand who is who and what is what? But I feel the past week has seen me getting more to grips with it all and I now know my SI from my ERC and my CiU from my ICV-EUiA. (They do love those little i’s dotted through the names!)

I also understand now what fiscal deficit means and I can even begin to think about the importance of, not who wins but who will come second?  And would it be better to form a coalition with Mas and the CiU or to be an independent voice on the sidelines?  After all, think what has happened to the reputation of the Liberal Party in the UK?

The general idea is that Mas will win. But with what sort of majority?
I wonder if his campaign poster was a bad idea – so many have been put off by his Messiah stance

Anyway, tomorrow is the Day of Reflection. No political campaigning. Time for everyone to have a rest and to consult their hearts as well as their heads. It is a complicated election. Lots of unknown factors. Lots of opinions, everyone wants to have their say now. Even the English man I heard speaking in a cafe in Granollers has his ideas of what is best for Catalunya.
There is something exciting about an election which sparks this interest. I’ll be watching on Sunday.

Ordis Cats

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

It was a sunny afternoon so I prised myself off the sofa where I was quite happy with wine and the newspaper, and walked to Ordis. It is the nearest village and could be described as peaceful, or quiet, or even dead!  I saw noone all the time we wandered around  the streets. the church clock struck one quarter, then two, then three and not a curtain twitched or a door creaked open.
But the best bit of Ordis is the abandonned house where the cats live

There were kittens too

They do seem well and healthy and there were the usual plastic containers lying around showing that someone feeds them all regularly

I am in love with this kitten

If only we could!  I tried to imagine it living in Granollers, with a cat tray on the terrace and a flap in the door leading outside. But what about when we go to the UK?  Who would look after her?  I don’t think I could manage driving up through France with a dog and a cat on leads in the camper van.
I must wait till we live somewhere proper, in the countryside with neighbours who can come in and stroke and feed cats.
On the way home I met another mushroom hunter

That’s the word for it here in the Girona region. People go to caçar bolets.  We had a very long chat in Catalan. If I am honest she did most of the talking and clearly thought I was fluent. I smiled and frowned at all the right places and did understand about 50% but the other half was totally lost on me. She was a lovely woman and lives in Ordis. I was able to ask her about the cats house. Unfortunately I didn’t really understand the answer.
A lovely sky as we got close to home.

Back on the sofa now with wine and the newspaper!

Walking in the woods

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

It is Friday morning in Sant Nicolau. I took Bonnie for a walk down the lane.
First we met Bob, a great dog who was lost then found his new home here

As we walked further we were joined by Lucy

More and more she reminds me of Blue – her spotty nose and paws, her solid and comforting presence. She and Bonnie have sometimes been a bit suspicious of each other but slowly, given time, they have become, if not yet friends, pleasant companions.
We met a man with a huge basket filled to the brim with mushrooms and then another – same story!

At these moments it is a joy to be able to speak Catalan and have a friendly chat.
Mushroom hunters seem a little like wood workers – friendly quiet spiritual sort of people.
Then we were joined by Paddy and Trixie who bounded out of the woods to find us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home across the field, smelling the wild rosemary and the thyme

One of the best things about walks in Catalunya – the magnificence of herbs growing along the paths

 

Back home and Bob was waiting for us


Election Bits and Bobs N25

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

The leader of the Catalan branch of the PP (The People’s Party – the right wing party which currently rules in Spain) is Alicia Sanchez-Camacho. Her face is very well known and tends to evoke gasps of disgust.  She has a rather horsey look and when speaking on the TV talks rapidly with a little self righteous frown demonstrating how hard she is trying to help those who are her inferiors.
Memories of Margaret Thatcher at her irritating worst?  With a dash of Michael Portillo before he transformed into a human being.

So, here are two interesting facts about Alicia.
1/ She trained in law and used a metronome to practice making her arguments. It shows!
2/ After her marriage broke up she decided she wanted a child so had AI by donor and now is a single mother.  She is very opposed to gay people having children by similar methods as children should have a mother and a father. Except hers!