Granollers

Unto the Hills I Lift Mine Eyes

~ Kate Wilson ~ 5 Comments

When you go up to the Torre on the hill above Granollers you can really see how the town lies in a valley surrounded by mountains. It is a wonderful view and all the high flats, the industrial buildings, the ugly corners become insignificant as your eye is drawn to the outlines of the hills and the expanse of sky.

The torre is old – officially 14th century but some believe it is much older perhaps dating back to the Romans. It is derelict and the council have erected a pathetic little fence around it to ‘stop’ you going in. At some point they have made an attempt to strengthen the walls with some modern bricks. But they have never accepted their responsibility to preserve and protect this ancient monument. Perhaps that is for the best as so often preservation turns into domination and control

The part of the vaulted ceiling that remains is beautiful.  A work of art. The Torre was probably part of a network of towers used for communication from one settlement to the next. Some researchers believe that light signals were used to pass messages across the countryside.
You can see why it was built here as you have an all round view

 

 

 

 

In one direction lies Granollers and the spreading urban world. Turn around and you can see little vegetable plots and olive trees. Turn further and there is another expanse of green field behind which is another industrial estate. But for now it is hidden, invisible and doesn’t exist.
Only the swifts and the poppies and the sky and the hills

And the sunset

Somewhere to eat in Granollers

~ Kate Wilson ~ 7 Comments

(I am sad to tell you that this restaurant has since closed down)

Thanks to Tiffany we went to try out the Lebanese Restaurant Baalek in Granollers. What a joy to be able to choose from different vegetarian dishes instead of asking for something meaty to be adapted for me. We started with Baba Ganoush and Falafels and then there was veggie rice or couscous

The woman serving was actually from Morocco – a long way from Lebanon but she said the owner is Lebanese.  There was absolutely noone else there at lunch time but apparently it gets full in the evenings when men come to use the hubble bubbles.
Why didn’t I take a photo of the Baclava? It was delicious and so was the hot sweet mint tea

Feeling Better

~ Kate Wilson ~ 7 Comments

What is so lovely about writing this blog is that I feel I have friends close to me even when so many are far away. Thank you all who wrote such loving messages to me after yesterday’s post.
I think the Virtual Vermut idea has taken off and I will start writing that next week – not sure what day yet but I’ll invite you in good time!
And perhaps another day for the Virtual Adolescent? Someone suggested this one could come complete with remote control – that sounds good.  Mute button, change channel, switch off!
Today I girded my loins and after Catalan class forced myself to go to the gym. No arguments. A quick reviving coffee in Roca Umbert art centre (and a tiny little chocolate croissant – really tiny) and I cycled over to Golds Gym.
It is a bodybuilders place, no frills, even the womens’  changing room has been taken over by the men so I had to leave my bike in the office and ask someone to check for naked men before I went in to have a pee!
Tiffany discovered the place and invited me to go along with her the first few times. I like it because there are no young skinny brown Catalan women in skimpy shorts.  Apart from us there are never any women at all!  I like it because I can go in, do my exercises and leave without any faffing about with induction sessions or membership cards. I also like it because it is cheap – 20 euros for a month so even if I chicken out half the time then I am still only paying about 1 euro a visit.
What makes it hard then?
There are no women! So sometimes I feel conspicuous and alone as the boys pump their muscles and shout across the room to each other in Castellano.  The music is often incredibly loud and the videos are ‘interesting’!  I think it must have been kick boxing I was watching on Monday – it involved two men getting their heads very tangled up in each others arms and legs and groins.  Then they stood up and kicked each other.
Today it was great. My least favourite minder was on duty but he was very friendly this time. There were only four other men who stayed mostly in the free weights area, leaving the machines just for me. The music was tolerable so I could hear the tango on my ipod and the video was actually enjoyable to watch.  A lot of women doing belly dancing  and occasionally kissing each other while making eyes at the camera.  I stayed an hour and a half and left feeling great.
In terms of scary things I think going to this gym is on a par with the Barcelona milongas when I go on my own but….at least I don’t have to wait for someone to ask me to dance!

And now the swifts

~ Kate Wilson ~ 10 Comments

A thousand birds are in my grove,
Melodious from morn to night;
My fruit trees are their treasure trove,
Their happiness is my delight.               Robert Service The Bird Sanctuary

The swifts arrived this morning while I was out on the terrace watering the plants.

I had just commented to my partner that last year they arrived on April 7th when I heard a familiar chatter, looked up, and they flew over. It wasn’t their normal screeching sound – definitely more like a ‘well here we are – back in Granollers’ conversation.

About 7 or 8 of them and how lovely to see them surfing the currents high above our home.

Why do I never see people here looking up in wonder at the birds?

Speaking of which….one of the things I imported from the UK was a new bird feeder as I can’t find anything like that in Catalunya. I need to make up some seed mix though – any suggestions about what to put in?

The Swallows have arrived!

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

I know I have already written two posts today and one on Falset is pending but I can’t not mention that the swallows have arrived in Granollers!
Orenetes!   Lots of them swooping down by the river. So exciting.
I walked with Duna down to the river – as you can see it’s not exactly rural heaven, there is a field of long grass and some ramshackle allotments but it is backed by large blocks of flats and you have to pick your way around the rubbish and dog shit.

However…wherever there are birds there is beauty.

And something else happened – the collie that I always greet as I pass, the one who is tied up in a hen yard and who wags his tail when I call Hola Guapo!, this beautiful black and white collie was out for a free walk and it turns out should be called Guapa.  She was dancing around me and Duna and the other dogs who were also out for the evening. She was obviously on heat and luckily the little one who was most interested couldn’t reach. Her owner seemed pleasant but fairly clueless about the facts of life and worried me by saying he wants to exercise her and let her run free but doesn’t want to have to kill puppies.
All I could do was tell him I think the next week is the most dangerous and  then have a long stroking session with her and a chat about not letting other dogs get too close. She seemed to listen.

It’s hard – you have to accept that’s how it is. I always keep an eye on her and she was one of the most friendly and calm collies I have ever met.  It was good to meet her at last.