Vultures and Fire, Sos Del Ray Católico
Zagan the motorhome’s eyes (OK, imagine his headlights) are peering upwards as the dark silhouettes of vultures scribe out circles above (in the free aire at Sos Del Ray Católico, N42.49126 W1.21356). He’s nervous. Have they detected his impending doom, and are lazily awaiting the opportunity to come and fight over his innards? Nah, there’s a dead sheep t’other side o’ hill. Read on folks.
Free aire at Sos Del Ray Católico – including freebie services – woo hoo!
Last night, there was a knock on the door. Expecting an official, come to collect a few euros in return for a short stay in Aragonese paradise, I swung it open. Not a euro-snaffler in sight, but Matt and Jo (who’s travels you can track at www.eurotouring.co.uk) stood smiling outside. After them visiting half of Europe (and then some), we happened to be on a common trajectory. They’d spotted our location on this here rambling blog, nipping over to say ‘hola’. Only one problem. Team Zagan was seriously partied out after the past week’s semi-continual imbibing of rioja and vino del casa! Tale sharing was curtailed by our need to sleep, but those guys’ Dethleff’s wander-wagon has remained parked next to us, so we’ll make a second attempt at gregariousness ce soir.
Matt and Jo – touring Europe for a year. Lucky swines! Ah, hang on a mo…
Today news flooded the internet-o-sphere that terrorists opted to murder scores of unsuspecting and innocent folks in Paris. It came to us before breakfast, and we chewed over pancakes, pondering life. “All of France’s borders are closed!” people said on Facebook. Nah, fortunately although our Gallic neighbour’s government will no doubt be shaken, but they’re not fools. Terrorism’s hope is to leverage the fearsome effect of their butchery into a gain far beyond what they’ve actually done (the same number of people killed in this attack die on French roads roughly every 14 days). The only way to defeat it, or at least manage it (IMHO) is for governments to conduct covert operations on our behalf, while the rest of us live our lives to the fullest, ignoring it as best we can. That’s our plan anyway. The party goes on – get it up you extremists.
The honey-stone hilltop top we’re currently camped outside used to be called simply Sos, which I find much-endearing (it means ‘sorry’ in my home town’s slang). Until King Ferdinand the second was born here that is, when ‘Del Ray Católico’ was added – ‘of the Catholic King,’ which seems a wee bit more pompous. Population: 662, so the birth of royalty here hasn’t much added to the town’s girth. Something we’re thankful for, as it’s a wonderfully calm and quiet place to float along in. You can walk around it in 15 minutes, attempting to absorb 1000 years of history, wondering where those 662 people are all hiding, and scratching your head at the fact any of the buildings are still standing (some are held up by a 3D trellis of scaffold sat in a swimming pool-sized box of concrete).
The other news: it’s lashing it down in Blighty. Sorry folks, I truly am, but this news has a singular effect on me: Joy. Clouds exist here, but they’re wispy, pathetic things. The camera, which was presumably designed for a British level of dim light can’t cope with the intense glare here. Even in mid November it’s 20 degrees, the solar panel is putting out a steady 3 amps, and I’ve been sat on the van’s step to read Ted Simon in my prescription sunnies.
I made a foray out earlier, steering a path in my scuffed boots up the small hill out of which sprouts the anachronistic telecoms mast. From up there I brushed about the grass for a bit, wondering at what fanged snakes might live here, before popping my butt down for a stare around at the town, wooded hillsides and distant mountains. Part of it went on fire for a few minutes, gushing a hosepipe of murk into the air before the fire brigade raced over and put it out – a restaurant was apparently to blame.
Vultures swam the skies above in droves, I counted 20 at one point. The camera attempted to remember the sight, grabbing a few dots-on-blue. One swooped down, thick legs stretched out. And another, then more, all landing over the crest of a stony hill just below. I scrabbled down towards as more and more of them cruised in and disappeared. Afterwards I noticed the stench of rotting flesh, and the fact I was scrabbling about the town rubbish dump to get to the edge. Leaning over, the sight of all 20 vultures flapping their car-door wings and hopping over the carcass of a dead sheep will never leave me. Get the hell in! I was so excited and surprised (and myopic), any attempt to grab a decent photo was doomed. As soon as they got a whiff of my own foetid stench they flapped off in twos and threes to form a new column in the sky, pure Western movie material. I wondered for an instant if they might all pop down and simply eat me? One sat its ground for a while, before it too took off. I hung around for a while, buzzing and trying to hide under a bush with a clear sight to the fly-addled pile of inflated bloodied wool, but they refused to return. Don’t blame ’em.
Phew. Anyway, Team Zagan’s recovery day seems to have done the trick, and our new rendez-vous is lined up with Matt and Jo this evening. I’ve volunteered to knock up a prawn and chorizo risotto, wish me luck (if all else fails, I’ll ensure I sink any remaining vino blanco from the ingredients and sulk outside).
Message on our Spanish neighbour’s motorhome to the police: we’re only parked up, we’re NOT CAMPING!
Aragonese letter box savage’s Ju’s fingers off!
Lemon sorbet consumed by over-hairy sun-baked monkey man as his paddle-board wetted shorts make a final attempt to dry in the background.
Cheers, Jay
“… lashing it down in Blighty. Sorry folks, I truly am …”. Rain and grey skies yes, but that’s how we like it in Blighty! Sun gives you unwanted skin conditions and all sorts of other dreadfuls. Turning the collar up and pulling the beany over your ears … the stuff of legend I say … lol
Raining outside – Bottom’s up!
JUST WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO TO UNSUBSCRIBE??????
I FILL IN THE FORM ENDLESS TIMES
I POST COMMENT ASKING POLITELY
STILL THE EMAILS KEEP COMING
I DO NOT EANT THEM !!!!!!!
Stop sending
Hi Steve
Which email address do you want to unsubscribe mate? Just sent it to me at julieandjason@ourtour.co.uk and I’ll remove it immediately.
Cheers, Jason
JUST WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO TO UNSUBSCRIBE??????
So again
I FILL IN THE FORM ENDLESS TIMES
I POST COMMENT ASKING POLITELY
STILL THE EMAILS KEEP COMING
I DO NOT EANT THEM !!!!!!!
Stop sending
And again
JUST WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO TO UNSUBSCRIBE??????
I FILL IN THE FORM ENDLESS TIMES
I POST COMMENT ASKING POLITELY
STILL THE EMAILS KEEP COMING
I DO NOT EANT THEM !!!!!!!
Stop sending
Finally
JUST WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO TO UNSUBSCRIBE??????
I FILL IN THE FORM ENDLESS TIMES
I POST COMMENT ASKING POLITELY
STILL THE EMAILS KEEP COMING
I DO NOT WANT THEM !!!!!!!
Stop sending
Hi Steve
Searched the database this morning and packmansteve@aol.com is in there and I’ve deleted it. Just noticed that the email address associated with this comment is packmansteve@aol.con, I wonder if that was the problem (the ‘n’ at the end instead of an ‘m’) – to unsubscribe exactly the same email address has to be entered as was used to subscribe.
Anyway, hopefully sorted now and you’ll not get any more notification emails – apologies for any inconvenience caused, I know it can be frustrating. If you do get any more messages, just send me a message to julieandjason@ourtour.co.uk and I’ll investigate.
Cheers, Jason
Your vultures were griffon vultures. Them and black vultures are a common sight in Spain and I knew it would only be a matter of time before you found them. They can be quite disconcerting, though!
Look out for eagles which are surprisingly common. You are most likely to see golden eagles, then possibly bonelli’s eagle. In the southern half of Iberia is the rather grand imperial eagle and during the winter a spotted eagle or two. If you are really lucky you could even catch a glimpse of a lammergeier, you never know. They drop bones from a height onto rocks and roads to break them open.
There are other interesting and colourful birds which never fly to Britain.
Keep those cameras at the ready.
Cracking, thanks for the info Baz, exciting to think we might spot an eagle or two! We’ll try and get photos of any unusual birds, but I might leave that one to Ju; my eyesight and reflexes just aren’t up to it! Cheers, Jay
Hi,
We have just returned after an 11 week epic!
We passed within a hundred miles or so, but we were chasing a ferry this time, sorry!
Now we have proper internet, we’ll follow avidly, keep enjoying the lifestyle
Mike n June
I would love to subscribe…….hunting for a Hymer! So hard!
Great to see the vultures! Not sure what the current legal position is in Spain (and Italy) regarding diclofenac. It’s a horrible veterinary drug that has decimated Indian vulture populations – most species of vulture in India are now critically endangered, having suffered 98% population crashes in just a few years after introduction of diclofenac. (And interestingly, but not surprisingly, the crash in vulture numbers caused huge increases in human health issues in India because of the piles of rotting flesh that was no longer being efficiently removed. The consequent of this has been that local government is having to spend considerable sums to collect and bury dead animals, to reduce the health issue. An added financial drain on an already financially strained country.) Diclofenac is now banned in India and there are several captive breeding schemes trying to build up the vulture numbers again, although it will take many decades to re-establish proper populations. Despite this very clear lesson, the European parliament was debating last year whether to legalise the drug in Europe. And then I kind of lost track of the debate and missed the final outcome (or perhaps it’s still being debated?). Anyhow… hail the vultures, just in case they’re not there for much longer.