In protest I parked my car as close as possible to my house, some meters away - stopped by the blocks she has put there to stop cars coming up. I said I would remove it only when she has removed her wall, the very next day her son had arrived from Altea (4hrs away - oddly enough none off her kids live nearby, I am now beginning to see why!). So 8:55 on a Sunday morning (I’m still in my nighty) I hear Windy, Windy at my gate (a familiar sound), can I not have one lie in a week!
Her son is there at my gate wanting to talk to me, I was actually quite pleased as I thought sense would prevail and he would understand why I was upset. I said the same thing to him, I’ll move my car if you move the wall - before I knew it the Guardia Civil were there making me move my car. I felt very helpless and in hind sight I should have pleaded ignorance and requested a translator, I ended up getting very angry as I felt under attack and when you are trying to get across how you are feeling in another language it becomes very difficult.
Once they had gone, I asked Maria why she had built the wall and all she could say was that she wanted easier access to her roses. She is in her seventies and has lived there all her life, why now? I then said to her son if he lived in my house and that had been built, would he find it acceptable - he couldn’t give me an answer - I must admit in my anger I did say I thought he would have the intelligence to acknowledge my upset - and understand my reasoning - I said that obviously he was not the intelligent man I thought he was! At one point he did try and persuade Maria to move the wall but she was having none of it. It also turned out she has no permissions so guess where she was off to the next morning with a smug look on her face.
It has now come down to a legal issue which means denuncia and a decision for the courts. I can’t afford it but equally I can’t let her get a way with it without a fight.
I read an article recently in eye on spain about why people move back.
http://www.eyeonspain.com/spain-magazine/returning-home.aspx
This is the first time I have really thought that I would probably prefer not to be living here. But with things how they are in the UK, where would we go? My husband is going to the UK next month to try and find work and I must admit my feelings are very much that if he can get a job there, I will be on the next plane home to follow him - no easy task with 4 kids in tow!
I thought the funny foibles of these elderly Spanish quite quaint when I first moved here, living 50 years behind was quite appealing. But I have had other issues - like not being allowed Iberbander by my entire neighbourhood for fear of cancer! And I suppose this has made me realise that I am now ready to move back into the real world - with all it’s problems.
September 26th 2008
I am hoping my problem is going to be resolved soon. I went to see the townhall a week ago and a very understanding mayor immediately sent up the local police and architect to look at the offending wall. Via a contact there I was told that a letter was going to be sent to her to either remove the wall or the townhall would do it for her and she would have to pay. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I returned home to find the posts had been removed and it looked like the wall was also going to be removed! I am still going to pursue a legal right of way as I don't think Maria will just let it go with out a fight.
What I find very sad is that the relationship my family and I had with Maria has been ruined and unlikely to ever go back to how it was before. There is now an atmosphere everytime I leave my house and have to walk passed her which is a real shame as I enjoyed our daily chats as I'm sure she did too.