Sunday 19 May 2013

Squatters Villa No More

 I've mentioned before that around the corner from where I live there's a little house that has been occupied by squatters for quite some time. Well, finally they've gone. I don't know when or how they were able to get them out. I certainly didn't hear any kind of scandal. As a matter of fact, I only realized they were gone when that metal building with the air conditioner, the blue metal portable toilet and the barriers appeared one day.

I decided to go out early this morning and take a photo, so that you can see how rundown this once lovely little villa was. You can see where a fire started a year or so ago on the second floor, not that that kept the squatters out for any longer than it took the firemen to put out the fire and the police to leave. It only meant they couldn't use that floor until things dried out. I hadn't noticed before that they'd changed the name from Villa Sara. Why must they scroll graffiti everywhere? I usually just walk past without looking. Anyway, I hope this construction company restores Villa Sara to some of its former glory. Believe me, the wreck you see isn't how this house used to look. There was a verandah on the second floor. It was a pretty little house. My neighbourhood is the only part of Madrid where you can find these little row houses from the 19th C.

On Friday I was reminded of the Betty Boop cartoon in which she goes to the country to get away from all the noise of the city, only to return to the noise of the city, since, for her, it's more bearable than the noise and bugs from the country. About 1 p.m., the time I'm having lunch, workmen started digging up the street with a jackhammer right outside my windows. So I had the noise from the construction of the supermarket across the street, the house around the corner and vibrating floors and noise from the jackhammer. I suppose they've finished with their digging, but the metal boards that were put down so the cars could go over the big ditch they left rattle every time a car goes by, which is every few seconds. People will be out in the street until late at night again as the bullfights continue. Noise! Noise!

Our lovely spring weather is hiding again. I even put on a hat when I went out earlier, and I'll be putting on the heating before I take a shower. Wednesday it rained really hard in Madrid and has rained every day since. So much rain in May is quite atypical as is the snow in the mountains. No worries. I know it'll soon be too hot for comfort.

That's about it for me. Hope everyone has a good week.      

3 comments:

  1. Hi Brenda! How exciting to see the squatters gone and restoration beginning! I hope someone has purchased the property and will bring it back to its original glory! Please keep us posted!

    How does the rain effect the bull fighting? People must be disappointed, if they traveled far to see bull fights and they keep getting rained out.

    It's funny how we get used to certain noises in our immediate environment, so that we don't even notice it. Joe's folks had a train track behind their house, and they got so they didn't even hear the trains go by. Wishing you a good week, too!

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  2. that does sound like lots of noise-but good the squatters are gone. we have been having very hot and humid mid summer type temps-I guess storms and cool down is coming though-you have a good week as well

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  3. That is great news that the squatters are no longer living there! I sure hope that someone restores this home back to its original beauty. We have had hot and humid weather the last week or so but I heard on Thursday our high temp is only going to be 62! Crazy weather! Have a wonderful week, Brenda!

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