Life at the old homestead

UDATED FROM 2011!

Life at the old homestead
The modern world encroaching on the old

Please refer my comments to the header photo.

This scene is somewhere beyond picturesque Ares with its medieval prison cell in front of the church and before the beautiful town of Cantavieja. It struck me because it presides over the landscape, ancient, in a time warp, untouched, and yet if you look closely, you can see the modern world encroaching on it piecemeal.

Houses added on to other houses in the country for family members
Houses added on to other houses in the country for family members

As piecemeal as the collection of buildings that would have been typically added to accommodate various family members and their spouses, some with caved in roofs (perhaps these members went to the cities to find jobs?), others with “make do” roofs for the animals, and others clearly still inhabited.

Cows grazing peacefully, oblivious to the times to come
Cows grazing peacefully, oblivious to the times to come

In the fields to the left cows graze contentedly, black, mottled, white, a hardy collection of mixed breeds. The fields are still divided by dry stone walls, and the whole ensemble imparts bucolic charm. Yet, if you look to the hill at the right you see the tops of wind farms rising over the brow. They look quite diminutive here, but  travel the road on and round the corner.  Here they dominate the landscape, a long line of gigantic windmills twirling away in the never ending expanse.

Windwmills everywhere in El Maestrat
Windwmills everywhere in El Maestrat

Now, look even closer and you will notice the electricity poles at the edge of the homestead’s fields. SO they have juice you think? No, they don’t, the poles and lines carefully skirt outside the edges of the fields, probably so that the Spanish electricity company does not have to pay rent for placement on private land.

The magnificent El Maestrat under threat with the encroachment of wind farms creating energy for other countries

At an average cost of 10,000 euros (2010) to connect to a nearby pylon, there would be no way this place could afford it. Note the lack of satellite dishes and antennae on the roofs. Note the aging pick-up truck. The world may be encroaching on it, but this place goes on just the same, in its own cocoon. Actually, a nice cocoon. For now…

 

6 Comments

  1. Ingrid Spiegl
    August 14, 2023
    Reply

    It looks charming but a little bleak. Hard to live without electricity and mains water once you’ve experienced the luxury of being on a mains supply. Are wind farms the answer? Probably not; they’re blots on the idyllic landscape and not totally eco- friendly as you graphically described in a previous blog.
    But as ever, beautiful photographs and words. Love your blogs!

    • stephanie de leng
      August 14, 2023
      Reply

      I do agree. I do not have mains electricity nor mains water either. It is a challenge but I love it. I realise the importance of more eco fuel, but I also realise that poor communities are suffering for these fuels without any benefits in their areas.

  2. Carol Charlton
    August 10, 2023
    Reply

    Well done….increasingly and urgently needs exposing – exploitative capitalism invading rural Spain

    • stephanie de leng
      August 10, 2023
      Reply

      Yep

  3. July 23, 2011
    Reply

    I’m having a tiny problem I can’t seem to be able to subscribe your feed, I’m using google reader by the way.
    My site is on Wedding ideas.

    • stephanie de leng
      July 24, 2011
      Reply

      Can you subscribe now?

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