The taverna-come-inn everyone used to go to.

Outside Atzeneta just past Col de Basa (where all the mobile masts are) and on the way to Pelejaneta, there is a curious view. On the right side of the newish road, just past a bend, is an old house, Mas de Pere. What is curious about it is that the roof is more or less level with the road so it is really an old roof that seems to belong to nothing..

The bar was clearly very old - hardly any windows — The casa was clearly very old – hardly any windows

One day I passed it and saw a dirt track a little further on that looked like it might lead to this place. As it was hard and dangerous to turn into it, I drove on and after finding a safe spot to turn, went back to this track and parked at its beginning. You never know what lies further down!

The bar-stroke-inn, El Maestrat — The casa,, El Maestrat

I then walked on and quite shortly came across the building with the road level roof. I took a number of interesting photos, then entered Mas de Pere with much caution. It was a bit scary as everything looked like it was about to fall down at any moment.

The weight of years of tiles threaten, El Maestrat, Spain

Then I went back to my car and returned to Atzeneta, my initial mission put off to another day. I stopped at Fonda Gilber and not long after the man who possibly might know the house’s history came in. Miguel. I bought him a wine and showed him my photos. Indeed he did know!

The old bar was in a precarious state, Spain — The old casa was in a precarious state, Spain

It turns out that the place was once a taverna, a long time ago before the present road was built. Where I had stopped was more of a mule track, but nevertheless the only way to the inland, It passed directly in front of the bar and was run by a young pretty woman, Josepa, who had a slight disability so used a walking stick. She had a 12 year old disabled son. There was even a spare bedroom if someone needed lodgings and so it was not just a taverna, but a sort of inn. Just occasionally.

The decline was obvious, but still the colour of the walls was pleasing, Spain

Miguel’s father used to stop there regularly, as did many of the local men passing by. It was a cheerful and popular watering hole. When the first electricity poles and lines went up to give power to Atzeneta, the workmen made it a custom to drink there at the end of each shift. Josepa would even organise the occasional run and men played peyote outside the bar religiously. Times at Mas de Pere were fun. Sadly, when the present road was built, this lovely place ended up at the end of a redundant track, submerged,as it were, beneath the new road.

The lady went away with her son. No one knows where. And the inn started its slow but inevitable process of decay. There are so many like this, but I only heard about them in relation to families dashing off to the cities or factories with the promise of better paid work. But here, in this bar/inn there were some amazing details. Oh, the details! I wonder at their meanings for surely they mean something?

Surely these details have a specific meaning?, old Spain

These old abandoned casas had no value for those we left for work. In most cases they were built with their own hands. I have written about this before, but It bears repeating a bit here. Imagine coming across places with the table still set for a simple meal, and a calendar on the wall turned to the day, month and year of desertion. Often the beds – very small – were made up still and if you touched the thin blankets, they would literally disintegrate into dust. But this was an inn and a popular bar that was discarded for a proper road connecting Atzeneta to Pelejaneta, Val D’alba, and then a dual carriage way to Castellon. A concrete zone created from a natural organic one..

Interesting tiles associated with people who protected men from Franco — Interesting tiles associated with people who protected folk from Franco

I asked Miguel if he missed the old mule tracks because I knew he was very proud of his area and its history. “Oh no” he replied, “no, not at all! – In the old days it took us 8 hours to get to Castellon through all these winding tracks”.

The old mule tracks used by the early cars are still everywhere

A Citroen CV2 or similar was the usual transport then, something narrow and bouncy to deal with the unevenness, he explained. . Now it takes only 50 minutes”! Still, I thought, what is time, if time is hectic.

Bedroom of the old bar, el Maestrat, Spain

I imagined the relief the people felt arriving at this long ago bar, now collapsed and nameless in all senses. They could drink and eat and go home when they liked. Their wives would not know the difference. Neither would they know what their wives had been up to.

A very welcome watering hole for mules and folks alike, old Spain

I absorbed this. We always think the past was better. A romantic illusion perhaps, or perhaps not?. Miguel paused, and then added, “besides many of the mule tracks are still in use. If you want me to, I’ll show you some?”

Yes please, it’s a date!

PS. – I am getting a lot more very interesting information about this bar from locals, including its actual name so keep a watch for updates! It seems to have been even more important than I wrote in the lives around here.