- Los Montesinos in the Vega Baja often sees small delays in travel caused by goats; cockerells crowing, parrots squawking – and church bells ringing!
Andrew Atkinson reports.
Living in Los Montesinos in the Vega Baja often means small delays in travel caused by goats; cockerells crowing, parrots squawking – and church bells ringing.
Likewise in Ribadesella, visitors have been warned about the reality of rural life.
Following complaints about braying donkeys, cowpats left behind by wandering cows and roosters awakening people, the mayor has put up posters.
“Last week we had a lady who called us three or four times over a rooster – waking her up at 5am,” said Ramón Canal, Ribadesella’s mayor. “She told us that we had to do something.”
What followed was a poster campaign – warning people of all the ‘risks’ of rural life.
Here we have church bells that ring out regularly, roosters that crow early in the morning and herds of livestock that live nearby, at times carrying cowbells that also make noise, reads the poster.
If you can’t handle all this, you may not be in the right place the posters state.
“One needs to realise that milk doesn’t come in cartons – it comes from cows – and that you have to feed and maintain them,” said the Mayor.
The idea for the posters came from a village in southern France, said deputy mayor Luis Sánchez.
In 2019, Saint-André-de-Valborgne, home to about 400 people, pushed back against petulant urbanites – with posters that warned of tolling church bells, clanging cowbells and crowing roosters.
“To hear a rooster crowing at night is normal. If you come to a rural hotel, you have to be aware that this is daily life in the villages,” said Sànchez.
The poster adds: If on the other hand you’re one of the privileged ones who can bear all this, you’ll enjoy the wonderful surroundings and the excellent products made by our fantastic farmers, ranchers or artisans. Enjoy Ribadesella!
Viva Los Montesinos!
