# The Village That Time Forgot - Parada De Rubiales



## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

After my dissappointing visit to Valladolid earlier today - a modern city in which architects (particularly the stoned ones of the cement laden sixties) have ruined the landscape IMHO I found this place at lunchtime as we stopped a few hundred yards from the roadside.

I couldnt help but wander about and snap a few pix - I am sure the locals thought I was a nutter... :lol:









We parked up behind the church.

The place was very quiet and I only saw and said 'hola' to three people.









I peeped into the window thinking it was a shed - its someones house!









This was one of the more 'complete' houses  next door to the one above









The house next to the church

And then I found their 'other' church









and the view of the main street...









and finally - the most colourful house in the street - not sure about the stainless steel front door but...










I think its amazing that people still live such simple lives in this day and age


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

wow quite a place


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

shame about the dirty big motorhome blocking the view in picture one :lol: 

There are thousands of such villages in Spain, but what makes you think life is simple, behind the doors and blinds they have all the mod cons, running water, electric, broadband, TV, computers. 

What a lot do not have is a shop, not even a food shop, a bank and public transport is terrible. Oh, and as for jobs, forget it

There is always another side to paradise.


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

In some of these village you have to look hard to find the shops they do not have shop fronts just a small sign if that above the door. 

Our friends live opposite a butcher you you never know as the sign did not face the road.

In Portugal we where looking for the baker and had to back track the people passing us with bread back to a plain door in a house we walked in to find a huge bakery but no outward sign of it.

Andy


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

thieawin said:


> shame about the dirty big motorhome blocking the view in picture one :lol:
> 
> .


It ain't dirty and after nearly five weeks in it - it doesnt feel that big... 

I posted these pix on another (VW Cars) forum and as someone pointed out Spain is (to quote him) 'dirt poor'. We see big houses/car and fancy cities all right but I am guessing there is a huge 'gap' between certain classes - unlike UK where someone claims they are poor because they have the iPhone that wont make a video or they cant renew their 2 year old car.


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

We have a converted farm house in rural Spain. We visit regularly and are able to spot the hidden shops. Spain is not "dirt poor". That is really insulting to the Spanish, but it has economic woes and high unemployment. The difference in Spain between the Franco era, when I first visited, and now is vast. Economcally and socially

Yes the unemployed are in a bad situation and so are migrant workers, especially in agriculture or of Morrocan descent, the latetr of whom generally work the land and are discriminated against (they were brought over to fight for Franco and then settled as a reward, and a punishment to the republicans whi were disposessed, and are outsiders as francoists and disposessor descendants, arab and muslims)


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

thieawin said:


> We have a converted farm house in rural Spain. We visit regularly and are able to spot the hidden shops. Spain is not "dirt poor". That is really insulting to the Spanish, but it has economic woes and high unemployment. The difference in Spain between the Franco era, when I first visited, and now is vast. Economcally and socially
> 
> Yes the unemployed are in a bad situation and so are migrant workers, especially in agriculture or of Morrocan descent, the latetr of whom generally work the land and are discriminated against (they were brought over to fight for Franco and then settled as a reward, and a punishment to the republicans whi were disposessed, and are outsiders as francoists and disposessor descendants, arab and muslims)


Very informative
Thanks


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

thieawin said:


> ... Spain is not "dirt poor". That is really insulting to the Spanish,


Just to clarify - not my descriptiont - I was merely quoting...

I still reckon there are huge gaps between the well off and the not well off. 

Spain is clearly no pooer than any other country - both France and Spain are clearly able to spend public money well with good parks and public areas despite apparently low taxation. The UK needs to learn how to use its (tax created) funds in better ways - we dont 'enjoy' anything like the facilities we have seen duting our visit so far. But as we know the UK govt is good at spending money on hare-brained schemes and red tape 

With water shortages/street lighting turned off/minimised council services/public WC's closed and non-existant it is close to a 'third world' country well behind 'most' of France and Spain.


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## simandme (Jan 11, 2011)

Thanks for the photos...just had a peek at your blog too. So jealous!! We'll be in Salamanca in 4 months time - yep the hottest time (not our choosing) - so if you find any must sees/eats/drinks, we'd love to know  

Every country has it's problems - greener grass etc. I love the distance in Spain and driving through a 'deserted' looking town...normally coz we're driving through siesta time :lol: 

If you get the chance go and see Merida - stunning roman ruins - just hide your aerial as they seem to have a penchant for them!


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

Many Spanish local authorities and townships have overspent, undertaxed, and have huge debts. Most villages have an ajunatment which has built a swimming pool and a sports facility, and generally been profligate, many have laid out plots, installed infrastucture, to attract additional population and thus revenue, and no one has bought or developed, and many can no longer afford to maintain, so they are abandoned, unkempt, the water is green, they are closed. No such thing as a public loo out here, well not for 25km where there is one in the private underground carpark in the nearest big town and another at the civic market. No library until there either. The bus service, apart from school service, which is full, is now on each way each day and they don't connect so you can go and return the same day, unless you use the school run. 29th April there was general strike, most locals downed tools, they are as concerned as us about the cuts.

We have football pitch about 500 yards away installed 10 years ago when there were only 4 houses within a kilometre. There are still only 8, I don't think it hasver been used, it has not been teneded for 5 years; the next village has a boarded up and abandoned lido with a green pool, but a hard soccer training pitch with artificial turf and flood lights completed only last year, built on concrete stilts on the hillside, huge expense, the pool has not been open in 5 years. I have never seen the pitch used, there is a primary school with 3 classes and 50 pupils.

The next, very small, town, population about 2,000 has just installed a new artificial astroturf surfaced, training pitch with lights, dugouts changing facilities and a club room bar. I have seen it being used, the area middle school 350 pupils, is nearby. 14+ year old students get bussed another 10 miles

The village in the other direction has a grass soccer pitch, still tended and watered, with lights and changing facilities and club house, two years old, never seen it used

I know what the local taxes are, and cannot see how they can afford any of this

We don't have terrestrial broad band, we are too far from the exchange, water is from a pumped supply from the local well (and we have had dry periods in summer but no ban as we are all on a meter, in theory) and electricity trips out at least once per week for several hours, the nearest shop and bar is 8km in one direction and 17 in the other (apart from a bread shop about 2km away). many houses are weekend homes for families whose forebears originally lived in the area.

The local junta de compensacion has been suspended by the courts over corruption allegations and its accounts frozen, we cannot pay our water charges into the account and there is no money to pay for any water supply repairs or maintenance, we had a new meter installed last year and the plumber rigged a temporary by pass whilst he installed, he did not get paid and has never returned to connect the supply through the new meter. 

It will all come tumbling down and either there will be defaults or huge local tax/ IBI rises. Our position is not unique or all that unusual.

However the place is idyllic. Don't get me wrong. But the concerns and problems are all too familiar. Actually not very different to the IOM (although we don't have all the pools, pitches etc) and my rates here (yes we still have rates in IOM) are 10x as much as in Spain.

Catalonia has been spending money like there was no tomorrow, still is.


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

Thanks for the pics
But if you travel to real Spain this is what it is like,try finding the shops much much cheaper than anywhere else.
These pic could be in any number of the villages within 10 miles of where i live.
Try some campsites here in the country only a few euros and they may even throw in a paella.


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