Spain update April 2024
Wednesday the 4th of April 2024
After taking 2 days to recover from the trip to Spain, I am going to try to write you as accurate as possible a report of the past few weeks starting with the arrival of co-driver Dirk Buffalo who arrived the day after Dirk's birthday (thanking everyone for the congratulations!!!) on the 12th of March.
After a difficult "postnatal" hunting season, dozens, and dozens of galgueros who wanted to get rid of their galgos had to be put on the waiting list as the shelter was still overcrowded. The reason why Anne and Fred and Marianne and her assistant did not come to sterilize was because there were still more than 250 galgos in the shelter waiting for adoption, all of whom had been sterilized or castrated by them. Anyway, without wishing to repeat myself it was a difficult period full of conscience and stress that we could do little about in the end because adoptions were significantly reduced after the corona period. During the pandemic, everyone wanted to have a dog but once the terrible period was over, most people had other ambitions. Travelling and relaxation were two of them, which caused the adoptions to drop and, despite the increased costs of petrol, toll fees, etc., we only drove 30 galgos to Belgium instead of 50... In Belgium, even very old and long-adopted dogs were returned after corona with a fallacy because they suddenly got in the way of the planned relaxation/travels and other festivities. Sad but a fact. Older dogs that had been in the shelter for years and I absolutely wanted to give a chance I had to put on the site as fortune seekers because if not they were there till the end of their days and they deserved better after their miserable history. Fortunately, there were always good souls who gave them a chance and good souls who stayed loyal to us and the galgos and accounted for some of the new adoptions because it is not exceptional that almost a third of adopters on adoption days are old faithful, idem on events. Just as usual we do what we can and the Saturday before adoption day I traditionally phoned all adopters on the 9th of March to agree on the hour they were expected on the adoption day. Usually, the call is a success because many are waiting for my call. If I do not get them on the line, I leave a message asking them to call back. A few hours later, after getting everyone on the line in the afternoon, I left yet another message on the answering machine of Carioca's adopter urging him to call back. To my frustration again without success so I angrily voiced a final message that the adoption was off, and he did not need to call back, so far.
On Tuesday the 12th of March Dirk B arrived and, after having literally and figuratively pampered the van, the gentlemen left for Belgium on Thursday with 21 lucky ones, among them a few old fortune seekers, Curo of 7 years old as an extra and our 8 dogs. I was spared a stressful plane trip because Dirk returned to Spain by return flight in the evening after the adoption day because we drove together to Belgium with the car that had to go to the car inspection in our home country. It was not the only vehicle that had to be inspected, we also had an appointment with the FOD that same week to come and inspect both our GINB vans that had to comply with all the strict rules and standards applicable to international dog transport. When the drivers had left with their precious cargo, I walked around the garden of the quiet Casa Belgica and came to realize that I could not get used to not having dogs around me. I walked upstairs to my studio because I had given myself the task and promised Dirk to finally finish the painting of the late Leopold 2 while I was alone. When I entered the veranda, Lili, and Bella, the two street cats that Dirk had been feeding for a few weeks looked at me haughtily from their donut and so I hurried to put fresh water and milk and refill their food bowl. After discussion, they volunteered to inspect everything but whether they approved my service remains to be seen...As always, during the trip I received the necessary phone calls with the status of the passengers on board who were as always well behaving and calm, the traffic jams and the weather forecast on the spot etc.... At 3:00h, I got a call that our reception team Martine, Nensie and Kevin had unloaded, cared for, fed, and put to bed the dogs and everything was okay. He was home by now, went to bed for a few hours and would be back on standby at 8:00h to go to Hof Rosa Canina, clean the van, receive the vet etc. Then he would do the necessary shopping for the adoption day. Knowing from long experience that adoption days are always very busy, I did not disturb him on Saturday and waited for news. That news arrived around 14:00h with the sound and pictures of the staff eating cake and waving at me. Everything went well; everyone was happy with their "new" family member. The photos to immortalize the moment had been taken and finally in fact a total "picture". The umpteenth yet in our career. At 17:30h he called from the train to say that he was on his way to Zaventem, an hour before he reached the airport. About six hours after his first phone call, he arrived at Casa Belgica by taxi.
After a one day’s rest, we left for Belgium on Monday the 18th of March with an overnight stopover near Bordeaux because I can no longer sit too long rides due to my back problems. I would regret it. The little hotel looked special to say the least. Bright pink corridors, black rooms with beds where the mattresses lay on low smooth wooden bed trays. Not easy to get into bed let alone lie in it because once you were in it, the mattress shifted on the slippery surface and the slightest movement caused the sheets to come loose. It became a nightly calvary. Anyway, the supper in a kind of refectory was not bad, the audience special. The fact that a border collie walked in through the open terrace doors during supper and skimmed all the tables caused general consternation. We were the only ones to pet the poor animal and protect it under our table from its angry owner. Dirk eventually managed to take the frightened dog outside where its owner was looking for it. After a miserable night, both Dirk and I were happy to get up and, after a modest breakfast, get back on the motorway for the next 850 km even with Paris as a bonus.... Luckily for Dirk, we did not know then that 2 accidents would have happened on that cursed Parisian ring and it would take us more than 2 hours before we could leave it behind us again and were on the road to Belgium. Around 6 o'clock we arrived in De Pinte and before going home we had to go to the supermarket because we had nothing in the house to eat or drink. Sigh... Needless to say, I was at my wits' end. On top of that, I hated shopping and wanted to go home. At home, I learned that meanwhile Turbo had been adopted and returned by a "recommended" lady who loved dogs a lot but managed to tell me that Turbo was so well-behaved and so sweet and so clean but that after 2 days, yes you read right, there was no attraction, and she had no connection with him...!!? Incredible, anything is good enough to get rid of a dog isn't it, no compassion. The same evening, he was immediately retrieved by Nensie and Sabine from the East Flanders region, because they did not want to leave Turbo where he was not wanted for a minute longer. As for Carioca, who was allowed to go with Yolanda after the adoption day to recover from the trip and her wrong adoption, she was safe in Limburg with Yolanda, about her I did not have to worry. Anyway, for both, their "misfortune" was also their good fortune because a few days later, 2 faithful adopters came forward, one of them adopted Carioca and the other adopted Turbo, who had meanwhile been picked up by , Yolanda’s husband, at Nensie and Sabine in East Flanders. All is well that ends well for everyone, especially for the dogs and me. That meant less worry, stress, headaches, and fretting. Both were where they needed to be via a diversion. It was planned that way; it was written in the stars....
After a few days' rest, we left for Balen on Saturday the 23rd of March to help set up the venue for the walk the day after. I was so tired of driving through nerve-wracking traffic chaos and bad weather that there seemed to be no end in sight. I was more than relieved when we finally got there and were able to greet the staff who were already in full swing installing tables and chairs. Once the formalities were over, we also made ourselves useful. The hall was like a beehive, with activity everywhere. Claire and Martine took care of the GINB shop, Raymond took care of the food vouchers, Yolanda and Kelly set up the Warm & Cosy stand, Dirk B and little Dirk did the bar, Kevin and I cut the paper tablecloths and decorated the tables with the decorations made by W&C, meanwhile Kevin's sister busily walked in and out of the kitchen to make preparations for the next day, etc....Very much work for so few people but we got there. The day after, our team was reinforced anyway. Nancy Quide from the Antwerp region, Ann, and Nancy from the Brabant region and Nensie and Sabine from the East Flanders region came in to serve. Inge Mariman, our long-time kitchen princess, Kevin's sister, and Jean our eternal "King of the kitchen" came to keep the kitchen running. Big Dirk, and Ellen's Dirk set up the bar. In fact, the next day, with "my" Dirk and Dirk B added, there would be 4 Dirks in the bar. "Last but not least" Marie-Thérèse came to say goodbye with her WOW Shop. Enough helpers then. After a fruitful day, everyone went home, and Dirk and I went to sleep in a hotel nearby where we had been guests for years when events were organized in the area. Going back home was not an option for me. The day after, at 10 o'clock in the pouring rain, we arrived in the parking lot of the venue where mobile homes and cars were already parked, and adopters were walking around. It turned out to be a lively day with enough participants to completely fill the hall, it also turned out to be a very pleasant day, one with very good food, very good desserts, good service, lots of chatting and a nice dry walk as the weather gods decided to be kind to us. A fact which meant no one fell into a sinkhole as happened to Ann, the Brabant regional manager, last year. Anyway, to conclude there was a nice tombola and after the tombola and a last drink the hall slowly emptied. Then all that was left was to clean up the hall and the kitchen etc.... After fulfilling that duty, we had a drink together to the happy ending and thereafter everyone drove home. The next day, Kevin informed us that the hall was already booked for next year....
The day after the walk, Dirk left on Monday the 25th of March at 9:00h with the "youngest" van for Aalter where the old van is stored under the watchful eye of Raymond and Claire and the FOD was expected to inspect both. Even though Dirk maniacally cares for both his pet children, sparing neither expense nor effort, I was not reassured until the phone call came that the FOD inspector had declared that they had both passed with flying colors and he declared them good for service for the next 5 years. The following week my husband spent on GINB's bookkeeping and sending out the membership cards, a job that often kept him up till night. Despite this, he did not want any interference or help because he thought I had my own worries, and he preferred not to bother me because I had to read and answer mails and more mails from "interested parties" who sometimes asked the most idiotic questions. E-mails in all languages, often signed with just a first name or even nameless but with phone numbers to call them with info. As I do not want to leave anything to chance, I call and usually do not hear from the "interested parties" afterwards... This is the latest trend. A time-consuming activity for me and usually occupational therapy for the persons in question... Whatever it is, I also had to contact the Belgian shelter where a galgo had been taken in which, after contacting the shelter, I was told had been abandoned by its owners in the bathroom. Lucky that Nancy Quide from Antwerp had seen on FB that a shelter was putting a galgo up for adoption because after reading the chip it turned out to be a "GINB" galgo.
All is well that ends well because in the meantime everything has been arranged "ladylike" for the dog's new future, so far. In between, Dirk had to make time for a visit to the ophthalmologist who fortunately managed to tell him that his eyes were still fine. A boost that made him as happy as the fact that our car had passed the inspection with flying colours and was not expected back for another 2 years...Men and their cars and/or vans or mobile homes etc.... Whether those vehicles are big or small, most gentlemen are in love with their car or fleet and sometimes cherish it more than their respective wives....
Saturday the 30th of March, the day before departure, was spent doing the worleading up to the departure. Packing suitcases, loading van, clearing refrigerator, in between answering the last emails, and thinking about what I should not forget which means I would mostly forget. In the evening, Dirk B came to De Pinte who drove our car back to Spain in the wake of the van. Already lucky that Dirk's co-driver wanted to do that if not we did not know how to get our car back to Spain...Around 17:00h he was dropped off by daughter Paulien, who had once given him a quick course in brushing dog’s teeth and had flown back to Belgium with me and reminded him to be careful. As the night was an hour shorter this meant we had to go to bed "on time" and thus frozen pizza was on the menu, and we went "to sleep " at 23:00h. For me, that meant not sleeping a wink, going to the toilet about four times and getting up at 3:30h (i.e. 2:30h) because I needed enough time to put on my war colors and to be ready before the gentlemen claimed the bathroom 20 minutes later.
Dirk who was already in departure mode, which meant it was best to stay out of his way was the first. Dirk B, who also knows my Dirk, was the second...At 5 o'clock we left De Pinte behind and drove together towards Hof Rosa Canina to pick up our dogs. Easier said than done as they were frantic with enthusiasm, and it took more than 20 minutes before they were all on board and we could close the gates behind us. As we drove onto the motorway at 5:30h with Dirk B in our wake, Dirk muttered displeased that we had never left so late and a few drops fell on the front window, sigh. Late or not, to my delight it lasted just a few drops, but it was busy on the motorway, you can't have everything. As I watched the traffic I wondered, like Paul Jambers, what all those people were doing, where they were going and where they had come from at 6 o'clock in the morning on an Easter Sunday ... As it began to dawn and the moon faded, "our" Aire St Léger came into view, and we ate breakfast. Then the real work waited, more than 900 km of motorway to Castets where we spent the night. Fortunately, none of us knew what to expect....
After a short but cozy breakfast (my husband hates delays), we left for Paris. At 8:30h, under a timid morning sun, we drove onto the ring road where, incredibly but true, it was less crowded than usual! Maybe it was possibly because of Easter, Dirk suggested. Easter or not, barely 45 minutes later the sun had disappeared, and we drove onto the "direct" to Bordeaux under a dark cloud cover. As we devoured kilometers, the weather became grimmer. A strong wind came up out of nowhere, getting fiercer by the minute and chasing big raindrops ahead that splattered on the front windows. It made me feel cramped, got restless and started shifting back and forth in my seat, a signal well known to Dirk. The fact that the wind kept pounding and the rain alternating with hail got heavier and heavier made me more anxious.
While Dirk tried to keep the van on course, just before Poitiers, a loud and penetrating alarm sounded, scaring the hell out of us. At first, Dirk thought that the van was sounding the alarm for some technical problem, and he was frightened, he checked every possible light until I saw that it was not the van but his phone that alerted us. When I picked it up, it said on the screen that it was "Allerte ROUGE" for the area we were passing through and that anyone living on the water's banks should have their 'Kit' ready to flee!!! I could not believe my eyes and translated to Dirk what it was about. A second and third alert followed with the same message and a little later we saw pastures being flooded by washing water!!! Unreal images you only see on TV during the news.... We had no choice but to drive on and see if Dirk B followed. Under threatening dark purple psychedelic clouds bursting with doom there seemed to be no end to the still 250 exhausting kilometers to Bordeaux. When I looked back at the dogs, they had a blasé air of ‘we have seen it all’. About 20 km from the wine city, the sky cleared on the horizon, and we drove onto the ring road under the watery sun. As in Paris, fortunately for us, it was still quiet, and the big crowd was not yet returning home. Half an hour later, when we drove towards Castets and started the last 120 km, the meager sun was driven away by rain clouds and, to our great frustration, big raindrops fell again. All I could think about was the dogs' obligatory half-hour jog in the hotel's fenced parking lot and their supper afterwards.
Unfortunately, when we reached our destination, it was pouring rain and there was nothing we could do but let them out in the rain which they found quite fun after the long journey and chased each other swiftly. The Dirks were slightly less enthusiastic. As it turned out that restaurant "La Tchanka" was closed and that applied to all weekends ahead, we had to look for dinner. Food we found thanks to friendly American hotel guests in the nearby Mc Donalds where, they assured us enthusiastically, they also had veggie because they were vegetarians too. So, there was nothing else to do but drive the three of us by car to our new "resto". Who would have ever thought that I mused wistfully, where were the days of Hyppopotame. Anyway, while tasting our supper at the Mc Donalds we had been looking at from our room for years (the resto is located with a dividing fence right next to our hotel), it continued to rain cats and dogs outside. At 22:00h, the Dirks let the dogs out one last time, after which everyone went to sleep exhausted.
When I entered the breakfast room at 8:00h, the elderly American couple who had saved us from starvation were waiting for me to say goodbye and to wish me well with the great work we were doing. Before they and their rabbit (yep) continued their journey to Portugal, they assured me that they continued to follow GINB on FB. So much for our new fans. Outside, the rain had stopped, and an uncertain morning sun was shining. However, the treetops told us that the squall had stayed, a fierce squall that would continue to haunt us throughout the Basque country and far beyond. As soon as we crossed the Spanish border, large, illuminated signs warned that it was "Semana Santa" and that the Holy Week had claimed 35 road fatalities the previous year. Not too surprising when you see Spaniards driving.... Most of them take no account of anyone or anything and imagine themselves alone on the road. They do not use direction indicators unless they were optional in Spain. They turn abruptly, crossing the lane diagonally. They prefer to drive in the middle lane. They accelerate when you want to overtake them. They sit talking and gesticulating without paying attention to the road. Their greatest hobby is overtaking just before they must take a turn, forcing you to slam on the brakes. Dirk gets homicidal. Dirk B is slightly more moderate but does not like them either and neither do I because they have almost given me a heart attack from fright on several occasions. Although the squall kept shaking the van all the way, there were long traffic jams in the opposite direction of the motorway, with thousands of cars recklessly rushing somewhere. Perhaps to some "Semana Santa" event who knows. Luckily for them and us, the weather remained dry but unpredictable and in the Somosierra an ultimate white surprise awaited us....
As we climbed, snow lay along the road and on the high peaks around us. The higher we drove up the Somosierra, the harder the wind tugged at our vehicle and the thicker the carpet of snow became. Rain, hail, squall, snow, sun, day, night, we had it all. Climate change or April whims or March showers would be in between for something I thought and worse... few drivers really cared. By the time we crossed the Madrid province sign while descending, the snow had disappeared. Another 120 Km and we were finally home. As I sat reflecting on the journey, something began to bother me...the young black male of barely 8-9 months who had been found just before our departure for Belgium with a horribly mutilated front paw was waiting for our return. As soon as I got home, I would call Dr De Frutos. The worrying had begun. An hour and a half later, Dirk followed by Dirk B drove into our "fleet" at Casa Belgica. The dogs knew as soon as we drove over the first speed bump of Avenida de Madrid that they were home and let it be heard in chorus. Now that they were there, they could not be let out soon enough. They had behaved exemplary as always so while the Dirks unloaded the van and car it was pee break and snack time. Once the cars had been relieved of their luggage and I had unloaded both our suitcases, I still had to make my "famous" spaghetti, sigh.... While the gentlemen drank an aperitif to the happy ending, I started with my sauce, tired but satisfied. After the successful supper and the usual compliments for my spaghetti, I divided the excess French bread among the dogs. When fat Loulou got an extra piece, she greedily took it out of my hand and almost ate my thumb! I heard my joint crack, and, to the Dirken's dismay, I screamed in pain. Within a minute my thumb started to swell like a filled mini hot air balloon and a few minutes later it was all the colors of the rainbow. After dinner the men watched TV and then Dirk B went to sleep because tomorrow morning, they had to leave for the airport at 6:00h because Dirk B was leaving on the first flight to Belgium. An hour later I went with one painful throbbing big purple thumb to bed and couldn't sleep at the thought that we had to get up again a few hours later. Although, when the gentlemen got up, I stayed in bed and thanked Dirk B again extensively for everything when he came to the room door to whisper goodbye. Dirk was home around 8 o'clock and slipped back between the sheets for half an hour. The dogs didn't care about the entire process and slept through everything, they were so tired, just like me. Not to mention my painful fat purple.
Tuesday the 9th of April 2024
After Dirk B left, I sent an email to Dr. The Frutos in which I told him that I had a young male with a broken leg and that it was probably an old fracture. In return, I received an answer that we had an appointment today at 9:00h, so Marie-Carmen brought the young galgo male to us at 8:00h. Even though we have seen quite a few broken legs, we were both shocked when we saw the poor animal. He could barely walk on his terribly deformed right front leg and to think that judging by his condition, the loser must have been wandering around like this for weeks in the inaccessible rough hinterland. Fortunately, someone had called and brought him to the shelter. Either way he was safe with us, and we would make sure he got the best treatment possible. When Dr. De Frutos saw it, he immediately agreed that it was indeed an ugly old fracture. Photos were taken, then he underwent a scan and in the meantime his blood was tested for all possible tropical and other diseases.While he was still under anesthesia, Dr. De Frutos informed us of his less than promising findings. Due to the never treated fracture, the leg was completely deformed in both directions, forward and inward. To fix that, his bones had to be broken and replaced with 3D made replacement parts that were secured with 3D made clamps. A tough job. It would take 2 weeks for the pieces to be ready and would require a complicated and expensive operation and long rehabilitation... If we could do that was of course self-evident. The poor little boy deserved it so much, he was so brave and above all so innocent. That is why he is called Innocent in French. It suits him and Dirk is a big fan of the series “Uncles”, and so am I. As soon as we got home, Innocent decided he wanted to stay. He followed me everywhere, met the dogs and ate his first supper with them, a big event. Then he lay down in a donut in the living room and slept like a baby all night. He has been here for 3 days now, comes to welcome us in the morning together with the others, walks behind me everywhere, crawls on my lap and lays his head on my chest, lies at my feet. Sad, sad... I have a follower and fan... And our dogs... They think their own way and let Innocent take it easy...
