Spain update 27 June 2025
Friday the 27th of June 2025.
After the past busy, overcrowded, exhausting and tiring weeks, today seems like the time to update you on past events, so... As you already know, Dirk left for Spain on Sunday after the adoption day of the 7th of June with Luc d'Artagnan who returned to Belgium on Tuesday the 10th of June after the completed performance. On Thursday, Dirk brought Titabah to the boarding house where her family was waiting for her and on Friday the 13th of June it was our turn to leave. It turned out to be Friday the 13th for a reason because at the last minute we received the message from Marie-Carmen that 2 galgos were waiting for our return. A little male with a broken leg and a little female with a mutilated leg who not only had to wait for us but also for Dr. De Frutos who was going on vacation leave... So, we left the next day, with the sad news and the first flight, also to our home country to visit the "Pajotten" hall team on Saturday and to be present at the "Pajotten" walk on Sunday. After having gone through the annoying hassle of leaving, arriving, waiting for assistance and renting a car, we arrived in De Pinte around noon where we first must provide ourselves with something to eat. While Dirk then took care of his PC and the incoming messages, I framed two watercolours for the raffle on Sunday… If we had thought that we would have any rest after that, not so, because we had an appointment at 18:00h for an interview that I had promised a few weeks ago, sigh… So, the rest was for later, I should have known. After one night in De Pinte, we visited the beautifully decorated hall of Tasch and Co the next day, Tasch’s Co of which Nensie & Sabine, Dirk Buffalo & Martine, Raymond & Claire and finally the duo Mario Van Overmeire & daughter Ines, were part. The latter two adopters had already made themselves useful on several walks and at Christmas markets and daughter Ines also made gadgets for GINB. As a thank you, I promoted them to event staff during the collective lunch. After coffee we drove to the hotel in Zaventem where we slept the next two nights before returning to Spain. Barely 16 hours later we arrived on Sunday the 15th of June, after a detour caused by the local horse procession, back in the hall where the first guests had already arrived and were sitting at the table… For me the start of a “conversation marathon”, for the staff the start of the service.
After the spaghetti, Peter Van Tricht took the obligatory group photo in the blazing sun, after which the walkers, led by the galgos, set off to start the walk. In any case, everything had been thought of, including bottles of water halfway, a refreshment that many people appreciated in the exceptionally hot weather. When everyone was back safe and sound, Tasch had given me the task and the honour and pleasure of taking the raffle tickets... A task that I am very bad at, because no matter how much I mix the tickets, I always draw the same names anyway... My only consolation is that it is not my fault that it is always the lucky ones who come out on top. After the raffle, we said goodbye and left for Zaventem, where we first must fill up the rental car before we brought it in. It turned out to be an impossible task, because there were dozens of cars queuing at all the service stations near the airport, so we returned the car without refueling and paid for the consumption on the spot without any problems. What luck, because I was exhausted and wanted to go to the room and rest and apparently Dirk wanted the same. Luckily, we had an afternoon flight the next day. The next day I thought differently because there were hundreds of travellers queuing or rather pushing each other and arguing to get through customs and whether you were in a wheelchair or not, none of them were friendly. Not to mention the luggage and the separate disabled “check”… At times the treatment is scandalous, even if you are full of prostheses and can hardly walk. Fortunately, we were on the plane to Madrid an hour and a half later and three hours later we had to squeeze through a wall of people at the arrivals to pick up our car in the parking lot and then drive to Casa Belgica in full rush hour. As much as I longed to be home it would take a long time because after having survived the rush hour, we still must stop in Xanadu to do some shopping, sigh. It was after six when we drove the car into quiet Casa Belgica where only the street cats welcomed us, and the pigeons and birds were waiting for their food. Tomorrow it would be different, then Dirk would go and get the dogs. The day after, the 17th of June, it was time and there was more ambiance in the house than we could handle. Especially Clementine and Clothilde were very happy to see us again, fortunately because I had feared separation and afterwards. Anyway, in the middle of all that hustle and bustle, Kevin and co-worker Ronny arrived three days later for a "working visit" until Sunday. Hopefully I was not so terribly unbelievably tired anymore and I could fulfill my task as hostess properly.
Today it is already a week ago that Dirk picked up Kevin and Ronny at the airport. After their arrival and the overwhelming introduction to our dogs, who were still in an exuberant holiday mood after their leave, I showed the gentlemen their room where they could store their luggage and where they would sleep for the next 2 nights. Then followed the usual tour of Casa Belgica and the clinic. After those "necessities" they were spoiled with my extensive lunch. A lunch that they could certainly use because they had been up and on the road since 2:30h and the worst was yet to come because at 15:30h they left with Dirk for the refuge and for that alone they could use a substantial reinforcement... So, a few hours after their arrival they visited Las Nieves and its many inhabitants and upon their return they were moved and angry and amazed at the size of the whole and especially the number of dogs that were waiting for a home and were dependent on us to do that job. Visit that they would not forget quickly because in the evening during dinner and the days after it was the reason for conversations, many questions and even more questions about the past and how it all started etc. They wanted to know everything, so we told them everything, that is the least you owe volunteers. On Sunday our gallant helpful gentlemen left again with more luggage than they had come. Baggage that you would not forget quickly because once you have seen the shelter and the dogs with your own eyes and felt their warmth, love, trust and hope with your hands, heart and soul, they will not let you go. I know that from 30 years of experience...
Now it is "calm" in Casa Belgica, well calm.... Last Thursday, because it was a cooler day (read 40 degrees), Dirk went to the shelter to take pictures of the galgos whose turn it was to be on the site. He took the pictures in the cooler "cathedral" (you know, the large hall that GINB had placed in front of the shelter years ago with the support of the members and supporters). He photographed males and females that are ready for adoption and are currently all on the adoption site thanks to his hours of work to put them all on a nice background. Now we are waiting for the return of Dr. De Frutos (who is on leave for a week) for a black male and a black female who have been walking around for weeks with a mangled leg. He already knows about it and will make an appointment as soon as he is back. Given the seriousness of the injuries, I fear that it will end with an operation. We will see. I will keep you informed...
Best wishes and thanks for everything.
Mireille
