HOUSE IDIOSYNCRACIES/VILLAGE SERVICES

IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:

You will soon learn to watch your head as some of the doorways seemed built for small people. For burros, or mules, actually.

The plants need to be watered daily.

Please try not to drip wax everywhere from the dining room candle set-up

If light bulbs blow, replace from a small reserve contained in what looks like a tan shoebox on the kitchen shelves. If there's none, obviously buy some.

Obviously, as anywhere, if anything you use runs out, throw out the used package or item and replace it if you can/want.

Often without warning, the local council can disconnect water supply in the street, to clear pipes from the dried whitewash dust. It happens rarely but it can happen, usually in the mornings. It always comes back on after an hour or so. It's not unpaid bills.

If you use any heaters (rare), please make sure to turn them off after use.

We obviously try to keep things clean but it would pay to give some items a quick clean before use, such as cutlery or plates, as they may have gathered dust.

The general rule is leave things as and where you found them assuming you found them in good condition.

Sweep out when leaving, please.

As you leave, throw sheets/towels/teatowels in the washing machine - even the futon covers, if they look like they need it. The best washing machine setting is "10." It goes for about 40 minutes. Neighbour Thereza will bring in when appropriate but don't ask her to do it. She's not the hired help, just a neighbour who keeps an eye on the place.

If something breaks, try and fix it if it's a smallish thing. Otherwise let us know. Open doors where you can, particularly the library room under the patio and the bathroom, and shake out rugs when sweeping if need be. Maybe you could air and sun the bathroom mats if they get wet. You may also wish to air and sun the duvets/futons for an afternoon, bang them a bit and freshen them up, particularly if it has been wet. Feel free to move the small kitchen table to the patio for the sun.

Most things, while sometimes appearing decorative, are actually functional such as big Moroccan plates, jugs, vases etc.

Please do not leave without cleaning up the place. It's no fun for the next person. You will easily find brooms etc.

TOILET

(More relevant if there are many people in the house at once)

Before you groan "uggh," it should be said Vejer is fully plumbed and toilets generally work as anywhere. Where it occasionally differs is that the ancient village plumbing hasn't yet fully accepted the notion of toilet paper. The plumbing pipes are sometimes not big enough and can clog up with paper with frequent use. Thus, many locals do not flush toilet paper but rather wrap it up after use in more clean toilet paper and place in a reseptacle/plastic bag next to the toilet, disposing it every day, or more. This is common in many places in southern Europe and it happens in our house too, particularly when there is a lot of people en casa. The solution is that we have a small pedal bin next to the toilet, which is lined by a plastic bag, usually a shopping bag, to be replaced daily when the rubbish goes out. It may sound unhygienic or smelly. It isn't. Of course, the toilet will accept a certain flow of paper but not too much, especially if there is a few people in house and usage is frequent. A few people should be alright though we suggest you do as others do and follow this method, largely because the extreme effects of the alternative are to horrible to contemplate. (At which point you ask Thereza for a plumber, Juan the fontanero.) Try normal use for a day or so and see if the pipes are clearing adequately. It may not clog when you are there but it might for the next person, which might even be you and, of course WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

RUBBISH:

The rubbish, basura, is collected every night except Saturday by a truck that comes around about 9-10pm. Gather your rubbish, put it in a plastic bag and leave it tied up on the opposite side of the street in front of our house, or with other people's rubbish. The service is paid for out of a direct debit to a local bank account. Rubbish time is yet another opportunity Vejeriegos avail of to gossip.

GAS:

The cooking and hot water gas is bottled and is called butano. If its low, you buy a new one from El Bazar in the plazuela, near the convento. We have an account there. Occassionally, Wednesdays or Saturdays, you can hear the little gas tractor coming around on deliveries. If you run out, as determined by the weight and sloshing around or lack thereof in the orange bottle, get a new one otherwise you have cold showers. Spanish law is that you must return an empty one to buy a full one. It's very boring if you vacate the house with the bottle low because the last thing a newcomer wants is to have to buy a new one on arrival, particularly when they are tired from travelling and could use a shower but have no hot water. We always keep a spare and others should too so buy a new one when one runs out, always keeping two on hand, one in use and one spare. A replacement bottle costs around 10 euros (about $US9). If in doubt about this ask Thereza.

TO TURN ON GAS (BUTANO) AND HWS:

Novices may have some grief but its pretty simple. If in trouble Antonio or Thereza are used to helping.

1. Connect orange butano bottle to rubber hose by placing fitting firmly over nozzle/outlet and firmly clamping it down so that it doesn't easily come off.

2. Flick the little black lever on the top of the orange gas bottle to see a little picture of a flame on the lever's underside. That means the gas is flowing.

3. Turn the tap on the steel pipe leading the HWS to the vertical on position - pushing it in to turn, allowing gas flow.

4.To turn on HWS, repeatedly click/switch the big button/lever until you get a pilot. Hold in the pilot-ignition position until the pilot ignites (about 15-30 secs) and bring it back to the permanent user position of active. If in doubt, call Thereza!

5. The oven is electric but the hotplates are gas/butano. To use simply flick the black switch to flame position on the gas bottle. You can either leave the HWS on pilot the whole time you are there or turn off at nights and when you go out to save gas.

ELECTRICITY:

Should be on but if its not, you might wish to get Antonio or Thereza to help you turn it on. There is a fuse box on the left as you walk in the front door and its pretty idiot-proof. The account is paid through a direct debit to the electricity company. The word for electricity is "electricidad" and Spanish commonly say "luz," (pronounced looth) which means light.

THE KITCHEN:

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