Bisbal, Bills, Buffalos and Bulls

We hopped over to Spain, my friend Barbara and I. She wanted to get some tangines in Bisbal, a town that is 90% ceramic stores, sold at factory outlet prices. A large percentage of the products are made by local artists. It was our fifth trip and our favourite store is owned by Joseph and Carmen Torres, who also offer lessons in ceramics and a chance to try your hand in creating, setting them slightly apart from the other stores.

I had bought my bathroom mirror there, which is tiles with birds and branches, surrounding the mirror. The mirror is part of my goal to keep mass produced items out of my place, and only have things that I really, really love and use regularly. Even my dustpan is a signed work of art by am American artist. I get to sweep dirt into a pretty dustpan covered with painted fruits and berries. I won’t claim it makes sweeping the floor a pleasure, but it certainly is a slight help to keep my stupid decision to buy light colored tiles free of the crumbs that mock me.

As usual our transactions were done quickly and were followed by a more in depth conversation. They told us they had a couple from Boston and asked us if we planned to live in the States again. Both of us said we didn’t want to live in any country without universal health care.

Barbara is under the French system, while I am under the Swiss. Switzerland requires that I buy my own insurance at pre-determined rates. A portion of my payment is used for those that can’t pay. Barbara’s health insurance is part of what she pays taxes for. Costs for doctors are low 20 Euros, house calls are possible for 35 Euros and a large percentage is reimbursed. In both countries waiting lists are non existence, although a wait in the doctor’s office might be necessary. France is considered by the World Health Organization as having the best system in the world. Swiss costs are higher but covered after I meet my deductible. We are both worry free when it comes to health insurance.

The couple was shocked. They couldn’t understand how 45 millions could be without health insurance. They pay 216 Euros a month and after that everything is free. “But don’t people care that others are suffering?” They asked in at least five different ways. They couldn’t imagine having no medical insurance and life destroying medical bills.

We stopped for Tapas, before driving back to France. The potato and zucchini pies, the olives (I had grown addicted to olives as breakfast in Syria) the mushrooms in olive oil, parsley and garlic abated out appetites as we kidded about tapas as Spanish dim sum and dim sum as Chinese tapas.

We found a parking place at dusk by the river. River is a loose term. Most of the time there is no water. In fact I was here for at least 15 years before I ever saw water in it at all, although it has been known in times of severe storms to overflow the banks and wash away cars.

This night, I looked and looked again. “Barbara, there’s a buffalo.”

She was busy looking for something in the back. “Don’t be silly…and a-a-a camel.”

“And a horse with its foal.”

“And a long horn bull that could run with the bulls in Pamplona.”

Walking home we passed a neighbour, who confirmed the circus was in town, which explains buffalo and camels in the river, or at least I hope the animals were with the circus.