La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
At 9:30 this morning we left the house for our walk to the National Police to renew San Geraldo’s national identity card. It’s a 15-minute walk and his appointment was at 10. Half-way there, I thought to ask if he had his passport. A requirement. He did not. So I walked back home and picked it up. Surprisingly, I found it in the file cabinet where it belonged. I arrived at exactly 10. SG had checked in upon arrival and when he told them I had gone home to retrieve the passport, they said he should simply come to the desk when I returned. Very pleasant and easy.
I had completed all the paperwork having only recently done it for myself. At the end, the officer said we hadn’t paid the correct amount at the bank. I had checked the box “renewal of national identity card for foreigner.” The officer checked instead: “Processing of visa application for stay at the border, for nationals of countries with which the EU has signed a Visa Flexibility Agreement (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine).” Does that sound like us? But who am I to argue with the National Police?
We walked the 10 minutes to the bank in the heat, made the additional €2-and-some-odd-centimos payment, and returned to the police station where SG received his stamped form telling him to return 6 August for his new card. I told the agent at the bank the story. She read what the officer had checked as our option, laughed, and said, “Who are we to argue?” She knows how it goes.
After all that, we went for coffee and second breakfast at La Bandera while Elena, our summer housekeeper, cleaned.
I saw The Kid Brother on video last night. I mentioned that today was the day he should have money in the bank again. His response, “Oh, did you put money in?” No, I replied, your spending money gets deposited. I had planned today to share some images of the beautiful and varied stone work we saw in Segovia. That seems especially appropriate now.
Esta mañana, a las 9:30, salimos de casa para ir caminando a la Policía Nacional a renovar el documento nacional de identidad de San Geraldo. Son 15 minutos a pie y su cita era a las 10. A mitad de camino, pensé en preguntarle si llevaba el pasaporte. Un requisito. No lo llevaba. Así que volví a casa a buscarlo. Sorprendentemente, lo encontré en el archivador donde debía estar. Llegué exactamente a las 10. San Geraldo se había registrado al llegar y, cuando les dijo que había ido a casa a buscar el pasaporte, le dijeron que simplemente viniera al mostrador cuando yo volviera. Muy agradable y sencillo.
Yo había completado todo el papeleo, ya que lo había hecho para mí hacía poco. Al final, el funcionario dijo que no habíamos pagado la cantidad correcta en el banco. Yo había marcado la casilla de “renovación del documento nacional de identidad para extranjeros”. El oficial revisó en cambio: “Tramitación solicitud visado de estancia en frontera, de nacional de un país con los que la UE haya firmado un Acuerdo de Flexibilización en materia de visados (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaiyán,Bosnia y Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, República de Macedonia, Georgia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Serbia, Ucrania)”. ¿Eso suena a nosotros? Pero ¿quién soy yo para discutir con la Policía Nacional?
Caminamos los 10 minutos hasta el banco bajo el calor, hicimos el pago adicional de 2 € y algunos céntimos, y regresamos a la comisaría donde SG recibió su formulario sellado que le decía que regresara el 6 de agosto para su nueva tarjeta. Le conté la historia a la empleada del banco y ella se rió y dijo, “¿Quiénes somos nosotros para discutir?” Ella sabe cómo va esto.
Después de todo eso, fuimos a tomar un café y un segundo desayuno a La Bandera mientras Elena, nuestra ama de llaves de verano, limpiaba.
Anoche vi a El Hermanito en vídeo. Le comenté que hoy era el día en que debía volver a tener dinero en el banco. Su respuesta fue: «¿Has echado dinero?». No, le contesté, tu dinero para gastos se deposita. Tenía pensado compartir hoy algunas imágenes de la hermosa y variada mampostería que vimos en Segovia. Me parece especialmente oportuno ahora.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
The great mysteries of bureaucracy.
David:
Bizarre. And it annoys me that I didn’t want to make waves.
‘Stoners’ everywhere would appreciate these artworks. LOVE the floor work!
I am convinced that bureaucracies are here to test our limits…..and they do a good job doing just that.
Jim:
I felt ridiculous not pointing out the officer’s error, but he was insistent and at that moment he had the power.
Smart you are to ‘pick your battles’.
Oh, the stone work is gorgeous! I do love it.
And no, you cannot argue with bureaucracy. Well, you can, but what’s the point? I’m glad you got the situation taken care of despite its ridiculousness.
Cherub holding a fish with two lions. Sure. I think the artist may have been stoned. Another favorite song.
Mary Moon:
Always one of my favorite, fun songs. So ridiculous to see what the officer had checked and to not argue. Cherubs were known for holding fish while lions spit. I’m sure it’s in the bible.
Who are we to argue indeed! Bureaucracy!
The stone mosaic walkways are gorgeous. And I love that top photo; great architecture!
Bob:
Segovia was beautiful the more I explored. Wish the weather had cooperated. So ridiculous about the bureaucracy. He was clearly in error.
And now I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried your hand at mosaic. I expect you have.
I wonder if there’s a little kickback in there for the officer who clearly checked the more expensive box..
Bro never misses a chance to see if the Bank of Mitch is in a generous mood, even though he knows his own $$ is what you meant! Boud
Boud:
I did mosaic as a kid and loved it. Have thought about it in recent years, but worry about the sharp tools used to cut tile. I cut myself before. SG wondered if there was a kick-back, but the money (all 2 euros) goes directly from our bank account to the government.
Easier to go with the flow that try and correct bureaucracy. I love the pebble mosaics, these and the ones from the patio tours.
ellen abbott:
It was so clearly an error, but ah bureaucracy. We paid the money and moved on, and we won’t have to see them again for at least another 5 years.
I thought the statue in your top photo was trying to climb in the window on the curtain. LOL
That is VERY strange about the National Police. I wonder what that guy was thinking. But hey, if it gets SG his card, so be it.
Steve:
It does, doesn’t it? I hadn’t noticed.
I have no idea what the guy at the National Police was thinking, but there was no way I was going to ask. Who knows what might have come next?
Lovely stonework, indeed! Spain is so beautiful… Jx
PS I think dealing with KB might get me tempted onto the “hard stuff”, too!
Jon:
I so often get off a call (or visit) with Chuck and think, I need a drink!