Saturday, June 27, 2009

Oh the bells

Over two hundred people gathered in the town square of Almoradí yesterday  to protest about the silencing of the bells that used to chime the times on the clock every quarter of an hour.

It seems that the bells were judged to be too noisy with a level twice that permitted by the Ley de Protección contra la Contaminación Acústica de la Generalitat. They tried to adjust the hammer to lower the level but that failed and so the bells now are silenced between 10pm and 8 in the morning. The locals are clearly not happy about this.

The townsfolk say they will protest every week until the decision is reversed. They are particularly concerned about New Year’s Eve when people gather in the town square to eat their grapes – one for each chime.

Strange isn’t it. You would think the people wouldn’t be able to sleep with the bells ringing but it is the reverse. Waiting for the sound keeps them awake!

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