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11/5/06

Corals and pig pens

Many caves have a coral, in fact not all caves were used as housing for Spanish families, some were used primarily as animal housing. A very cheap alternative to the little guy who had sheep/goats etc but wasnt wealthy enough to have a conventional shelter built. The coral below belongs to a cave that is owned by a shepherd and inside the cave is specificaly laid out for animal housing. Its very dark in there and there are few remains like heads and suchlike which my failing torch just managed to make out...




Pig pens are also a common feature. They can be found inside the cave or outside. Many families kept there own pig or pigs and every November butchered the animal using every part for food which kept the family sustained over the coming months. This tradition is known as the Matanza.



Pig pens and indeed feeding troughs can be found in many unreformed caves and with a little thought can be turned into a fantastic feature or workable storage space. A 12ft feeding trough in my own cave has been transformed into a bar with CD/DVD and Hi-fi storage underneath.

4 comments:

Atila The Nun said...

Too right CR my own coral,as you know has been transformed into two bedrooms and a hallway and the animal pens have been turned into a bathroom and lounge. You just have to have a bit of vision when you look at caves and then their full potential can be seen. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Our animal pens have been turned into our 2 ensuite guest rooms and the corral is now a private courtyard/patio for our guests. We kept our pigpen in its original state and it is now a feature in the dining room - all I want now is a large toy pig to go in it!!

Atila The Nun said...

If I paint my spotty boy pink he might pass as a long legged pig, with a straight tail. He certainly has the appetite for the role......lol

Cream said...

So, if the kids bedroom isn't very tidy, you'd be right to say it's like a pigsty!