Riberers get a ribbing in Valencia

More than a bone of contention, La Roca de la Salve is becoming a stone of contention.

The boulder was once important to the men of Benissa and Senija as they set out for Valencia to work as “riberers” in the rice fields.

This was the last point where they could see homes that they would not see for months.

Thirty-seven years ago it was moved to make way for the A-7 motorway and placed in the school playground in Senija.

Benissa council town hall recently suggested that it should be re-sited “in a decent place” accessible to both towns.

The rock had a starring role in the Comedy Parade during Senija’s fiestas where it was carried by men dressed as “riberers” accompanied by a placard announcing: “The rock’s already in a decent place.”

All good clean fun, the organisers said afterwards, as neighbourly rivalry has always been a main ingredient of local fiestas.