Tag Spain

If I was having a coffee ….

Steve and Carole 5 Comments

While sipping another lockdown coffee, I have been stressing that I still haven’t published a post in 2021. But just so you know, I’ve not stopped my Chilled at Sunset blog! However, life has many ‘ground hog’ days, doesn’t it?

We have already been living back in England over five months and locked up for most of it and yet the time passes by so quickly ….. how does that work? We are lucky in that we have lots of decorating to do in the apartment. Plus, all the legalities of moving back here. Needless to say dealing with companies and their mix of ‘customer service’ and ‘working from home’ really ensures the blood pressure keeps bubbling! Currently, the DVLA are holding no. 1 position in driving me crazy, excuse the pun. DVLA could generate the longest and most boring blog! Instead, like all of us, I prefer to remember fun times when we all socialised.

During Spanish and English lockdowns (I’m so international!!) I have continued with my art. The first painting I did all on my own really tested me but I was pleased with the end result.

I’ve paused with my latest one as I have started my second commission piece. I feel excited, very flattered and so nervous but another challenge which I also love to have! I’ve even sold some of my work.

When I think back to my first class with Trina at her Bedar Art Centre, in June 2016, I could never have imagined all this would happen. Here are a few of my favourites.

I made lovely friends there and miss them all …. Pam, Helen, Lesley, Carol and Daniela. We had such a laugh and really encouraged each other. Trina’s mantra to us all of “dark to light” and “white is your enemy” still rings loud in my ears here, but always a fabulous inspiration! (Trina, below with her Whimsies and artwork.) There was also the time I helped out at the children’s art and craft classes which Trina organised a few summers ago at her workshop, such fun.

But the highlight was the Bedar Christmas Market December 2019 where Trina set up the Bedar Art Centre Exhibition and most of us exhibited our paintings.

On the subject of Spain, I’ve read a charming little article in El Pais about our Queen. A Spain/UK tradition lost in the 20th century has made a comeback. So, a crate of bitter oranges from the gardens of Real Alcazar Seville will be made into marmalade and sent as a gift to Buckingham Palace. With all the Brexit bickering I wonder if the gift will arrive? And the Queen may not have much of an appetite at the moment!

But back to Chertsey and thank goodness we have our mad dog Charlie, so we can still get out several times a day, legally! At the end of January when it snowed it was brilliant as Charlie had never seen snow, having been born and brought up in Spain. But my goodness how he loved it, chasing loads of snowballs and trying to eat them. Although being the nervous dog he is, he was totally spooked by snowmen!

It’s a year since the world went crazy and got frightening but now at last we have real hope with the vaccines. We’ve already had ours. We’re all so close to being allowed to meet up with friends and family. And we will discover more English country walks with Charlie and start serious house hunting. Exciting!

Meanwhile, please stay safe and sane and I leave you with a photo of me at one of my volunteer shifts at the vaccination centre in Chertsey where the atmosphere is brimming with positivity and I think one of the friendliest places I’ve ever worked! I feel proud to do my ‘little bit’.

Reflection on a Dream

Steve and Carole 8 Comments

The funny thing about dreams is that sometimes they are just that, dreams.

We had a dream to retire to Spain in the sun and where we would get more bang for our buck. So, we bought a beautiful cortijo and off we went! It was pretty idyllic and we were lucky to meet some fantastic people who have become good friends. We’ve had so many funny Spanish adventures as recorded in this blog and throughout that time Brexit was never in our sights until it happened and uncertainty crept into our lives and we decided to sell our house. We sold it within six months after expecting it to take at least a year and then rented an apartment on a golf complex until the Brexit situation became clearer but it still hasn’t!

And now 2020 is happening, a year none of us will ever forget. Many people’s plans and dreams put on hold or changed. Are we still planning to buy another property in Spain, may be? When we told friends of our big decision to go back to England, one of them pointed out to us that “you don’t have the same dream every night and so why shouldn’t you have a different dream!” So, here we are, currently back in England and feeling sometimes a little like Spain was just that, a dream.

We’ve moved back into our apartment which is in a lovely setting by the river Thames in Chertsey, Surrey. After years of having our property rented out, we now have repairs and decorating to keep us busy and from missing our Spanish lifestyle. Soon we will be ready to sell it fingers crossed etc etc in these weird times and buy our next house!

Meanwhile, we also have ‘project Charlie’ our nervous German Shepherd dog! His whole little life has been turned upside down, difficult for normal dogs, let alone Charlie. He has left behind his girlfriend, Aura, his neighbours, Ellie, Brando and Saba and his training classes. He’s left behind sunny warm walks, beach walks in the winter sun and generally a chilled dog’s life! I sometimes wish he could tell us what he thinks now seeing lots of people (his biggest fear), loads of traffic (he hates cars), even more cyclists and joggers (on a good day he’ll ignore!), rain, muddy paws and no garden. Thank goodness, just a two minute walk away are open fields where he can run and chase sticks, not that he ever brings them back!

All this is on top of a boring nine hour drive and overnight stay in Santander before catching the ferry!

  • I need a bigger bed in this hotel !!
  • Oh! no! where to next ?

Right now, I feel a bit like a foreigner in my own country, to be honest. Setting up utility accounts and new internet supplier (2 week wait!) has assured 100% frustration levels! I’ve been on intimate terms with automated robots who “would like to direct my call to the right person” or on a couple of occasions to a person who mimics a robot and has no common sense! The recorded message from one company apologised in advance for any background noise involving children, animals and clinking of tea cups ” in these difficult times while staff work from home” What I do know, is that overall these companies aim is to get the customer to do everything (their job?) online. But with internet access only on our mobiles it has made me feel like an uneducated tech alien with very fat fingers on a small keypad completing endless forms! Hey, I wasn’t going to be defeated and nor was Steve, who outsmarted our two-month old Samsung Smart TV which thought it was still in Spain for a few days!

However, the runner up, yes only the runner up, in my tech frustration charts is the Health Centre. After one hour, one green tea and one strong coffee, I completed both our registration forms which gave a link to an NHS app so we could make appointments online. Great and I downloaded the app on our mobiles and booked a video appointment for Steve later in the day. Guess what ….. it didn’t happen. So, I called the Health Centre and the NHS app isn’t actually linked to them! You couldn’t make it up but all was resolved with a good old fashion telephone conversation.

Well, I was all ready to publish this post as we had gone live with WI-FI and then Saturday happened. So, the winner of my frustration charts is my dear friend Alexa Echo. Steve reluctantly unpacked her, he just doesn’t see the need for this gadget, a waste of time and money! Anyway, I amended the app details with new UK phone number ….. Hello Alexa! She replied Hola! and continued in her perfect Spanish to tell me she couldn’t connect to the WI-FI. That’s probably as she thought she was still in Spain with the TV! One and a half hours on the phone to the Amazon Alexa helpdesk, explaining the problem to four different people and Alexa simply refusing to give up her Spanish, they finally sorted the problem. Now we happily say good morning to each other in English!

Our 14-day quarantine has now finished, so, our English adventure can really start!!!

Chilled at Sunset in Chertsey

Let’s catch up with Colin …..

Steve and Carole 1 Comment

 

The changeable ‘lockdown’ weather we had for a good few weeks really helped Colin’s plot although it was a bit unkind to some of the newly planted fruit trees.

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An absolute abundance of potatoes, leeks, cauliflower, onions etc….. And as I type, Colin is busy planting out more of his seedlings.

Planting the courgettes attracted some friends!

As we approach phase two easing of Spain’s lockdown measures, I can’t wait until we are allowed to meet up, as last time we got together, Colin gave us a bag of goodies! Recently courgettes,  strawberries and eggs have been added to Colin and Steve’s menus. Yes, eggs, so that was Colin’s next project he hinted at, in my post Basket Case in Jauro (February)

I asked Colin how this latest project came about? He said that developing the plots was always on their dream Spanish lifestyle ‘to do’ list but with the major renovations on the house plus their beach apartments it couldn’t be a priority. Fast forward several years, and an action plan was spurred on due to their neighbour Sofia subtle words in Colin’s ear about how some of the other neighbours were complaining that the weeds from the two plots were seeding on the neighbours plots!

Colin said that after they cleared the land, the plots looked so much larger than they first thought. Jokingly, Colin suggested to Steve they should keep some chickens and Colin already had a design in mind. A few weeks went by and Steve said if Colin drew up the plans he would build it. On discussing keeping hens with neighbours, there were lots of arm waving and warnings for Colin about foxes, wolves, wild cats and the village dogs! Also, beware of eagles and hawks, so a strong fenced run with a covering to stop predators getting to the hens was added to Colin’s design.

The good thing about Steve’s mancave was that he had lots of bits of timber laying around. An advert on Facebook resulted in 6 lengths of 6in x 4in and a small wooden window! These posts were cemented into the ground, and this set the villagers tongues wagging and funny how they then started going by the plots on their walks, pausing to stop and point, trying to work out what was going on?

The floor of the hen house was constructed on site in a morning and the side panels constructed and put up the same afternoon. The roofing being a sheet of marine plywood was put up just before sunset. On the second day the upcycled wooden window was fitted and doors put on.

Then the wood was stained and vinyl floor went in and that completed another long, mostly fun day! Egg laying boxes were connected at one end.

Next, support posts were cemented into the boundary for the run and left to set overnight. A boundary fence on the chicken run was cemented two foot underground so predators couldn’t dig under the fence and get in. The door was fitted with padlock and wire topping complete with a solar security light in place. Finally, finishing touches with curtains over the egg nesting boxes for privacy …. and pretty curtains up at the window! Cosy and safe! In total it was five days work at a cost  of 275 euros on materials and  after just fifteen minutes drawing up the plans. It’s super stylish and I am sure there is a business venture there for Steve offering  2 bespoke coup styles, the large model ‘Rural Jauro‘ and the smaller model ‘Urban Antas‘ …..LOL!

Last but not least Colin spent another 36 euros and enter the girls ….. Meryl, Beryl, Cheryl (grey hens) and Molly, Lolly and Dolly (orange brown hens). And no surprises they are very happily settled in their bespoke hand built hen coup.

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They started laying eggs after a week and totalled 6 a day after a few weeks. Meryl lays double yolk eggs and several huge eggs which have triple yolks!

the first little egg!
Meryl

Colin told me at night he always makes sure the hens are locked in, much to the delight of his neighbour Juan who always says to Colin as he walks by “todos los niños en la cama” (all the children in bed). Colins replies “si, y buenas noches besado!” (yes and kissed goodnight!) Juan gives the biggest toothless grin!

So, Colin another project? “Yes I want a donkey” ….. watch this space …..

As for me, I hope to be back out soon and sharing this lovely part of Spain I live in!

Meanwhile , here’s a video of Colin’s home seed production with the most beautiful views!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I was having a coffee right now …..

Steve and Carole 2 Comments

If I was having a coffee right now, I would be thinking, like many of us, what a strange world we are currently living in. We’ve completed the 7th week of lockdown and now we are beginning our phased exit. I was thinking of writing about what tricks we have used to survive this period but honestly, none of it was particularly interesting or original! (Apart from Steve’s self haircut and no photos allowed!) So, I thought I would talk about the first thing I would like to do on release from lockdown?

But my mind started wandering (not too difficult in these times) to the ‘firsts’ that Steve and I have experienced during our 5 year Spanish adventure, so here are a few of the more memorable ones …..

Realising quickly, that as a proud owner of gardening design City and Guilds certificate, it meant nothing in our garden where 3 meter plus cacti sat waiting to attack me rather than me pruning them! Eventually, I found them mostly stunning when in flower.

Owning a swimming pool and watching my husband learn how to balance the chemicals to keep it safe and clean so I could paddle safely!

Getting up close and personal with snakes and being bitten by a spider. Steve has seen the biggest centipede which the 6′ 3 gardener, working at the house, jumped 6′ 3 in the air and then decapitated the centipede with a spade but it kept on walking ! (no photos …..google this creature if you want!)

Steve and our neighbour removing processionary (or marching) caterpillars from a pine tree. They first sprayed the nest with hairspray, lobbed off the branch the nest was on, catching it in a bin liner and then digging a large hole in the ground placing the bag and setting fire to it. It is so important to do this, as the caterpillar hairs are so toxic and can become airborne in the wind and give nasty rash to humans and with dogs in severe cases can be fatal. (again google if you wish!)

The night a wild boar visited and re landscaped the front flower beds.

(Still thinking of moving to Spain ….. lol!) 

Back to the nice things …..

Harvesting our olive tress, going to the olive press and exchanging our olives for pure extra virgin olive oil that was unbelievably delicious. However, our neighbours had to ‘lend’ us one of their olive trees in order for us to just to fill a crate! (read more – blog post December 2017).

Joined an art class and painted for the first time since I was 16. And I sold my first painting last December ….. who would have thought?

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Obviously, speaking another language although still not fluent with our Spanish, we can get by of sorts. I recall the first time I went to a Spanish hairdresser and requested a cut and colour, it was as scary as the first visit to our Spanish dentist!

Started Spanish dog training classes with our German Shepherd, Charlie when he was a puppy….. that also helped with learning the language. Any shop assistant or waiter I can confidently tell to ‘sit’ stay’ ‘down’ ‘turn’ etc! But the highlight was entering Charlie into an obedience competition held in Vera bullring. Sadly, he didn’t achieve a rosette but I was just relieved he didn’t escape!

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assessment day, best hide!

the big day!
after a few weeks, obstacles …
training outdoors

Administration here in Spain is a test of wills, not logical and extremely time consuming with different rules depending on who you are dealing with and what day of the week it is! So I will skip over setting up house taxes, car tax, car ITV (MOT in UK) and the 4 visits to Almeria to secure our residencia! But each mission accomplished was celebrated with a large vodka and tonic!

Oh! yes, so what is the first thing I will do on my full ‘release’ …… a walk along the promenade with Steve and Charlie, our dog, and stopping for a coffee. Sounds a dream? Well we are now moving forward with a slow easing of lockdown mode and heading for the ‘new normal’ that everyone talks about!

How exciting to think I can become a ‘new normal’ ….. ha! ha! ha!

Oh! PS, Steve has finished his book and one day to be published.

 

 

 

The Basket Case in Jauro

Steve and Carole 3 Comments

It never ceases to amaze me how people become part of your life. With Colin and Steve they became the font of knowledge, our Wikipedia de España. We were introduced to them by our Belgium friends Georges and Jeannine when my Steve was desperate to find a sports therapist to help with a sciatic problem he had. Ray solved the problem in a matter of weeks and my Steve was eternally grateful to them for their help. Fast forward four years and we are now firm friends!

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Colin and Steve moved to a small pueblo in the hills called Jauro near Antas in 2006 after buying one house. Two years later they bought the house next door as well. They did the majority of the renovations themselves and completed most of the combined houses in 2012. The pool, terraces and garden were completed in 2013 and finally the front courtyard in 2015. They have maintained the Spanish character and furnished their home in a traditional Spanish manor.

(Just a little background info to set the scene of their latest venture we have comically called ‘The Basket Case in Jauro’)

Colin and Steve have two plots of land of 800m2 and last September Steve decided Colin needed a new challenge. Idle hands and all that, so they set about clearing plot one and readying it for planting. This involved weeding, digging and rotovating. No easy task as the ground here in Almeria is rock hard. Colin already had a vision of how it would look with interlocking paths, borders and a wooden gated entrance. The clearing was just a start, a treasure was unearthed in the shape of a set of false teeth and with five ‘gummy’ neighbours nearby, the owner remains a mystery! 

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Actually, this new mini series will be known as ‘What’s in Colin’s Trug!? And not just any old trug, it is a Thomas Smith Royal Sussex Trug (for those who have no idea what a trug is, myself included, its a garden basket used to carry flowers or produce). Trugs are hand made from sweet chestnut and willow strips of wood. A full insight can be found at sussextrugs.com.

But I digress, back to the plot literally! All of their produce is totally organic as no fertilizers or sprays are being used which is quite an achievement considering there are countless bugs in southern Spain ready to pounce at a hint of a shoot.

Everything is watered by hand as an irrigation system is yet to be installed. To protect the plants a high tech gnome called ‘Arthur’ has been employed, well actually Arthur is pretty low tech but appears more effective than shiny tinsel fluttering in the wind (maybe wind is Arthur’s secret weapon!). Whatever the success is down to, the local Spanish neighbours are highly impressed and have taken a keen interest in the local basket case, offering tips and advice. They themselves produce on a grand scale and it has been a lovely way for Colin and Steve to further integrate into the local community and improve language skills. Colin is pretty fluent so ¿Que hay en tu cesta esta semana, Colin?

And if you are also inspired here’s the planting schedule to get to this stage?

September  – clear the plot.

October 12th – planted broccoli, cauliflower and onions

October 21st – planted garlic, leeks, red onions and broad beans.

October 25th  – planted more broccoli and cauliflower

October – fencing put up as protection from the wind

November 1st – planted orange, lemon and lime tree

Then more features, a lovely wooden bench (ideal for those mid morning coffee breaks!) and herb planters made from reclaimed wooden pallets.

January 2nd – planted herbs, mint, rosemary, oregano, sage and chives.

January 12th  the first crop harvested!

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As Colin says, its amazing how quickly everything grows. Lots of work keeping the plot groomed and manicured but looks very impressive! And such a pleasure and the satisfaction is immense.

And veggie costs so far for this new hobby? Broccoli and cauliflowers – 10 for 1 euro. Garlic – 10 for 2 euros. Leeks – 30 for 1 euro. Seed packs – carrots 1.79 peas 2.40 and broad 2.79!

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Colin and Steve’s house is the backdrop to this project!

What is happening next Colin? “Well, plot 2 cleared and propagated ….. so watch this space …..”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Los Vélez to New York!

Steve and Carole 1 Comment

After months and months of lovely hot sunny weather, the first really cold snap and very windy weather arrived here in Vera (15C – when you live here that’s cold!). So, what should you do? Yes, visit Vélez Rubio and Vélez Blanco where it’s a balmy 5C!

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In fact Vélez Rubio, Vélez Blanco, Chirival and Maria are the four villages of Los Velez and are situated in the northern corner of Almeria province amongst the Sierra de Maria – Los Vélez Natural Park. The landscape is stunning with mountains, pine forests and the area is also steeped in history. 

Forty-five minutes drive and climbing 2800 feet aproximately, the sky is blue and bright and the air crisp and very fresh! As you approach Vélez Rubio, the pueblo is dominated by the church, Iglesia de la Encarnación.

It was built in the 18th century and is meant to be one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Almeria.

The main alter is an amazingly detailed wood carving and some 65 feet high. The façade includes the arms of the Marquises of Villafranca and Velez who built the church.

As always, I’m not sure my Samsung mobile phone camera can do it justice?

The next stop is the Miguel Guiro Archaeological Museum to see more of the history from prehistoric remains and the Arab and Roman eras. The prehistoric caves and paintings at Cueva de Los Letreos and La Cueva del Gabar are UNESCO World Heritage listed sites. Cueva de Los Letreos dates from 5000BC with paintings of men, women and animals. It was here that the figure of Indalo was discovered. You see the Indalo man symbol everywhere in Almeria and it is believed to offer protection from misfortunes! We’ll see!

Indalo symbol

Time for a short lunch and then a 10 minute drive to Velez Blanco. The castle, Castillo Palacio is set high up on the rock and more than 1000 meters tall looking down on the pueblo. It was built on top of an old Arab castle in the 16th century. Sadly, only the exterior has been preserved to this day. You can take at tour but now it’s winter opening hours so it was closed when we were there. (We should have checked first!)

You will also see the remains of the Iglesia de la Magdalena on the hillside near the Castillo. In the church are the graves of the first two Marquises of Los Velez.

There are quite a few hotels here but they are all closed until the spring. But still a pretty place and nice to just wander around, soak up the atmosphere and stop for a hot coffee! Near to a bodega is the brightly coloured Fuente Caños de Caravaca (fountain) from the 18th century featuring the Vélez Blanco arms.

In the summer when the streets are buzzing with tourists and all the cafes and restaurants are open,  it would be lovely to just sit outside with a drink and watch the sunset.

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So, Los Velez to New York?

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Met Museum of Art NY

Well, the marble patio from the Castillo was actually purchased by George and Florence Meyer Blumenthal in 1913 and was the centre piece in their house on Park Avenue, Manhattan. He gifted the patio to the Met Museum of Art in 1945 when he died. The patio was removed in blocks and placed in the museum storage until 1963. (Blumenthal’s house was demolished.) After further, research the patio was reconstructed and installed and during the construction two arches and other modern elements added by Blumenthal were removed. It now serves as the entrance of the Thomas J Watson Library showcasing the museum’s Italian Renaissance statues.

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1997 to 2000 the patio was closed for refurbishment with a new floor of the same Macael marble put in which closely matches the original patio floor.

I didn’t expect this cosmopolitan ‘ending’ when Rhona (my blogging buddy!) and I set off to visit these sleepy pueblos!! But you never know what you might discover!

 

Coming soon ….. ‘what’s in Colin’s trug this week!’

Colin's trug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I was having a coffee right now …..

Steve and Carole 5 Comments

If I was having a coffee right now …… firstly, I would remember to take a photo of my friend Rhona and I sipping fresh coffee! Whoops!

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Anyway, we spent the morning in San Jose, Almeria. Just 50 minutes drive, on a sunny October day, from Vera. We drove by El Sotillo Cortijo, a refurbished 18th century house (now hotel), on the outskirts and which has links to Clint Eastwood and the movie Fistful of Dollars. ‘Google’ movies filmed in Almeria, you will be surprised!

This is such a lovely time of year to explore, as the main tourist season has finished but there are still enough restaurants and shops open and with quite a few people just mooching and chilling. And of course the token cyclists who are so popular in Almeria but they stop for a refreshing beer not coffee …..ha! ha! However, in July and August this place is mobbed with mainly the Spanish people on holiday from Madrid and in fact this year the local police were limiting the number of people on the beach! Hard to imagine?

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The shops are good and a little different, check out Salamandra Lamparas, great, stunning and quirky.

The promenade is lined with fish restaurants, leading to a small marina and is still a busy little fishing port.  In the main holiday season, there’s kayaking, scuba diving and other water sports plus horse trekking on offer.

The Cabo de Gata coastline is relatively unspoilt with beautiful coves, beaches and pueblos. I have visited Agua Amarga several times which is much smaller than San Jose. Definitely not such a tourist resort, and I think even more charming? (photos below)

Still on my list ‘to visit’ are Las Negras and Rodaquilar (with the closed goldmines). And one day, do some of the walking trails with Charlie.

Las Negras
Rodalquila old goldmines

Meanwhile, it was just a lovely way to spend a morning in this glorious part of Spain where we live!

After 3 ….. 1 2 3,   musical-notes

Woh woh woh woh woh woh woh woh woh woh  

Do you know the way to San Jose
I’ve been away so long
I may go wrong and lose my way
Do you know the way to San Jose
I’m going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose

(I know the song is about the one in LA but couldn’t resist!).

Cabo de Gata Nijar

Aguilas Carnival

Steve and Carole 7 Comments

 

Normally, our party season kicks off mid-May at the Jauro fiesta. But, finally, we made it to the Aguilas Carnival. With over 200 years of history,  it was awarded “Fiestas of International Tourism Interest” in January 2015.

And so many tiny children participating!

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The carnival is also the most famous in Murcia and people travel from all over Spain to enjoy it!

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The carnival is over many days and the parades last anything between 2 to 4 hours! We went on the last evening for the Grand Parade.

There were thousands of people in carnival spirit helped by the “cuerva”(wine based drink) which is one of the well known features of this carnival. It’s said that the drink, La Cuerva, is prepared using all the left over alcohol from Christmas. Now there’s an idea as I peep in our drinks cupboard! Lots of spirits mixed with red and white wine plus soft drinks. I couldn’t find an exact recipe but as there is a contest for the best Cueva, it sounds like anything goes? The judges decide on the tastiest and name the winning drink “Super Cueva”!

A little tease for you ….. zoom in and count the lolly sticks in the photos above on the floats and outfits …..

Another feature is the “cascarones de confetti” (eggshells filled with confetti). Months ahead of the carnival, eggs are blown rather than broken and the eggshells stored by the locals. They are then painted or covered in colourful tissue and filled with confetti. On the Saturday before the big carnival parade in the Plaza de Espana, the cascarones are thrown during the battle of Don Carnal and Doña Cuaresma.

Doña Cuaresma (representing austerity, self denial and abstinence)  wins and imprisons Don Carnel (representing mischief, merriment and excess) and we enter Lent. He escapes (end of Lent) and they get together and we party at the fiestas following Semana Santa (Easter week). This battle is played out in many carnivals all over Spain.

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We will be there next year, will you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Change of Sunset

Steve and Carole 3 Comments

 

Happy New Year …… and we have moved!

Yes, we decided to shake it all up and start a different chapter to our adventure in Spain. Of course we are still ‘chilled at sunset’ but a new location not so far away from Antas. We are back amongst people, bars and Spanish restaurants, plus a spa and a gym and all within walking distance. Still close to all our lovely friends and with stunning views, open spaces and can now add a sea view to the mix. In fact we are now just an 8 minute drive to the Mediterranean coast at Garrucha. Sounds good eh?

We will be at least six months here at Valle del Este, Campo de Golf. Renting for us, right now, is a good option and not being financially tied to Spain. Brexit is such a shambles but cannot be totally ignored, so we will sit back and see what pans out …… definitely do not feel like discussing Brexit in our blog!

Meanwhile, the immediate plan in our garden apartment is to relax more, finally get my easel set up and paint at home as well as at my weekly class. Steve will finally finish writing his book! And we want to travel more in Spain and visit family and friends more often back in the UK.

I still can’t believe it is three and a half years ago we arrived in Spain, a dream we finally made come true. We planned as much as we thought possible, after reading endless information, soaking up episodes of ‘Place in the Sun’ and taking Spanish language lessons before we arrived! Once actually living here day-to-day the dream and reality were so often different and I don’t mean in a bad or negative way at all but just different.

Firstly, making new friends, we found our new life soon became very sociable! But they also became our lifeline for advice in our first year. Everyone helped each other especially when being so rural in the campo. Just back in November, we had storms and small flash floods and with non-stop WhatsApp chats, we all checked who had flooded where and if help was needed? I admit, I did have one of those ‘I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here’ moments when one day we had no internet, intermittent electricity and no water indoors (plenty outside!). But then that lovely Spanish sunshine returned and the stormy days were quickly forgotten and all was back to normal.

‘Normal? now that is a word to give some thought to? We have had so many ‘firsts’ since starting our adventure here which are now considered our ‘normal’!

Speaking Spanish, sadly still poorly, almost everyday including texting in Spanish to couriers, builders and Spanish friends.

Pruned (and respected) the many different, often giant cacti we had in our garden without them attacking either of us!

We owned a swimming pool, learnt how to maintain, tough job, I know but someone had to do it!

Saw snakes (not poisonous) up close and personal on our patios and in the courtyard.

I still have a Spanish hairdresser who doesn’t speak much English, so those first few visits caused me the same anxious feelings I get when going to the dentist!

I’d peg out the washing and wonder at the fab views of rolling hills and seeing rabbits and partridges wandering in our garden …… OK, there were also a few ‘nasties’ crawling as well!

I started taking art classes and even hanged some of my finished pieces in our home.

We were recommended Felix, the four foot tall and wide, one eyed local Spanish gardener (bless him!) who arrived at dusk, a few months after we moved in, waving a saw and he soon pruned every tree and more!

We picked our olives and took them to the olive press in exchange for extra virgin oil, delicious and such fun!

It was so normal to go outside and pick a lemon from our tree to accompany our fish dishes …… Oh! OK, …… gin and tonics!

We had lived here 10 months, when we were invited for the weekend to Granada with our Spanish friends. That was a very intense Spanish lesson but we learnt so much about the Spanish lifestyle, really great. After a few wines, I really thought I could be fluent in Spanish but ……

Fiestas became an important fixture on our calendar and we still always try and visit a new one each year as well as being loyal to our dear Antas fiesta.

Honestly, so much has happened since we arrived here, too much to mention but our blog is a lovely diary of the highlights!

Having lived in a Spanish cortijo, it was wonderful in so many ways but they do need never ending TLC almost everyday of the week. The renovations improved our cortijo and were a true labour of love but often the work needed redoing every year due to the nature of the build and climate. We asked ourselves, did we really want to continue spending our savings and time working hard on the cortijo for a few more years? The answer was ‘no’. Nobody sees themselves getting older …… who bloomin’ wants to? But if something happened to us in our home, the emergency services would never have come out to us, it would have been quicker to drive to the medial centre, if you could! I guess, when Steve fell off his ladder and only injured his ankle, it made us look at the reality of where we lived a bit more. It is a tough balance, our dream house with so much space, potential, lots of land, swimming pool and surrounded by countryside with such privacy versus total practicality.

But we moved a month ago and it is so different here and impossible to compare, it really feels like a new exciting and happy chapter!

What are you planning in 2019 ?

 

What did you do this Sunday morning?

Steve and Carole 2 Comments

 

Well, I can tell you what I got up to on this chilly Spanish Sunday morning. I went with our neighbours Kay and Mike to the nearby port of Garrucha. We parked at the marina opposite the dry dock where currently, there is an old 34 metre yacht, formerly named the ‘Jazmine’. It had been deteriorating for 15 years a few kilometers up the coast in Aguilas. Richard Burton bought, the once luxury yacht, from Aristotle Onassis as a gift for Liz Taylor. Just one of a number of their yachts, when they were arguably Hollywood’s most famous couple!

Liz And Richard

But it was a time when glamour and mystique went hand in hand, with the public having only the occasional glimpse of the legendary couple, not like today with 24/7 news on social media.

elizabeth_taylor_89_174773b.jpg

I guess for the younger readers of this blog, they were the George and Amal Cloony of the 60’s and 70’s.

cloony

We took a short stroll to the huge marquee erected in one of the marina car parks, where Gastro Festival de la Gamba Roja was  being held. Such a great way to try tasty tapas, including the famous local catch of the Garrucha prawns.

Local restaurants had prepared their specialties and the aromas, the hustle and bustle of visitors made for a wonderful atmosphere.

For the first time I tried a typical local tapa of deep fried aubergine with a crispy coating and sticky honey, delicious. Kay and Mike chose seafood and bacalao (cod) tapas, also equally delicious!

In fact, Almeria has recently been confirmed as the new Spanish Capital of Gastronomy for 2019! With over 300 gastronomic activities already planned, it will be a very busy city. This will also be great for tourism, really putting Almeria and the province on the map. Currently León is the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy.

After a couple of hours wandering around the huge marquee looking at all the gastronomic delights on offer, we finally sat down with our ‘cafe con leches’ and we all agreed it had been a very civilized and chilled way to spend a Sunday morning.

How was your Sunday?