# Settling into our new home



## Maureen47

Well we have been here since Nov 19th 2015 and are settling well.

We have been to the vets 3 times with our poorly Bella who is getting better but not quite herself yet. 

The house is all set up and the bits to repair our log burner that the vendor thought it was better to hide with logs than tell us it was broken are on their way. We bought 2 electric radiators to keep us warm at present and they are working well but god knows what the bill will be next time but needs must.

We got our car through its ITV and we are on the Padron. 

I have baked , cooked , entertained my family and I am enjoying my new car on the really quiet Spanish roads.

The Christmas tree is up ! 

I have been on my own since Sunday and will be till Friday as other half is in Almeria with my son , he is doing the Spanish CEV race series next season and is getting to know his Moto 2 bike.

I love it here ! All the planning has made it so much easier and having family here too really helped.

My first pension payment for my early retirement is in the bank tomorrow and they have even got the tax right ! The euro rate is good so may move some money.









The doggies surveying their new abode 

I am sure there will be lots of things that will happen but hey every challenge is an opportunity !

Thank you to all the forum members who have helped inform and encourage us over the last 18 months , I will continue to enjoy the forum in Spain


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## snikpoh

maureen47 said:


> We got our car through its ITV and we are on the Padron.
> 
> I have baked , cooked , entertained my family and I am enjoying my new car on the really quiet Spanish roads.
> 
> The Christmas tree is up !
> 
> I have been on my own since Sunday and will be till Friday as other half is in Almeria with my son , he is doing the Spanish CEV race series next season and is getting to know his Moto 2 bike.
> 
> I love it here ! All the planning has made it so much easier and having family here too really helped.
> 
> My first pension payment for my early retirement is in the bank tomorrow and they have even got the tax right ! The euro rate is good so may move some money.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The doggies surveying their new abode
> 
> I am sure there will be lots of things that will happen but hey every challenge is an opportunity !
> 
> Thank you to all the forum members who have helped inform and encourage us over the last 18 months , I will continue to enjoy the forum in Spain



Well done - sit back and enjoy.

The gas fires using Butane gas bottles are extremely efficient in both heat output and cost wise - much better to use these than electric radiators.


You mention an ITV - I assume this is on a Spanish plated vehicle?

Have you organised signing on the list of foreigners yet?

[sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere - I'm feeling old today!!]


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## Pesky Wesky

maureen47 said:


> Well we have been here since Nov 19th 2015 and are settling well.
> 
> We have been to the vets 3 times with our poorly Bella who is getting better but not quite herself yet.
> 
> The house is all set up and the bits to repair our log burner that the vendor thought it was better to hide with logs than tell us it was broken are on their way. We bought 2 electric radiators to keep us warm at present and they are working well but god knows what the bill will be next time but needs must.
> 
> We got our car through its ITV and we are on the Padron.
> 
> I have baked , cooked , entertained my family and I am enjoying my new car on the really quiet Spanish roads.
> 
> The Christmas tree is up !
> 
> I have been on my own since Sunday and will be till Friday as other half is in Almeria with my son , he is doing the Spanish CEV race series next season and is getting to know his Moto 2 bike.
> 
> I love it here ! All the planning has made it so much easier and having family here too really helped.
> 
> My first pension payment for my early retirement is in the bank tomorrow and they have even got the tax right ! The euro rate is good so may move some money.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The doggies surveying their new abode
> 
> I am sure there will be lots of things that will happen but hey every challenge is an opportunity !
> 
> Thank you to all the forum members who have helped inform and encourage us over the last 18 months , I will continue to enjoy the forum in Spain


Good greif!
About 2 weeks ago we had the floor tiles in our kitchen, entrance and small living room re varnished (they are rough clay tiles and need a protective coat every so often). We are still putting back the bits and pieces. It took us years, literally, to get lamp shades put on all the lights...
You are streets ahead of us.


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## Maureen47

snikpoh said:


> Well done - sit back and enjoy.
> 
> The gas fires using Butane gas bottles are extremely efficient in both heat output and cost wise - much better to use these than electric radiators.
> 
> 
> You mention an ITV - I assume this is on a Spanish plated vehicle?
> 
> Have you organised signing on the list of foreigners yet?
> 
> [sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere - I'm feeling old today!!]


Yes signed on the padron and will wait and sort out residencia so that our first tax yr is 2017.

Yes , it was an ITV , we bought a Spanish Honda CRV from a couple who were moving back and its ITV was due just after we arrived , it was an interesting experience but we got through it and it passed , its my car and have to say I am happy with it , room for the dogs an so much easier on a LHD legal Spanish car !


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## Maureen47

Pesky Wesky said:


> Good greif!
> About 2 weeks ago we had the floor tiles in our kitchen, entrance and small living room re varnished (they are rough clay tiles and need a protective coat every so often). We are still putting back the bits and pieces. It took us years, literally, to get lamp shades put on all the lights...
> You are streets ahead of us.


We still have lots and lots to do , there are light fittings to go up in the house and few other bits , a log burner to repair and then the land , it will take some time but fence man coming next week and builder to do second gates coming the next. Then there my veg plot and the fruit trees and the sheds and .............................. lol But all good fun  Oh and Christmas is next I think !


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## Monkey Hangers

It's great to hear all positive news. We do get so many people on here who come over, unprepared, then decide to use the forum to whine about all the problems they are having..............research, research, research pays off and actually taking some advice! 
:welcome:


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## Pazcat

Good to read you are settling in Maureen, hopefully your doggy will be feeling back to normal soon.

You certainly have been busy, we could do with a project manager like yourself.


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## Maureen47

Pazcat said:


> Good to read you are settling in Maureen, hopefully your doggy will be feeling back to normal soon.
> 
> You certainly have been busy, we could do with a project manager like yourself.



We have for sure and funnily enough I am a qualified Project/Programme Manager so maybe that helped !


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## Maureen47

Another first today , my sil live about 15 mins from us BUT ! it is up the mountain , so off I went today to get that journey out of the way, I met another 4x4 on the part of the road where you cant pass and had to reverse back and avoid the ditch , then on the steepest part of the hill met another car and had to do the hill start from hell , thought thats its now and then met a LWB Transit on a blind bend and had to manouvre past , all ok and enjoyed a nice lunch when I got there. The views were spectacular though. OH back tonight so not on my own any more but have to say I got into a nice routine and maybe he will have to fit into that lol !


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## thrax

It took us a while but we feel so much safer here in Spain than we did in UK (where we lived - it's not all like that). But we live down a track that seems to have the same problems you just encountered, especially since someone further down the track is having some kind of massive building project happening as we get cement trucks every 30 minutes or so and when you meet one coming the other way they are not going to negotiate. We have to move up or down our road so that they can pass us...


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## Maureen47

thrax said:


> It took us a while but we feel so much safer here in Spain than we did in UK (where we lived - it's not all like that). But we live down a track that seems to have the same problems you just encountered, especially since someone further down the track is having some kind of massive building project happening as we get cement trucks every 30 minutes or so and when you meet one coming the other way they are not going to negotiate. We have to move up or down our road so that they can pass us...


I love it here already , the trip up the mountain was ok but its a car thats new to me , a manual and I had an automatic in the UK for the last couple of yrs, a LHD and a first but I have done it now and its out of the way so no worries


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## Maureen47

Another first today , a visit to A/E , my husband has torn ligaments in his ankle after a little over on his ankle on our driveway. He is now bandaged up , has his pain killers and is on rest for 10 days until he returns to the hospital. Great service at Xativa hospital , I am now chief nurse , driver and dogsbody for the next few weeks , he is asking for a bell to ring for service but that was declined !


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## jojo

maureen47 said:


> Another first today , a visit to A/E , my husband has torn ligaments in his ankle after a little over on his ankle on our driveway. He is now bandaged up , has his pain killers and is on rest for 10 days until he returns to the hospital. Great service at Xativa hospital , I am now chief nurse , driver and dogsbody for the next few weeks , he is asking for a bell to ring for service but that was declined !



Bless you!!! The hospitals in Spain do seem to be excellent dont they. I hope he's not in too much pain .......or indeed being too much of one either lol 

Jo xxx


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## Maureen47

jojo said:


> Bless you!!! The hospitals in Spain do seem to be excellent dont they. I hope he's not in too much pain .......or indeed being too much of one either lol
> 
> Jo xxx



Thanks Jojo , he is ok , pain killers have kicked in , it happens so easily , its just a nuisance to him more than anything as it is so restrictive but he knows he needs to let it heal or it will trouble him for much longer, great service at the hospital and my clincial background helped with the medical terms even in Spanish.


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## Maureen47

The invalid is feeling ok , getting around a bit better on his crutches , so glad we are organised in the house , the rest will just have to wait until he is better. One good thing is it forced me to be the driver so lots of good experience on the Spanish roads with a back seat drive lol , the joys 1


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## Rabbitcat

Valencia.....hmm very nice

Having read your story Maureen I reckon what would help you out is to take in a stranger( on a free board basis) for about 6 months

I reckon it would give you both focus and help you settle .


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## thrax

Beware of Rabbitcat - he is apparently Irish and a known Leprechaun sympathiser...


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## Rabbitcat

No probs

I was just giving Maureen the opportunity now before I get quickly snapped up in my request by many other members.

I would like to go virtually anywhere in Spain and any day now I reckon I will get replies from property owning members telling me exactly where I can go.......


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## Gazeebo

Rabbitcat said:


> No probs
> 
> I was just giving Maureen the opportunity now before I get quickly snapped up in my request by many other members.
> 
> I would like to go virtually anywhere in Spain and any day now I reckon I will get replies from property owning members telling me exactly where I can go.......


Well Rabbitcat, it's about time you changed your location - been in Kiribati a bit too long me thinks.


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## Gazeebo

Maureen47, glad to hear about the experience. I have only ever heard good things about the treatment in hospital here. Let's hope you need their services later rather than sooner! :fingerscrossed:


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## Maureen47

Finally got the log burner bricks sorted and picking up on Friday , Bella my poorly hound is so much better and vet thinks she has made a good recovery today , got the bill for 4 appointments and treatment , 15 euros !! Hubbys ankle improving and now got an ankle support walking boot on , had our first rain in Spain today but still managed to get some tidying up in the garden done , All is good, Happy Days  P.S. Fence man coming tomorrow to sort out the rest of our fence so my doggies will be safe


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## Maureen47

Todays update , hubbys ankle making good progress , poorly hound doing well , builders progressing well with new pillars and wall for electric entrance gate , peripheral fencing almost complete, cooked beer battered cod and chips for family this evening , wine is good and cheap , Life is good in Spain


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## jojo

maureen47 said:


> Todays update , hubbys ankle making good progress , poorly hound doing well , builders progressing well with new pillars and wall for electric entrance gate , peripheral fencing almost complete, cooked beer battered cod and chips for family this evening , wine is good and cheap , Life is good in Spain


I love to see your updates. Glad to see husbands ankle is improving and you're settling well 

Jo xxx


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## Maureen47

jojo said:


> I love to see your updates. Glad to see husbands ankle is improving and you're settling well
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks Jojo , we are loving it here , lots of work to do and ups and downs but a great life !

His ankle is progressing well and we are on track with our plans and having fun , life is good.


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## Maureen47

Another few days gone , lots of the land strimmed , most of the big plants and trees pruned and tidied up , entrance gate coming on , weather has been fabulous and a massive help to let us get all this outside work done ,poorly doggie almost back to normal and prognosis good, early retirement means manual labour at the mo ! Looking forward to a girly day in Valencia tomorrow with my SIL , Mercado Central for some lovely food shopping and a nice lunch , Life is good


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## Maureen47

Well we are a couple of months in now on our move , the weather has been extremely kind to us having only seen a 10 min rain shower in all that time and sunshine for part or most of the day every day.

Daily life like anywhere can seem like groundhog day , clean the log burner reset it for the evening , clean the house , do the shopping,washing etc but all in a nice environment and at any time I please ! My husband calls it a step up from glamping ! I guess thats rural living which brings its challenges but my view is our house is a very comfortable tent !

I am into the second week on my own again as OH is in the UK on unplanned business and will be back in a week or so.

I have made more new friends as I have been getting out and about and going for coffee etc and making an effort to mix with local folks , its amazed me how much my Spanish is improving by having to use it and communicate and now started my twice weekly classes.

I am finding it ok on my own as long as everything keeps working ! I can change a gas bottle but when the electric gate played up I thought I was stuck without transport as I couldnt get the car out. The malfunction disappeared as quick as it appeared so all good and now I have found out how to change the gate to manual.

I am so glad we have reliable wifi as that would have made the time on my own a lot more difficult.

My two doggies have been good company but they dont have a lot of conversation.

I guess a tip from this would be that folks considering the move need to consider would either of them be happy on thier own in Spain for any length of time because we didnt foresee this and maybe if it hadnt just happened I would have been more fearful of being on my own.

Lots to do today so I will go and keep busy, we have visitors coming back with my husband so need to get our casita ready for them and if my husband could see the amount of leaves in the pool this morning he would be horrified !


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## Maureen47

Tell you what this being on your own lark is hard work , today I have watered the garden, topped up the pool , more sorting out in the Casita , cleaned the house , cleaned the log burner and reset the fire for this evening , empties the ashes , been to the bins , done some cooking , done the washing, walked the dogs and now I am going to have a rest ! But all in the sunshine and a lovely environment at my own pace and with no time restrictions , Maybe its not so bad !


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## Rabbitcat

You go Mo!!!


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## Megsmum

SO glad your settling in, you. like us, did all the research and came with your eyes wide open

We will have been here TWO YEARS next month, and I cannot believe where the time has gone. We love it here and have a lifestyle that we could not afford anywhere in the UK.

You are, from what I have read, integrating yourself into the local community, which is exactly what we have done, and our lives are more enriched for it.

Look forward to more updates

T
xx


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## Maureen47

cambio said:


> SO glad your settling in, you. like us, did all the research and came with your eyes wide open
> 
> We will have been here TWO YEARS next month, and I cannot believe where the time has gone. We love it here and have a lifestyle that we could not afford anywhere in the UK.
> 
> You are, from what I have read, integrating yourself into the local community, which is exactly what we have done, and our lives are more enriched for it.
> 
> Look forward to more updates
> 
> T
> xx


Thank you , the research certainly paid off as you say and we knew more or less what to expect although things happen too that you didnt give a thought to. We are enjoying and still at the stage where we have a lot of plans for the property but mainly outside as the house is all done. The timehas certainly flown by and now the visitors are lining up for this year , almost double booked already , sure that will settle too but really happy to have friends and family visit.What they dont know is they will be helping with the daily chores lol !


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## Allie-P

I am enjoying your updates, Maureen. 

Keep them coming x

We elected not to buy and have been living in Spain for 3 years. We have had some hairy altercations with Landlords, though & are on a permanent learning curb


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## Maureen47

Allie-P said:


> I am enjoying your updates, Maureen.
> 
> Keep them coming x
> 
> We elected not to buy and have been living in Spain for 3 years. We have had some hairy altercations with Landlords, though & are on a permanent learning curb


Thank you , I am trying to keep a record of our adventures throught the forum and social media , I have set up a blog and plan to start that soon. Buying was the right thing for us but not for everyone. Sometimes it feels like groundhog day particularly as its early days and I have been on my own for 2 weeks so all the chores are mine right now but the weather and environment make up for it as does doing what I want when I want , although I have agreed to some contracting work in the next few weeks so that might change !


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## Maureen47

I have to share that I have managed 3 weeks on my own in Spain in the Campo , lots of jobs to just function but I did it ! We didnt plan for this and so to be left on my own early on in our adventure was a bit challenging but hey every challenge is an opportunity. I know now I can function on my own , I have had to sort things out, try out my basic Spanish , and made friends with the Spanish nieighbours , and forced myself to drive on the motorway lol ! I can maintain the pool , change gas bottles, manage the log burner, shop online and feel confident to be here on my own. Strange post I know but feels like a big achievement. He arrives back on Sunday morning and I am happy to hand back pool and log burner duties !


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## Megsmum

I know what you mean, We are totally off grid, when my other half went away for three weeks last year I managed as well, It is a good thing to know that you can manage alone, and when an emergency crops up, its no big deal.


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## Maureen47

Well 4 months in and still loving it , we have made lots of changes to our property. the new entrance is built , beautiful pillars and wall built in local stone by a local Spanish builder and electric gate made by local metalwork guy.. We have our shipping containers in place , our local builders yard did the deed with their lorry and crane. The containers will be shielded by the trees we have planted and provide us with lots of storage space. I have my veg plot planted out with onions and beans at present. Strawberries are in pots , herb garden in troughs and pimentos and tomatoes in the greenhouse. The Casita is a work in progress , I have chalk painted my antique dresser and the bed headboard to match is almost complete. We have bought a pellet stove for next winter to replace the log burner and that will be fitted in the Summer. We have had another sick doggy, he picked up something toxic and had a seizure , then ended up with fluid in his thorax , a really worrying couple if weeks but he is on the road to recovery now thanks to our wonderful local vets. He lost 5k in weight during this illness so getting him fattened up again. He wanted to play today with his buddy for first time in over 2 weeks so looking good. Spanish classes are going well and made some nice friends through the classes. Race season starts soon with my son having his first Spanish racing experience at Cheste in April in Moto 2, so exciting to be on the grid in Spain doing my pit crew job. The Casita is getting booked up with family and friends from May so all good and the outside kitchen is almost built. Its been so busy but so worthwhile , we want to get as many of the outside jobs complete so we can enjoy our visitors in the summer and not struggle in the heat.I start my gymnastics coaching at the local school after the Easter break so all going to plan. Life is good !


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## Roy C

Great update thanks Maureen, glad to hear doggie is getting better. Do you have pet insurance over there? We are heading over at the end of June for a month and intend to buy during that time, I'll be retired on the 10th. Your story is certainly inspiring.


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## Maureen47

Roy C said:


> Great update thanks Maureen, glad to hear doggie is getting better. Do you have pet insurance over there? We are heading over at the end of June for a month and intend to buy during that time, I'll be retired on the 10th. Your story is certainly inspiring.


Hi Roy , no we dont have pet insurance here , I contacted my UK company (Petplan) before we left and they didnt provide cover in Spain. I tried a couple of companies who did and the cover wasnt great for the money , they would cover the treatment but not any diagnostics so I didnt think it was worth it . We put some euros away each month just in case we have any vet bills but I have to say it is so much cheaper here so that way is probably more cost effective. The vets we use dont charge for consultations only for the treatment. I have a bill coming so will update when I get that , we have had 6 or 7 appts, 6 xrays, and 4 lots of jabs. The meds for my dog which were diuretics and 2 lots of antibiotics cost 3.5 euros! Thanks for reading my updates , its good to share them and realise you have achieved a lot in a short time , all the best for your June trip.


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## Rockpea

I'm so pleased you're getting on so well over there  I have read all of your posts with much interest!

I have to say, when it's so cold and dreary over here in the UK, it's so easy to find myself thinking "What are we doing here??? We have a house in Spain for goodness sake!!"  But it'll be a while before we can spend prolonged periods of time there. In the meantime, posts like yours keep me topped up!


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## Maureen47

Its 5 months already ! Lots of progress , the weather is fab apart from a couple of really wet days which helped with the garden. We have planted our trees in the fence border , planted our fruit trees, veg , strawberries , peppers and tomatoes coming on well. Driveway is now laid and outside kitchen tiled. Picked up 2 x 6mx3m pergolas for the outside kitchen roof and will be in place in the next week or so. 
Manged a conversation on the phone in Spanish , really impressed with myself to have made that sort of progress.
I am having chats in the village shops now too and one of the shopkeepers commented on how my Spanish has progressed ;-)

Hopefully all our jobs on the list will be done before out first lot of visitors.

Been thinking a lot about the Brexit but I guess if you are financially sound and can pay for healthcare ,we can continue to live our Spanish dream for a while !


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## Gazeebo

maureen47 said:


> Its 5 months already ! Lots of progress , the weather is fab apart from a couple of really wet days which helped with the garden. We have planted our trees in the fence border , planted our fruit trees, veg , strawberries , peppers and tomatoes coming on well. Driveway is now laid and outside kitchen tiled. Picked up 2 x 6mx3m pergolas for the outside kitchen roof and will be in place in the next week or so.
> Manged a conversation on the phone in Spanish , really impressed with myself to have made that sort of progress.
> I am having chats in the village shops now too and one of the shopkeepers commented on how my Spanish has progressed ;-)
> 
> Hopefully all our jobs on the list will be done before out first lot of visitors.
> 
> Been thinking a lot about the Brexit but I guess if you are financially sound and can pay for healthcare ,we can continue to live our Spanish dream for a while !


Really pleased that it has worked out for you. When do the chickens arrive?


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## Maureen47

Thank you , I have a poorly doggie at the mo so cant think about chicks just yet but I guess they will arrive at some point ! Just need to make sure I have a safe place for them !


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## bernardbernard

Rockpea said:


> I'm so pleased you're getting on so well over there  I have read all of your posts with much interest!
> 
> I have to say, when it's so cold and dreary over here in the UK, it's so easy to find myself thinking "What are we doing here??? We have a house in Spain for goodness sake!!"  But it'll be a while before we can spend prolonged periods of time there. In the meantime, posts like yours keep me topped up!


Hi RockPea. Read several of your posts. We to were looking at perhaps buying in Dolores de Pacheco, and was looking to you input about that village. Had looked at Hacienda la ermita. Where are you guys about? How long does it take you to get to the beach. Is is a safe village? Things to do for kids o rnearby? From our research looks close by to lots of things but would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks


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## bernardbernard

Great info.


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## Maureen47

I haven't updated for a while as I have had a very poorly doggie who went over the rainbow bridge on Monday. We are devastated to have lost him but in the end he could not win his battle with a horrible disease. Whats worth reporting though is the fabulous vetinary care we have had , from our local vet to a specialist in Valencia. I think the thing that hit me most is not once was I asked if I could afford the treatment, it was all about getting a diagnosis and trying to get our dog better. Also I am a registered nurse and they allowed me to look after him at home when he needed I/V fluids and injections as I was happy with this , it was so much better than leaving him in the vet hospital. They called out to the house to see him and were full of care and compassion. We managed to communicate with my Spanish and some English the vet had , luckily medical terms are very similar in many languages so that made it easier. My other dog is a bit subdued at present as they were a real bonded pair but sure she settle in a short time. I have a distraction at the moment as my son and his gf arrived today and he is racing in the CEV championship at Cheste at the weekend so that helps to take my mind off it but also gives me the ususal stress when you have a son who races motorbikes. Everything else is going well , our outside kitchen should be complete in the next couple of weeks , we have finished the work on the bottom part of our land to create a new entrance and the garden is starting to look great with all the flowers in bloom and the leaves appearing on the fruit trees and vines. The visitor book id filling up for the forthcoming weeks so looking forward to friends and family coming to stay. I will try and load some pics of our place when I read the intructions of how to do it .


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## Dreamwork

Hi Maureen, Im so sorry to hear about your dog. I lost mine last year but think we wont get another dog until we move abroad. I've been following your story would love to see photos. Always think pics are missing from the forum generally unlike on Facebook or Instagram. Enjoy your time with your son x


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## thrax

Always so profoundly sad when this happens. But I'll bet he had a wonderful time with you. Sorry for the news.


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## fergie

maureen47 said:


> I haven't updated for a while as I have had a very poorly doggie who went over the rainbow bridge on Monday. We are devastated to have lost him but in the end he could not win his battle with a horrible disease. Whats worth reporting though is the fabulous vetinary care we have had , from our local vet to a specialist in Valencia. I think the thing that hit me most is not once was I asked if I could afford the treatment, it was all about getting a diagnosis and trying to get our dog better. Also I am a registered nurse and they allowed me to look after him at home when he needed I/V fluids and injections as I was happy with this , it was so much better than leaving him in the vet hospital. They called out to the house to see him and were full of care and compassion. We managed to communicate with my Spanish and some English the vet had , luckily medical terms are very similar in many languages so that made it easier. My other dog is a bit subdued at present as they were a real bonded pair but sure she settle in a short time. I have a distraction at the moment as my son and his gf arrived today and he is racing in the CEV championship at Cheste at the weekend so that helps to take my mind off it but also gives me the ususal stress when you have a son who races motorbikes. Everything else is going well , our outside kitchen should be complete in the next couple of weeks , we have finished the work on the bottom part of our land to create a new entrance and the garden is starting to look great with all the flowers in bloom and the leaves appearing on the fruit trees and vines. The visitor book id filling up for the forthcoming weeks so looking forward to friends and family coming to stay. I will try and load some pics of our place when I read the intructions of how to do it .


Hi Maureen,
Sorry to hear about the loss of your doggy, I know how empty life feels without the patter of their paws, we lost our Westie on the 4th March this year,he was very ill too, so a blessing for him really, but it doesn't stop you missing them so much. Chin up though, your sadness will become happy memories. Our Spanish vet was also excellent, I couldn't have wished for better care.
Glad your renovations are going well, enjoy your visits from family and friends.


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## Pesky Wesky

maureen47 said:


> I haven't updated for a while as I have had a very poorly doggie who went over the rainbow bridge on Monday. We are devastated to have lost him but in the end he could not win his battle with a horrible disease. Whats worth reporting though is the fabulous vetinary care we have had , from our local vet to a specialist in Valencia. I think the thing that hit me most is not once was I asked if I could afford the treatment, it was all about getting a diagnosis and trying to get our dog better. Also I am a registered nurse and they allowed me to look after him at home when he needed I/V fluids and injections as I was happy with this , it was so much better than leaving him in the vet hospital. They called out to the house to see him and were full of care and compassion. We managed to communicate with my Spanish and some English the vet had , luckily medical terms are very similar in many languages so that made it easier. My other dog is a bit subdued at present as they were a real bonded pair but sure she settle in a short time. I have a distraction at the moment as my son and his gf arrived today and he is racing in the CEV championship at Cheste at the weekend so that helps to take my mind off it but also gives me the ususal stress when you have a son who races motorbikes. Everything else is going well , our outside kitchen should be complete in the next couple of weeks , we have finished the work on the bottom part of our land to create a new entrance and the garden is starting to look great with all the flowers in bloom and the leaves appearing on the fruit trees and vines. The visitor book id filling up for the forthcoming weeks so looking forward to friends and family coming to stay. I will try and load some pics of our place when I read the intructions of how to do it .


Sorry to hear about your dog Maureen.


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## Roy C

Hi Maureen
So sorry to hear about the loss of your poor dog, we lost our 13 year old Retriever last May, so I know how you must feel. We will get another when we get to Spain as well.


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## jojo

We lost our doggy after we were unable to take him to the vet due to a flood. It broke my heart. 

I know how you must be feeling 

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## SandraP

Sorry to hear the sad news about your little boy. 
We have 2 dogs atm, but one is a rescue dog my dad adopted many years ago, Sasha. She is about 23 (according to vet records) & has lump growing behind a front leg. We won't take her to the vet until it is time to say goodbye, she still chases the cats, eats everything in sight & barks at anyone walking near our house. Minnie the younger one follows Sasha around and curls up with her to sleep, she will miss her.
We don't intend bringing a dog with us when we move to Spain, although I can see Sasha being here forever the way she is.  I would like to adopt either a Galgo or Podenco, depending on which is better with the cats. Of course that is in the future.

Once again Maureen, sorry about your boy, your pain will ease & at least you have the consolation that you loved him & did your best for him. 
RIP little boy, hope you are playing happily now you have stepped over the Rainbow Bridge.


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## Maureen47

Just a little update ,Its been a busy few weeks , I am still struggling with losing my lovely lurcher Tom but life goes on as they say. My other dog whilst struggling for a couple of weeks has made friends with the neighbours dogs and is enjoying thier company on walks. Outside work is ongoing , a rush to finish the outside kitchen before our first of a stream of visitors at the end of the month. Have to say we are finding building materials cheap here and thankfully my OH can turn his hand to most jobs. The weather is great after a few days of rain which helped the garden. Have a lovely Spanish friend helping me with my conversational Spanish and classes still ongoing twice a week with intercambio twice a week too , I so want to be comfortable with the language so the time spent is worthwhile. We are happy that financially things are stable too ,always a concern when you go from a salary to pension funds but all is working well and out captial is intact ;-). I am continuing my support at the village dance school and have joined the village animal rescue too , all the ladies are Spanish and a great crew doing a good job with now the support of new Mayor , life in Spain is good and we are starting to feel part of the community. I had a neighbour stop to offer me a lift the other day when I was walking to my friends and I stopped and gave one of the neighbours a lift to the village the other day too. No regrets about our move , Life is good ;-)


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## Pesky Wesky

I have just posted this in this thread
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/374305-stories-life-spain.html



> I'm putting a link here to Maureen's story in Spain as you can't get much more positive than this woman!
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-spain/926914-settling-into-our-new-home.html


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## Maureen47

Pesky Wesky said:


> I have just posted this in this thread
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/374305-stories-life-spain.html


Thanks , I do try to be positive , I chose to move to Spain and I guess an acceptance of a country's culture and way of life make settling in much easier rather than whinging about the paperwork etc , you find out what the rules are and if you follow them it generally works ok . I think having moved from your initial home in the past and maybe having worked in other countries sets you up better for an acceptance of change. I will stick to my old motto , every challenge is an opportunity ! ;-)


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## mrypg9

maureen47 said:


> I haven't updated for a while as I have had a very poorly doggie who went over the rainbow bridge on Monday. We are devastated to have lost him but in the end he could not win his battle with a horrible disease. Whats worth reporting though is the fabulous vetinary care we have had , from our local vet to a specialist in Valencia. I think the thing that hit me most is not once was I asked if I could afford the treatment, it was all about getting a diagnosis and trying to get our dog better. Also I am a registered nurse and they allowed me to look after him at home when he needed I/V fluids and injections as I was happy with this , it was so much better than leaving him in the vet hospital. They called out to the house to see him and were full of care and compassion. We managed to communicate with my Spanish and some English the vet had , luckily medical terms are very similar in many languages so that made it easier. My other dog is a bit subdued at present as they were a real bonded pair but sure she settle in a short time. I have a distraction at the moment as my son and his gf arrived today and he is racing in the CEV championship at Cheste at the weekend so that helps to take my mind off it but also gives me the ususal stress when you have a son who races motorbikes. Everything else is going well , our outside kitchen should be complete in the next couple of weeks , we have finished the work on the bottom part of our land to create a new entrance and the garden is starting to look great with all the flowers in bloom and the leaves appearing on the fruit trees and vines. The visitor book id filling up for the forthcoming weeks so looking forward to friends and family coming to stay. I will try and load some pics of our place when I read the intructions of how to do it .


So sorry Maureen. We've been there twice, we know how you feel. It breaks your heart.
Our Little Azor is ten this year, he is showing signs of old age...Like you, we love our dogs so much...


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## Maureen47

mrypg9 said:


> So sorry Maureen. We've been there twice, we know how you feel. It breaks your heart.
> Our Little Azor is ten this year, he is showing signs of old age...Like you, we love our dogs so much...



Thank you, it truly is heart breaking and I keep thinking he might come back , strange I know but its early days and I am struggling with him not being here. He was one of those once in a lifetime dogs and I dont think I will ever have another like him. I went through some difficult times with him and he was a sensitive soul who stuck by my side when I needed him most. Bella his buddy is much quieter dog but she is coming into her own now and settling down to be an only dog. She has the company of my sis in laws dogs for walks and she is starting to look her shiny black self again. Dogs give so much for so little. My next challenge is to help Bella cope with the heat , she is black so soaks it up. I have a heat reflective coat for her and her paddling pool is out on the terrace , I am hoping she will get used to it gradually as the heat builds up.


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## Roy C

It's a year ago on a Sunday we had to lose our thirteen year old Retriever, still miss him a lot. We will wait now until we move before we get another dog or two. It is tough though still at times.


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## Maureen47

Well our first round of friends and family are due to arrive on Friday , looking forward to seeing my daughter and her bf and his parents. We have been so busy and it made us think about all that we have achieved since our arrival, so I have a list of some of our achievements.

Visited the hospital when my OH hurt his ankle, great service.
Numerous vet visits with our dogs and lost my dear Tom but had a lovely compassionate vet in Spain and realised our local vet care is fab and cheap .
My Spanish has improved drastically by attending classes twice a week , intercambio twice a week and volunteering at the dance school in the village coaching gymnastics.
I have made friends with my Spanish nieghbours and they are helping me with my conversation.
We have had built a new entrance to our property using local tradesmen and its looking fab.
We have built an outside kitchen and looking forward to using it with family and friends this weekend.
We are part of a regular Spanish/English lunch club that meets once a month and shares food from each of our cultures.
We are on the padron and have our residencia.
We have got our car through an ITV.
The pool is sparkling and we have learned how to manage it.
The garden is looking good , albeit lots of hard work but worth it.
Found a great hairdresser in our village , best haircut I have had in years and only 14 e.
We are loving being able to use our motorbike as transport regularly as the weather allows it .

All in all Life is good , we have made the transition from work life to Spanish life, its not easy I finished in a high powered job in Oct and moved here in November but I am loving not getting up at 5am for the London train and instead having a relaxing coffee on the terrace and planning my day.

If you plan ahead and manage your expectations it can be a fabulous life here , things like Brexit crop up but hey every challenge is an opportunity !

There is lots more but that's enough for now ;-)


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## Maureen47

Haven't added to this thread for a wee while so thought I would update.

Its hot ! Air Con on at times for the first time this summer. It was 38 and the dog was struggling !
Had 2 rounds of visitors and all went well , our outside kitchen and eating area was great for cooking , watching TV , playing cards, scrabble etc and my daughters favourite Beer Pong !
We have a leak in our Casita so the next job is to get the shower tiles off and investigate , we have a few weeks till our next lot of visitors which then goes on until the end of Aug so hopefully it will fixed by then , they things are sent to try us !
I am having a weekend on my own , hubby gone to Cartagena Racing circuit with my son and his sponsors for some fun , I am staying out with the dog although I have a market visit for breakfast with one of the girls tmoro and a trip to the Rastro on Sunday morning arranged and invite to dinner on Sat evening so a busy weekend.

I love life in Spain , was at the hairdressers about an hour ago in our village and can now manage a basic conversation albeit about the weather and dogs with my hairdresser !

Its funny , the comments so far from our family and friends who have visited are along the lines omg , its really happened ! you have settled so well , the property is amazing ! I am not sure what they expected from rural Spain but they are converted for sure that there is more to Spain than the holiday resorts which was their experience before coming to see us.

So I guess lessons to pass on

I am so glad I have air con, dont underestimate the discomfort the heat can bring and the lack of sleep.

Its good to have an outside area to feed and entertain visitors.

The pool is a real bonus , we didn't think we could afford a property with a lovely pool like this but are so glad we continued with our search.

We have some unexpected repairs to deal with in our Casita but luckily my husband is pretty good at stuff like this and if he cant do it on his own we have contacts now in the village who will help. 

Visitors means work ! Ours have been great so far and mucked in but when they are gone there is a massive pile of washing ! Only consolation is that drying it is not an issue !

Our garden is looking great , my grapevines are heaving with fruit , the apple tree too and lots of figs and limes on the way but with that comes watering and caretaking every day when its this hot but its worth it.

Have a great weekend everybody ;-)


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## Maureen47

Just a llittle update , we are still loving life in Spain , we are starting to build a social life with Spanish friends we have made from our village , the people are so welcoming. I posted on our village FB page that I would like to meet some new people and share language skills. I was overwhelmed by the response and the all the welcome message I received from people. We now have a Sunday breakfast language club and I have a few of the younger girls coming to my house where we share our language skills. I guess the lesson is if you want to integrate and make an effort it will happen. The nicest thing that was said to me was , that they had met people that had lived here 10 yrs and my Spanish was better than theirs in 6 months, for me I couldnt live here and not be able to commuicate particularly in a village setting where people are more than happy to help. Life for us is great in Spain , regardless of the Brexit outcome , we are here for the long haul, even if that means I have to take advantage of my Irish heritage and change my passport !


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## jojo

Maureen47 said:


> Just a llittle update , we are still loving life in Spain , we are starting to build a social life with Spanish friends we have made from our village , the people are so welcoming. I posted on our village FB page that I would like to meet some new people and share language skills. I was overwhelmed by the response and the all the welcome message I received from people. We now have a Sunday breakfast language club and I have a few of the younger girls coming to my house where we share our language skills. I guess the lesson is if you want to integrate and make an effort it will happen. The nicest thing that was said to me was , that they had met people that had lived here 10 yrs and my Spanish was better than theirs in 6 months, for me I couldnt live here and not be able to commuicate particularly in a village setting where people are more than happy to help. Life for us is great in Spain , regardless of the Brexit outcome , we are here for the long haul, even if that means I have to take advantage of my Irish heritage and change my passport !



I'm really pleased for you - if not a tad jealous 

Jo xxx


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## Maureen47

jojo said:


> I'm really pleased for you - if not a tad jealous
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks Jojo , life is good here , you have to make an effort to make it so but each morning I wake up I look out at my property and my view and just think all the hard work and planning was worthwhile, things can and will change but my approach to life is every challenge is an opportunity and its served me well so far ;-)


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## Maureen47

Its been a while since I updated this thread and as I have some time this evening thought I would do just that. 

Its been a busy Summer for us , non stop friends and family for the last 8 weeks ! My sister, her husband and 2 children are here at the moment but off to Valencia this morning for an overnight and my OH just left for the UK so all quiet on the Western front.

Its been a good Summer but so tiring ! We had a friends 60th here and surprised him by getting another 2 mates here , my husbands friends who hadnt had quality time together for many years, they have been friends for almost 40 years, his face was a picture when they turned up ! 

I have had a foster dog for the Summer too , she is a lovely Galga that was chucked out in a terrible state , I have given 2 injections a day for a month and she is looking so much better , she is lovely girly who is so friendly and has been fab with my dog and has kissed all our visitors on a regular basis , hopefully her bloods will be fine as a friend in the UK is keen to adopt her.

Lesson learned on our first Summer !

1. Its really hot ! Its difficult to have company when it is so hot you dont want to do anything and they are on holiday so want to be out and about , note to self , avoid August for visitors !

2. Fostering for the village rescue is really rewarding and I now have a new group of lovely Spanish friends who are like minded in terms of animal welfare ;-)

3. The village Fiesta was fabulous , great parade , lots of live music and entertainment and we enjoyed it thoroughly.

4.Air Con is blessing , Iberdrola charges not as bad as I thought and so glad we have it .

5. The pool has also been fab both for us and lots of fun with our visitors with a volley net and a basketball net in situ , together with pool noodle racing , lots of fun !

6.Met all the local Spanish holiday home owners who have been here for August , nice to know who owns the houses around us and have had many lovely paella lunches with them.

7. Lots of produce arrivng from my Spanish friends , need more freezer space !

8. Worth reminding your visitors you are not on hols and as much as you enjoy the fun stuff , the house stills needs to be cleaned and the land watered etc.

Life is still good in Spain , my visitors are back tmoro evening then gone on Thursday so a little peace and quiet for a while and we can plan our Winter jobs , OH in the UK for a few weeks so I have the place to myself and lots of things planned with my friends. 

We are coping with the reduced euro rate as its not worth losing sleep over something you cant control , just having to find more yellow labels in the supermarket. (50% reduced !)

My Spanish is coming on and having more Spanish friends is making a massive difference, Spanish classes start again in Sept twice a week so need to get my head down again and do my homework !

We also brought some motorbikes with us with a plan to do some trail riding weekends , we have now sold them all on ebay and they are on their way back to the UK , we will be buying Spanish bikes as having got 2 vehicles through trafico we decided it was easier and cost effective to buy in Spain, the bikes we are looking for are actually comparable or cheaper in Spain so a no brainer , my OH is an engineer and his workshop is all set up now so seemed like the best plan.

Looking forward to my first trip back to UK in Oct half term , my daughter is a Primary school teacher so will spend some time her and do a bit of Christmas shopping. 

Life is good ;-)


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## Khrissy

I've been a member since January and have no idea how I've not seen this thread before?! I love it! Your positivity absolutely radiates from your posts and I'm feeling so much happier about our imminent move (two weeks today and we will be heading down). Thank you!


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## Maureen47

Khrissy said:


> I've been a member since January and have no idea how I've not seen this thread before?! I love it! Your positivity absolutely radiates from your posts and I'm feeling so much happier about our imminent move (two weeks today and we will be heading down). Thank you!



Its been a great experience , we are learning all the time and every challenge is an opportunity ;-) Good Luck with your move and thank you for the kind comments ;-)


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## Navas

I just found this thread and am so pleased that you are settling well into life in Spain. It's delightful to read how things are going for you, Maureen. Please keep writing your updates when you have time.


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## Maureen47

Hi , glad you guys are enjoying my thread , I mean to do a blog but hopefully keeping a record here to refer to when I get onto doing that. Its good to share thoughts as a move like this is such a big thing. I am sat on the terrace at the moment , its really hot and humid and there is a thunder strorm rumbling away in the distance . I am home alone at the mo as OH is in the UK dealing with some business. my doggy hates thunder so we are all prepped to sort her out if it comes our way and I will grab my foster houndy from the run and she can join us iinside until it is over. I have sorted out the pool today, didnt know anything about pool management until we moved to Spain ! Done a bit of gardening , sorted out my auction for my local charity on a social media site ( got in trouble for posting it here , sorry ! ) Mary if you could PM the info you kindly posted that would great as I didnt get a chance to save it before one of the french expats deleted the thread , thank you ) Mopped the house and the casita so all ready for out last visitors of the year in October. Went for lunch the other day with some local english friends and surprised how many who have been here a long time are not resident or signed on the padron , hey ho , its their choice and dont want to start a debate about that.

Good luck to all of those who are planning the move the key word being plan ! it makes such a difference , things will happen but you deal with them as they crop up , its easy to llive in another country if your embrace the culture , follow the rules and appreciate what you have. As i a sitting here on the terrace with a wonderful view of the village and the mountains , my doggies at my feet, the sweat is running down my back , I am so glad I had some practice working in India where I learned to ignore the heat and get on with the job !

Enough for now , good luck to all future ex-pats ;-)


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## Pesky Wesky

Maureen47 said:


> Hi , glad you guys are enjoying my thread , I mean to do a blog but hopefully keeping a record here to refer to when I get onto doing that. Its good to share thoughts as a move like this is such a big thing. I am sat on the terrace at the moment , its really hot and humid and there is a thunder strorm rumbling away in the distance . I am home alone at the mo as OH is in the UK dealing with some business. my doggy hates thunder so we are all prepped to sort her out if it comes our way and I will grab my foster houndy from the run and she can join us iinside until it is over. I have sorted out the pool today, didnt know anything about pool management until we moved to Spain ! Done a bit of gardening , sorted out my auction for my local charity on a social media site ( got in trouble for posting it here , sorry ! ) Mary if you could PM the info you kindly posted that would great as I didnt get a chance to save it before one of the french expats deleted the thread , thank you ) Mopped the house and the casita so all ready for out last visitors of the year in October. Went for lunch the other day with some local english friends and surprised how many who have been here a long time are not resident or signed on the padron , hey ho , its their choice and dont want to start a debate about that.
> 
> Good luck to all of those who are planning the move the key word being plan ! it makes such a difference , things will happen but you deal with them as they crop up , its easy to llive in another country if your embrace the culture , follow the rules and appreciate what you have. As i a sitting here on the terrace with a wonderful view of the village and the mountains , my doggies at my feet, the sweat is running down my back , I am so glad I had some practice working in India where I learned to ignore the heat and get on with the job !
> 
> Enough for now , good luck to all future ex-pats ;-)


The sweat's running down my front right now and I'm suffering.
It's never been so hot here day after day.
I hate it right now.


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## Maureen47

Pesky Wesky said:


> The sweat's running down my front right now and I'm suffering.
> It's never been so hot here day after day.
> I hate it right now.


We have a massive storm going on at the mo so its helped a little with the heat but not at all with the red clay soil on our land lol !


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## Navas

Maureen47 said:


> We have a massive storm going on at the mo so its helped a little with the heat but not at all with the red clay soil on our land lol !


Sounds messy! Ever thought of taking up pottery?


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## Maureen47

Navas said:


> Sounds messy! Ever thought of taking up pottery?


Now theres an idea ! Maybe not ;-)


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## Maureen47

Well I have survived 2 and half weeks on my own again , not too many issues , electric gate no 2 is on manual as it just wont do as its told ! The pool suffered big time from the storm and its taken me till yesterday to get it back to looking somewhere decent. Didnt stop me using it during this September heatwave though ! The foster Galga is doing great , bloods negative for Leish as reported on the good news thread so all good , being only 2 she is becoming somewhat lively as she is so much healthier but a really lovely dog. I have been fine on my own this time and noticed the difference from earlier in the year where I didnt know the the neighbours , hadnt made as many friends and felt a bit isolated , this time has been all ok. I am quite proud of myself that I can manage on my own in Spain but OH back tmoro and looking forward to that. Plans made for the weekend , will let him know when he comes back ! Lastly I managed to go to the Bank today and sort out a problem with my internet banking and get a transfer done to pay a bill all in Spanish ! There is no way 6 months ago I could have managed that so anyone trying to learn Spanish its a lot of work but so worthwhile to get some independence and be able to function without relying on other people. I still have a long way to go with my Spanish and my twice weekly classes start again soon together with a new intercambio Spanish buddy starting tomorrow. Languages are difficult when you are older but for me I couldnt live in a country and not be able to communicate with those around me . Life remains great in Spain ;-) PS need to explain the new chair on the terrace , its the one I got from the bins , spray painted and made some cushions for , OH will never know !


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## Maureen47

Thought I would add a little update as I enjoy the cooler days whilst sitting on the terrace ;-) We went to our first party in Spain last night where the guests were a half and half mix of Spanish and British, we had a lovely night. The interesting thing was that all the Brits were sat at one end and the Spanish at the other all speaking thier own language. Personally I felt really uncomfortable with this so after a short time went up and introduced myself and had some lovely conversations in Spanish and met some new people. They had been to parties like this before and were surprised that I could converse with them , the Brits were equally surprised and asked me how I had learned Spanish so quickly as we havent been here a year yet. My Spanish is nowhere near where I want it to be but I can hold a conversation now and tell folks about my family and previous job etc. We struggled on some things but the Spanish crew found another way of explaining if i didnt understand and we laughed a lot ! Moral of the story , you will have in my opinion a far better experience of your chosen country if you can communicate and enjoy conversations with local people. I know its not for everyone and its hard work learning a new language when you are older but the benefits for me far outwiegh the work required. Anyway Spanish classes kick off again tomorrow , 2 hrs Mon and Weds, they are offered free in most areas or with a minimal cost for materials. Hasta Pronto ;-) Estoy Feliz ;-)


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## Lynn R

Maureen47 said:


> Thought I would add a little update as I enjoy the cooler days whilst sitting on the terrace ;-) We went to our first party in Spain last night where the guests were a half and half mix of Spanish and British, we had a lovely night. The interesting thing was that all the Brits were sat at one end and the Spanish at the other all speaking thier own language. Personally I felt really uncomfortable with this so after a short time went up and introduced myself and had some lovely conversations in Spanish and met some new people. They had been to parties like this before and were surprised that I could converse with them , the Brits were equally surprised and asked me how I had learned Spanish so quickly as we havent been here a year yet. My Spanish is nowhere near where I want it to be but I can hold a conversation now and tell folks about my family and previous job etc. We struggled on some things but the Spanish crew found another way of explaining if i didnt understand and we laughed a lot ! Moral of the story , you will have in my opinion a far better experience of your chosen country if you can communicate and enjoy conversations with local people. I know its not for everyone and its hard work learning a new language when you are older but the benefits for me far outwiegh the work required. Anyway Spanish classes kick off again tomorrow , 2 hrs Mon and Weds, they are offered free in most areas or with a minimal cost for materials. Hasta Pronto ;-) Estoy Feliz ;-)


I went to one party here where there were 20-odd guests including a British woman who is married to a Spaniard. The only people capable of having a conversation with him (apart from his wife, of course) were my husband and I. I felt embarrassed by that, and can quite understand why they very rarely accept invitations from members of the British community, he must feel so uncomfortable and in his own country, too.


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## Maureen47

Well another first for me today , we had to go Valencia and I bit the bullet and did the driving , OMG ! it was like the wacky races but I survived as did the car and my OH (and our relationship! ), need to do it once more before I will be confident on my own. I guess its just like driving in any big city and I did lots of that in the UK in Leeds , London , Birmingham , Liverpool etc but feeling proud of myself for this one today ;-)


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## st3v3y

One of my first driving experiences in Spain was in Valencia, total madness!

I remember sitting at traffic lights and I was the first car lined up. There were lanes either side of me. As I sat there waiting for the lights to change, feeling like it was a grand prix starting grid, the cars either side of me drove off, even though the lights were still red! They were just waiting for the other traffic to stop as there signal to go.

Alas, the driver behind me used international sign language to portray her displeasure at me and not for the first time, I sat there bemused as an angry woman headed off into the distance, never to be seen again.


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## Pesky Wesky

Maureen47 said:


> Well another first for me today , we had to go Valencia and I bit the bullet and did the driving , OMG ! it was like the wacky races but I survived as did the car and my OH (and our relationship! ), need to do it once more before I will be confident on my own. I guess its just like driving in any big city and I did lots of that in the UK in Leeds , London , Birmingham , Liverpool etc but feeling proud of myself for this one today ;-)


Good for you

As have said before on the forum I actually learn to drive in Madrid. I was living near Plaza Mayor so it was the centre of the centre. I'll never forget the first day, Gran Vía, Calle San Bernado, Plaza de España. I was sweating buckets! However, I did learn to hold my own in the crazy city.
Now I never drive in Madrid. I can't remember the last time I did. I much prefer public transport and you don't have to look for parking


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## snikpoh

st3v3y said:


> One of my first driving experiences in Spain was in Valencia, total madness!
> 
> I remember sitting at traffic lights and I was the first car lined up. There were lanes either side of me. As I sat there waiting for the lights to change, feeling like it was a grand prix starting grid, the cars either side of me drove off, even though the lights were still red! They were just waiting for the other traffic to stop as there signal to go.
> 
> Alas, the driver behind me used international sign language to portray her displeasure at me and not for the first time, I sat there bemused as an angry woman headed off into the distance, never to be seen again.


I suspect that they aren't waiting for the others to stop, but watching the green/red man on the pedestrian crossing signs.

When the man on your lane goes red, they know that the lights will be changing soon so start to move off. Because of this, I've seen numerous accidents where cars on the other road 'run the lights' .


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## SandraP

Madrid was a crazy city, we were staying a very short walk from puerto del sol & plaza mayor, we arrived in the city about 3 p m and had to almost fight to keep our space in the lane at traffic lights. Thank goodness I was only the navigator :grin:


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## Pesky Wesky

SandraP said:


> Madrid was a crazy city, we were staying a very short walk from puerto del sol & plaza mayor, we arrived in the city about 3 p m and had to almost fight to keep our space in the lane at traffic lights. Thank goodness I was only the navigator :grin:


Yes, 3pm is a very busy time, but I can tell you that Gran Vía at 3am is very similar! I remember many a time on Gran Vía in the early hours "fighting" to get a taxi.


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## Isobella

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, 3pm is a very busy time, but I can tell you that Gran Vía at 3am is very similar! I remember many a time on Gran Vía in the early hours "fighting" to get a taxi.


The same in Malaga city centre at peak periods.

First time I drove in Spain I wanted to be alone. A short trip to shops. On the CDS almost every trip needs to be done on A7. There was a traffic hold up, nothing moved for ages. 15 min drive took an hour, oh was frantic as it was pre mobile era.


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## Maureen47

On a roll now , Alicante today , not quite so bad but some loons on the autovia , rewarded with a nice tapas lunch in a beachside bar at San Juan tho , so all good ! ;-)


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## Maureen47

I had to share this , we have a foster Galga at the moment but we have decided to adopt her ;-) I have been working with the local protectora in my village and tonight went to my first meeting. I was given a really warm welcome into a beautiful house in the town with lovely food and drinks laid on. All the conversation was in Spanish and I loved it ! They couldnt believe I had been i Spain less than a year and I was so pleased I could communicate. I didnt get all of the conversations but I was part of the conversation and it felt really good. It makes such a difference to feel part of the local community and for me personally it is important. I have to spend a lot of time on learning Spanish but the benefits outwiegh this by a long shot. I now have a lovely group of like minded animal loves in my village and this really helps my quality of life to be able to do my little something to help. Its worth thinking about if you are planning a move to learn the language to allow you to do all the things you enjoy ;-)


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## Megsmum

Maureen47 said:


> I had to share this , we have a foster Galga at the moment but we have decided to adopt her ;-) I have been working with the local protectora in my village and tonight went to my first meeting. I was given a really warm welcome into a beautiful house in the town with lovely food and drinks laid on. All the conversation was in Spanish and I loved it ! They couldnt believe I had been i Spain less than a year and I was so pleased I could communicate. I didnt get all of the conversations but I was part of the conversation and it felt really good. It makes such a difference to feel part of the local community and for me personally it is important. I have to spend a lot of time on learning Spanish but the benefits outwiegh this by a long shot. I now have a lovely group of like minded animal loves in my village and this really helps my quality of life to be able to do my little something to help. Its worth thinking about if you are planning a move to learn the language to allow you to do all the things you enjoy ;-)


Language is so very important in making one feel settled. I've been here two years and now feel that I need to formalise my Spanish so I'm hoping to embark on either a GCSE or An OU course


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## DawnCurrie

*Maureen47*

Hello Maureen (and everybody else on this thread), i just had to comment on your down to earth and refreshingly realistic posts. Myself and my other half (OH) are a couple of years behind you as we are planning our move to Almeria within the next 2-3 years. We have just returned from a fabulous 9 days in Orgiva and whilst there we drove across to Almeria to check out Albox and Arboleas - we also drove to Lake Iznajar which was so beautiful it took our breath away. We are like ' sponges ' now, absorbing any information we can about living in Spain. I am a District Nurse in my mid 50's but dont intend to work as a nurse when we move. I am an avid gardener, dog lover (we have 2 cocker spaniels), want to learn the language and intend to start asap so that i can at least hold a conversation when we move. The driving will be daunting but it is something I will have to manage as my OH will also be travelling back and forth, he may even still be working for a few years initially, so I will have to just get on with it. Keep the info coming - it is lovely having a link with someone so very much like myself ( i would love to get involved with the animal rescue side of things too). Hope your enjoyment of Spain continues.... Regards Dawn.


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## Pesky Wesky

Megsmum said:


> Language is so very important in making one feel settled. I've been here two years and now feel that I need to formalise my Spanish so I'm hoping to embark on either a GCSE or An OU course


Or a DELE (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) that maybe a local Spanish school could help you with
DELE - Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language | Spanish Language Certifications


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## Navas

DawnCurrie said:


> We have just returned from a fabulous 9 days in Orgiva and whilst there we drove across to Almeria to check out Albox and Arboleas - we also drove to Lake Iznajar which was so beautiful it took our breath away.


The house we're buying is very close (ten minutes drive) to Lake Iznajar. It is, as you say, breathtakingly beautiful.


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## Pesky Wesky

Navas said:


> The house we're buying is very close (ten minutes drive) to Lake Iznajar. It is, as you say, breathtakingly beautiful.


Which in reality is a reservoir
El Pantano de Iznájar: El Lago de Andalucía


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## Navas

Pesky Wesky said:


> Which in reality is a reservoir
> El Pantano de Iznájar: El Lago de Andalucía


Indeed - the largest in Andalucia.


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## Megsmum

Pesky Wesky said:


> Or a DELE (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language) that maybe a local Spanish school could help you with
> DELE - Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language | Spanish Language Certifications


Many thanks

Followed this up but there is no where near me, however they do an online course and I am thinking of doing that with the support of a teacher from the ITAKI site

any thoughts


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## baldilocks

Navas said:


> Indeed - the largest in Andalucia.


When it's full but of late it has been a little on the small side.


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## Pesky Wesky

Megsmum said:


> Many thanks
> 
> Followed this up but there is no where near me, however they do an online course and I am thinking of doing that with the support of a teacher from the ITAKI site
> 
> any thoughts


No I didn't think that there would be a Cervantes school. I just meant if there was an academy near you with Spanish teachers that they could help you prepare for the exam, but now I've remembered that you're in Extremadura and that might be a big ask as they say. I sure it's a lot easier to get a Spanish language teacher in other parts of Spain.


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## Maureen47

DawnCurrie said:


> Hello Maureen (and everybody else on this thread), i just had to comment on your down to earth and refreshingly realistic posts. Myself and my other half (OH) are a couple of years behind you as we are planning our move to Almeria within the next 2-3 years. We have just returned from a fabulous 9 days in Orgiva and whilst there we drove across to Almeria to check out Albox and Arboleas - we also drove to Lake Iznajar which was so beautiful it took our breath away. We are like ' sponges ' now, absorbing any information we can about living in Spain. I am a District Nurse in my mid 50's but dont intend to work as a nurse when we move. I am an avid gardener, dog lover (we have 2 cocker spaniels), want to learn the language and intend to start asap so that i can at least hold a conversation when we move. The driving will be daunting but it is something I will have to manage as my OH will also be travelling back and forth, he may even still be working for a few years initially, so I will have to just get on with it. Keep the info coming - it is lovely having a link with someone so very much like myself ( i would love to get involved with the animal rescue side of things too). Hope your enjoyment of Spain continues.... Regards Dawn.


Hi Dawn , Thank you , we also made many visits and planned and planned and planned again, you cant plan for everything but it does help. Life is good in Spain , Brexit has made it a little unpredictable in terms of what to expect but hasnt changed how we feel about staying in Spain. Took me a little while with the driving but all ok now. I am going to the UK for my first visit since we arrived , its been almost a year , not sure how I feel about that other than seeing my family and doing a bit of shopping. Good Luck with your preparation and certainly for us its been a great move , challenges for sure but hey every challenge is an opportunity , that has stood me in good stead for a long time ;-)


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## DawnCurrie

*Hello again.*

Buenos noches , I was thrilled to bits to go on the website and discover that you had responded Maureen, thank you. I will certainly be logging on intermittently to catch up with your informative posts. You are ' living the dream ' and its nice to be able to follow someone who has already made the move, even though our 'adventure' is still a few years away.


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## Maureen47

DawnCurrie said:


> Buenos noches , I was thrilled to bits to go on the website and discover that you had responded Maureen, thank you. I will certainly be logging on intermittently to catch up with your informative posts. You are ' living the dream ' and its nice to be able to follow someone who has already made the move, even though our 'adventure' is still a few years away.



You are welcome Dawn , we have almost been here a year now and the time has sure flown by. I am off to the UK on Friday for my first visit back. I am looking forward to seeing my son and daughter although they have visited here many times in the last year.

We planned our move for along time and sure our friends were fed up of hearing about the move to Spain and many would meet us and say 'havent you gone yet !' the time will fly past so I would say make the most of it , you can never get ready too early. I remember the evening before we were travelling and running the round the house like a loon thinking why diidnt I do this earlier ! All the best with your plans ;-)


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## Lynn R

Is this the place where you live, Maureen?

Detienen a un amigo de la menor de 15 años hallada muerta en una sima de Chella . SUR.es

What an awful thing to happen, it must be pretty much unheard of around there. The young girl's family and friends must be devastated.


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## Maureen47

Lynn R said:


> Is this the place where you live, Maureen?
> 
> Detienen a un amigo de la menor de 15 años hallada muerta en una sima de Chella . SUR.es
> 
> What an awful thing to happen, it must be pretty much unheard of around there. The young girl's family and friends must be devastated.


Hi Lynn , yes it is , I arrived back from a week in the UK this evening , (my first visit in almost 12months) to this news.

The people of the village are distraught that this could happen in such a small village. I saw through social media whilst in the UK that she had gone missing but to see the sad news this evening is just dreadful. The quote from the village social media page was that in a village of 2500 where everybody knows each other and calls each other by their nickname , where everyone says hello in the street whether family , friends or acqaintances for this to happen here is inconceivable. D.E.P. Vanessa .


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## Maureen47

I experienced my first visit to the ITV station today , have to say I like this drive through process. I had done my homework beforehand to make sure I knew all the Spanish words for brakes , indicators etc and the process is really slick. Twenty minutes later and my Honda CRV lives another year ;-) Thankfully my OH had done all the checks he could prior to the ITV to try and get a successful outcome. Dont be put off taking your car , it is a straightforward process and by preparing you will get through it relatviely easily , on the other hand cant say the same for every car !! ;-)


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## jojo

Maureen47 said:


> I experienced my first visit to the ITV station today , have to say I like this drive through process. I had done my homework beforehand to make sure I knew all the Spanish words for brakes , indicators etc and the process is really slick. Twenty minutes later and my Honda CRV lives another year ;-) Thankfully my OH had done all the checks he could prior to the ITV to try and get a successful outcome. Dont be put off taking your car , it is a straightforward process and by preparing you will get through it relatviely easily , on the other hand cant say the same for every car !! ;-)


 Yes, as long as you know the relevant words, its a good system.

Jo xxx


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## Maureen47

First update of 2017 ! 

This is our second Christmas, New Year and Kings in Spain. Fells like we have been here a lot longer.
I have only made on trip to the UK since we arrived 13 months ago and tbh I was glad to get back.

The first year has flown by , we had visitors pretty much May to September and had a great Summer albeit pretty tiring. We have done so much in our first year and so much still to do.

Summary of Achievements in 2016

Transferred the car to our name
ITV on the car and the bike
Padron
Resedencia
Built an outside kitchen and eating area
Lost my precious Tommy hound but fostered for the local protectora and failed so adopted a hound 
Became an active member of the local protectora and raised over 1000 euros for them
Changed our habits to Spanish time
Greatly improved my Spanish and OH doing ok too
installed a pellet stove which had made heating this Winter so much easier
Made lots of friends of many different nationalities
Survived the referendum result so far !
Our house used to be orange groves and there are 9 terraces , we have finished work on 3 of them only 6 to go !
Ate and cooked with my own produce , figs, apples , oranges , lemons , nectarines, cherrys, grapes,strawberries , onions, peppers and beans.
Survived on our pension !
Visted lots of incredibly beautiful place.
Tried lots of new food
Suceeding in the main to live a stress free life.
Continue to see Spain as our home.

Plans for 2017

No visitors when it too hot
Remind visitors we live here and are not on holiday , we have stuff to do lol !
Continue to improve Spanish
Set up a womens group in the village for all nationalities , work in progress and meeting with Mayor in 2 weeks .
Continue to raise funds for local protectora
Visit more places in Spain
OH to finish building his workshop
Continue to appreciate our wonderful life and remember we could not have the same quality of life for the same cost in the UK.
Try more things , food , places , experiences.
Always remember to appreciate every day.
Enjoy having choices.
Keep posting on the forum , its been 3 years now ;-)
Plans are flexible and can no doubt change and if they do its not a problem , will be great to look back on this next year and see the outcome !

Life in Spain for us is good , we are enjoying every moment , I am currently on my own for 3 weeks and have no issues with that , I have friends , stuff to do and plans to make , for us this has been a great move but it requires work and a positive attitude to life and open mind. Its about accepting life is different and different cultures have a different view on life , that doesnt make it wrong or bad , live and let live .

Well I have rambled long enough but felt it may be helpful to share some of my thoughts and keep this thread going.

Happy New Year , Feliz Dia de Los Reyes Y un feliz y saludable 2017 a todos ustedes


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## baldilocks

Well done. Keep it up. Hope you'll still be at it in 10 years' time and be still as happy.

Feliz Año Nuevo 2017


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## DawnCurrie

Happy New Year Maureen, lovely to read your latest post, so positive and encouraging x we are still in the planning, research - dream of a new life stage....but we continue to persevere and hopefully not to way off in the future we, like you, will fulfill our dreams xxx


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## Maureen47

A little update , the weather !!! We were so lucky with our first winter in Spain , it was glorious , we worked outside for as much as 12 hrs a day and got lots of things done. This year has been very different. As all you Spanish residents will be aware the weather has been a bot extreme. We have had to learned how to manage our house and land with extreme rain and cold. We changed from a wood burner to a pellet stove and these last few days it has been on for many hours of the day and night and has kept us cosy. Having house dogs in this type of weather is reminiscent of the UK because I have hounds who are not great with cold and rain , so forced toilet breaks wrapped up in raincoats , glad I brought them with me , didnt think I would use them this much ! 
The extreme weather has caused a bit of a damp issue on the gable end of our house causing some black patches. They clean easily and I will most likely have to treat them again after this current weather blip. My husband helps my son in our business in the UK at certain times of year when the workload requires, he always seem to be away when the weather is extreme , sure he plans it ! In some ways its been good to see both ends of what winter can bring as it allows you to know how to manage it. Right now I have 2 hounds curled up in front of the fire ,some homemade soup for later and hoping that the TV and wifi satellite signals hold out. The rain and sleet havert stopped for many hours and the area is starting to look like a lake but we are warm and cosy in here so all is well. I guess when you are thinking about where to live in Spain its worth considering all weather possibilites and how the house/area you love would be in those scenarios. I have to admit we didnt , we thought sunshine !


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## jojo

Maureen47 said:


> A little update , the weather !!! We were so lucky with our first winter in Spain , it was glorious , we worked outside for as much as 12 hrs a day and got lots of things done. This year has been very different. As all you Spanish residents will be aware the weather has been a bot extreme. We have had to learned how to manage our house and land with extreme rain and cold. We changed from a wood burner to a pellet stove and these last few days it has been on for many hours of the day and night and has kept us cosy. Having house dogs in this type of weather is reminiscent of the UK because I have hounds who are not great with cold and rain , so forced toilet breaks wrapped up in raincoats , glad I brought them with me , didnt think I would use them this much !
> The extreme weather has caused a bit of a damp issue on the gable end of our house causing some black patches. They clean easily and I will most likely have to treat them again after this current weather blip. My husband helps my son in our business in the UK at certain times of year when the workload requires, he always seem to be away when the weather is extreme , sure he plans it ! In some ways its been good to see both ends of what winter can bring as it allows you to know how to manage it. Right now I have 2 hounds curled up in front of the fire ,some homemade soup for later and hoping that the TV and wifi satellite signals hold out. The rain and sleet havert stopped for many hours and the area is starting to look like a lake but we are warm and cosy in here so all is well. I guess when you are thinking about where to live in Spain its worth considering all weather possibilites and how the house/area you love would be in those scenarios. I have to admit we didnt , we thought sunshine !


Always a joy to read!

Thank you 

Jo xxx


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## baldilocks

Maureen47 said:


> A little update , the weather !!! We were so lucky with our first winter in Spain , it was glorious , we worked outside for as much as 12 hrs a day and got lots of things done. This year has been very different. As all you Spanish residents will be aware the weather has been a bot extreme. We have had to learned how to manage our house and land with extreme rain and cold. We changed from a wood burner to a pellet stove and these last few days it has been on for many hours of the day and night and has kept us cosy. Having house dogs in this type of weather is reminiscent of the UK because I have hounds who are not great with cold and rain , so forced toilet breaks wrapped up in raincoats , glad I brought them with me , didnt think I would use them this much !
> The extreme weather has caused a bit of a damp issue on the gable end of our house causing some black patches. They clean easily and I will most likely have to treat them again after this current weather blip. My husband helps my son in our business in the UK at certain times of year when the workload requires, he always seem to be away when the weather is extreme , sure he plans it ! In some ways its been good to see both ends of what winter can bring as it allows you to know how to manage it. Right now I have 2 hounds curled up in front of the fire ,some homemade soup for later and hoping that the TV and wifi satellite signals hold out. The rain and sleet havert stopped for many hours and the area is starting to look like a lake but we are warm and cosy in here so all is well.* I guess when you are thinking about where to live in Spain its worth considering all weather possibilites *and how the house/area you love would be in those scenarios. I have to admit we didnt , we thought sunshine !


That was one of the factors we used when choosing our home. Check the climate. The heat/cold aren't necessarily based on latitude, (north=colder, south=warmer) altitude makes a big difference: at over 700 metres we can be 8-10° cooler in the height of summer than Córdoba which is further North but at only 100 metres.


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## Maureen47

What a difference a year makes !

A friend and I attended Mass in our village church this morning in honour of one of the village patron saints. It was a lovely service with the Festoros all taking part and being presented. Everybody was in their Sunday best and the chirch was standing room only. 

I was able to follow the service and enjoy the sermon. The man who usually fills my car with fuel at the Repsol was one of the altar servers and we were greeted by lots of folks we knew from the village.

It was then off to the village for some tapas and drinks and the atmosphere was lovely , we now feel part of our local community and this was something we had hoped for.

I spent yesterday evening messaging back and forward with the ladies from the local protectora trying to sort out a dog my friend had fostered yesterday , all in Spanish and it felt good.

I would highly recommend if you are planning on living in a rural village to embrace the local culture and learn the language. The people have welcomed us into the community and that makes life here so much more enjoyable.

There was supposed to be a 'traca' in the village today but it was cancelled as it was a bit windy. This is a trail of fireworks that runs alll the way through the village , you run in front of it and try not to be caught. Some of our friends dared us to do it and then we would really be residents of the village , I was glad it was cancelled ! ;-) 

So life remains good, the weather is better than previous weeks and our life in Spain is better than we could have hoped for . This wouldnt have happened 12 months ago , our efforts at learning Spanish are really paying off and also getting involved in village life is great, onwards and upwards ;-) Felices Fiestas !


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## baldilocks

Maureen47 said:


> Felices Fiestas !


Igualmente


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## Roy C

What a great report Maureen, I do hope we are in a similar situation after we have been in our new home a year. how have you picked up the Spanish? Also was it easy to keep your house warm in the winter, some of the places we have stayed in have been cold but not all.


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## Maureen47

Roy C said:


> What a great report Maureen, I do hope we are in a similar situation after we have been in our new home a year. how have you picked up the Spanish? Also was it easy to keep your house warm in the winter, some of the places we have stayed in have been cold but not all.


Hi Roy and thank you ;-)

I did a year or so of Spanish prior to moving and since moving go to Spanish classes twice a week and intercambio once a week. I also now volunteer with the village protectora and I am the only Brit so have to communicate in Spanish. I try to do a little bit everyday on various online apps and web pages. Its hard graft sometimes but so worth the effort to be able to communicate. I like to chat ,you may have noticed lol ! so for me it was a must to put the hours in to be able to do so ;-) My husband and I have Spanish hour at home too , where we only speak to each other in Spanish , its a bit of fun but does help ;-)

About keeping the house warm , we have a pellet stove for our fire and heating so didnt have any trouble with heating , it was on all day for the recent cold spell but the house was cosy. Its fairly cost effective too after the initial outlay for the pellet stove.


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## baldilocks

Maureen47 said:


> Hi Roy and thank you ;-)
> 
> I did a year or so of Spanish prior to moving and since moving go to Spanish classes twice a week and intercambio once a week. I also now volunteer with the village protectora and I am the only Brit so have to communicate in Spanish. I try to do a little bit everyday on various online apps and web pages. Its hard graft sometimes but so worth the effort to be able to communicate. I like to chat ,you may have noticed lol ! so for me it was a must to put the hours in to be able to do so ;-) My husband and I have Spanish hour at home too , where we only speak to each other in Spanish , its a bit of fun but does help ;-)
> 
> About keeping the house warm , we have a pellet stove for our fire and heating so didnt have any trouble with heating , it was on all day for the recent cold spell but the house was cosy. Its fairly cost effective too after the initial outlay for the pellet stove.


Hi Maureen, we would be interested in hearing about your pellet stove - initial outlay and running costs plus, of course the sort of space it has to heat.


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## Megsmum

I'm so glad you are settling in with your life in Spain. Making friends with local Spanish people is great, I love the fact that whenever we go to the village, we know everyone, people know us, we chat etc. Last summer we had 30/40 locals to the finca to say thank you for welcoming us with such open arms.

My Spanish is coming on, but I'm seriously in need of some Formal lessons, that's how I prefer to learn. I'm considering italki


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## Maureen47

baldilocks said:


> Hi Maureen, we would be interested in hearing about your pellet stove - initial outlay and running costs plus, of course the sort of space it has to heat.


Hi , the pellet stove is quite an expensive initial outlay depending on what model you have , we have an ecoforest pellet stove and it retails at around 2.5 k euros. We heat 4 rooms with it , 3 rooms are 4x4 m and one 8x8m . We are spending around 30 euros a month on pellets but this winter has been a bit harsh I think. During the cold and wet spells it has been on most of the time. There is lots of info on the ecoforest webpage.

We used a log burner last winter and have no regrets about changing to the pellet stove. There is very little waste from the pellets and even though we have had a foul few weeks of weather recently it has not been on full. 

Our alternative for heating would have been the log burner plus reverse cold/hot aircon units or electric radiators or gas heaters. We used the electric radiators last winter and our bill trebled. 

We think it was worth the initial outlay and you maybe able to pick up cheaper models.

Hope that helps ;-)


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## baldilocks

Maureen47 said:


> Hi , the pellet stove is quite an expensive initial outlay depending on what model you have , we have an ecoforest pellet stove and it retails at around 2.5 k euros. We heat 4 rooms with it , 3 rooms are 4x4 m and one 8x8m . We are spending around 30 euros a month on pellets but this winter has been a bit harsh I think. During the cold and wet spells it has been on most of the time. There is lots of info on the ecoforest webpage.
> 
> We used a log burner last winter and have no regrets about changing to the pellet stove. There is very little waste from the pellets and even though we have had a foul few weeks of weather recently it has not been on full.
> 
> Our alternative for heating would have been the log burner plus reverse cold/hot aircon units or electric radiators or gas heaters. We used the electric radiators last winter and our bill trebled.
> 
> We think it was worth the initial outlay and you maybe able to pick up cheaper models.
> 
> Hope that helps ;-)


Thanks Maureen
We currently use a log burner in the lounge/diner (7mx4m) with ducted hot air feeding two bedrooms above covering the same area in total plus a passive feed from the chimney void heats the attic (7mx7m) or about 100m² in total. In a normal winter we use 1-1½ tonnes of (mainly olive and some cherry/peach) logs @ €110 per tonne cut to size, delivered and stacked in our woodstore which is two floors below street level.

How is the heat distributed around the house? Hot air or radiators or...?


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## Maureen47

baldilocks said:


> Thanks Maureen
> We currently use a log burner in the lounge/diner (7mx4m) with ducted hot air feeding two bedrooms above covering the same area in total plus a passive feed from the chimney void heats the attic (7mx7m) or about 100m² in total. In a normal winter we use 1-1½ tonnes of (mainly olive and some cherry/peach) logs @ €110 per tonne cut to size, delivered and stacked in our woodstore which is two floors below street level.
> 
> How is the heat distributed around the house? Hot air or radiators or...?


Its air ducted.


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## Maureen47

Just a little update ;-)
Recently I had my second trip back to the UK , 2 in 14 months of being in Spain. My daughter is a teacher so had a half term visit so I could spend some time with her. I enjoyed my visit but realised where I really want to be - Spain ! I do enjoy the shops in the UK but wouldn't want to shop every day , the weather was ok when i was there and I enjoyed my fish and chips. I am glad I have made these trips as it helps to appreciate the quality of life we have in Spain and how different early retirement would be in the UK. 

I do miss my children but I am very proud of what they are achieving in their lives and how we communicate , they visit regularly and are really happy at how we have settled.

I know not everything is cheaper or better in Spain but everything you do in the UK costs money and the weather is restrictive in making plans.

For the cost of fuel we can have a lovely picnic on the beach in Winter having watched our dogs have a fabulous fun running in the sand and checking out if the water is too cold. We dont think twice about coffee and breakfast in our village , coffee and tostada with orange juice when in season , 2 euros. Menu del Dia , from 7-12 euros depending on where we go. Free live music regularly. Fiesta fun , Saints days , love how the Spanish like to party ;-)

Our village is a friendly place and volunteering with the village protectora has been fab, I now feel I belong here as going to the weekly market takes ages as I stop and talk to so many local people.

We have made some great friends and have a good social life from sharing food to card nights and days out. We all skill share to try and help get things done on a limited budget, we had our electrical problem fixed and my OH sorted out a car and motorbike problem. I have helped sort out IT issues and given lessons on using the interent and social media to not so IT savvy friends.
Its a nice way to live your life.

One of our Belgian friends has planned a workshop and lunch for International womens day next week so there is always something new and interesting to do.

I guess life is what you make it but right now it feels good and as Robbie says 'I love my life '


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## DawnCurrie

HI maureen, as always - its lovely to read your updates, always positive and so very realistic. I can only continue to dream of our new life in Spain, it seems a distant dream at the moment with everything else we have going on. I continue to research properties/areas - how has Brexit affected you - how do you think it will affect people - like yourselves - who have already made the move ? trying to remain positive and upbeat but hearing many negative things at the moment ?? Please keep up with your updates xx regards Dawn xx


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## Megsmum

Maureen47 said:


> Just a little update ;-)
> Recently I had my second trip back to the UK , 2 in 14 months of being in Spain. My daughter is a teacher so had a half term visit so I could spend some time with her. I enjoyed my visit but realised where I really want to be - Spain ! I do enjoy the shops in the UK but wouldn't want to shop every day , the weather was ok when i was there and I enjoyed my fish and chips. I am glad I have made these trips as it helps to appreciate the quality of life we have in Spain and how different early retirement would be in the UK.
> 
> I do miss my children but I am very proud of what they are achieving in their lives and how we communicate , they visit regularly and are really happy at how we have settled.
> 
> I know not everything is cheaper or better in Spain but everything you do in the UK costs money and the weather is restrictive in making plans.
> 
> For the cost of fuel we can have a lovely picnic on the beach in Winter having watched our dogs have a fabulous fun running in the sand and checking out if the water is too cold. We dont think twice about coffee and breakfast in our village , coffee and tostada with orange juice when in season , 2 euros. Menu del Dia , from 7-12 euros depending on where we go. Free live music regularly. Fiesta fun , Saints days , love how the Spanish like to party ;-)
> 
> Our village is a friendly place and volunteering with the village protectora has been fab, I now feel I belong here as going to the weekly market takes ages as I stop and talk to so many local people.
> 
> We have made some great friends and have a good social life from sharing food to card nights and days out. We all skill share to try and help get things done on a limited budget, we had our electrical problem fixed and my OH sorted out a car and motorbike problem. I have helped sort out IT issues and given lessons on using the interent and social media to not so IT savvy friends.
> Its a nice way to live your life.
> 
> One of our Belgian friends has planned a workshop and lunch for International womens day next week so there is always something new and interesting to do.
> 
> I guess life is what you make it but right now it feels good and as Robbie says 'I love my life '


Highlighted those points that I feel the same about. Could have written those words myself.


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## Maureen47

DawnCurrie said:


> HI maureen, as always - its lovely to read your updates, always positive and so very realistic. I can only continue to dream of our new life in Spain, it seems a distant dream at the moment with everything else we have going on. I continue to research properties/areas - how has Brexit affected you - how do you think it will affect people - like yourselves - who have already made the move ? trying to remain positive and upbeat but hearing many negative things at the moment ?? Please keep up with your updates xx regards Dawn xx


Thank you, I enjoy doing the updates as it makes me realise how we are settling and continue to enjoy life here . In terms of Brexit , I am not getting overly worried about it , there are things you can change and things you can't. I guess it really depends on your personal situation , we want to stay here. Currently we dont rely on Spain for anything, we have private health care as we are not old enough to qualify for an S1but hopefully will soon be able to pay into the Spanish system as we will have been tax payers for long enough. That also may change , luckily we dont have any exisiting health issues so its affordable. We worked out our budget on 1 to 1 basis on the pound and the euro so much as we are down on funds due to the rate we are still ok. We dont have a mortgage and have a good pension income with little outgoings and lucky to have some capital behind us but that was all part of the plan. I dont know what will happen , I keep up to date with the latest Brexit news and change money when the rate is better and hope we can continue to enjoy our Spanish life. I am making the most of it and if things change , well every challenge is an opportunity ! Good luck with your plans and hope life gets easier for you ;-)


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## jojo

Maureen47 said:


> Thank you, I enjoy doing the updates as it makes me realise how we are settling and continue to enjoy life here . In terms of Brexit , I am not getting overly worried about it , there are things you can change and things you can't. I guess it really depends on your personal situation , we want to stay here. Currently we dont rely on Spain for anything, we have private health care as we are not old enough to qualify for an S1but hopefully will soon be able to pay into the Spanish system as we will have been tax payers for long enough. That also may change , luckily we dont have any exisiting health issues so its affordable. We worked out our budget on 1 to 1 basis on the pound and the euro so much as we are down on funds due to the rate we are still ok. We dont have a mortgage and have a good pension income with little outgoings and lucky to have some capital behind us but that was all part of the plan. I dont know what will happen , I keep up to date with the latest Brexit news and change money when the rate is better and hope we can continue to enjoy our Spanish life. I am making the most of it and if things change , well every challenge is an opportunity ! Good luck with your plans and hope life gets easier for you ;-)


A perfect post and a good outlook!

Jo xxx


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## Maureen47

Megsmum said:


> Highlighted those points that I feel the same about. Could have written those words myself.


Thank you , having been back to the UK recently and no plans to go back any time soon ! I am just thankful every day that after a tough but enjoyable working life that I can enjoy this life every day. Every morning I get up and sit on the terrace with a coffee, or now early evening sitting on the terrace with my doggies at my feet I am thankful for being able to spend this part of life in such a great environment.


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## Maureen47

We have been thinking about how to secure our future in Spain and today I did a practice version of the citizenship test and I am pleased to say I scored 96% !! Given it is all in Spanish I will celebrate this evening with a glass of red. I only did to see where I was at and was so pleased with my result. We are not sure what we will do in terms of securing our futrure as there are so many unknowns but it is good to know I could manage that after just over a year here. We have Irish heritage too so that could be a solution , one thing for sure is we want to stay !


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## Lynn R

Maureen47 said:


> We have been thinking about how to secure our future in Spain and today I did a practice version of the citizenship test and I am pleased to say I scored 96% !! Given it is all in Spanish I will celebrate this evening with a glass of red. I only did to see where I was at and was so pleased with my result. We are not sure what we will do in terms of securing our futrure as there are so many unknowns but it is good to know I could manage that after just over a year here. We have Irish heritage too so that could be a solution , one thing for sure is we want to stay !


Well done, great result - but you will have to have been resident in Spain for at least 10 years before you can apply for Spanish citizenship, so if it comes to pass that an EU country passport would be helpful, your Irish heritage might be the way to go.


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## Maureen47

Lynn R said:


> Well done, great result - but you will have to have been resident in Spain for at least 10 years before you can apply for Spanish citizenship, so if it comes to pass that an EU country passport would be helpful, your Irish heritage might be the way to go.


Thanks Lynn , it was just for a bit of fun really and who knows what the rules will be int he future. I was so pleased my Spanish was good enough to read the questions and answer correctly. Yes the Irish heritage may have to come into play but currently watchful waiting ;-)


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## Maureen47

Little Update from us , we have had some great news ! We are going to be Grandparents for the first time , my daughter is 14 weeks pregnant and due on Nov 4th ;-) We are really excited and also I am a bit perplexed about how I feel about being here. I knew this would happen but now its real I am thinking about how best to allow them to enjoy their new little family but to also be part of my grandchilds life. I am sure we are not the first to be in this situation and all will work out just fine. Meanwhile we are enjoying sharing our wonderful new ;-)


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## Maureen47

Thought i would update on how things are at Casa Aventura ! Our nieto/a is progressing well , my daughter is nw almost half way through her pregnancy , my knitting needles are out and I am enjoying all the daily updates on how she is progressing. They are visiting for 2 weeks in July so really looking forward to seeing them. Thens its a wait and see for when I fly off to the UK for the birth . 

Other news , our garden is is looking spectacular , think the Winter rains have really helped despite requiring a lot more weeding.

Plum crop is great and made 5lbs of jam today , apples and pears are almost there , nectarines and peaches enjoyed and frozen. The fig tree is loaded and the 2 grape vines are looking good.

I have been giving so much of it away as I cant possiblyuse it all but its great because the Spanish neighbours are really generous with veg so good to have home grown produce to share with them .

Lots of our friends and neighours have been having letters on the Catastral review with a good chance that their IBI will increase , we havent and didnt expect one as all was as it should be when we bought our house , interesting times and rightly so there is an effort being made to collect the correct monies. 

Live music time has arrived locally and we had a fab night on Friday with a great local band , no entry fee just book a table to eat. Great food and great music.

Lovely lunch on Sunday with a bring and share with Spanish friends , I really enjoyed the homemade tortilla , they enjoyed the postre, a Scottish tradtional dish for Burns night Clootie Dumpling served untraditionally with ice cream as it was a bit hot !

I tried aniseed liquer in my coffee for the first time and enjoyed it.

I have to say still no regrets and Life is good ;-)


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## Pesky Wesky

Maureen47 said:


> Plum crop is great and made 5lbs of jam today , apples and pears are almost there , nectarines and peaches enjoyed and frozen. The fig tree is loaded and the 2 grape vines are looking good.


Making Jam! What temperature is it down there? It was a boiling 38º where I am yesterday with night temps around 20º. It felt worse than the summer and there's no way I'd have made jam


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## baldilocks

Pesky Wesky said:


> Making Jam! What temperature is it down there? It was a boiling 38º where I am yesterday with night temps around 20º. It felt worse than the summer and there's no way I'd have made jam


Purely as a matter of interest, I decided to check on the temperature in the sun yesterday. It was 34° in the shade but 63° (145°F) in the sun that is enough for medium roast beef and way too much for rare.


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## Maureen47

Pesky Wesky said:


> Making Jam! What temperature is it down there? It was a boiling 38º where I am yesterday with night temps around 20º. It felt worse than the summer and there's no way I'd have made jam


I know , crazy ! Its really hot here too but air con on and jump in the pool straight after .
Had to use the plums up as they off the tree , trying to give the rest away ;-)


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## Alcalaina

Why not make some plum brandy ? Just use the cheap Spanish stuff and it will be wonderful in time for Christmas!

Plum Brandy - Good Housekeeping


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## baldilocks

Alcalaina said:


> Why not make some plum brandy ? Just use the cheap Spanish stuff and it will be wonderful in time for Christmas!
> 
> Plum Brandy - Good Housekeeping


Nah, do it the same way as we do with cherries - use Aguardiente (it's cheaper!)


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## Maureen47

Alcalaina said:


> Why not make some plum brandy ? Just use the cheap Spanish stuff and it will be wonderful in time for Christmas!
> 
> Plum Brandy - Good Housekeeping


Thank you , what a lovely idea ! ;-)


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## Maureen47

Good Evening, its been a while since I posted on this thread mainly because our wifi has let us down ! Looks like the supplier has overloaded the service recently and it became unusable. Change of supplier and all back to business as usual. I have to say one of the quickest jobs I have had done in Spain , visited the office in the village one morning and the next day all up and running for an installation fee of 90 euros to include the antennae and the wiring and 15 euros a month unlimited. 

Summer has been fun with family and friends visiting and enjoying the Fiesta in our village. My daughter is doing really well with her pregnancy and our first grandchid is due in 10 weeks.

Our fruit crops have been fab , one upside to really wet Winter , so apples are packed away and some cooked and frozen for the Winter , pears are poached for Christmas ,ig jam is made and we are still eating the really sweet seedless grapes as are all my neighbours and friends !

I had a visit back to UK , my first in the Summertime to go shopping for baby things with my daughter , I really enjoyed my visit but had forgotten how expensive some things are in the UK. Two small glasses of wine and a soft drink £14 !!!!

My husbands workshop is nearly finished and work starts on our terrace to give us a conservatory type of room there by putting a roof over the gap and some glass sliding doors , will be great for the Winter and shelter when it rains , we are using a pergola at present which is fine but not for the long term.

The only downside if you could call it that is having to watch our cash a little more with the drop in the exchange rate but it is all doable and certainly we have a better quality of life here for less money. 

September brings back Spanish classes twice a week and a challenge for me in the B1/2 class but all worth it and intercambio with the neighbours for a couple of hours once a week.

Hope you all are having a fab Summer and all is well. Life remains good ;-)


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## BobfromFrance

Maureen47 said:


> I am a qualified Project/Programme Manager !


Glad to hear everything is working out but I would be prepared for a 1 to 1 exchange rate coming pretty soon. Just wish that all the people moving country would do the same - study beforehand and be prepared.

Just a question - what university has project/program manager courses??


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## Maureen47

BobfromFrance said:


> Glad to hear everything is working out but I would be prepared for a 1 to 1 exchange rate coming pretty soon. Just wish that all the people moving country would do the same - study beforehand and be prepared.
> 
> Just a question - what university has project/program manager courses??


Thank you , planning certainly helped !

Yes , 1 to 1 is looking possible but not a lot we can do to control that one !

The University of Warwick among others does a Masters course in Project/Programme Management , personally I did these courses as a Post Graduate with Prince2 as my Project Management Choice and MSP for Programme Management , useful tools in the workplace and beyond ;-)


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## Maureen47

Hello All , its been a while and we sure have been busy. The big news is we are now Grandparents .

Our first Grandchild , a beautiful little boy surprised us by his early arrival into the world 5 weeks early. He had a tough first week but is now doing extremely well and growing fast. I spent a month in the UK when he arrived to support my daughter who had finished her teaching job that day and just 4 hrs later her baby had arrived ! We are in love and he is just gorgeous.

We are having our first Christmas back in the UK and are looking forward to some family time.

Casa Aventrua is still changing , my husband now has a work shop , his man cave is his pride and joy and I think I might have to move his bed down there !

We have had some building work done at the house too and 2 years on this was all so much easier with our improved Spanish.

My doggies are doing well , Bella my UK dog is 11 this year and other than slowing down a little is good and Isla my Spanish rescue Galga is now thriving and negative to leish.

I am continuing to support my local rescue and enjoy spending time with the lovely Spanish ladies who run it.

We had great crops this year of apples , plums , grapes , lemons and for the first time oranges. The orange trees looked dead when we arrived but I pruned and watered then and reaped the rewards this year.

Our plans for next year include further improving our Spanish , I am finding the 'sunjunctivo' complicated ! We have more plans to improve our land and also to see more of Spain. I will no doubt visit the UK more now our Grandson has arrived and I am getting used to being a distance away, I cant say I like it but I am managing it ! 

We have a great group of Spanish and non Spanish friends , my husband has taken to road cycling and is really enjoying it and part of Spanish group who meet to play pool twice a week , so we are settling in well locally which is great !

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year .


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## baldilocks

Maureen47 said:


> Our plans for next year include further improving our Spanish ,* I am finding the 'sunjunctivo' complicated* ! We have more plans to improve our land and also to see more of Spain. I will no doubt visit the UK more now our Grandson has arrived and I am getting used to being a distance away, I cant say I like it but I am managing it !
> .


I'm not surprised you are finding it complicated, it is "su*b*junctivo"


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## Megsmum

Maureen47 said:


> . I will no doubt visit the UK more now our Grandson has arrived and I am getting used to being a distance away, I cant say I like it but I am managing it !
> .


Glad your settling in, how time passes

Yes, our first grandchild was born after we moved here. You’ll never like it, but you’ll get used to the distances. If I’m honest, it’s the one thing that tears at my heartstrings. 

Congratulations 

Soon, like us, you’ll be chatting via Skype and watching him play


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## baldilocks

Megsmum said:


> Glad your settling in, how time passes
> 
> Yes, our first grandchild was born after we moved here. You’ll never like it, but you’ll get used to the distances. If I’m honest, it’s the one thing that tears at my heartstrings.
> 
> Congratulations
> 
> Soon, like us, you’ll be chatting via Skype and watching him play


Not to mention using WhatsApp to communicate for free.


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## John98103

Curious why you chose to settle in Chella? 
Looks like a pretty small town.

Just wondering -


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## baldilocks

John98103 said:


> Curious why you chose to settle in Chella?
> Looks like a pretty small town.
> 
> Just wondering -


Personally, I am curious as to the whys and wherefores of your question.


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## mrypg9

baldilocks said:


> Personally, I am curious as to the whys and wherefores of your question.


I have a sense of deju vu.....or deja lu...

Sorry no accents etc. on this keyboard.


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## baldilocks

mrypg9 said:


> I have a sense of deju vu.....or deja lu...
> 
> Sorry no accents etc. on *this keyboard*.


well use the alternate keyboard, you know, the one you access via the 'alt' key


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## Maureen47

Just thought I would update my post , well whats been occurring ! 

Winter seems to have dragged on a bit , it was our 3rd Winter and so far all 3 have been different . The weather seems to be settling now and we have finally got our place into Summer mode . The builders are finally finished and with all the changes the house finally feels like ours. My little Grandson is growing fast and he is due to arrive tomorrow for his first visit to Spain at 7 months old. We are having a bit of a celebration , my husband is 60 so we have 18 of our family turning up in the next few days and he knows nothing about it. It worked really well as he is working in Almeria until Sunday so when he arrives home they will all be here ! He has lots of surprises , a new roadbike for his cycling , he has really taken to this since we have moved here and regularly does 3 rides a week of around 90k! He is like a new man ;-) I have also gone back to my favourite sport although it is a one and half hour round trip but it feels good. I am part of an adult figure skating club , the only brit but it is so good to enjoy skating in sunny climes. We are lucky to have a permanent rink in the city near us and it is worth the effort to drive there twice a week. I brought my skates to Spain but really didnt think I would have the chance to use them again . And who knows I may do the Adult International again with all the other oldies !

I am getting better at managing my first and only grandchild being in another country. I go and visit every 4-6 weeks and we communicate every day , I am helping with the childcare with the in laws so that gives them a break and gives me some bonding time with him , its more difficult than I imagined. 

Like most folks wondering what Brexit will bring but we are legally in Spain and can only wait and see what happens , we certainly dont want to return to the UK currently so hopefully all will be well.



When I look back at some my early posts on this thread I never thought this would be the scenario almost 3 years on but thats what makes life interesting and so far in Spain , Life is good ;-)

Hoping all the forum regulars are well and enjoying life and all those considering the move , go for it !! ;-)


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## Maureen47

Well its been a while , I had access issues with the site and couldnt get back in , today i decided i must try harder and here i am ! There been a lot happened in the world since my last post which was in May 2018 !

We have been here 4 years now just last month. How time flies , my little grandson is now 2 years old and despite a trying year with health issues and many times in the paediatric hospital is doing fine at the moment , its been a challenging time . 

Our house and garden is looking good and we now have it how we want it and it is comforatbale for all seasons .

The second of my dogs who came with from the UK to Spain has gone to rainbow bridge , she was 12 years old and 3 great years in the sunshine . I have adopted a lovely galgo and she is a sweetheart.

This summer has been great , we have a lovely group of friends now , British , Spanish, Dutch , Belgian and have been to many fiestas. We were two of the only four brits at the paella competition in the village during cultural week with a group of 20 lovely spanish folks. My Spanish has improved dramatically since local people have become part of our social group , I have even learned some slang unique to the village which always raises a smile with the locals ;-) 

My husband is an avid cycler and is fitter than he has ever been and enjoys his regular cycles with some local equally as crazy cycling people ! I am still studying Spanish , 3 morning per week and enjoying it , it makes such a difference ! I have gone to the doctors and hospital with non spanish speaking friends and helped with their appointments . 30 years as a nurse makes this easier too with all the latin based medical words. 

Its been 4 years and what a 4 years , still loving life in Spain despite the challenges , the exchange rate hasnt done my NHS pension any good but hey ho , we planned our future on a 1 to 1 gbp to euro rate (didnt think we would get that neat it ) so we are fine , you just adjust your life accordingly as the positives overcome the negatives as long as you let them .

I hope all the regulars are good and I will do some reading now to cath up with your news.

Wishing you all a lovley Christmas and healthy and settled New Year ;-) 

Hoping now to be a 'regular ' again ;-)


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## Alcalaina

Good to hear from you again Maureen, glad that you have perservered with your Spanish and are becoming integrated into your community. It makes such a difference!


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## CarolineBud

So lovely to read a good news story as you settled into your new life. We are planning our relocation from UK to Spain and pending house sale hoping to come out in September /October. There is a lot to think about and plan but like you I am a project manager (until my early retirement) so at the moment it feels like I am always at work  Hubby keeps sating we have loads of time but it's March already!
Been using the forum to research tips and advice and try not to repeat Qs that have been asked before  We will get there. Good luck hope it continues to go well for you.


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