One week several major changes

The change of accommodation has been a total joy to me, and my new home has so many delightful aspects, including – I have to admit- an automatic washing machine, total peace and quiet, beautiful whitewashed houses, and wonderful views of the sea only several yards away

Here are a few pictures of the house to back up my enthusiastic description The house in on 3 storeys, I have the downstairs one. There are 3 bedrooms, a delightful kitchen with outside patio area The church is only yards away, and there are many people who meet in the impressive cobbled square to have a coffee, or to wander from there up the narrow streets. There is room for my car within sight, or in front of the door even.

I find that having visitors is a busy time, and that writing the blog just falls off the radar; perhaps blog writing is a visitor substitute, either way it has been lovely sharing all the enjoyment, and the hard work of moving home, I could not have achieved it so quickly and easily without them. I have had a lot of help along the way, and would really like you all to share the result! A footnote for those who follow the weather avidly – it is very cold today. apparantly snow chains are being used in Valencia, a hundred or so miles north, so it is hot water bottles and woollies and hot soup . I may do flamenco tonight , just to warm up!

I did do flamenco, having planned to drive the car down and upload the blog on the way there. I found the car blocked in by two others, so reverted to plan two, to walk down to the bus with flamenco shoes in hand, and catch the bus back, and walk up the steps to my house.This could require more thought, as the wait for the bus, and the climb in the dark, having been berated by Esperanza for my non- attendance, and made efforts to catch up and perform well for over an hour, made me feel a bit overstretched to say the least. Yes the weather has turned, and thick jerseys, tights, and gloves were all coming in useful tonight.

Tomorrow I plan to do the easy walk, and go down to the meeting place in the car. All this cold weather feels unpleasantly familiar. Lets hope for a return to sunshine for my next visitor in 2 weeks time. try this in the dark, and there are 8 more up there!

How I lost 96 euros and gained 500 in two days

This is all too good to wait until Judy and Kath return to England,so  here is the dramatic tale. Sunday was the day my car went missing again. Having paid one hefty fine I took the greatest care not to park in front of garages etc.Apparantly I was parking in the blue zone in Altea which is forbidden, and it was a matter of luck that I had been parking in that spot for 6 weeks, and not had the car carted off to the gruia -evil car pound.

This time I was fined 96 euros, which could be construed as a bonus, apart from all the hassle of unhelpful guardia and local police. Twice was too much, I felt very anxious about parking my car anywhere, and that, coupled with the sparcity of furniture in the flat concentrated our minds on moving to a better location.

A quick visit to the estate agent on Monday morning, a trip in her car to view two apartments, and I am signing up today for the most delightful ground floor apartment wth a small back courtyard, all mod cons, belonging to the mother of the estate agent, in the most lovely part of the old town, only yards from the blue domed church, and near to stunning views down to the bay. I can run down all the steps to the beach in about 15 minutes (think Robin Hood’s Bay) and I am pretty certain all my guests will love it too. Because it belongs to family there was no €500 fee.

I am about to pack my stuff while Kath and Judy are on the tram trip to Denia. I shall add a few photos of Ju and I enjoying the area before the drama, and next post will include house and vista views, but will try not to get too carried away!

Last post (before visitors)

I have been here a little over 5 weeks, and have appreciated almost every minute of it. I suppose you could call it a sabbatical, where 6 months away from normal routines not only recharges the batteries, but throws ones everyday life into relief, and I can start thinking about what/who I miss back home, and what I don’t miss.

The impact of daily sunshine is huge. I spend half the year at home enduring the winter, and half waiting for summer. It is not fair, we have a lousy climate which impacts on most aspects of life. It is possible to take a rose tinted view of life here. There are problems with drug trafficking, unemployment, robbery with violence , there are low life people among expats, the same as most places. Generally I find spanish people friendly, good humoured, animated, and extremely sociable with each other, on street corners, in bars and cafes, and just going for a walk. Some of the supermarkets still close on Sundays, every day there is a siesta period between 1 and 4.30 to 5p.m, and then the shops,most shops open until 9 or even later. Children stop up at night, and probably sleep during the siesta. I don’t ever feel alone or lonely, I didn’t feel lonely at home, but I really thought that privacy was essential, quiet cul-de-sac, uninterrupted views. I find I can live without curtains, and with a constant view of my neighbours salon, and the night school below, except when they put the shutters down.

Judy arrives tomorrow, and it will be lovely to reconnect with her and hear all the news. I have been imagining what her reactions will be,when she gets used to the euphoria of sun in November. It will be visitors all the way now with a couple of weeks free before Christmas.I am very happy to offer a bed , actually have 4 beds, and 3 bedrooms, so could easily sublet. Interestingly some of the women on their own out here, are talking about the future need to share apartments, so that they can continue to live  here when things get even tighter.

Today has been eventful. I finally found a foolproof way to drive to the villasol solo club, without having to cross any main roads. .The campsite is within walking distance of the famous Benidorm market, where amazing bargains are to be had. I was determined to visit the fruit and veg part, to purchase 5 kilos of oranges for 2 euros ,in order to complete the continental atmosphere in the apartment for tomorrow.I was not put off by tales of pickpockets in the market, or brutal robbers in Altea, or Guardia removing anyone who works without declaring it,or the weather about to turn cold; this person was having a bad day, relieved only by the thought of a sociable lunch later on.

I had promised to give Saleema (who is 7 and speaks arabic and spanish) an english lesson. She was very quick to learn, although a bit shy about pronouncing english words.Her family live upstairs and run the internet shop accross the road. They come from Morocco and are very pleasant and welcoming. The big challenge was to drive to Sue’s house in the dark to pick up another chair, so we can all sit at the table, when Kath arrives on Sunday. I felt very pleased with myself that this journey went without a hitch, and I came home with pomegranates, lemons, oranges and pears from her garden.Sue has lived in Spain for 40 years, and is well used to visitors eulogising over her lovely house and garden, she is very hospitable, and we may well all have a night out on Friday…………..to be continued

Of Fiestas and big hearted Brits

On Tuesday this week, the british community were invited to the Casa Cultura in Alfaz de Pi (a town of moorish origins) for an explanatory talk about the fiestas de Cristo de bien acierto which take place the 7th to 11th of november.

I made a special effort to go , by bus, as my car had been abandoned in a safe place , after torrential rain had turned the roads into rivers. About 35  people had turned up and we had a fascinating exposition of the various parts of the fiesta.. The religious roots of the festival were a bit hazy, but the traditions, the rituals, and the emotions surrounding the events were very evident. During the 5 days of celebrations there are fiesta queens and their entourages, who take part in various processions, there are penas, which are groups from social institutions, to family and friends groups, who celebrate together for the fiesta, processing, eating. drinking, and inviting everyone to join them.There is a specially elected angel who reads a poem to the statue of Christ, this is a very emotional moment.There are petanca( bow ls) competitions, pipe and drum bands, processions with flowers, processions with fancy dress, and fireworks. The day time fireworks are bangers. These may seem very noisy to foreigners, but to the spanish they are very emotional. In the evenings the firework displays are the best in the world. The fiesta celebrations continue with music and eating and further celebrations until 4 in the morning on several days.

There is a lot of cultural pride tied up in these celebrations. To be chosen as a queen, or one of her retinue, is a great honour, and families may even take out loans in order to purchase a dress suitable for the queen to wear on this occasion.There is a special crucifix which was donated by a priest a long, time ago. This crucifix is taken in procession every 25 years. Although the english struggled to comprehend the various aspects of the fiesta, there being nothing in British culture which encompasses religious tradition, and having a good time in such a natural way, it did appear that the fiesta in Alfaz contributed to a strong sense of community identity, and inclusiveness, where young and old were represented, and everyone celebrated. Traditional costumes were worn, traditional instruments played traditional music, time honoured rituals were observed.

The British newspaper on the costa blanca spearheaded a campaign called expats have big hearts, which raised 300,000 euros in 6 months to purchase a state of the art scanner to diagnose breast, cervical and prostate cancer. Aspects of cancer care in Spain are not as advanced as in other countries. Palliative care and support for carers rely heavily on voluntary help. It is interesting to see on the one hand spanish officials making their fiestas more accessible to expats, and expat organisations contributing to the spanish health service, which will obviously benefit all users of the service. Reciprocity and goodwill are not always synonymous with the image of Brits living in Spain. so these were both interesting revelations. I intend to go to Alfaz tomorrow after the companians weekly walk so  hopefully I shall take photos to illustrate some fiesta highlights.

The people in Spain – the english

A few pen pictures with imaginary names.I met John at the bus stop, we stood in pouring rain, sheltering under the canvas roof of an ice cream parlour. He was in his 40’s, I actually thought he was spanish, he thought I was german or swedish. He had been here for 5 years, and was sort of making a living giving golf lessons. He was off to Benidorm on the bus to celebrate his birthday alone, because his mates did not like the rain!  Obviously in chatty mood he told me he had just paid 15000 euros for membership of a golf club in the form of shares, which could actually be sold on when leaving the club.He was living without documentation, and I guess had many more irons in the fire,however the likelihood of me having a similar conversation with someone at the bus stop in England would be quite rare, so I wished him a happy birthday, when I arrived at my stop.

Jan, I met yesterday, she and her husband run a bar in Altea, they have lived here for three years, and her only regret is that they did not do it sooner. Jan is 50 and it seems clear that the bar is more of a social centre for people who live there. It is like a community centre she laughed. Various classes take place in the function room next door. Art on Monday, keep fit Tuesday, but I was most taken by Jan’s glowing account of the benefits to her family, since coming to live in Spain.When they first decided to come, their daughter, who  had four children, was inconsolable that her parents were leaving. Jan’s own parents were ill ,her mum had cancer, and her dad had had a stroke.Her mum has been out 5 times in 2 years, and has a wonderful time each time she visits. One daughter now lives in Spain, and the rest of the family visit regularly. they all enjoy the climate, the relaxed way of life, and they do a lot more sightseeing together, and picnics on the beach, than they would back in England.Jan says that it is her time now, to fulfill her dreams, and the whole family benefit in the process.

Anthea is a salt of the earth woman from Wales, whom I met on the girls’s night out. She sat next to me while I poured out my tale of woe about the missing car. Don’t worry about it she said, look you might as well enjoy yourself this evening, and sort it out in the morning.Give my address and say you are just staying with me for a few weeks, and why don’t you come round next Wednesday and have a nosey round my place. She wore her red and black devil’s horns with aplomb, and I guess was going to have a whale of a night in Benidorm. On my left that night was Gail, who spends months travelling through France and Spain with her husband, and renting a friends apartment for the winter months. They like to walk, and join the Friday walking group most weeks. They have just started long haul holidays, and have been to Australia, India and China. They have always been interested in keeping fit, and are really enjoying their current life.Anthea was going to give Benidorm a miss, which was good for me as her husband gave me a lift back to Altea.

Trouble in Paradise

The challenges of this week were certainly about to accelerate. I decided to wear trousers on the girls night out, jazzing up my outfit with a feather boa in honour of halloween, as several of the group of 35 were coming dressed as witches, or brides of Dracula, in preparation for a wild night out in Benidorm.I decided to take the car, and leave it in the Albir Gardens Hotel car park overnight.

That was the plan, however the car was not in the place I had left it. Anxious enquiries of people in an adjacent bar revealed that it had been towed away by the police, and that it would cost 150 euros to get it back. In a state of shock and with time ticking by, I quickly decided to abandon the feather boa and car keys, and get a taxi to the venue, where at least I could find out more about retrieving the car, and drown my sorrows with the witches of Benidorm. In retrospect this was a good idea. Not only had some of them been in this position, but they told me to take the cash with me and my passport, and that the car pound would be shut for the night now, so I might as well have a good time and enjoy my half bottle of wine. This was good advice, I had an enjoyable evening, and a lift back with some fellow car pound victims. “They always do this when there is a fiesta coming up and they have to pay for all the lights and fireworks.” Whether this is a local english fable I have no way of knowing, there were 3 other cars lifted from that same spot, and 3 yellow stickers left on the pavement telling the owners what had happened.

The witches quite understood why I did not feel like joining them in Benidorm, and I was able to retrieve the car the next day, with a taxi to the police station, and another to the car pound, situated at extreme ends of Altea another win win situation for the taxi drivers! After depositing the car in a safer place, I decided that today would be the day I went swimming; and so it was. Packed the bike with rug, and book and suncream, and cycled to Albir, where the warm november sun dissipated any vague paranoid feelings that hung around, and yes I could stay in the sea in November and have the sun dry me. Paradise restored

I read therefore I am

One of the changes in my life is the lack of TV, newspapers, and my radio. So in the last 4 weeks have read 5 books, good going for me, and storing up interesting bits to discuss. However this quote from an english male writer was too good to wait, so if you want to read this :

Where he had once believed, or thought that he ought to believe that men and women were, beyond all the obvious physical differences essentially the same, he now suspected that one of their many distinguishing features was precisely their attitudes to change.

Past a certain age men froze into place, they tended to believe that even in adversity, they were somehow at one with their fates. They were, who they thought they were.

Despite what they said, men believed in what they did, and stuck at it. This was a weakness and a strength.Whether they were scrambling out of trenches to be killed in their thousands, or doing the firing themselves. or putting the final touches to a cycle of symphonies, it only rarely occurred to them, or only occurred to the rare ones among them, that they might just as well be doing something else.

To women this thought was a premise. It was a constant torment or comfort, no matter how successful they were in their own or other people’s eyes. It was also a weakness and a strength. Committed motherhood denied professional fulfillment.A professional life on men.s terms eroded maternal care.Attempting both was to risk annihilation through fatigue. It was not easy to persist, when you could not believe that you were entirely the thing that you did, when you thought you could find yourself, or another part of yourself, expressed through some other endeavor

Consequently they were not taken in so easily by jobs, and hierarchies, uniforms and medals,Against the faith men had in the institutions they, and not women had shaped. women upheld some principles of selfhood in which being, surpassed doing.

Long ago men had noticed something unruly in this. Women simply enclosed a space which men longed to penetrate. The men’s hostility was aroused

Well that was the quote. I wish I could put ideas over so succinctly. I would say that men are defined by the world in terms of what they do, workwise. Perhaps the new generation of working supermums now define themselves by how well they do everything, not feeling that they have the choice to work or not work. Mostly women do not have a choice if they want to pay the mortgage.

I also think that the male work ethic is more strongly adhered to in particular western cultures, British and American, to name two. Recently there was an attempt by a new female french minister, who had spent several years in the USA, to persuade the french to work harder, give up some of their holidays, and work a 37 hour week. The backlash came from men who felt they worked very hard, but  that they also had families whom they wanted to spend more time with, and other hobbies, other goals. Any reactions to any of this?

The challenges of week three

While still in holiday mode, this week has certainly not been the most relaxing, and the realisation that if anything goes wrong, then, although I know people here, they may not be around if I need them, is one to bear in mind.A  spare set of house keys is high on the list now, as the only spare set is with the estate agent.

I digress, on Monday I had the offer of a second hand bike, as a result of advertising in the Companians news sheet. So Monday evening found me in La Nucia , where I had arranged to meet Brenda ( the english therapist who has lived in Spain for 12 years ) Well the car stalled at the top of a steep hill in La Nucia, just as I was about to make a difficult left turn against the traffic. Hazard warning lights on, loud blaring of horns from behind;try again, no joy, oh no! try again, car starts, funny sign of car with spanner accross it lights up. Pull out in direction of the address I have, car seems to be OK. Can’t find address, instructions now incomprehensible. I phone her and eventually we agree to meet in the Lidl car park. Great as I am parked on the other side of the road. I walk up and down in the car park discharging adrenalin all over the place.I give some money to a rumanian woman sat in the doorway, whose card reads that she has 4 children and no money. She says she doesn’t speak spanish either, and whether that is so , her situation is , in the order of things, far worse than mine.

The english couple arrive with bike, it looks ok, needs the saddle raising, but it has good tyres and a shopping basket on the front, 25 euros, and the bike goes in the back of the car; at least I can cycle home if the car breaks down again. My chat with Brenda proved very interesting. She works in a clinic in La Nucia, which does physiotherapy, massage, cranialsacral. and a few others. Brenda does a combination of one to one therapies, although she previously ran similar groups to me.Decide not to  mention my car crisis , and happily it proved to be a hiccup in layman’s tems, and although I drove home in the dark on red alert, it was trouble free.

Tuesday I knew was the day to introduce myself to the Companians as a gentle exercise tutor. This would mean standing up in front of 250 people and persuading some of them that they would like to do exercise. I had a table with a poster set up by the door, and some business cards. It was surprisingly easy, and `13 people signed up for a taster session next Monday. I had spoken to Eva of the hotel staff who is happy to accommodate the group in the large bar, and provide access to the loudspeaker system. I had planned that night to cycle along the promenade to the salsa/jive dance session, but the weather became wet and windy, so I made some ratatouille instead, and paid car tax online. I could not use my laptop in the internet shop. so will have to find another, shop that is!

my apartment

Having met some very interesting people at the Companians ball last Friday, I was invited to go to a meeting of the solo club at the VillaSol camp site on Wednesday. The solo club is mainly a social club, similar I suppose to ones in the ,UK, where people go, not to find a partner, but to share in activities with other men and women. I am determined to give every social outlet a try, as I am only here for 6 months, and so far the flamenco has a very small and specialised clientele!

I would say that driving is my biggest challenge so far. Driving to the villasol involved an easy to miss turning, which I did twice. However, arrived finally to sit outside in the sunshine with a group of 30 or so, who came mainly for a chat, and to catch up on the booking arrangements for various outings, christmas dinner being the next important one.I did hear some rather disturbing accounts of other girls night out ventures into Benidorm,Suffice to say that stripograms would be a trifling embarrassment compared with the entertainment on offer in some nightclubs. I intend tonight to only go for the meal in Albir, and then come home for cocoa! More of that in the next installment