In case you missed it, this picture gives you an idea - that is the terrace at the Illa d'Or! A lot of damage was done to parts of Pine Walk, the beaches were covered with seaweed several feet deep and a number of boats worked loose and ended up beached or sunk.
Another thing to adjust to is the damp. The condensation on the inside of the balcony doors of our bedroom is incredible and on many mornings I get 100ml of water sucked up by the Karcher window attachment. Mould grows incredibly quickly here and re-starts within a day or two of washing down an affected wall with bleach. We have found some walls more susceptible than others and to always outside walls. Behind pictures seems to be a favourite place and we nearly had a much loved stretched canvas picture ruined.
And processionary caterpillars! These are laid by moths (who only live for a day or so, so I wonder why they bother!!) and form large nests in pine trees which look like a giant cotton wool spun cocoon. When they hatch the little fellas march in procession down the tree trunk and across the ground in what seems like one long unbroken snake. They then burrow into the ground for the next stage in their lifecycle. They are hairy and it is the hairs that are the problem. To humans they cause serious reactions including a rash and respiratory problems with children, the sick and elderly most at risk. But it is very dangerous and can be fatal to dogs and other animals who often lick their paws where the hairs cause itching and this then transfers to the animals tongue with obviously very serious implications. So currently we are somewhat paranoid and over-protective about our two dogs who are being kept very strictly on their leads.
This all sounds like a catalogue of woes but the reason I mention them is this - for many of us, the Port (and Mallorca) are our little piece of paradise on earth and to an extent we place it/them on a pedestal. We idealise them so to speak. And having lived here now for over five months, despite being here for a week or so in Dec/Jan on many occasions, nothing could quite have prepared us for the admittedly extreme winter we have experienced. So if you want to live in a place that you adore, be aware that you may struggle to still view it in quite the same light once the reality of everyday living hits you.
We have been lucky enough to meet in person one or two people previously 'met' on Facebook which has been wonderful :-) Sometimes we have been told we are 'brave' to do what we have done. We don't see it that way at all. If we didn't feel the benefits of doing so outweighed those not to do so, we wouldn't have done it. But there are times when you have to 'tough it out' despite all the careful planning and realistic expectations. We feel you need to give yourself a full year to confirm if you've made the right decision.
Overall, you need to really want and be fully committed to making any move. You need to be very realistic - daily life is daily life even if it is in a warmer climate - and give yourself time. If keeping your perfect piece of paradise on earth as your 'go to' happy place is the priority then living here might be more of a challenge than you bargained for!
