Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

So....it's still very hot here but Ian is pushing through and working on our en-suite bathroom, about which more later.  And we did actually get some rain over the weekend - proper rain, not the five minutes of dirty rain filled with sand and which make your terraces, car and pool completely filthy - so that was nice as we haven't seen proper rain here for about 10 weeks or more!

I can report that I have renewed my domestic goddess credentials BIG time this past week by making a seafood paella for the very first time ......and very tasty it was too if I say so myself 👌

It got the thumbs up from Ian and I will definitely be making it again subject to a couple of small tweaks.  I'd always thought there was quite an art to making paella and maybe there is and I just got lucky, but using bits of a couple of recipes and some of my own instinct from having eaten so many, it seemed to work.  But an appearance on Masterchef is still a way off I think 😜

In other domestic news, our little bunch of grapes ripened and, as it is grape picking time here, we picked ours and got these sweet juicy grapes:

Not exactly a bumper crop but we enjoyed them!  Whilst grapes are being harvested in the Jalon (neighbouring) Valley, the fruit crops here in Orba aren't ready yet but we see plenty of tractors and trailers about town all the same.

Last Wednesday we went to visit a friend from the UK who was staying in her villa in Calpe and went for lunch with this view:

Absolutely wonderful view and the food, once it came, was ok but the service was really not great and apparently we couldn't have paella unless we'd pre-ordered it.  Given that this was really all that was on the menu, it was more than a little problematic finding something to order 😳 and they were less than helpful......  But more than anything we just found it too busy, frenetic and crowded with Spanish tourists, and if we hadn't been with someone, we'd have got up and gone to be honest.  Nothing to do with Covid, we're just used to quieter living now, so once we were back in Orba we headed off for a quiet and peaceful drink at our favourite little Spanish bar.  Bliss 😍

Work on the en-suite bathroom continues apace following delivery of all the bits from the big Leroy Merlin in Gandia which arrived neatly packaged:

The only thing we're still awaiting delivery of is the heated towel rail to replace the radiator that was there before, but this isn't a problem and Ian has installed the new bath, shower and screen as well as tiled and grouted two and a half walls.  Here's a before and after:

Today he started on the remaining full length wall by removing the giant blue basin and, temporarily, the toilet in order to plaster, tile and grout the walls as well as chase wiring for our new 'touch light' mirror.  This time next week he should have it all finished including the new floor 🥳  And then we'll turn to the kitchen in the autumn.......

Covid-wise, things are still very good here.  Ian has now had his second jab and today they rang me - ahead of expected - to come in next week ie. at 8 weeks rather than the expected 10.  The health service app here states that anyone under 60 who is waiting for a second jab after a first Astra Zeneca one, will be getting a Pfizer one unless they state otherwise.  I don't mind on many levels but made it very clear that I want a second AZ one to keep open my options to visit the UK without having to quarantine.  The UK government website makes it clear that both jabs must be the same one if given outside of the UK (hmmm, why might that be I wonder 🤔) in order to not have to quarantine and a fact which seems to have escaped quite a few people I've mentioned it to.  In any event, I'm nearly over the finish line and am almost as excited to get my second jab as I was to get my first!  I'm aware there are no guarantees but it does make me feel much safer, especially given that I have asthma and am quite fearful that it would kick in were I to catch Covid and not have had help from the vaccination.  

In other news, I should be starting teaching again later in September in a lovely local school for two evenings a week which is wonderful - watch this space.  And now that I'm back on live radio, next week the show will be moving to 2 hours so why not tune in on Thursday 7-8pm (6-8pm from 9th Sept) on valleyfm.es for some great music 🎶💃

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

To say it's been hot here lately is to understate things slightly!  Temperatures have been in the mid 30s plus and then on Sunday it surpassed itself by rising to around 42 degrees and so humid that just getting up and going into another room meant you had to mop yourself down.  In any event, around 6.30pm on Sunday, we had a sort of weather phenomenon I guess when a wind started to build up whilst we were in the pool.  The sky went very grey and weird and it somehow felt that something was imminent so we got out, battened down the hatches and went inside, shutting doors and windows.  And it's a good job we did because the wind built up into a sort of mini tornado bringing with it air that was as hot as if it was blown by a giant hairdryer and the temperature shot up by several degrees.  It was quite freakish!  It left our lovely clean pool filled with vast quantities of leaves and also dust.....oh so much dust 😱 

Despite the scorchio temperatures, Ian has decided to re-commence work on our en-suite bathroom.  He's a glutton for punishment!  We spent two hours in the large Leroy Merlin (like B&Q) in Gandia and by the time we'd finished my head was spinning because very little English was spoken and building vocabulary is not my strong point, but we managed!  Afterwards I was in medicinal need of coffee 😳 and, after spending so much money, so was Ian 😂  And despite the extreme heat, Ian has removed most of the tiles, replastered the walls (those who are in the UK and into DIY will find the Spanish approach of putting a large slug of concrete on the back of a tile and slapping it onto a wall with no spacing or grouting, unusual to say the least!) and taken out the cast iron bath:

The bath had been installed on a brick support on 2 sides which is a different approach to a wooden or metal frame I suppose.  But water had been going down the wall and getting under the bath so it is pretty damp underneath and even in the current hot weather is taking some time to dry out.  I guess we're just grateful that it's concrete drying out and not the wooden floor and joists you'd more likely find in the UK because we would have had a big job on our hands!  The 'lovely' giant turquoise basin is still in place until the bitter end but then again, it's pretty easy to deal with compared to a bath.  In truth the room would make a lovely walk-in shower room but I do like a bath in the winter and the other bathroom here isn't big enough for a bath so even when we reform it next year, it will have to remain with just a shower.  Anyhow, Ian is in his element and we hope the Leroy Merlin order arrives soon so that he can get the first major part of our house reform ticked off before we brace ourselves to tackle the kitchen which will be a whole new level of disruption 😝

Alongside the hot weather there is the ongoing battle against mosquitos - for Ian.  I have no problem with them at all!  It seems so unfair that I can go anywhere with no mozzie spray at all whilst Ian still gets bitten even with liberal use of it.  We've tried all sorts of things but they just seem to like the taste of him.  However the other night we saw this little fella in our living room:

We have a number of geckos outside but were delighted to see one inside as of course they love to eat mozzies.  Ian has invited him to bring friends and family so we will have to see if they accept the invite!

Covid-wise, things are still very quiet and settled here and long may that continue.  There have been no further changes to the regulations locally, and Spain has now started offering vaccines to those in their late teens which seems incongruous given how hard I had to fight not so long ago to get my first one at my age!  In any event, Ian had his second jab this past week so he is now a done deal for now.  I have to wait until late September as they are leaving 10 weeks between Astra Zeneca jabs here.  But patience is a virtue....apparently......

I am now back on live radio with Valley FM on Thursday evenings between 7-8pm (6-7pm UK time) so please like my Hits House Show FB page and tune in via https://valleyfm.es if you want to hear an hour of some great upbeat music.  Hopefully I'll move to two hours soon but while I find my feet in a new studio, one hour is just fine!  It's great to be back with a live broadcast - it's definitely my happy place 🎧  Another activity that makes me really happy is my painting which is coming on quite well, I've just started a portrait of a well known person and am starting another shortly but I'm hoping people recognise who they are without being told!  I was carrying the one I've started (at that point just at a really basic level) to the car the other day and a random passer-by recognised who it was so fingers crossed!

It's safe to say we're settling in really nicely here and bracing ourselves for the forthcoming building work which will keep us out of mischief both now and this autumn/early winter that's for sure 😛

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

 A bit late this week as we have had relatives staying and it's been pretty hectic!  It's also been very hot - well up into the late 30's on quite a few days - so we definitely need a bit of time to re-gather ourselves.

Our family guests were wonderful and we had a fantastic time but my goodness, we'd forgotten how much teenagers can eat! 😂  They descended locust-like on industrial quantities of crisps, biscuits and other similarly 'healthy' snacks, it was quite awesome how much they could devour - and of course they were slender as reeds.  I remember being like that once but it was a looooong time ago 😂  Anyhow, I was surprised they hadn't all shrunk by the time they left earlier today because they spent hours in the pool and it was lovely to see it filled with young people and inflatables and to hear the happy shrieks and splashes.  It all seems suddenly very quiet.......  Yesterday we had a lovely time at the beach at Deveses jumping the waves and enjoying the great outdoors in glorious sunshine 

but most of the time we stayed local and everyone just relaxed.  Mind you, I now need to cut right back on food intake as we've eaten out quite a lot and a teenager's metabolism I do not have!

Now young people in our pool is one thing, but spiders are quite another 😱 and it seems that this is the time of year that they decide to take a swim in our pool too.  I think I've mentioned tarantulas before and that possibly they are linked to the fruit trees which carpet most of the floor of the Orba Valley.  We don't have any fruit trees directly next to our property so I thought we were safe but.....they're smaller than I had feared if I'm honest, but very tarantula shaped and slightly furry.  Apparently they look dead but they're not!  As Ian discovered.  Three times.  

The Orba Fiesta is currently underway here but it's a fairly low-key affair due to Covid.  There are concerts in the main square with audiences sitting on well spaced seating, and on Saturday there was a wonderful fireworks display - the Spanish do love their fireworks!  We've been told the other villages in the valley all try to outdo each other with their displays so apparently for the Spanish size really does matter 😳  One thing I am actually pleased about it not happening is the bull running which is normally part of the festivities.  Basically people stand in protective cages to watch as a number of young bulls are encouraged to run through the narrow streets with people running alongside them.  They are not killed but I don't like to see animals used like this and quite simply don't want anything to do with it once things return to normal in the next year or two.  I've been told it should be seen once but nope, it's not for me.

What with guests and the heat, we haven't done very much to the house and garden although Ian installed our new water deposit just before our visitors arrived.  Basically it's a giant (the old one was 2000 litres, the new one is 1000 litres) stainless steel tub with a lid down the side of the garage which fills with water from the mains via a ballcock (similar to how a toilet cistern refills).  There's a pump in the garage which, when switched on, brings the water from the deposit which greatly increases the water pressure.  So of course it's perfect for use when there's a full house.  Ian advertised the old deposit on Facebook for offers - it was perfectly usable but just very old and we wanted to be safe regarding drinking water - and a lovely couple who live off grid in the mountains bought it for use in watering their produce.  Normally they have to do it all by buckets which sounds back-breaking, but now they can keep it filled by a bit of homespun engineering and it will make a huge difference to them so we're really happy it's gone to a good home.  And they're ecstatic as they don't have much money and were so excited to have it.  Mind you, seeing them drive off with a round 2000 litre fibre glass and steel tank strapped on the roof of their car was something to behold!  I really admire them for living totally off grid but whilst I would enjoy roughing it for a few days I must admit I like a few creature comforts in my home.

We've both been accepted on an online Spanish course run by Rosetta Stone on behalf of the Alicante region which provides 400 free places for non-Spanish speaking residents.  The placement test was a challenge in itself and Ian couldn't do any of it but is happy with the total beginner level they've unsurprisingly placed him in.  My placement test put me in a category which is higher than I know I am however (must've got lucky!) and after a bit of a struggle with it I asked them to bump me down a level as although I was getting there, the reality is it was a step too far.  So I'll give it another go later today but it's a great offer and one that would have cost us a lot of money otherwise so we feel very grateful to be doing it.

Recently I decided to resurrect my domestic goddess skills which I made strong efforts to hone during last year's lockdown; my greatest triumph last year was carrot cake, this time I tried Rocky Road with a twist - made with white chocolate:

It was fab and I'll definitely be making it again 👍  And my painting is going extremely well, I've nearly finished my first portrait and will be starting another one soon.  Ian is going to create a studio for me in the garage/workshop once the weather cools down a bit which is pretty exciting.  Watch this space.....

And so now we're into August and the summer is flying by.  Ian should have his second Covid jab very soon (there's a 10 week gap for Astra Zeneca here) and it seems that he will then be able to enter the UK without the 10 day quarantine.  I will have to wait until late September for mine but there is nothing to be done but be patient.

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Well as I write it's the second day of 'freedom' in the UK and it seems that caveats are already in the frame 🤔 things have taken a bit of a hiccup here too - some areas of the Valencia region, but not where we live, have had a curfew re-imposed (I believe from 1-6am) and the whole region is not allowed any gatherings of more than 10 people.  I understand the national government is now looking at other possible measures including a re-introduction of mask wearing outdoors.  This really would be a pain in the proverbial in the heat we currently have - it being summer in Spain and all 😂 more about that later.....  But anyway, we just have to wait and see what the government comes up with - much the same as in the UK.

Last week I FINALLY got my first Covid jab and I couldn't have been more excited as we drove there, you'd have thought I was off to collect an award or to a party and not to have someone stick a needle in my arm 😂 I was so keen, we got there over half an hour early and apart from a couple of other early birds it was really quiet.  The venue was the sports centre on the other side of the valley and the view from outside wasn't too shabby:

On entry I was asked if I was there for my second jab....errr no!!!  Anyhow, the whole process was easy and I went straight to the nurse for the jab and from there to a chair to wait for 15 minutes.  It seems that locally at least, the Spanish hold no truck with private booths in which to be jabbed, no sirree.  It's lights, camera, action in front of everyone who is queuing and everyone waiting out the 15 minutes 😱 luckily I don't mind jabs but if you were needle-phobic or similar I'm not sure how you'd feel!  In any event I bounced out of there like I'd won the lottery and joined Ian at the sports centre cafe for a celebratory coffee.  Now just to wait for them to contact me in mid-September or so for the second one - Astra Zeneca if you're wondering.

A friend from Mallorca came out to stay for 2 nights recently and we had a wonderful time showing her the area, eating some great food and relaxing in the pool.  During a menu del dia one evening in the little square, the town hall band gave us a tune or two  - I think they were on their way to the oldest part of town called Orbeta which was celebrating a fiesta.  All towns and villages here seem to have wonderful facilities - music schools, sports centres, swimming pools.....you name it, they've got it!  Nice to see that learning to play a musical instrument is seen as an important skill here as this seems to have dropped by the wayside in the UK.

During her visit we stopped at the vaccination sports centre cafe for a coffee whilst driving around the valley, slightly concerned that we'd gatecrashed a youth club party as the place was packed with mainly young male adults - on closer inspection we realised that the clanking racket we could hear over and above the voices was the table football tables they were all playing highly competitively on 6 carefully numbered tables.  Then we saw the computer system and realised we'd inadvertently walked in on a hard-fought table football competition.  They were enjoying themselves but it was obviously serious stuff for most of them.  But what struck me after about 10 minutes of so was that this was good old-fashioned table football, albeit with digital goal scoring and connected to a series of computer tablets and ever changing league table computer screens, but..... not a computer game as such in sight.  Maybe I'm showing my age but it was fantastic to see lots of young people having such a great time with the same thing that those of us a lot older did too.

And on the subject of football....ah well.  It was nice while it lasted but it was great to see an England team do so well and do the country proud.  The less said about the vile trolling the better - sometimes I just don't know what the world is coming to (god, I sound so old! but really??!)

We've been working hard on various parts of the exterior of the property with the current issue being the replacement of a water deposit (tank) at the back of the garage which fills from the mains and then provides greater water pressure in the house when a pump in our garage is switched on.  We haven't used it yet but as we have family coming out soon and we might need that extra pressure we tried it out.  It works perfectly but we thought we'd clean the water deposit out before refilling it as it hasn't been used for so long.  But then Ian discovered it needs replacing so one is on order - there's always something!  Whilst Ian had fun with that, I painted a gate - much easier!

I'm continuing to go to my wonderful art support group in Benidoleig every Monday and enjoying it beyond all expectation.  However last Monday the temperature here took a sharp upwards turn and quite how we managed to paint with just a few fans and no air-conditioning I will never know.  The car temperature gauge said it was 42.5 degrees C!  And from today onwards temperatures are heading up again - still the pool is great when the heat is all just a bit much and some days we've been in the pool 3 times.  Mind you the chillis we've been growing are providing heat of a different kind:

And finally.....an update on Alfie the toad hunter.  He successfully went on a toad hunt right in the middle of the Euro 2020 final which Ian found highly amusing as you can imagine 😳 it was quite a big one too, maybe in celebration of such a big event, who knows!  It was transported to a nearby dry riverbed and I really hope that's now the last of them.  Mind you, when we went for dinner with our neighbours we commiserated about toads and wasps but then they mentioned tarantulas.  Yep, apparently they're a possibility too 😱😱😱 all I can hope is that this is because our neighbours have a long border with the fruit trees that are grown all over the valley floor because trust me, if I encounter a tarantula it won't end well for either of us!!

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Well that came around quick didn't it?!  The weeks are definitely moving along with great speed which is more than can be said for us as temperatures have moved on up into the 30s, currently at 36 degrees C 😅  But this is positively balmy by comparison to the 38 degrees C expected on Sunday - scorchio!  Our pool is heating up all the time and is currently 31 degrees C which given it's 8x4m, very deep and therefore a not inconsiderable amount of water, goes some way to indicating just how hot it is getting out here.  So we've moved into 'pool twice a day' mode and it really is wonderful especially when, as today, there is absolutely no breeze whatsoever.  Living in a valley at right angles to the coast we often get a lovely afternoon breeze from the sea but lately that's happening less and less.  In any event, this is what our Tally thinks of the current heat:

I must admit, that's exactly how I feel 😂

One thing we have noticed about having a pool in the heat is that they are a magnet for wasps who like to sit on the water, have a drink and then fly off.  They don't seem aggressive in any way but if their wings become waterlogged and they can't fly off it certainly does become possible that you might get stung.  I believe that changing the pool to salt water does the trick but this is a very expensive option and so we're learning to live with them, and have also placed a dish of sugar water with some corks floating in it near their favourite part of the pool in an effort to encourage them elsewhere - mixed results but worth persevering.  Nevertheless, our pool filter has been completely clogged with drowned wasps:

And speaking of wildlife, we had our first BBQ using our new gas BBQ the other night.  It has a flat metal griddle and Ian was careful to clean it thoroughly afterwards.  Yesterday he noticed that something has walked across it and left telltale prints; we do have fruit rats here which are sandy coloured and really rather sweet, nothing like the dark and rather sinister sewer rats but the footprints are definitely not a rat.  We think a feral cat (there is a local cared for colony) as no neighbours have a cat:

What do you think?  All suggestions welcomed!

The sorchio weather means that it's ideal for the beach, and the other day we drove only 15 minutes to the coast and slightly north of Denia to a wonderful beach that is also dog-friendly - not, of course, that we would take our four-leggeds anywhere near a beach in this heat.  If Carlsberg did beaches.......

We excitedly took off our shoes to walk barefoot in the sand but after about a minute squeals of excitement turned to those of pain as I started to hop, then jog and then stop to desperately put my flip flops back on because it was way too hot to walk on, especially the really dry, soft sand by the dunes.  And yes, we did see a family with a couple of dogs - quite what they were thinking we have no idea but it really does beggar belief that anyone would be quite so stupid 😡  Mind you, I guess it's a lot better than leaving them in a car.  Ours were relaxing at home in the cool where they belong.  At night they each sleep on a large flat ice block wrapped in a tea towel and my goodness don't they love it!  They won't get into their beds until the block is in place so they have us well trained.

Despite the heat our garden is currently growing clementines, grapefruit, olives, various herbs, chillis and tiny tomatoes.  And our vine has this all hidden away under its leafy canopy:

Not sure we'll make much wine with them but hey, they're grapes and they're ours 💪  Although lemons are easily grown here we have none this year, maybe next year as the tree is very tiny.  And we had a huge crop of nisperos (loquats) in the spring.  Next year we hope to grow big tomatoes and maybe some sweet peppers but it wasn't possible to get it sorted in time this year.  We have however allocated the space where some veg can be grown so.....

And I'm back on air!  From this Thursday at 7pm (6pm UK time) I will be presenting a one hour show of upbeat music hits for the young at heart on Valley FM and you can tune in via valleyfm.es website.  Once a radio presenter, always a radio presenter I guess! 🎧

I've noticed that where we used to live in Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca there are now quite a few new Covid cases which is disappointing but I guess that as everyone can go online to book their jab there, the population are well protected insofar as it goes.  Here in Orba there are no cases and I believe this has been the case for some time.  Mind you this is useful for me because although they're now vaccinating those in their 30s here, I am....yes, you've guessed it....still waiting!  My health app (the health service here is very efficient in every possible way, except for my jab 😂) now tells me sternly that not only should anyone of my year of birth report to their health centre if they haven't had a jab (done that, got nowhere) but that anyone with a year of birth up to 10 years younger now should do so too.  You really couldn't make it up!  A friend who had her second jab yesterday raised the issue with the staff there and a phone call was made.  I've been told someone will message me 🤔 think I've heard that before though.  Vamos a ver!

Anyone for tennis?  It really is good to see Wimbledon back after its absence last year although slightly weird to see so many spectators - almost as many as you would have PC (pre-Covid).  And yesterday Boris announced most Covid rules are set to end in England on 19 July.  Nothing like that happening here as we're a way behind the UK in terms of vaccinations but already it feels like we're on the path to an end to restrictions just by not having to wear a mask outside any more.  And of course the football is the big news and I think we're all still in a state of shock at watching a big England football match without our nerves in tattered shreds - I mean, it was such a great and confident watch wasn't it?  Not used to that and long may it continue.  Mind you, we're also supporting Spain and if they both win the semis.....well that'd be awkward wouldn't it? 😳  Is football coming home?  We shall see! 😜

Stay safe and hasta pronto!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Another week gone and, little by little, we creep closer to 'normality' - whatever that may mean moving forward.  Certainly the seemingly endless football on TV at the moment at least has actual spectators present which surely must make a difference to the players.  It's the same with tennis and it's great to see......and yet we still can't dance and theatres and nightclubs still can't open (here or in the UK).  It's so frustrating but we are getting there.......

So the big news in Spain is that from this coming Friday we will no longer have to wear masks in outside public areas 🥳 of course this will probably mean we're more likely to forget to have a mask with us and get to a shop or bar and be unable to enter but hey, it's a start!  And as the weather hots up I think this is not a moment too soon - a sweaty mouth area in our 30+ degree heat is never a thing of joy and beauty 😂  But it raises an interesting issue: we always wear a mask in my Spanish class and recently one of the other students made some lovely cakes for us to try and so of course everyone removed their mask in order to eat.  I nearly fell off my perch when I realised that our teacher, Antonio, has a beard 😳  Apparently he used to have a fuller one but mask-wearing made him cut it closer for comfort but still, it's completely different to how I thought he looked underneath!  I would hardly have recognised the other students either (apart from one whom I've seen without a mask elsewhere), one of whom looks exactly like a young Queen Elizabeth II and it was all just....well....weird 😝  And if I was a bit discombobulated by seeing people's whole faces, it made me wonder how strange it must be for small children who may literally remember nothing but faces with masks and then ......I mean, can you imagine being happily sat in your pram and then a friendly neighbour who you've known all your life from the eyes and voice is suddenly a whole face with a nose, mouth and face-shape (and of course potentially facial hair like Antonio) - I think I'd be more than a little unsettled!

Of course all this relaxing of the rules is all very well but for those of us still waiting for even one vaccination, well I think it's fair to say I will be keeping my distance from most people.  Because yes folks, computer still say no.  The health authority's own app here tells me that with my year of birth if I have't had a vaccination I should contact my health centre and get a vaccination organised.  So I did.  And it made no b****y different whatsoever!  😡

We've continued working on our garden and it's all starting to look very nice BUT our Alfie (small dog for those unsure!) has decided that he is the self-appointed, all-round super action ..........toad hunter.  Yep, as we live in the countryside at the bottom of a valley there are, especially during the summer, quite a few toads about.  

There is apparently a really large one of around 8" here in Spain which is very poisonous to dogs so not only is that a concern for Alfie's sake (Tally is completely disinterested) but also for me as toads are not my favourite thing and if I saw something the size of a small frying-pan crawling/hopping around my garden I would need hospitalisation 😱  However so far Alfie has mercifully only found common toads and hasn't actually managed to pick one up yet.  His total is currently at 5 (2 in one evening!).  He is completely obsessed and in the evenings roots around the undergrowth and especially on the rockery and then barks hysterically when he finds one and tries to pick it up.  We've spoiled his fun a bit and created a barrier that we put up in the evening to prevent him accessing the rockery part of the garden so he's a bit sulky that we don't seem to appreciate his efforts.  He's the kind of dog who loves to squirm about in dirty washing (underpants are his absolute favourite 🤮), rush headlong into filthy puddles and lie down, or roll in things that I actually cannot bring myself to think about but suffice it to say that one memorable time on a walk in Mallorca he did just that and the smell was so bad we all (both of us and his always pristine 'sister' Tally) recoiled gagging, and on returning to the car he made the ride of shame home on several plastic bags for a cold shower with a hose before he was even allowed anywhere near the actual bathroom.  It's like living with Gnasher of Dennis the Menace.  And spookily he's much the same colouring.

The plant I mentioned last week that looked as if it was going to flower in gratitude for being rescued from the jungle undergrowth that was our garden has now produced this:

And this evening we ate a meal using several of the fresh herbs we're now growing and I've come to the conclusion that the only way to eat peas is with the addition of lovely fresh mint.

Finally, during the past week we tracked down various leads on folding beds for sale via Facebook prior to Ian's son and family coming out in a month's time.  Let's just say that in one instance we truly found that some people have rather different standards of hygiene to us 😱but we now have the requisite number of (nice clean) beds and are good to go!  It will certainly be great to see family again after so long....... 

Stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Summer is well and truly here now (30 degrees today) and our pool water is now 28 degrees which isn't too shabby!  We've taken to spending about an hour in the pool every day and my goodness, it's a thing of joy and beauty on a really hot day 😝

An important moment for us this week was finally putting up our house name using little Spanish tiles:

This means "Dream House" which for us it truly is 💕

We've done lots more work on the garden and are beginning to get control of the weeds and out of control invasive plant species which is very satisfying, and not a moment too soon now that the hot summer weather is upon us.   And we're reaping the rewards of our labours as many plants are flowering all over the place and providing us with plenty of gorgeous rich colours in the wonderful Mediterranean sunshine:

The garden jungle around a lovely tree that had been choked by lots of undergrowth now is a lovely clear area in which we have planted some of the plants that had struggled on in pots that had been put out there and then also been enveloped in the undergrowth.  They now look lovely and one of them is about to give us some beautiful flowers.  In any event, the change is pretty significant:

We also found a lovely metal tub which I've turned into a little herb garden so am looking forward to using them in cooking and salads.

Some of our lovely smaller cacti which we brought with us from Mallorca are now displayed alongside the herbs 😍 

This weekend we had our first house guest, a friend of Ian's from many years ago when they worked together, and who is now living in Benidorm.  On Saturday evening, in a 'coals to Newcastle' moment 😂, we went to see a comedian from Benidorm who was doing his first gig since Covid brought the world to a grinding halt last year.  He is the son of Stephen Lewis who played Inspector 'Blakey' in "On the Buses" (which ran from 1969-1973 on UK TV) and he really was very funny.  It was lovely to be entertained and have a great laugh, and we also ate some delicious tapas so all in all, it was almost like old times!  On Sunday we went to see a Cuban singer where we enjoyed lots of Spanish, South American and international music with a Latin twist, and had a BBQ including yummy chicken fajitas and nachos.  The weekend certainly reminded us that things are gradually returning to a (kind of) normal and I think we appreciate them all the more following the last 16 months or so......

We've also discovered the joys of the local pizzeria, based at the sports centre and outdoor swimming pool (the latter is currently still shut).  Great pizza and pasta and a bottle of wine will set you back all of 5-7€!  If you arrive about 8pm, the tables are for 2-4 British/Dutch/German people; if you are there around 10pm the tables have all become much bigger for 10+ people with Spanish families and groups of young adults and the noise level goes up at the same time 😝  Again, the fact that there is no limit here now on the number of people at a table gives us a taste of what we took for granted not so very long ago.

We have started to notice a few European (and one or two British) owners returning to their properties locally but any tourists have largely passed us by living just a little inland as we do.  We haven't ventured out to the coastal areas much as yet but intend to explore them more in due course.  Certainly it is stunningly beautiful here both inland and on the coast and we very much appreciate our gorgeous surroundings.

We have watched with interest as Boris has postponed lifting all restrictions in the UK for another month 🤔  The vaccination rollout here continues to be pretty slow and....nope....I've still heard nothing despite those in their 40's now being vaccinated 😡 computer apparently still say no....  Anyhow, life has returned to reasonably close to normal here apart from having to wear a face mask everywhere.  This is not so bad in the winter but when it is 30 degrees plus it's really quite unpleasant.  I never envisaged having a sweaty mouth/chin before all this happened, it not generally being that sort of an area 😳 but I certainly know all about it now!  I must say I will be pleased when we don't have to wear them any more but would prefer that it happens once I've actually managed to get my Covid vaccination.....so...... 2023 then 🙄

In the meantime, stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Well it seems that summer has finally decided to arrive over the last couple of days or so - and about time too!  We've now lived here for more or less five years and have never known it to take so long arriving.  On occasion we have watched the UK weather forecast with envy which is not a thing I ever thought I'd be writing.......

Something else that is taking too long arriving is my Covid jab which I have still heard nothing about.  I'm speaking to the GP tomorrow about my asthma and will most certainly be asking why, when they have been vaccinating my 5 year age bracket (which I'm at the top of!) since 17 May, I have heard nothing at all.  Watch this space!  Ian was fine after his Astra Zeneca jab last week 💪  he doesn't have a date for his second one yet, but Spain is doing them 3-4 weeks apart generally and very much so here, so he'll hear in due course.

On Saturday, a wet and rainy day, we took ourselves off to the caves in Benidoleig, a village in the Orba Valley about 5 minutes drive from here towards the sea.  They are called the Skulls Cave (in translation) as many human as well as animal bones from more than 50,000 years ago have been found there. 

The cave system is about 300 metres long with lots of domed caves that can be as high as 20 metres.  It was really lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  I believe there's a concert by a male voice choir in one of the chambers soon and I'm sure the acoustics are amazing!

I think I may have recently mentioned the problem one of our neighbours has had with a rainwater drain.  When it rains hard (and lately it has done so quite often) the manhole cover in their garden is lifted by the force of the water and floods their garden which pours out of there and down our unmade road, creating a river which disappears into the garden of a property at the end of our cul-de-sac (currently empty) from where we fervently hope it flows onward into the fields.  Amongst the rainwater are some rather unsavoury items, the most mentionable of which are wet wipes which have been disposed of inappropriately.  A couple of weeks ago the Spanish water board, a local police officer and a specialist van appeared and sent a robot down the drains from the manhole cover in our garden as I think it was felt the problem lay somewhere under our property due to the position of the neighbour's problematic manhole cover.  The robot was connected to a computer in the specialist van and it was fascinating taking a journey down the drain 😝  Turns out there were some tree roots causing the water to surge through and eventually created sufficient pressure to flood the neighbour's garden, so we were told the drains 'heavy artillery' to remove the tree roots would be next and might take time to sort out between the water board and the town hall, maybe months.  And then yesterday morning they turned up with no advance warning (of course!) complete with a tanker type lorry plus various other vehicles.  I was going out and when I returned nearly 5 hours later they were still here! 😲  Ian managed somehow as he doesn't speak Spanish and they didn't speak English, but apparently the tree roots have all been cleared now so hopefully no more flooding!

The reason I was out was because I attended a painting workshop which I will be going to every Monday in June, to learn more about oil painting.  So currently I'm working on a still-life of lilies.  I'm enjoying my art so much and am so glad I took the plunge into it.  And I've met some lovely people in the process which is a massive bonus 👍

We've been doing a lot of gardening lately despite the increasing temperatures.  Still, we've got a pool to jump into as a reward at the end of it and currently the water temperature is just a shade over 26 degrees which is none too shabby 😅  

The colours of nature truly are beautiful 😍  and we're inspired every day to keep working on it  and it's certainly a good way to keep fit!  And our four-legged family members also help - here is Alfie helping tend our little tomato and pepper plants:

We'll be welcoming our first guest on Saturday for a weekend including seeing a comedy act and some live Spanish/Cuban music (not at the same time 😂) and good food - definitely something to look forward to!  

In the meantime, stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Another week has rolled by and the great news is that finally Ian was rung on Friday about attending for his Covid jab which he had today.  It was the Astra Zeneca and we had to go to a sports centre in a nearby village.  There was a civilised queue outside and I waited in the car.  He was inside, checked off the list and given his jab in no time.  He then had to wait for 15 minutes and that was that!  Thus far he has had no problems whatsoever, not even a tender arm 👍  Now I just have to hope that I get a call some time soon as some people my age here have had both theirs..... 

So, what are the differences between living here on the mainland and in Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca (in no particular order)?

• It's cheaper to live on the mainland.  Our utility bills are quite a bit cheaper as is food and drink.  Fuel is cheaper too.  So essentially you get more bang for your buck here, although I appreciate big cities might be a different story.  
• There are more organised free time activities to take part in here such as sports, arts, music etc.  Obviously many things have been affected by Covid, but here there are lots of choirs, theatre companies, art classes, sports clubs.... the list is endless.  So it's easier to choose something to suit you in terms of exactly what you're after and at a time that suits as there are more to choose from within a 20 minute drive or less.
• Whilst nearby Denia and Javea are popular tourist areas, here in the valley there are very few apart from people who come out to stay in their own holiday homes.  So there is definitely a lot less of a 'living in a goldfish bowl' feeling!
•  We have to drive for 15-20 minutes to reach the sea here.  In Puerto Pollensa it took about 2 minutes to walk and be on the beach 🏖  But we knew this was something we would have to compromise on.....
• It's fantastic having a big shopping centre with all the choice that gives, no more than 15 minutes drive towards the coast rather than a much longer drive from the north of Mallorca towards Palma and I do love a spot of retail therapy 😳
• I can confirm that Spain is indeed one of the most mountainous countries in Europe - we've only explored a very small area near here but the mountains are simply never-ending.  So that's the same in both locations.
• In Mallorca we lived in a town with a population of nearly 8,000, and over 17,000 in the overall municipality.  Here we live in a municipality of just over 2,000.   This means that the number of restaurants and bars within walking distance is a lot less, but nevertheless we have more than enough great places to choose from.  Although there is an amazing and large constructed plaza in the town for fiestas and concerts etc, the actual plaza is somewhat more bijou than the one we left behind in Mallorca with one cafe and one restaurant/bar. But we love it 😍

We've done lots of work in the garden this week and cleared so many car loads of vegetation that the lady who runs the council's green waste recycling centre now knows Ian pretty well!  He even broke a fork during his efforts which takes quite some doing 💪 😂

A lovely part of this past week was choosing a gorgeous olive tree at the local garden centre which was bought with birthday money from Ian's children so it's very special to him.  We found a great place for it and luckily the garden centre delivery guys helped get it in place as it was rather more of a challenge than planting out your average shrub 😂

Yesterday I finished my first oil painting.  I have loved every minute of it and learned so much. I think the last 15 months have allowed many of us to reassess what's important to us and of course this led to our move here.  But it's also about the smaller things.  And I haven't done any art since I did 'O' level more years ago than I care to admit to 😳  There is something about oil paint that has always drawn me, and so when I discovered a wonderful local art teacher I just went for it.  I'll be doing some more learning under her guidance throughout June and have started to think about subject matter beyond that.  Who knows what the future holds, but I know I'm going to enjoy it!  

One thing that seems apparent from the media (social and otherwise) is how grateful for the small things we now are.  Things we took for granted before we now seem thrilled by.  I've lost count of the number of happy faces I've seen on social media having a meal or drink 'out out' 😃; or meeting friends; or having BBQs and so on.  I really hope that this childlike (in the best possible sense of the word) joy continues long after the recent past has become a distant one.

In the meantime, stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

The days are flying by and now that Phase 1 indoors has ended, work has commenced on the garden.  The weather here has been a mixed bag recently and although you would normally expect most days in May to be very warm and sunny, we've had a lot of days that have been far from it!  On Sunday it absolutely chucked it down all day, in direct contrast to the Sunday before which was absolutely scorchio.  Ah well, the last 15 months or so have been a pretty mixed bag too so.......

This week we got around to staining and treating the new entrance doors and I must say they've come up a real treat:

So that's one job off the endless 'things to do' list ✅  But one of the  things still on the list is starting to clear the overgrown garden.  Quite apart from weeds - of which there are surprisingly few - there are quite a few invasive plants (the biggest of which is a rhododendron that's more like a triffid) that have taken over other ones and which need to be removed.  The rhododendron had completely wound itself around a nice tree and the area looked like the first photo (taken when the Water Board were here assessing the drains), the second photo is now and although still work in progress, the difference is marked as shown by the table which hasn't been moved at all:

Mind you, I had 50 fits when Ian climbed up into the tree to tackle the high stuff 😱 and was more than relieved when he finally came down!  The garden will be lovely once we've got it under control but it's ****** hard work getting there.  But to encourage us, we had a lovely browse in the local garden centre today.  I love a good wander round garden centres, it's really therapeutic and informative.  They're really helpful at ours and we've gone away to think about their suggestions and advice.  Watch this space!

The subject of outdoors brings me to the pool.  As mentioned last week, I am obsessed with skimming it on a regular basis with the net to lift out debris and I fished out a dead baby gecko and baby bird.  But since then I've fished out two more baby birds 😥 nobody told me that having a pool would involve undertaker duties for wildlife 😳

Yesterday we walked into town to have a cheeky menu del dia and on the edge of town we heard what sounded like a choir singing very LOUDLY.  As we got closer to the sound, a vehicle with loudspeakers appeared as the source with the back of the vehicle entirely made up of an enormous glass box and inside was this:

I think it's the statue of Our Blessed Lady of the Forsaken, whose feast day was during the recent fiesta here as I recognised her from all the banners of her that were on display on a very great many of the local town house balconies.  Quite what she was doing out and about on a random Monday many days later I have no idea, but she certainly travels in style!

In Covid news, restrictions have eased still further as of yesterday and curfew is now from 01h00 until 06h00, with bars/restaurants able to remain open until 00h30 with 100% capacity on terraces and 50% indoors.  Groups of up to 10 people are now allowed.  And of course Spain has now said it will allow non-residents from the UK into Spain which is lovely in many ways, but given that they won't have to have a negative test or show a vaccination passport, also rather worrying as the vaccination rollout here is much slower that the UK.  Two of my four children in the UK (early 30s) have now been vaccinated and yet here in Valencia they are only just tackling those in their late 50s.  This is my age group and yet I have still heard absolutely nothing, and Ian who is 5.5 years older has also had absolutely nothing.  It is very frustrating and also very unsettling as everyone around us of the same ages here have had at least one jab but now apparently they have run out of supplies 😟 and so...... we continue to wait.......

On Saturday evening we watched Eurovision for the first time in many a year because, let's face it, the music is not exactly great and boy does it go on....and on.....and on..... But hey, after such a tumultuous last year or so, watching a world of over-the-top glitz, glamour and ridiculousness felt like the right thing to do somehow.  So we did!  And what a surprise - Eurovision has most definitely upped its game and a significant number of the songs were, shock horror 😝, very enjoyable.  But the never-ending tedium of the voting still holds no appeal and so we switched off after the songs had finished.  So not a dyed-in-the-wool Eurovision fan just yet but on the basis of us all needing more silliness and fun in our lives moving forward, I think I could be persuaded to watch it again next year 🥳

Finally, we are so lucky to live in the countryside.  We walk around the corner and boom! we're in amongst the orange groves, with quite a few almond and olive trees to add to the beauty.  When you walk dogs in scenery like this literally within five minutes of your house, well....life ain't so bad:

Stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Another week has flown by and things are certainly hotting up here in Spain.  Yesterday (Sunday) was an absolute scorcher at around 30 degrees or so which was a bit of a leap up the heat scale! 😳

The headline news is that we have finally moved into our bedroom.  The finer touches for the built in wardrobes and the completion of the ensuite bathroom will be finished off soon (wardrobes) and not quite so soon (bathroom) but the bedroom is looking pretty good although not yet photo ready (next week).  It's cooler than the bedroom we were in and given the sudden rise in temperature lately, we timed it rather well.  The poor dogs got quite anxious though when we took the bed apart to move it especially Alfie whose little face clearly said "but I thought it was quite nice here, could we stay?" - bless them 💕  Anyhow, all of this means that we're getting the final boxes out of the house and moving on to sorting out the garage and the garden.  But these are less time pressured so we feel we can relax and enjoy the house, the area and the summer a bit now.

Today was Ian's birthday and to celebrate went out to eat yesterday and today - well why not 😎 Yesterday we went to Cal Morell which is a wonderful Spanish restaurant here and where we have been twice before - once last August when we came over to explore the area, and once in early December when we came over to view the house we now live in - to eat a glorious Spanish menu del dia in beautiful surroundings.  It's definitely our special occasion place.  Mind you it was so hot I drank a litre of water with the meal as we sat under a pergola with views like this:

And today we had a great meal with friends at another Spanish restaurant to celebrate.  We ate a lot and drank a lot and had coffee and it came to 22€ each including a tip 👌  You can't say fairer than that!!

On Wednesday I started my oil painting course.  Absolutely brilliant and the time just flew.  We have finished the underpainting (the basic picture on which to properly oil paint- who knew?!) and so this Wednesday will see the end product.  I truly have the drawing/painting bug and am planning on attending more sessions as well as getting myself the necessary things to continue at home.  In the meantime I'm learning in this fabulous and creative place:

And it's a small world......the art teacher is originally from the same town as us in the UK.

The hot weather here has seen us venture into the pool on several occasions this week and how lovely it is to cool off in it 😎 and I have an addiction to netting bits of leaves and insects out of the pool.  It's like a giant game of hook a duck 😂  It really is therapeutic walking round getting it clean but sadly this week I fished out a little gecko and a very tiny baby bird.  I get how a baby gecko might get into trouble in a pool but have no idea how a newly hatched bird might do so.  Anyhow, I fervently hope that's the end of dead livestock in our pool for the time being!

Now that the worst of our house reform is over for a while we're looking forward to exploring the area over the summer as there is so much to see.  I'm especially looking forward to going up into the mountains and also to the caves in Benidoleig.  If - and it's a big if - some family members can visit us from the UK at some point this summer we really do need to have some ideas of places for them to visit and right now we can only point them in the direction of builders merchants and secondhand emporiums which isn't really what the average person wants to do on a holiday in the sun 😂

Finally, we're still waiting for our Covid jabs 🙄 I saw somewhere that they're starting my age group here starting from today but I think Ian has missed the big window of opportunity for his age bracket getting the Astra Zeneca at a mass vaccination centre in Denia and will have to wait to get his at the local health centre.  And there they're only finishing off those in the decade above at the moment so I think his could be some while yet.  It seems we moved from the Balearics (where the vaccination programme is many weeks ahead of the Valencian region) at just the wrong time but hey ho.  The number of cases in this area is pretty much nil as far as I can gather so there's no real concern as such, but it would be nice to get that needle in the arm and feel officially 'safe' so to speak.  

Stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!

Our new home in the Orba Valley, Alicante

Summer is definitely - and finally! - on the way, with the temperatures on the up and plenty of blue skies and sunshine.  Ironically, today is warm but very wet....ah well, the garden is benefitting.  And best of all, as of midnight on Saturday the state of alarm here in Spain ended 🥳🍾🎈💃  Of course regional restrictions remain in place but it feels a little like the beginning of the end so to speak.  Here in the Valencia region they have opened the border and restaurant/bar can operate at 100% occupancy on terraces and 50% inside and stay open until 11.30pm.  The curfew has moved from 10pm to midnight (until 6am) and groups of people in public spaces can now number 10.  The vaccination effort is going well although sadly, despite now being registered at the local health centre, we (or rather Ian who is a little older) haven't heard anything yet which is very frustrating as everyone we know of who is in their early sixties seems to have been vaccinated here.  

We are getting nearer to the finish line for the first phase of work on the house and my goodness will I be pleased to see an end to all the dust and dirt that seems to re-cover everything about 2 hours after I've wiped things down.  Ian has finished my side of the walk-through wardrobe area and is close to finished on his side.  The toilet has finally been relocated from the wardrobe area(!) into the new, smaller bathroom and then we'll put up with the sky-blue suite until the autumn.  So it looks as though we'll be able to move into the master bedroom next week once we've filled the holes in the walls, put a light fitting in (we inherited the wires hanging out the ceiling) and painted it, so not much really 😳  The big news of the week is that the builders put in our lovely new front doors which Ian wisely decided might be a step too far for us to tackle.  Given the size and weight of them and the time it took the builders (estimated about 4-5 hours, actual time 8 hours!) due to issues with the wall and fixing points for the weight, I'd say that was a wise move!  Here is the before, during and after:

Naturally once they'd finished you could practically sculpt, never mind write, your name in the brick dust.  We need to stain the doors so they'll soon be a little darker but we've had lots of compliments and feel it was well worth doing.

We have managed to enjoy ourselves this week though 🥳 We had a wonderful afternoon tea in the sunshine on Thursday afternoon.  Now, we love tapas with a passion but to have a proper afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches, cake and the rest, it was totally delicious. 

The last time I had a proper afternoon tea was in the UK about two years ago so it was a great treat.  We then attended a music quiz evening which was huge fun.  We were paired up with another couple and got on so well we'll be meeting up again soon and are definitely repeating our team for the next music quiz.  We didn't win - I for one haven't got much to offer by way of knowledge of 1950s artistes if I'm honest and that was the final round - but were 1 point from 3rd and some wine prizes so we'd best get swotting for the next time 😂 

In doggy news, Tally and Alfie had a professional haircut this week.  I've been doing them since last year's lockdown and have done quite well all things considered but I really wanted them to have a factory reset as it were.  And it's much cheaper here than in Mallorca so they may be going again in due course.......  And whilst we're on the subject of pets, there's a house just up the hill that I walk past quite often where there is a pet goat.  Yep, that's right, a pet goat, and here she is:

Her name, from the little shelter, appears to be Kira and she's a really cutie.  She's definitely well fed although she'd been rummaging through a bag of rubbish on the premises but for a goat that's par for the course!  The house is on a very steep part of the hill so she certainly uses her goaty climbing abilities and must be finding or being given plenty of food as there are lots of droppings everywhere.  I've never seen anyone living there but clearly someone comes to do things at the house.  In any event, Tally and Alfie have achieved their lifelong ambition to meet a goat so they're winning at life right now!  

Yesterday we decided to celebrate the end of the state of alarm with something happy, cheerful and cheesy - and you don't get much happier, more cheerful or cheesier than a Spanish Elvis tribute act 😂 His English was relatively rudimentary but my goodness he sounded like Elvis, clearly loves the music and gave it his all for over three hours and you can't say fairer than that!  

Yep, I was expecting the white catsuit too, but he went for the 'early Elvis' look and I can't say I blame him.  Mind you, one of the audience came in a catsuit so all was not lost.  On a very hot day I can't say that wearing tight lycra holds much appeal but....each to their own.

Finally, this weekend was a local fiesta culminating yesterday (Sunday) with the Day of Our Blessed Lady of the Forsaken and last night we had a great firework display.  The actual firework event was by ticket only due to Covid restrictions but we still saw them, luckily not too loudly as Tally is not a fan!  And on Saturday we watched from a bar as the local town band made their way to the Plaza to set up for a concert later that evening and it would seem that, where drums are concerned, size really does matter 😳😂

Stay safe and hasta la próxima semana!