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!