Viva Espana

[Alan-LaCala]

Well, I can’t quite believe it; we are at long last in Spain, and everything so far has gone really well.

Completion on the house in the UK went smoothly, with the sale proceeds with Lloyds TSB by late afternoon, and passed on to the currency firm HIFX the next day, and onwards to Spain the following day. We probably could have saved a day if Lloyds hadn’t been so careful (or stupid). Despite personally going into the branch to arrange transfer to HIFX, and having my passport copied, the manager took it upon himself to phone me the next day to check I really wanted to transfer the money. What did he expect me to say? No, I signed the form, and showed my passport as a joke!

Never mind, the money reached Spain in plenty of time.

We went to stay with our daughter in Redhill for a few days, and flew out to Malaga on 12th September (paying excess baggage for the first time ever) to stay with our friends here for a few days.

We arranged the banker’s draft, and cash, for the 14th September. We needed cash, as like many here we were under-declaring the value to save some tax; all done with full knowledge of the lawyers!! It felt strange waiting at the Fuengirola bus station for the lawyer, with 40,000 euros stuffed in an envelope in my pocket. And, late morning, we signed in front of the notary, and the place was ours.

We moved in the same day. The people we were buying from were moving to a house across the road, and left us 2 x 2-seater old cane sofas, and 2 old single beds. That, and the suitcases we had brought on the plane, were all we had.

One of our big worries was how we would now feel about the house. We had only seen it twice, briefly, in early February, and wondered if reality would live up to our memories and expectations. Well, thank God, it did. We felt extremely comfortable and at home straight away, even without our furniture.

The village as well, La Cala de Mijas, also continues to live up to our expectations, and we are very sure that we will settle well here and be happy.

The next few days were busy ordering stuff for the house, and chasing where our furniture and other stuff from the UK was; all 65 boxes, and 70 other items, some 20 cubic metres in total.

It was supposed to be with us on either the 19th or 20th, and in fact arrived on the 22nd, due to a broken clutch we were told. Most stuff was OK, with one coffee table badly scraped, which they have sent off to a French polisher in Coin to be done, and which we should get next Monday. In the meantime, we have had some sofas and beds delivered, and ordered a fabulous dining able and chairs, which we are still waiting for.

We knew we had a satellite dish on the roof here, and I had bought a Sky Freesat card in the UK, so eventually we went out and bought a receiver, and to my amazement it all worked first time, (it usually doesn’t with me) and we were able to watch good old UK TV again.

Storm, he dog, and Kyphie, the cat, were collected by a friend of our UK vet (on a commercial basis, and don’t ask how much it cost) on the morning of Sunday, 25th, and delivered to us at about 8.00pm on the Monday, having been driven through the tunnel, and through France and Spain. They were in remarkably good shape, and very relaxed. Both have settled in fantastically, especially Storm who we thought would have been very confused with all the changes he had had, but he loves it.

Not yet got our N.I.E. numbers, needed for a lot of transactions, including buying a car, so we are still with a rental for the moment, but hopeful we will get it soon.

We had been told it can take weeks to get a telephone line in Spain, and add that again for ASDL. Well, we were lucky; we had a telephone line the day we moved in, and ASDL on 5th October. And today (6th October) got a new e-mail address.

The first night we were here in the house, I kept hearing a strange noise at night, and it took me ages to work out what it was. Although it was calm, it was the sound of the waves on the beach, some 70 metres away. Wonderful, it has a lovely rhythm to it, which helps sleep.

The weather has been great on the whole. Even when it has started off a bit cloudy, it has cleared during the day; I have been in our pool virtually every day, and it still surprises me to be swimming at this time of year.

So, is all harmony and bliss. Well, mainly, but there are a few issues.

The main road along the coast, the N340, is one of the worst in Spain, and some of the driving is appalling, especially the tailgating.

The queues in supermarkets are long and slow and nobody seems to care, and maybe I won’t when I have been here a while.

I did not think that language would be much of an issue on the Costa del Sol; after all, there are people who have lived here for 25 years and don’t know a word of Spanish. There are however quite a lot of Spaniards who do not speak English and with my limited Spanish, it can make it difficult. Even in my short time here, I am very aware of the limitations it places on you if you don’t speak the language. It has made me more determined than ever to learn the language.

Alan

[poshtotti]

Well done Alan, Welcome to Spain!!!

I hope you all enjoy living here as much as I do.
It sounds like you've got so much sorted in a very little amount of time.

Enjoy life, I'm sure you'll be able to post your updates. Good Luck!

[Marina]

Congratulations on the move. Hope you are very happy here in Spain.

[El Cid]

Welcome to Spain, Alan.

It's great to hear that, just sometimes, things can go so smoothly.

Sid

[hillybilly]

Welcome to your new home!

[spanish_lad]

welcome to spain Alan, it sounds like you will be ok there. if you need to ask any questions about anything, from the spanish way to ask for something to how to get red wine out the rug dont hesitate to come along and ask here

[katy]

Well you made it! seems ages since you first started posting. Good that the animals have settled, ours thrived out here. Think you made a good choice with La Cala, has a good mix of Spanish and Ex-pats and many good reasonable places to eat, you don't even have to go on the 340 if you don't want to. ¡Buen suerte!

[metalmonkey]

Hi Alan...well done...hoping to follow you soon hope you wll all be very happy there

Best wishes

Monkey

[marios]

Glad its all done and you are happy,my turn next hopefully but may have to wait 18 months till misses is happy.

[Alan-LaCala]

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. As I learn about life here, hopefully I can offer advice to others about to make the change.

Alan

[Guest]

Dear Alan,
I am very happy you have made it, and I wish you all the best in your new life, it must be very exciting getting into your new home in such a lovely area, I love La Cala, i think it is a lovely place, almost a village by the med it is great.

I have watched your posts with as interest and i am envious you have made it to the promised land.

I have a place in los Pacos and sometimes I cycle to La Cala so I may see you. Keep us posted with your favourite drinking/eating holes in La Cala, you never know we may meet up some day.

I ate in a lovely brit bar in la cala in Julio, it was a bar with a big horse racing theme ( not the Newmarket which of course doe the best sunday lunch ever).

all the best and have a ponche for me

El Al

[kevin77]

It has made me more determined than ever to learn the language.

You would probably learn better Spanish back home Alan, than on the CDS. Example from one of our posters of 20 years residence

¡Buen suerte!

Get yourself a good dictionary and some lessons, Alan, it will help you a lot.

[metalmonkey]

Hi Alan

Talking to a few brits in Iznajar they said best to leave as much furniture in Uk (ie sell it)
and buy in Spain ....from your experience what do you think?
thanks Jules

[katy]

They are right, many pieces I was fond of didn't seem to fit in here. We brought too much and within a few years had sold it. Not sure about sofas because even the expensive ones aren't very comfortavle that you buy here.

[kevin77]

You are so right Katy! Matching furniture is the most important thing to sort out when moving to a foreign country!

[silver]

kevin77 said

Get yourself a good dictionary

because Katy left out the "a" ¡Buen suerte!= Buena suerte others may say only "suerte".
However, Alan you will find that the Spanish will be delighted at any/all attempts to speak their language and not be the least offended or think you are a *beep* because of your spelling, get a dictionary, but don't loose sleep, or be put off from trying because you might spell/say something wrong..there are many funny stories around to do with spelling that I´m sure you will here at some time... if you say something, and everyone laughs for sure you have said something funny ( be careful when you ask for chicken at the butchers)...so join in the laughing and someone will try to explain the funny side, but do not think they are laughing at you.
Suerte in your new home.

[silver]

Not sure about sofas because even the expensive ones aren't very comfortavle that you buy here.

"confort stressless" for sofas are very good. For all modern and clasic furniture Cordoba is great.

[spanish hopes]

Silver said:

Alan you will find that the Spanish will be delighted at any/all attempts to speak their language ........
......do not think they are laughing at you.

This has been my experience too silver. The people who laugh AT you are normally the brits who think they are fluent in Spanish. The locals laugh WITH you, and will correct you in a friendly helpful way (if of course you are friendly and helpful).

[spanish hopes]

I still rate the Michel Thomas course. Even though his voice is boring and momotonous. The course may never make you a professor in spanish or give you perfect grammar but it will give you enough basics to boost your confidence and make your time in Spain much more enjoyable.

[Bongtrees]

kevin77 said

Get yourself a good dictionary

if you say something, and everyone laughs for sure you have said something funny ( be careful when you ask for chicken at the butchers)...so join in the laughing and someone will try to explain the funny side, but do not think they are laughing at you..

My wife fell victim of that one in the village butchers especially when asked if she wanted a big one! the other time was when she wanted a metal drawer filing cabinet.

Mike