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Rachel
Lunch in The Square
My friend Rachel, who I used to go to School with, nearly thirty years ago, was in Spain with her daughter, at their Spanish home. It is half term in England, so the perfect time to get away.
Rachel doesn´t live too far from us, about an hours drive, so she drove down with Jess to see us at Casa Caprice. Rachel helped us find our new home, so it was fitting that she saw it first.
Like most people Rachel got lost trying to find our house. The numbering here, is actually illogical and can be difficult to work out!
Rachel and Jess
Fish and Chips
Luke and Jamie
After a few phone calls Rachel made it and we popped to the centre to pick up Darrell. He had just got his NIE number, something we didn´t think was going to happen for a while, but The Police were happy that Darrell had entered Spain legally, after customs had forgot to stamp his passport, when entering northern Spain by road.That was the first stage in a process of obtaining work and permanent residency in Spain. All of us now have our numbers and are finally allowed to work legally!
We took Rachel to the local square, where we had lunch at the new bar, that had opened up on Friday. The Fish and Chips there are to die for and was absolutely delicious. It was nice to chat with Rachel, in more relaxed circumstances, after such an awful year. Spain is certainly more relaxed, the people are far more obliging and the way of life here is something we are loving, although it is taking some getting used too, as it will after living in The UK for a life time!
We chatted about school and family for a bit and had a talk about the future and work. The guys who own the bar gave me some information on local businesses and we have many options open to us. Rachel and Darrell believe we should both keep in simple, at least for now and spend the short term learning the language, laws and customs. I am tending to agree with them at the moment and am really just enjoying getting to know our new home, Country and the people who live here.
Rachel left with Jess early afternoon and it was down to us to celebrate becoming legal!The Square
Shots of SOTO
Expats
Thursday nights are the best nights down on The Square. The people we have met so far are an amazing bunch. Many residents are from the English, Irish and Scottish Community and all are welcoming and open. Most people have been here for ten or more years and they all have one thing in common, THEY DON´T EVER WANT TO GO BACK TO LIVE IN THE UK.
You can see why. This area is lovely, well kept and looked after. offering fantastic sunshine for most of the year, a safe environment for children to grow up in and a real sense of community, long since lost in Britain!
Everytime you ask the question ¿Would you go home?, you get the same answer, NO!
Britain has changed out of all proportion. The Country isn´t the same as it was. The values I was bought up with no longer exist and Spain offers a glimse of what could have been!Darrell went to the bank to open a new account, so Jamie and myself went back to The Square to continue celebrating in his absence. Plenty of beer and shots of SOTO, which really is a strong shot of alcoholic Coke. Not being a big drinker of spirits myself, this is one of the only ones that I actually like!
Luke and Jamie
With June in The Square
With June and Darrell
At the bar
If I remember rightly, June has lived here for at least ten years and she has never looked back. She plays an important role in the local community here. She is motivational and inspiring. She also tells you how it is and she is at the centre of English life.This is our third week, living in Spain and we have settled in much better than I would have ever expected. There is a large expat community here, which, at least for the moment, has helped us all avoid home sickness and has helped us gently settle into Spanish expat life. Of course other people may well be in two minds about the pro´s and con´s of an expat community, but I firmly believe, they are necessary for a smooth transition!
UK ´V´ Spain
So ¿How should one, approach a new life in Spain? ¿English or Spanish? Well the obvious answer to these questions would be to have a balance between the two cultures!Many people move abroad, especially to Spain, and have no need to learn the language or indeed become part of the larger Spanish community. In reality, it isn´t necessary, especially when, like us, you have moved to an area, where there is a large expat group of individuals, within walking distance.
We met some other local people. An English guy, who married his English Partner. The gay couple who owned the local bar as well as those who have second homes here. All of their opinions differ, from one end of the spectrum to the other. The Englishman, who´s partner is a Spanish nurse, said he did feel at times, that he was living in the old British Soap Opera Eldorado!
I have just got back from the local shop, where we have just bought our supply of provisions for the week. They all speak perfect English and there is absolutely no need to speak Spanish at all.
In that respect the jury is still out onFor those of you who are too young to remember, Eldorado was a British Soap Opera, based in Spain, centred around a British expat community. Of course like all soap operas it had its fare share of drama, although not enough to sustain the programmes longevity and the show was axed, soon after it began.
Personally, I am not adverse to a community of like minded individuals, with common goals and aims. It has once again offered me a great sense of belonging, something I have craved for a long time!
whether or not one should integrate fully into Spanish life or not! At the moment, I do want that happy balance between Spanish and English. I want to be able to speak the language and I need to be able to spend my middle years, growing old in Spain, knowing that I have done everything to become part of life here. I am grateful a strong English community exists, for without them, we would not be feeling as comfortable as we do. I certainly feel we can all be happy here, for a life time or indeed as long as we want too. If things do not work out well, then we can always move on to pastures new, but for now I am loving my new life and the new people in it!
Drunken old lush
Drunk
After another Thursday night out in The Square, I don´t mind telling you, I was totally drunk. I mean just look at the state I was in when I got back to Casa Caprice. Jamie was already at home and I think I really just terrorised him for a while, collapsing in bed at some point and today, suffering with the hangover from hell.So, we all had an amazing night down ´The Square´ as we usually do. We have met more new friends and were even given nick names, as everyone here has. I finally have a real sense of belonging and am truly happy with where my life is heading and so glad to be away from The UK and some of the worst people I have ever met!
Peace and love always!
Shameful
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We all have the ability to imagine a brighter future and achieve all our dreams. The only stumbling block, is our lack of self belief. Believe in yourself and the rest will surely follow!
Luke 18 Feb 16
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Leaving Southampton
I met Jamie at Southampton Airport on a cold January morning. It was the kind of day, you actually didn´t mind leaving The UK, for warmer climbs. This was mine and Jamie´s last day in The UK at least. Darrell was staying back to pack the van, for his long trip through Europe , to Southern Spain. He had a last few things to do, before he could leave from Portsmouth, travelling through France and Spain with Dale!
We had an early morning flight from Southampton and to be honest I was in holiday mode, although it is only over the last few days, that it has finally sunk in, that we have all, moved for good! It does take a while for these things to sink in. In many respects, it was a last minute decision for our Jamie to come. He had thought long and hard about joining us and despite others trying to dissuade him from leaving, for their own unknown reasons, he did take the brave step of leaving for a new life, leaving behind the less savoury aspects of life in Southampton.
For Jason and myself this was a decision we had mulled over a year before and finally decided to do it, after the worst year of our life. It was fate! I am a firm believer in fate and what we had once planned was now coming to a conclusion, and we were actually leaving England for good!
Leaving somewhere you have lived for, in my case, most of my life can be hard, but after the year Darrell and I have had, nothing could have been easier. We were both more than ready to leave, though, my biggest fear was leaving such good friends behind, after spending so long, finding them in the first place!
Jamie and I had a few early morning beers in the bar, at the airport. I made sure he was fine with leaving The UK one last time, then our flight was called and we were on our way. On the way to a new life in the sun, away from the worst life can throw your way, where no one knew us and where we could finally press the reset button!
Darrell had booked us into a grotty two star hotel in the city, although despite its initial appearance, it was actually quite nice, situated right in the centre. Our room overlooked bars, cafes and restaurants and was at the heart of the town!
Arrival
Jamie and I landed safely on the first leg of our journey to a new life!
We had a few bevvies and some decent food, which in all honesty, with everything being packed up at Gay Capri, we hadn´t had in a long while. It was nice to finally relax, take in the sites and finally feel some warmth, after the cold miserable weather back in The UK!Two Days
For the next few days, Jamie and I were left to our own devices, as Jason drove down through Europe.
The next morning we had to collect the keys for Casa Caprice from our Agents, just outside of the city. It sounded easy enough, but actually, nothing could be further from the truth!
We picked up a taxi outside the hotel, early in the morning.
We told the driver the address of the agent, and set off on our way. Now I didn´t know much about the region we are now living in, certainly not the Urbanizations or the areas in and around the city, but it seemed, neither did the taxi driver, who got lost on route!
It turns out, that all these new urbanizations are rather foreign to anyone who does not actually live on one. We drove around for a good half hour before, after checking the WIFI on my phone, I found the agents we had got the house from. Disaster avoided!Pirate Ship
For the next few days we spent time exploring our new surroundings. The nearest city to us is Alicante, so we spent most of our time there.
We found our favourite part of town, down by the marina, had a few beers on the Pirate Ship and a few more beers at Soho Mar, which, we have all agreed is our favourite bar so far!
Just two days to wait before Darrell arrived with Dale and the cats!Casa Caprice
A few pictures from Casa Caprice. It is a bit smaller than I am used too, but it´s a lovely house, with a fantastic view and the neighbours are great. Above all there is no one here to remind us, of such a horrible time in Southampton, that is all that matters to us!The rest of our ´Gay Family´ arrive!
Aunty Dale
A big thank you to Aunty Dale for helping both myself and Darrell out and of course being here for our first week. It is a memory we shall cherish always.
The weather here was a bit chilly, while poor Dale was with us and to be honest, I think he was glad to leave, to the modernity of his Bungalow in Bitterne, central heating and 70 inch television!
Gay Family
I can´t stress enough how important it has been to have good people around us, especially over the last year. Dale, has, without exception been there for us both, throughout this difficult period. The fact that he was even there with us, during our move to Europe, speaks loads for him. He is a special guy.
All of us got emotional, during this first week here on the continent. We had a lot of memories to talk over and a lot of fears to discuss. This is new for us all and we don´t want to muck this one up, so it really does help to talk to someone like Dale. We are sure he will keep in touch and we will see him again soon!Two days later, on Tuesday evening the rest of our wayward ´Gay Family´ arrived, after a tiring trip across Europe. Dale had driven most of the way, as Darrell had pulled his back during the moving process and to be honest, they were both knackered, bless them!Sadly Dale didn´t have a lot of time to do any site seeing here, but we did all manage to get out and about a bit and see Alicante mainly and have a few drinks in the local ex pat bars, here and about. It was actually lovely having him here. He is a dear friend who Darrell and I have known for many years!
Teaching Jamie
Controlling partners, friends and others who have either been too caring, or not caring enough, this has been the story of Jamie´s life up to now.
Darrell and I want to help Jamie restart his life and rebuild it, into something he can be proud of!
Bringing Jamie out to Spain with us, has been a decision, not everyone understands, for what seems their own selfish reasons. Both Darrell and I are not selfish. We believe in giving everyone a chance in life and helping if we can.
Sadly Jamie has had mostly everything done for him over the years, you could almost mention the word control!Cooking
I have promised Jamie´s Nan, that I would look after him and make sure he is okay. We have also said we will do our best to make sure he learns to look after himself a lot more, learning how to cook, experiencing new things, peoples, cultures and food as well as making sure he can just do the simplest things in life, that up until now, he has been unable to do, because other people have taken that option away from him. So that´s it. we will do our best!The Square
Over the last week we have discovered ´The Square´. We didn´t know it was there until recently, as a lot of the areas around here are gated communities. The Square consists of a few bars and restaurants and caters for the ex pat community, and we love it!
I think I can speak for us all, when I say, we really do love it here. The sense of community, is amazing, it doesn´t matter who you are. We have all been welcomed with open arms, invited out and are thoroughly enjoying, getting to know the locals, who are a tremendous bunch!None of us have ever experienced such a close knit community spirit before. Well Darrell and I did when we lived in Whiteparish, and we enjoyed it then, as much as we do now. Many of the residents have lived here for as long as this place has been about, forteen or more years. Britain has a lot to learn, where the building of communities are concerned!
Working
We have got our ´Working Numbers´now and can now start the process of looking for jobs. How easy this will be will depend on how hard we are willing to work to stay here in Spain. All of us want it, so it is going to be easy and we relish the opportunity. Here begins the rest of all our lives!
