"Exercise programme - Take one Weetabix; take an Aero chocolate bar and crumble over the Weetabix. Voila - Aerobix!! Woohoo!"
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It's been another stressful few days; if I am honest Darrell and I haven't stopped arguing; it's what happens when you move! Moving abroad again for the second time in a little over two years just makes the situation even worse. Both of us are feeling the strain, far more than we did, when we left the UK for Spain in 2016; this is a 'no going back' move. We wont be returning anytime soon; there is a sense of finality about all this; endings are not something I like or enjoy.
Paperwork
I have finally finished sorting bags and bags of paperwork; lots and lots of memories thrown in the bin; quite a sad day for me. I had letters dating back thirty or more years, from friends and family, documenting my life; now all gone. I think we have also chucked away our Wedding photo's by accident, extremely upsetting, but luckily we have copies on our PC.
Artwork
It's fantastic to see my treasured paintings situated in their new home in Torrevieja. I have had these many years and really wanted them to have a new lease of life. These pictures were the aspirations I never quite achieved; dreams yet to come!
Art has always played an important role in my life. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows just how many paintings I had hanging on my walls. Each item held an important memory for me, which made them that much harder to part with
La Piedra
Last night we took a couple hours out to have a few drinks and a meal out. After meeting two friends at Rogers in Masa Square, we took a quick trip up the hill to La Piedra. It felt good to relax, have a lovely meal and long chat with Paul, whose table we gatecrashed when we got there. I'm gonna miss this guy, along with Natalee of course, who works in this popular Gran Alacant restaurant!
moving mollie
The only item of any significance that is coming with me to my new home, is my painting of Mollie Sugden as Mrs Slocombe in the popular TV series 'Are You Being Served.' I've had her a long time and certainly have no desire to part with her. I just hope she reaches our new place in one piece!
Cat cupboard
With the cats now gone, it was time to clear out the cat cupboard. This old thing has been stuck in the corner of the kitchen for as long as I can remember, not only in Spain, but also in our home in the UK.
The old piece of furniture was given a makeover by Jamie, when we first moved to Gran Alacant two and a bit years ago and housed all of the cats stuff; brushes, food bowls, medication, collars and food.
Clearing it out was a little emotional, knowing we are not going to have another feline friend for a while, maybe never. At our time of life we really need to travel light, without the ties of having a pet!
We are nearly at the end of this grueling clearing out process and our house is looking rather bare. By the end of the month this will no longer be a home, just a place to stay before our move to foreign shores. Despite only being here for a short while, I have a fondness for Gran Alacant, it was perfect in every way. There is no time to look back now, our decision is made, it's time to move on!
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Quote for the Week
I have seen the following quote doing its rounds on Facebook the past couple of months. It seems quite appropriate!
“When a toxic person can no longer control you, they will try to control how others see you. The misinformation will feel unfair; but stay above it, trusting that other people will eventually see the TRUTH, just like you did”. - Anonymous
apenelopewren@gmail.com
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"I went out running this morning, but came back after two minutes; I forgot something. I forgot I was a fat git and can't run for more than two minutes!"
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Like most people who move to Gran Alacant, I had my own reasons for choosing this place to live. My destination was chosen by chance; at 46 years old, I still had to work; my decision to relocate to this part of the Costa Blanca was primarily based on access to employment. Initially we chose an area between Torrevieja and Benidorm, managing to consolidate our area of search to the Alicante region; the airport being the deciding factor in our new choice of home.
I remember sat at home in the UK, during the August before we left for Spain, watching ‘Bargain Loving Brits In The Sun,’ at the time myself and my partner had decided to move to Benidorm, however this popular television programme put pay to that idea. This particular episode showed Expats trying to navigate the employment market, in this large Spanish city, the difficulties involved and the conditions they were living in. I was shocked at what these people had to endure, just to make ends meet. After much soul searching we decided on Gran Alacant, sticking a pin in a map; a place I had never visited before, but a location that looked geographically perfect for us to begin the next chapter of our life. Once I got over the initial shock of moving to Spain, the differences in culture and lifestyle and the new opportunities on my doorstep, I began to settle in to my new surroundings. The research we did at the beginning paid dividends, we had chosen the ideal urbanization for us, feeling confident about the future ahead.
During this entry, I want to discuss the reasons why people choose Gran Alacant as their home or holiday destination. What made this small town so popular among the British and many other nationalities that live here and what has been responsible for the success of this friendly, welcoming part of Spain. Working in a bar, was a great place to get to know the locals; at times I asked a lot of questions, but that is part of who I am, a writer, who enjoys real life. I asked customers and others their reasons for adopting Gran Alacant as their home, temporary, a few times a year or otherwise. I was surprised by the responses I got; they were never entirely what I thought.
Many of those I saw on a daily basis, have lived here for a decade or more; a large portion of these people, really didn’t know Gran Alacant before they bought a house here, turning up on one of the many organised ‘buying’ trips, exploring this part of the Costa Blanca. Gran Alacant was essentially part of an itinerary, where people could discover the area and the properties it had for sale, on and off plan. Potential customers were shown accommodation up and down the coast, as far south as Torrevieja, buying in one of the many urbanisations that disseminate this region; a large number chose GA for a very simple geographical reason, like me, it is close to the airport, only ten minutes away; an important factor for second home owners, spending brief but frequent periods staying here. Nobody wants to travel an extra two or three hours to their home, when they disembark from Alicante Airport. This urbanisation is less than fifteen minutes away, an ideal start to ones vacation!
I have met many ‘long termers,’ residents who have had property for fourteen years or more, buying in Gran Alacant, at its inception, all of whom have been happy with their decision to acquire a home here. Like anywhere there are niggling issues of concern, usually around maintenance charges and local infrastructure, but in general people are happy living in GA. That speaks volumes for the urbanisation, but also for the thriving community that has sprung up. Community remains an important reason why tourists and homeowners continue to come and spend time here. Gran Alacant is one of the friendliest, welcoming urbs along the Costa Blanca, something I can concur with. My time as a resident was made easier, because of the nature of those who live in GA; always willing to pass the time of day and help others if they could.
Many of those I spoke to mentioned the health benefits of residing in this region. Gran Alacant is surrounded by mountains protecting it from the harshest weather conditions. Combined with the numerous salt lakes and 320 days of sunshine a year, this part of Spain is one of the healthiest places to live in the World. Apart from these unique attributes, Spain encompasses a far healthier life style, mediterranean diet and outdoor activities, in complete contrast to northern Europe. A great recipe for longevity, endurance and sense of well being; difficult to replicate elsewhere. I have spoken to local residents on the health benefits of moving to the Costa Blanca; some, like me had been suffering from the effects of arthritis to differing degrees and all have said the climate has done wonders for recovery, many having not experienced any difficulties since their move. Arthritis can be particularly disabling, so too can depression, another condition kept at bay through hot sunny days, environmental factors and changes in behaviour more conducive to a positive disposition. The advantages to health are clear, the effects immediate and expectation fulfilled, Spain really is a destination of choice for many who want to grasp real life changing and enhancing opportunities!
I have also met a number of new residents to the area, ‘newbies’ who have just arrived to begin a new adventure in Spain, as I did two years ago. Events at home had brought forward their plans to move to Europe. Brexit is still causing uncertainty in Britain; many like the family I met chose to relocate to Gran Alacant, before the UK left the European Union. In their view their children’s future was under threat; they would not be able to enjoy the benefits that the EU brings and would become second class citizens in Europe. This family believed, rightly or wrongly that Brexit was a terrible idea and by moving to Europe now, they would avoid the worst of what is yet to come. Many people are deciding to take the plunge and move now, after all none of us have any idea what our future in Europe is. The infighting, lack of progress and rhetoric from both sides of the argument are causing deep anxiety for some, who want to choose their own destiny now, before as they believe, it's too late.
Despite the difficulties myself and my partner experienced when moving to Spain, Spain has been welcoming in every respect. Our reasons for choosing Gran Alacant as our home, were very different to those of other people. All of us who moved here have equally valid reasons for doing so; the weather and lifestyle being the biggest factor, followed closely by cost of living, health and opportunity. Notwithstanding the differences, the one factor everyone agreed on, was the desire to leave the UK, believing life would be greener on the other side of Europe. I have had both positive and negative experiences since I relocated here, there has never been a dull moment. Like most people I have spoken too, I believed my future lied in Spain. I was happy to call this place home and content at how far I have came. As we prepare to move to once again, reflecting on life in Gran Alacant, I am confident my expectations were fulfilled. GA is a melting pop of people, ideas and aspirations, all striving for the same goal, a new life in Spain; this is one place that will always remain in my heart.
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"I've reached that age, where my brain went from 'you probably shouldn't say that,' to 'what the hell, lets see what happens!"
