Was going to Spain from start to finish but now I, Luca have taken over

Yesterday I attended a meeting & sat for about 3 hours where there was no heat in the room, I was frozen. I couldn't wait to get back to my car to put the heating on. When I arrived home at about 4.00pm & still feeling chilly, I searched out one my winter pullovers. On checking I saw that the weather in Spain was beautiful, nice & sunny & 28C. Even later at 10pm it was still 20C.

This morning I hoped I could put my pullover away again but as I walked to the newsagents I was again bloomin' cold & sadly I suppose it is now coat time in England in fact soon to be scarf & gloves time!

Now I really really hate the cold & even worse the cold & damp, so I am so very jealous of the weather in Spain & really cannot wait to get to Spain in October for a few days & then hopefully permanently soon after that.

Just the thought of six months of outragous weather in the UK inclusive of even colder dirty dark nights causes me the utmost sadness. No wonder 50% of the British population suffer, they say, from S.A.D. (Seasonally Adjusted Disorder). I suppose I now will have to wake up look out of the window - & feel miserable.

Far better to have the two or three months colder weather that is the norm in Spain than the many awful months in the UK.

It's a little under six weeks now before I return to Spain to hopefully secure a property where my wife & I can live although she is likely to remain in England for now to run her business.

My friend who is also looking, is coming with me. Richard, although much more laid back than I, (& I am fairly easy going), is also looking forward to our the foray. 

Everything is already planned, the flight (watching Ryanair all the way!!) the car hire (through this site, so I'm trusting the integrity of both!) & the apartment in Nerja, near to Rui Monica Hotel I'm told. I have spoken to the English owner & she is actually in Nerja now & she & the apartment seem ideal.

I have spoken to a few Estate Agents around Nerja with more in reserve. Of the first two contacts, Fiona Nelzow for the one & Graham Nield for the other are so far very helpful. & I am seeing Fiona on the 25th & Graham the 26th. I'm hoping this will be enough although we will be looking for two properties, for myself & Richard.

On trawling the web sites I came across a really fascinating "community" (too small yet to be a village) called El Acebuchal to which I became very attracted. What an amazing history! The village goes back to about 1550 (ish), but it transpires that it was a militarily important mid point for fighting in the Spanish Civil War & was forcibly abandoned. It was never re-inhabited & fell into ruin over the years.

Several attempts in the latter years were made to re-build the village, unsuccessfully, however in the 1990,s descendants of the original owners began to individually renovate houses and the small roads identically as they were some 80 years ago. So far 25 properties have been totally rebuilt with more nearing completion. Water was restored in the 90's & electricity in 2003. Perhap this was ideal, so I determined to look here, was this my dream?

Then the bombshell the community does not yet have the internet & even mobile phone reception is non-existent. It has satellite TV but no broadband. Satellite internet is I suppose possible but at what cost? Perhaps then at the moment it is a little to remote for me - for now.

The only other deep rooted worry is the language, yea I know time, hopefully, will alleviate this, but at the initial stages it is an inanimate concern. Of every obsticle this worries me the most & almost petrifies me. But it won't stop me!!

After the dreadful last few weeks now is the time to move on, the past cannot be changed & I must concentrate again on the present with particular attention to the future.  

Recently I have been looking again at many things, such as type of property, how much rent to pay, value for for money, learning the language transport in Spain, illhealth considerations and so on.

It isn't until you really start looking & researching at things that you realize how much there is. This brings home particularly the value of this site. Almost everything wanted can be found somewhere here, however occasionally the problem is - where? But with time, effort, patience & getting used to the mapping, one soon gets to know where to look.

One brilliant piece of information I received throught the dark days was that a very good friend of mine is also looking for somewhere abroad & in fact has was looking at that time in Thailand (the Land of Smiles).

Now! Thailand is brilliant, but to the inexperienced it is positively a minefield. The Thais are brilliant at scams & would eat him for breakfast, poor devil would not stand a chance. They are brilliant at it, easily the best in the world. Don't get me wrong I love Thailand & the Thai people are truly wonderful, I have lived & been their many many times, but unfortunately it is in their nature, to exploit everything to their own advantage that is literally any situation. Even your loved one will do it, and will not bat an eyelid, not thinking it is wrong, to them it is second nature. The tales I could tell  - well another time & place.The truth to my mate had to be told.

Anyway, Richard my mate is now looking for a property where I am looking & I am helping him, using the experience I have so far gleaned. So, we (I) have now booked a flight to Malaga on the 24 October for a week. After looking at all the airlines & costs I'm afraid Ryanaire has been the selection, obey their rules, avoid the "dirty tricks" & pound for pound it is the best, regardless of its bad press & foul mouthed executives. To date I have had no problem with them.

The car hire field was carefully scrutined at & surprisingly Hertz came very close to my choice, however the company I eventually chose was through this site with the deciding factor being the additional accidental damage insurance cover being just £30. 

The only detail remaining for that week is where to stay, in a hotel or look for an apartment for a week? I'll (we) will decide that in the next week or two.

We will be looking within a 30 mile half radius of Nerja, maybe even coming close to other members of EoS. The excitement is again running through my veins to achieve my dream & I can't wait to get over their, with my target set to be in Spain for just after Christmas.