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

Today I went to watch my beloved Saddlers (Walsall Football Club) youth team play & we won 6-2 against Bury Youth & then I realised that this one of the things I'll miss. Although I certainly won't miss having to put on the thermals, two coats, scarf, woolly hat, thermal socks & gloves just to combat the bitter cold. I hope Malaga have a youth team!

Things are progressing with my defection to warmer climes although really not fast enough for me I fear. As said earlier I just want to get into my car leave everything - but I can't as we all know.

We have to vacate our place on 31st March but will have the keys to the one in Spain from the 1st March so it will give us plenty of time to clear everything. Fortunately I no longer have to worry about any large furniture, that is dealt with, it is just mainly clothing light furniture, sentimental things, books, loads od books & anything else I've forgotten until I complete things.

Most of the utilities are taken care of & in fact I think some probably owe me which is always useful. The Electric is a nuisance, can't do it on line as it requests a forwarding address & doesn't recognise european post codes.

We will be driving to Spain, twice, firstly on 4th March, returning about 14th March then finally on 31st March & both occasions the car will be packed full.

Richard, do you remember Richard? The geezer who came with me in October & was looking for properties but changed his mind. Well he's changed his mind again & will be driving with us on the 31st to "revisit the situation". Good news that, what a Salesman!

We decided to take the Ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, it's only 8 hours on the water whereas its 24 to Santander & we hate the pokey cabins. We have booked an overnight hotel at Toulouse. Personally I would just continue driving as it's only about 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) but the rules of Phets Scengen Visa says we must stay overnight in France. (Don't ask it's complicated!). 

So the tickets are all booked for the Ferry & the Hotel and all we need now is that pesky Schengen Visa for Phet & the appointment is made for 11.30am on Monday 25th February.So its fingers crossed this time its the French Embassy not the Spanish & I'm aware thet they have tightened up considerably.

Then when we return to England there's just the last piecesof secretariat's to finalise with some already completed.

It has been a little under 3 weeks since we found our house in Sedella Spain & I feel a little like the British & Her Commnowealth felt after declaring war in the summer of 1939. Nothing then tended to happen in the United Kingdom for nearly a year (although it was all happening on the continent!) leading people to descibe it as the "phony war". This is exactly how I feel  about this time with me & it is frustrating to say the least. I just wanna get into my car and drive to Spain & start my much dreamed of life of the future without all this hassle, but its not as easy as that!

Yea, I have started a few basic things, but because there is plenty of time, have not yet started the main things like packing & sorting things to take, to dump & to give away. That is a part I definately do not relish & perhaps to this I am prevaricating but I know I must get on with it in the next week or two. I'm aware I have to finalise such a lot like utilities various taxes etc but they are easy, especially today with the internet, electronic mails etc. To anyone I promised a notice of two months that is done.

I did start to write down a list of what I must do, but when it got longer & longer I started to be concerned. The longer it got the more depressed I felt, strange that because I thought it would give me a lift and help to gap this "phony  move" but it didn't it was just the opposite. I threw the list away, can do without that sort of hindrance.

So now I'll take things one at a time, my wifes schengen visa is next then. But because we are driving through France we will have to apply to the French embassy & they have tightened everything immensely in the last year, so now it's battle with them.