It's that time of year again. Part of the sound effects when living on an urbanisation is the regular trundling of suitcases on 
wheels as the landscape of faces changes over the weeks. Some arrive in the early hours from a night flight with fractious toddlers clutching comfort blankets; others have driven down and the rolling wheels are followed by exited children and panting dogs anxious to sniff out their new territory. Two weeks later the wheels are heard on their reverse journey up the slope; the cleaners arrive with their mops and buckets and the whole thing starts again.
When we first bought our apartment we knew most of the owners and their families from conversations around the pool. Some were permanent residents, others had bought their property as holiday homes We enjoyed the familiarity; the sense of community which it brought.
Then the 2008 recession happened, the Spanish property bubble burst and the picture began to change. Many sold up as the pound devalued and those with mortgages (like us) found themselves in trouble. Some properties were repossessed; others were rented out in a bid to recoup something from the crash. We were only visitors on holiday ourselves in the early years but as we got to spend more time at the apartment we noticed that, like the favourite restaurant that we went to the year before, or the English bakery franchises - they were disappearing. Something that shone brightly one year had disappeared under a Se Vende hoarding the next.
The lovely little spanish family that were next door are gone. They had a little toddler who could be heard chattering away through the bouganvilla. She sounded just like the clangers (remember them?) when she spoke. Now we have a succession of people - mostly Spanish and mostly delightful families - who only stay for a week or two. Apart from the first guy, that is, who seemed to be here on a work contract for a few weeks. He use to whistle loudly as he went passed our hedge at 7am (deliberately?) and let his dog roam off the lead in our garden. This seriously annoyed our two and barking mayhem would ensue. The next bloke arrived on the Saturday, switched the air-con on, closed the shutters and didn't re-appear until the following Saturday. His choice, of course, but we only knew he was still alive because bags of rubbish would occasionally appear on the patio in daylight and then disappear during the night...... Don't ask.
The urbanisation now has a slight air of transience about it that wasn't there before. Part of me likes that, being something of a transient soul myself - it certainly makes life interesting. From our kitchen, the door of which opens onto a small tiled outside area which forms the ground floor of an inner courtyard, three stories high. This forms a funnel effect and, consequently, we hear echoing voices from all of the windows that open on to the void. At the moment we have mainly Spanish voices but some Italian and French dialects are also echoing around the walls. It lends a sort of cozy cosmopolotan feel to the place and, if there were a few lines of washing strung between the windows we could be in the back streets of Naples or Marseilles. I love it. Off season, however, the not so cosy sound of the wind that sometimes blows across from Africa and brings with it a coating of red sand, gusts into the vortex and creates a Hammer House of Horrers howling wind straight from Central Casting. Very creepy at 3am - especially if you are here on your own.
We have been talking. Would we buy on an urbanisation again? Probably not. Not for a permanent home anyway - not for us. Having said that, it is a great time for anyone thinking of moving to Spain to buy while prices are so low. What I would strongly advise anyone to do, though, is rent somewhere first. Make sure you like the area. Get the feel of the place - it's no use finding yourself in an ex-pat community if you are looking for the real Spain, unless that's what you want of course. The housing stock available on the coast is huge - take your time and make the right decision for you. Get a good agent and English speaking solicitor you can trust - word of mouth is the best recommendation. The excellent (British) agent we bought through is long gone but our solicitors (Spanish but English speaking) are also excellent - they even informed us when they thought our utility charges were too high (they were right and the tariff was changed) http://www.mamsolicitors.com or see link.
Would we sell though? Highly unlikely. The apartment has devalued by about 30% and the hefty mortgage still has three
years to run. If we rented long term we may receive 50% of the monthly mortgage payment on top of which you still have agents fees,maintenance costs, fiscal costs and bank charges, which can be rather random - there is no regulation here. Renting as a holiday let would yield more in the short-term but, frankly, just isn't worth the hassle unless you pay for someone to do all the cleaning and meeting and greeting etc. And what would we do with all our personal stuff - clothing, photographs, pictures, books, all the day- to- day living detritus that we all collect? We can't take it back to the UK, it just won't fit on the boat.
Anyway, there are so much more important things to consider.
My lovely grandson, Liam, and family, have been coming over on holiday from Belgium since he was a baby. I remember him sitting- exactly where I am now- on the patio in his high chair, eating his lunch and beaming at us. He was clutching a spoon in his little fist and two little white teeth in his bottom gum glistened with pulp from his kiwi fruit. Adorable He loves the pool too and all the local haunts that he has grown up with. It's part of his childhood memory bank now and I hope he will want to share it all again with his little baby brother, Lio, as he grows up.
So - no, we won't be moving anytime soon.
What we would like to do - and should do - is to travel around more when we are here. Maybe stay in different areas for a couple of weeks, check out the people, sights and sounds - Brexit and the pensions permitting of course.
Last year we stayed at a friend's casa near Granada and also a rented finca near Lake Vinuela which were both interesting and worth a longer visit. Our friend is selling up now for her own personal reasons but we would love to re-visit the area - and then there is Seville, Ronda, Cadiz, Jerez .............. and that's just Andalucia.
I am still feeling haunted by the death of that poor child in Mallorca (Eye on Spain news 10th August)). It's easy to make 
judgements when we don't know all the facts but how could anyone 'forget' that they left a 10 month old baby in a car for 8 hours? How is that possible? Even if, as alleged, you did believe that she was asleep - you wouldn't leave a baby in a car in this heat for more than a minute. In fact, you wouldn't do it at all. The car was parked all day on a public street. Didn't anyone see it? It's difficult to believe that in the country, where La familia is central to everything that this terrible tragedy could occur. If, as all the reports I have read suggest, the judicial system are undecided whether to prosecute then clearly there are other factors that haven't been reported. But, whatever the circumstances, what a terrible waste of a young innocent life.
Just a thought 
Can anyone tell me why men glower when anything electrical (I'm thinking air-con) is switched on??