We moved everything in, and set to work !
The girls started school the first few weeks were really hard for them, they had had Spanish lesson in England, but not nearly enough.
Their first friends had come straight over to them on day one, sisters who lived in the Children's home, they took their hands and looked after them. The remained friends until the summer when the girls were adopted.
I was pleasantly surprised how well the girls got on at school, Mysty our youngest and more out going, just got on with it and that was that. Loreena had had problems with her confidence in England, but after two weeks was no longer crying at the school gate everyday, she had in England.
Barry and I cracked on with the house, just really to make it more comfortable. Barry also started doing some hiking and research for when the Mill opened (which he would be running as an outdoor activity centre), the planning permission was no yet through, so no work had started on it.
I started to get known around the town, I just would say 'hola' to everyone who I walked pasted. I loved how openly pleased to see me they were and how just that one simple act made their faces light up. Although I have since been told it was frustrating for them as they wanted to have conversation and I couldn't. Only a few months ago I was stopped in the street, by a lady who doesn't live here full time, she said in Spanish 'I am really sorry but do I know you, as you always say hello to me ?' Slightly embarrassed I had to explain, that no, she didn't know me, I just like to say hello to everyone.
We settled in to life, spent too much time with expat's maybe, but in the beginning with no Spanish it is difficult to integrate. We did however quickly made friends with Felipe and his wife Rocia, they ran the old people's bar under the town square, he spoke a bit of English so we could communicate. Rocia started giving us Spanish lessons. They have been and continue to be great friends, always there if we need them and supported us without question through thick and thin. We are so grateful to have them in our lives and If you guys are reading this, which they more than likely are ! Thank you your friendship it means the world to us and when are you coming up for a beer ?
The girls had fitted well into school even with the language problem, none of the teachers, not even the English teacher, could speak English, so to communicate I started spending hours writing notes from the dictionary.
Things ticked along like this for about two and half months, still finding our feet. I had been slightly put out when I had found out that their was in fact three other English kids in the school, I had thought there was none. One little boys was a lot younger than my two and so they had nothing to do with him. But the other two ! One in the class above Loreena the other in her class. To begin with this wasn't a problem, but it would become one as time went on !
All was going well, work was to start on the Mill soon, the house was better, that is apart from the fact that the house in front had its roof replaced which filled our house with dust and gave me the most awful cough !
Then out of the blue Bridget ( our landlady) phoned, 'you have to leave the house, by next week, we need to give it back !) WHAT ! She didn't explain why, just we had to leave and that was that !
It was a weird time, so many unanswered questions, who did she have to give the house back too ? The bank, the bailiffs, some heavy's ? We had no idea, until later !
I got straight down to the local Spanish Estate agents office, closed, but it had a number on the door. I got the young man who had translated for us before to ring Isabel, lucky she had one flat in Serón to rent, we arranged to see it the next day. The flat was on the third floor overlooking the school it was a large three bedroom and clean and tidy, we signed the six month contract there and then.
Now we had to get all our stuff out of the house, down the alley way, blocking it with stuff, parking the car in the narrow street, blocking that whilst we loaded up and then up three flights of stairs, we paid the translated and his brother to help us, we were in within four days !
As I was stood outside my Spanish class, a Spanish couple approached me. They explained that we had lived in their house and they knew we had moved out, but they wanted the keys back from Bridget and did I know how to contact her !! What we had rented a house from someone that didn't own it !!
It turns out that they had paid a deposit, the Spanish couple had agreed that they could move in until the rest of the paperwork was done, but Bridget had for some reason not paid the rest of the money or completed on the sale ! Unbelievable !
I still see the Spanish couple on a regular basis, as I walk round town and they are always charming and give me a kiss, how lucky we were they didn't just turn up on the door step demanding their house back ! Bless them !