Spanish Eyes, English Words

We've been back in Spain for two weeks now, and I have to admit, I found it easier to slide back into the Spanish life than I expected. I thought I'd miss my daughter and worry about her - which I do, of course - but I find I'm happy with regular chats on the phone, and she's still making good progress, so that's fine.

Another concern was the language - I haven't spoken or read a word of Spanish in 4 months, so how would my brain cope with getting back into it? Quite well, as it happens. On my first trip into Algorfa I was able to explain our absence - in Spanish - to our favourite bar owner, so that was another hurdle cleared.

Then there was the driving. Okay, I've driven all the way through France and Spain, but it was in a UK registered, right-hand drive motor home. Would I end up on the wrong side of the road - and the law - when I got behind the wheel of my trusty Spanish Fiesta? The answer was no, and as an added bonus, it started with the first turn of the key, even though it had sat neglected for four months. Obviously the car was pleased to see us back, and wasn't going to welcome us with a fit of the sulks.

Finally, I was a bit bothered about the shopping. What if Lidl and Consum had stopped stocking our favourite products, or hidden them away somewhere in a store reorganisation? Again, nothing to worry about, even though a few of my staple foods had risen in price by a few centimos since April.

Really, I needn't have worried at all. Within a few days, it was as if we'd never been away - just as our friends had said it would be. It was just me, worrying over nothing as ususal!