ok ok....i've had holiday blues!! sorry. Had to be dragged away yet again.
Not an awful lot to report but i'll share what i thought. Had a lovely two weeks of sun every single day. The weather really was fantastic. I bumped into Pdrich (Paul and Bridget as i now know) a couple of times whilst they were out for a stroll. But i couln't find anymore of you lot and didn't want to go knocking on doors! They probably thought we were a bit mental i think as my 13rd old daughter was swimming in the pool. Yes, swimming in the pool!! it was ready after a couple of days of us getting there. I even went in -- twice!. Although the water was a bit cold but got used to it in five minutes. We spent a lot of afternoons by the pool, as did a couple of others around our pool area.
The pool next to ours around block 7 i think was complete when we left too (I'm block 11 by the way). Pool area around block 1, 2 is being done now but the final one around your area Alan, block 18, isn't done yet. It only needs cleaning, filling and filtering though and we watched ours being done, all in about a week when we were there last month so don't worry about that. The pool around block 18 is just massive, deep too. I expect all you around that one to be skinny having to swim up and down that!.
The garden areas are coming on lovely. Gardeners are there full time everyday (although sleeping on the wall for half an hour every couple of hours seems to be the norm) and the pathways, lawns and bedding areas are very neat and tidy. Sprinklers are working and lighting is on at night. Some of the unreleased blocks are still in need of a bit of care but nothing major. They just look like other areas did a month ago. Got some pictures for you of block 18 alan but camera still out there with my dad. will post when he gets back. I had four neighbours in my block whilst i was there and we all exchanged nods and smiles (very civilised) until i finally just came out with it and said 'are you anyone from eye on spain?'. Paul (Pdrich)and trevor (Trebor) were the only two who didn't think i was mad when asking this question. Think i better stop asking random people if i know them from the internet!!
One thing i will say is that we are very lucky to have shared information on this site all this time because there are people moving in who haven't had a clue what has been happening all this time and were surprised to hear all the things that have been happening over the past year. They don't put things on for you either, you are just left stranded to work it out. Like plugging the boiler in, turning the thermostat on your boilder up. Also to turn on the water stop taps in the utility and bathrooms. I thought the cooker needed the timer too Pdrich but it doesn't. I've sussed mine out now and its fine. Even roasted a chicked after smelling yours!!.
There are still a lot of things to do and maybe i have just been very lucky but i didn't have many problems. The water went off once overnight and electric twice for 3 or 4 hrs in the afternoon but that was it in the whole fortnight. It really didn'tcause me too much inconvenience but it wouldn't be good to happen too often. I had a chat with an agent on site about the cost of utilities and he said we should make the most of not paying whilst things are still being done. Reckoned it will be about 6 months until we are signed over to a private contract. I didn't realise that we will be on water meters too (so we'll be the ones having a shower by the pool ).
Not read all the posts yet so Pdrich might have already told you that the new builders are back on site now and snagging in being done this week. Tv's are in cordoba and Juan went up there last wednesday to shout at them he said, as he is sick of everyone asking him about them. They have said they will deliver them this week but don't hold your breath.
The underground parking was open for use and complete. Juan said it was ready to use now. There weren't wires hanging out everywhere like there was in february and it seemed to be complete. I used it and the gates work fine. There was a problem with damp in the storage areas and some flooding in some parts of the car park that needed to be sorted. I asked Juan and he said he would regularly check but that most of the leaks had been sorted and it needed to dry out properly.
The lifts aren't all working but they do work. One of my neighbours is on the top floor and they came and builder came and put the lift into action for them. It may be that they will do each one as people need them. Don't ask me why they do crazy things like that as i haven't a clue but it seems that everything does actually work but they haven't done the details before people arrive. For example, a few had to go out and buy heaters as the air con had no gas in them. I had this problem in january and Juan got it gased for us, so i was amazed that he then doesn't make sure all completed ones are done so that they don't have to find him and him having to find a builder to do it. There haven't been any works going on for four weeks due to the change over to Sacyr so nobody could come and do it for those out there, hence having to buy heaters.
The outside gates work but we got locked out lots because the lock is rusty and keys are very fiddly, so take your car park fob out at all times with you and open the car park gates with that should you get locked out. Its not nice getting locked out at 1am and having to climb the gate. I told Juan and he said he would oil the locks but who knows. My video entry worked but you have to put a number after yours. My door is 38ba so i have to press 3801 for the buzzer to ring in my apartment.
what else?... The road, well, it hasn't changed much i'm afraid since february but i was relieved to see workers back on it late last week, measuring and diggers running. I asked about the road also and Juan said he was very frustrated because for him it is his highest priority so he can release all the remaining blocks. He said it wasn't that far from being finished but couldn't give me a time. He said maybe next month it will be finished. The drains are all in and the manholes etc, but a good four or five feet depth of road needs laying.
The other phases have come on a lot since last month and because they don't have the problem of access with the road i don't think they will be long before completion. Some of them were shells just a couple of months ago and now are almost done.
Anyway, i'm sorry i've gone on and on and on again, but this was the edited version too!!
suzanne