Spring Break

There nothing we like better than a bit of a road trip. We have done quite a few in Australia, France, UK and of course Spain. We still have a lot of Spain to see and whenever we do plan a trip we always look for hotels in Spain online. its such a great way to find what you want. its so easy to search via location, facilities and price. We have found that Hotels in Spain have been pretty bang to rights with online descriptions and if you google map the address and but the wee man on the map you can also see exactly what the local area is like. That can be very helpful when you are arriving too as you have a clear picture of what the place looks like from the outside. Whether we are looking for a simple hostel or a little bit of luxury we have always found it via an online search. We also look at places to eat near the hotel and places of interest in the town we are going to stay in. Often hotels will serve good food too and not to over the top on price either. So excuse me the sun is shining and I think I will just do a bit of surfing, the web that is.

Bumping the car

A couple of weeks ago I had my first prang while driving in the car in Spain, I was driving through Cieza and although the traffic lights were green in my favour a car shot in front of me and I hit it broadside on, no one was hurt luckily. There were no witnesses, they were too busy looking at the crash to see what colour the lights were for me, The policia local were there very shortly after the bump and took control, i did not even speak to the other driver, just gave all the documents, details and a statement to the policia, who then gave me the details of the other driver.

Anyway down to the efficiency of Linea Directa my insurance company the car is now fixed and as good as new, I had phoned Linea Directa as soon as I got home- the car was driveable- they told me to make an appointment for an assessor at a garage, which I did, the car stayed at the garage and the repair was finished 5 days later. In the meantime a courtesy car was provided payed for by the insurance. The insurance company emailed me every two days to let me know the progression of the claim, but unfortunately because I hit the other car and there were no witnesses I was declared at fault so I loose 10 percent off my no claims bonus on the next renewal. Driving here in Spain can be a hazardous business and I have been driving here for the last 6 years without a bump up to now, so I think actually I have been lucky.

Top 10 Tips For Moving To Spain

1. British families who move to Spain with school-age or pre-school children should register at their town hall, who will advise about schools.
2. Spanish families place high priority on giving their children a good education; consequently places at private schools are filled well in advance, and there are waiting lists.
3. Upon successfully completion of four years of secondary education they are awarded their ESO (certificate of secondary education, Educación Secundaria Obligatoria). This may take more than four years since failure to make satisfactory progress can mean repeating the year.
4. Some fiestas are location-specific, based on a local legend or a real historical event. A good example of this is San Sebastian, in the Basque country, which holds a festival each January to celebrate their liberation from French rule by Lord Wellington in 1812.
5. Many aspects of the Spanish lifestyle are extremely easy to get used to: the sunshine, the wine and the sangria, the paella, the tortilla and the tapas, and the uplifting rhythms of the bossa nova and the flamenco as the sun goes down and nightlife begins.
6. Spectacular fireworks are a popular feature at fiestas, and probably the most spectacular of all are the ones that light up the skies at the Summer Solstice, when bonfires are lit to celebrate the longest day. This tradition is especially strong in the south of Spain
7. The Spanish healthcare system works well, and it is often even possible to find English speaking medical staff. However, before moving to Spain you need to be sure that the costs of future medical treatment will be covered.
8. Spanish healthcare is not free, but individuals who are covered by the State system pay only a small contribution towards the cost, depending on their personal circumstances.
9. For those looking to embrace a traditional Spanish lifestyle, inland Spain has plenty of attractive villages where life is not seasonal, property prices are lower, and you will be able to join in local community life.
10. A common pattern is for people to move from the UK initially to their Spanish holiday home, and to relocate to a different part of Spain a few years later after exploring the country in greater depth. There is probably a richer variation in regional cultures in Spain than in any other European country. Each region has its own history and its own traditions, and regions such as Galicia, the Basque country and Catalunya still retain their own languages alongside Spanish.
    
    Armishaws are one of the leading removal companies in the UK. They frequently do moves to and from Spain.
    
    

Senonches to Ruffec

We started off on another dreary morning, driving through flat countryside on narrow country lanes, The grass verges are very soft so if there is an oncoming vehicle you have to be carefull as the wheels sink in. we pass through some nice villages with amazing architecture and chateaus. For a Sunday morning we see more people around than usual, most have been or are off to the bakery for their baquettes. later although we are on a minor road, it is so straight that at one point we can see for 5 kilometres along it. The weather  cleared a bit and we arrive at the bed and breakfast accommodation mid afternoon, there are four other guests so our evening meal is enjoyed with plenty of wine and good company.
today we travel from Ruffec to Anglet near the Spain/france Border.

Trip to The UK

Tomorrow we start our journey to the UK, we are driving up through France over 5 days and will explore a bit of France on the way, hopefully will be able to post any events and highlights of our trip. so will keep you posted. Tomorrow night we have a hotel booked at Huesca which is roughly 600 kilometres from Blanca and we hope to leave around 8.00 in the morning. Our son Jude is house and pet sitting while we are away and really would like to come and live in Spain so he will have the chance to check out the possibilities.

Back home

Really pleased to be back home in Spain after a couple of weeks away dealing with family stuff. Got caught in a hail storm there so the sun today is a welcome sight! What a lovely surprise I got at home too last night, Joaquin had painted all the balustrades while I was away and more than that he did the spiral stairs too. I have been promising to get around too them for the last three years. Of course this is the time of year the outside painting gets done here. Not to hot, not much chance of rain. You quite often see the women doing the painting too, so aren't I lucky our daughter fell in love with a painter, he does tiling and woodwork to so maybe I should drop a few hints about my summer kitchen. We have one planned on the roof so not only will we be sleeping up there we will cook up there too. It really makes sense as cooking inside in summer does warm up the flat. Most spanish housewife's cook outside in the hot weather. We just rescued a huge olive wood table so can you picture us sitting around that on balmy summer evenings eating paella. Which takes me back to thoughts of UK. these days I really feel shut in when I go back. We are so used to the doors being open and eating outside. Of course the pool is still looking fit for ducks only but its still a great life. Oh one more thing when I landed at Alicante we came out at the far end where the easy jet check ins are very quick but you need to let your lift know or it´s a long walk to the car park.

Weather diary

I have started a new blog "A Brit in Spain weather diary" at http://a-brit-in-spainsweatherdiary.blogspot.com/ or from The Links on this website, i have always found it usefull to be able to look back on what the weather was like for one reason or another and think it may be useful to others. quite often i hear people say things like "its colder than last year" or we dont normally get this much rain in May - well we will be able to refer to the diary in future.

All Hallows Eve in Spain

Halloween all over the world and in Spain a very special festival, The children come around playing tricks and getting treats, but then the seriousness starts. Families go to the graves and cemetries of their past family and pass an all night vigil, and on the following day all saints day they spend the day cleaning and tidying the graves and cemetries, - it is a national holiday. Around forty years ago, people would often put cakes and nuts on graves during Halloween, thinking to bribe the evil spirits. A special pastry known as Bones of the Holy is eaten during Halloween in Spain, and this food is actually an anise seed bread with an orange glaze. The bread is also known as "Pan de Muerto" Bread of the dead, and is shaped into skulls or round loaves, with strips of dough rolled out and attached to resemble bones.

Poisonous Snakes in Spain

Apart from the Poisonous Snake I mentioned a couple of days a go, there are 4 more in Spain, Seoanes Viper, Asp viper, Latastes viper and the False smooth snake, here are pictures of them.

Asp Viper




False smooth snake

Latastes viper




Seoanes Viper