28/7 to 1/8

Date 28-7-2006 Friday What a challenging week. We did not calculate on how busy we would be in the first period of time in Spain.Each day we have had a schedule to conform to so that we are recognised by the right people at the right time and all in Spanish.We are on a very steep learning curve but we are managing with support. This business is more than compensated for by the dream like pleasure of a cool drink under a shaded umbrella in the afternoon, a dip in the pool after being in Mojacar doing business until 2pm, a dip in the cool pool at midnight before we sleep;-)))It has dawned on us that this little village called El Pinar where we are residing at the moment is an out and out British enclave. In fact so far we have not met one single Spanish family in this area. It’s wall to wall ex-pats which we really did not want. However as we are here on a temporary basis, we will grow used to meeting Michael, Frank and Ralph at the one and only commercial premises in the village, which is the little pub/café/restaurant with a very large swimming pool. It is the meeting place for the whole village. It is run by an nice Australian chap with an Irish wife. So much for ‘the real Spain. This will all change with a vengeance when we move up to Taberno.

Date 29-7-2006 SaturdayChill out day, nothing planned, nothing achieved, not much ventured. We found out last night (by looking at our bank account) that the East Keswick house sale has now been finalised. That is a big weight off our shoulders because there can always be a last minute slip that could screw the whole plan. We will now face up to buying the land at Taberno on the 15th of August, knowing that we have all of the required money at hand. We also had a preliminary meeting with our architect in Albox yesterday. We have lots of planning to do and decisions to make about how we want the eventual new house to be.Himself exploring around El Pinar (elegant eh?) and someone getting used to the good life???I just found Saphie playing with a small scorpion in the lounge. Elayne was not very impressed (our first). It was in a fairly bad way and we found it’s tail and tail sack whilst we were shifting the rest of the furniture to see if we had any more. It was despatched to the skip around the corner very quickly, but in hind sight we should have perhaps taken a picture of it first. We might get another chance soon !!!!!



Date 30th July SundayNothing much planned for yet another hot day in the sun. We thought that we would go to Vera (about 20k up the Autovia from Mojacar to investigate a reputed huge ‘water park’ to take Ivan and Ollie when they are here next week. We searched all over the old and new town without finding anything at all of such a place. In consolation we found a delightful church and square in the heart of Vera, where we were able to sit for a while with a coffee. We will return to explore further one day. In the car we then rambled our way back toward Mojacar and on the spur of the moment turned of to a place called Puerto Rey, passed but not visited before. On arrival at the beach sort of area it seemed quite raggy and not very inspiring. We parked up and walked about 150M over very hot sand to have a paddle and found that the beach was a delight, the sea was really warm and the bay stretched around as far as the eye could see. This is where Mr and Mrs Spain come with their family on hot summer Sundays. The density of people was about a tenth of that of the pictures one sees in the papers of Brighton.We had a super walk and splash along the sea shore and came away having found yet another little treasure that we can return to. Ivan and Ollie will get just as much fun here as any theme park and it will be free. Called at our favourite little taverna right at the top of Mojacar, old town, for a welcome lager and tapas before driving back to El Pina and wallowing in the pool for about half an hour. Plans for tonight have not yet been drawn .

Date 31st July 2006 MondayToday was a busy and very hot day. We were out on business at 9am and we finally concluded it all at about 6-30pm.We first went to our Spanish bank, Cajasur, in Mojacar to draw a big dollop of money out to pay for the new car. The banks computer was playing up so that we were in there for ages. We had some breakfast (orange and a roll type of thing) in Mojacar. Then to Turre for some shopping and to try to get internet access on Skype, to call a few people. The Internet cafe has six computers but only one computer has full Skype usage. That computer was busy so we walked about a bit and returned and it was still busy. By this time the outside temperature was about 36 degrees and rising and not conducive to strolling about outside. Each time we jumped into the car and slammed on the air conditioning to cool down and then opened the doors again to the intensive heat. We called at the garage, where we wanted to buy the car, and asked how long he would need to get the car ready for us to collect, after due payment and form filling etc., We agreed to call back in the afternoon. We then went to Puerto Rey to arrange for car insurance. I tried to do some phone quote enquiries but the mobile phone reception at El Pina is only sometimes good if we go up onto the roof solarium. If a wind is blowing and one is trying to understand an English speaking Spaniard (very well intentioned) and being deaf to boot it can all make for some comical and futile conversations. Anyway the insurance people in Puerto Rey were super and after about an hour with them we came out insured for the car but having a good future contact insurance broker for the property and contents insurance. Every process in Spain seems to require copious copies of passports and NIE residential forms. By this time it was about 2pm so we returned to the garage only to find it closed for siesta. Meanwhile we had been advised by Pam, up in Taberno, to have a lawyer to do the car owner transfer to ensure that all is in order and that there are no debts on the car. We calculated that we could collect the car and drive up to meet Pam and the lawyer by 5-30pm (about an hour’s drive from here). We lunched at a petrol station café near by and returned to the garage about three to find it open but that the car was not ready because they were still really closed for siesta until four. We were promised that if we returned at 4-30pm the car would be ready to collect. This led to a long debate about getting up to the lawyers by 5-30pm and why do we want to spend money getting a lawyer to do the vehicle transfer when the garage are licensed to do it anyway? At this we decided to let Pam and the garage boss talk to each other to sort out what we should be doing. The garage boss won the day so Pam accepted that it was OK for him to do the transfer and we need not go up to see the lawyer. In Spain if you buy a car you must send off the original documentation to the licensing authority in Almeria to transfer ownership. In the mean time you are given a slip of official paper that will last 60 days that will prove to the police that you are in mid transfer. You must also keep all documents in the car with you at all times. What happens if someone steals your car is not something I would like to contemplate just yet. There are lots of scare stories about these documents disappearing altogether whilst in transit and everyone shrugging it off so that the new owner cannot prove ownership. The garage blames the system and swears that the documents were sent off in the post and the officials swear that they have never received any documents. These scare stories fuel over caution in advisory people like Pam (bless her she is only trying to prevent us greenhorns making a cock-up) become over protective and over helpful so that they employ solicitors (and get charged for the service) to do the transactions. We eventually agreed to return at 4-30pm when the car would be ready for collection. We drove down to Mojacar again and had a drink in our favourite little taverna. We think that the temperature was nudging 40 degrees by this time and a cold lager was just right for our state of mind, and body. We left it until 4-45pm to go back to the garage and by 6pm we had bought our very first Spanish car. By the time we drove home we were like two wet dish cloths.! The pool was glorious. After we had cooled down we both agreed that although it had been a hard and very hot day it had been fruitful and rewarding and very well worth while. It’s a very nice car and because we have got it, now we can take the hire car back to Almeria airport and pick up Debs, Ivan and Ollie all at once tomorrow, the hire car was due back on Thursday anyway. All in all a good day. If you have never seen a Mazda Premacy (7 seater, 2 litre, petrol engine) before, see enclosed picture. Night, night sleep tight ;-))))))

Dare 1-8-2006 Tuesday
Another fantastic day of sunshine although very hot a mid noon.. We have run about getting everything ready for Debs, Ivan and Ollie arriving tonight.We had a text from Debs to say that the plane will be about half an hour late so we set off for Almeria at half past five in order to return the hire car and then to wait. I drove the hire car to the airport while Elayne followed me in the Mazda. Steve called from Canada to see if Debs and the kids had arrived yet so we said that as they were late we would call him later. They all arrived safe and well and we had bets on whom would be first into the pool when we got back to El Pinar.

Guess who won!!!!!! It’s great to see them all. Ivan and Ollie stayed in the water for nearly an hour. When I & O had gone to bed, Elayne and Debs had a dip (dip being short for a long natter in the pool) for a while. As you can see it was getting late by then.