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Living in Spain Unsurprisingly, many Northern Europeans are leaving their cold and damp climate and heading to Spain in search of a spot to warm their bones, longer days and a more, on the whole, relaxed life style. Needless to say, the way is fraught with many problems ... No, we cannot solve the unsolvable or even provide a magic formula! What we can do though, is to provide a base to start with: One of the biggest problems is simply where to start looking.
By staying, not just holidaying for a week or two, in various areas, you can start to get a feel
of what you'd like and what you simply couldn't live with. Factors that we
barely consider in Northern Europe take on a new dimension down here. Lack
of electricity, water, and rural infrastructure is enough to send some, who
rather liked the idea of living in the countryside, scurrying back to a town.
On the other hand, city folk who previously believed no noise could disturb
them, can't take living next to perpetually barking dogs, whining mopeds and
shouting at
La Cencerrita is probably about as remote as anyone can be when so close to the coast. For your experimental rural living, it's a perfect base. During the time we've been here, we've had our fair share of problems (sometimes it's seemed like more than our due!) - all of which we can happily share with you. Maybe you are hoping to renovate a property or grow some almonds and/or olives - how on earth do you cope with a well, tracks that disappear after a good storm, use tourist Spanish to convey the plumbing fittings you want ... the list is endless. Sometimes it just helps to have a good chat to people that have been through what you are now planning to do - perhaps even get involved in some of the day to day management - it's up to you! Useful, up to date information can be gleaned from the excellent website of Sur in English. * They have since discovered the "cat" was actually a parrot doing one of his many imitations ... They have now decided to settle a little way outside one of the nearby villages!
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all hours of the night!
(A former guest has recently told us it's the cats yowling that they can't take
in town!*) This may sound a little depressing at first,
but it's really to emphasise how important it is, not only find the right part
of Spain, but the type of area you would like to live in. A lot of
problems, it has to be said, are the direct cause of the attitude we take on
things. We have learnt to adopt a more relaxed outlook on life here and
it's improved our way of life no end.