If you had to leave Spain!

Hi Jenny, Which house do you live in? I used to live opposite Emillios so I may have old pictures of your house, Regards Jayne

Adding to the blissful lack of traffic here, I'd add - next to NO TRAFFIC WARDENS! Coming from London where parking and traffic were a major problem to a place where traffic (if you can call it that) is only caused by slow moving works' vehicles, where I've never seen a traffic warden, and where you can park with ease and always within walking distance is absolute bliss and a real stress reducer for us.

As a contractor my hubby received £60-100 parking tickets fortnightly for just trying to do his job. And it could easily take us an hour to travel 10 miles - rush hour didn't exist anymore, this was at any time of the day! Now we can do a similar journey in 10 stress-free mins.

Oh, and the speed bumps and the buses and the school run down our road which created a gridlock on a daily basis and assault to the nervous system. I'm glad we left that behind!

This is difficult to put concisely as there is so much I would miss.
I have to say though that I couldn't live with myself if we had to take our boys back. Nico is just a baby so would probably adjust but I couldn't do it to Josh. He was 2 when we came over and has had all his schooling here so to jump from a class of 7 in a village school to a class of 30 odd in a comp would be horrendous for him (I have taught in a few so know!)
Plus the freedom the kids have is second to none, Josh and his friend can play outside in the campo and I have no worries about traffic or other modern threats. They come home with a variety of wildlife, (which stays firmly outside!) covered in mud or dust and get to use their imagination and do little boys' stuff in complete safety. Back in Newcastle he would be stuck at home glued to the TV or computer or we'd be fighting the evening traffic to get to some activity class or other (that is if we could afford it)
I would miss life in general, the great value of fresh fruit and veg, super fresh and good quality meat we buy daily in Orce.

Everything else that people have mentioned really but above all the life that our kids have, we couldn''t replicate that.

Gayle

Jayne -

Could it be that you're the Jayne we bought the house off in February 2005?

Hi Jenny no Gayle is defiatnatley not the Jayne you bought the house from LOL!!

Sharon and I stayed in your cave when Jayne use to put folks up that were buying houses through Brendon.

Jayes other half painted the outside of the house in Los Cariones for us when we first bought it.

Jayne loved cooking Fish

and anyone that knows sharon, she hate fish!!!!!!


What I miss about Spain?

THE LOCAL SPANISH FOLKS
THE TAPAS
COST OF LIVING
THE COUNCIL BILS
THE WEATHER
THE SCENERY
THE BARS
THE MARKET
THE TAPAS
BEER AT 80 EUROS, PROBERLY GONE UP NOW
OUR FIRST HOUSE NEIGHBOURS
EMILLIOS
THE CASTILLEJAR BAKERY
THE TAPAS
MY MT8S
THE TAPAS THE BEER THE SCENERY
THE BEER AND LAST OF ALL

THE TAPAS

cOL XXXX

Julians butcher's is in Orce, go up past the street called Tiendas, (spanish word for shops) and you will spat out in a lovely Plaza and in front of you , you will see Julian the butchers.

If you keep on past Julian's you will very quickly come across 'Orce Hams' Mac and Gayles.

I miss the tapas
the fresh fruit and veg
the markets Huescar and castilleja
cost of living.
everyone is free with their smiles or a hola.
Being able to have a beer with out people looking at you.
and the sunshine and the warm summers.
driving in Spain
they way they are with children and the fact that both of mine would be in propper school now got another 2 year till i get some time off.
and the people...

I still have no idea where this butchers is in Orce - is that the plaza where the museum is?

I only go to Orce randomly and usually only to Asador Alcazaba! but we came over the other week and the Asador was closed and we were really dissappointed with the tapas bar we went to (again only giving tapas to others and missing us out..........it is one thing that really p***es off Ramón as we all know he likes his grub!!!).......I hear there is a nice tapas bar near Gayles shop!

I have tried to google the road where Gayle and Macs new premises is as I want to go on Saturday but I am still unclear!

Hi Kate, its easy to find - walk straight past the palace/museum entrance and keep going straight on, butchers is on the corner, we are 6 doors up from the Cruz Campo sign on the right... Click and drag the map to get your bearings

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Oh yeah thanks for the link Gayle - I know exactly where you are now.

Didn't realise that tapas bar was still open - went in it about 4 years ago and had fab tapas!

See you Saturday x

Jenny
You are spot on
Ken

Good lord, Ken - I don't usually get a response like that on here. Nearly fell off my chair in surprise! Thanks.