Well, we seem to be settling in to our new home quite comfortably. Initial problems with arcing electrics and a lethal hot water tank have been sorted out, and the car eventually got fixed. The new exhaust had been fitted completely missing the main gasket, so it’s not surprising it wasn’t going well!
The weather has been amazing, with daytime temperatures up to 30C, but took a change for the worse yesterday and it is now much cooler and quite windy, which is making the shutters rattle. The house was absolutely freezing last night, and with stone floors, high ceilings and no insulation it is not going to be easy to keep warm. We have bought a load of logs and an oil radiator, and moved all the blankets in from the caravan. We tend to get out and about in the day, and have been up into the mountains a couple of times. The scenery is absolutely stunning. Ann is painting and has produced a couple of very good acrylics of Castle Tamarit in Tarragona where we stayed on the way down. I am trying to write, but it’s not really flowing at present. I am struggling to find an adequate description of the Walrus’s ability to demolish vast quantities of food and alcohol simultaneously, whilst sustaining an uninterrupted barrage of vituperative abuse about the local administration!
We are both reading a lot in the evenings as the twenty year old tv we have only receives local Spanish stations, most of which are in Valenciano. It is very difficult to improve our Spanish as no one speaks it as a first language, so you can’t plug in to conversations in bars etc. We are starting lessons on Wednesday, and will also be having another go at ballroom dancing starting next Tuesday. Looking forward to practicing my left-footed sweeping move which leaves Ann sitting ten feet away in the middle of the dance floor without a mark on her! It nearly lead to divorce last time, so hopefully it will be better this time round. I have joined a local choir, The Valley Voices, and we are rehearsing for a couple of concerts at Christmas. Couldn’t find a Spanish choir to join as they all seem to be associated with the Catholic church. Bonfire night tonight, but I don’t expect it’s very popular here! We still only have a couple of people coming out to stay, so if anyone fancies popping out for a few days we are happy to collect them from Alicante airport. Sorry there’s nothing more exciting to report.
All the best, Andy.
ann and andy lawrenson 
Hello Dear Both!! Full of admiration here, for you daring to live the dream!! The temptation to pack up and come over right away is almost overwhelming…but Dad coming out of hospital this week and many more hospital runs ahead.
Are you spending Christmas there?
Missing you both, L & K
xx
Dear both! Glad that things are getting sorted out around your home. The house does sound a bit chilly though… we’ll make sure to bring plenty of wooly socks! We didn’t quite understand why you can’t practice Spanish in Spain?!. Do they speak some sort of dialect where you r or is it english? We are also enjoying a cooler weather over here in Houston. I am sure your eating and drinking well is compensated by plenty of walking, hiking and swimming!! Besides, they say a Mediterraneanian diet is jolly good for you! So enjoy!!
Around Barcelona and Tarragona they speak Catalan and around here they speak Valencian both of which are nothing like the Castillian Spanish we learned! Apart from that they speak very fast.
On top of that around 40% of the population seem to be English ex-pats enjoying a sunny retirement. However, we have our first Spanish lesson here this afternoon.
Temperatures very high again, we had breakfast outside on the patio in blazing hot sunshine. Lovely!!!
You will need your walking boots. You will love the mountains.
Love Mum
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