The Casa Results

As promised the results of our painting and other efforts at the Casa in Spain.

The neighborhood is a lovely quiet area with friendly residents.

The front porch.  (I have a better picture, but not sure where it is right now.)  It is a wonderful place to relax, read or enjoy an outdoor meal at the table.

And here we are inside the front door.  I didn’t take the time to do much styling  so to speak, as Guess What?  I was just kind of really happy to have it straightened up and put back together and we were ready to go out and enjoy the nice weather before coming back to the UK.  (I should have straightened that throw though.)  So that is why you will see some of the same items show up in pictures in more than one room, I just moved them around while I took the pictures.

From the other direction.  The chairs we had at home in the UK and took with us in the car last time we drove down.  It was a pretty packed car let me tell you.  They came from IKEA and never quite fit in at home but I like the way they look here. 

This is a property my husband has owned with a partner for about 12 years.  They bought it back in the time when there was a big building boom in Torrevieja and the Pound was much stronger against the Euro.  However the property and the area have held up well and we have redone it with the idea of trying to rent it out some of the year.  That is why we have kept the furnishings and décor as we have.  There are still some things to do, but we saved that for the next time.

The kitchen is small but very workable.  Note there is a washing machine to the right of the sink.

The twin bedroom.  We painted the stripes on the wall this time and some more wall décor will be added. (see next picture.)

We couldn’t decide where to hang this picture as it looked really good in here, but we chose to put it in the living room because we liked it there too and it tied in with the other pictures.  We used the existing bedding as I am not sure what will really be needed.  These are all things that can be decided as time goes on and things need to be replaced.  There are different aspects to consider when you are trying to make it renter and child friendly.  I can say we have gotten some good feedback and advice so far.

Here are a couple of before shots.  These were taken when we went in October to replace the shower.

I like the dishes as they are colorful and fun and some of them went in the kitchen cupboard for dining use.  The big cabinet was moved into the double bedroom, a shelf taken out and used as a TV cabinet. 

And again the after. (We painted the light fixtures too.)

A close up of the chest of drawers.  The blue rustic look was kind of a happy experiment and we decided to leave it that way for a casual feel.  Also if it gets nicked or bumped it will only add to the charm.

In October I painted the nightstands white in the bedroom, sanded some of the white off to let the wood show through and then gave them a coat of wax.  The picture frame , the mirror in the living room and a few other pieces I picked up on sale at Zara Home, a lucky find.  Love that store.

 

Back outside, the tri-level pool for use by the residents.  The beach is less than a mile away.

So many beautiful flowers around the grounds. 

So tell me what do you think?  Any suggestions, ideas, hints, or what about booking a week or two?  We are starting out with a very reasonable rate of 30 Pounds/night for 2 people (plus air conditioning and cleaning charges).  Sunshine included free!

Telling Tales from Spain

OK here we go!  Tales from Spain, Day Uno.  This is along the south Costa Blanca at La Zenia Beach near Torrevieja.  Approximately where the red pushpin is on the map below.

This time we flew and were there in 2 hours, as we landed 40 minutes early. We soon discovered almost everything was closed on Friday Jan 6.  We didn’t realize or know that it was Three King’s Day which is a major holiday in Spain.  They observe Christmas, but Three King’s Day is the day it is said the Three Wise Men reached the stable bearing their gifts, and in Spain it is the day that families gather for their meals and exchange gifts.

With it being a beautiful day and with the stores closed we couldn’t get our supplies (oh isn’t that sad?) so we went to the beach.  As you can see it was not very busy.  They have done a lot in the past few years to improve the walkways along the front and you can walk for miles on paths like this one below.

This area of Spain is said to have over 320 days of sunshine per year and one of the best climates in Europe.

 

Below is information from Spain for Life website:

“The Costa Blanca in Spain is renowned for its beautiful coastline, 212 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline and as one of the healthiest places in the sun to live.

The World Health Organization has confirmed what many people had believed for years, namely that the Costa Blanca is one of the healthiest areas of the world in which to live. This isn't surprising to those people who know the region. The Costa Blanca has an excellent year round climate. The humidity is relatively low, and therefore ideal for sufferers of arthritis and other climatically influenced health problems.

The region in and around Torrevieja has been voted by the World Health Organization as one of the healthiest places in the world to live. The stunning Crevillente mountain range helps to create the areas unique climate where the average temperature ranges from 18-28 degrees Celsius.”

For me personally I agree with fact that the light is some of the clearest and brightest in Spain.  In the photo below in the distance you can see the narrow strip of land called La Manga which forms a natural  lagoon called the Mar Menor at the south east corner of the country.

Some fishermen enjoying the afternoon.

A place for a rest and to enjoy the view along the way.

The tower at Cabo Roig.

And the old cannon looking over the marina.

You can’t see it very well in the picture but we met these people walking along and the lady had made a crown from Christmas cards which I thought was very clever.

When we got back to the car the outdoor temperature read 24 Celsius. (75 F).  The winter weather this year has been the best in years we have been told.  It does cool off quickly as the sun goes down in the evening.

  Another nice thing about Spain?  Renting a car I get to drive on the right side of the road again and with a right side driving car!

The view from our front terrace at the apartment.  It is about a  mile from the sea but from the edge of the porch you can sea the Med in the distance.

It was nice we had that afternoon on the beach because we spent a lot of time doing this – painting furniture.  I’ll show you the results tomorrow.

Hi Guys and Happy New Year (Chinese)

Hi or I should say Hola from Spain.  Just want to say a quick hello and I will be back with blog posts next week.  We have been working at the apartment in Spain and finally are getting near the end of the changes, at least for now.  I will try to post some pictures next week.  (when it will be easier and I am not at a McDonalds using the free WiFi.)  Spain is an amazing country and the weather has been warm during the day and cool at night.  Night before last we celebrated Chinese New Year (in Spain) at an Asian restaurant.  We got a kick out of it as most of the patrons were British with a British singer singing many country western songs.  Today for a little break we went to a town that features a Moroccan bazaar. It was actually siesta time, but we I just wanted to check it out for another time.  Hope you are doing well and will be “talking” to you soon. 

Our Favorite (Mis)Adventure of 2011

 

Our favorite (mis)adventure of 2011.  I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed or proud to share this story.  But hopefully at the very least you might find it entertaining and learn what not to do when hiking. 

The first 2 pics show the scenery as we are driving in the Peak District to *Kinder Scout*.

 

 

We decided we had some time for an unplanned getaway in August and were able to get a campsite booked at Chatsworth Park.  It is a busy campsite and we were glad we could get in even though the weather forecast was for rain.  We took plenty of books and assorted games fully prepared to spend a lot of time in the caravan.  Fortunately the weather was better than expected and Day 1 and 2 we got in some nice walks at Longshaw Estate and Froggatt Edge.  We had our OS (hiking map) but didn’t need it on those 2 walks as the paths were well travelled and well marked.  On the 3rd day we got a late start as it had rained heavily the night before and we were wondering if it would be nice enough to venture out for a country walk again.

The two arrows in the lower right are the location of our first two walks and the one that says “here” is the location of this walk, which I might mention is the highest point in the Peak District.

Feeling confident from our walks the previous two days we did not come prepared. And we were a little hasty having gotten a late start. (Understatement!!!) And kids, let this be a lesson to you, DO NOT EVER EVER do what we did. 

We had an OS map but it’s coverage ended just before this area.  Instead I took a picture of this map below for reference that was posted where we parked the car.  Good idea in theory but in reality not so great.  There is no reference to scale and not enough detail.  But we weren’t too concerned as we thought today would be like the other 2 days where the path was well marked.

As we set off on our walk we had a nice little chat with the farmer as he was mending his fence.

Next landmark was this red phone box by the campground.

It was a quiet day, we didn’t see any other hikers just the local sheep.

But then we did not take the conventional route up. 

You know the saying “Make Your Own Path”?  I don’t think this was the time to follow it!  The way up was steeper than it looks in this picture.  Urged on by sayings of “No Pain No Gain” and other sayings motivational and perhaps not motivational we made our way along the fence line.

Every other day we took plenty of snacks but this day just 2 pieces of  zucchini bread and one bottle of water between us.  Here we stopped for a rest and to eat our little lunch.

We finally made it up the first big hill.  But……. I heard gunshots.  We could see hunters in the distance but they were not coming our way…yet!

The grouse hunters then turned in our direction and were headed straight for us!  What do we do now???  Thank heavens they saw us followed by some shouting in our direction.  “What were we doing up here? this area is closed!  How did we get up here?”    Me in my sweetest American accent (as in foreigner) “I am sorry we don’t want to be in your way either.  I don’t know how we got up here, you don’t even want to know!”

We ended up going past them and it was not easy walking on the uneven boggy ground.  We wanted to get the heck out of their way and put some distance between us.   Below a shot (what a choice of words) once we were well past them.

No wonder there weren’t any people around.  And that was not the scariest part! 

Once we made it to the top we were then on a path following the ridge to go down a different way.  So let’s review, no map, no compass,  no plan, no food, one bottle of water in Mr. H’s backpack mostly gone.  Everything you should not do. 

Some unusual rocks and beautiful scenery along the way.

At this point we started to go down.

Mr. H chose this path to the valley.  I said “No Way”.  Too steep and rocky for me so I headed for a path nearby.

I put my camera away to concentrate as that path didn’t pan out.  So when I say we went a different direction, we really did, he went one way and I went another way.  I ended going back up the path to try to find the main route again.  What I found as I was up there on my own, late in the day trying to figure out how the heck I was going to get down and back to the car, was an angry grouse.  It was scary up there all alone in the vast expanse of landscape, and out of the brush came a grouse.  And she was not happy.  She was squawking loudly and coming at my with a vengeance.  It sounds funny but I am not joking. (that was the scariest part) I tried to shoo her away with my back pack but she just kept coming at me.  I thought – Oh great I am going to be attacked by a grouse and left up here injured all night.  She must have been protecting her young or upset from the hunters.  I thought, honey you are lucky to be alive, now go away!

Finally she gave up and left me alone but I was slightly freaked out.  I turned and took the next path down which was probably a sheep path.  On the top you can really lose your sense of perception and scale.  I ended up coming down the hill above somewhere between the two arrows.  I dug around in my backpack and found a lone Mentos and kept repeating “Keep Calm and Carry On.” As if I didn’t have enough problems I was following what I thought was a dry waterway.  I sat down for a minute to collect my thoughts and soon realized the waterway wasn’t totally dry as the seat of my pants was now completely wet.  At least I wasn’t scared of the sheep.  I had a cell phone but who would I call? as the other half did not have his.

Above looking back up the hill I just came down.  It reminded me of those challenges they take people on to build their confidence.

Back down in the valley it was still a little rough going but I made it! 

Finally I passed the red phone box and back to the farmer who was still mending his fence.  He said - your husband is looking for you.  He asked me what route I came down.  To which I said, “I’m not really sure.”  as Mr. H pulled up in the car. 

I got taken out to eat that night.  We did not have grouse.