We love Murcia

January  was a fantastic time in Murcia - the sun shone and we had such a good time during our very post Christmas visit.  It seems to me that although there seems so much to worry and complain about that a dose of "Murcia" seems to put things right and lasts until our next visit. 

We know things are bad in Spain, that the young people are in fact leaving Spain to find work opportunities in Germany and France and the UK  and that is very sad for them and their families.  But when visit places like Cartagena during Santa Semana you see how important their family life and culture is to them and that makes it even sadder that the young people are having to find their life opportunity further afield.  

Now you may say we have our heads in the clouds but we do believe in Spain's future.  I suppose we are lucky in that we are now looking forward to a few years of active retirement and that Murcia is in our view the ideal place to retire actively and so that we have an opportunity of avoiding another cold and wet and grey winter in the UK - as each year passes the thought of another winter just fills us with dread.  Don't get us wrong - we love England and particularly our home area of Dorset - but we have discovered we can have another kind of life in Murcia.

Well, Murcia in September was delightful, warm and enchanting, vibrant and inviting.  We just loved it............ and then some.  Top of the list was the visit to Cartagena to the Roman and Carthaginian festival - that was a whole week of pageant and parades but we only managed to do the Friday night - the night the Romans invaded Cartagena whilst Hannibal was busy with his elephants on the way to sack Rome, the battle for Cartagena (seeing loads of Carthaginians waving from the Dotto train was something to behold as well as seeing Roman Centurions using their iphones and consulting their Rolex watches was something else).  The sheer magic of the whole parade starting just outside the Town Hall in old Cartagena whislt we ate dinner at the Museo Restaurant was captivating.  Wow!  and they served us a menu del dia at 7.30 pm in the evening - very impressed!

Meanwhile back at La Tercia we managed to fit in a daily swim in the lusciously warm pool and a few tapas and beers at the Clubhouse and some serious sunbathing on the solarium. 

Can't wait for our next visit.

 

 

 

I had an interesting discussion with Matthew in Murcia today via Facebook about "passion".  No, not that kind of passion!!! but the kind of  passion that drives you forward in life, that stirs your soul.  I argued with him that as you evolve (a nice way of saying as you get older) that the things you are passionate about change.  He says no - passion stays the same even though you change.  A moot point I thought .  I thought about it some more tonight and this is what I came up with.

Our passion has been for some time simply Spain and in particular Murcia.  We discovered this magnificent area on one of those excursions with an estate agent.  We had come to Spain independently but innocently wandered into his office and that as they say was that.  They showed us the Mar Menor, Los Alcazares, and then inland to La Tercia - a glorious valley with views to the mountains, quietness and basically it was just absolutely glorious.  The passion for the area has developed on each visit - it's the air, it's the scenery, it's the wine, it's the almond groves in flower, it's the taste of fresh orange juice, it's staring across the valley from our solarium, it's sitting outside for breakfast, it's sitting on a pier in Los Alcazares with a glass of cold beer and a plate of tapas, it's the market places (dodging the pick pockets) and picking up a bargain or two, it's the mad Spanish drivers on empty motorways, it's coming into land at San Javier Airport (for the umpteenth time) , it's the smell of Spain (well not the nasty niffs you get from the drains now and then).

One thing I am sure of is that we are not alone!!

 

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to say hello and that we love Murcia.  We took the plunge about 4 years ago along the off plan route and consequently we have 2 fantastic properties in Murcia. 

If you want to have a taste of life in this lovely part of Spain, which is so easy to get to from most UK airports (fly to either Alicante or Murcia (San Javier) airports, then have a look at our website:  www.rodagolfinspain.com.  We have a lovely apartment on Roda Golf which we offer for holidays.  Just email us for availability.

We have also got a penthouse apartment at United Golf Resorts La Tercia and we are offering this on a long term rental to anyone that wants to try before they buy - it has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a 90 sqm solarium with fantastic views over the wonderful Murcia countryside, but is only 15 minutes from the beach -  have a look at it on  www.stunninglaterciapenthouse.iowners.net.

Hope we get the hang of this blogging lark - we are novices but I am sure we may improve with age!