Was going to Spain from start to finish but now I, Luca have taken over

 It has been a traumatic couple of weeks for me & my mind has not been focusing properly for a while. Sadly three days after my last blog my dear brother passed away with that dreaded enemy to mankind, cancer although his weakened heart was his downfall. This had left me with very little fight & energy to want to do anything, but the basic needs etc..

The funeral was yesterday (thursday 30th) which went well (as far as a funeral can), with everything planned being successful.

There was one thing however I'd like to share with you. My Brother, Graham was a very good basketball player which started when he was about 12 or 13 at school. The team of 9 were so so successful that they continued playing together long after leaving school indeed they played together for about 30 years. They enjoyed not only the sport together, but also each others company often meeting out socially. At Grahams funeral yesterday 7 of the 9 players attended. The other 2? Well there was Graham and the last player had also sadly died. To have friends from school like that 50 odd years later I find incredible.

The funeral also shook me from my woes and I knew that I must get out of this malaise & push on again with my pursuit of my dream for warmer, nay hotter weather in Spain. Having survived in Thailand with temperatures mush hotter than Spain, I  am prepared. Officially the Uk has had the wettest summer for 100 years.

Nine or ten days ago I made tentative enquiries at several Colleges in the area concerning Spanish classes. I'm afraid it didn't take me long to lose total confidence in their abilities. A couple suggested I go to their open day, one promised to put the curriculum in the post, to be kind it must have got lost in the post and another suggested I look on the internet - already done that!

So, I have again pursued my original idea of a personal tutor. I really admire you ladies who have the discipline to learn from CD's in the car or whatever, as when I have tried it my mind wanders onto other things so the poor old CD tutor finishes by talking to himself. I know I will do it if someone else sets the goals.

I have been speaking to a chap called Leonardo Soto (or Leo). He has an office close to New Street Station in Birmingham and I live 4 minutes walk from my train Station. So it's a hop on the train a twenty minute train journey, short walk and I'm their and we have agreed with him seeing how tough his assignment is, and me seeing how good he is. I am happy with his fees. I have yet to fix firm appontments, but I will now "crack on" and keep you posted.

Their's lots more to tell you but I'll keep that for another day - so watch this space ....

These last few days have been dreadful for me as my brother who has terminal cancer has suffered further complications wih several heart attacks. My mind therefore has been elsewhere other than looking at places & properties in Spain. This I think will have to wait awhile.

My brother slept for most of the time but did ask if he could have peace & quiet. So whilst sitting at the hospital bedside with various members of the family & to try to take my mind off the situation I thought I'd start to try to teach myself Spanish. It was impossible, I just could not concentrate.

 I came home tonight & decided to get myself a Spanish tutor. Everywhere on your admirable site everyone says that to speak the lingo is very preferable.

I wondered therefore if getting a tutor a good idea & whether I am thinking straight. After researching online I found the close by colleges useless & ended by contacting a site who offer all sorts of Tutors. I have sent out the requests for a Spanish Language Tutor & await the outcome. Incidentally the costs range from £10 to £75 per hour. With the latter I'd expect to know it all in two sessions!         

After travelling many kilometre's, (so tempted to say miles!) around southern Spain, calling along the coast &  many inland towns & villages &  talking to some people, English, Spanish & "foreign" & physically seeing events as they are unfolding I am realising just why Spain has so many financial difficulties.

I have not been to Spain for over 25 years but have always had it on my mind to live their from about 40 odd years ago.

There are many countries in the world that are really wonderful to live, Thailand, "the Land of Smiles" is truly wonderful & if you can understand & overcome the scams & downright corruption there is little better. (get stopped by the police? make certain that there is money in your passport, it will disappear, the passport returned, so will the police). Parts of the south of USA, some South American countries, New Zealand, even South Africa etc etc. But for various reasons none finally compare with Spain.  

Anyway to get back to the main reason of this blog. We left Malaga airport at about 11.30pm I found the A7 to drive Almacanta and immediately noticed the hundreds, nay! thousands even, of incomplete buildings, this caused me to wonder why? (The penny hadn't dropped - we in this sceptered Isle with blinkers on, unheeding the world!)

The A7 as most roads in Spain are truly wonderful, well made finished to a very high standard with many tunnels and superb bridges, or viaducts, to span the mountains and hills. Driving for the many hours across the Provinces & seeing the wonderful roads I thought of the millions, but more probably billions of Euros that they must have cost.

Then there were the thousands of incomplete buildings, some of them into 75% completion which had apparently just seemed totally abandoned. We stopped & looked at one, & someone approached & asked if we wanted to buy this huge incomplete complex. How much? "a euro if you pay off the debts" We quickly left. 

Spain was spending money she did not have, she was like a kid with a credit card, buy it today & don't even think what will happen when it max'es out - & then losing his job. 

We came across roads which had been started, huge pillers sunk & tunnels started & then just abandoned. There were signs directing you over to the other other side of the carriageway turning a superbly structered motorway into effectively a "B" road.

We spoke to people in the towns off the main way who were sitting on the roadside, the majority had totally lost heart & confidence & just didn't seem to care, the apathy is astounding.  

I was now feeling so sorry for the country feeling so frustrated that I could do nothing. Just the size of it belays the mind!  

I started to do some figures of my own & stopped when, almost frightened, I reached into the billions of euros. How can this have been allowed to happen & where has the money gone? Just where has the money gone??

I have read the rubbish on this & other sites blamimg Governments & regimes but the fact is it is done, the maxed out credit card must be repaid & I only see that taking 30, 40 or even 50 years if ever! 

Well we are back home, have been so for almost a week & have had time to reflect on the the mistakes made of which I made quite a few.

The first was trying to see & do to much in the time allocated.

The second was trusting undependable people, sadly British.

Thirdly quite a lot of apathy amongst the Spanish and lastly of the questionable immigration into certain parts of Spain. (Yea, I know when I go I will also be an immigrant but hopefully not questionable)!

Having driven 4000 kilometres in 5 days on empty but truly wonderful roads, from Malaga  to Torrevieja, over the the Sierra Nevada's down to Granada with lots of small towns & villages in between down to & past Malaga.

We even drove into Gibralter and what a trial that was getting in & out of their, almost a couple of hours each way. Lovely place, but to visit & not to live, it is I think an aquired taste, so wonderfully British with heat!

Anyway having tried to do to much we arrived on our penulimate day at Nerja. We immediately felt as if we had come home, never been, or even heard of it before but felt very comfortable their.

We booked into a superb little hotel in the hills of Frigiliana called the AlmaZara which also had a superb restaurant. One of the best hotels I have EVER been to. I'd recommend this to anyone. Ask me if you want their email or website.

That night we went down into Nerja and found an Estate Agents that looked good. Later that night looking on their website I saw several properties that fitted our criteria so the next morning I called them. They were (& are) superb. Fiona called me back & after speaking for a few minutes she agreed to collect us from the hotel & take us to a couple of properties. This was much better but alas we were running out of time, we viewed the properties, very close but not quite right & it was time to return to Malaga airport. Curses!!! Why didn't we find this place & charming estate agent (very sexy - hope she don't read this!) earlier, but at least now we have pinpointed the area Nerja, Torrox, Lagos etc. So we'll be back shortly but to look in just that area where I am certain we will have more success next visit.

Tomorrow I will write about a few observations on our sojourn concerning of all the things my thoughts on the finances of Spain