March/April in Extremadura
This is our picture for Chivri (Easter weekend) we took this and then when we checked our camera later on we saw what looked like an image of an angel in light round about the statue of Jesus. Trick of light or a sign from God? Who Knows! We gave the picture to our local priest, seemed like the right thing to do, so next year when the church in Trujillo is selling them for 10 euros a pop, you will know who to blame........
Easter week in Extremadura was a blast, every day processions through the ancient city, drums, music, telelvision cameras, traditional costumes (kind of like the Klu Klux clan) the first time I saw these I was shocked but it was explained to me that these are the clothes of penance, they wear them while they carry the religious statues. Obviously that is the reason that the minute the procession is over they head for the pub, there are no pretences in Extremadura, religion goes hand in hand with a visit to the pub, Sunday being the day to enjoy the pub after church and toddle home tipsy for a large lunch and siesta. The people of Extremadura have an appreciation of the joy of life, who can blame them, the food and wines are fantastic and there are always great fiestas to attend and of course socialise, we are always made more than welcome. The only thing I don't like about Chivri is the amount of people who arrive, foreignors (we call them) from Madrid and Barcelona, basically from all over Spain, they park in my car space, take my seat in my favourite coffee shop La Victoria and eat my Churros (regional breakfast) before I get the chance and worst still you can't get a space in our local La Troya and that just isn't happening. Anyway we hope you all had a great Easter and had as much fun and enjoyment as we did.
ON another note, next part of our adventures, this time in Madrid. Ever wanted to visit one of the most lively and beautiful cities in the world, not with a bloody Rover car, let me tell you!
Imagine, a weekend in Madrid, a visit to the Puerto de Sol in the heart of Madrid, what could be more wonderful????? We stopped our car in the Puerto De Sol to ask for directions, the police were so helpful, we returned to our car feeling confident we knew where we were going. At this point I should explain my beloved husband is too damn miserable to buy a satnav which would have saved the following adventure. Jumping back into our car we discovered with dismay that it would not start, after various attempts and basil fawlty behaviour we called our insurance to get us a tow, when a spanish guy in a van arrived we were a bit mystified (to let you understand it is illegal to tow a car in Spain). This guy told us we were smack bang in the middle of a dampening field which neutralises car alarms and guess what the only make of car which cannot be sorted on the spot surprise suprise is a Rover. 81 euros to lift the car by a towtruck 200 yards away from the dampening field, and low and behold it started no problem. Have we visited Madrid, yep we had the pleasure of two and a half hours in Madrids most exclusive zone eating a KFC chicken bucket and praying for a tow truck. Does this sound like anybody elses good luck or is it just us these things happen to. It is the reason we try not to leave Extremadura, here, you just phone the garage and they come and pick your car up and fix it, then return it to you, good service, no hassle. Everything seems to be so expensive in Madrid, a 3 course dinner with wine double what it costs in Trujillo and the food just is not up to Extremnan standards. So for all you who fancy a visit to Madrid, don't switch off your engine and don't take a Rover Car, even as a rental.
On a happier note, misery guts is thinking about buying a satnav which means I will buy it and tell him it was half the price I paid, he will still moan, the things we do for peace..............
IT SNOWED IN EXTREMADURA IN FEBRUARY!!!!
And we got the pictures to prove it, now I know most of you will think BIG DEAL, but here it sparked a snow fiesta. The kids were allowed out of school to play, businesses gave their workers time off to have snowball fights and there was so much chaos that the main roads got closed. Were we snowed in, nope it lasted for an hour and everyone headed for the ancient city to get their own memories, it was that special. Normally in February we are enjoying the sun, it is not uncommon to get sunburned here in February but this weather was just so bizarre, it made the headlines all over Spain and fuelled the global warming debate. British people are so used to the awful weather it ceases to be a problem but here you really take it bad if the weather is not perfect. This month we have also had the equivalent of the Spanish Halloween, there were many local village fiestas, everyone dresses up for this, I remember my old neighbour spending months knitting a pink rabbit suit complete with ears and tails, it was excellent and he was the bell of the ball. The kids make costumes in the school, its a fun way to learn some of the Spanish cultures, it's about fun, fun, fun...........
Navamoral de La Mata is about 30 minutes from Trujillo by motorway and it has a huge fiesta, they spend all year making floats and costumes and people come from all over Spain to see it. It never stops amazing me that so many people can be involved and yet you never here of any trouble. There's always something going on in Trujillo, soon it will be the Medieval market where all the spices are sold, traditional breads and my favourite is the Moroccon tent where you get the most amazing mint and honey teas with sweet biscuits. After that we have the cheese and wine festival, one of the biggest events in Trujillo, you cannot get a hotel room anywhere as there are so many tourists, a good percentage of them are international buyers looking to get the Extremaduran cheeses and wines for your local supermarkets.
Soon we will have the birdwatchers from all over the world coming to see the Monfrague Park where we have many species of birds which can only be found in Extremadura, as well as the huge storks which are nesting all over Extremadura, right now all I can hear is the storks clicking and making their nests in every church roof and high building in Trujillo. I think thats why this area is so popular with tourists, there is so much going on.
A final note, Lindsey and family, I don't think your e-mails working, Ria send me your banner for your new business so I can let everyone know what a fantastic business you have going. Love to you all, get in touch.
Happy New Year to you all from Our Team at Extremadura Dream Property
Hi there all our dedicated readers, I know some of you read about all this stuff that happens here in Extremadura with great interest, so I am just going to write about my stuff today, I am not crazy (really) but I need to ask you a few questions.
What is it in you that wants and craves a new life?
I asked myself that question a lot before we made the decision to move to Extremadura and start a new life here. And you know, I used to think that the sun would change everything, that I would progress along the road at great speed and nothing would ever be a problem. When in reality the depth of change can only be measured by time and error (I will explain).
The only way you get good at something is by hard work and a lot of learning, and believe me this is true of Extremadura, it is a fantastic place, life takes it's own time here and believe me when I say sometimes it can get on your nerves. I am not taking the Ratner Jewelry marketing advice here, just stating a fact.
Property Law is changing in Spain at an extraordinary rate, this week welcomes the new law to end the normal Spanish methods of paying for houses with A and B money. A money being what you legally declare at the Notario Office and B money being what goes in a bag under the table. Perfectly normal here but, unfortunately because of the corruption in Malaga which saw everyone from the local bin man to the Mayor thrown in the jail, the Spanish government are tightening up the rules and regulations for non residents buying property, does this stuff give you a headache yet, its not the fact that the rules are difficult that annoys me, it is because no one thinks to inform any other Spanish department or indeed the people who will suffer as a result of bad information. I am going to do an article on this for my warning page but basically make sure your property consultant is familiar with all the new laws, a good consultant can give you valuable advice which will save you a lot of money and time. If you do not use a consultant and choose to go it alone, get a lawyer, honestly these rules could royally screw you, if you make a mistake at the notario a) the sale will not go through b) you could end up being scrutinized by the government tax department.
Do not presume what a house seller is telling you is correct, last month we helped sort a house which had 3 addresses before our clients bought it, no easy job if you do not have the right contacts. We have invaluable advice on Spanish taxes and residency requirements because a lot of our clients need to be advised of business taxes and 99% will want their residency as soon as possible because there are better tax breaks. Relocation is about advising our clients on every area of their new life here, from phoning the telephone company to getting all the papers required for residency, registering with a doctor, house insurance, tax liability, the list is endless.
Extremadura Dream Property deals with all of this on a daily basis, Spanish paperwork is horrendous, if you do not want the hassle employ someone to help you with it. Use a Professional who is up to date with the new laws. Do not take a chance with your new life.
If you are like us and enjoy the simple things in life ( the best are always free), then you will love these sunsets over Trujillo. This is what we see most nights from our balcony, the colours are wonderful ( never doctored) ) and a touch of cloud makes an interesting difference.
If you would like a copy of any of our Extremadura Dream Property Sunsets, e-mail us for full sized pictures ( free of charge). Print it out and frame it and have your own Extremadura Sunset to tide you over until you have your own Extremaduran skies.
June/July/August
Let me start by saying many apologies to all our readers at Extremadura Dream Property, it has been too long since I wrote in my diary. It’s been so busy here, all of a sudden everybody has discovered Extremadura, hailed as the hidden Spain, and it has become a very popular place. Why? Honestly, I think it is because the house prices are still so low, that is the first and most important thing. Secondly, you could not help but fall in love with its charm. Living in Extremadura is an unbelievable experience. I know that when I started dreaming about a better life, I looked at areas which did not have the Costa culture, one because there was no way I could have afforded to buy a property there but also because I wanted the real Spain. At first Extremadura was like a lost civilization, the language is definitely southern Spanish, and speaking it used to be a real strain. I felt like the weather service, after the initial Hola, all I could say was its hot today, people were very polite and helpful, and almost to a point I truly believed the Spanish people had no sense of humor. It isn’t until you get used to the language and relax and listen that you discover they are just as crazy as everyone else.
We are completely settled in Extremadura now, we live in Trujillo and enjoy our life here, Sundays is for us, we stroll up to our bar La Troya for an afternoon aperitivo before lunch (the best Spanish custom) we are really well known there. La Troya is World famous for extremenan food, the owner received every award in Spain for her cooking and politicians, actors and royalty from all over the world come to try the Extremaduran specialties. Does this make it an expensive place? No way, before you begin your 3 course meal you get a tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelete) salad, a bottle of wine and bread. Then you get to the first course, huge portions, the first thing they say to you is if you want more just ask. 15 euros a head, you will definitely need a siesta after this meal.
At the bar you can order portions, or just have drinks, the tapas is free flowing and at present our barmen Marcello, Javi, Cheba and Vici are learning English, I might add this is purely to take the piss out of us, so far they have managed “I love you, you are my very good friend’ and ‘excuse me’ which sounds hilariously like squeeze me. Of course, the Spanish people in the bar are in kinks at this, until Marcello tells them we call them the foreigners because La Troya is our second home. We never need to ask for a drink, they know exactly what we take and our tapas is always twice as much as all the foreigners from Madrid etc, etc. I dread to think what the next English phrase is going to be. If any of you are visiting Trujillo and want a chat you will find us in La Troya on Sundays between 1pm and 3pm, if you want to talk business it will cost you a round. I promise you will get a great laugh listening to our barmen who now think they are bi-lingual.
What else have we been up to, we have moved again, sold our house and bought another shed (estate agency terminology for a shed would be something like ‘a delightful ruin’) Here at Extremadura Dream Property we try not to glorify these types of houses because we know what it takes to make them habitable. We have a saying in our family when we look for a house for ourselves, look at an area and look for the worst looking house in the street, it is a sure bet we will buy it. Gluttons for punishment, yep, but we love it.
Moving day was a riot; we enlisted the help of our friends because our new casa which we have rented in Extremadura is a third floor flat with no lift. Not much fun in 100 degree heat. We should quietly mention that one of the conditions our clients must agree to is helping us move, we don’t list this condition in our tailored service info but we do like to spring it on everyone just before moving day. It is our way of saying we love you, get your backside into gear and get up those stairs with our sofa. What payment do you get for this, a roast chicken take away with chips and lashings of wine (which you are going to need to stem the heart attack that heavy lifting will give you).Seriously, we could not have managed the move by ourselves and are very grateful to all our friends. Unfortunately they have all said they will be on holiday the next time we move, so new clients beware; always check the small print of a contract. Your services may be required.
We have added some great music to our websites, kind of soul music, “I can see clearly now” by Jimmy Cliff is the song that got me to Extremadura, every time I doubted myself, I put this on and it gave me what I needed to convince myself I was doing the right thing. Every time I was stuck in a traffic jam going to work, or the rain just wouldn’t stop, this song reminded me that I had another future, a chance for a better life doing what I wanted to do. That song means for me that life is what you make it, if you want a new life you have to go for it. So if you are having a bad time at the moment, have a listen to our song, get up dance and then plan your future over a bottle of red wine and a roast chicken dinner. We can’t make the decision for you, but once it is made we will do everything we can to help you.
Good luck to you all XXX
March/April/May
Apologies readers, it has been the most hectic 3 months, fantastic for our website, we are now getting over 100,000 hits a month. Our company Extremadura Dream Property is growing at a staggering rate and we are very proud of our achievements and service to our clients in Extremadura. We provide a level of service to our clients in Extremadura that is making a few other Extremadura websites green with envy.
So, what have we been up to, we have been looking after our clients, researching property in Extremadura, negotiating prices with owners, viewing many properties in Extremadura at all price ranges. Spring is here and we are gearing up for a busy summer. We have decided to keep our price at 550 euros, we have had some terrific feedback from our clients and we always listen, our clients told us that the service we provide is terrific, the reduced price is better. So, who are we to argue, our clients are always right.
We have launched a few sister sites, our clients tell us they love the cheaper properties in Extremadura, but are not sure about the prices of renovation and the costs involved. We are launching our Project Management site in the next few days, it gives examples of the costs involved in renovating houses in Extremadura and also assures our readers there are professional english speakers in Extremadura who can organise your project from start to finish.
Our clients tell us they would like to see an example of fincas for sale in Extremadura http://www.propertyextremadura.extremadura-dream-property.com/ we have dedicated a site to information and pictures of a beautiful secluded finca.
Our clients tell us they would like some ideas about reforming a casco antiquo http://www.yourproperty.extremadura-dream-property.com/ we have dedicated a site to this.
I always like to include a little note about the weather, for the last week it has been over 75 degrees with clear blue skies, in Trujillo this weekend there has been the annual cheese and wine festival, famous all over the world. Trujillo is a bustling place and the opportunities here are fantastic for someone who would like to start there own business in Trujillo.
A final word, our site is getting many hits and enquiries from all over the world, we would like to welcome our new readers from America, Canada, Germany, Seychelles, Portugal and Spain. You are always very welcome, we are here to answer your questions and help provide information about Buying Property In Extremadura.
February 2006
The weather is changing and we are now sitting in our little patio during the day soaking up the sun, last week at 8pm we were down in the Plaza Major, the winds were blowing warm air from Africa and it was t-shirt weather, crazy I know. This week it is a little colder, the landscapes are beautiful just now and I think it is the best time of year, the blossom trees are all coming out, the storks are back making their nests and you know that summer is on its way. We have been busy as usual changing the site and adding lots more information for our readers, our page on land in Extremadura has some very interesting facts, we have added some new properties and have a lot more to add this month. We are concentrating on cheaper property in Extremadura at the moment, also unusual properties for sale. We want people to feel comfortable with our site, to be relaxed and honest about how much they have to spend, be realistic its best to buy a cheap property in Extremadura and live well for the rest of your life. We charge the same amount regardless of our clients budget and most days you will find us looking for Property for sale in the villages of Extremadura. We dont list all our properties or our site would be endless, we like to give people a look at what type of houses, fincas and land are for sale in Extremadura, then email us and let us do the rest, no hassle for our clients, we do all the work. We are having a sale this month on our costs for our service, we have had so many enquiries and some bookings for as late as next year, we guarantee our clients if they book just now, that is the price they will pay. We would love to see you in Extremadura so get in touch with us.
January 2006
Happy New Year to You All!
If you are making big changes in your lives this year and thinking about moving to Extremadura, contact us so we can help you find what you are looking for.
We are making changes too, our site is changing this month, we have added a page about the honest costs of buying and reforming your property in Extremadura, basically we explain the costs from purchasing to moving in to your new home, we have had so many enquiries from people about building costs, electricity connections in Fincas, Satellite TV, electrical goods etc that we decided to make a page solely dedicated to your questions, if there is anything you would like to know, please send us your question and we can include it in our page.
We are also adding more properties this month and putting our houses into different pages ordered by price e.g. property under 50,000 euros/ Property 50-100,000 euros,/ Property 100,000-200,00euros. We hope you like our new property pages in Extremadura.
November/ December In Extremadura
What a busy 2 months, we have been out and about exploring Extremadura and getting lots of photographs of houses to add to our site in the New Year. We have made many friends in the villages in Extremadura who know every house for sale, The people are delighted to have their villages on the map so to speak and looking forward to more British families coming to live in Extremadura. I remember coming to Extremadura, not speaking a word of Spanish and the first month my son and husband took a bad virus, my neighbour Raffi, who didn't speak a word of English helped me so much, she knew exactly what the problem was, back in britian we would have called the G.P, here your neighbour looks after you. Every day she came in and checked we were okay, she told the local doctor just in case, she got our shopping and always was there just if I needed her. This is normal in Extremadura, the people are caring, she kind of adopted us after that, not a day went buy that we didn't get fresh eggs from her chickens, or some vegetables from her garden. Sometimes you feel truly humbled by their generousity, She didn't know us, couldn't speak to us yet she looked after us, that says it all about the people in Extremadura for me. I hated Britain, honestly, I felt a badness there, I was working to live, the pace of life was killing me, the governments greed, the council tax, the I want more culture. I have a simple life here, you can have a very good life in Extremadura, you don't need to be a millionaire. Houses are cheap and the cost of living is a lot lower here than Britain.
October In Extremadura
This is going to be a short diary this month, we are moving into our new house and researching many new properties in Extremadura, I don't believe how long it takes to put up curtains and fittings and all that stuff. We can't wait, it looks great and best of all it's ours, finally something to show for all the hard work. We could have been sitting in Britain right now wondering what life had been like if we had moved to Extremadura, every night exhausted with our feet up in front of the TV working to make someone else rich. We chose here and when you start to get there it reinforces your resolve. I have did more living in the last few years than my whole life back in the UK. Sometimes I thought I was going crazy, it feels like starting out again, skint but happy, never knowing what the next day is going to throw at you. All these doubts that you have about moving, leaving everything you know, saying goodbye to wages and jobs and take aways (okay I really still miss my curry and rice) . You know what I say to those doubts now, life goes on regardless, you adapt, you work your heart out, I take so much pride in the website, working to find people better lifes and homes is something which we are passionate about. We are so well known now in villages and estate agents and the people of Extremadura are finally getting used to us, they are lovely people, welcoming and kind, a little curious though about these foreignors ,you know. The prices are the cheapest in Spain, Extremadura Property is still so cheap that a real bargain can be found here. The prices are bound to rise, it is such a beautiful and welcoming place, there is a lot of demand for property in Extremadura from the Spanish people also, city folk who want the tranquility of the area. Extremadura is the last investment opportunity in Spain, real Spain, real people. I found a great house for sale this week, a property in a village in the heart of Extremadura, right on the outskirts of the village, requiring reform for 10,000euros. (pictures on the site shortly). Anyway back to the packing, our motto for this month GO FOR IT, because you only get one chance in life, stop thinking about it and get off your backsides, just do it. So for all you like minded people out there who ain't ready to put the carpet slippers on and wait on the grim reaper, let us help you find your property for sale in Extremadura.
September In Extremadura
Time for an update, we have been so busy with clients and our little restoration project that my diary has been neglected so here goes another touch of madness from Extremadura and yours truly.
We have had fiesta after fiesta here, they love their national holidays, now you would think how can they afford it but to be honest this is the recipe for a good fiesta.
Put 20 Euros in your pocket for a really good night out, this will get you and your beloved at our wee village local 12 rounds of Mahou beer and tinto de verano (wine of the summer) and have enough left for 2 bocadillos with lettuce ,tomato and bacon. What a great night out. Of course if you are cutting back on the drink it means you can eat more. Okay I am just greedy but at these prices come on this is what you come to Spain for.
Now in our wee local, the people are very friendly, used to be we walked in and everybody went quiet , they don't mean to be rude they just want a wee nosey at the foreignors, what really annoys them I think is that they don't have a clue what we are saying and they are so desperate to know about us. So you have to be brave when you move to Extremadura, let the locals suss you out, keep a big smile on and say Hola to everybody. I don't believe in telling fibs these folk are great but you need to let them get to know you especially in the villages. Their relaxed attitudes comes from knowing everbody and their secrets so new people can be quite a shock to them, they will ask you why are you here and take the sunshine, good food and easy attitudes as normal they don't understand our culture and to be honest we don't understand theirs either. But once your in there, that's it a 1 hour walk takes 2 hours cos everybody want to have a chat and discreet with other peoples business they are not. I couldn't put half of what they tell me in this diary but I will tell you some great stories when you visit.
The village fiesta has just finished, 4 nights of music, dancing, drinking and wild partying, not one fight just a good atmosphere, everyone sleeps during the day and parties all night. The local Junta (council) take collections from the local businesses to pay for the bands and the cultural events. You haven't lived until you have heard the song Eye Of The Tiger sang in a Spanish accent, excellant, critics we are not but my sides were splitting with laughter. Now the dancing is in the village square and they like the tango and all that kind of stuff but they do disco of sorts. After a few drinks I believe I can dance, and when La Bamba started I was up there like a shot giving it yeeha. My son who is at the I am cool stage was mortified and ushered his friends away from the square but not to be deterred I enlisted all the locals who now have learned the secrets of disco and a magic night we all had. The Spanish are game for anything and love to learn new things no matter what age they are. My son is just speaking to me now, isn't it great when you get a chance to embarass the offspring. I feel free here, I am starting to get to grips with the culture now and loving it.
Our wee project, we have bought a house in the ancient part of Trujillo,a real fixer upper, and we have learnt the real stuff about reforming, you know how we say we have all the contacts and knowledge well we are not kidding we learnt everything the hard way, so if our clients need to know the costs involved or the best tradesmen, the cheapest place to get your stuff or how to reroof the house just ask. We got an electrician and plumber only the rest we have done ourselves, when we should have been leaning the proper spanish verbs etc we were learning the names of plaster, sockets, wood and finding out the best places to source all the materials. It's been so hard and we are nearly there and it has cost us very little, there were times when I could have choked the life out my hubby who has amazed me because he is so good at everthing ,but he is a perfectionist so telling me he could have painted that wall in half the time I took is not the kind of criticism I need mmm (know what I mean ladies). My son who tried to help has broke every power tool we have and at times I thought I would go mad but it looks superb and I have the most beautiful views of the ancient city and I am very proud of what we have achieved. Have you ever watched Grand designs and thought I could never do that, let me tell you Go for it, you can. You learn quickly and everyone tries to help you. I go into the builders yard and everyone from the teaboy to the owner shouts Hola Sandra How are you getting on. The guy in our bank is desperate to have a wee visit, we haven't moved in yet and already the people from the butchers have asked us round for dinner and a drink. The first day we got the keys every neighbour introduced themselves and said if there was anything we needed just to let them know. It's overwhelming for us sometimes just how friendly these people have been.
So what next, finish the house, move in, continue our work with our clients, I will be the first to admit that I have a crazy sense of humour but I also have absolute dedication to finding people what they are looking for within their budget, we do everything it says on our website and the properties we have found are well priced and value for money. We negotiate for our clients and thus far have got everyone a good discount off their purchase price, we work for our clients, we have lots of advice and are always there to help and encourage them, we are building our lives here and are picking up lots of friends along the way. I hope to meet more of you soon, don't be afraid to take chances, life should be about achieving your dreams, let us help you Go For It!
GUESS WHERE THIS IS?
OKay you got it, its the local nick, Can You believe it?
Esta Loco? means Are You Mad and let me tell you today I feel it, it's been one hell of a week. I know people like to read about the beauty and the culture of Spain and everyone dreams of the hot weather and long siestas, just a slower pace of life in general. Well all of the above is true but no one thinks to tell you about the little customs or Spanish humour which are never mentioned in a Place in the Sun programs. I live in a little village 20 miles from the nearest town and allow me to enlighten you this is better than Coronation Street.
We don't have chip shops,chinese or curry here, so in short you have to make your own dinners at first it was a real pain then I began to notice that I was getting skinny, now for someone like me this is nothing short of a miracle. I swear to God had I known this I would have been out here years ago. I can't stop looking at my bum in the mirror, I have finally got a waist and a bloody good sun tan and it's still winter.I can drink the red wine here without having a wee problem, you see I come from Buckfast Country where if you like a red wine you are usually on a giro. So over the years have programmed myself into a wee dram & a nice steak at our local Weatherspoons. Any way back to the story I always get carried away when I am writing so I'll try to do a Billy Connoly and get back to the point. All this weight loss has left me in dire need of some new clothes so I was asked on a shopping expedition by some lovely women in my village.
So we hit Talavera, (kind of like Glasgow) at 4pm just in time for the shops opening back up.Now my friends are very clever at shopping they know like everything you need about how to shop so I tell them I need to buy some new bras, the next bit I still cant believe. They tell me there is a way to get your exact bra size now please feel free to try this method this is the Extremadura recipe of the week. E-mail me if it works.
You can e-mail us at SanPedro@extremadura-dream-property .com
Recipe of the Week
Take the bra of your choice then pull your leg back bending your knee and pushing it upwards, place one of the cups over your knee, if it is a perfect fit you cracked it.
I am not kidding about this if you are ever at a Spanish market, at least you know the score.
The Spanish women are beautiful dressers and love to dress up in fur, there is no political correctness out here, they are not interested in any thing apart from Spain and their concept of choosing clothes is also quite strange. They pick out clothes only on the basis of the clothes looking happy, what makes your clothes happy? I have absolutely no idea. My stuff is mostly black, out here that still means widow status. I love this place and these people, I am gobsmacked by their ways and can't wait on my next shopping trip and no I didn't buy any fur.
Now I am knackered and my neighbour comes to tell me tomorrow she is having a Matanza, which is a traditional Spanish cultural activity. In other words I don't have a clue what a Matanza is so I smile and nod and think no more about it. 7 am and I awake to a noise that is piercing, I run to my window convinced someone is getting murdered, I am shouting to my husband to get up and my heart is pounding. What is it? Oh nothing unususal just a bloody big pig being slaughtered next door. You know how they say squeal like a pig- they are not kidding......
They butcher the pig in the street, seemingly it is a great social event and many people come to make the chorizos and salchichon (big sausages) my appetite isn't great this morning the sight of blood running down the street can do that to you. At least I will be prepared next time. My neighbour asks Do we not kill animals in the village where I came from, I didn't even have the heart to tell her I wouldn't even know where the slaughterhouse is. The only screaming we ever heard was if our neighbours had too much to drink and our only thoughts of killing were on the motorways when we hit another traffic jam.
Am I loco? Probably.........................................
