Rain, gales, flooding, aahh, the typical British summer, who could live without or ever miss it? Well ME for a start! Don't know about you, but I love the idea of planning a BBQ four weeks in advance with some friends and not having to make a contingency plan for inclement conditions'. But there is unfortunately a possible drawback to experiencing a six month summer.

I said some time back that I, like a number of practical thinkers, believe the whole concept of Populational effect Global Warming' to be just an excuse for the worlds Governments, especially the British administration, to fill their coffers with yet more taxes in the name of combating the Unions carbon footprint and for all the other companies to exploit a quick buck!

Well if you can get away with it, eh!

No, the natural cycle of El Mundo' is to cleanse the planet periodically, say every ten million years or so, by changing the weather in all parts of the world so as to spread the load of those life forms who have sought to over populate certain areas causing devastation and destruction while disturbing the balance of nature! Phew, pretty deep isn't it?

Here however, in the less populated areas of Southern Europe, we hear that a survey predicts that within one hundred years or so, large areas of Southern and Eastern Spain will succumb to and be transformed by a process called Desertification'. This means that the present lush, green forested areas of the Sierra mountains which cover hundreds of square kms will become desert like with little rainfall and life as we know it will struggle to continue. Well bring it on I say, anything for a deeper tan and a longer heatwave! May even get rid of some of the lager swillers? As for me, I'd BBQ everyday of the year if I could and couldn't care less if I never saw rain, snow or felt the cold ever again!

But seriously, I admit this may be a problem in the future though I doubt there is anything anyone can do about it even if it is deemed taxable!

For me, I'm forever the optimist and will continue to enjoy the sun and heat whether a future problem or not, and I know it's not to everyone's liking and I won't try to convert anyone. But have you ever walked along a rainswept promenade in August in Blighty and seen someone smile? I mean, we all have little time off as it is, well, I have a bit more now, but why spend it in the wind and rain or indoors?

The Move It' lorry reversed up the narrow Calle parking just outside the driveway gates. It's funny, but when something or someone arrives out of the ordinary, it's like when I was a kid. Everyone suddenly appears to sweep their doorstep or feel the need to say good morning, just an ice breaker to be nosy but in a friendly sort of way.

As stated previously, this had been the second lot of items to be moved by the same company. Everything was taken off carefully and without fuss, all checked and correct apart from one box which they admitted would arrive later on a separate truck. When the lads left, we took stock of the delivery of the last of our personal effects and suitably stored them away. That was it, the Davies family had moved lock, stock and barrel leaving nothing behind.

We were into day six of our relocation. Usually at about this time we would be readying ourselves for the journey home, packing suitcases while securing and tidying as best we could for another extended vacancy. But not anymore. As I said, we had made plans but with no real immediate timescale. Yes there were things like administration and a few purchases to sort out, but nothing in the way of how best to use our time.

It was the summer and we took full advantage of the good weather visiting the beach, exploring the interior, eating out lots and getting to know our knew neighbourhood. The neighbours were actually very amicable during this time. Most of them knew we had just been over for holidays previously, but now we needed to work on being accepted as part of the community.

We had everything to hand in the way of local bars, restaurants and shops. The new La Trocha' shopping centre had been open for a couple of years now and the area in and around our part of Coin was expanding rapidly. There was certainly more in the way of services and outlets than there was when first we had viewed the property some six years previous. But we couldn't continue in this vain of exploration and spending. We had to look to the future in order to live as at home, not on holiday.

First things first. The Villa was comfortable but like most Spanish homes, it was sparse and the exterior paintwork was rough as hell, it certainly needed a good wash and a coat of paint. We had fixed the shed up and painted it on a previous visit, before erecting some sturdy metal shelving which now housed most of our memorabilia and boys personal effects we had brought with us. Everything was secured in plastic boxes hoping to keep it dry and in fairly good condition. Things like photographs and important paperwork was wrapped in plastic and stored in bedroom three which now doubles as our office and computer room though it has a double bed for extended guesting.

The pool needed to be drained and cleaned thoroughly though we decided to put this chore back until the cooler months of winter as we were still using it daily to keep cool.

The other job pending was the roof. There was no leakage as most Spanish roofs are solid or filled with debris with no kind of loft space. But the tiles were in need of some repair aesthetically looking shabby and with quite a number of them broken.

So, house paint, roof repair, pool to empty and clean, what else? Well, the kitchen was a sorry affair as many kitchens are. We had two gas rings, a microwave and a sink that looked to be from the dark ages. Now I like cooking a lot, it's always been a great hobby of mine much to the relief of my wife who prefers to enjoy good food rather than cook it. And what with all the diverse variants of delectable produce on offer daily, it seemed a logical step to get the kitchen sorted so as to relieve the need to eat out every night.

There was also the question of transport, after all, we only had the hire car for another twenty days and the motorbike wouldn't suffice. So there were five projects and purchases that needed immediate attention, well, immediate as say within the first month or two. However, hey ho, money in pocket, must spend it, and remember what I said way back? How much cash do you need to take for relocation? Well, a lot more than you think!

But back to the primary reason for the move. The chill out and settle back away from the rat race. There would be plenty of time for work as the weeks went on, so enjoyment and relaxation was the first priority. It's funny, I was never a big television watcher back in England. I enjoyed my sci-fi like Star Trek and Stargate and the worst B' movies ever made were a favourite, so I have to admit, having British satellite TV is something even I could not have done without. There's a certain familiar homely comfort at being able to watch a favourite topical or comedy show whilst spending the evening drinking Sangria and lounging in the pool. Strange but comforting, especially when the weatherman dishes out the uncertain forecast for the week. Ooohhhh, don't you hate it!

Useful tip
On that theme of local and satellite television. Spain has had the same kind of digital changeover as most of Europe, so an up to date TV or some kind of digibox is essential. Spanish TV can be interesting to say the least with deregulation bringing all kinds of programmes to your front room, though I'll leave out the more explicit ones. Saturday and Sunday sees free English premier football league game coverage and the film channels are good for the newer releases as long as you don't mind the Spanish subtitles. The weathergirl is the epitome of Caroline Ahern's character in that famous comedy sketch with many a Scorchio' sounding out over and over for thirty seconds a day for six months!

Sky systems and digital English speaking satellite TV can be expensive to buy and set up. There are a number of companies that can install it but the prices can range from the reasonable to the ridiculous. I know of around eight companies trading but only use one in my business.

Not the cheapest but very good and reliable and has been established here installing systems for many years. (Again, too many quick buck merchants in the area!) Shop around and get lots of quotes. Be careful if bringing a cheap or existing digital decoder from Britain though as some, as I found out, do not work here very well or at all.

Useful hint
I've touched on this briefly before, but getting to know your neighbours, especially if they are Spanish, is vital and could be extremely useful should you encounter a problem like medical or council challenges. Like for example when our water main burst. If it wasn't for our good friend Maria-Carmen telling us the council should pay for the repair, we may have done and paid for it ourselves. Or if you have a problem and need an ambulance or the emergency services, just a knock at their door means we will receive help as soon as possible. If you live in the Campo, (Countryside) then you take your chances and hope you can either speak enough to get the message across or get an English speaking person on the end of the phone. But for us, we know our neighbours well enough to call on them for assistance, and likewise, they have called on us for the same.

Spanish facts
From 873AD to 898AD, the Count of Barcelona set up an independent Christian kingdom within Spain, he was also affectionately known as Wilfredo the Hairy!' though I'm not sure why?

It is believed that old Chris Columbus discovered the Americas on 12th October 1492, though new evidence suggests, and I don't know how true it is, that on stepping ashore, he was met with a sign displaying a large letter m'and a local Chieftain known only to his tribesmen as Big Mac'!!

Divorce was only legally established in Spain as recent as 1981, hence the shortage of wealthy lawyers!

Useful Spanish words
Ayuntamiento: Town Hall/Town Council chamber (Iyuntahmeeayntoh)
Autobus/Tren Estacion: Bus/Train station (Ahtohboos/trayn aystathiohn)
Coche: Car (Cohchay)
Moto: Motorbike (Mohtoh)
Calle: Street (kahyay)
Rio: River (Reeoh)
Casa: House (Cahsah)
Pueblo: Town (Pwaybloh)

Remember, getting the pronunciation right can mean the difference between say Anus meaning Bum (Ahnuss) and Añus meaning Years! (Ahnyuss)!

Next week
Sorting out the admin, NA and medical!