Los saludos de Espana soleada!

I have to say my own view of horses is somewhat draconian and extends only as far as the horsemeat I once ate many years ago in France! (apologies Mr Ed!) I cannot admit to being an enthusiast of any animal that is larger than me, (mother in law included!) but having bought tickets for Rosie and I for the Friday evening show, I decided to see what all the fuss was about, that as well as only being a short walk from home.

My surprise was total and my misconception of these magnificent animals changed after witnessing a display of man and horse engaged in what can only be described as a coming together as one'. I have seen many things in my life but never something so awe inspiring associated with animals as this, with Flamenco dancers, Spanish guitarists, Jinete y Jinetas' (horsemen and women) showing off their prowess and skill, entertaining locals and tourists alike. A great spectacle and one we look forward to witnessing again in the future.

August to our next visit in November gave us time to clarify fully the pros and cons of our new venture. We were now in effect running two homes with no increase in budget and needing to find more money for the building improvements. There were more visits to the bank, loan company and financial adviser to try and sort out the funds, but time was limited and the world of finance can sometimes move slowly. By the time we left for the next trip we only had half the money in place but hoped this would be enough to at least get the contract up and running. Being the ideas man, it fell on my shoulders to inform Rosie that she would have to work harder for that promotion! Although funnily enough, this was not met with my level of enthusiasm! (Very dodgy ground).

The week in November was just as wet as the first one giving rise to yet more doubt as to the feasibility of actually staying here at certain times of the year. So far it had either been too blinking hot or cold or wet which had given rise to a less than satisfactory outlook. On day two Rocco arrived as pre arranged and we finalised the details of our requirements and a price.

I double checked the quote confirming in my mind the fact that we had only secured half the required money. Luckily, Rocco unknowingly alleviated our concerns by stating "You pay me half now señor si? Then if you are happy on your next visit, you pay me the other half, vale?"

Phew! Well, there was a turn up! Rocco confirmed that the work would be carried out with half the money up front with the rest payable only after we were pleased with the results. I asked jokingly if he trusted us to actually come back and pay him the balance, after all, we could sell the property for a profit and he would be out of pocket considerably. Rocco smiled as he downed another one of my beers, "Si, that is true amigo, but then again, I may leave here today with all this money, come back and clear out your home and you may never see me again". That sent Rose into yet another panic attack.

We all had a laugh and from that day we classed Rocco as a friend and his company was to carry out a lot more work for us in the years to come.

The weather did brighten up somewhat that week so we decided to take a drive down the coast to visit an old stomping ground of mine from my years in the Navy on which I had been based and visited many times, Gibraltar. Choosing to take the Toll Autovia expressway, the drive was about an hour from the villa and took in some beautiful scenery of both inland and the coast. I shall expand more on this small British outcrop, which was once known as the jewel of the Mediterranean, in a later issue.

If, as Rocco had promised, the work would be finished by our next planned visit sometime in the new year, then hopefully the place should be almost unrecognisable from the way it looked at that time. However, we were not totally idle that week. It was time to tackle the interior paint work which I had certainly not been looking forward to. We had hired a painter back in Weymouth to decorate our home as this had always been my least favourite DIY chore, but we decided to do this one ourselves. On day four the weather had improved dramatically with temperatures suddenly climbing into the high seventies in the space of a day. We chose and bought the paint, brushes and rollers after much gesticulation and haggling in Spanglish' with a local supplier finally emptying our bank account of the last of our shopping budget. This meant no more eating out, with us having to live on the goods and food purchased on previous trips from the store cupboard. We had tuned our little radio into the local station which although Spanish in origin, played classic English pop tracks solely from the seventies and eighties that helped while away the time as we blitzed every room adding a fresh bright new coat of paint. Goodbye sludgy green, Hola amarillo. By the Tuesday morning, the day prior to our leaving for home, we had totally repainted the inside and had to admit it looked decidedly fresh and new. That evening we sat on the old wooden couch absolutely kna.ed! buged! Tired out!

We were too pooped to cook or prepare any dinner. It was nearly ten o'clock so we made a decision to break our rule of not using the credit card whilst over here and after washing and changing clothes, went out to enjoy a meal at one of the local restaurants. And a lovely meal we had at that. This particular eatery specialised in fish and we enjoyed a meal of small clams cooked in wine, followed by tuna fillet steaks with all manner of braised vegetables with a cream postre' (dessert) and liquor coffee to finish, all washed down with a couple of bottles of house wine.

We were more than satisfied with the meal, but were even more pleased with the bill, which in euro's equated to around £25 for the two of us, a bargain we had to admit, but then again, as I said earlier, food outlets are relatively inexpensive because everyone it appears eats out. It was nearly 1 am when we left but the place was still serving new customers. A popular choice so it would seem and a good local find for us.

We arrived back to the villa with the smell of paint uppermost in our nostrils. Even with all the windows wide open it was still thick with vapour. The weather had held which had made life easier having been able to put all our meagre possessions and pieces of furniture outside while we worked. We had a television but could only pick up the Spanish TVE and Canal channels which, having little idea of what was being said, were on for background picture effect only. Rocco had left us a copy of the works contract and a receipt for the money advanced along with his telephone number. Mark had offered to take some pictures as the work progressed and would e' mail them as and when. He and Sally informed us that they had found somewhere permanent to live and may have some news for us on the business front about his own property company he was looking to set up. All very intriguing but he would fill us in on our return.

So, work booked, house secure, deal done, painting complete, all in all a productive visit. We knew by our next visit that the outstanding monies required, as long as the price quoted remained accurate, would be in place and the villa should look feel more like a home from home.

Useful hint You may like a glass or two of wine (or a bottle or two like me!) and you may think British supermarkets stock a good selection that are reasonably priced, well that's what I thought til I came here. Spain unlike other Euro countries is loyal to its wine culture in every sense. Indeed, the local supermarkets about our town are crammed full of nothing but Spanish wines. There are little or no foreign' wines to be had in any of them. There are absolutely hundreds of different ones and no matter your preference or taste, I doubt you would fail to find something you liked and at a ridiculously low price.

In fact, a number of brands of decent vino in my local Mercadona, (Spain's equivalent of Asda) are priced around about the 1 to 3 euro mark (around 70p to £1.50) with litre boxes of table wines at around 50-60cents (40p!) you can stock up your 24 bottle ornamental wine racks for about £25 with good quality red and white grape juice, all accompanied of course by a nice piece of mature Manchego, lovely.

Useful tip
Malaga's airport can be as packed as any other (fourth largest in Spain) though it's layout is very simple and easy to get around. The terminal is being refurbished and enlarged with a new second runway being built though the disruption I would have to say has been minimal. One door leads from flight arrivals to the baggage conveyors, then one way either through the on foot' door or down a ramp to the hire car agencies. (There are about fifteen counters all in a line and most take new custom there and then, but it can be a slow and pricey business, that's why I have always used a broker and booked a car in advance, it's certainly a lot cheaper and you're guaranteed a vehicle which is not always the case in peak season). It's all pretty simple and there is no way you can get lost, honest!

The taxi rank is right outside the exit door and there are usually plenty, but always ask for a price first before getting in and stick to it on arrival at your destination. Buses are cheap as are trains with both easily accessible outside of the terminal building and are well sign posted. The departure check in area is massive but consists of only one area with about 60 or 70 desks with rolling' check- ins making life easier. Once again, no real chance of getting lost.

Spanish facts
Spain produces 44% of the worlds Olive oil.
Spain is one of the top five importers of whiskey (thank heavens!)
Three quarters of Spain is over 500 meters above sea level, which is about three quarters more than Holland!
Spain's main inter city roads and motorways can be a joy to drive on and relatively jam free outside of the city, but once off the highway it can be a different matter with most roads devoid of any road markings or cats eyes. At night it can be pretty hairy negotiating some of the so called A roads' so take care.

Useful phrase
Cuánto es el precio del billete a ...
Puedele me toma allí por favor.
Pronounced: kwanto ess el prethio del biyaytay a ...
Pwaydaylay may tohma adgi poor faboor
Meaning: How much is the fare to ...
Can you take me there please.

Next week: What a difference a good builder can make, mum and dad see it all shiny and new.