Ey, que pasa?

I myself have been working, albeit at a less demanding level, to bring other peoples homes and property up to scratch ready for their vacational breaks from the rat race. This is something that I enjoy immensely after setting up my own security and property management business after an extended and well- deserved holiday period. (More about that later). It's true what they say, you can never fully retire and do nothing, but it's a bonus when you have the choice of doing what you want when you want and can break for the day at 10am in favour of popping down the beach!

You may hate me for saying it, but whenever we do feel a little down hankering after all that was our indigenous homeland, getting up in the morning and having breakfast on the terrace in the bright sunshine in February can certainly soften those edges.

It was in February that we had decided on to go back and check on the progress of the work we were having done. We had discussed it with Rose's Mum and Dad who had asked if they could come out and stay with us on our next visit which we had agreed. There were two ulterior motives to this as firstly both of them were keen gardeners and would certainly be a help with sorting out the fruit trees, bushes and weeds that would need attending to, and secondly, they were so curious about the place they needed to see it for themselves. They had appeared pretty open minded about the whole idea of us buying a property abroad, but had, like so many others, formed only thoughts and opinions based on what the media had reported which had at that time been less than positive. I knew then that if they saw what we had bought and visited the area, then their view would probably change.

The only down side to this of course was the possibility that the building work had either not been completed or it had ended in disaster! (See, even I harboured those thoughts sometimes).

Though Rose's mother and father had travelled little outside of the UK, they had recently embarked on a number of fully inclusive couch tours visiting popular cities and places of interest around northern Europe. But this was different, especially for Dad. I think he expected to be living off raw octopus and squid for the week. You would have thought so with the amount of biscuits he had stashed in his case, talk about red cross supplies!

Anyway, they both enjoyed the flight and were happy to be led by the hand as we picked up the car and headed for the villa. I'm sure both of them at that time had reservations as to what they would find, but we were all to be pleasantly surprised.

On arrival, we were met by a load of loose white chippings which we knew had been left by Rocco as prearranged to fill in any gaps or groundwork left for our planting purposes. From the outside the place had taken on a brighter well-lit appearance with the removal of the tatty tree line which had concealed the main building from most of the natural sunlight. Walking up the driveway the smell of new paint and masonry dust was thick as I surveyed Rocco's work.

I have to admit, even now, the surprise I felt was most pleasant. Gone was the bombsite which had been the excavation pile, gone was the muddy soil and piles of debris, and gone was the gloom that had inhibited what was now an open, bright and spacious new terrace area. The new wall stretched all the way down the side and front of the property topped with terra cotta tiling all finished with a bright white coat of paint. Another smaller stone rise had been erected which nicely bordered off the imposing honeysuckle covered driveway enhances the overall finished appearance. All in all, Rocco and his team had done a lovely job.

The painting of the wall had been something extra he had done, that and the ornamental terracotta bedding surrounds he had placed around the base of the fruit trees. He had also covered the rest of the garden with a plastic membrane and covered with white stonechips making the rear tidy and neat. Rose and I were more than pleased with the result and relieved when mum announced, this is nice, it's better than I thought it was going to be'. We had to laugh, I'm just glad they hadn't seen it before.

The outside had been transformed. It was brighter and lighter and had some degree of security and privacy from the road and neighbours. I have to admit I'm glad we were not resident during the construction, I could just imagine the dust and noise it must have generated. After helping to unpack, we gave los padres' a short tour round before settling in to decide what to do for the week. One funny spot was when the in-laws unpacked the suitcases. That's when we found the food supplies and fifteen suits of warm clothing, towels, sheets? It was pretty obvious they had both thought they would be sleeping rough under a leaky roof with the wind whistling through the rafters. No such thing, in fact, once the Dutch fan assisted log fire was lit, after a short while the whole villa felt warm and cosy. And after the mandatory Chinese take away, everyone felt better, but no more so than Rose and I as we looked over our new terrace and reformed pool, it really did look and feel more like ours.

We had nine days in which to complete a number of chores and to show mum and dad around our holiday patch. Rocco came on the second day so we could settle up. We were more than pleased with the work though he insisted on our inspection in his presence for anything we may have missed and were not happy with. After an hour and the obligatory beer, we paid the amount exactly as quoted, receiving a receipt and a guarantee that if we found anything wrong, to contact him immediately and he would put it right.

You know that sometimes you have a feeling about someone, you can gauge their integrity or honesty by the way they talk or act. Rose and I both agreed that Rocco was a man of his word and we believed he would honour his pledge. Next, we phoned Mark and Sally asking them to come round to see our new layout. That afternoon they arrived and after the introductions to the parents, Mark appraised me of his new business venture and partners. He had given up his job at the estate agency in favour of setting up his own agency come rental management company. This fell nicely into place with our own requirements as having had all this work done, we now required someone to look after it in our absence for security and maintenance purposes.

Mark offered a package to suit and it all sounded very reasonable and just what we wanted. He would start the contract as soon as we left by visiting and keeping the place in order on a regular basis giving us peace of mind at least as to the upkeep of the property. With that all in place, he promised to e' mail us regularly with updates of how things were and sort any problems as they arose. We shook hands and they left promising to catch up with us on our next visit.

The rest of the week was taken up with sightseeing and minor house maintenance. The weather had stayed pretty fair for us with Mum and Dad enjoying their break interspersed with helping us around the house and garden. By the end of the week everything was neat and tidy, the pool was clean and covered, the fruit bushes and honeysuckle trimmed, shed all squared away and all locks, bars and bolts working and serviced.

We left the place secure and in better condition than it had ever been in. Rose and I had discussed more ideas about more improvements and intended to complete any further building or installation work that year. It would be vital in trying to recoup some funds as we planned to dabble in renting the property out in the seasons to come. This was something we said we would do from the beginning so the property needed to be up to scratch and comfortable enough for prospective clients. Again, this was something we had tentatively discussed with Mark so things could move ahead but there was still a lot of work to do.

Rose's Mum and Dad enjoyed their break and by their own admission were surprised at the condition and position of the villa stating they felt a lot easier in their minds about our venture. They intimated they would love to come back again, (they actually became regular visitors as time went on).

At this point we were still relying heavily on the British factor with regards to gaining information and help, using our limited contacts for everything, though Rocco had given us a couple of tips and hints, all of which I am passing on, as to true Spanish life.

But there lies the problem as we were soon to find out, don't make too much out of a good thing as it can and did backfire.

Useful tip
A lot of Spanish businesses, especially the catering and service trades, actually close down for the short winter, relying totally on the extended holiday period to make a full years living. In such a high tourist populous dominated area, business can be brisk for a seasonal period then die a death. Thus, beware if you're thinking of starting up a venture of your own because as we have found, it's no different here than anywhere else trying to get a business off the ground. It can be hard and unpredictable but with the added disadvantage of foreign mistrust and indigenous loyalty. This can seriously limit your market and client base. Remember my earlier suggestion, LEARN THE LANGUAGE! Take my word for it, it helps and can give you an edge because if the Spanish accept you, then it opens you up to their market as well.

Useful hint
Neighbours can be just as much a hindrance as a help, it's the same all over. Watching the Spanish neighbouritos in the street chatting while pointing to your home or at you can make you feel paranoiac and be unsettling. This happens more often or not because some immigrants, unlike us, refuse or fail to communicate with the local residents usually either out of fear, ignorance or an inability to ever want to associate with their adopted countryfolk. Each to their own I say, but never let it be said that once that contact has been made, it can't be beneficial! Both of us, Rose in particular, have, since day one, gone out of our way to get to know our neighbours, both husband and wife as well as their children and other family members. In only a short while we believe to have been accepted as not just the Giris' (grockles) in the street, but as the friendly English couple who always stop and say hello or chat and are always willing to help if need be. I will expand on this in later features, but for now, talk to your Campo or Calle cohabitants and you may be surprised at just how helpful they can be.

Spanish Facts
Famous sons of Malaga include dreamy hunk Antonio Banderas, (so Rose says!) and the painter Pablo Picasso, (which also happens to be the name of the main airport). The Picasso art museum, in the centre of Malaga is well worth a visit.
The area of Almeria just along the coast is barren and dry boasting Europe's only desert region around the village of Tabernas.
This, for all you good cowboy movie fans like me, you will recognise as the setting for the good old spaghetti westerns which made the likes of Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale and others legendary.
Films such as The Good The Bad and The Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More were all filmed on Spanish sets. Nowadays they are permanent movie museums and are still used to put on wild- west shows and accommodate modern day film backdrops.

Useful phrase
Donde esta el museo de arte de Pablo Picasso? y puede indicarme en el mapa por favor?
Pronounced: Donday esta el moosayo day artay day Pablo Picasso? ee pwayday eendeekarmay en el mapa poor faboor?
Meaning: Where is the Pablo Picasso art museum? And can you show me on the map please?

Next week: The joys of renting out (not!!!) and more work for Rocco!