Changing times .....
Changing times ……
I constantly smile, mostly with derision, at the scare tactics and misinformation constantly fired at my mobile ‘phone, despite having a Spanish registered ‘phone contract. “Huge fines for British tourists,” is a favourite. These, when checked into, refer to urinating on the beach or on the front of buildings in built up areas and creating a ‘serious nuisance’ contrary to local laws and permissions. In places like Malaga, Marbella and other southern Costas areas, this is very obvious, with the large number of Stag and Hen parties out to do no more than get drunk and cause as much noise as possible. Similarly, the small but very vocal and obvious number of ‘Brits abroad’ for their holi’s, who are going to have a hugely inappropriate and belligerent time drinking copious amounts of local beer and wine and acting in a totally unacceptable way in any country do nothing to encourage good relations with local folk. The ‘grab a sunbed brigade,’ not all British of course; the Germans and others are just as bad, show up their home nations in a very bad light. These matters have a great deal to do with the current anti-tourism proliferous across Europe. A lot of it incorrect, of course. The English are being blamed for the huge increase in Airbnb’s, robbing local people of the ability to buy homes in their hometowns. In reality, very, very few of these places are owned by English landlords. They are over ninety per cent Spanish!
Why am I beginning this newsletter with such dire verbosity? Well, because I have good news for you!
You see, in this area of the northerns Costa’s, we have a different kind off tourism. In fact, and I may have mentioned this before, Gandia is known as the Madrid Riviera, for good reason. You won’t find Gandia in a Tui Catalogue. You have to find us yourself. In August, Madrid empties and drives, flies, trains to Gandia for their annual summer break. A large percentage of them own holiday apartments here and the population increases three-fold. Along with most of the locals, we avoid going near the beach area during that time …. Apart from the fact that it’s just too hot mate! Remember, we have the rest of the year to enjoy a bit of beach time if we wish. And it has to be said that Gandia beach is a superb stretch of clean, flat sand with shallow family friendly water of good quality. Several Chirenquitos (beach bars to you and me) are dotted along the sands, offering table service, decent beer and nice background music and lighting at night.
This evening, I am off with friends to the Sunset Beach Club at Oliva Nova to watch one of my favourite local bands play the sundown. Smooth Jazz/funk/R&B fusion, sitting around the bar on the sand (tables and chairs of course), watching the sun set over Oliva, with the water lapping just twenty feet behind us. OK, the drinks aren’t exactly cheap, but you have to pay something towards a lovely setting and professional entertainment. Sure, a few folks will have one too many (they don’t drive!) but never anything other than a fabulous evening of great music, good conversation and a mutual enjoyment of the moment. Oh yes, probably about fifty per cent Brit ex pats too! Y’see, we live here. We do our best to blend in with the local Spanish population. A lot of us are taking or have taken Spanish language lessons to be able to feel that we belong here. And the vast majority of the traditionally local people are kind, patient, supportive folk who have welcomed us into their communities. Of course, you have to give them time to trust you and see you as ‘nice’ people who they want to include into their locality. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Make the effort to speak, even in very bad Spanish to the locals and you will be amazed how you become accepted in a relatively short time. Most of the Spanish people here speak Valenciano as well, which is impenetrable to us. Indeed, we sometimes have to say, “Por favor, repeter en espaniol, por que, yo siento, pero no entiendo Valenciano!” You can guess what that means. But in a way it’s a compliment. Because whoever it is, obviously thinks that you are Spanish and not English. It has only happened a couple of times so far in our three years here, but they were wonderful and very fulfilling moments.
So, what I’m saying here in my long-winded way (How unusual – Ed), is that Spain is a patchwork quilt of very different, proud and unique areas. Much more so than English counties. In this region of La Safor, we live in peace with our hosts and neighbours. We enjoy the occasional evening with our Spanish neighbours when they proudly serve up their traditional Spanish rice pudding ….. I ‘m sorry, I mean Paella! It can be a little stilted to start with, using our limited but growing vocabulary and their pocket full of English, often learnt from listening to English pop songs. But after a few drinks, it’s amazing how our vocabularies expand and the traditional arm waving method of Spanish conversation spreads to us as well! Whereas a year or so ago, we all passed each other in our cars coming and going up the single small road (cami) to our urbanisation, we now wave to each other at least and it’s not unusual to stop and shake hands through our car side windows and talk about the weather and ask after each other. Lovely!
Last Monday saw a dozen of us from our urbanisation attending a meeting at the Ajuntamenta (Town Hall) where the matter of our road condition was being decided. I understood maybe fifty per cent of what was said, but our AngloSpanish contingent stood its ground and the civil repair squad arrived yesterday to start making the repairs so badly needed. I felt I had really been accepted as I shook hands warmly with the other Spanish guys in the group with plenty of amiable eye to eye contact, and of course the double kiss for the Senoras as we departed for home.
Yes, we see all the ‘stay at home’ marketing on English social media and the scare stories in the press, but we know different. Yes, you can end up with all manner of problems if you don’t do due diligence before arriving in Spain. You do need local professional advice as early as possible. But it is all widely available and with a wealth of assistance and good will. Once you get here, continue to make use of local professional advice, don’t try to cut corners and be prepared to have your patience tried. Bureaucracy is, as I have said before, an absolute art form here. That’s the way it is. But there are a multitude of ways to deal with it, work within it or just be at peace with it. It’s not personal. The Spanish suffer just the same!
Providing that you can prove that you can support yourselves realistically (yes the Spanish authorities insist that they will not support your sob story), that you want to embrace the different way and pace of life here, that you want to live in an apartment or villa that far surpasses what you could afford in the UK and deal with the water going off occasionally or a once a week power cut for an hour. If you are prepared to at least have a good go at speaking locally. If you are a normal, genuine Brit, who wants the sunshine, the outdoor life, the camaraderie of the locals. Then you have not only nothing to fear, but a huge amount to gain. The Gandia area is welcoming, supportive and a proper living traditional town, all year round.
Gosh, look at the time. I just need to pop outside and dive into the pool ….. I might even have to imbibe a cervesa whilst I chill out and cool off. Oh I’m sorry, is it raining there again ……. Tch! …… Shame!
See ya’ll.
M (and the Ed).