Category: Travel
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New Digs
We’ve moved! We closed on a rental apartment and quick like a bunny hopped ourselves there before the Spanish government further tightened the restrictions on movement today. We had planned to move today (March 30) but the Spanish government announced on Sunday morning that they were going to further restrict movement particularly for workers on…
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Shut-Ins
Quick update to show you all how we’re living. This is our living room. The chairs around the dining table are incredibly uncomfortable, which makes sitting around watching Netflix difficult. At least there’s enough seating that we can both sit at the same time, not always the case with an Airbnb. Here’s our “view” from…
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The Pandemic Catches Up to Spain
UPDATE: the Spanish government has just released a decree that no-one can leave their homes except to buy food or pharmaceuticals, get to financial institutions, go to/from work, get to health services or for “force majeur.” We’re locked down. Las Fallas has been “postponed” and we’ve just received word that all bars, restaurants, theaters and…
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Settling In to Valencia
Las Fallas lighting ceremony in Russafa Hello to you from Sunny Valencia. It’s been a week now since we landed in Spain. It feels like a lot longer, I think because a lot has happened. We spent a couple of days in Madrid after we landed to get past the worst of the jet lag.…
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Dazed & Confused (& Delighted)
Some first impressions of Valencia: Even on a 22°-degree day people here are wearing puffy coats with scarves. Lindo perro means cute dog, and will generate a smile every time. A bottle of really good white wine cost me 3.5€ at the supermarket. I may develop a drinking problem! Orange trees here are blossoming and…
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Wheels Down in Madrid
We have landed in Spain. After two months of heads down effort to move, clear out, clean and paint our house so we can rent it out, we have done it. We’ve moved to Spain. Our entire lives have been whittled down to two 50 lb bags each plus carry-ons. We owe an enormous debt…
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Preparations 2
A mental exercise: go through every item in your household. Ask yourself the following questions: 1) Do I recognize it? 2) Do I have all the parts? 3) How long has it been since I’ve used / worn / seen this thing? 4) Do I want to take it to Spain? 5) If I don’t…
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Moving is hard!
It’s been about 23 years since we last moved. We’re renting our house unfurnished and only want a small storage locker, so we are shedding many, many layers. Piano, motorcycle, scooter and LPs sold. Furniture given away. Carloads to the Goodwill every week. Several truck loads of stuff to the landfill. I don’t want to…
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Preparations 1
Just before Christmas, we received word from the Spanish Consulate in San Francisco that our visa had been approved and we actually have permission to move there! This was the culmination of nine months of effort, studying the requirements, gathering documents, trips to Olympia and San Francisco and correspondence with overseas insurance brokers. We had…
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