Slowlycatchymonkey

I thought someone said Pete lived 150 miles away? I’m now confused. I couldn’t decipher this angry sign in front of the mushrooms. The f’in smart phone with its Google translate camera app sorted it out for me in no time. @XTreme when did you visit this supermarket ??

Can’t get into Facebook. Get locked out with password reset bollo everytime. I don’t think people understand that Ive genuinely gone the extra mile to wish them happy birthday on that vain shallow shitshow

My first proper boss was from Aberfan. She was friggin scary, completely bald, hunch backed, spindly with eyes like fire, intolerant of stupidity and sharp as a knife. For some reason I still can’t grasp we got on well and in one of her softer moments she told me about the tip sliding into the school. It’s still gives me goosebumps now. Her father had to go to London for work for a year and took his family with him so she survived because she wasn’t there when it happened but all her classmates were dead. They went back and she said the place never recovered. A black cloud hung over everything everyday. She was racked with guilt she survived, she’d bump into the parents of her friends who had all been killed and find it unbearable. It’s a historically shameful time. But as a result she turned into one of the most fearsome, unbeatable, powerhouses the NHS will ever see. So I suppose in a roundabout way she balanced out all that bad quite literally single handedly

‘Slag heap” that’s a real thing is it? Occasionally my dear ol’ pops would refer to a woman as a slag heap

Blimey you hammered through most of that! Great stuff.

Damn right. Feel like I’m observing yet another culture that make the British look just a tiny bit uptight…

Sounds like the ideal jaunt to Ireland. Lucky weather and good food and good hospitality. I’d say that’s another successful year.

I noticed the humidity very quickly. Everything dries in a fraction of UK time, had a shower and cup of tea, reached for the hairdryer, no need, hair is completely dry The air quality is probably better but in Blighty I live by the sea so it tends to be better than a lot of places. Currently grappling with the stupid address set up. It’s back to front to the way I understand addresses and apparently also the way Google maps understands addresses so I’ve ditched some of it and just typed the minimal bits that Google maps understands to bring someone to this location. @XTreme do you reckon that’s ok? Will the Amazon parcel turn up?! Stay tuned for exciting updates.

I can’t believe how fast we’ve acclimatised. Sweating buckets Friday to turning the aircon off today even though it says its 28c with a ‘feels like 35’ wtf? I would die at home in that heat. Loving the fact everything here is closed on sundays.. and maybe Monday or tuesday or any other day if that’s what’s suits Its a whole different culture grown up around sunshine and heat, that’s very different to home.

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. I don’t have any expectations of Spain other than the notion it will be better weather for riding a motorbike. When I was about 10ish I wanted to know why my Dad never came on holiday, he explained that he didn’t go on holiday mainly because going on holiday was hassle and “you’re you where ever you are, if you’re unhappy it’s usually down to your expectations which is easy to fix, just change your expectations” and while I’ve gone in completely on the opposite direction of liking to travel about seeing different places and having new experiences his words stuck and for a lot of situations it works just dandy.

While I was reading up on the pitfalls of moving to Spain I read an article about how so many people move back to the UK within 3 years. The expert on expats didn’t mince words. He said there are a few reason. The main one being “a lot of them are losers.” They dont do any research so they don’t understand unemployment is high, they dont speak Spanish but assume that they will be given a job even though they can’t communicate but also consider themselves too good for cleaning villas or other unskilled work, they were losers back home who are running away from their mistakes but learnt nothing so come to Spain and repeat the same mistakes. He said the expansive safety nets the UK has to stop people reaching the very very bottom of poverty dont exist in Spain, if you fall there will be no-one to catch you. Brutal ay, made me laugh, as I read it I thought Pete would love this, Spanish expat losers

The rental agreement is for 1 year (with an option to extend each year for up to 5 years) but we are still running a business in the UK so there’s not a chance we won’t be back within the prescribed 90 days and reaching the max of 183 days is also not happening for the next 5 years minimum but with the rent here for 6 months being less than the cost of a one week holiday for this lot there’s really no reason to delay starting up some life over here even if it is only a max of 6 months of the year.

Yep lovely stuff!

It’s a gated compound which initially didn’t appeal but the inside of the square with the pool and green grass is well maintained and secure so that (and tbh the really low rent) won me over. This is a screenshot from Google maps of the part that faces outside. Glad I’m renting, the responsibility for sorting things out in the property and dealing with tradesmen in a language I don’t understand can definitely wait! Tried multiple times to delete the below duplicated pic but it’s not having any of it. I’ll have one last go- nope bugger it!

That part has definitely not sunk in yet and I don’t think it will completely until the holiday feeling wears off. Gonna find the pics of the place from the estate agent listing, not yet acclimatised so wandering around taking pics myself is not on the cards!

Thanks, that’s lovely of you.

That weird old witch is still alive then. I remember watching her programme wondering how anyone would take health advice from someone who looked so ill

Yep all good TLDR It was a bit stressful but turned out dandy in the end. Yesterday was a bloody long day though. Up a 3am finished signing the contract etc at 9.15pm as the landlord didn’t finish work some way away in Madrid until 5. Came painfully close to missing our flight as the passenger locator form that aeromedical consulting supply isn’t correct for what’s needed to board so a very lengthy online form (that kept glitching and making you start again) had to be filled in and varified before they send you the QR code you have to have other end. I got stuck in security as I’d put a sewing machine in my hand luggage (yes I like doing girly shit like cooking and sewing) and the gate closing time soon passed. I asked the security guy if the gates usually close on time, he helpfully replied yes or often early. This was a bit stressful, especially as our checked bags had already gone through and would be landing in Spain without us Mr Slowly had given up all hope but but I persuaded him it was worth hoofing it the million miles to the gate as quickly as a fully loaded cabin bag complete with sewing machine, a leather bike jacket and an under seat bag with every heavy item you could find stuffed into it would allow. My swollen ankle can confirm trying to run in inflexible bike boots fully loaded with multiple heavy bags is not good for you The flight passed quickly due to all the adrenaline but sore and sitting in sweat drenched clothes heading towards a ‘feels like’ temperature of 35 degrees wasn’t on my to do list especially as I’d been laying kitchen flooring for the previous 3 days and my knees n back we’re already not happy, rest was what I craved Suddenly the ‘Pain in Spain’ took on new meaning and I felt I had probably made a mistake with this venture. I was also uncertain if I’d actually managed to book a car, Mr Slowly had been tasked with finding a car (because he wanted an automatic 5 door with more than 1litre) and appeared ashen on Thursday evening saying there was absolutely nothing at all available apart from one car with Sixt for £1800 I found a hire comparison website which had a car available for a third of that but as I was unfamiliar with ‘holidayautos.com’ I went directly to the car hire company ‘Thrifty’ who said nope sorry no availability for those dates. After checking tripadvisor I went ahead with holidayautos anyway but how exactly they had a Thrifty car available when Thrifty say they dont was more than a little concerning. I needn’t have worried, we arrived and the ‘Thrifty’ person was just lovely. She saw we had a lot of luggage and said “ooh um I’m going to upgrade you to a bigger car, no charge” so the piddly little 3 door manual was suddenly a 5 door automatic VW T-Cross (a small 4x4) so Mr Slowly is happy. We wasted time checking out the nearby supermarkets and picking up supplies until Pedro (no not that one the landlord one) arrived. Having been seriously shot in the foot once before by the phenomenon known as “absence of gating” (Id believed a nice online person was actually nice in real life) I was apprehensive about meeting him because he came across in his emails as a really nice guy. It turns out he is. Even Mr Slowly commented saying “He seems really decent” So at 9.30pm we finally kicked off our shoes and had a G&T and said “Cheers” Pedro said there was a water leak in the kitchen which he would get fixed as soon as possible, I thought “yer right” but this morning a plumber (who is also a nice bloke) turned up and fixed it. I don’t think the contrast between the shitshow getting here and the lovely reception could be greater, I woke up feeling pretty damn good. Mr Slowly is happy with the little house and the area we are in, apparently it’s not that well known as a tourist destination which judging from the pleasantness of the locals must be true. The sea, restaurants, cafes, pharmacy, some shops and a supermarket is all only a 5 minute walk so I think just maybe fingers crossed we maybe onto a winner

Bloody immigrants

I have a Mutt Hilts which I don’t really ride but can’t part with Ive persuaded myself when I get a bit older I’ll be looking for a lighter bike and as its only worth a grand now (part exchange) I may as well hold onto it. It’s mostly Chinese with a few bits n pieces done in the UK like it’s excellent sounding exhaust. The engines a Suzuki GN. They were really nice to deal with too (that was in 2017 though, dunno wot they’re like now), I said I was a learner and didn’t want knobbly tyres, they said no problem we have some cool looking road tyres you can have (no charge to switch them over). Then after I’d had it a while and was getting splattered with road crap due to the mudguards being small I asked them if they did longer mudguards, they said no but we can make you some and match the paint which they did for £120. Bath Road motors were also lovely because I hadn’t heard of OTR charges and was a bit shocked they decided to let me off. With normal manufacturers you don’t get to email them directly and ask for modifications, and for it to be so reasonable pretty damn good service. I don’t think I could have had a better experience buying my first bike. Stock photo

Yep this time because a ferry for two (with bikes) was well over a grand, flights £69 (rising to £150 by the time youve added the necessary baggage extras) so no contest. Getting up in 2 1/2 hours for the flight cos Mr Slowly doesnt like Ryan Air so much he’s prepared to get up at stupid oclock to avoid using them. We’ll see how long that embargo lasts

Found my license Used a waterproof wallet I rarely use for the ABR festival. Mr Slowly suggested it was that last night just as I was drifting off, as a consequence I had a shit nights sleep waiting to wake up this morning and find it but very happy ii wont be carting all my bike gear over there for no reason Got to go now, haven’t done the coronavirus tests, the locator form or hired a car