The Rain in Spain

 There seems to be a lot of buzz about Spain and Portugal these days. I blame International Living magazine which states that they are two of the cheapest countries to live in. American politics, the cost of living in other countries, and inflation everywhere has people rethinking where they want to live.

I am Canadian and feel no reason to flee my country’s politics, and God knows I cannot afford to flee my free health care and Pharmacare. One of the drugs I am on costs $4344.18 for a 30-day supply! I must admit however that the buzz got me curious enough to come here this fall for a five-week sojourn to see what all the hype is about.

I have visited Madrid, Segovia, San Sebastien, Pamplona, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Peniscola, Valencia, Toledo, Ronda, Malaga, Seville, Algarve, Lisbon, Porto, Salamanca, Avila and even made a quick foray into the tiny country of Andorra. I am currently in Estepona, and like it so much I am hanging out here for two weeks. Watching the sunrise over the mountains and reflect on the Mediterranean Sea in various shades of orange, pink and yellow has been spectacular. As has the weather – but I will come back to that topic later.

I have been to Europe several times before, but I have to say, if one is into ancient architecture and well preserved historic buildings – Spain is definitely worth the visit. I walked the streets of villages dating back to the 1100’s and saw sights that were pre Roman Empire. The Gothic, Baroque, Spanish Colonial, Renaissance, and Moorish architecture at times had me in tears. Lovers of art will go nuts. Many cities seamlessly marry modern architecture with ancient. My favourites were Seville and Valencia.

The geography in Spain varies greatly from place to place and I have to say that I did not find most of it outstandingly beautiful. Coming from one of the most beautiful places on earth keeps my bar set pretty high for what can impress me. The north (Basque Country) was mountain and forest with lovely green valleys. Unfortunately, it was cool, gray, and rainy. The centre of the country was flat, mostly treeless, and reminded me of the Canadian Prairies. The sun shone most of the time but it was quite cool – especially in the mornings. (I doubt whether the rain in Spain falls mostly on the plains). 

The east coast was beautiful with lovely turquoise water, sandy beaches and the hills were dotted with villages. Peniscola looked like Santorini…steep skinny streets and whitewashed buildings. The weather in that part of the country is some of the warmest and I defiantly would consider returning sometime for the month of November or December. The south, Andalucía province, is my favorite. The mountains run almost to the sea. The hills are dry – much like south central British Columbia – and are covered in orange and olive groves. The towns and cities are clean and vibrant and the weather has been spectacular. I arrived here on October 23^rd and highs each day have been 28 Celsius.

Packing for this trip was a challenge as I knew the weather was going to vary greatly from place to place. I brought more warm clothes to be safe – as I hate the cold, and was glad to have my wool coat and scarf with me when I was in Portugal where it was quite cold, rainy, and windy. On the other hand, I have been laying by the pool without a bathing suit – wearing the only sundress I brought. I try not to hang out here at the resort very long so people don’t figure out I am wearing the same thing every day!

I cannot say I was overly impressed with Portugal. I did love Lisbon – it is a lovely city, and fast becoming the go-to city in Europe – but apart from Lisbon, not so much. The historical sites there were run down and everything is covered in a layer of mildew for it is humid and wet. While the coast is dramatic – there are similar dramatic coastlines in Spain where the historical sites are pristine and the weather is welcoming.

The food I have experienced has been disappointing. You hear about the great food here all the time but unless you have A LOT of money and can afford to eat at the higher end restaurants, the affordable food at restaurants is mediocre at best (in my humble opinion). They eat a lot meat here and a lot of French fries and rice – in fact practically every meal has nothing but these three things on the plate! As for vegetables…good luck finding those on the menu!

The first thing I did when I settled in here in Estepona was go to the grocery store to buy fruits and veggies…and wow…were they ever expensive! People are seriously misled it they think it is cheaper to live here. Rent and housing might be cheaper – but only in older buildings that are freezing cold in the winter and have no air-conditioning for summer! Or in areas that are very Spanish with few expats.

Personally, those were the areas I liked – the places that were not overrun with tourists and wintering Brits. Estepona, where I am now, is mostly Spanish. It has a lovely old town, and everywhere I go there are flowers. Buildings have murals painted on them and there is an amazing long flat beach with gorgeous Malecon. As I walked about I saw very few tourists, and heard very little English. Here, if you don’t mind living in an apartment (that is all there is in this town), they can be had for under 200,000 Euros. I found a place that I could rent in the winter, right on one of the lovely plazas, for about $1500 Canadian. It would be 3 blocks to the beach, and walking distance to everything.

The place I am renting right now could be rented for about the same and it has a lovely big balcony and gorgeous stunning views – but requires a vehicle for it is up on the hill overlooking Estepona (thus the views) but there is no public transport into town and no amenities here on the mountain. What is nice about Estepona is that it retains a small town feel, but it is very close to the larger cities of Malaga, Seville, and Granada with their operas, theatres, art galleries, cultural events, festivals, historic sites, great restaurants, etc.

Today I am off to drive up the mountain to the Paraje Natural Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja where I hope to observe some stunning views, birds of prey, and maybe – if I am lucky – I will find some mushrooms!

 

Is There a Bidet?

 

A bidet is not something I have ever installed in the many homes I have renovated. In Canada, if someone mentions a bidet it is likely to be about the famous Saturday Night Live bidet skit. It is funny, and if you have never watched it, click here to watch it for a good giggle. 

Bidets are a big thing in parts of Europe. I tried one once in Japan and the stream of water nearly sent me across the room. I was not a fan…until recently. You see, until this recent trip through Portugal and Spain I don’t think I had been using the bidet correctly. NOW I get it!

It is really quite simple...you put the plug in…add the bath gel until the water gets sudsy, and then put in all your stinky undies and socks. Massage lightly and then drain and rinse. The perfect mini washing machine. It is no wonder these are so popular in hotels! 

They have a secondary use too! When you are busy and have stinky feet after a long day of walking tours, but do not have time for a shower before dinner, simply fill with sudsy water, and while sitting on the toilet beside it doing other business - like catching up on the news – soak your feet!

My next renovation will definately include a bidet! Not only for the genuine water saving uses mentioned above, but also because I eventually figured out how to properly use it for its official use, and it truly is a great way to freshen up before bed without using a lot of water or getting your hair wet.

Bidets aside, I thought this would be a good time to remind my followers why this blog is called Two Star Retirement. The concept was to give people a chance to follow my travels to see the type of life I have managed to build for myself – despite NOT having millions of dollars. Almost every day during my tour of Spain this month, after talking to people, I would hear the comment, "Would be nice to have the money to be able to travel so much."

Even my kids sometimes don't get that the way I usually travel does not cost me money but in fact, sometimes I even make money. It's quite simple: I rent my furnished house out for $2000 a month and I stay places that cost less than $1500/month. The difference pays for my flights and food. Easy peasy! 

When I started writing my blog in October 2017, my husband Stephane – who even did some of the writing early on – and I had sold our house and were heading off indefinately to Mexico and the Caribbean in search of the perfect retirement spot. The early blog was meant to chronicle that search and to show how you can live comfortable - even luxuriously - on less than a million dollars.

Over time, the blog evolved to include many topics of interest from investing and health issues to a diary of living on a secluded beach for two months in the Caribbean. That part of the blog garnered readers from around the world (click here if you want to see how the reality of living on a white sand beach compares to the dream).

When my marriage ended at the beginning of the pandemic, after a four-month trip to Africa, I continued to blog, and while many things in my life have changed since then, many things have not. I continue to travel – only I do it alone now – or with friends. Last fall I went mushroom hunting in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. with a girlfriend, and this fall I am travelling alone in Spain.

While I exuded a lot of confidence early on in this blog regarding the capacity of my nest egg to withstand time, I must admit that with inflation so high, and house prices dropping, I am certainly feeling the pinch and a little less confident. I mean, let’s face it, this blog is not called Five Star Retirement! In fact I am pretty screwed if I live past 80!

Having said that, travelling has given me a good dollop of perspective. I have come to deeply acknowledge my privilege and my first world problems for what they are. People with far less money than I live happy, full lives. Travel has taught me I am rich beyond measure. I write in depth about this in the book I just published on Amazon called Around the World: A Journey Inward. It chronicles a trip around the world I took with my oldest son in 2007 - a trip which transformed my thinking and freed me to feel that I could truly live the life I want – one that is rich in experiences and rich in relationships.

You cannot take that nice new car or house with you when you die – and on your death bed it is unlikely you are going to say, “I sure wish I had worked more in my life.”

Travel has enriched my life beyond belief. A section from my book sums it up well:

Europe’s beauty and history drew me there, but it was in Europe where I learned how not to travel, and that to travel efficiently is to miss the important moments. Europe built character, and it was where Joel and I faced the truth about our relationship, and it was the beginning of trust between a mother and son. My experience in Europe is also where I learned to truly appreciate food as something that can nurture not just the body, but also the soul. Plus, it was the beginning of an appreciation for slow food and a desire to learn more about food and wine.

Ghana was the place where I left my old self behind and where three orphan boys shook me to the core. The culture shock of poverty in Ghana taught me to put my privilege in perspective and to truly appreciate it. It was the beginning of my search for real riches and my introduction to permaculture and growing food sustainably, something at the core of my newest business venture.

Kenya was awe-inspiring: the beauty of the Serengeti is impossible to capture with words, but the amazing experience of being close to wild animals - of seeing life and death unfold in front of my eyes not only inspired future safaris in Africa, but, more importantly, Kenya was where, in a mud hut in the Serengeti, I came to understand that one’s worldview is not a reflection of reality, but of perception.

India was the fulfillment of a childhood dream and was everything I had hoped it would be. The extremes within Indian culture met my need for intensity in a way that other places did not. There I learned to deeply appreciate my own nation and culture. I learned the value of clean water and pure air and how blessed I am to live in Canada.

And Nepal, well, sitting at the base of that golden mountain peak was the moment I knew, without a doubt, I had been changed. It was where I felt the intense joy of being in the present moment, and when I left there, I knew my life would never be the same.