Life in Galicia
Galicia life and experiences as seen from Mer near Sober

– one month

First few weeks

Furniture arrival – Galicien style – Organisation and support

We like the fact that no large vehicle can actually get near our house.

On our little calle / camino, squeezing through a normal sized car is not for the faint hearted.
This can be a bit disadvantageous when the super large furniture van including trailer arrives in the vicinity.

Thank god they called ahead and we could intercept them and show them the way around Sober to a place near our house. The bend to or «main» road was deemed to narrow so our load had to be shifted from the trailer onto the main van.

They resigned themselves to the fact that a busy afternoon will be at hand as again they could navigate the van to about 100 meters from our house, respectively the bodegas (cellars) where the stuff had to be moved to.

Neither they nor we expected the friendliness and helpfulness of of our neighbours. 

Carmen saw what was happening and simply offered the use of a tractor and trailer. We all thought this to be a great idea. Carmen rounded up the two sons who happened to be around. Martin (no not me) started up the tractor. This blue beast with its trailer just about fits the tight bend between our two houses.

tractor loadWe learned that 30 year ago they reduced one of their corners by about one foot to make this happen.bodega 1bodega 2

So with so much help the load was shifted in about 5 runs and in record time.

Our neighbours and probably the whole village (all 8 of them) now know that we are here for good and that we do have some possessions that could pass as furniture.

We now have a carton cellar and a furniture / tools cellar. So it’s easy to find things! – They are either in one or the other cellar or already spread throughout the habitable area of the house.

Could I entice the helpers to even take a liquid thank you? – No they just disappeared and and I could only persuade Pepe to have a quick glass of sparkly and some cheese and ham.

It’s just great to be in Galicia.

Organisation and support

We used, for a small fee, an agency to find us quotes and the speed and results where excellent.

I can’t fault their service  European removals – ET Brokers

They found us a great quote including pick up and storage for a couple of weeks and we used

Masons Moving Group

Apparently they do a lot for the MOD and are constantly running lorries through the continent.
They picked up when they said they will and they phoned us a week in advance to inform that our part load is on a lorry and it arrived when they said it will arrived (see above).

Expat

Thursday is Lidl day – Or any excuse to go to town – Monforte

One doesn’t really need an excuse to got to town – Monforte that is. There is always the opportunity to have a chat at the builders merchant and pick up another sack of cement. The electricians shop can be checked for new gadgets. The pleasure of buying just two postcards and have them lovingly wrapped up alone is worth the visit.

BUT Thursday is Lidl day. They advertise their weekly «bargains» in advance and tomorrow is………

the garden is rejuvinated

….. Right, tomorrow is gardening week. Flowers, seeds and all things gardening make the perfect excuse to visit and pick up some other goodies like chocolate….. you get the drift.

After a bit of practical shopping therapy, its time for coffees and maybe a trip to the builders merchant. Ramos in Monforte is a great bunch. In between serving customers they find time for a chat and explaining how things are usually done here in Galicia.

Maybe this time I remember to ask for the fire cord so I can stop our wood burner howling like a wolf.

So long

Expat

A heated kitchen, warm water and a wood burner – paradise in Galicia

When we arrived at the house on the first morning of our future life – we still loved it.

All of it. All the cobwebs, all the junk, the lingering smell of the woodworm treatment and the long walk from one end to the other.

We had already decided to stay in a hotel for however long it would take to make at least part of the property habitable.

In our absence we had a very good project manager so only a few surprises remained.

We had two new boilers installed and unsurprisingly only the one in the future bathroom and for the existing kitchen worked. The electrician had worked wonders and we now have fuse and switch cabinet that would not look out of place in a power station. Except the maximum input is still 15 Amps!

Explaining the size of a standard glass block can be difficult and the shower tray in the to be bathroom reflected that.

Other than that – dust, dust, old furniture, lumpy mattresses a completely overgrown garden and yard, bulging ceilings and freezing cold – nothing special.

Priorities where:

  • Cleaning the kitchen and get the range (economica) to work
  • Getting the existing bathroom in a state of usefulness (cleaning, scraping walls, repainting)
  • Clearing cellars (bodegas) for the second woodworm treatment
  • Cutting the vines – which have been neglected for about 5 years
  • Warming the place up and getting a wood burner installed
  • Generating one usable bed room out of the available rooms – preferably not too far from the bath room
  • Getting all paper work organised and obtaining the deeds
  • Shopping for bare essentials as our main furniture would arrive much later

Kitchen comsThe kitchen soon became the communication center apart from it obvious usethe obvious use

 

Here are some more results from sheer graft, help from neighbours and a weather pattern that encourage indoor and outdoor activities.

bodega 1 beforeafter

 

after

tear down the wall!

The tool hire shop is so amazed at our constant usage of their industrial vacuum cleaner that they offered to buy us one at a fairly large discount.

Well these are just some of the pictures – more will follow – promise.

Sufficient to say that after 10 days we moved in.

Well temporarily as now we are seeking asylum at good friends here and will do a quick trip to Portugal as the woodworm lady today confirmed that tomorrow is d-day for the carcomas in the bodegas.

Well what is deadly for them can’t be healthy for humans so we better move out for a couple of days.

Until than

 

Expat

Updated 2009 – We can’t imagine these times. We have come a long way in a reasonably short time. Check our slide show – Old vrs. new – Renovation in pictures