Owning a home abroad is not like visiting for a week or two. So what will you get up to after you’ve tried every water sport you’re brave enough to try and tried the town’s competing seafood restaurants? Our expat writer in Spain, Sally, shares what a July day in her life in the Costa Brava is like.
Sally is a resident in the Costa Brava
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Morning: garden, coffee & news
I open the blinds. It is 8.00 am and the sky is blue, the sun is already high in the sky but there is a pleasant breeze so time to make a coffee and sit in my garden.
The garden has no grass, as it would die in the summer heat. Instead, it is paved and one area has crazy paving. A huge pine tree and Magnolia offer shade throughout the day and I have an awning covering the smaller area. I need shade as my apartment and garden face are south-facing. The geraniums, plumbago, hibiscus and oleander bring colour and welcome butterflies, bees and other insects. The trees are home to several birds who have just finished feeding their chicks. They have now fled the nest.
Sally enjoys the shade of a pretty Magnolia in her garden.
I open the blinds. It is 8.00 am and the sky is blue, the sun is already high in the sky but there is a pleasant breeze so time to make a coffee and sit in my garden.The garden has no grass, as it would die in the summer heat. Instead, it is paved and one area has crazy paving. A huge pine tree and Magnolia offer shade throughout the day and I have an awning covering the smaller area. I need shade as my apartment and garden face are south-facing. The geraniums, plumbago, hibiscus and oleander bring colour and welcome butterflies, bees and other insects. The trees are home to several birds who have just finished feeding their chicks. They have now fled the nest.
While enjoying my coffee, I read the news, in both English and Spanish. I think it’s important to keep up with what is happening in both countries as UK and Spanish politics can affect my life here. I have several newspaper Apps on my mobile phone which I skim to choose what is relevant to me or interesting. After 45 minutes, I shower, throw on some light clothes and head for the gym.
It’s a training centre and I go for weight training. Not being young, it is necessary to keep as fit as possible and Joel, the owner/trainer (just 27 years old) is wonderful and knows how to push me just beyond my limits. One hour is enough. I’m not aching yet – that will probably come tomorrow!
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Lunch: shade, drinks & chatter
Back home, a quick shower and off to town to meet friends for a pre-lunch drink. The main square is a 10-minute walk and I stay in the shade. I can tell the visitors from Britain and northern European countries because they walk in the sun. If you live here, you quickly realise that on very hot days, staying in the shade is better for your health and skin.
There are several cafés and bars around the square but I usually meet my friends at the Fraternal. It was the working men’s social centre in days gone by and still has a membership of local townsfolk, including myself.
The house wine is inexpensive, but they also have a Verdejo which I prefer and only costs 60 céntimos more. They also serve lunch dinner and tapas. Being a member gives me a discount on everything.
If I meet friends for lunch, two restaurants are our go-to places. One is a traditional Catalan restaurant, just three minutes from my home. They are only open for lunch and have two sittings. It is always full as the food is of excellent quality and the menú del día is just €14.50 for 3 courses, wine, bread and water. The other is an Argentinian restaurant in the town centre. For €1 more for a menú del día I can enjoy Argentinian cuts of meat, my favourite is entraña (skirt steak) which should not be overcooked.
Afternoon: a trip to the beach
A trip to the beach…
I don’t have a pool, but the coast is just 4 km away. I like to go in the early morning in summer to beat the heat and the crowds. The sea is clear and very refreshing, and the sand is slightly coarse. The beaches nearby are located in small coves but just a 15-minute drive takes me to a wide sandy beach with a delightful promenade where I walk or cycle. Refreshments are on hand as there are many bars and restaurants overlooking the sea. I like to read under the shade of an umbrella or pine tree and forget the world of technology for a while.
If I have been to the gym or cycling, I might take a siesta after lunch. They say that 20 minutes is the optimum time but I find that 40 minutes suits me well, especially in the heat of the afternoon. Then I catch up with correspondence, official things and emails on my laptop in my office. This is where I write, listen to music on Spotify and think, all the time looking out onto my geraniums and oleander and watching nature flutter by.
Evening: socialising, TV & bed
It’s 8:00 pm and time to catch up with people who have just arrived from the UK: they have a second home here and have continued to enjoy it after Brexit. The 90-day rule has indeed constrained them a little but they do spend six months of the year here, although not all at once. We meet in a local bar, together with a group of friends from various countries, America, France, The Netherlands, Italy and, of course, Catalan and Spanish people. We all speak some Spanish and English. It is really important to try and learn some Spanish to integrate and participate in social and other events.
At night, its time to indulge in tasty Spanish cuisine…
I had problems learning Spanish to begin with as my second language is Italian and I found Spanish quite tricky as the words, very similar, came to my mind in Italian. I persevered and now speak fluent Spanish, which is a delightful language. My Catalan friends are happy to speak Spanish to me. I understand Catalan and can read it well but don’t speak it, as Castilian comes into my brain before Catalan. Interestingly, several autonomous regions have two languages…one of course Castilian Spanish but also Catalan, Galician, Basque, and Valenciana. It helps to know a little of the local language.
Now it’s 11:30 pm and I am home after a pleasant, social evening of friends, wine and tapas. Time to turn on Netflix (or Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney). All these are available in Spain. I only have Netflix and Amazon Prime, but several friends have them all. My particular interest is Korean drama, and I am well served. I am trying to learn the language for my second visit to that beautiful country this October. I usually spend an hour a day attempting to improve my limited ability. It is hard but keeps my brain active and gives me a goal.
Around 12.30 I head for my bed. Everything is late here in Spain. Shops don’t open until 10 am, close for lunch at 1pm or 1.30 pm and then reopen at 5pm until 8pm or in summer later. In the south of Spain, shops are open until 11 pm. Lunch is usually between 2pm and 4pm, dinner is rarely before 9pm and concerts start at 10 pm. As I live here, I have adapted to the Spanish lifestyle and times.
I expect tomorrow will be hot and sunny again. Well, I will find out when I open my blinds in the morning.
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