Alarmed and dangerous

Well....the week has been busy with sorting out the house, gardening, building the shed base, signing legal papers, walks and shopping. Decided to go for a cycle ride but the back tyre exploded on contact with the pump. Trying to source an inner tube in Ribadesella is not easy. The weekend passed without much of a do......(50 years old arghhhh!) and we just had a quiet time enjoying the sunshine and new surroundings. Alarmed......the house has been fitted with a new system .......I can even talk with the control centre in Madrid (how do you say....intruder, help I'm being attacked?) anyway we feel safer leaving the house for long periods now. Off now for lunch ..........speak soon.

Una buena cosecha

Settling in to our new life here in Toriello. The house is looking more and more like a home and the garden continues to challenge us. Luis euthanased a family of field mice after I accidentaly caught them with the brush cutter on the strimmer.....oops. Making the most of the opportunity to go walking on a daily basis - always come home with an armful of goodies from our villagers - eggs, oranges, plants, seedlings and herbs. We have met some very nice people and all seem very friendly and welcoming. Still awaiting the telephone. Don´t forget it is my Birthday - better get cards or else.........Adios

Onions......and yet more onions

Well.........200 onions later the vegetable plot is looking good. Lettuce, peppers, cabbages, tomatoes and beans planted and growing well. Luis on the look out for slugs and armed with an array of slug weapons. We have had a garden shed delivered but now need to build the base, this week we hope. The grass is growing at lightening rate but with a strimmer it is soon chopped and burnt.
Toriello had a fiesta on Saturday, a parade from the local fish restaurant of women and men in traditional dress, dancing and playing tamborines, bagpipes and drums. They walked to the church in the next willage to collect the Statue of our Virgin Fatima - to return her to our local church.......the whole event was great and pictures will be published on our site as soon as we get up and running with broadband. It was a bit like the parade at the carnival in Barnsley but here in Toriello, we do have a virgin..........
Introduced to the Lady Mayoress and had a few drinks as the two bands played traditional music until 4am in the morning.
Went walking for the day on Sunday, saw lots of wild flowers and orchids along the meadows. Spent a few hours on the beach watching the surf. This is the life eh.........

Slow, Sloe, quick quick - toad

Well, where do I begin? Luis has now joined me in Toriello and we have begun to get to grips with the garden (football field). Luis had an encounter with a slow worm, we tried to buy a sloe tree, we have numerous lizards and crickets and the toads keep us company throughout the night. All in all we are very happy and are looking forward to developing the land and getting the house sorted. With a bit of luck we will be on the telephone and internet by next week........read manana.....hope to get an adsl connection but if not a telephone connection will suffice. We will let you all know the new number. Until then, hope you are all well.........keep in touch.

Arrived Safe and Sound.....

Just to let you all know that we arrived safely with everthing and everyone intact....hoping to get phone connection soon...until then will only check emails weekly - hope to see some of you, if not all of you soon....but not at the same time xxx

Everything in place.....

Good news at last - everything is now in place. Buyer- sorted, Solicitor - paid, Bags - packed. Contact details being mailed out - if you do not receive it please email me and let me know. Bookmark now for more updates........coming soon. ;-)

We're as happy as this little chap..

Good news at last - things seem to be moving. Heard today that all the paperwork is in place and that our buyer will be signing this week. Need to plan a completion date. Oink.

Question?

Q. Why is it taking such a long time to get the buyer's finances in place?
A. If I knew that i'd be a happy man -still in limbo - if we don't hear this week, the house will have to go back on the market - arghhhh!

No movement but hope on the horizon...

No news yet again but we have heard that our buyer's finance is now in place and that we are awaiting a call from the Solicitor for exchange and completion dates. Arrangements in place for the move, this is getting repetitive. Picture is of Lago Ercina near Covadonga.

Ian and Luis in Spain.....

Well, here we are......... on January 7th waiting to hear if our house sale will complete. It has taken 2 years to get to this point and the reality of moving to Spain is hitting home. Most things ready: loft cleared, garage sale complete and the move planned. All we need now is a signature on the contract and cash in the bank.