Now arrived in Spain and thanks to the kind hospitality of Rafa (the gentleman I am renting the house from) he has ensured transport to my new Autumn home is completely hassle free to start my stay which is so very much appreciated.
As I have learnt from my travels around the world if you know just one person in a new country you are visiting the experience is completely transformed due to the gold dust some local knowledge provides.
The last time I was on such an exercise was way back in 1976 when I arrived in Chantilly, France.
I remember vividly and very fondly with no French language skills at the time checking out the local environment – all very exciting including seeking out a home for the 10 months I was working in Chantilly eventually securing one room accommodation above the famous Le Sylvia restaurant (founded circa 1870). French authenticity at it’s very best!
So I consider myself very fortunate that fast forward 48 years it is now Chiclana in Andalusia and the Spanish Language which beckons and amazingly it is exactly the same buzz of excitement in the discovery of this new part of the World as I enjoyed in Chantilly!
So these first 2 weeks (as I will not be renting a car during my stay) whilst here in Spain I have travelled by foot and covered many miles and looked to get to grips with the bus service which is excellent and check out the 1.50 Euro extremely good value bus ticket!
I have also been to the car boot sale “Mercadillos de Segunda Mano” located in Chiclana at “Parque Periurbano de Las Albinas” and acquired a bike for 40 Euros! So now I have bike and bus as well as the wonderful walks to enjoy these next 2 months!
My “triangle” of routes are Playa de la Barrosa where I am based – the 15 minute bus ride into Chiclana and then change bus and onwards with a further 30 minute ride to Cádiz which as illustrated in my earlier blog a beautiful City I had the opportunity to visit some months ago and to understand the City layout.
My original plan was to spend quite a bit of time listening out in the street to Spanish and grabbing vocabulary as I went.
However, after just a few days I met a Spanish teacher from Madrid in the supermarket “supermercado” who told me that even though he is Spanish it is a challenge in this area to understand what is being said!! What!
For example, he explained that a statement like, my grandmothers house, “La casa de mi Abuela” is often turned into one word in Chiclana namely “Ankamiabuela” which together with the speed of the spoken word very early on presents obvious challenges to a beginner!
I have therefore been watching news channels on tv as a key strategy to acquire a range of vocabulary where the Spanish is perhaps more standard and not localised.
Through this activity I have been grabbing and scribbling down pages of extremely diverse vocabulary as I listen in for example to conversations and discussion around issues of “vivienda en españa” housing in Spain the scarcity and costs together with the political battles between PM Pedro Sanchez and Isabel Natividad Díaz Ayuso (presidenta de la Comunidad de Madrid) which is such a refreshing change to Westminster! And dare I say the fashion is a little cooler too!
Talking of cool with temperatures around 24c and glorious sunshine these past 2 weeks I have not quite been able to understand why there are so few people in the area and out on the beach (check out the pictures on blog edition 3!)
However, I have been told that it’s now “Winter” here – and as you can see from the pictures of the lemon trees and flowers in bloom set in clear blue skies that I walk past to get to the bus stop that I suppose the locals do have a point. Although it doesn’t look or feel much like Winter to me!!
Finally, for the moment at least I have joined a fabulous fitness club in Chiclana too with a wonderful long and deep swimming pool, Spin classes and steam bath “baño de Vapor”
🇪🇸CPD at its very best!
