Weekend 12/13 March I was on the beach, lots of swimming.
The Saharan dust cloud arrived 14/03, lasted 3 days before torrential rain made an appearance. U.K. friends in camper vans left post haste and headed to Portugal. It’s rained on & off ever since....and the short term forecast is atrocious. Low cloud, intermittent heavy showers, zero sun. Even went to Beni this afternoon for two hours I was so desperate.
I’ve joined the local gym to fill a few daily hours, stayed sufficiently dry for a half decent afternoon walks without getting soaked to the skin with my good waterproofs.
Seriously thinking about flying home early...several logistics to overcome...returning a friends loan car to the back of beyond, arranging an expensive airport transfer, flight change (easy) getting home on public transport from LBA late evening.
Weather is so bad I’m happy to lose both accommodation and rental costs, with additional expenses of flight change and transport to and from.
So much for flying out late February expecting warmer, settled weather on the Costa B. C’est terrible.
Worse things happen at sea
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Probably better than the uk, we've had frost last few mornings. And a cold wind.
I'd stay where you are!
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Saturday and today have been beautifully spring-like on the south coast - was 17 degrees this afternoon when I went out, roof down. Frosty overnight though, and Sunday was cooler, though still bright. Forecast is for similar for the next week or so :)
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The dust cloud landed all over my car, the oranjerie windows, and the roof of the crossover camping vehicle.
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Truly truly awful.
I just don’t understand why any non Irish citizens should be remotely interested in St Patrick’s day. The Irish don’t celebrate St. George’s Day so why should I give a stuff about some Irish saint.
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St Patrick was probably English or possibly Welsh. Certainly not Irish.
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Do the Irish know that ?
I’m sure lots of English on the lash on St P Day don’t.
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>> St Patrick was probably English or possibly Welsh. Certainly not Irish.
St George was probably Greek or possibly Roman. Certainly not English.
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I thought our weather in Portugal was coming from the west and then over to you in Spain, maybe not.
It's certainly not been great here, very few sunny days since 28 Feb and some distinctly cold and wet ones, and of course the dust cloud big time, yet at home we've been breaking March records for March solar generation, with summer-like scores per day for the past week, propelling this year into my best ever solar year to date since installation in 2012. The apartment here is built for hot weather and has no sensible heating so some evenings have been more than a little miserable.
We're not due back till early April and SWMBO said at the end of last week that the long range forecast is pretty poor and suggested we look at flying back early. I resisted. After all, we've got nothing else booked till Fuerteventura in May :-) And with a pint, a latte and a pair of seriously large pastries coming on at under a fiver at the far end of today's wander what's not to like? :-)
Petrol came down by nearly 5% over the past few days too I think, to somewhere near €2 per litre. I paid about €2.10 last week.
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Cant beat a good native Pastel de Nata.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 22 Mar 22 at 08:28
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Lidl do a particularly fine one.
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>> Lidl do a particularly fine one.
Mustafa look. I love those wee custard tarts.
The geezer who came to empty our site portaloo today told me is a Portugeezer. No jobs, and low pay in Portugal he says. He said he would get £600 a month there, here he earns £600 a week.
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They are just 4 for €1 in the local Lidl (walking distance, opened just after we arrived)
Down here in the Algarve there are just so many holiday apartments, mostly closed up and unoccupied at the times we are here. We are staying in Armacao de Pera which has large blocks of them. Our "host" (local tourism lady) says they are mostly second homes for Portuguesers.
We drove out in the rain today to the most southerly point of the EU today (Sagres) and we talked yet again about how many apparently derelict properties there are. But we know for sure that some are lived in. And in the villages in the countryside you can see the poverty. I think it's different around Lisbon however.
We know a Brit couple who live near here and he is trying to make a living as a plumber. Work seems very sporadic, some weeks are very lucrative but others less so. They are getting by as costs are lower than the UK but I think it's quite difficult for them.
I'm sure most who come here go to Albufeira with no car hire and don't venture much further than the local KFC or Maccy Ds and have no idea how the general country looks, but for me it makes you realise just how lucky we (and most people in the UK) are.
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>> I'm sure most who come here go to Albufeira with no car hire and don't
>> venture much further than the local KFC or Maccy Ds and have no idea how
>> the general country looks, but for me it makes you realise just how lucky we
>> (and most people in the UK) are.
I was surprised when I first visited mainland Portugal and particularly Madeira before they joined the EU. The change afterwards was striking. I hate to think how much was spent on all that infrastructure.
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>> The change afterwards was striking. I hate to think how much was spent
>> on all that infrastructure.
Madeira wasn't the only isolated island in the Atlantic to benefit from the EU infrastructure funds.
Our own Western Isles have dozens of road projects and more recently 4G networks with the EU's flag on them.
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>> Madeira wasn't the only isolated island in the Atlantic to benefit from the EU infrastructure
>> funds.
>>
>> Our own Western Isles have dozens of road projects and more recently 4G networks with
>> the EU's flag on them.
That is remarkably generous of them.
I wonder where they get their money from?
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I asked an Irishman in Los Cristianos if it was St Patrick's Day today (mums birthday) and said St Patrick was English (most likely a Briton)
He invited me into the Irish bar, to which I declined (I'd probably have been lynched) as it was 10am, and I was orf on a l-o-n-g walk.
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We have a week off next week and looking at last minute deals to the Canaries. Alternatively we might take a staycation as that means less hassle with getting the dog looked after. But, and I know these things are subjective, can get a week for 2 self catering in Tenerife for about 600-700 which isn’t far off the price of a decent staycation cottage!
And our weather up here is forecast to get to heady heights of late teens by this weekend and last I heard it was carrying on into next week.
Meanwhile my brother has been in Madrid for a 5 day City break. Says the rain is non stop, heavy and there is no forecasted end to it!
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Cheap cottages in Ukraine right now, and its a bit hot over there.
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In the past few days I’ve managed 3 dry walks....only 4 hours max, but been very fortunate.
Today 4 of us ventured into the mountains again...pushed our luck too far....loop from a small village at 615 metres, high point on the 14km walk was 830m. We didn’t hang around....mostly graded forest trails, minor footpaths were like streams, top notch waterproof jacket, wool hat, but I didn’t bring waterproof over trousers to Spain. Decided to wear quick drying synthetic shorts, and with a few kms to go I felt the first symptoms of mild hypothermia after horizontal rain and 7C temps.
I always wear merino base layers, and socks with a high wool content, but was glad to finish what would normally be a morning stroll. Glad my waterproof jacket & Icebreaker merino base layers were up to scratch...worth every expensive penny in those conditions.
Another 6 days of intermittent rain forecast...off to the Fallas Museum in Gandia tomorrow.
The rain in Spain continues.
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dry as a bone, 17c and sunny here in Surrey. Nice in the pub garden at lunchtime. No Hypothermia here
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 22 Mar 22 at 17:52
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Got back from a couple of weeks in Teneife last Thursday.
Temps during the day were low 20's and it was quite chilly in the evening . When we were there in November it was late 20's early 30's.
One day last week we had winds strong enough to uproot trees and take the fascia off our local restaurant...next day we were back to beach weather.
I would take Tenerife over a staycation any time,that said, I walked into town today , about a mile ,and it was beautifully sunny here.
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Currently away on the Welsh coast. Bright sun every day, hit 20 this afternoon and sea is actually blue. You can see the mountain tops all day long.
Sat on the beach this afternoon.
Never known Wales to be like this in March. And the rather nice cottage is out of season, so £450 for four of us for a week. Can't be bad.
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Make the most of it . The weather looks like it is going to turn next week with cold northerly winds and possibility of snow showers.
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Be back in civilised Cambridge by then, so if it's nippy we can light the stove and read happily.
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And the rather nice cottage is
>> out of season, so £450 for four of us for a week. Can't be bad.
>>
Our normal villa here ( worth upward of €700k) is £375 pw...3-4 bed, 2 bathrooms, fabulous long distance views and an 8 min stroll to the beautiful small bay at El Portet. Inc gas CH, leccy, sun room and super fast WiFi.
No flipping good when it’s raining though....no matter how cheap it is. Thankfully we’re motivated to get out and do stuff otherwise I’d fly home ! And return once the weather improves. Which it will. At some point.
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Wonder if cost you more to get there by plane than us driving here?
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My flights always cost a bit to Portugal. Squeezyjet Up front seats (row 1), which gives you speedy boarding and an additional carry on, plus we pay for a suitcase each.
But the 2 bed near seafront apartment I'm in was only €1000 for 6 weeks... and as per above, beer and coffee is cheap :-)
Nicer day today here so we did a walk we'd previously done - not as ambitions as LL but a near 7 mile loop in the countryside. Except some b***** dogs came out of a remote farm in front of us on the track so we turned round and cut the corner. I know I've posted about them before here but they really are a nuisance. Luckily it didn't spoil the day out.
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>> Wonder if cost you more to get there by plane than us driving here?
>>
Settle to Portsmouth....Brittany Ferries to Santander...overnight cabin for 1, 8 hour drive to the Costa B. Then return.
At least 4x more expensive than Jet2 and car hire when I did the calculations.
My old loaner/ friends rental didn’t start today. Probably dodgy electrics after all the rain, and I don’t fancy being stranded in the mountains late one afternoon after a long walk.
Friends fly home in the next 48 hours, so I’ve a lift to ALC. Just booked via DYS a Ford Kuga, 8 days @ €65. Plus £38 annual CDW policy. Same price got me a Focus estate.
But it wasn’t a Focus ST.....
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>> Currently away on the Welsh coast. Bright sun every day, hit 20 this afternoon and
>> sea is actually blue. You can see the mountain tops all day long.
>>
>> Sat on the beach this afternoon.
Wherebouts? Got a site booked for the CCV in the gower at the end of April. Rhossili.
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>>
>> Wherebouts? Got a site booked for the CCV in the gower at the end of
>> April. Rhossili.
Dolgellau. And this beach:
www.visitsnowdonia.info/fairbourne-beach
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>> Dolgellau. And this beach:
>>
>> www.visitsnowdonia.info/fairbourne-beach
Ah yes, it has a silly little train.
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Portmerion today. Really bright and even warmer than yesterday, and I think they must have just finished their annual repaint as every building was glowing. Not been before. It felt really Mediterranean. Lucky again.
Then on up the road a bit to the architect's house and garden for tea and cake, another place worth seeing.
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Portmerion, never disappoints that place, it is exactly what you expect. I do like Wales, its mostly been very good to me, unlike Cornwall.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 23 Mar 22 at 17:26
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We had a fantastic break in Falmouth years ago, but every trip to Cornwall since then has just been endlessly trying to park every time you go out.
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I had a nice lunch in Wetherspoons. Weather was very pleasant.
I don't think I have ever mentioned Wetherspoons?
Have I?
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It’s hard to be sure ;)
I had a overly lunch at the Crown & Anchor at Dell Quay today, which is a Youngs pub I think - absolutely beautiful day. Food is not bad there. Hour and a half’s walk to Chichester Marina and back afterwards. Clear blue sky, tide coming in, 17/18 degrees and not even much of a breeze. Not a bad part of the world at times :)
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A friend phoned from W*th*rsp**ns in Salisbury this evening.
Young's London Pride @ £2.10 a pint! That is my favourite beer with Doom Bar a close second.
£2.10 a pint! It's not fair.
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>> Isn't Pride Fullers?
>>
Ahem.
Er, just testing you.
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>> Isn't Pride Fullers?
>>
Only in name. Now owned by Asahi Breweries from Japan
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Tenerife booked , fly out Monday.
Oh to get some sun on my back, a cold beer in my hand whilst eating a seafood paella cooked on the seafront .
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I know exactly how you feel....I should have flown home early 2 weeks ago. No sun again today, and rain imminent, plus the forecast, poor as it was, has taken a turn for the worse. At one point it reached 16C today, then a cold wind sprang up. It’s rubbish weather.
Flippin depressing but taught me a lesson. I’ll never ever book a winter holiday to the N Costa Blanca in advance again...in future it will be a last minute flight and accommodation once I see the forecast.
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Good luck with that. The weather forecast looks a bit dodgy.
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>> Good luck with that. The weather forecast looks a bit dodgy.
Rain mostly
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Still out in the reef.
I use the Met Office forecast app.
Since we arrived on Monday, forecast seems to be for rain the next day but come the next day, it’s then sunny and rain is for the evening and then that moves to the next day!
So far, not seen a single drop of rain but it is forecast tomorrow and Monday….
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>> Tenerife booked , fly out Monday.
>> Oh to get some sun on my back, a cold beer in my hand whilst
>> eating a seafood paella cooked on the seafront .
Alas you cant have a sea food Paella. Such a thing does not exist, you'll have to ask for arroz con cosas ~ "Rice with Things"
www.theguardian.com/food/2022/mar/22/researchers-in-valencia-pinpoint-unwritten-rules-of-paella
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What utter rubbish.
For every 500 amateur so called experts in Valencia there are several hundred thousand experts in the rest of Spain who would disagree.
For the last two Sundays I have sat in an open air seaside restaurant in Tenerife with several cold beers watching the chef cook one of the best seafood Paellas I have tasted, recommended to me by a Spanish friend and at €7.50 a massive portion one of the cheapest .as well.
Of course you can use chicken or rabbit if you live in the countryside but if you are living by the sea you use seafood.
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And by the way ,it is called Paella de Mariscos .
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>> What utter rubbish.
Woosh > there goes the light hearted humour comet way way over your head.
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“Of course you can use chicken or rabbit if you live in the countryside but if you are living by the sea you use seafood.“
I guess you put pineapple on your pizza too. :-)
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>>I guess you put pineapple on your pizza too. :-)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2sfosrbcxw
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>> I guess you put pineapple on your pizza too. :-)
Pfffttt For every 500 amateur so called experts in Italy there are several hundred thousand experts in the rest of Hawaii who would disagree.
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Back in the day, we used to go to a Wimpy in Clerkenwell (which is London for those watching in B&W)
We both had Polynesian Wimpy's and still have 'em now and again.
Lighty toasted bap, flied onions, burger, lettuce, and a pineapple ring, served with chips (of course)
Occasionally I would have 2!!. Howl, the other half live :(
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>>Tenerife booked , fly out Monday.
Oh to get some sun on my back, a cold beer in my hand whilst eating a seafood paella cooked on the seafront .
www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/espana/canarias/santa-cruz-de-tenerife/playa-las-vistas.html
:(
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Much more sun (and less rain!!) in England last week than here in Portugal. The forecast for our remaining two weeks doesn't look great either :-(
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All gorn now. 16 degrees and hazy sunshine here in godforsaken Cornwall.
I've lit the fire ... for the estate agent's pics :)
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>> I've lit the fire ... for the estate agent's pics :)
You've only just moved in! Where to this time, Dog?
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>>You've only just moved in! Where to this time, Dog?
Dunno CS, been here 18 mumps now! .. Looking at a new build( with a heat source pump) near the Jamaica Inn, although looking at Devon, Somerset, Hereford etc.
This place is too big for us really - 3/4 acre lovely gardens, but neither of us are into gardening.
The main thing is we have to jump in the car to take the dogs out because, although we're surrounded by farmland, there aren't any footpaths here. Weird one that, I bet there were footpaths at one time in the past.
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>> Dunno CS, been here 18 mumps now! .. Looking at a new build
Happy hunting!
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Owse went 'on the market' this morning - 3 viewings booked already, 1 tomorrow and 2 Saturday.
I shall take it all in my stride as we have got used to living here now so, come what may.
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Good luck Dog. Daughter reduced her flat a week ago but no further interest. Also the places she was interested in have not sold, and some have also reduced.
Probably over-pried anyway, but I wonder is the market is cooling somewhat.
On the orig post, I am coming back from Portugal on Friday (so long as SqueezyJet don't cancel us!) , after which the forecast here takes a turn for the better... which is a bit annoying but we've had a good time anyway.
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>>Good luck Dog. Daughter reduced her flat a week ago but no further interest. Also the places she was interested in have not sold, and some have also reduced.
Cheers smokie. The property market is still hot anywhere in the west country, we have another!! viewing booked for Saturday, so that's 1 tomorrow, and 3 on Saturday :)
One is a cash buyer from Swindon, could be one of Dynamic Dave's mates.
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Didn't realise he had any LOL
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>> Didn't realise he had any LOL
That's you off the Christmas card list.
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>> >> Didn't realise he had any LOL
>>
>> That's you off the Christmas card list.
>>
...down to zero now, then......
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>> >> >> Didn't realise he had any LOL
>> >>
>> >> That's you off the Christmas card list.
>> >>
>>
>> ...down to zero now, then......
Not on my watch
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>> ...down to zero now, then......
On the plus side, it's saving me a fortune on stamps.
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10 viewings booked now, 5 on Saturday. Think I'll take the dogs out, and I might be gorn for sometime!
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>> 10 viewings booked now, 5 on Saturday. Think I'll take the dogs out, and I
>> might be gorn for sometime!
I had that when I put my place up for sale earlier this year. By the fourth day the agents asked if they could mark the place as sold and take it off the market as they were having to have someone available full time.
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>>I had that when I put my place up for sale earlier this year. By the fourth day the agents asked if they could mark the place as sold and take it off the market as they were having to have someone available full time.
I don't mind doing the viewings myself, in fact I prefer it in a way - keep an eye on the bar stewards + you're there to answer any questions.
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>> I don't mind doing the viewings myself, in fact I prefer it in a way
>> - keep an eye on the bar stewards + you're there to answer any questions.
>>
Me too. Point out all the plus points, improvements, small touches. Answer questions and take as long as you like....offer them a cuppa so that they feel some kind of attachment to the place.
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That's true from the seller's point of view, but the property forums are full of buyers who don't like that.
They feel they have to be polite, rather than say to just an accompanying agent they won't be buying because the Mrs hates the wallpaper in the cupboard under the stairs.
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>>That's true from the seller's point of view, but the property forums are full of buyers who don't like that.
They feel they have to be polite, rather than say to just an accompanying agent they won't be buying because the Mrs hates the wallpaper in the cupboard under the stairs.
Yeah, nice one :) .. we never met the owner of this property at all at all. She was in her 80's and covid was at its worse 18 months ago - we only viewed it once believe it or not (not a good idea!)
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>>Point out all the plus points, improvements, small touches. Answer questions and take as long as you like....offer them a cuppa so that they feel some kind of attachment to the place.
Yup, although I have sold a property where I didn't think it would be suitable for a particular couple, and told 'em so.
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>> >> I don't mind doing the viewings myself, in fact I prefer it in a
>> way
Estate agents dont, They know how to sell a house, its their job, they know how to do it, they get rewarded on it. You don't. Plus points are obvious, small touches dont matter, improvements are of no interest (no-one cares what it was like before), its all about location, kerb appeal, suitability and a certain overall unexplained "thing"
However, second viewing, its different. then its time for the home owner to extend the lurve
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Yup, you're right of course, although from my experience of selling 10 properties, the viewers more or less know whether said property is for them or not, by checking it out on Rightmove/streetview/satellite etc.
They even have video tours too these days, as there was when we bought this property.
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When we moved last year, we looked at 10/12 properties. None of the viewings were by estate agents. Whether they was covid rules i don't know. Didn't bother me one way or the other.
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Edit, one viewing was done an estate agent.
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>> Much more sun (and less rain!!) in England last week than here in Portugal. The
>> forecast for our remaining two weeks doesn't look great either :-(
Dont shoot yourself, we are getting snowed on on Thursday.
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Going to Ireland mid-May on the bike. Rain is guaranteed !
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Wild Atlantic Way?
I have been giving it some research.
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After a lull in the rain...it was lovely weather when I flew home last Friday, and the two following days. ...remaining friends tell me the rain was continuous yesterday and still raining today.
Heavy snow on the flanks of Aitana, but Summer is just around the corner, and walking conditions when I return in May will be considerably drier underfoot.
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Down on the Costa del Sol they have had years of semi drought - they desperately need rain for both agriculture and the tourists (who tend to waste lots)
We occasionally go to Lake Vinuela (some decent restaurants overlooking the lake) about 20 miles NE of Malage. It holds and supplies water to much of the coast east of Malaga. When we left about 3 weeks ago it was ~20% full. A dry spring would be a real problem.
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When we turned up in Portugal at end Feb the property owner (who we know fairly well now) was saying how much they need rain down here, for the same reasons.
We go home on Friday and I should think they've now had enough for the year!!! LOL Never mind, we're back in Sept and just booked here for March & Sept 2023.
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Guadalest reservoir was 20% full late February. Late March it was overflowing...
Looking down on it last Thursday from across the valley I’ve never seen it so full.
The vineyards in the Jalon valley were waterlogged, and Spanish friends with small holdings were bogged down.
I’ve never seen so much standing water.
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Had my annual trip to Beni a few weeks ago..tram ( Light Rail) hourly service from Teulada. An hours interesting journey, tapas in La Cava Aragonesa, tram back after 3 hours. More than enough time for me.
The tram will eventually run from Denia in the north, to Alicante, its years late, a host of problems....diesel powered on the northern sections because of a host of old tunnels, change at Beni onto electric power for the journey to Alicante.
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I've never been to Beni, and always 'looked down my nose' at it, but since following Lucy for the last year or so I can see that it could be quite a fun place, in small doses :)
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Quite right Dog.
In my case 3 hours.
There’s a nice walk from Albir ...tough uphill to the masts, then undulating through the Parc Natural de la Serra Gelada, eventually reaching the northern end of Beni. Great views in all directions, seeing the sweep of Beni directly in front and below you.
I then catch the first bus back to Albir/Altea.
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I quite like the old town, particularly in the evening when the locals go out promenading. Haven't been there for years, I wonder if it's still the same.
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You're 'living the life' leglad (good for you!) I've not had a decent walk for 18 months, which is why we're moving.
Drove to Bolventor yesterday, parked up by the Jamaica Inn and had a walk on t'moor - miss it BIG time.
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The rain in Spain - sooty123
