# Dear fellow forum friends



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

March the 4th 20019.
The date we thought things would change. Hans had the catheter for 1 whole year on this date, on the 5th of March he had the prostate operation and after that was when things really started to go wrong. You all helped me through the next 5 months and have continued to listen to my ups and downs.

So now I want you to know it´s now starting to go up and hopefully no more downs.

Walking Motley this afternoon I realised I can never leave this place, OK its a quiet village with no entertainment, but at the moment I am extremely lucky and its my turn to sympathise with most of you because you don´t have a garden, the view I have or live in a quiet village where you can walk away from any houses.

I am finding it very easy keeping busy, every now and then I stop, have a cup of something and sit here at the computer either `talking´ to one of my 3 forums or talking to and sometimes seeing friends on Facebook messenger or WhatsApp, watch something on one of the many options over internet, playing with or walking Motley or even just watching him sleep. I will be talking with a friend on video tonight and Heike has just said we can talk tomorrow afternoon. 
I think as time goes on you will also be using these facilities even if you haven't used them before.

I do hope I never bore you by telling you the silly things I some times do, but your always there for me to tell and I take advantage of that, 
As I have said before, when this is all over I hope I will meet some of you on my travels, but until we can all start travelling again, look after yourselves and don´t take any risks, it´s better to be overcautious.

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What we saw on our walk today. 
The sheep with their little lambs, they didn't pass me by on the road though I passed them :grin2:



This tree is one of those amazing trees that looks dead, but in a few weeks it will be as green as the rest, it already had green grass growing on it.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I'm very happy for you that you want to stay there Jan. It looks a very beautiful place.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Jan,

I am delighted to read your thoughts on where you are, we also have made the decision to stay where we are, not that we could easily go anywhere else.

We have each other, you have your memories of being together - probably more vibrant than you ever thought possible, or sights, like yours are the things to treasure - I feel very sorry for those that have no access to such experiences and for whom it is simply four walls - I am very much reminded of "four grey walls that surround me" an extract from a Tom Jones song that probably lives in all of our memories "The Green, Green Grass of Home". Such things are what has formed us as we grew up and remain with us now as we near our twilight years (?).

Our thoughts are with you and please continue to share your lovely pictures for those without such privileges.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

So glad that you are feeling so positive about your future, Jan. The countryside is food for the soul. When I heard that you were working hard on your German it did make me wonder if your plans were formulating for you to stay in your lovely spot.

Though not as quiet as your village, our situation is very similar. We are on the edge of ours and look out over green fields with a copse of trees next door. We have a natural pond, that attracts all sorts of wildlife, that we bless and then double bless when it needs attention! There is an ancient bridle path directly opposite us that leads to a small river across fields. I love the community spirit of our village. There is a village shop and post office and a school. We have lived there for nearly forty years now.
Chris, after attending a fellow villagers funeral, asked me what I would do if he died as we had heard that the widow was going to move. I immediately said, without thinking, "stay here". I had been so touched by the packed church full of friends that I resolved that at least for the foreseeable future it would be where we lived our lives. 
As you say technology is a marvellous help if we are far apart. It can also be turned off


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Agree with above. I couldnt move back to the town now. Nothing but fields and hills behind our house for twenty miles where the land rises up to the Pennines. Its even more peaceful now. Michelle went out walking down the lanes yesterday and never saw a sole or a vehicle. Certainly no other place I would rather be right now.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

It's so good to hear you content Jan!

I live just a couple of miles from the centre of Belfast but right beside me is the old railway line that is now a walkway which will take me, in 25mins or so, down to the busy Holywood Arches, or the other way, all the way to Comber (not done that!) And less than 10mins away is the very vibrant Ballyhackamore which is coming down with coffee shops n eateries (obviously very quiet at the moment).

I consider myself very lucky to have the best of both worlds.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Just to compete with Jan's photos this is one from here. I took some rubbish to the bins this afternoon and then went into the campo behind the house with the dogs. I was thinking how lovely it was, and how lucky we are to live here, so I took this photograph.

The horizon at the end of the track is the Med.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Love it Ernest 

Yes you are lucky, enjoy it 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We live in a town but have a lovely secret garden

We are also surrounded by kids and grandkids 

The van gives us access to places new under normal circumstances 

The fish, whilst not yet jumping are more active 

Albert can find lots of beautiful locations within a ten mile radius to cycle 

Local shops are full of fruit and food 

Yep we are lucky too

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

erneboy said:


> Just to compete with Jan's photos this is one from here. I took some rubbish to the bins this afternoon and then went into the campo behind the house with the dogs. I was thinking how lovely it was, and how lucky we are to live here, so I took this photograph.
> 
> The horizon at the end of the track is the med.


Thats settled then, I´ll definitely be bumping into you sometime, but it won´t be by accident :grin2:

It is so nice to hear that I am not the only one who doesn't have to be shut in all day to be isolated.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Have you moved into the house Alan?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

erneboy said:


> Just to compete with Jan's photos this is one from here. I took some rubbish to the bins this afternoon and then went into the campo behind the house with the dogs. I was thinking how lovely it was, and how lucky we are to live here, so I took this photograph.
> 
> The horizon at the end of the track is the Med.


That is just about the coolest car ever. You cant feel like there is much wrong with the world bombing about the orchards and vineyards in that. Partly why I want to get me fecking scooter working so at least when I feel a bit better I can either blast it across the back field or down the lane in the sun and pretend Im in Provence.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Just started digging out tins and jars of foods from 'THE' corner cupboard and we are having bean sprouts tonight best before 30/07/08.
I know we have some older ones buried at the back and will look forward to finding them.

Ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

raynipper said:


> Just started digging out tins and jars of foods from 'THE' corner cupboard and we are having bean sprouts tonight best before 30/07/08.
> I know we have some older ones buried at the back and will look forward to finding them.
> 
> Ray.


Oh Ray, thanks for my early morning laugh. We girls do have some insight don´t ya know.

I think I have found almost everything thats out of date now and eating them first.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

jiwawa said:


> Have you moved into the house Alan?


Not yet Jean. The builder is Joaquin who lives 100 yds away, you met him and Maria. He's doing the laminate floors at the minute, we just stay away and let him get on with it. When the restrictions ease there's some electrical work and plumbing to do. I expect we'll be able to furnish it in around six weeks or so. Looking forward to it. I've promised Jan some photos once it looks tidy but here's one for now. It's not a big house, more of a studio apartment I suppose. Two bedrooms, big living room with kitchen at one end and two bathrooms. The covered terrace is very big because we can spend so much time outside here. The whole main roof is also a terrace with nice views. Mountains in the distance on three sides and the Med to the East.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

That looks super Alan,, 2 bathrooms? or a bathroom and a shower and loo room? because you´ve been without a big bathroom for so many years whilst in Spayne?

You must be getting butterflies now you´re getting so close. to finishing.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

No bath Jan. Toulouse with showers. We'll put a hot tub outside I think, and maybe a pool. Not sure yet. 

Bit short of cash now. Need to sell a holiday home in Ireland before we do much more.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

erneboy said:


> No bath Jan. Toulouse with showers. We'll put a hot tub outside I think, and maybe a pool. Not sure yet.
> 
> Bit short of cash now. Need to sell a holiday home in Ireland before we do much more.


We never built a bath in either, the shower is what I think they call a wet room these day, with a seat built into the wall with the same tiles, 2 could shower together very easily in there, not that we ever did 0 she says :laugh:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes, I can't imagine ever needing a bath again but estate agents always grizzle if there isn't one. Not saying your thinking of selling Alan.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Traditional showers in cabinets Jan, though one is a hydromassage type. I haven't enjoyed the wet rooms I've used. It seems to me the whole floor needs drying afterwards, or else the room needs to be very big. These are smallish rooms. Joaquin wanted wet rooms, and lots of other Spanish preferences. More or less every day we get a lecture about how things are done "aqui en España". To which the answer is that we aren't Spanish.

For instance having completely tiled both bathrooms and the kitchen floor to ceiling he wanted to tile the floors throughout too. All along I've been expressing concerns about building a Spanish echo chamber, which many of their buildings are. There are just so many hard surfaces. This house is small but if you clap your hands in it the echoes go on for half an hour, almost. I think we can fix that though. The Spanish seem completely oblivious to how loud their buildings are.

Joaquin wanted to paint the place white inside and out. We over ruled him. The living room is a kind of clay/peach/terracotta, one bedroom a bright yellow and the other a soft green. Joaquin tell us this is not a Spanish look. Good, that was the intention.

We wanted the outside to be a mustard colour, but he rendered it with a bright white silica based mortar which we haven't got the heart to paint over. He tells us the render will remain bright white permanently, which admittedly is much better than having to paint every few years as the paintwork gets scruffy. We'll see. 

He's done the full modern Spanish insulation thing which consists of cavity walls with the inside of the outer wall covered in a thick coating of a very dense spray on insulation foam. The roof is also coated with it and tiled on top. The idea is to keep heat and cold in or out depending on the season.

He wanted a concrete staircase to the roof. We overruled him on that feeling that the spiral could be a feature rather than something we'd want to hide behind the house.

There will be air conditioning throughout. It get towards 40 degrees here in Summer, couldn't do without it really but we'll have a few traditional fans to move the cold air around and for the look too. The AC is reversible for air heat pump type heating and the figures make the heating look very efficient. 

He got his way on lots of other things and there's no doubt he can do pretty much anything with concrete, which is why he loves to work with it. It's as much his house as it is ours. He's spared no effort in the detailing and it is a superb job. He's a good lad and after 8 months of working for us we are still best mates. Though we haven't had a few beers of an evening since the virus closed things down. Next week when the clock changes we'll be able to do it outside at a distance, maybe.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I understand your echo chamber comment completely Alan, we unfortunately have concrete ceilings that were recommended by the builder, and the ceilings are higher than they were in England, Hans could touch the ceilings without standing on anything their he couldn´t here. What we should have done was have the ceilings lined with some sort of boards (forget what they are called) but they are all papered and it doesn't dull the echo. We have underfloor heating and they said we must have tiles for it to work properly, we ignored them and have carpet through out and it works perfectly, we also have heavy lined to the floor curtains in the living area, paper on all walls, but it still doesn't cut out the echo completely, we got used to it after a while, but whenever we have been away, coming back into the sound in the house is always strange for a few hours.
As we I have underfloor heating the drying of the shower area is no problem in winter and summer with the all round warmth no problem either.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

By the way, :grin2: we dint stay friends with our builder, we took him to court for shoddy workmanship and won.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I wish we had just put a bloody decent shower in here when we had the whole bathroom done a few years back. Its a right PIA now. We went for an over bath shower and the flipping grouting down the side of the bath keeps failing when I take a shower and water leaks below in the dining room ceiling so Im having to take baths now all the time which is a right PIA with Arthritis. Mrs D wouldnt hear of it though and insisted on a traditional bath with a shower in it at the time. Wasnt too much of an issue before as we were at the gym and pool most days but now it is. 

Looks great that place Alan. Will you still tour in the RV though?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

As we have tended to spend time in Portugal and Spain out of season and in winter, we can attest to most houses being cold unless in full sun. Lots of concrete takes so much warming up.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

barryd said:


> I wish we had just put a bloody decent shower in here when we had the whole bathroom done a few years back. Its a right PIA now. We went for an over bath shower and the flipping grouting down the side of the bath keeps failing when I take a shower and water leaks below in the dining room ceiling so Im having to take baths now all the time which is a right PIA with Arthritis. Mrs D wouldnt hear of it though and insisted on a traditional bath with a shower in it at the time. Wasnt too much of an issue before as we were at the gym and pool most days but now it is.
> 
> Looks great that place Alan. Will you still tour in the RV though?


Don't know Barry. It's an option if we get itchy feet. We aren't going to sell it. It'll make an excellent spare room in any case. We'd use it if we had visitors and leave them the house.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

This is the unfinished room, I think a lot of people have those when they build a house. The paper is upstairs where it has been for the past 13 or so years waiting to be stuck on the wall, but there was always something else that was more important to do, like in the Navajo :grin2:
When this period is over I´ll get someone to do it, not me coz I´m not climbing any ladders.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

erneboy said:


> Not yet Jean.


That looks lovely Alan! Is it close to where the RV was/is?


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Yes Jean, could hardly be closer. Just need a gate into the bar. Maybe.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Very handy!! Are you in the New Plots area?


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Yes Jean. Handy to the bar/restaurant.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

barryd said:


> I wish we had just put a bloody decent shower in here when we had the whole bathroom done a few years back. Its a right PIA now. We went for an over bath shower and the flipping grouting down the side of the bath keeps failing when I take a shower and water leaks below in the dining room ceiling so Im having to take baths now all the time which is a right PIA with Arthritis. Mrs D wouldnt hear of it though and insisted on a traditional bath with a shower in it at the time. Wasnt too much of an issue before as we were at the gym and pool most days but now it is.
> 
> Looks great that place Alan. Will you still tour in the RV though?


Barry, it is not the grout that is the problem. it is what is under the tile that should be water proof. Sorry to say it was not built properly.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

erneboy said:


> Don't know Barry. It's an option if we get itchy feet. We aren't going to sell it. It'll make an excellent spare room in any case. *We'd use it if we had visitors and leave them the house*.


Great idea! Whens its ready? Will there be a fully stocked booze cabinet?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

jhelm said:


> Barry, it is not the grout that is the problem. it is what is under the tile that should be water proof. Sorry to say it was not built properly.


Bloody Georgian Britain eh!! Either them then back in 1760 or more likely that mad Scottish Plumber who fitted the bathroom ten years ago.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

barryd said:


> Great idea! Whens its ready? Will there be a fully stocked booze cabinet?


No. I can't figure it out. It keeps emptying it's self, like dark magic.


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## eurajohn (May 9, 2005)

Alan, you've probably realised by now but the clocks went forward last night, not next week.

.


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