Hello dear Hivers!
Coming back here in Spain is an awkward feeling now that I am travelling alone. We planned last year to come back in Sept. until the husband suffered his ill-fated cardiac arrest 2 weeks before the flight. We used to come here in Fall around the end of September of each year and spent about four months just to get away from cold Central Europe. I can understand why the Northerners love to have their 2nd home here. I have Norwegian, British, Belgian, German and French neighbors. Although we live up on the mountains of Torrox, we are not really alone. The hills are about 400 meters above the Mediterranean Sea and from our place, it's about 4 Km down to the coast.
The Flight
I booked my flight online, everything here is done online. I arrived at the airport very early at 6:30 AM since I did not know whether there were new rules for outgoing passengers. There are no counters anymore at the airport, everyone needs to get their own luggage tags from a monitor, then drop the luggage at a designated conveyor that would specify if the luggage is a standard one based on the ticket booked. There is a service team that would help out if passengers encounter difficulties with their flights. My flight for 3 hours was delayed by 30 minutes.
Purpose of this Trip....not a vacation
My purpose of coming here is to get documents for the estate of my husband that will be needed to finalize the processing of his testament in Vienna. When I arrived , the first thing I did was to check the house inside. I was so glad that everything was in order during our absence. I was astounded when I saw the facade of the house, it has a brown color, as a result of the Calima/sandstorm from the Sahara that hit Southern Spain for 3 days in March.
The following day, Saturday my friend and his wife came to help me with opening the garage. I am thankful that after 17 months of absence, the car sprung as soon as the battery got connected. I still have to get the car inspected for the 2024 sticker though.
to see them....Henri Matisse
The Succulent Garden
Cactus and succulents are the best plants to have in a Mediterranean garden, the soil here is dry and rocky. It is also suggested by garden centers that these types of plants can survive even without rain. My garden grew so wild despite it not watered all throughout the 17 months.
There has been an ongoing drought in Spain and they all said that the dam in Malaga has only a water reserve of 10%. The farmers here who have avocado and mango plantations have been suffering due to shortage of water and the less harvests have spiked the prices of avocados and mangoes in the market even affecting Central and West Europe.
The spines are deadly and could pinch the tires of a SUV. I got a small example of this from the coast and thought they were beautiful because of their flowers....little did I know that it would multiply rapidly. Ten years after I planted it, I now have hired someone to remove this cactus from the plot. Below is its flower.
The View
It's a 360° view from our plot. We acquired the plot before the house so that nobody could build a house there that would distract the view to the coast. All plots around us are plantations of either avocados, mangoes or olive trees.
once the skies are blue.
State of the Facade....Before and after the Calima/Sandstorm
So this is how the walls of the house look like as of this writing, all brown. It will all be washed up using a hydro-water pump and someone will be doing this coming weekend.
My gosh, I am glad that the internet antenna was not damaged. I have ordered the internet provider to install back the line a day before I arrived.
We get our water from a private community of shareholders who is getting them from top of the mountain. We see to it that our 30K Liter water tank is full before we leave for home every time. Because of the water shortage, I climbed up this ladder crossing my fingers and checked our water last Sunday…. and the level was full, thank heavens.
It is kind of stressy to be here alone with all the work involved, but somehow it is challenging, and I somehow do not worry since we have many Spanish friends who are able to help as well as expat neighbors just around the corner. I hope to be back to home base soon as I am done with the purpose here. I know that I will still come back in a short time.
Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. Enjoy your day!
Xoxo,
Mers
[//]:# (!pinmapple 36.75380 lat -3.95132 long Torrox, Malaga, Andalucia d3scr)
Your home is so lovely with such an amazing view of the sea. I love all your photos of the cacti and succulents and I know that is a lot to take care of by oneself. Thankfully you have so many to lean on for assistance. I am so sorry about your husband, that must be so difficult for you, especially having to come back to your home alone. Love and hugs to you. ♥
Dear @sunscape, thank you for your lovely comment. I did the trimming of the Agave, the last time I was here, it was a hard job, but it wasn't hot back then because we were here during the winter season. The main thing now was to get rid of the spined cactus austrocylindricaopuntia which I got in small size with beautiful flowers, little did I know that it is very dangerous because of its spine and it multiplied rapidly. Really glad that the whole lot was taken off the plot.
As far as my own self is concerned, yes it was hard particularly the first 3 months but as time goes by, I changed my mindset and began taking care of myself since my health suffered from the tragic event. I guess myself is healing now and say life must go on! Love and hugs to you from humid Andalusia!
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Thank you so much for the support. Have a nice day!
You're welcome @mers, it's well deserved! Congrats on your constant involvement on Hive 😊👍
I'm glad you have friends there who are willing to lend a helping hand. It takes a lot of labor to run a house by yourself, and the dry weather will only make you feel more worn out. Pls be careful climbing that ladder too🥺 Stay hydrated and keep safe po!
Thanks a lot! Yeah, I need to be careful coz after I climbed to the top, I stumbled and fell of the top of the tank which is rough and I had a cut on the knee..although it was just superficial...nothing to worry about. Glad you dropped by.
Despite the sparse vegetation, it is still a good view from your terrace. Too bad though the color of your house turned from white to brown.
The color is not a thing, just wash off with hydro cleaning machine and it will become white again... Thanks..
It sounds like you've had a busy time in Spain, but you're also enjoying the challenge. I'm glad to hear that your water tank is full, and that you have friends and neighbors who are able to help out. I hope you have a smooth trip home, and that you'll be able to come back to Spain soon.
I really enjoyed the photos you included in your post. The view from your plot is amazing, and the succulents in your garden are beautiful. I'm also impressed that you've been able to keep your garden alive even though it hasn't been watered in 17 months!
Yep, that was an astonishment that despite our absence that long, the garden is still alive. Ufortunately, the exterior walls are full of sands which had to be removed. I have a spanish local who will do the job this weekend using a hydro cleaner. Actually, I have tried a portion of the wall using just water with a dish soap and it was not hard and it went well.
As for the water, the connection of water in our neighborhood is always open (all the time) so that when water is rationed we do not have to worry about opening the tubes. The tank has a bouy anyway that automatically stops when it is full.
I will be staying for a while to finish some paperworks with the Lawyer, so I may still stay until August. The problem here is actually the heat and humidity, I´ve heard it will be more than 40°C the next days.
Thank you for leaving lovely comments, am glad you like the images. Have a nice day!
A weekend of different emotions. It must have been a very bittersweet feeling to go back there, on one hand your husband is no longer with you but you might have many memories associated with that place.
The place is beautiful and your house didn't suffer too much, you will soon be able to make the necessary repairs.
Hi, thanks for dropping by..Yeah, happy memories are for keeping. Except for the sandstorm which will be cleaned soon, the house sustained the test of time, no damage except for the awning which is a minor thing..
Init diay kaayo diha Mam no? Dagko kaayo imong cactus and succulents. Pag-uso ani sa pandemic, apil2 pud kog plantita pero karon wala na tanan hehe.
Init mo lang, everyone is suffering kay humid kaayo, gasigi paningot if mugawas ka sa balay.
Keep safe all the time and extend my regards to RAFAEL NADAL❤️❤️❤️!
Hahaha..don't worry will extend your greetings to Nadal. Thank you
Spain alternative namo og di makauli sa Pinas. hehe
Init lang kaayo dai if Summer ug very humid... Nindot ra unta sa Winter.
haha oo mao gyud ang ampay sa akong pares ang super ka init kay sige sya sun bathing. naka anha rami twice september to october kay di kaayo daghan tawo and cheaper ang rental. hehe
ampay sad nako magpa init hinuon.
aw dali na diri.....kay duol ra baya ang Spain sa France.
haha og pwede lage ron, ang akong kinamagwangan mo school na karong september mao wala sa miy laag Spain karon nga year. gepatagbaw lang gyud mi last year and two years ago. :D
wa pa mi ka laag sa Andalucia. naa mi dapit sa Calp nag stay then naka visit pod sa Valencia.
I like the design of your house @mers super cute. And, hmm you have also that pencil plant we call it pobreng kahoy here...
I planted this pencil plant before we left for Vienna..it was very small at first and I was surprised when I saw it after 17 months with no watering. Thanks.
what a beatiful landscape, a little desert but still be beauty :D
Thank you, glad you like the area.
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You are so blessed ma'am @mers to have have a beautiful house like that. The location and steadiness and the plants are lovely too. My daughter loves to have a cactus 😊😊
Thank you ..the house also needs attention and maintenance. You should be careful when your daughter gets a cactus plant..better buy her a succulent that does not have thorns.