To Infinity and Beyond


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It’s almost a year since we first visited The Red House. I still pinch myself that we are here, that we actually managed to make this move happen. I know that many of you will wonder why the hell we decided to sell 88 after we’d invested so much time, energy, love and money. You probably think we are nuts and you wouldn’t be far wrong.  An explanation shouldn’t really be necessary but I’d like to give one as quite a few people were concerned that we had hit the skids and that the move was due to something horrible. Please rest assured that it was nothing like that. The fact is that after only a few months Mrs Mop had the most horrible deep sinking feeling that she’d embarked along the wrong career path. And not only that, she also realised that she disliked living in a small town. Try explaining that to a long suffering husband who had spent the past two and half years dealing with builders, doing accounts, worrying about money and then finally had found a house that he truly loved, a studio that had been purpose built for his beloved printing press …this change of heart from Mrs Mop was going to need handling with not just diplomacy but with the finest of kid gloves.

I wasn’t sure quite how to break the news to Irishman that I felt this way. I knew that he’d be upset, angry even. I knew in my waters that this rapid volte face of mine was going to be a rude shock for him and that I was going to have to think up an extremely cunning plan if I was to pull this off. Fortunately by the end of October, both of us were exhausted and ready for a break. We’d had such a fantastic start to our business that we’d not stopped for eight months.  A few days away would do us both a world of good.

In between pan swilling and bed changes, I’d been spending time doing research on Galicia. Neither of us had ever visited this corner of North west Spain but I’d heard reports that it was very beautiful and quite different from the south. The more I read up about it, the more I wanted to visit. However, if my cunning plan was to work, I needed to have some structure, something to get my teeth in to, something truly marvellous to lure Irishman away from Andalucia, not just for a mini break but permanently . I studied the map. Galicia isn’t small. It has over 1,660 kilometres of coastline and is made up of four provinces. Pontevedra in the south which borders with Portugal,  land locked Ourense to the right of that, A Coruña in the top left hand corner and Lugo on the top right. I ruled out Ourense on the grounds of it not having any coastline.

Purely on the merits of what I’d seen on Google and YouTube, Galicia started to really resonate with me. So much so in fact that I made some appointments to view houses when we were up there. A rather foolish thing to do since I hadn’t yet broached the subject of my change of heart to Irishman plus, all of our funds were tied up in 88. If I saw a house I loved, I’d not be able to do a thing about it until we’d sold up. This arse over tit approach is something that I seem to do with alarming alacrity.

Our week long break was booked for the start of November and as we started our 1,000 kilometre, nine hour drive up to the north of Spain, it seemed an appropriate moment to tell Irishman about my new plan. He’d be forced to listen and he couldn’t escape because we were driving at high speed up a motorway. The news, as expected, went down like a lead balloon. Irishman like myself can be very obstinate and to be fair, he put up a good counter argument to my case. ‘Well, you don’t have to continue running the business, we can just stay there and it can be our home’ ‘But I don’t want to live in a town anymore’ was my speedy, well rehearsed response.  ‘I want to be surrounded by nature, I need greenery and birdsong and peacefulness’ and so the bickering and arguing continued all the way to As Pontes de Garcia Rodriguez, our first port of call.

To be continued…

 

 

 

 

 

29 thoughts on “To Infinity and Beyond”

  1. Well, that’s a turn of events! My father was from Ourense, although it’s been a while since I’ve visited the rest of Galicia. Mind you, the weather there is very similar to England, perhaps the summers slightly better. The food is good though, and people are nice. And gorgeous, for sure… Oh well, I look forward to the rest of the story.

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    1. Hello Olga, I’ve yet to visit Ourense but it’s on my list. I don’t mind the weather, so far it’s been really good. And rain, well I’m one of those crazy people who prefer walking on beaches in the winter. The food is divine, especially the bread and fish.

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    2. Oh you sound just like me, as that’s what I do. To marks to the Irishman for going with your dream. Life is too short to be doing something that’s not you.
      Good luck with the future xx

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    1. Thank you, Rod. It’s been a ridiculously long time since I last posted anything. Yes, it was an interesting drive 🙈 more soon and lots of pictures. Lovely to hear from you.

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  7. Betty. I love reading your blogs always so honest. Looking forward to parts 2 and beyond. I hope the red house has a guest room as we will come and visit

    Joey

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    1. Ahh, my wonderful Joey, thank you 🙏 I may be a little too honest sometimes but hey, that’s the way I roll . Mil besos 😘 and shout when you’re this side of the world, we should have a bathroom by then 😂

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  9. At last, my blogger friend has written a new post. I had almost given up hope but here you are, at it again and more splendid than ever. I am so impressed, for it seems that with time you just continue to get better and better and manage to make your words zing with an intrigue as well. I have wanted to go to Instagram to follow you there but alas I just did not want to take on yet another social media site to keep up with. I had penned you an email and then figured that you are so busy with renovations, (and knowing that you would answer immediately), I just did not send.. I happy for you. I think this is YOUR spot of heaven on earth, I know it would be for me, if I were in your shoes. The pics that you had sent me back in the spring wetted my appetite to see more of Galicia. And, oh the house, that once was part barn- now that is fascinating. I hope all the pets are adjusted and all of you, pets included are well.

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    1. Dearest Yvonne, I feel crap that I’ve not written the follow up email to you but I shall and, hopefully you’ll glean quite a bit from these posts. I’m hoping to write next instalment today. You always say the nicest things and it inspires and encourages me to pull my finger out and get on with the blog which has lain dormant for so long . Don’t worry about Instagram, you havent the time for more social media , you’ll see lots of photos on here so don’t worry. Big fat loving hugs from me xxxxxxxx p.s all the gang are very very happy and settled. They love it here

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      1. Lottie, thank you. I am looking forward to the next installment with much anticipation. I must hurry and finish this comment. Just got a call from the electric company that work is about to be done on the meter and electricity will be off for a bit. Many hugs. xxxxxxx

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  10. I wondered what was happening? I could sense you were going to try something else. Those spontaneous moves are so exhilarating. I remember visiting different countries and Helvi had to drag me away from putting a deposit down on a house there and then.
    I am curious what this adventure will hold for you both. Nice to see you back, Lottie

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    1. Wonderful to hear from you Gerard and thank you for your vote of confidence 😀 I’ve gone from writing nothing for months to posting twice today. Hope you all well and look forward to catching up with your blog now I’m back on the internet xx

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  11. Forced to listen because of the nine hour drive – a perfect plan. I must do this with my husband. I so want to live with nature, I no longer enjoy the city, in fact I hate it and after our month long camping vacation out west, the feeling was just reinforced.

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