Ah, summer, what power you have
To make us suffer and like it!
Russell Baker (b.1925)
The summer so far, has been both very hot and very busy for us. So much so, that I have not have the time to file the June journal in its own right, but have had to combine this with the July one instead.
Confirmation of the arrival of summer proper has been heralded by the bee-eater birds - easily distinguished by their ‘spitfire’ type silhouette and unique call - joining the swallows and martins; together with the post meridiem rasping of the cicadas, throughout the valley below us. We abandon the T.V. for the summer months, and instead we spend our ‘at home’ evenings sitting on our balcony/terrace, playing cards or board games, enjoying nature’s spectacle and sounds, as a fascinating side show.
For one week in June our hectic routine was broken by a visit by friends from England who stayed with us here in Moraira – having just committed to the purchase of a villa in Cyprus. They were surprised to find such a verdant and spectacular landscape here, and were a quite upset to find that a comparable property here – even in the relatively expensive Northern Costa Blanca – can be available now at around € 5- 600,000, whereas they are having to wait about two years and pay €1m for a 150m2 ‘Eurobox’. Add to that the extra cost and duration of the flights to Cyprus and the comprehensive infrastructure and facilities here in Spain, it’s no wonder the Costas remain the No.1 destination for those looking to ‘buy in the sun’.
In order to bury any possible remaining prejudice they may have harboured about the Costa Blanca, we took them on one of our most popular visitor’s trips, to the mountain peak village of Guadalest which is only about 20km inland from Benidorm, and then - horror of all horrors – to Benidorm itself (see photos)! We can report that they were very impressed with the first destination and equally surprised with the second.
We spent much time –as usual – titillating the taste buds of our visitors by introducing them to the local eateries, from pavement tapas bars to the restaurants of the waterfront and the nearby mountains. Everything from the local fish and prawns to suckling pig was consumed with gusto. Whilst the spit roast piggy comes at a premium, we were impressed, as always, with our five course lunch (including unlimited wine) fixed at under €15 at one of our other favourite mountain restaurants, in the Jalon Valley.
There is no change to report on the weather front: Clear blue skies, hot and dry (but no water shortage measures). Our pool has settled on a temperature of 29ºc (84ºf) and is a very welcome sanctuary after a long and hot day’s work.
Moving back to non-food related issues: It seems that the tally of international conquests for the region continues to gather pace. There is a good chance that the outcome of the America’s Cup yacht racing series will result in its return to Valencia for the next contest. In addition, it has been confirmed that the same location shall host a second Formula 1 Grand Prix in Spain in 2008 (provisionally, 24th August), under the title of the European GP. Also, we read that Hollywood film director – Roman Polanski has chosen Alicante to base the filming of his $130m epic – ‘Pompeii’, starring Brad Pitt & Robert DeNero.
Meanwhile, back to more earthly matters, we are now at the end of July and the holiday season is well underway. For the next six to eight weeks we shall head inland to the mountains, rather than the beaches and waterfront. There are very few hotels in our local towns and it seems fair to say that the property rental market, on which our holiday makers have to rely, reflects the current state of the property sales market: There seems to be no letup in demand from renters and buyers, just an increase in supply which, while it lasts, has created a rare ‘buyer’s market’ situation in the area. This is now starting to bring a fresh impetus to the market which should shortly result in a return to a more normal market equilibrium. Although we are very busy with client enquiries during what is generally perceived to be the dead summer months, we await with interest September and October, when traditionally the property market picks up strongly from its summer torpor.
Chris Garwood
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the photograph
View my other journals
2007
January / February / March / April / May /
June / July & August / September
2008
March / April
