Thursday 31 July 2008

Rain rain rain

Rain rain rain what a washout the last few days have been, confined to the caravan most of each day the boys are getting cabin fever, and we are not managing to do all the visits to our favourite places we had planned. Trevedra has proved to be a great site to stay on although I am glad we are in a caravan rather than a tent; it does look a bit dismal for the campers. Having a wireless internet network across the site is a real boon the signal is usually excellent so i can keep in touch with work and friends at any time here.
Looking out side at the Longships light a dark outline surrounded by white water with a gloomy sky and a grey sea it looks more like November than July.

Monday 28 July 2008

Our Picture


Here is a copy of the picture we were given, it catches the Chip shop wave and looks across to Nanquidno and Cape Cornwall.

Sunday 27 July 2008

Leaving party

This afternoon we were at a leaving party on Sennen harbour beach, we were overwhelmed as to how many people turned out, Sennen really is a special place full of special people. There were loads of children doing surfing and kayaking and paddling and chasing and sliding down the lifeboat ramp in fish boxes and jumping off things and loads of other games that children in the cove have played for generations to get to grips with the reality of the world and discover their limitations and abilities. There were cakes a plenty, spectacular special cakes. I just now asked Callum what was his favourite part of the day and he said he loved the cakes they were the highlight of the day for him. Rowan has gone to sleep but judging by the rate at which he downed the cakes and the fact that he actually stopped talking for a while they were a high spot for him too. Thank you Cakemakers of Sennen and thanks to everyone for the lovely painting we have always loved the view from Sennen towards Cape Cornwall and now it will be with us every day in our new home. We watched the lifeboats launching and saw brave young men Jenny and I had both had worked with in their early school years now standing proud as an integral part of this essential service. It is a beautiful almost romantic event on a sunny July day with bright postcard colours but this all belies the reality of night launches into the teeth of winter gales heading out against raging seas to face unknown dangers; I have seen a few of those over the years - that's way more than brave that is. Chatting to friends about times in the waves brought back shared memories some of them going back 20 years ago still as clear as if they had happened a few days ago, I must have watched, sat on, swum under and in, played with been stoked and mauled by waves since almost as far back as I can remember - countless waves and each one unique and beautiful beyond words, thanks for bringing some of them back to life guys. There was such a sense of community, villages need days like this one and lots of them, it was particularly wonderful to see so many children together on the same bit of beach at the same time, there was a lot of 'looking out for each other' and helping, sharing, careing and exploring together. The harbour is a such an asset, a safe haven and effective training ground, from amongst these young ones will emerge more lifeboat crew and lifeguards and surf instructors; people with the sea in their veins. How can we leave all of this behind ? For me I think its not like a proper leaving, not a severance, we will always be pulled back to Sennen for holidays and we hope lots of our friends will come over to Galicia for holidays too.

BTW neither of us managed to take any photos if anyone has any we would love some via email.

Our House


We did not take many pictures of our house here is one of it nestled next to the eucalyptus trees.



And the view from the garden looking East.

Here are the Brisons photographed from Porth Nanven near Cape Cornwall they lie about a mile offshore and are often said to resemble DeGaul lying on his back in the sea, several other characters can be seen from sea level as you paddle or motor round them. A lone sea lion took up residency for many years and seals can still be seen out there although not as many as there used to be. A shallow reef extends from them towards Nanquidno and holds a wonderful wave on big South Westerly swells. Many ships were wrecked there in the past and some sad stories playes out as wild seas crashed over them in days gone by.

Saturday 26 July 2008

School

The last few days at school were great fun for the boys, school sports day and playgroup sports day/teddy bear's picnic both had good weather and the children all enjoyed the games. The Head Teacher thanked Jenny for her support in school and playgroup over the last 14 years and handed over some lovely presents. Emotions were high and there were both tears and laughter, I felt at times like i was really part of it all and at others like I was an observer; a bit like watching a film but being inside of it too. It is not easy leaving all these good people behind.

I have been out on the water a few times paddling from Penzance to Porthcurno and back on a warm afternoon two peregrines were peing very noisy on the waters edge below where the Tangyes used to farm dafodills. I had another lovely paddle from Sennen to the Brissons on a sultry Friday evening, not a lot of wildlife about, a few gannets one or two fish breaking the surface and on the way back a classic Sennen sunset doing magic colours on a playful sea made it well worth while.

We are hoping to pick a few blackberries just before we go, these routines mark the passage of the year and noticing the blackberries are a little late with the poor weather this year brought a thought that we might miss them.

We have started counting the days.

Monday 21 July 2008

What about the boys ?

We have two boys coming with us aged 4 and 6 soon to be 5 and 7. They wax and wane sometimes enthusing sometimes threatening to stay behind depending on what they have been doing. Every one we talk too seems to think that this is a good age to move them and the longer we wait the more problems there will be. They currently attend a small village school and have some close friends and a regular social scene down on the beach at the local harbour playing on surfboards, rockpooling, swimming and kayaking; its an idyllic life compared to what a lot of UK kids are faced with and it is a lot to leave behind. There are a few people from the local area out in Galicia and a fair few say they would like to move out there soon and everyone says how lucky and brave we are - all of that does help them face up to change but having to wait four months between selling our house in Cornwall and moving to our new home has been a mixed blessing. Staying on a camp site they are getting used to having transient friendships as they meet great kids and play together for a week or so then the great kids go back home and mew kids arrive. This week there are a couple of girls staying next door to us and life outside school really revolves around seeing them just now. We know that the weekend will see grumpy mornings until new friends replace the gap I am sure it is a good learning experience for them and it might be helping them prepare for longer breaks with their school friends but the grumps are hard work. We intend coming back to stay in our caravan every summer to see friends and family and that does give them some comfort. They both seem torn; when they look at our pictures of holidays in Galicia they can't wait to get back there but when they come back from a few hours with their friends on the local beach here they really don't want to leave. Our answers to "Why are we going ?" don't hold water in their world - more land, bigger house, less crime, better weather, warmer sea, better health care, villages full of people who actually live in them rather than just owning second homes in them.....they are interested more in the 'what friends will we have?' issue...as is often said its the people not the place that makes somewhere home.

Wednesday 16 July 2008

What does it lool like over there ?















Ortigueira is one of the Rias Altas and is a wonderful area with many rivers leading into
a huge many branched estuary bordered by spectacular mountainous scenery close to the NW tip of Spain.

Valdovino is surprisingly quiet considering it is on the tourist trail, this is the river that leads out of the lagoa onto the beach. It is often teeming with fish and can be surprisingly chilly.

Vilarube is another of our favourite beaches; sheltered enough to be good for children learning to surf.

The Fragas de Eume is a spectacular area leading inland from A Coruna, the icy river is deep and dangerous and winds its way through a spectacular canyon.

We also like the lake at Vilaboa, this is an artificial lake with an embalse or dam at one end.

The last time for a while...

We have started visiting favourite places 'for the last time for a while’ Having been disillusioned and bored with Cornwall for a few years we are now seeing it in a new light. The hedges look beautiful the sea has a new sparkle and for the first time in ages the dolphins came to play with me when I was kayaking. Yesterday we went to Boscawen-un circle; it has seemed grey and lifeless the last few times I visited but this time it was alive with tranquillity. It is a bit like when I used to holiday here many years ago - how do we get the best out of our limited time here?
Tonight we will be playing on Marazion beach with St Michael’s Mount as a backdrop. Other plans for the next few weeks include:
Lots of time on Sennen Beach
Walks to 'the hill' - Chapel Carn Brea
Walks in Cot Valley, St Loy and Trevaylor woods
Pendinnis Castle at Falmouth
A day at Eden
Halliggye Fogou near Trelowarren

Monday 14 July 2008

What have we done so far ?

We have spent around 5 years considering how to escape from an ever more depressing UK. Tens of thousands of miles driving around France, Portugal and Spain sees us settling on Galicia as our destination. In a nutshell; the people are very very friendly, the language is accessible, the culture is Celtic and feels very like Cornwall did when my wife and I moved here some 20 odd years ago....the climate is a tad warmer than Cornwall but not excessively hot, it is a tad wetter but wet means green and we can cope with wet better than we can cope with dry, dusty and too hot.

We agonised, enthused and argued constructively, we put things off, met unforeseen barriers, waxed and waned but eventually sold our ancient Cornish cottage this Spring just before people stopped buying houses.

Having looked online at hundreds of houses we went on a house hunting trip and while driving about we looked in passing at lots more houses sporting se vende signs. We then found some friends had moved out there and their estate agent showed us four houses one of which we bought.

Now we are committed to moving out there mid August the reality is setting in..this blog will track and reflect on our reality.