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[Varche]

Can't help but be excited. First proper holiday for 13 years. 

We are off to Valencia city  ( 3rd biggest in Spain and never been before) for some culture then to Alicante for second week.

Pets are at the kennels (blub).

Hired a car as we still haven't bought one. The one we were allocated was quite small but for not much extra we have upgraded to a devils fuel 1.6 DSG auto Golf estate. It had 10km on the clock. By the time it was home it was just nicely run in.  Can't tell the model but it has cruise but no sat nav.

Six hour drive tomorrow mostly empty motorway but expect Valencia will be horrible for traffic and parking. Be interesting to see how we get on with the car practically speaking. It might be a contender, yesterday hot runners were auto  Mondeo estate and Passat estate.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Enjoy the break Varche, by the sounds of it you greatly deserve it after 13 years

It's funny though that I, and I think others, believe if you live in hot climes that counts as one continual holiday, even though that is never the case!   Stupid really, but after living abroad in the past I can still think like that 

[Varche]

Ah I have friends that say why do you need a holiday when you live in paradise

[Viral_Jim]

If you don't mind me asking Varche, did you move to Spain at "retirement" (not that the amount of work you do sounds like retiring!) or decide to quit the 9-5 and just do something totally different?

[TheBoy]

My hire cars for the week is a gas guzzling 1l ecoboost Focus and a petrol something Mundano.

The Focus had 1000km on the clock when I picked it up, but felt like in had 50 times than...  ...but it is a hire car

[TheBoy]

Enjoy your break Varche

[Viral_Jim]

They do have a hard life. I'm currently stuck with a diseasel Nissan Joke for the week.  . I've taken to driving without using the clutch other than starting off, after 3 days I'm getting pretty good, but I wouldn't do it in my own motor.   

They really are rather shite.

[Mister Rog]

Ah I have friends that say why do you need a holiday when you live in paradise

I was kinda wondering where you would go for a holiday when you live in Spain.

Dagenham ? Toxteth ? You know, somewhere really nice and different   

(Oh dear . . . . here come the complaints for people who live in the above)

[Sir Tigger KC]

Ah I have friends that say why do you need a holiday when you live in paradise

I was kinda wondering where you would go for a holiday when you live in Spain.

Dagenham ? Toxteth ? You know, somewhere really nice and different   

(Oh dear . . . . here come the complaints for people who live in the above)

Don't be daft Rog!   He'd go to Wales for some guaranteed rainfall and the lovely ladies!             Baaaa!   

[Varche]

Trying to read through the Spanish lingo handbook. Can,t find any reference to uprated suspension. Here is hoping it has good bump stops when we have squeezed everything in. Being a hire car it will obviously have a more powerful engine than standard.

[Doctor Gollum]

Trying to read through the Spanish lingo handbook. Can,t find any reference to uprated suspension. Here is hoping it has good bump stops when we have squeezed everything in. Being a hire car it will obviously have a more powerful engine than standard.

Being a VW it won't be any uprated from the hatch, so expect to scrape the under tray on bumps. Being a hire car, this is normal.

If you decide to buy one, fit heavy duty shocks and treat them as a service item. Incidentally the floor undertrays are about £40 each, so not the end of the world.

Meanwhile enjoy your holiday

[Varche]

If you don't mind me asking Varche, did you move to Spain at "retirement" (not that the amount of work you do sounds like retiring!) or decide to quit the 9-5 and just do something totally different?

No we were stuck in an ever increasing rat race spiral. Both getting home late, working seven days a week. Probably would have been dead by now if we had continued. Too conscientious. So we are living the dream. Been tough at times but very rewarding. I wouldnt swap but one day we are going to have to compromise and live somewhere smaller and nearer the doctors and hospital.! Back in the  seventies i saw no end of people retire on good pensions only to die within a few weeks. I vowed then not to be one of them. I will let you know!

[ronnyd]

Went to Valencia a few years ago, very compact and easy to get around the old city, (From the station near the bull ring to the dried up river beds at the top takes about half hour. They re-routed the river.) Some of the modern architecture around the port area is stunning too. Enjoy.

[Mister Rog]

If you don't mind me asking Varche, did you move to Spain at "retirement" (not that the amount of work you do sounds like retiring!) or decide to quit the 9-5 and just do something totally different?

No we were stuck in an ever increasing rat race spiral. Both getting home late, working seven days a week. Probably would have been dead by now if we had continued. Too conscientious. So we are living the dream. Been tough at times but very rewarding. I wouldnt swap but one day we are going to have to compromise and live somewhere smaller and nearer the doctors and hospital.! Back in the  seventies i saw no end of people retire on good pensions only to die within a few weeks. I vowed then not to be one of them. I will let you know!

Well, that will be interesting if you do end up being one of them     

[Viral_Jim]

No we were stuck in an ever increasing rat race spiral. Both getting home late, working seven days a week. Probably would have been dead by now if we had continued. Too conscientious. So we are living the dream. Been tough at times but very rewarding. I wouldnt swap but one day we are going to have to compromise and live somewhere smaller and nearer the doctors and hospital.! Back in the  seventies i saw no end of people retire on good pensions only to die within a few weeks. I vowed then not to be one of them. I will let you know!

Sounds like a great alternative lifestyle, but I agree very hard work! I hope one day my wide and I are brave enough to take a similar step. Turning a crumbling chateau into an upmarket B&B is a very appealing (although undoubtedly well trodden) path.