We are now back in the UK.
We had a very nice holiday but we came to the conclusion that we probably did not want to live on the island of Mallorca full time. We anticipated that we would target the north west area of the island to "live". Well we visited this area and whilst parts of it were visually stunning, I felt that the area had been spoilt by tourism, large imposing hotels and far TOO MANY PEOPLE. And it was hot.
I had visions of us settling a while in the areas of port andratx or andratx itself or San Telmo, close to some great walking and not too far from the sea. But we just were not feeling it. And it was really too damn hot to make us want to commit to a 6 month lease. The reality of living in Mallorca had hit is, nice place to go on holiday, but unless you have bags of money it may be more of an endurance than an experience.
I think we hit the island at the wrong time, we should have waited and gone in mid October, but when you don't have anywhere to live you just have to go and make the best of it.
DH and I also learned a few things about ourselves and what our (dare I say it) comfort levels are. We found that we were just spending more and more money on the island just to get comfortable, I hate hard spanish beds!
We also learned that we really do need a base, were are sick and tired of living out of suitcases . In hindsight we probably should have just gone with some rucksacks, well you live and learn don't you. We didn't plan it very well. Perhaps I should start a new blog and call it Pissed off with Luggage? :) What is surprising to me is that I thought that we would really enjoy wandering around, but instead of feeling liberated I found the moving around quite stressful.
We do need somewhere to live. Do we buy a house, do we buy a house on wheels, do we look into a boat? Some things to think about.
But can I say again how wonderful it is to be FREE from the 9 - 5 grind. Yes we haven't got it all figured out yet but I am so thankful to be out of the dirty concrete jungle.
We are now in North Devon! What a gorgeous place. Yesterday we went to Cornwall to do some coastal walking and the scenery is fantastic. As DH and I drove back to our little rented holiday home yesterday the sun was shining and "More than a feeling" by Boston was playing on the radio and I have to say that I felt so happy that I thought I was drunk. I have not felt like that in a long time.
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5 comments:
Very interesting article. I think there are very few places left in Southern Europe you could call unspoiled by tourism - and if there are they won't be there for long once people find out about them. I think you are right though about going later in the season - I think there would have been fewer people and milder weather. At least you are getting out there and finding out what works for you - and what doesn't. North Devon is lovely - I have fond memories of touring along the coast there - Exmoor, Lynton & Lynmouth was nice, even Minehead had its attractions. The cliff walks West of Lynton are spectacular.
Tony is right, at least you are getting out there and finding out what works for you! It doesn't matter what you do, where you go, what you give on, what you change... you have NO RULES. Follow your hearts for once and see where they take you! As I've said before, if someone had said to us 2 1/2 years ago we would end up living on a boat near to the place we left in the first place - I would have laughed in their face. BUT, it's happened and it's great... and then of course there is the shack in Portugal that we will be searching for next year to make the dream complete ;-)
Just go with things and see where it takes you and don't be afraid to follow what you truly feel in your heart.
However, I would say don't buy anything yet!!!! It's such early days - it's taken us more than two years of travelling, searching, living to end up where we want to be ;-) you so don't want to rush into buying something and then regret not giving things more time xxx
One good thing is that you are trying something new. You were not happy with the 9-to-5 life so you are trying something different. It sounds like you are starting to focus in on something between complete freedom and being chained to one place like you were before.
Life may be like a pendulum for a while, swinging back and forth, before settling somewhere in the middle.
Instead of buying a house cage with lots, lots, and lots of yard work plus many repairs, like the movie- The Money Pit with Tom Hanks. Buy an RV maybe you can stay in the U.K. for summer then for winter head somewhere mild like France or where ever it gets milder weather, maybe Spain but not that Peter Pan island place. Check the weather map history try to find a close place and live between those two places to save gas money and repairs.
If you travel in cool weather you can really reduce repair cost and find more ideal places you like to stay, remember that hot weather can really reduce a vehicle's
engine life.
I don't know anything about Europe so this is just an idea.
For example In the U.S. some RVers stay in Florida for winter boondocking or parked for free at Walmarts, Sam's Clubs, and many other places with no rent to pay or house bills. With the money they save they have many options on entertainment.
When the Devil heats the southern U.S. for summertime many head into the wilderness mountians of North Carolina. With some small towns and many, many free wilderness mountian campgrounds at
elevations of about 4,000 feet or more. They have low humidity, cool daytime weather and even cooler at night the place is a real paradise. A heatwave summer escape for many RV boondockers they even have Walmarts in some of these small towns. Plus there is also the Great Smoky National Park.
Only 575-miles between Kissimmee, Fl and North Carolina. That's only about 15,000-miles in 10-years or 30,000-miles in 20-years with some extra driving around. Your one and only vehicle would last a life time with such a small range of driving distances.
For an example do a website search on Highlands, NC small tourist town check their cool summer weather history, plus lots of nature with many beautiful waterfalls, streams for swimming and kayacking, nature trails, and the most awesome views of majestic mountians you will ever see.
I'm sure there must be places like this in Europe to escape to making the whole country your back yard for year round mild weather.
You can even save a ton of money by buying a new white cargo van instead of a money sucking RV, just throw some cheap camping equipment into it with a very nice laytex mattress bed between the wheel wells, talk about comfort. No need for insulation with mild weather and with stealth ability of just being a van, you can park anywhere. A town or the wilderness, no resort or hotel fees, no one will know where or how you live.
Why pay like hell for a fixed dwelling and stay tied down, buy an RV and stay free.
Hope this helps, your fan Frank C.
Tony yes, great walking and we must get over to Lynton.
Alice, life is a circle as they say, there is a place close to where I was born that is in between the mountains and the sea that just might do us as a "base", and on the same note if you had said to me a few years ago that we would have considered living (renting) there I would have said NEVER in a million years!xx
Jerry, spot on about the pendulum, I am going from happy to overwhelmed in a short space of time
Frank, we have thought about van living etc but I dont think it is for us it all sounds very romantic but considering the practicalities I think that it is a different world doing it in the US as opposed to trying to do it in europe. To be honest I want something "more" than living in the back of a van, not that there is anything "wrong" with van living its just that I didnt work this hard for so long to have to rough it, its just not a lifestyle choice that DH and I want.
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