Ha! So many friends of our told us to talk to Grand Designs!
I agree with them. Free publicity, the build documented for prosperity and the chance to be on telly.
Just keep Kev away from your missus 😉
A good couple of weeks and you didn't even mention the snail festival 🙂
It's a great spot you have and that trail from your house to Ainsa is one of my favorites, proper rocky fun! See you soon.
[i]A good couple of weeks and you didn't even mention the snail festival
It's a great spot you have and that trail from your house to Ainsa is one of my favorites, proper rocky fun! See you soon. [/i]
The snails were nice weren't they! But better than that was the craft beer. Was great to catch up Doug - see you again soon for a bit more Brain-Picking I'm sure!
Good to read that you're getting out on the bike, it's easy to get bogged down with the renovation and loose the real reason for being there. We haven't plucked up courage to try snails yet, I thought Lleida was the greatest snail festival in Spain?
Doug, I don't know if you remember me, you kindly lent my mate a rear wheel when his hope free hub disintegrated on a trans Pyrenees trip we did 3 years ago, delivering it 100+ miles from your place was above and beyond.
Once the CAT700 is ticked off I'm hoping to get up to the Ainsa area, just need to get the training in as 5 days self supported over 650km and 13000m of climbing is going to be a challenge.
Good luck Spekkie and hopefully see you soon.
PB - For sure. Give us a shout!
blog?
We've finally had the first part of our planning permission application approved! 🙂
We now have permission to connect to the municipal fresh water and waste water systems in the street. I'll get digging tonight after dark . . . . 😉
Is there a blog?
Today we visited the council offices to chase up our outstanding planning permission application . . . . and we were given a letter of "points that need addressing before the application can be passed" . . . . dated 16th APRIL!
We should have been given it 7 weeks ago!
We've passed it on to our architect, who promptly rang the council office and demanded to know "what they were playing at". So, now the architect can modify the drawings to suit the local area guidelines and then they can be re-submitted.
Finally some progress, but not impressed with a council office where everyone thought that "someone else had done it"
🙂
Welcome to Spain 😉
I feel your frustration. Can I refer you to my earlier comments about Spanish bureaucracy, glacial would describe the sense of urgency. 😕 It seems that many people just do the work and sort it out later which is a mistake, especially if they want to sell in the future and the changes aren't documented in the escatura or nota simple. In the worst case the ajuntament can require alterations to be undone or the value of them cannot be recouped.
Are you on mains electric? We are powered by solar and generators as the cost of connection is huge. A chap locally has a line of telegraph poles which run literally 10m from his house and was quoted €23,000 for connection, we're a lot further off grid than that!
Mrs PB has Facebook friended you, I'm not into FB. She is talking about us having a trip up north later in the summer, I'll let you know when.
[i]Clobber - Member
Is there a blog?[/i]
Sorry Clobber - missed your question . . .
This is a blog . . . . but we are also on FB:
"Tony & Andreas Big Adventure"
PB - TGM?
We're going to plod on doing things properly, will just have to keep a close eye on the builders once they start. I'll be on site myself so won't be too difficult.
Hi Tony, yes it's TGM, also you might think about putting an apostrophe between the a and s in Andrea as it might seem to us pedants that you bat for the other side, and with a German to boot 🙂
Hi Spekkie,
sounds like a dream project ! i live in Madrid and had 3 unrelated thoughts while reading through the thread. Just to throw out there...
1. Check out this website if you haven't already. www.toprural.com it gives a sense of the competition and market value. Domestic tourism in Spain is big and the concept of spending a weekend in a casa rural is popular.
2. Zona Zero is reasonably well known among Spain's mountain bikers (although not quite as famous as Vallnord but still). You could do worse than target Madrid / Barcelona / Bilbao based mountain bikers looking for a long weekend away. Check out www.foromtb.com/ if you haven't already.
3 This is a long shot but you might be able to get some business from the Summer Camp business. Middle class spanish kids all go to summer camp for 2 weeks over the summer - often out in the sticks somewhere. Adding English is an additional attraction. when i first arrived in Spain i taught English at a summer camp run by real Madrid football club for rich kids - the kids only wanted to play football but the organisers added English lessons to sweeten it for the parents. An English mountain biking camp could have a certain niche appeal. Although I've no idea what the regulation / insurance etc would be like.
PB - lol there is an apostrophe on the FB title. I was just being lazy last night.
Dang - good points, thanks. I will have a look. We have already been asked by several people if we will have their kids/teenagers for a week or two during holidays with the proviso that if they don't speak English to us, they don't eat! There is certainly a market for this sort of thing.
One of the things I'm really enjoying here, and missed badly when I was in South Africa for the last 8 years or so . . . . riding in daylight late on a warm summer evening! 🙂
In SA in summer we were getting up and out on the bikes by 6am. Much after 9 or 10am it was just too hot to still be out riding. It was a way of life I got used to and enjoyed . . . but I always missed going out for a ride at 7 or 8pm at night and getting home 2 hours later and it was still light.
The middle of the day here can be very hot - hence the idea of a post lunch "Siesta", which is a tradition we've adopted with much enthusiasm! But the evenings are fantastic. Hit the trails any time after 7pm at this time of year and you can enjoy a lovely warm ride, the evening views across the mountains & valleys etc and still get home in daylight. No lights, no arm warmers, and riding until 10pm! What more could I ask for . .. ?
🙂
Kind of obvious point but I'd wait to make sure we will still be in the EU before putting all my eggs in that basket. What happens if they decide to bump up the tax on foreign property owners? Charge for medical care. Etc etc etc??
Yes good point if UK leaves Europe as I live in Spain and was asked yesterday what happens if we vote out. Strangely I am not hearing many expats talking about it so it's probably denial and or most expats here have kept houses in their home countries.
I think if I only had 1 home in a foreign country I d be a bit worried,ie.nowhere to go if we vote out.
Good luck btw I will have a look at your Facebook page
I'll watch out for you poolman 🙂
Exploring Zona Zero trails today and they are awesome!
Will try to post some pics later 🙂
An old school friend of mine from my days as a kid in South Africa has come to visit 🙂
He and his wife, who live in the UK now and tour around France for two weeks every year, have stopped by at a local campsite with their Camper Van (a mode of transport we will be discouraging once our B&B is up and running!!) so today we will take them out and show them some sights.
Will be nice to catch up 🙂
Yes good point if UK leaves Europe as I live in Spain and was asked yesterday what happens if we vote out. Strangely I am not hearing many expats talking about it so it's probably denial and or most expats here have kept houses in their home countries.
Most of us realise it's out of our hands, and "qué será, será". The worst that could realistically happen in my case would be having to apply for Spanish nationality. Which of course means running the gauntlet of Spanish bureaucracy, and as you've already seen:
Finally some progress, but not impressed with a council office where everyone thought that "someone else had done it"
(It's no better at national level...)
Still, well done for getting so far!
Sounds good Spekkie!
Many articles that I have read, which agree with common sense, says that those living in another EU country to their nationality before the vote will more than likely be entitled to such privileges after the vote due to a pre-existing situation.
As a british passport holder with a british passport holder son a french passport holder daughter and a french passport holder wife living in France and resident here for tax purposes, I suddenly had a panic then did some reading and am now fairly relaxed about it.
Many articles that I have read, which agree with common sense, says that those living in another EU country to their nationality before the vote will more than likely be entitled to such privileges after the vote due to a pre-existing situation.
I do wonder if a lot of ex-pats who've never bothered to fully regularise their situation might suddenly discover things aren't quite so easy, though...
3 This is a long shot but you might be able to get some business from the Summer Camp business. Middle class spanish kids all go to summer camp for 2 weeks over the summer - often out in the sticks somewhere. Adding English is an additional attraction. when i first arrived in Spain i taught English at a summer camp run by real Madrid football club for rich kids - the kids only wanted to play football but the organisers added English lessons to sweeten it for the parents. An English mountain biking camp could have a certain niche appeal. Although I've no idea what the regulation / insurance etc would be like.
We considered doing this when we lived in Madrid. We did some English classes on the side and ran one weekend for a group of about 20 people. Even when there was a huge downturn in the economy and money was tight people wouldn't give up their English classes. It can be pretty profitable even without any mountain biking.
Morgrim, agreed. Just like businesses in the credit crunch: would be a good excuse to clear out some deadwood......
[i]mogrim - Member
Still, well done for getting so far! [/i]
Cheers - it's certainly not a bad place to have time on your hands as long as you have your MTB with you 🙂
[i]mugsys_m8 - Member
Sounds good Spekkie!
Many articles that I have read, which agree with common sense, says that those living in another EU country to their nationality before the vote will more than likely be entitled to such privileges after the vote due to a pre-existing situation.
As a british passport holder with a british passport holder son a french passport holder daughter and a french passport holder wife living in France and resident here for tax purposes, I suddenly had a panic then did some reading and am now fairly relaxed about it. [/i]
We're not worried either way. We will have to make things work, whatever happens.
[i]eckinspain - Member
We considered doing this when we lived in Madrid. We did some English classes on the side and ran one weekend for a group of about 20 people. Even when there was a huge downturn in the economy and money was tight people wouldn't give up their English classes. It can be pretty profitable even without any mountain biking. [/i]
The youngsters are keen. The old folks not so much - but I guess they don't feel the need to.
Just picked up the July edition of Bikes World, bargain at €1.95, and it includes a trail guide to a route starting in Ainsa which goes through your village. Hope you can cope with the crowds 🙂 I buy it as a way of improving my Spanish and building up a library of trails.
Hi Spekkie, mrs PB and I are going to the TDF tomorrow,riding up from Sort, if you're about it'd be good to meet. I'll be on a Litespeed road bike and she'll be on her Focus. Probably dressed in Penya Ciclista Ribera D'Ebre kit.
We are back in Spain now, safe & sound after a few weeks in the UK with friends & family.
It was a long drive through France but the countryside and villages are beautiful and once we get down to the Spanish border we're only 45 mins from Home 🙂
Yesterday first thing we met with our architect at his offices to discuss the last of the obstacles holding up our planning application and today we met with him again (acting as our interpreter) and with our neighbours at our property to discuss the issues further. It looks like everything is going to work out ok. There are just some concerns regarding where exactly the boundaries of our respective properties lay. One of the little oddities you get when buying a rural property surrounded by fields 🙂
Let's hope we're nearly there now - all the cycling and sight-seeing we're doing to keep ourselves busy is exhausting!
Hey PB. Sorry I didn't get back to you - we only left the UK on Wednesday night in the end. Are you guys back home by now?
Hi Tony, we were in the UK last week so missed your post. Finally completed the sale of our house so had to go back to clear out a few bits and pieces and sign the contract. Got the final word whilst crossing into Spain at Vielha. So we're now exclusively resident in Cataluña hooray!!
We've got a few visitors in August and Mrs PB has a 50km trail race in Rialp, middle of Sept. Thinking we might have a trip up to Ainsa at the end of Sept when it's a bit cooler. There's so much to fit in,some house renovations can start now we've got the cash from our house. The almond crop seems poor this year, apparently it goes in a 3 year cycle, last year was good. Hope your project is progressing well and the balls up with the Brexit and exchange rate hasn't caused too many issues. Needless to say we won't be turning the proceeds from our sale into euros anytime soon.
We want to get some additional building quotes - so just spoke to 2 different builders on the phone, neither of whom spoke any English.
Mrs Spekkie and I between us seem to have successfully arranged meetings for Monday morning and afternoon. Funny how the words go out of your head as soon as the person answers the phone and you break out into a sweat!
?#?Livinontheedge?
🙂
In Spain doesn't a meeting arranged for the monring actually take place in the afternoon ?
lol probably. And the afternoon meeting takes place in the evening over tapas!
Last night and continuing over this weekend in Ainsa is the annual "Fiesta of the Meteor Shower" . . .
The meteor shower, which occurs every August and falls on August 11th & 12th this year - comes as a result of the Earth moving through the trail of debris called the "Perseid cloud" which stretches along the orbit of the Swift-Tuttle Comet.
Here in Spain any excuse to "socialise, dance, drink alcohol and eat rich food" will do apparently.
🙂
Here daan saarf, its the beach festival of our local village where everyone decamps to the seaside which is about 10km away. Today was the children's day which involved planting bouncy castles/slides half in the sea and letting the kids run riot. My wife was volunteering and was having kittens that the electrically powered fans which kept the things inflated were also half in the sea!! Luckily no-one was drowned or electrocuted. Tomorrow is dancing, starting at about midnight and Sunday there's live music and a picnic for the grown-ups, unfortunately no bouncy castles. I'll keep an eye out for the meteors, it's been very clear the last few nights.
Tomorrow, GF and I start a roadtrip to Ainsa, arriving Sunday night (28th August).
We'll have 7 full days in Ainsa, happy to meet up for a few rides.
The Long and Winding (and treacherous!) road to our ongoing quest to obtaining planning permission for our project . . . . . . (Part 1)
Most of our posts on here have tended to be light-hearted and happy - and for the most part that has been exactly how things have been going for us over here in España. We have been very lucky - we've made some very good friends who have taken us into their homes & lives and treated us amazingly. We've been given help (and food!) without asking and generally treated like family. When the Spanish people say "mi casa su casa" (my house is your house) they really mean it. On top of that, the riding here is out of this world!
The professional people we've dealt with, the architect, our translator & solicitor and our financial advisor have become friends. All going "above and beyond" in order to help us with anything unplanned that has come up or anything we've struggled with. We are grateful to them all for making our lives easier than they could have been. Of course it's not all down to "luck" - I'd like to think that we're good people ourselves (well Mrs Spekkie is anyway) so maybe it's true that you do get back what you put out there . . . .
However, as with any good story, there has to be a couple of "baddies" in the plot. Too much sugar will give you diabetes after all . . . . .
We applied for planning permission back in the middle of March. We knew that it could take a bit of time and we were prepared for that - mentally and financially. We chased-up the office of the municipal architect ourselves for the first ten weeks or so - but then when we really seemed to be getting nowhere our architect started chasing for us. Initially he had left it to us because he felt the municipal office would take us more seriously than they would take him - on the basis that at any one time he might be chasing them for half a dozen different projects.
Once he took over the chasing it became apparent that "all was not well". There was some confusion in the municipal offices as to whether we'd received a particular letter from them or not. (despite me visiting and asking for it a trillion times!) Adding to the confusion was the fact that we'd requested any post they sent to us to go to the previous owners house (Ramon the farmer) - because our property didn't have it's own post box. Eventually our architect went with us to the municipal offices and we discovered that the letter we'd been waiting for had been sitting with them for seven weeks. . . .
Not cool, but what's done is done. The seven weeks had gone and we just had to get over it and move on, which we did. (I have mentioned this missing letter on here before, so for some people this might be a repeat, but it's important with regards to what happened next).
Thinking that everything would now be ok we fell into what turned out to be rather a false sense of security. It didn't take long before the next bomb-shell came our way. While our letter had been sitting in somebodies "In Tray" the Spanish law regarding what you can and can't do when renovating a rural property had changed! They had now placed percentage limits on the total area of a finished project when compared to the original pre-renovation property . . .
Oh joy . . . 🙂
Our architect consulted with a local lawyer, with an old friend in the government in Zaragoza and with a couple of local municipal advisors. The situation was clear - in this case where the change in law was nothing to do with public safety or similar, the municipal architect was obliged to take the date that we applied for planning permission, some weeks before the law changed, into account. To cut a long story short, after some badgering and raised voices the municipal architect agreed and our original plans & measurements would again be accepted.
Thinking that everything would now be ok we fell into what turned out to be rather a false sense of security. It didn't take long before the next bomb-shell came our way . . . (you will see that this is a recurring theme!)
Whilst on quick trip to the UK to see family and friends we received an email from our architect. One of our neighbours - a 90 year old man called Pepe had been to the municipal offices and objected to our planning application . . . .
In Part 2 you can find out what happened with 90 year old Pepe - now nicknamed "the busybody with far too much time on his hands!" . . . . .
The truely worthwhile often seems impossible at first. Chinese Proverb.
I won't say I enjoyed reading that but it's progress. Roll on Part 2
BTW I understand planning permission in Italy takes so long people just build and then pay any fines at a later date, its just added to the project cost when they are budgeting. Could be a myth but sounds believable.
sorry to hear about the delays!
My experience in Spain has been that it is kind of traditional to "wine and dine" the neighbourhood folk a little and to introduce yourself and to get accepted into the community, this is quite important in small villages.
Going to the bar regularly for the morning Almuerzo is a good investment
This is quite scary when you are still learning the language but also quite harmless 🙂
After a meal and a few drinks and getting to know your face nearly everyone will become friendly and offers of help and all sorts of advice will usually follow along with a return invitations.
Inviting your neighbours in and talking about what you are doing is a good idea as well, they often will invent wild stories if left to their imagination. A regular pop round for a drink type thing could be a good investment and its amazing what you can learn. 😉
The older folk often have a very different outlook on outsiders but like most Spanish people friendly and warm to you quickly once they get to know you a little.
Regarding building etc finding out who the trustworthy local builder is and employing them to do some of the work can often be very advantageous as they will know how to get things done, they get paid on completion and hate delays.
Find out who does work for the Bar,Alcalde,Ayuntamiento etc.
I have found that getting in with the folk to be a bit of a prerequisite to getting anything done formally, the beaurocracy can be a nightmare or surprisingly the appropriate documents can get stamped and filed in seconds while you discuss the next fishing trip/barbacue/village event etc. Being formal is expected but being friendly and open is too from what I have experienced.
sorry if I am missing the scale of things and you have a large complex construction that has some real issues that need to be dealt with.
¡Suerte!
After living for many years in Spain i've found that there never seems to be a " right " way to get through the red tape.The position constantly shifts depending on who you talk to.
I have found that getting in with the folk to be a bit of a prerequisite to getting anything done formally, the beaurocracy can be a nightmare or surprisingly the appropriate documents can get stamped and filed in seconds while you discuss the next fishing trip/barbacue/village event etc. Being formal is expected but being friendly and open is too from what I have experienced.
This is pretty much any Spanish business - there's a social aspect to it which you ignore at your peril. You need to learn how many kids they have, where they went on holiday, etc. With government officials I don't know I find heading in with a smile, at least a quick comment about the weather or last night's match make a significant difference to how helpful they'll be. And in a small village, it's the same but a 1000 times more...
The red tape, however, is to a certain extent unavoidable.
