Part III
The complete journey through Spain took us from the North Eastern coastal town of Roses (which seemed to be the retirement home of the entire cast of cocoon) to Calle de Parfrugal. From there we moved along the coast moving inland when ever we thought there might be a place worth visiting. Places like Prades in the hills near Barcelona where time seems to have stood still. Or Barcelona itself. A vibrant beating pulse of a City where all colours, creeds and nationalities meet. The place is steeped in history and yet offers its visitors an eclectic mix of both old and modern architecture. But if it’s a modern, vibrant, classy and fresh you’re looking for then don’t miss out on Valencia. Its outskirts could be anywhere Spain but the centre of the City is stunningly beautiful and well worth a visit. Then there was Denia on the coast below Valencia, which is still Spanishy (if that’s a word?) and where we would have lived had we not found Murcia and lots more besides, but you’ll have to discover those places for yourselves.
Because we had ruled out living in the major cities we continued our search for somewhere that still felt like Spain and wasn’t merely a high rise tourist town. The reality was though that we were beginning to loose hope and had begun to wonder if we’d ever find that place that we could call home. The strange thing was though that the words of our Limerick friend kept coming back to me “Don’t stop until you’ve seen Murcia”. So as the terrain changed from relatively flat to mountainous we left the province of Valencia and crossed into the relatively unknown and untouched Murcia.
What swung it for me was staying on a campsite in the Sierra Espuna National Park. I was simply blown away by its beauty and the knowledge that this could be on our doorstep made deciding to live here that much easier. From there we discovered the small coastal towns of Isla Plana, La Azohia and Bolnuevo where the beaches vary from long and sandy to small and private. Some are and are lined with palm trees, others backed by sand dunes or enclosed by rocky coves. The view along the coast is that of small low rise towns and field upon field of tomatoes. The province is a mixture of Mountainous with a scattering of fertile plains where the Moorish farming influence is still evident. Its two major cities, Murcia (Inland) and Cartagena (Coastal), are steeped in history and are well worth a visit, Then there’s the weather. With average yearly temperatures of 20oC and over 300 days of sunshine making Murcia an extremely pleasant place to live.
So as I write from magical Murcia, the late afternoon sun beginning to lower and cool the surrounding mountainside, I leave you with a taste of what could be yours. Tomorrow, if you get a chance, pop into your local supermarket and buy some nearly ripe fat and juicy tomatoes (which have more than likely been grown here) and buy yourself a good bottle of red from Murcia’s very own Jumillia region. Now when you get home chop those nearly ripe fat juicy tomatoes into chunks and sprinkle with good olive oil, black pepper and salt. Open your bottle of Jumillian wine and pour yourself a generous glass of claret. Now pop a chunk of the juicy tomatoes into your mouth and wash down with the ruby red. Now close your eyes and imagine sitting out on your balcony or terrace on a warm Murcian night, listening to the crickets song, watching as the sun sets beneath a blood red sky with the promise of more to come tomorrow. You see, this too can be yours, but first you have to make that decision.
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on Saturday, July 5th, 2008 at 3:48 pm and is filed under Articles, Buying Property in Spain, Mazarron, Murcia, Useful Local Information.
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