Well, we have to say that this holiday didn’t go quite as planed! But we go home with knowledge we can use later on!

We had made up our mind about a house, even though it was a little over our budget!

In a couple of hours on Tuesday a lot changed and we didn’t know who to trust any longer! There are agents with their office in their pocket (not the best ones) and some really good ones. And the owners changed their mind so we thougth we lost the house. But on Tuesday night we got the chance again so we said yes to the agent with the pocket office!

We have seen 27 home and only this one was as we wanted! We didn’t want to miss that oppotunity.

Wednesday – yesterday was public holiday so we took off to an animalpark! Linneas was very brave and touched a snake and a big blue ara and finally she sat on an Asian elephant!

This morning was scheduled for us to get Spanish ID numbers and we met up with and English man at 6:30 drove to Murcia for an hour and had the document at 10 o’clock. This number is required if you want to buy a house here!

On the way there and back we talked a lot about our situation. The holiday here took a negative turn when Valde ran away, were found and died. It has been hard to keep a good mood.

We have met 9 realestate gagents and only felt odd with 2 of them – the one we had contacted in Sweden and his associated. And it was them who showed us the house we liked the best!

We felt there were something fishy about it all! The price was over the budget and we were unsure how much we will be able to rent it out!

So!….. about one hour ago we phoned the lawyers office, the bank and the pocket agent and said we will not be able to buy this house!

On Saturday we will return to Denmark and Sweden to think about what we learned here and where to go from here! Maybe we’ll be back in the summer on holiday or on househunting, but for now we feel good about our decision!

To day it has been raining raining and raining!! We are hoping for some sun on our last day here and we’re all going to the market to do some final shoping! Tormorrw night we’ll be packing for the flight back home to Denmark and Sweden! MAN! I miss my bed and my kitchen!

Day 5  2009-12-30

This day we had an appointment with Annette and we met her at 10 o’clock. She had planed to show us 3 houses but 2 had been sold the day before!!! The one we saw was in the complex where we lived i 2004 – but it was nothing for us – rather worn down!

Since we were only 5 minutes away from the favourite we drowe by the house and they were home: Liz was outside and we were welcome to check everything again! IT IS VERY NICE!!!!!

It´s a “quad” house: A building with 4 houses each in the corner. It is south facing with a terrass on the front and parking place. On the ground floor there’s a living/diningroom, kitchen and a scullery with washing mashine and places store stuff! Also a guest toilet.

On the first floor there’s the bahtroom and 2 bedrooms, one with acces to a balcony.

On the second floor there was a solarium but it has been made to a extra room with windows on 2 sides ( walls to the neigbour and the stairs on the other 2 sides.) It’s an extra livingroom and a guestroom!

Everything is well maintained. It’s sold with furnitures (that standard in Spain) and there’s a pool very close by only for the those who lives in these houses!

We have got a copy of the handlings for the house and on monday our lawyer will check it! Is all fine we’ll probably reserve the house by paying 3000 €

I’ll wait with pictures till we know more!

Day 6 2009-12-31

A day off! So we drowe off to look at some areas where we’ll look at some house on the 2nd of January!  But just before we left we got a call from my parents in law:  Our dear dog Valde had gone missing and been gone all night! They had reported it to the police since he’s chipped.

That was very sad news, normally he finds his way home but he’s unfamiliar with the area at my parents in law!

We drowe off and saw that the friday market was moved to thurday so we went in to the market! That was nice!

Later we drowe around for a while, came home and drowe off to a Chinese restaurant to eat our new years dinner! We called home to hear news of Valde but there was none!

The dinner was good: Good food, nice people and they asked if Linnea was Chinese! Our little princess was very popular! One of the sevants asked if she still had a Chinese name and was intrested to know if it was in her passport! She seemed happy to hear it was. She wrote Sunxue in Chinese and I showed her my tatoo – it was the same! We are absolutely going back while we’re here!

Linnea went to bed when we came home (21:30 = very late for her!) and I broke down! I couldn’t stop crying and thinking of Valde! He had been gone for 24 hours! (Now in this moment writing we up to more than 36 hours!) The only way I was able to stop crying and thinking was by sleeping so I fell asleep at 22:30! It must be the first New years evening I haven’t been awake on midnight!

A Spanish tradition is to eat 12 grapes at midnight to bring good luck into the new year!

I must say I didn’t expect my 2009 to end like this: Loosing my weding ring a week before christmas and that Valde going missing! I feel so sorry for my parents in law. They are absolutely not to blame!!!!! Valde have been running away since we moved in to our first house. He smells a female dog and goes by the nose! He has been jumping fences, digging tunnels under etc. He follows his instincts ! But he always have returned or we have found him! We are still hoping that someone found him and that he’s alive an well! But bad thoughts are making me cry! He has been our Valde for 11,5 years!!!

Day 1 – 2009-12-26

We got up at 5 in the morning and took the train and the Metro to Copenhagen airport. Linnea was so excited by everything but most of all she wanted to board the plane. Finally we were flying and she was sure she could see Pippi Longstockings house, Pippis dads boat (Hoppetossa) and many more things from the stories she knows. But the best was when she said: “There’s a lot of snow under us!” I told her that it was the clouds, and she asked: “Why are the clouds beneath us?”

We arrived in Alicante, got our car and drove to Torrevieja. We found Burger King and ate a very late lunch. Then we drove to the apartment only 6 minutes away! But it took more than half an hour to get to the parking in front of the building! Roadwork cut off the only road leading to the parking, all other roads was one-way streets so finally we drove against the signs! Linnea was then asleep in the car and my mother stayed with her while Hans and I unloaded the car!

The apartment itself is fine BUT and that is a big BUT: We were asked to bring sheets and bed linen but there was only 1 cover – a double size and 3 blankets so none of what we brought fits! Next surprise was the shut doors of the fridge and freezer, the powers was turned off! Inside the fridge there were a lot of black spots of mold and some garlic. In the freezer there were a bag of vegetables that had turned in to a brown liquid! 🙁

We went down to the car again and went shopping! We had a plan to buy a Spanish Mobile phone and had got a company we had got recommended but we couldn’t find anyone that sell this SIM card! Hans drove around all night to look but didn’t find anything! After our return we started to clean and found dirty towels in the washing machine! In our closet the bottom self is broken, we found stuff I all drawers, the water in the toilet is running and we decided to wash all we’re going to used in the kitchen and what we won’t uses! We have taken photos of all that seems to be missing or broken!

Day 2 2009-12-27

A day with Rolf after a night in a hard bed we got up to the first day of house hunting! In total 5 houses! Of those only 3 had pools and of those 2 one of the smelled of mold. So now we only have one of the 5 left!

We went to Rolf’s house to get a key for a property and he invited Linnea in to his garden to pick 2 oranges from his tree! They tasted so good and Linnea thought it was so exciting!

The weather today was beautiful sunshine and 21° C, very nice to sit outside for a cup of tea and coffee! Linnea was ready to jump in the pools every time we saw one!

We ate a late lunch at home and went to the center of Torrevieja so Linnea could see the sea! The street sales people were out and the girls shopped 2 scarf’s and a flamingo dress for Linnea!

Rolf told us where to by the mobile phone and tomorrow we’ll start there just before we meet up with Lars who is going to show us 5 houses!

Day 3 2009-12-28

The day with Lars We started a bit early to visit one of the mobile phone shops Rolf had recommended but because of Christmas they opened an hour later so we had to leave again. Hans later drove back while we were eating lunch but the card was sold out! Tomorrow we’ll try again.

All properties today was situated in Villa Martin, 20 minutes drive south from Torrevieja center and a few km away from the sea. We visited 6 homes some only 6-7 years old and some 15-20 years. It was very interesting to see all in real life the ones that we thought the most of when we looked at home gave a different impression now!

It is very difficult to find what you seek here, not that it’s impossible, but we all agreed if we could mix some of those we have seen now it would be the best!

They fail on things like:

• Facing north
• To small bedroom
• Boring neighborhood
• Very high community fee = what you pay for maintenances of pools and gardens.

So where are we now? Actually I don’t know! I’m writing this in the middle of the night (4:10) because I woke up and my mind started spinning. I want to look on the internet! But we can’t until we get that SIM card or find an internet café!

Day 4 is with Ronny who will show us 2 more in Villa Martin and maybe come with suggestions for more to look at! But I feel unsure if we should see more if they also are in Villa Martin since we more or less decided that it’s too far from Torrevieja center with the harbor and the beaches.

That’s why I want an internet connection, to check my emails and write to those agencies that are going to show us properties on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday what area we’re want to look in! And of course to post all this on the blog! 😉

We are very tired in the evenings and fall asleep no later than 23 o’clock, also Linnea had got a cold in Denmark, my mother a little and now Hans too – so far I haven’t got it and I hope it’ll keep like this.

The beds here are almost like in China – hard as rocks! But the size is different! I’m sure our double bed is by Spanish standard size: 135 cm x 190 cm, imagine Hans and I trying to turn in the bed: I wonder who will be the first to fall down on the floor!

Now I better try to get some sleep, we’ll be leaving about 10 in the morning for the telephone shop and an internet café. At 11 we’ll meet with Ronny.

PS. Rolf told us that the neighborhood we live in isn’t the best – Lars told us why: Very close to the park opposite our building is the street of the prostitutes…. Hmmmm!!!!

PPS. Linnea had her flamingo dress on all day – she was a dancing princess!

Day 4 2009-12-29

To day we saw 4 houses and one is now on the top 2 list! All houses are different but this one had it all! But we want to look again tomorrow and on Saturday and Sunday! Then we will decide if we have anything we want to lay a bit on!

We have decided we want to “stay” on the right side of the lakes! (seen from the sea) We do want the shorter distance to Torrevieja Center and the Habour!

Today we have had sunshine and 21° and walked around in t-shirts – so NICE!!!!

Now we shall look at the photos from today and the favourite!!!

I suppose you want some photos too?

Here they come:

We had a plan to relax at home after the holiday in The Netherlands and Germany, but that hadn’t happend!

First we had a great time in Germany. The appartment was very nice! I think we calculated that it must be 27 years since I was there with my parents and my grandmother. But it was a big dissapointment to find out the pool was with out water and closed. It was ok to go back after so many years but I was a little unprepared for these changes at the holiday park: No pool, no shop, no restaurant and a reception only open 3 half days every week.

We had a lot of food with us all the time because of me and Hans: We do not eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or food with sugar. So for the first time we had a holiday where we cooked food everyday.

Another thing missing was the internet! Sure I’m addicted to my mail and Facebook but that was not the problem! The problem was that we wanted to go see things and had some folders to read……. in German!!! A language we learned in school….. 1986-1988!!! So we wanted to look up places to visit in the hope of an English text!

The most fun we had was visitning The bobsleigh in St. Andreasberg and in Thale. Linnea LOVES driving fast and had sooo much fun!

We also visit a cave in Bad Grund. It was cold and wet 🙂

Twice we took a cable car to the mountain top – the first in Hahnenklee where we lived and we walked down – About 5 or 6 km – Linnea walked 4,5 km and was carried by her father the rest of the walk.

The second cable car was in Thale and took us both up and down!

Hans got a trip of his own trying to get some exercise…. He walked from Hahnenklee to the bigger town Goslar a walk mostly downwards! Totally 13 km!!! Linnea, my mom and I drove in the car.

It was a long drive home where we made a stop in Copenhagen for my mother to repack and get all she bought out of the car! We were at home just before midnight on Thursday last week. On the way home Hans talked to his mom who told that Hans grandmother had died on Wednesday. She was old and just moved to a small appartment in a elderly peoples home.

On Friday at lunch we left home again to visit Astrid Lindgrens World. Astrid Lindgren was a Swedish childrens book writer – the most famous stories must be those of Pippi Longstocking. Linnea loves Pippi and this year we had Linneas kindergarden friends Mathilda & Anton (& parents) with us. Hans gets free tickets from his work!! 🙂 We had a great time!

Both in Germany and in the hostle close to A.L.W. Linnea slept together with my mother – Linnea loved it but my mom woke up many times every night to see if she was all right 🙂

We were back at home on Sunday finding out that our file server had had it too hot and crashed! So Hans started to work on it in the hope no files were lost! Now it’s almost ready again and the files were ok. But he had to drive to Malmö to get spare parts. (100 km).

Linnea and I both went to the hairdresser! Linnea is sooo good! She sits all still and behaves. That it the fun part with Linnea: She’s like a monkey climbing on everything, jumping and running all the time. But when she has to she sits still and behaves nicely!

We went to Copenhagen on Wednesday so Hans could do some work and I could visit my niece and her 3,5 month old daughter, and my brother and his wife. Linnea and I had a great time!

Again when we went to the funeral on Thursday (in Denmark) Linnea was behaving perfectly. I think it took half an hour in the church and she was quiet or whispering, reading small books or looking around. She had around a couple of thousands questions about being dead and it was a test to try to explain it to her. Finally we said that her great grandmother was in heaven sitting on a cloud like the Care Bears in the cartoons! So later when we went to Tivoli (Copenhagen) with Hans’ family Linnea and I tried the “Wheel with “air” balloons” and when we were on the top of the wheel Linnea said: Now we’re almost up at great grandmas! She thinks a lot this little girl!

Linnea and I was trying a lot of things in Tivoli but her favorite is the fast roller coaster – we had to do it 3 times! She’s crazy our little girl! Or should I say big girl now? She has been 94 cm for more than 6 months but has now grown to 95,5 cm and 14 kg – has no diaper in the daytime since april and none in the night since a couple of months!

She speaks Danish and Swedish and learned to say “Thank you” and “Danke schön” (Thank you in German) and when we were in The Netherlands she began to repeat the Dutch too!

Today we have fixed things at home and tomorrow we’re going to Abbekås on the south coast of Sweden, where we used to live (99-02). Hans is working with a friends computers.

Sunday will be the day off and the day we prepare us for kinder garden, school and work! But I think Linnea looks forward to meet all her friends again! Next Saturday (29th) she will start at Swimming school with her 2 best friends Mathilda & Isabell.

Times fly! I have been home from school for 11 weeks – I hope I haven’t forgotten too much!

We hope all of you have had a nice time – not summer because in Australia they’re a little off with the seasons 🙂 They have summer holiday in December/January…..

Soon I hope to update our gallery with a lot of holiday photos!