“Could we live here?” is a very different question than “What should we see or do here?” That’s the distinction between scouting and traveling. In our first six weeks in Spain, we’ve stayed in as many places as we did in six months in Ecuador. Everywhere we’ve been, we’ve looked not just for scenic beauty, historic sites, and architectural wonders, but for livability, conveniences, and whether a town’s charms will wear thin or endure.
We’re approaching our time in Spain differently than our time in Ecuador. Last year we started with five weeks in Cuenca to get acclimated, learn some Spanish, and make a plan. We ended up staying between one and four weeks in 11 different places, because we kept feeling like there was so much more to the country we wanted to see. But it takes more than a month to settle in somewhere and find community. So this year we decided to scout as many places as we could for the first month or two, and then decide where to settle for the next 5-6 months. Here’s what we learned.
- Living in a place is not the same as sight-seeing in a place. It requires some conveniences as well as charm and scenery. Is there good public transportation? Is it easy to get to a major airport or train station? Is there a supermarket we can walk to? Is there decent wifi? Is there a lot of traffic? Does it feel hustle-bustle or more relaxed? Our exploratory walks in a new place often focused on these questions while we also tried to appreciate its beauty and history.
- We are not big-city people. We enjoy visiting, but for us, crowded sidewalks, daylight-blocking buildings, and honking horns outweigh world-class museums, parks, and theaters. (As to the latter, I doubt my Spanish is good enough to appreciate a play here anyway!) So we knew from the start we would likely not choose to live in Madrid or Barcelona and our time in both only reinforced that we were looking for something smaller.
- Climate and weather are important to us, but hard to predict based on a quick visit. Websites that track weather patterns aren’t much help because the whole country (about ¾ the size of Texas) seems to have average temperatures that are within 5 degrees of each other. Everywhere gets hot in summer and cool-to-cold in winter. But the north is reputed to be colder and rainier, the central plains seem to have no prime weather seasons, and there is skiing in the mountains in both the north and south. So all we can really do is base our decision on what we observe and hope for the best.
Our first stop was Gijon, in the north. We’ve been told it’s like the Portland, Ore., or Seattle of Spain—a smallish city (compared to the really big ones) that has a lot of character, music, and food and is prone to damp, cool winters. It’s walkable, has an historic district, and a modern side with malls and big supermarkets. It has an easy-to-access beach with enough waves to support a surfing school, gorgeous cliff-top coastal walks, a few historic landmarks, and is driving distance to great hiking. It has access to a small airport and a high-speed train to Madrid that takes 5 hours, but also a drab industrial side. We liked a lot of things about Gijon, but it was our first place, so we hadn’t done enough scouting to say immediately, “This is it!”
We then explored a few small villages in the Picos de Europa mountains, and loved them for their amazing scenery and hiking. But they had few conveniences, apparently get quite cold in winter, and would require a car to live in for six months. Stops in Toledo and Cordoba helped us enthusiastically rule them in as tourist destinations, but out as potential homes. Could we live there? Sure, but they teem with tourists, which could wear on us in short order.
Next came stops in several of the “Pueblos Blancos” (“white villages”)—fantastically charming hillside towns sprinkled throughout southern Spain. Each village has the same components: bleached white houses with red tile roofs packed tightly around narrow cobblestone streets and a medieval castle on the top of the hill (we even stayed in one!). Each village also has its own unique personality and attractions—one is known for the houses being literally built into caves; another for its well-preserved Moorish baths. I could (and probably will) write a whole post about the Pueblos Blancos, but viewed through the lens of scouting, while we love their charm and size, they are fairly isolated, and, again, would require a car. So our scouting journey continued.
After a stop in Marbella on the south coast (ugh! Traffic! Mega-malls!) and a day in Gibraltar (technically the U.K., so that’s out, but we did find British “hobnob” cookies in a shop), we visted the southernmost point in Spain. Tarifa has a gorgeous beach renowned for its winds and easy access to Morocco (which is clearly visible across the strait), but it was raining at the time, and perhaps as a result it seemed a bit dingey. Such are the hazards of quick impressions. We stayed for a week in Cadiz, on the southern Atlantic, where we found Moorish forts, a cathedral, Roman ruins, and the best (and oldest) covered market we’ve seen so far in Spain. The modern part of the city sprawls along an urban beach for quite a distance but has little character, and we’ve read that Cadiz is a wild party town during carneval and summer weekends. Intriguing, but a mixed bag for our scouting report.
Then we crossed the entire country diagonally in two 4-hour train rides (which was not even possible in a day in Ecuador!) to Barcelona and the Costa Brava. There we spent time in a series of fishing villages that become crowded escapes for city dwellers in summer. They are typically set around a small cove with a sandy, horseshoe beach and rocky cliffs jutting up on either side. One of Spain’s famous “long-walk” trails winds its way up the coast from Barcelona, offering thrilling views along the way, whether you walk the whole distance or just bite off a few hours. I can’t say we found “home” in our short time here, but we surely loved the views and the paella (seafood stew with rice).
Finally, it was time to rest and take stock. We booked a four-week stay in a small beach town south of Barcelona called Cunit (Coo-neat) and found ourselves across a quiet malecon (boardwalk) from a long sandy beach with gently curling waves. Somehow from our deck we can see the sunrise to the left and the sunset to the right, each one seemingly more colorful than the last. This points out the importance not only of the town, but also the accommodations—here we can get a comfortable apartment with a great beach view at a reasonable price, and it’s the best lodging we’ve had so far.
As to the town, it’s a bit like being on Cape Cod in the fall—the water is too cold now for swimming, but chilly, sparkling nights give way to sunny days in the 60s, perfect for long walks. The streets and boardwalk are quiet but not deserted, and there are enough restaurants and cafes open to offer some options. Plentiful supermarkets, a thriving Friday outdoor market, fresh seafood, and a 50-minute train ride to Barcelona round out the conveniences. We’re told winter is short, with the days warming up soon. There is such a thing as “recency bias”—when the last place you see seems best—but when we ask “could we live here?” the answer is very comfortably “yes.”
And the time clock for validating our visas continues to tick. Remember the visa saga? It turns out getting approved for the extended visa doesn’t mean it’s actually valid—go figure! While the process appears to be different in every region, we believe our best chance for getting approved involves proving we have an extended lease in one place and going to the immigration office in that place, lease in hand. We are hoping the bureaucracy in a small town is easier to navigate than in a big city, and we will finally have jumped all the visa hurdles.
So in many ways it feels like the music has stopped in our game of musical chairs—and the chair we’re in feels pretty darn good. Is it the perfect place in all of Spain? Who knows, but we remind ourselves not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And trust me, we are not done exploring Spain. We will use this as a base to get to the places we still want to see, and then have a home with a view that we can come back to. We’re just done scouting.
In the words of one of our favorite songs, “Home is where I want to be and I guess I’m already there. … I guess that this must be the place.”
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PS: Our apologies for the long lag between our last post and this one. All of that traveling really cut into our ability to make the time for writing. Now that we are settling in, we’ll get back to more regular posts, and promise to create some photo galleries as well!
Seeing the World, One Year at a Time 
I love reading about your travels to places I will never see. Your mastery in writing takes me quickly to the town you are exploring.
I am curious about housing. It seems relatively easy to find short-term apts. unlike where I live in CA. for instance. Do they require credit checks, deposits, etc.?
My granddaughter lived and went to school in both Barcelona and Madrid. I’m sure you have had the potato dish she loved (Patatas Bravas).
Stay well and keep traveling and taking me there through your writing.
Thank you!
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Thank you Sonja! Glad to have you along for the ride! We have mostly been using Air BnB to find lodging. For that you do not need a credit check or deposit, just a credit card. I imagine it helps that we also have a history of good reviews from previous stays! 🙂 And yes, we have had loads of Patatas Bravas (some better than others). If they make real roasted potatoes with a special sauce, they are wonderful. If they fill a plate with French Fries and mayo, not so much! Thanks for your comment.
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Just a quick note to say again how much I enjoy reading about your experiences and seeing the photos. I would love to hear that after your ten years of exploration you finally settle on Spain. And Cunit sounds wonderful, I hope to visit you there in the coming months. Perhaps I’ll fall in love with Cunit too, just like I did with Ecuador, and that was based solely on your accounts. It’s dangerous, I know, because I’m already in a place I love — how many loves can one person have? I imagine you are also wrestling with that question.
Perhaps you’ll visit me here in Bureh Beach and your hearts will be taken/torn as mine is. But based on your criteria (supermarket? trains? reliable public transit? wiifi? easy access to the airport?) … uh, not so much. The weather is reliable though, six months of sun and six months of rain. So, I’m guessing I’ll be visiting you more than you’ll be visiting me… and I’d certainly look forward to that. Keep on keepin’ on!
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Thanks Russ. I love your point that the “conveniences” we were looking for in Spain may be very different from the conveniences that are available in other countries. Your ability to adjust to that and find a different set of conveniences that work for you in order to stay in the place you love is admirable. I would love to visit you in Bureh Beach –I am feeling much more connected to it from reading your blog! Looking forward to seeing you here in Spain.
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Keep on scouting but for me, Cunit sounds perfect. It has the beauty and ambiance we will be seeking when we visit in the Spring. Plus, its proximity to Barcelona makes an independent day-or-two trip very accessible. From the map, it appears that Mallorca is not far, perhaps a ferry boat plies to and from Palma, a place I would love to explore. More photos please!
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Yes, a trip to Mallorca and Menorca is definitely on our list while we’re here. More photos coming soon!
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Thank you for taking me on your journey. I, too would have chosen this gorgeous beachfront property with beautiful views of sunrises and sunsets. Enjoy exploring your new temporary home and keep including me in your experiences in Spain.
Love,
Aunt Judy
Sent from my iPad
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Hi Alan! Where are we in the same class? Do you remember Nancy Viviani? Did you have my mother in grade school for a teacher? I am loving your blog! You’ve validated a desire to embark on a similarly-themed, slow, adventure journey. I’m still working so it won’t be next week. The planning is delicious. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Hi Nancy! I do remember you and also Nancy, and was so sad to learn of Nancy’s passing. I don’t think I ever had you mom as a teacher, though my mom (also an elementary teacher in Boxford) probably remembers her! Good luck on planning for your next journey!
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Hello, Al and Rachel – I was delighted to receive your latest travel report. These take a lot of your time and effort, but I assure you that these travel tales are well worth sending them to all of us who are happy to share your experiences.
I just saw that Cunit is about twenty minutes (by train, anyway, perhaps a few minutes longer by car) from Sitges, a bit further north from Cunit. The reason I mention this is because I have some very good and longtime friends who live in a penthouse in Sitges where I visited them four years ago. I think that they would be delighted to meet you and I believe that the pleasure might be mutual. In any case, Adriana (Adriana Dinar) speaks English. I’m not sure about her husband, Toni. If you’re interested in looking them up, I’ll be happy to send you their contact information and would of course let them know about you.
Adriana Dinar’s father was a Turkish attorney and honorary Chilean Consul in Istanbul, very esteemed by everyone who had ever met him. He actually proposed marriage to me way back when in Chile, where he was visiting some relatives when we met. Long, long ago! He lived in one of those historic wooden houses overseeing the Bosporus and I visited him there several times. I knew about his daughter, who lived with his ex-wife in Spain, but only met her some six years ago when she and her husband visited Washington. But it was one of those times when one instantly clicks. She studied law but I’m not sure that she ever actually practiced it. When I think of her, I can only associate her with wide smiles. She’s one of the most outgoing persons I know. I know that she and Toni would love to meet you.
I sometimes enjoy viewing the half-hour TV transmissions by Rick Steves about his travels in Europe. The ending of his transmissions is usually “keep traveling!” No need to tell YOU that!
All best – and do let me know if you’d be interested in meeting Adriana and Toni – Bea
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Thanks so much, Bea! We are indeed close to Sitges and plan to visit more than once. I will reach out by email for more details. Wide smiles are one of our favorite things!
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Wonderful descriptions! Weighing one set of advantages against another sounds like great fun as well as a serious sorting out of values.
When Burt and I searched for a winter get-away spot after spending 10 winters or so in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, we saw many attractive, intriguing spots in the U.S. (in the southwest, the west, and finally, Florida)– tempting, too. The deciding factor for us was the answer to the question: Where can we best find a community that is welcoming and stimulating — as well as attractive with good weather. I notice that you and Rachel don’t factor in “community”…..so we are different in this way. Viva la difference! Enjoy to the hilt!
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Great point, Eleanor. It’s hard to know whether a place offers community based on a short visit. What did you look for? We do want to find community — that’s one of our big reasons for settling in one place — but I think it can happen anywhere if you get involved in some way. Maybe more transient places and places with more activities? It’s definitely something we want to look for and learn more about!
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Defining “community” is difficult! It probably varies according to one’s needs. A combination of factors”. people of similar religious and political persuasions; maybe actually knowing someone within the community who seems happy at the prospect of our joining them….Do the public activities match my interests? or stimulate new interests? Distance from our family, etc. The twinkle in a stranger’s eyes….
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