From power outlets to floating rear wheels and camper spots
Updated: 3 days ago
Sunday, October 18, the time had finally come again: after two months, we flew back to Alicante. A few days in Macisvenda to check on the construction, make arrangements, and be back in our own place for a while.
The weather forecasts made things quite tense beforehand. Severe weather and flooding in various places in Spain. Fortunately, in the Hondón Valley, it remained just a bit of rain, and it wasn't too bad there.
Our journey began at Rotterdam Airport with a special story. Our pilot was starting his very last day of work. Retirement! The flight attendants had flags and buttons for the occasion. While still on the ground, he spoke briefly about his career. It was nice to witness a small part of his farewell like this.
Then came the announcement that, due to the bad weather in Spain, we might have to wait another hour and fifteen minutes. That was a bit less festive. Eventually, we departed twenty minutes late and had a tailwind. We landed in Alicante right on schedule. He had arranged that properly on his last day at work!
The rental car was ready, and soon we were driving to Hondón de los Frailes, where we stayed at Casa de la Pina once again . After a delicious cup of coffee, we couldn't hold back any longer: off to our own place in Macisvenda!
And then you arrive there…
Suddenly, there is a house. And a casita. And an outdoor kitchen. Even the swimming pool has already been dug out! Of course, we had seen photos and videos, but standing among them ourselves is something else entirely.
Our builder's father was still working, and soon we were standing there chatting. It was nice to be back and to be able to see everything with our own eyes. A bit overwhelmed by all the impressions, we took another walk around. This goes here, that goes there. Back to the living room for a moment. To the casita one more time. And back to the view. On paper, we know every room by now, but now we could really walk through it.
The construction of the walls and the insulation were now also clearly visible. It was nice to see how much work went into it and how carefully it was executed. Real craftsmanship. Soon everything will be neatly finished and you won't see any of it anymore. That is exactly why it was nice to be able to view it now.
Of course, we also went to visit Dick and Evelien at Casa Verde on Sunday . Their dog Rocko was happy to see us again too. Together, we enjoyed a delicious meal at restaurant La Font in Hondón de las Nieves. Afterwards, we played a game in Dick and Evelien's outdoor kitchen. It was very enjoyable! A lovely start to our days in Spain.
On Monday morning at 10:15 a.m., we were back at the construction site. Our site manager José Antonio, his father, and colleagues gave us a cheerful welcome. After that, we could get straight to work: determining the locations of sockets and light points.
That sounds simple, until you stand in the middle of a room and have to figure out where you are going to use everything. Where will a lamp go? Where do you want to be able to charge something? We also discussed lighting points and power outlets outdoors.
Nathalie had even thought of a spot to iron outside. Apparently, an ironing board is simply part of our Spanish dream. But one with a view, of course.
Maurice, the man from solar panel company Solar NRG, also stopped by. We discussed our requirements, and he is going to prepare a new quote. Naturally, we asked if it fits within the budget. It's better to mention it. Now we hope the quote turns out just as sunny as the outlook.
José Juan, our kitchen specialist from Frailes, also came to the construction site. He measured everything and passed on the exact locations for the kitchen sockets directly to our builder, José Antonio. It was very nice that they could coordinate that together.
Our builder, José Antonio, also felt it was important for us to view the windows and frames at the small factory in Abanilla where they are made. It was great to see how much attention is paid to the thermal insulation of a frame. You tend to focus on the color and shape yourself, while there is so much more to it.
We also received practical advice: a sliding window here, and a casement window there. It's nice to be so proactive. These are choices we will be living with every day. We’ve also picked out the window sills. Another item checked off the list!
Afterwards, we sat down and had a quiet chat with José Antonio in a sports bar in Abanilla. All sorts of details came up. Amidst all the cheerfulness and dreaming, these are important conversations. Especially now, we want to align well with each other regarding what we have in mind. Mutual trust is very important in this regard.
On Monday, we also went to Consydecor to pick out bathroom tiles. Colors, sizes, and combinations: there is plenty to choose from. After all the sockets, light fixtures, windows, and window sills, there was still room for a few more tiles. Decision stress? A bit, yes, but it will be fine.
Moreover, there we discovered something we didn't know yet: María, who works at Consydecor, is the wife of José Juan, our kitchen man. The world really is small. In any case, the kitchen and the bathroom already appear to have a good connection!
Tuesday started with another delicious breakfast at Casa de la Pina. What a lovely stay. Henk and Angelie know how to give their guests an unforgettable time. It is wonderful to return to such a familiar place in between all the appointments.
We have marked out the camper pitches on our grounds. It is now decided: there will be four!
We marked the spots with white sand. That suddenly made this part of our plan a lot more tangible as well. A camper will be parked here soon, and the guests will be sitting outside there. Pull up a chair, hold a cup of coffee, and look out over the valley.
We could already picture it all.
We took photos with the drone and used AI to map the camper spots onto them. This gave us an even better idea of what it might turn out to look like.
We will also share those images in the camper groups on Facebook. We would love to ask the camper experts there for their comments and suggestions regarding the layout. Of course, comments below are also welcome! We can already approve of the view, but for the practical side, the experience of camper owners is more than welcome. What a place!
In between appointments, we also went into the mountains close to home. Stunning views, rugged slopes, and a different vista every time. We continue to be amazed by how beautiful it is here.
We also visited an old quarry near Hondón de los Frailes, which is credited as a filming location for The Covenant. Guy Ritchie's film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is set in Afghanistan but used landscapes from this region as a backdrop. The road there can be described as challenging at times. We love that!
Suddenly there you are, standing amidst dark rock walls and old installations, while just the day before you were having an extensive conversation about power outlets. Apparently, our own construction site wasn't enough; we also had to take a look at a film set.
On Tuesday afternoon, we showed Henk and Angelie our grounds. It is only a five-minute drive from Casa de la Pina. It was nice to finally be able to show them what we are always so enthusiastic about. That visit would have a surprising sequel the following morning.
But first, on Tuesday evening, we provided an unexpected bit of spectacle ourselves.
We were standing in front of the gate at Casa de la Pina. Nathalie got out to open it. So far, everything was going according to plan. Richard still doesn't know exactly what happened next. The car slid backward, over the edge, and suddenly the rear wheels were hanging loose. There we stood. Or rather: there we were hanging.
You go to Spain for a few days to check on your house and end up wondering how your rental car could be in such a state. Nathalie, at least, had only opened the gate. Fortunately, Henk and Angelie came to help immediately, along with the neighbor. A car pulled up, a tow cable was attached, and the ladies took their places on the hood as extra weight. Soon, the car was back on the road with all four wheels. We were so happy with their help! We still didn't understand exactly how we had ended up in this situation. But thanks to this rescue team, at least we could move on.
Wednesday was already our last day. After a delicious breakfast and with plenty of sunshine, it promised to be a beautiful day. Henk mentioned that he had been thinking about our plans. He had noticed that, in our opinion, the entrance to the outdoor kitchen was too close to the casita. We had already been puzzling over that quite a bit.
On Wednesday, Dick and Evelien came to our site with their son, his wife, and the children. We proudly showed them the progress. It was nice to walk around together and talk about what is going where. It is so nice to have people around you who think along with you and empathize. We make all the decisions ourselves, but fortunately, we don't have to figure everything out on our own.
Around 3:00 PM, we said goodbye and drove back towards Alicante Airport. We continued to enjoy the scenery along the way. Even the route to the airport is beautiful here, although we would have liked to stay a little longer.
We returned the rental car and were soon at the security check. Everything went smoothly. After a few days full of building plans, meetings, and new ideas, we were already on our way back to the Netherlands. With plenty to talk about and think about.
Our future home is taking shape more and more. We have walked through the rooms, marked out the camper spots, and experienced once again how beautiful the surroundings are. There is still a lot to be done, but it is so nice to have seen it all with our own eyes now.
Luckily, we'll be back in just a month. We can't wait!
Warm regards again!
Nathalie and Richard
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