Bedrock

Here in Galera I’ve noted many Facebook discussions about broadband issues and I was just responding to one in particular when I realised an in-depth response might annoy people for whom broadband reliability and speed is not an issue – so I said I’d follow it up in here. This post, then, is only of interest to locals I guess.

Ok, I’m based in Galera and in the Baza (Southern Spain) area we have a broadband company called Habland who we’ve had for years. Until recently my wife and I were Spanish part-timers and in the months we spent back in the UK, Habland would (year after year) reduce our broadband in speed and price to the lowest level, just enough to run cameras and give me access to stuff I needed. Fine – not stunningly fast but fine.

Today of course, increasingly, fibre broadband is the norm and Habland offer this too. a year ago, despite our street having no phone lines – they (a fellow called Jesus) promised we’d have it “in the coming weeks”. well, that didn’t happen and NOW they want my retired neighbours and I to fund and fit POLES before they’ll fit fibre.

The time for sitting outside at midnight taking photos is once again gone for the year so instead, showing them off at the local photo club… it’s still lovely and warm during the day but as the sun disappears it will soon be time to consider heating.

Our September mini-adventure got off to a flying start after visiting L’Ametlla De Mar late Monday just in time for a quick look around and dinner after checking our our hotel for the duration.

After many years of service, our old hot tub finally gave up the ghost here at Bedrock, so now we have a brand new POOL… just filled today. And there it stands at 3m length and about 1m high. Needs varnish before we start enjoying it but it’s up and running (top is already done)! The pergola has been getting a makeover – we’ve had our new patio installed and this is the finishing touch, on its own concrete base (will will soon have Spanish tile sides and surrounding “grass”.

Thankfully the heat has broken (probably temporarily) so we can start varnishing tomorrow – now the tanker guy has done his job. That’s a LOT of water and we got all of it (that’s next door neighbour Dave’s plastic rat front left).

We had a lovely trip out to Velez Rubio today to meet an old friend (Angus Lyon) and his partner Suzanne and daughter Eliana half way as they are currently staying in their apartment down in Mojacar just off the sea front. Nothing rash – just a quick meet-up for coffee and tostada as a prelude to them visiting us in Galera, maybe in September. Last time we met his daughter she was really tiny.

On the way back as we were on our way to Orce, I took this snapshot – really pleasant weather after the heatwaves of late. We have of course been to both Velez Rubio and Velez Blanco many times – some day I’ll find an explanation of what “Velez” actually means.

Continuing our tradition of travelling up and down Spain, last week we took an early anniversary vacation up in Dénia, in the province of Alicante, stopping in at Bullas on the way up and Benidorm on the way back. Our 3-night trip was short but sweet and with the decline of Covid here in Spain we’re at the end of outdoor mask-wearing and feeling more “normal” than we have for over a year now. Add to that, very pleasant weather in the upper 20’s heading up to 30C.