Apartment

In July we arrived in England with a school, a job interview, a soccer club all set up for Spain, however, no apartment to live in.

Montse’s family have been wonderful to us helping us with many different things and in August, Montse’s sister, Maria found us a very nice apartment after having viewed and enquired about many. The day we arrived in Spain we were able to stay in it and our first month of rent was September.

It is a two bedroom apartment with a main living area and a separate kitchen. It is one of many apartments in a large circular apartment block creating an enclosed complex with a 24 hour security guard.

It has a swimming pool which we enjoyed a lot while it was still open, a playground, a small area where the boys play soccer with the neighbors and a paved path around where many roller blade or use their rip sticks and skateboards. Many of the owners/renters gather in this communal outside area in the evening so there are plenty of new friends to meet. They all seem very nice.

I was describing our apartment to be like a holiday apartment and then Billy told Montse’s Mom that this year was going to be like a holiday!

View of Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid from the city where we live.

Part-time Job

The good news and incredible really is that I found a part-time job. I still cannot believe my luck. 
 

Before I left the USA, I wrote emails (again with Montse's kind help with the translation) sending my C.V. to all the schools around where I was going to live and asked if they needed help with looking after children and teaching English. In July, when I was in England I received an interested reply by email but needed to phone them. I was then running around like a headless chicken, thinking any Spanish that I did know has completely left my head. Luckily after the first pleasantries we switched languages and the phone interview was held in English. The first full day we were in Spain, I had another interview with the principal (in both English and Spanish as he does not know English) and then started work on the second day looking after and speaking English with the children in the playground(before even the boys went to school).

The age of children ranges from 4 year olds to third graders. All lovely ages to want to come and speak to me. They also like to come and tell tales on their friends if things are not going right. I still do not understand everything they say but I have learnt a few words such as push, punch, hit, kick, fall and hurt from listening to them. They have been very patient while I have learnt their names. Some have been helpful by telling me it everytime they pass, others have spelled it for me which is very helpful if I have never heard the name before and don't hear what they are saying. Others just laugh with me at my bad memory. They call me Fiona or Profe if they can't remember. I do know now which children just want to visit the nurse for the sake of it (they look for any little mark-yesterday's or last week's) and I will make sure that everything is fine without visiting her. They also seem to know that I will go on a toy or backpack hunt with them if they have lost their things.

Then October arrived and the second day of the boys going to school the full day, I was asked to sub in the classrooms. Most days since then I have had the opportunity to work one or two more hours on top of my normal two hours/day. I will finish at 4:45pm and collect my boys from their school at 5pm. The timing is just perfect to leave one school and arrive at the other on time. The children's age range that I sub for is from two year olds up to 3rd grade. I very much enjoy teaching the children English and I am also learning which ones I should speak to more in the playground for practice.

Montse’s mom, Afia, is also extremely kind and has been a great help to the Menkens. During September, she looked after my children, while I was at work. They finished at 1:30pm and I finished at 3pm. So lots of luck and very kind people.

Afia and the boys at Corte Ingles

Travelling from London to Madrid

We came to the UK with 16 pieces of luggage but the plane to Madrid (easyJet) only allowed 8 (unless we wanted to pay 10 times the price of our tickets. I wonder what they would have done if we had bought 4 more tickets for 8 more bags but no actual passengers. As my nephew pointed out, that would have been much cheaper.)

So, in England, we left wedding clothes, winter clothes, air beds, cutlery and crockery (thinking a furnished apartment might just have these items) and managed to get everything else into eight bags. Well that as well as we wore (or tied around our waist about four layers each and my pockets for each layer were jam-packed. Then there was the book we were carrying.

Our four cases for the hold were 20Kg each or just under (maximum weight limit for the hold). EasyJet prides itself on no weight limit for hand luggage, only linear inches. My tape measure ensured we were within the linear inches limit, however, at the check in, I was asked to put one of the hand luggage cases into the rectangular bin to check it was within size. We had to kind of force it in and then for the longest time we could not get it out again. Well their linear inches were not calibrated with my tape measure, but they let us pass.

The instructions say we could also have a duty free bag on the plane which allowed us to buy a British thank you present for the Recartes at the Harrods store. Our hand luggage did fit in the overhead, however, one airhostess told us off for having too many bags. When I pointed out there was a bag per passenger plus the allowed duty free she said "well your luggage is too big!" Luckily these were only cross words and no extra payment was necessary.

In Madrid we found our hold luggage and then packed away our extra layers before entering out into the beaming hot sun. In the three weeks we have been here it has remained sunny and we have not missed the rain or cold one bit.

 



September 7 2011 Boys outside our apartment complex enjoying the warm weather



Mid-October we return to England for a family wedding and then we will come back to Madrid with the remaining suitcases.

Last week in England visiting more family

September 3, 2011 Great to be in England visiting with my cousin Annabel

September 3, 2011 More croquet

September 3, 2011 Alfie with Mummy and Granny

September 3, 2011 Billy and Charley hold their own against Aunty Stella and Olivia





September 2, 2011 Very competitive game of croquet starting amongst the lads



September 2, 2011 BBQ lunch group photo of cousins

September 2, 2011 My sister and brother-in-law, Alfie's proud parents

September 2, 2011 Admiring the new bridge constructed by my uncle

September 2, 2011 Nathaniel

September 2, 2011 Charley getting to know his second cousins, Tom and George

September 2, 2011 First and second cousins arrive at my Aunt and Uncle's

September 2nd, 2011

September 1, 2011 I wish I had Harry's luck when it came to bunco

September 1, 2011 Dinner at Gable Court, Yetminster

September 1, 2011 Passing Stonehenge on the way to my Aunt and Uncle's in Yetminster, Dorset

Day in London with Grandpa and cousin Lawrence

August 31, 2011 Top of the London Eye

August 31, 2011

August 31, 2011 nearing the top of the London Eye

August 31, 2011 View of Buckingham Palace from the London Eye

August 31, 2011 Houses of Parliament from the London Eye

August 31, 2011 at the bottom of the London Eye rotation

August 31, 2011 He does move but only to bow if you pay him.

August 31, 2011 London Eye here we come and Big Ben in the background

August 31 2011 Heading for the London Eye

August 31 2011 Crossing the Thames

August 31 London Metro

Day out with Grandpa and cousin Olivia

August 29, 2011 Descendants of William the Conqueror outside Battle Abbey, Battle near Hastings

August 29, 2011 Duke William won and became known as William the Conqueror and William I

August 29, 2011 Field where Harold II and Duke William of Normandy fought for the crown of England 1066

August 29, 2011 Standing infront of where the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066

Photos of our month in the UK

Wales, UK

August 23, 2011 Playing Poo -Sticks under the bridge

August 23, 2011 Charley waiting for our picnic lunch

August023,2011 Walking in Wales

August 23, 2011 Taking a rest at the top

August 23, 2011 Wales

August 21, 2011 Celebrating Olivia's Birthday

Whitby, North Yorkshire

August 20, 2011 Mighty cold North Sea swimming -Whitby

August 20, 2011 Whitby -Alfie's first time at the seaside

August 20, 2011 Half way up the 199 steps to the Count Dracula church yard

August 20, 2011 Fish and Chips at the Magpie Restaurant, Whitby

August 20, 2011 Count Dracula's Church Haunt on the hill

August 19, 2011 Crabbing with the Littlers in Whitby

August 19, 2011 Crabbing with the Littlers in Whitby

Forbidden Corner

Tupgill Park, Coverham, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner

Ripon, North Yorkshire

August 17, 2011 Granny's horses Pepsi and Aphrodite

Brimham Rocks

 Summerbridge Ripon, Yorkshire

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

Arboretum

Bedale, North Yorkshire

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboritum



August 15, 2011
Visiting family friends

Leeds, North Yorkshire

August 15, 2011
Visiting family friends

Ripley Show, Ripley, North Yorkshire

August 14, 2011 Ripley Show
 Granny, Billy and this year no rain!

August 14, 2011; Ripley Show, Ripley, North Yorkshire
Granny with Harry and Charley

Ripon, North Yorkshire

August 13, 2011; Ripon, North Yorkshire
 Visiting Aunty Stella and Alfie with Olivia

Maize Maze, North Yorkshire

August 11, 2011
Go-carting with friends and cousins

Ripon, North Yorkshire

August 10, 2011 Ripon, North Yorkshire
Harry touring Grandad's ferret cages

August 9, 2011
 The Menken boys teaching Alfie some soccer skills

August 9, 2011; At Granny's, Ripon, North Yorkshire 
Alfie meets the Menkens

Mayfield, East Sussex

August 7, 2011; Mayfield, East Sussex
Visiting Grandpa with the boys' cousin, Olivia