Spending Like Crazy!!!

The Big News!

Tuesday, June 10, I purchased my condo in Barcelona, exactly 3 months from when I first arrived to this vibrant city.  That day went smoothly but the process is very different than in the US.  I first had to go to my bank to cut three bank checks, two for the two mortgages that the prior owner had on the house and the third for the owner himself.  During the actual meeting to buy the property, the settlement company (the person in charge is actually called a Notary, but this person has much more responsibility and is equivalent in some respects to a US real estate attorney) collected all the personal information from the owners and from me and then created the final settlement document that we all signed.  That took about 1 1/2 hours.  Then I accompanied the owner and the real estate agent to the bank that had the mortgages for the house and gave the bank official the two checks for the two loans.  I then received a certified document stating that the loans were paid in full, which I brought back to the Notary office the next morning.  The Notary also needed to collect some other documents from the owner afterwards before sending me a final bill that included all taxes and notary fees, which was a little more than 10% of the cost of the property.  I received that bill today and have 30 days from the purchase date to pay these taxes and fees.

And Now The Fun Begins!!

The very next day workers started prepping the house before painting it as well as doing other improvements.  My friend Carlos from Málaga arrived on Friday.  He is an artist and has an eye for design and was thrilled with the prospect of helping me spend my money on the condo!  On Friday I bought a refrigerator, a washing machine and a large flat screen TV set.  I also ordered my internet, landline phone line (which is required with internet) and my mobile phone line, all of which will be installed on Wed.

Today (Monday) Carlos and I purchased the living room leather sofa, a murphy-style bed for the second bedroom, paid the balance for the bed in the master bedroom, and all the light fixtures including the dining room ceiling lamp, a ceiling lamp for the kitchen, two wall lights for reading in the master bedroom, and two sconces for the loft space.  My head has been spinning with the amount of spending that I have been doing in such as short period of time!  But this has all been budgeted and I'm pretty much within my budget.  Tomorrow is a day of rest from shopping!!

Also today I decided on the colors of the walls.  This Friday I will be moving in, although not all of the work in the house will be completed by then.

Chris comes two days later, on Sunday morning.  Although it seems like lots of things have already been taken care of, there are many, many things that Chris and I will be doing together over the 3 1/2 weeks that he will be here in order to make this into a home for the both of us.

An interesting side point: In the US, light fixtures and appliances are assumed to be conveyed with the house unless explicitly noted when the house is shown.  In Spain it is the opposite.  It is assumed that all appliances and light fixtures will be removed unless it is otherwise noted or is negotiated when the initial contract is drawn up at the time of the 10% down payment.

What Else Could I Fit In This Week?

Amazingly, a lot more things occurred.  Last Monday was a holiday in Barcelona to celebrate Pentecost (or Whitsunday).  They commonly refer to it as the second Easter.  A small group of friends went to the neighborhood of Barceloneta where they had a street festival with music, dancing and fireworks.

The next day, the same day as my house purchase, a larger group of friends gathered in the afternoon to explore and discover the architectural evidence of the Masons in the old section of Barcelona.  We ended the afternoon at a wine cellar in the Born neighborhood.

I also had to re-register with the city using my new address as well as re-register with national government  and request a new residency permit card with my new address.

Over the weekend, I volunteered to aid with the local Shambhala Meditation Group in Barcelona for one of the Shambhala training levels that they hosted this weekend.  That was especially rewarding for me.  All the talks and discussions were only in Spanish, which was challenging but also encouraging to see that I was able to both understand as well as fully participate in the group.  By the end of the weekend I felt better connected with the instructors, coordinators and the participants.

I'll see how I do with posting a blog article a week from today.  With Chris coming on Sunday, I may have my hands full, which I am very much looking forward to!!

Home, House Warming Party and Hike to Costa Brava Monastery

The House - Inspection, Work, Move

Friday was set aside to do a house inspection.  I was concerned about the owner's commitment to fix the

flooring in the hallway.  It's in the contract for him to do it, but I really didn't want to go the legal route.  Well, I was pleased with the work they did with that and the other things that were listed in the contract.  We also checked the utilities (air conditioning, heat, gas, water) and everything looked good.   I feel very comfortable with our meeting tomorrow and purchasing my new home.

On Wednesday the work begins on the flat - sanding, scraping, filling & painting.  I'm moving the toilet in the bath and installing large doors for the built-in closet in the bedroom (they currently have curtains over the closet).  That with other smaller items that are on the list will probably take 2-3 weeks.

No matter where they are in the process, I will be moving into the bedroom on June 20.  The bed will be installed that day.  I'll need to buy bed sheets that fit the bed (the bed sizes here are different than they are in the States).  So, I asked that the bedroom to be painted and that the toilet to be functional by the 20th.  It would be great if the doors and ceiling fan were installed, but I'm not counting on that.  I am very excited about the move though and having a place I can call home after almost 4 months.  Chris will be arriving on June 22!

Attending A House Warming Party

On Saturday I attended a house warming party (they call it an "Inauguracíón") of a friend who was offered to

buy a beautiful flat that he had been renting on a very prestigious street for a price much lower than market rates.  His mortgage was approved and he invited friends to have some wine at his old/new place and then go out to dinner.  I wasn't quite sure what the custom was for this kind of event, but I decided to buy a card and a small house warming gift at Casa Viva store.  When I arrived with the gift, the host said how nice that I would do such an American thing as to bring a gift.  Later an Irish friend came and brought an orchid plant for him.  I guess the the Irish and American cultures have similar traditions.  Later I received a very nice message from the host warmly thanking me for what I brought him.

I'll probably be having my own house warming party in September.  It will take a while to furnish the place.

Hike to Sant Pere de Rodes

Yesterday I went on a hike on the Costa Brava near France to the Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery, which dates back to 878, but was at its peak in the 11th and 12th centuries by Benedictine monks.  It was eventually abandoned in the late 18th century and reconstruction work began in 1935.

The hike was a little more than 9.9 kilometers, it was all up-hill and it was a very warm day.  It was wonderful to enjoy the very cool enclaves of this ancient monastery.  I also was able to talk to some new people and make some new friends.

I've done many hikes with this small group of friends who were on this trip