Ok, I have been living in Catalonia now about a month and already I have noticed that some things have changed.
Here is what I have noticed:
Before: I rushed around Paris to go from place A to B and then C…After when I got back home I was feeling tired. I used a lot of my time to just to get in different places – that takes time and energy.
Now: We mostly pass our time in our village. Things are simple. We take our daughter to the nursery, do some grocery shopping and get back to our house; we work and then pick up our child around five. We only go to Barcelona like once in the week, and we plan beforehand what we are going to do. I do love to walk around in the city when I am on a weekend holiday, but everyday life I prefer to keep things simple and efficient. To put in other way: Big cities makes me tired these days.
Before: The time passed fast.
Now: I feel like I have earned some extra hours in my day. Before picking up our daughter I have finished my to do -list and I still got time to sit down on our terrace and look at the view. And nope, I don’t take any extra hours from my sleeping time.
Before: We went to an expensive and badly filled organic grocery shop in Paris, and I hated it to go there every time. People where in the bad mood, the lines where long and there where hardy place to move with trams and the shopping cart.
Now: Our local grocery shop is literally full of local and fresh fruits and vegetables. It makes me smile every time I go there.
Before: I used to stay inside most of the day.
Now: Even when it is wintertime in here, I have spent more time outdoors than never before. It is so good for my mind and body to spend more and more time outside, to take care of our garden or just to work at our terrace. Naturally I sleep well.
Before: I was planning our next trip all the time. (Afterwards I have realized that it was because I wasn’t happy to live in Paris.)
Now: I don’t miss to be anywhere else or I don’t need to be planning our next trip. I am absolutely happy to be here.
So I guess I have to admit that we have found our ideal destination, and I have started to become a real senora.
So, I have written about our new start here in Catalonia, but I haven’t really opened up, why we wanted to give up our life in Paris and move to a new country and to a place where we don’t know anyone.
So this blog text is about that.
Firstly, we wanted to give our daughter the best possible place to grow up. Secondly, we wanted to move somewhere in Europe where the climate is warm and most of the time nice. Also, we wanted to give up the hectic life in the big city and slow down.
Shortly, we wanted to find that ideal place where we could be on countryside and have our own garden, but still be next to a big city.
Also, we wanted to live more to our values and in more ecological way: to recycle better, buy local food, doing things by ourselves, and just enjoy everyday life in a natural and healthy environment.
We were thinking about South of France, Italy and then Spain. The final decision was made when we had visited Barcelona region a couple of times. And when we found this little wine village near Barcelona, we were absolutely sure, that this could be ideal place for us. Also, we learned that the village is really international: there is an international school near by, and lot of people speaks English. These things made the decision-making easy.
Before, I remember, that I used to make plans for our next trip to this and that location. Afterwards I have realized, that it was, because we weren’t happy living in where we were. We were always looking for some excuses to get away. Now, I love the idea that I can just be here. I can diminish my ecological footprint when it comes to travels, because, in general, I don’t need to go anywhere. I am happy here! The weather is nice, the sun is shining, I can be in my garden, and the rhythm of the life is slower than in a big city. Even original everyday stuff, like doing laundry, makes me happy, especially when I can put the laundry to dry outside.
The only thing that is presenting less ecological values is, that we needed to buy a car. Yep, not proud of it, but it was kind of mandatory here. Thought, we do use the car wisely and basically only on weekends. We walk to the nursery and the village (this is so good sport when we need to climb back to our house!) When it gets warmer, we will do daytrips by our bikes. Anyway, we found it better to do road trips in South of Europa by car than taking a plane to somewhere far.
So that’s about it. Now you know why we are here:)
Between the lines what I try to say is, that if it possible, it is better to live by your values and make the choices that make your everyday life happier. It is better to find the actual moment and the environment pleasant than hastaging #throwbacks or just living in the future and waiting for the next summer holiday. That is what I think.
First I thought I was going to feel so lonely here in Barcelona region, in a small village where I don’t know anyone, but oh boy how wrong I was. It hasn’t been a day that I haven’t been talking to someone who I don’t know, and often we don’t even share the same language.
These last weeks we have been invited spontaneysly to a Sunday lunch to our neighbours’ house when they saw as walking near they house. They even give us some eggs from their chicken ( yes, this is how countryside we are living now). And while we were going to our neighbours’ place we end up talking to other neighbours next door, and they invited us too for a lunch. This kind of thing never happened to us in Paris or in Finland. I really am amazed how friendly people are here. I never seen anything like this.
I have to share another story, too. I was washing dishes in the kitchen when I saw our neighbour shaking hands to try to get my attention. I went outside to see what he wanted, and then he reach for the barrier and gave me two bags. In the other there were eggs and in the other lemons.
Not only people are friendly, helpful and open-minded, but they want to share things.
In the other day, when we were leaving from the lunch date from our neighbour’s place, our lovely hostess said: “welcome again, my house is your house, too”.
Okey, I still got lot to do with my Finnish attitude where we mostly leave our neighbours alone, to start to be as open as our neighbours are. I can already feel that the wind is changing.
I will continue my exploration here, in Catalonia.
Ok, so we have moved from Helsinki to Barcelona region. To be honest it was a bit shock at first. We were living in Helsinki and Paris and now we are about to install in a small village near Barcelona.
In the first a couple of days I was sure I am never going to adapt this, but then in the forth morning my prejudices were gone. I was feeling happy and the hostess of the house who has always lived here. My husband couldn’t help wondering: What the hell happened? Few days ago you wanted to go and now you are happy to be here. Yep, I am. Ok, there a million thinks to do in the house, but the garden and the view are something that I am going to be happy every day. I am going to write more about our life changing project and the reasons why we decided to move from a big city to a small village.
Rakastan impulsiivisia käänteitä: sitä,kun matkasuunnitelmia voi muuttaa fiiliksen mukaan. Niinpä päätimme vuokrata auton ja suunnata katsomaan Barcelonan lähialueita. Ensin ajoimme Sitgesiin, pieneen rantakaupunkiin, jossa pysähdyimme hörppäämään reissukahvit ja syöttämään tyttömme. Ihastelimme turkoosinsinisenäkiiltäväämerta ja kävelimme rantabulevardia.
Matka sai kuitenkin vielä jatkua. Nyt cava-viinitilojen kylkeen, Penedésin alueelle, jonnekin sinne, missä vuoristokolmiot rikkovat tasankoa.
Sinne tänne ajellessamme viinilaaksojen halki kohti yhäkauniimpaa ja kauniimpaa maaseutua, päädyimme viimein pieneen Torrelles de Foix -nimiseen kylään, josta mieheni löysi Bed & breakfast -majoituksen.
Arienella-majapaikka saa ehdottomasti täydet viisi tähteä niin sijainnin, palvelun kuin tunnelman osalta.
Me saimme suloisen, maalaisromanttisen huoneen. Sen näköalaterassilla tuijottelimme auringonlaskua kylmä, kupliva cava-lasillinen kädessä. Voisiko enää enempää toivoa?
Sitten se hiljaisuus! Ainoastaan siellä täällä kuuli koiran haukkuvan. Aamulla taas havahtui kukon kiekaisuun. Nyt todellakin oltiin maaseudulla.
Ja pikkukylän tunnelma — jopa aavemaisen hiljainen, silti sympaattinen. Kadut ammottivat tyhjyyttäänniin aamulla, päivällä kuin illalla. Ja kun sitten vastaan tuli paikallinen, häntä tervehdittiin, tietenkin.
Sitten ne hitaat ja hulppeataamiaiset, jotka nautittiin ulkona terassilla kissojen ja koirien kiehnätessäjaloissa. Ja uudet tuttavuudet, joiden kanssa juteltiin niitä näitä pitkän terassipöydän äärellä. Erityisesti mieleeni jäi se kiva englantilaispariskunta, jonka nainen oli viimeisillään raskaana. Ja jopa se negatiivisesti kaikkeen suhtautuva belgialainen eläkeläisnainen saa hymyn huulille. Hän, jota kauhistutti se, että olimme reissussa kaksikuukautisen vauvan kanssa. Silti naisen kasvoille piirtyi autenttinen hymy aina kun hän yhteisellä terassilla näki vauvamme.
Juuri tämänkaltaiset minilomat maalla riuhtovat irti arkirutiineista, joista vielä kaupunkilomalla yrittää tiukasti pitää kiinni (syö terveellisesti, ei viiniä, urheile). Pikkukylän autenttinen tunnelma ja luonnon äärellä rauhoittuminen takaavat, että siinä hetkessä elää paikkakunnan tapojen mukaisesti: aurinkohattu päässä nauttien hyvästä ruuasta ja juomasta ja uinuen siesta-aikana muiden kyläläisten tapaan.
So, our trip to Barcelona tookan impulsive turn when we decided to escape the city and rent a car and drivesomewhere in the countryside. Our only criterion was to go where they make cava (in that famous wine region Penedés).
First we arrived atthis seaside holiday town called Sitges, where we had some coffee and fedthe little one. I can easily imagine that Barcelonians come here to escapethe busy city environment andto have more space to enjoy the sun on the beach and drink cocktailson the terrace.
Then we hoppedin the car and got backon the road again. After an hour or so my husband founda romantic bed & breakfast in Torrelles de Foix.
And romanticit was; Arienella, the B&B place, was absolutely amazing. We got a beautiful room with a balcony. Inthe evening we watched the view over the countryside with freshcava in our glasses. Could it be any better?
Then there was the silence, which you can only experience in the countryside; just every now and then you couldhear a dog barking, or in the morning a rooster crowing.
And the unique atmosphere at the village. I got the impression that the place was permanently asleep! Inthe morning, day or evening — the streets rest silentand empty, like a ghost town. And when it was time to eat, the owner of the B&B called one of the restaurants tofind out whether it was open. It is not certain, like in the city, that you can just go and eat or find a supermarket that is open.
And then there were those lazy mornings and big breakfasts that you could eat on the terrace or near the swimming pool whilechilled-out music was playing in the background. And those friendly conversations with other guests, like that pregnantEnglish couple. We seta good example of how you can travel with a little baby. Although, that did get some criticismfrom an old Belgian woman, who seemed to have a negative attitude to everything, or that was just her way of being.
Afterwards, I think these kinds of mini breaks in thecountryside are necessary for your peace of mind. I mean, when you are ona city holiday, you always try to keep up your routines (or least I do) in some way or another, or you end up walking 15 kilometers every day — that really does not get you in a relaxing mood, does it? But in the countryside, that calmness does get to you after all; you adapt the rhythm of the village, sleep and eat well, and by accident you start to take those little siestas like the villagers do.
I totally recommend this place, if you are traveling in Catalonia.
