Spain is, without a doubt, one of the noisiest countries on the planet. In fact, according to Spaniards, Spain is really the noisiest country, followd by Japan, of all places.
I find Spaniards to be a naturally a joyful, loud and excitable lot, with a real enthusiasm for life. If you’ve ever been in a restaurant or even seated within about 50m of a group of Spaniards you will be hard pushed to hear the people at your own table! They all shout over each other, and even when not trying to make themselves heard there seems to be a certain tone belonging to Spanish voices which can penetrate stone walls!
Actually it’s one of the lovely things about Spain, and we love going to the coast or into the city for lunch and a bit of a stroll as there’s always a real buzz about the place. Of course there’s traffic noise but it’s more than that, it’s the general way people talk/shout at each other in the friendliest way you can imagine, but at around 100 decibels. They can be standing right next to you and yet they’re shouting straight into your face, marking the pauses with big smiles, hugs and nudges. Deafening!
Noise levels played a big factor when we were deciding where to buy our house. We’re in the country, about 630 metres above sea level, with phenomenal views over the mountains and valley towards Cartagena and the coast. Quite often we’re actually above the clouds which means we can’t even see Fortuna in the distance. The only noise up here is from dogs in the area, and frankly you get used to that after a while. Coming home after a busy day out is wonderful, the peace and quiet is guaranteed to make you just breathe in and…relax.
That’s actually the view from our en-suite bathroom, a real loo with a view!
We’re fast approaching the best time of the year for generally not exerting ourselves too much, and just lounging around, outside. Being able to eat outside is one of life’s little pleasures, whether it’s via the BBQ or just bringing the food out from the kitchen. It is a real joy to be able to have friends over, cook a big feast and just relax round the table with cold beers and vino, enjoying the warm evenings.
We bought a great hammock which we put up across the verandah, and where the husband can often be found snoozing after a hot day doing the necessary chores like being out for lunch. Our little grandsons both loved to climb in with Peter and play their games or read on their tablets. Little and large here enjoying the peace and quiet in between dips in the pool!
Summer nights are very hard to beat here. When the temperatures reach 40C+ during the day they can still frequently top 30C at night, so we’re glad to be in a big old house with thick stone walls to keep indoors cooler in summer and warmer in winter. It’s very, very difficult to sleep in such temperatures with no moving cool air, and when a fan tends to blow the warm air around you need to get creative about keeping cool. We gave in last year and installed an air con unit above our bed – utter bliss! It gives us a boost of heat in the winter and keeps us cool at night in the summer, ideal, and something you really need to think about if planning to live in Spain.
Wherever you choose, check what the weather is like all year round. By the coast it gets very humid, something neither of us can stand, which is why we chose inland. Where we are can be quite cold in winter, but now we have the two big log burners (plus the extra wee boost from the aircon unit in our bedroom) the house is heated very well. In the summer it’s a joy to walk indoors from the heat of the day, as the thick walls keep the house lovely and cool. While the heat of the summers here an be very appealing for holiday-makers, it’s a different story when you live here and have to manage with it every day. Thank goodness we’re retired and can just lie around in the pool all day!
My life in Spain 