Living in Roses, Costa Brava? Sure!

“Com a cal sogre”

Keywords: Catalonia, Catalan classes, consorci, CPNL

Dear Richard,

“Com a cal sogre”, curiously, here in Catalonia this expression means “to feel at home”, however the literal translation is “to feel at home in your father-in-law’s house”. So now you know: here we feel as good as we feel as comfortable as in your home.

In fact, we are so good here that Tom and I have started to study Catalan. We think it will help us to make friends. The language isn’t that difficult (at least for beginners) and the basic courses are free. They are offered by the Generalitat, through a body, the Consorci or CPNL.

Our teacher is great; she is passionate about her work and the class is a real melting pot of cultures. We met Silke, a very, very nice German woman who is quite fluent in Spanish and has been living here for a few years.

When are you coming to visit us?

A big hug

Alice and Tom

Sea- or mountain-side?
Kewords: orientation of your property, seaside or to the mountains, Tramontana

Roses is awesome. We are having a great time.
We rented a super cosy little flat with views over the mountain next to Roses. The only problem is that the north wind, the one that comes from the mountain, the Tramontana, is sometimes quite strong and cold, especially in winter.
Yesterday, for example, we couldn’t sleep a wink all night because of the infernal noise from the windows and blinds. Luckily the flat is well equipped and we have good heating and warm duvets.
I think that next time we will choose an apartment with a sea view.

Hugs & kisses

Mark and Maggy

The family lair
Keywords: house search, real estate agencies, buying property

Dear cubs,

Roses is really lovely! Dad and I have already had a look at the real estate offer. We are lucky because in Roses there is an agency on every corner, so we visited a few of them. We were always met by very nice people. We are looking at renting a flat all year round, but the prices are sky-high and we can’t find any. We are studying the option of buying….

Be good and keep studying well! Your parents are enjoying their holidays and are on the hunt for a nice family den on the Costa Brava.

Mum and Daddy Wolf

Sailing around Cap Creus
Keywords: boats, sailing, navigation, mooring, anchoring, Cap de Creus, natural reserve

Ahoy, my friends!

We have just arrived in the Bay of Roses, where we have moored our beloved “Suhaili” to a buoy (for a fee) in the beautiful Cala Montjoi. Times are changing: we were told that free anchoring was only allowed far from the shore and with a depth of more than 15m.
Soon, it seems, the new regulations of the natural park reserve of Cap de Creus will be stricter and it will no longer be possible to spend the night, neither on a buoy nor at anchor. So while it lasts, we’ll make the most of it.

Salty kisses.

Robin and Suzann

Eden
Keywords: bay of almadraba, beach, traffic, parkings, crowds

Dear son,

Our flat overlooks the Almadrava beach in Roses. In winter it is very quiet. We have the whole beach to ourselves and what we like most is to walk along the coastal path that starts almost on our doorstep.
In summer, however, it’s a bit more complicated: the place is crowded. Especially in July and August. Luckily we found two little tricks that make life easier for us: We go to the beach very early in the morning and very late in the evening. That way we have our “private” beach again; plus the water is great. The other trick is that we bought a second-hand scooter which allows us to avoid traffic jams and do our shopping without worrying about where to park. This is paradise!
We look forward to seeing you here.

Big kisses

Adam and Eve

Walk for walking!
Keywords: excursions, walks, natural park, tracking, dolmens, Wikiloc

Dear uncle,

If you only knew how much fun we are having here. Walking from sunrise to sunset in the natural parks of the area. Roads, tracks, paths, dolmens, ruins, walls, abandoned farms, caves, coves, beaches, forests…. A total delight.
On one of our walks, we came across a group of German hikers who were using a very cool app. It was created by a Catalan guy. It’s called Wikiloc. As the name suggests, users share their experiences and routes from all over the world. Super practical, popular and easy.

You, as a walker but sometimes at odds with technology, will like it anyway.

A big hug

The Junior Woodchucks

Huey, Dewey, and Louie