John and Diana Greenaway had been in their new home in the Costa del Sol barely a year when Covid-19 struck and in March 2020 Spain went into lockdown.
Suddenly confined to their villa, they soon appreciated how careful they’d been choosing their property, not to mention
the time they were able to spend in their garden! At the same time, lockdown opened their eyes to the sense of community amongst expats in their chosen corner of Spain.
Talking to them in March 2021, the retired couple seem happy and not too fazed by the last 12 months. “We’re fine, just waiting for a date for our first jab which hopefully should be before August,” said John. “The restaurants are now back open until 10.30pm with the curfew still in force from 11pm until 6am. People seem to have been sticking to the restrictions here in Mijas and life hasn’t been too restrictive for us. The weather helps of course, and it’s been a mild winter.”
Life in lockdown
Things are certainly much easier than back in Spring 2020, when Spain had just gone into full lockdown, which back then meant stricter conditions than those imposed in the UK. “But being in a beautiful villa in a quiet area of Mijas Costa, with
a garden and pool for exercise, fruit trees for all the vitamins you could need and of course the fabulous climate did make things more bearable!” recounted John.
During that time, shopping for was done once a
week, at local shops only – or risk fines from the police. The Greenaways shared doing theirs with their new neighbours, English couple Kevin and Sue, local residents for 15 years.
“We got to know them better, not to mention their cooking skills, and food likes and dislikes,” said John,
who had a successful career as a business manager
in the Houses of Parliament.
As well as their neighbours, John and Diana’s
new social circle in Spain includes other dog walkers. They adopted a furry friend, Ollie, soon after moving into their villa and during lockdown missed taking him on their favourite seafront walk. “It’s a six-kilometre stroll along the promenade from La Cala de Mijas to Cabopino,” remarked John. “We do this with expat friends and like to stop for drinks and food at the chiringuitos on the beach.”
Sense of community
The couple have been impressed by the sense of community amongst expats during the past year. This has included
on-line festivals and events, such as ‘Rock the Lockdown’ weekends and the Dragtastic comedy shows, done via on-line platforms. More local based examples included organised trips to deliver dog food to the rescue centre, the efforts of
the local charities, notably Help the Aged and Age Concern, and the taxi driver who took people to the hospital free of charge – who was rewarded with a party and proceeds of a whip-round organised by the hospital.
More than anything they’ve missed seeing their two adult daughters, especially as the elder one, Claire-Louise, had
a wedding planned in June 2020, which has had to be postponed. They are just thankful that technology, especially FaceTime, has enabled them to have regular contact with them.
Looking back, the couple are relieved they spent a significant amount of time and effort picking their home. Even before deciding to retire to Spain in 2015, they were no strangers to moving house or buying abroad. During their 30-year marriage John and Diana lived in 18 different properties and owned a second home in Orlando, Florida. But this time
they were buying a home they wanted to settle in long-term, somewhere they could enjoy having their daughters to stay.
So, taking no chances they started the process by renting a property in Marbella, allowing them to test drive the Costa del Sol lifestyle while they scoured the market and researched their options.
Riviera del Sol
In total the couple viewed more than 100 properties right along the Costa del Sol, from Estepona in the west to Mijas in the east, before they hit the jackpot with their three-bedroom villa in Riviera del Sol on Mijas Costa. A leafy residential area with a lovely beach and full range of amenities, Riviera is five minutes west of La Cala de Mijas and halfway between Marbella and Fuengirola.
Their home matches their original wish-list perfectly and the price they agreed fell comfortably within their €650,000 budget. “Our list of must-haves included being two-storey detached but not overlooked,” said John. “As well as south-facing with sea or mountain views, swimming pool, at least three bedrooms, modern but with Spanish influences, a private garage and located in a quiet residential area that’s still close to the beach and within walking distance of shops.” They bagged all that for €625,000, and the property came fully furnished.
