Questions Answered!

We have been inundated with questions! We couldn’t possibly answer them all. To be fair we wrote the questions on small slips of paper. We put the slips in a hat and selected questions randomly. This proved unwise because for some reason we tended to draw the really stupid questions. So we decided not to be fair. Here are ten of the most intelligent questions, each one submitted by a bright and incredibly good looking reader:

• 1. Is the Mediterranean cold like the Pacific, or warm like the Gulf of Mexico?

An excellent question. It is very much like the Gulf. The warmest sea temperature on the Texas gulf is found at Galveston, in August. The water gets to 86 degrees F. The coldest Texas sea temperature is Freeport in January (53 degrees). Here in El Campello the Med gets as warm as 78 degrees and as cold as 57 degrees. In San Diego the water temperature never gets above 68 degrees.

• 2. Don’t you think Annette Benning would have been a better choice for the portrayal of Denise Stageman?

No. One lesson I’ve learned from Hamilton is that white people should always be played by African Americans. If I had it to do over Idris Elba or Denzel Washington would be the male lead.

• 3. Aside from housing, what is the cost of living like in El Campello?

Very inexpensive. Food is, overall, about 25% cheaper than in the U.S. A good bottle of wine can be had for $3. An excellent bottle for $9. We hired a lawyer to negotiate our lease. Her fee was about $90. I would have expected to pay an American lawyer several times that amount.

• 4. What is the hardest part about learning Spanish in Spain?

The fact that we can get by perfectly well without knowing any Spanish. There will be more opportunities once we know the language. For example our lawyer handled installation of the Wifi on the new apartment. But speaking the language is a luxury, not a necessity, and this slows the learning process.

• 5. Do you have any diet tips?

Yes. Don’t ever weigh yourself after a bout of diarrhea. You will be discouraged for weeks when your weight remains higher than that first post-diarrhea number.

• 6. Will you be buying a house in Spain?

Not anytime soon. We don’t know enough about the real estate market or how politics might affect future real estate values. Also, rents are dirt cheap. One of the apartments in the luxury resort-style complex I wrote about is listed for $500,000. Cheap if compared to a similar condo in, say, San Diego (which has similar weather). But with the ability to rent that condo for less than $15,000 per year a person is better off investing elsewhere and using the return to make lease payments.

• 7. I’ve heard the Spanish people are not friendly. Is that true?

The Spanish people we’ve met have all been very nice. However, they pass strangers on the street without saying “Hola” or “Buenos Dias.” They do not smile or even make eye contact. This may seem unfriendly, but it is just a different set of social customs. In the U.S. someone decided we motorcyclists must give a little “drop wave” to all other motorcyclists. Would we be a less friendly country if that annoying custom was never adopted? I bet you can guess my answer.

• 8. What do the Spanish people think of President Trump?

It’s hard to say. I’ve asked many times but the Spanish always seem to answer that question while laughing. This makes it hard to understand what they are saying.

• 9. What do you miss most about living in the USA?

Peanut butter. It’s not that you can’t get it, but it is expensive and hard to find.

• 10. What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned since moving to El Campello?

I like to swim. I never enjoyed swimming in a pool. But here I can jump in Med and swim to a buoy that is about a half mile offshore, then swim back. I don’t think about who has peed in the sea. I would be haunted by dark suspicions if I swam in a pool with small children.

Please do not be offended if we failed to answer your question. This failure does not mean that we thought your question was dumb. It only means that we might have thought your question was dumb. Keep those cards and letters coming!