The relationship develops

I wanted my own place in Valencia.

Easy to say, easy to daydream about. Harder to achieve.

Several barriers to this existed following that "tipping point" visit to Valencia back in 2013. I may or may not have had all of the following, which are required to achieve the stated objective:

1. Time
2. Money
3. The support of family and friends
4. The courage to take the plunge
5. The knowledge of what was involved

As a consequence, 2014 was spent dithering. Barrier #2 was removed (due to sad but inevitable circumstances) but we continued to holiday on the Costa del Sol (great place to holiday... couldn't live there) and almost avoid the entire Valencia thing.

The delightful traditional Valencian costumes that are 
regularly seen on special occasions and fiestas.
Pictured next to the Torres Serranos, close to the La Zaidia district.

The elegant end of Calle Visitacion, where La Saidia
meets the magnificent Jardin del Turia riverbed park.

I had a Valencian friend from work days, and my wife and myself had continued to meet with her whenever we were in the city. Having moved out to the plains of Castile La Mancha with her new family, she offered the nice apartment she had left behind for us to use whenever we were in Valencia. Typical Valencian generosity.

Those barriers were disappearing.

The apartment is in the La Zaidia district, immediately north of the city centre. We used it as a base for a further holiday-type visit, but it was slowly but surely becoming clear that La Zaidia felt a little bit like home.

It seemed to me that only Barriers #4 and #5 remained.