A week ago we were in Madrid (surely the most cool city in Europe?) with our friends from Cadiz, Simon and Amy. Always good to catch up with them. Wednesday morning we did an hour or FaceTime to Ben and Ashley (California). An hour later into Gayle’s inbox comes a property in Madrid in the very street we have focused our prayers on, and in one of the three blocks that have been the central focus for those prayers.
Back we travel and dump our bags and go see the property. Not too much to see, a crazy bathroom, no kitchen, broken floors and windows. (Photo is of what was a bedroom.) But the investors and developers are also very interested. So, unfortunately or not, one of us does not seem to moderate the other, and we have launched in today with filling in and then filing a 4 page document complete with a 500euro deposit of intent to pursue the possibility of buying afore mentioned piso. Assuming we get through the first round we then enter into a sealed bid.
Small chance of getting it. And if we do get it big implications!! Walls would have to come down, new floors, windows etc… But big implications really would be that of getting stuck in to push for the changes needed in the land.
Go for it though we have (practicalities come later!!) and if we don’t get anywhere we will at least have put a foot in the door to say spiritually we are not simply going to let developers walk wherever they wish. (Our guess a developer comes along and in 6-9 months turns it all around and pockets 50k in the process.) If we do get it then we will enter a challenging process but will have a base in Madrid!
We know this next year is opening out in a different way. Our focus in Spain will be the four years 1975-78 with the culmination of the transition with the signing of the Constitution 40 years ago; somehow focusing too on the Thirty Years War (400 years ago) and the implications for Europe; a plan to revisit Brazil after 8 years; so when there are some major shifts the entry is not normally predictable.