So this is more or less my baby, the one that will get me and my belongings from here to there. After checking with one of the cheapest moving companies in town and being told it would cost 550 euros (eep!) to move, I decided to revert to the old tried-and-true method of pestering all my friends. But hey, everyone gets pizza and beer afterwards!

This van will cost about 70 euros plus petrol and if Emilio (Maria Paz’s son) doesn’t have to go away this weekend on a family matter then he will do all the driving, as well as help out with the schlepping, as will his younger brother Alvaro. Seriously, I can only help with keeping things organised because I can’t risk putting my back out. But I reckon that with another couple of friends helping out (we can do a “human chain” thing with one person on each floor landing passing things up or down) and this rather spiffy van, it should only take two trips, and maximum three.

I’ll be picking up the keys to the palace on Friday morning so that Caroline and I can move some of the more fragile stuff over in her car. Then on Saturday the cleaners are coming, so that everything will be ready. After this I’ll bring all the food over and also stock the fridge with beer and other drinks for my movers. And then go home to spend my last night over at this “casa az”.

Now all I need is a driver and some young strong helpers…