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The Guest House

May 2

The Handover

I originally set up this site to blog about buying, renovating and decorating a home here in Valencia. And then, a few days before we were s

Marie-Louise

Apr 30

The New Normal

There's finally a light at the end of the lockdown tunnel. The Spanish government released an 8 week de-escalation plan that's going to plop

Marie-Louise

Apr 28

Freedom

We released the beasts! How utterly bizarre that something as normal as leaving your apartment can feel like a monumental liberty. The curr

Marie-Louise

Apr 25

The Rollercoaster

It's no surprise to discover that many of the world's leaders are absolutely winging it, especially in times like these. I mean, Trump just

Marie-Louise

Apr 22

Toby

We adopted Toby because I've wanted a dog for ages but it's never been quite the right time. We need a "hypoallergenic" breed as Daniel has

Marie-Louise

Apr 14

Groundhog Day

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been five days since I last blogged. The reason? Every day is bloody Groundhog Day over here. N

Marie-Louise

Apr 9

When This Ends

I keep wondering what life will be like once lockdown ends. How soon will we go back to 'normal'? How long before we forget what it was like

Marie-Louise

Apr 4

50 Activities

Shortly after lockdown started, our friend in Italy sent my husband a message to tell us to sloooowww down. She'd already been under lockdow

Marie-Louise

Apr 1

Over It

We're midway through Week Three of lockdown right now and, guys, I am OVER IT. I've been through all of these phases already:

Marie-Louise

Mar 30

Familiar Faces

Personal training: I've been training with Kyle for just over a year now and can't say enough about how effective and fun his training sessi

Marie-Louise

Mar 28

It's Still Saturday

The sun's out! My kids slept past 7:30am! And, for those of you who still remember a time when days were different from one another, it's st

Marie-Louise

Mar 27

Welcome To Homeschool

Sweet Jaaaaysus Mary and Joseph. Where to begin with this nightmare? After two days of receiving what felt like 700 printables, links, login

Marie-Louise

Mar 26

The Overwhelm

The first week of lockdown went quickly, weirdly enough. There was so much novelty! For example, Facebook Messenger group video chats? As a

Marie-Louise

Mar 23

Your Circle of Control

Preparing for a lockdown practically is straightforward enough - apparently you just need to buy 700 rolls of toilet paper and you're all se

Marie-Louise

Mar 22

Lockdown Prep - The Practical Stuff

Daniel's sister and her family live in Melbourne and they've just been told lockdown starts for them tomorrow. I'd honestly be surprised if

Marie-Louise

Mar 22

One Week Down

I last left my home a week ago today. Writing that makes me feel like a wonderfully eccentric recluse - I should really get on Amazon and or

Marie-Louise

Mar 19

A Lockdown Birthday

My husband turned forty yesterday. FINALLY. I turned forty in October 2019, so I've been waiting five long months for him to no longer be ab

Marie-Louise

Mar 18

This Could Be Worse

In order to make this time more bearable, I've decided to go all Marcus Aurelius and get stuck into some Stoic mindset trickery. All I need

Marie-Louise

Mar 17

The Aplauso Colectivo

The aplauso colectivo is my favourite thing to come out of this lockdown so far. Every night, everyone opens their windows and applauds the

Marie-Louise

Mar 16

Yo Me Quedo En Casa

Last night, Daniel and I sat up later than usual discussing all our options. Neither of us are Spanish - we can technically still leave the

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