It took us only a week from first contact to agree upon a long term home exchange in España (Spain), swapping our New Zealand home for a 17th century stone house in an old neighborhood in Palamós, in the Catalan region of Spain. Trading the Hauraki Gulf for the Mediterranean Sea, how could we pass it up?
With cars included in the long term home exchange, all we needed was a few personal items and we were set. We probably didn’t ask enough questions, but we were looking for an adventure. Now I have lots of tips to offer people considering home exchange.
This is the street we lived on near the Church of Sant Joan. Sadly, most of these 17th Century stone houses are now plaster covered, hiding their original beauty.
Our 17th century home exchange house in Palamós is not very interesting on the exterior as the original stone walls have been covered in a drab plaster, but lucky for us, many of the interior walls retain their original character and are still stone. The slightly uneven staircase adds to the home’s charm.
Can you see the two paw prints embedded in a brick in the ceiling of our Palamós home exchange house?
This stunning 13th century Church of Sant Joan was only two doors away from our long term home exchange in Palamós, Spain
The Palamós neighborhood food was outstanding. One of our favorites was tapas, and there were many tapas bars to choose from.
Typical Crowded Summer Day at the Beach in Palamós
We lived in Palamós for part of 2012. It is the setting for my first book, a current work in progress. However, while we traveled we used: Lonely Planet Spain.
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Have you tried a long term home exchange? Have you been to Spain, or to Palamós?
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Very interesting place. I remember you had lots of posts about this stop in your journey.
Have a fabulous day. 🙂
We were there for a very long time. Now I am writing a book about it all.
I absolutely love the flowers gone wild on the walls along close, cozy-looking streets. It’s a shame about the plaster, but a lot of the charm is retained regardless. Paw prints on the ceiling…my imagination is going places with that one. 🙂 Good luck with the book in progress!
The Immarcescible Word
I love those flowers too. They were more than a landmark for me to know my street, they mad em smile everyday.
I saw swapping house in a movie one time and I loved it but did not know people actually did so it is nice to know they do. I enjoyed the pictures you showed and it makes me want to check this place out.
We love home exchange. We have done three so far. It makes travel really affordable.
Another set of stunning photos!!
Thanks Carrie-Anne 🙂
Another beautiful destination! Those paw prints are incredible!
The girls and I had fun making up all sorts of adventure stories about how they were embedded into the bricks in days of old.
Nice post Rhonda and loved the photos 🙂
Have a holatastic weekend 😉
Thanks Steve.
So brave to exchange houses.
Tapas bars and restaurants are awesome. Would like to eat at an authentic one some day.
I don’t really think it’s bravery, as we love home exchange. I lets us travel cheap and be in neighborhoods rather than tourist towns. We can really absorb the culture that way. And tapas bars in Spain are amazing. It quickly became one of our favorite ways to eat late night.
I would be so nervous about home exchanges but it sounds like you had a wonderful experience.
I guess people are all different. We were never nervous about our exchanges. We have had three excellent exchanges.
What an unbelievable oppurtunity! Now I am jealous 🙂 Your pictures are beautiful and I look forward to following you through the rest of the A-Z Challenge!
Nancy at Hungry Enough To Eat Six
2014 A to Z Challenge Participant
LOL Nancy, my goal is to share, not make you jealous.
This is wonderful – I’ve lived in five houses in the last year and a half – two were ours – and in the same neighborhood – two were places we needed to stay in order to wait for tenants to move out of one when we sold the other and the one we’re living in now is co-owned by my partner and two of his sibs – it is in Labrador (our other home is in Nova Scotia) so although I’ve never swapped I sure know how to live with a minimum of my own stuff and lots of other people’s things! To see where I live in Labrador you could go to http://www.sojournerinlabrador.blogspot.com And thanks for coming by my writing blog – Jan Morrison
You sound perfect for home swaps. It is a great way to travel.
A beautiful post with such wonderful pictures. You are indeed blessed to be able to experience it all. Lovely. Keep posting.. Happy Blogging A to Z.
Thanks Shail
That sounds like so much fun! Did the people you exchanged homes with enjoy your place as much as you enjoyed theirs?
Love the paw prints on the ceiling – very cute!
Oh, my… Every time I visit your blog, I start daydreaming about travel adventures. But that is a *good* thing.
Also, is the book you are writing fiction or non-fiction?
Ciao for now. I’ll be back for more armchair traveling very soon. 😀
~Tui Snider~
@TuiSnider on Twitter
My blog: Tui Snider’s Offbeat & Overlooked Travel
I am also part of the #StoryDam team, a friendly writing community!
Our exchange partner is now my neighbor, he loved it so much he lives here now. As for the paw print, it was really neat and fun. My book is a memoirs. Happy Day Dreaming.
I’ve never been to Spain but it’s definitely on my list of places to go. What a fantastic setting for a book!
Write what you know is what I was told 🙂
Hi, VIVA ESPANA !!!!!!!!!!!stopping by #atozchallenge. I went with D for Daring to Dream and E for Egret my fave Birds … swing by if you get a chance http://4covert2overt.blogspot.com/
Si, Viva Espana, but that would have been for the letter V 🙂 Loved your egret, I got married in that town.
I love Spain and would love to live there for awhile. Lucky you!
Go for it! We get frequent home exchange requests from Spain. I am sure you could find one.
The streets look so quite and calm … and the food is woww 😀 beautiful pictures… It must be quite an experience.
It was a fabulous place to live for a while. I miss it.
I’ve often wondered about the Home Exchange concept. It looks like it worked out very well for you! My mouth is watering with the tapas bar picture.
The tapas in the Costa Brava region of Spain was amazing, second only to what we had in Bilbao (in the Basque region).
I’d never have the courage to swap homes with strangers, but I’m glad you enjoyed your time in Spain! (Sorry I’m neglecting my blog-friends this month. A-Z comments have me snowed under and I’m trying to visit people from the linky list too…)
Interesting, I never thought of it as brave until I read all the comments here. It’s just such a great way to travel. Just knowing the person in my house is trusting me in theirs makes it feel ok.
Nice tapas photo mum! Making my mouth water
Do you remember how delicious it was. Should we go back for dinner – LOL?
Spain is one of the places I need to go before I die. The whole country facinates me.
We spent 10 weeks and it was not long enough. I really love Spain.