There are many ways to obtain the products you need. My first consideration is weighing the point whether I need a product or not. Is it necessary to fulfill our daily requirements or not? Next step is thinking about the place where to buy. The last three years, yes we almost have been living here for 3 years, we learned that we needed to be creative with shopping. And creative means that you divide your necessary shopping over more than one channel and also maintain a diversity in channels.
The first two years we tried to buy local and put a lot of energy in searching the right places. But for our agricultural equipment, like wine press, storage tanks and other materials, we needed to extend our circle and travel further away. That’s for the part of the physical shopping and taking it home. Can remember that thanks to very well organized packing of our Jeep, all the big machines got transported in one drive and that it looked really impressive. People on the street staring at the top of the Jeep with so much stuff on it haha. But for a lot of our infrastructural equipment, read equipment to make our products, most of the time we finally had to order it online and had it transported from Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Because of our high standards of quality we often source from other countries.
Also for our packaging, bottles, corks, etc. we needed to order it online and have it delivered in large quantities to make the transport costs affordable and economically worth it. So, our Jeep is our so-called lorry/transporter and we cherish that car. Even for domestic stuff like furniture we bought second hand on Wallapop (an online second hand forum). We had mattresses, garden furniture out of steel, sofas and you name it.
We travelled to different places to find the right wooden chairs, the right plates, nice cutlery and tables for our events. Luckily we found 60 beautiful wooden chairs to meet the Spanish style and ambiance I want to express. And happily they could deliver them at our finca, to save us many trips.
There is an interesting thing to tell about the repair and maintenance of our Jeep. Our friend, a Jeep specialist, only wants to be paid in bottles of wine or olive oil. We love the concept of trade without currency; exchanging food and non-food to pay each other. Weighing worth is another thing, but our wine is good for one hour work. Our wine is high quality wine, so his work is well paid:).
Next January we will travel to Valencia to our grower to collect our vines. At this moment a lot of holes are dug to foresee the 250 new vines from a good place to grow and prosper. Vines start very small so there will not be any problem to collect them. Our grower knows the quantity already and both parties, they and we, are looking forward to our visit. Because this will be the first time we meet each other.
Christmas is coming and a lot of people are preparing this celebration. I overhear a lot of conversations about what kind of meal will be prepared, all kinds of meat and vegetables are called during conversations. Our Spanish contacts provide us with delicious recipes and name the traditional ones which we prefer to cook. Also in that respect we try to integrate with our village and the surroundings as much as possible. Like the previous years we spend our money on good food for our children and ourselves for these days. By good food I mean food that is special for this occasion like an Iberico ham or a suckling pig (yes, this year to be prepared outside in the sun, great!), but also pure food like we always used to eat. Also because our children can not bring their gifts home whilst traveling by airplane, we don’t give material things. We cherish the time and moments together and consider that as gifts to each other.
Let me not forget to mention, an important one, that we had our vouchers from the local authority to spend locally. Since we have spent a lot to complete our supplies for the finca we treated ourselves to a local restaurant we did not know already. Happy we tried it, my expectations meanwhile had become far too high. Sometimes you need to try for real. Makes it also easier to advise our guests about where to go in Polop and surroundings.
Wishing you all a happy Christmas and the best wishes for 2025!
Saludo de Mónica