{"id":2717,"date":"2026-08-19T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=2717"},"modified":"2026-08-16T15:19:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T14:19:29","slug":"two-years-after-leaving-cork-for-a-village-outside-valencia-this-couple-say-what-surprised-them-was-the-winter-not-the-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/two-years-after-leaving-cork-for-a-village-outside-valencia-this-couple-say-what-surprised-them-was-the-winter-not-the-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Two years after leaving Cork for a village outside Valencia this couple say what surprised them was the winter not the summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

They left harbor<\/strong> winds and harsh<\/strong> rain for orange groves<\/strong> and pale stone<\/strong>, and thought the greatest test would be the blazing<\/strong> months. Two years on, from a small village<\/strong> outside Valencia<\/strong>, they laugh: \u201cThe summer<\/strong> behaved. The winter<\/strong> didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sun-chasers who learned to love fleece<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

On paper, the temperatures looked kind<\/strong>. Ten or twelve degrees<\/strong> in January after years of Cork\u2019s squalls<\/strong> felt generous<\/strong>. Yet the first December brought a different<\/strong> cold\u2014one that lived inside<\/strong> the house. \u201cWe\u2019d sit under beams<\/strong> and watch our breath<\/strong>,\u201d Mark said, \u201cnot outside, but at the table<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Spanish village homes<\/strong> are built to reject<\/strong> heat, not to trap<\/strong> it. Thick walls<\/strong>, tiled floors<\/strong>, and shuttered windows<\/strong> keep July\u2019s furnace<\/strong> at bay, but invite damp<\/strong> to linger. \u201cWe learned that humidity<\/strong> is a trickster,\u201d Aoife added<\/strong>. \u201cIt makes 9\u00b0C feel like three<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Summer was simple; winter was the puzzle<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They managed August<\/strong> with an easy ritual<\/strong>: dawn errands<\/strong>, drawn persianas<\/strong>, a toldo<\/strong> stretched over the patio<\/strong>, and late walks<\/strong> when the hills finally exhaled<\/strong>. Even the poniente<\/strong>, that dry wind<\/strong> that pushes the mercury<\/strong> to 40, arrived like a sharp solo<\/strong>, loud but brief<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

January was quieter<\/strong> and far more complicated<\/strong>. \u201cWe wore slippers<\/strong> all day and layered blankets<\/strong> on the sofa<\/strong>,\u201d Mark said<\/strong>. \u201cTiles feel like ice<\/strong> at seven in the morning<\/strong>.\u201d They discovered dew<\/strong> inside the bedroom<\/strong>, condensation that beaded on the glass<\/strong> and crept into wardrobes<\/strong>. A cheap dehumidifier<\/strong> became a small miracle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The unexpected costs of staying warm<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The first year, they tried electric<\/strong> heaters and watched the meter<\/strong> spin. The second, they installed a pellet<\/strong> stove and learned the choreography of bags<\/strong>, ash, and glow<\/strong>. \u201cA sack of pellets<\/strong> became our calendar<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife said. \u201cTwo a week<\/strong>, then only one<\/strong> by March<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They also met the bright orange<\/strong> butane cylinders<\/strong>\u2014the famous bombonas\u2014lugging them from the ferreter\u00eda<\/strong> like cheerful anchors<\/strong>. Warmth here is piecemeal<\/strong>, a patchwork<\/strong> of strategies rather than one big boiler<\/strong>. It turned heating into a habit<\/strong>, not an invisible system<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What we wish we\u2019d known about the cold months<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Buy a good dehumidifier<\/strong> before the first rain<\/strong>; it\u2019s worth its hum<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cTwenty percent of our comfort<\/strong>,\u201d Mark said<\/strong>, \u201cwas gear; eighty percent<\/strong> was timing<\/strong>.\u201d They learned to open windows<\/strong> wide for a brief, dry gulp<\/strong> at noon, then shut everything<\/strong> when the temperature dipped<\/strong>. Rugs turned the acoustics<\/strong> from chapel to home<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Winter\u2019s gifts we didn\u2019t expect<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Not all the surprises<\/strong> bit. January brought almond<\/strong> blossom like pale confetti<\/strong> on black branches<\/strong>. The oranges<\/strong> sweetened into fire<\/strong>, and neighbors arrived with bags<\/strong> heavy enough to bend your wrists<\/strong>. \u201cYou learn to juice<\/strong> in self-defense<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife joked<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Village life<\/strong> thickened as the days<\/strong> thinned. Bonfires for Sant<\/strong> Antoni threw sparks against white walls<\/strong>. People warmed their hands<\/strong> over coals and grilled sausages<\/strong>, telling stories in Valencian<\/strong> and Spanish<\/strong> with equal welcome<\/strong>. \u201cWinter is when the village<\/strong> looks up from its work<\/strong>,\u201d Mark said<\/strong>. \u201cYou\u2019re not hiding from the sun<\/strong>, so you actually meet<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Rhythm, paperwork, and the long view<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The first months<\/strong> were a parade of appointments<\/strong>\u2014numbers, forms, and stamps<\/strong>\u2014but the real settling<\/strong> happened through tiny rituals<\/strong>. There\u2019s the 11 a.m. almuerzo<\/strong>, that honest sandwich<\/strong> and strong coffee<\/strong> that turns a workday gentle<\/strong>. There\u2019s Sunday paella<\/strong>, a crisp-bottomed promise<\/strong> that arrives late and ends later<\/strong>. The calendar leans<\/strong> into March with Fallas<\/strong>, firecrackers that shake the air<\/strong>, but the village<\/strong> keeps its own quieter clocks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They still miss Cork<\/strong> things: the clipped laughter<\/strong> of a pub on a wet Tuesday<\/strong>, the fast weather<\/strong> that scrubs the sky<\/strong>. But the trade has been clear<\/strong>. \u201cHere,\u201d Aoife said<\/strong>, \u201cwe\u2019ve swapped constant gray<\/strong> for long light<\/strong>, and learned that comfort<\/strong> is something you build<\/strong>, not just buy<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    For anyone dreaming of a similar leap<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Expect the heat<\/strong>, yes, but prepare for the chill<\/strong> that sneaks through keyholes and tile<\/strong>. Bring your slippers<\/strong>, your appetite for slow mornings<\/strong>, and a respectful curiosity<\/strong> for how things are done<\/strong>. Talk to neighbors<\/strong> early; someone will know a reliable stove<\/strong> installer, another a patient plumber<\/strong>. Learn the names of the winds<\/strong> and which clouds<\/strong> mean go to the market<\/strong> now.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Two years on, they don\u2019t chase paradise<\/strong>; they keep company<\/strong> with a place<\/strong>. \u201cSummer is the postcard,\u201d Mark said<\/strong>. \u201cWinter is the handwritten<\/strong> note on the back\u2014the part that makes it yours<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2717"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2762,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2717\/revisions\/2762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}