Admit it. Secretly, you occasionally envy those mañana mañana types. Not because they’ve got their life together, because often they very much don’t. It’s just that they go through life so relaxed. Because they simply enjoy their little garden, while the ivy grows rampant and hangs in their coffee. Because they take a day off, because: ‘today the sun is shining and and tomorrow it might not be.’ Today is the day! That mindset.
Of course, that doesn’t get you very far in the Netherlands. That’s because we are busy bees. And expect the same from others. Just look at the popular Dutch TV series Ik Vertrek (‘I’m leaving’), where happiness seekers are dumbfounded when the building permit on Bonaire is still pending after a year. But, just to escape the rat race of ‘having to do everything’ once in a while and slow down. Is that possible? Good news. It is!
Escaping the rush
Henry Bonhof from Twello would know. He experiences it in the Spanish coastal village of Moraira, where he is spending the autumn holidays with his wife and children, as well as with his sister-in-law and family. “In the autumn holidays? I thought skeptically. Surely you would plan a holiday like that in the spring or summer. That was my thought initially. By why really? I discovered that autumn is exactly the right time of year. The tickets are cheaper, the pool water is still nice and warm and you don’t feel the pressure to get everything out of your holiday, taking a million trips in the scorching summer heat,” Henry says, still a bit surprised.
All right. That’s an eye opener, but not yet that uncanny laid-back mindset. That would follow later. When they land in Alicante, the rental car is already waiting. So far, everything is going according to plan. Approaching the villa, the question pops up of what arrangements have been made for the key. Is it under a flowerpot? Or what? No hay problema! He calls Jan from Casita Travel, the property manager. “But Henry, read! You were supposed to give me a call upon arrival in Alicante. Then I would have been there for you guys. But, no hay problema, I’m coming.”
All right. That’s an eye opener, but not yet that uncanny laid-back mindset. That would follow later. When they land in Alicante, the rental car is already waiting. So far, everything is going according to plan. Approaching the villa, the question pops up of what arrangements have been made for the key. Is it under a flowerpot? Or what? No hay problema! He calls Jan from Casita Travel, the property manager. “But Henry, read! You were supposed to give me a call upon arrival in Alicante. Then I would have been there for you guys. But, no hay problema, I’m coming.”
No hay problema. From that moment on, that feeling has remained. “Although that’s not that hard a challenge,” Henry confesses smiling. “The luxury villa, the private pool, that cozy little bar all to ourselves, that hammock. Nobody ‘having’ to go to the pool with the children. The peace and quiet. Rare. TV, Wi-Fi and cellphone, what are they again?” The days string together in the pleasant autumn sun. And while the kids splash around in the pool and the ladies visit a local market, Henry enjoys the sweeping views over the valley. The relaxed and languid atmosphere is a breath of fresh air. Activities are limited to a glass of wine, good conversation and some strolling on Moraira’s promenade. His hectic job seems miles away. Getting fresh bread rolls from the local supermarket, having a snack and a drink on a terrace. They once took a three-hour bike ride in Valencia. “Three hours!?” exclaims daughter dearest in dismay. That cuts into her delightful swimming time at the villa….
After-dinner talks
It is the atmosphere of ‘we’ll see’ that Henry loves so much. Few plans, and letting things come to you a bit. “If you’re having a nice after-dinner chat in a restaurant here, you are not stared away, as you sometimes experience in busy holiday destinations. Because: ‘oh, there might be a new customer waiting.’ I think that’s what I like about this little town on the Costa Blanca. The atmosphere, the geniality, the hospitality. Just forgetting the time. Where else can you find that? No shifts in restaurants. Just lingering at the dinner table.”
But, in all fairness: that’s easy for Henry to say, because he already knows the Moraira area. The fishing port with its fish auction, marina and beautiful beach. The Jalon Valley, Valencia and scuba diving. Water-skiing and mountain kayaking. If you’re going there for the first time, you will have to discover everything before indulging in the ultimate laid-back experience. Or not? Don’t be fooled! Take off that watch and enjoy the here and now. Visiting that little church, that cultural tour or that museum?
Mañana, mañana. That’s the mindset. Hold onto it!
Casita Travel is an Apeldoorn-based travel agency specializing in beautiful holiday homes, casitas, fincas and villas at exceptional locations. The unique travel experience, the feeling of freedom and the optimal hospitality create memories to be cherished.
