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David's AW News: Flirting with Danger in Mijas

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Hello again from a very, very hot week... Hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are! It is hotter than ever across the UK and Europe, and here at AW our Midsummer Madness Season is going out with a bang—quite literally, like the San Juan fireworks lighting up Andalucía this week. Meanwhile, Coco and I have been flirting with danger in peaceful quaint Mijas. We still have a swathe of 30% off deals, but they are disappearing quickly now, so please do have a look before the madness finally melts away. Last week I was telling you about the good news on my Spanish TIE card, and how I was finally close to being properly documented again. If you missed it, you can catch up here . Well, this week the card arrived — and nearly disappeared again on the very same day. More on that little drama below... Meanwhile, a container from Bali arrived at our Malaga warehouse, and I was there to see it being unloaded. Always a satisfying moment, but also a slightly worrying one. As an...
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David's AW News: The Longest Day, Father's Day & A Suitcase Full of Soap

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Greetings from Spain Last week I was telling you that summer was gathering pace. Well... this week it officially arrives. It's midsummer today is day 13 of our Midsummer madness promo. The Summer Solstice is upon us. The longest day of the year. Football. San Juan beach parties here in Spain. And somehow, as often happens at Ancient Wisdom, lots of other things seem to be happening all at once. Big news from our corner of the world... Coco has arrived in Spain. Quite a journey too. Yiwu to Beijing to Munich to Malaga. Air China with Lufthansa codes on the European leg. She tells me they flew over Russia, and her rather futuristic new Huawei foldable phone seemed keen to confirm it by greeting her with a "Welcome to Russia" message mid-flight. The phone itself is fascinating - one of those China-first gadgets that makes you realise the future sometimes arrives there before we ever see it in Europe. And speaking of arrivals... Tomas has just landed in Malaga too. Thi...
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David's AW News: For the Cosmic Record

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Greetings From Spain. Monday again… and the football has started. Last week I was telling you about life here in Spain, the warehouse, Peter and Tamara’s wedding, Slovakia’s 9th birthday, Kane moving on to his dream job, and all the usual Ancient Wisdom comings and goings. If you missed it, you can catch up here. This week, things are looking up. I finally have a date to collect my NIE card here in Spain. Once that little card is safely in my hand, I can travel outside Spain again without the usual paperwork drama, border complications, or me trying to explain myself in my best emergency Spanish. Coco is coming to Spain soon too, so travel plans are being made, bags are being half-packed, and life suddenly feels like it is moving forward again. Meanwhile, we are deep in the middle of Midsummer Madness . And honestly… it is living up to the name. Today is Day 6 — Garden Magic! Rasos — the Festival of Dew. Fun Fact for today: In Lithuania, Midsummer is also known as Rasos —...
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David's AW News: 9 Years in Slovakia... and Wedding Bells Too

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Greetings from Spain... Well, I am still here. The Spanish summer is slowly turning up the thermostat and while parts of the UK seem to have reverted to their traditional "four seasons in one afternoon" weather pattern, here in Andalucía it is definitely feeling more like summer every day. Last week I was telling you about the Jacaranda trees of southern Spain, whose spectacular purple blooms transform whole streets into rivers of colour for just a few short weeks. If you missed it, you can catch up here. Unfortunately there is still no news on my TIE residency card. No card. No appointment. No useful information. The Spanish bureaucracy machine continues to operate at its own mysterious pace. As regular readers know, this saga has already provided enough material for a small novel, and I suspect there may yet be another chapter or two to come. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, life across the AW family rolls on. This week is a very special one in Slovakia as Peter and Tamar...
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David's AW News: Why Málaga Has Turned Purple

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Greetings from Spain... And strangely enough... it has actually been hotter in parts of the UK than it has been here this week. Hope you fully enjoyed last weeks Bank Holiday. I've been spending a few days with Toni and the Spanish team in our Málaga warehouse. Nothing especially dramatic to report this time, although my Spanish residency card saga continues. The card itself is ready, but actually obtaining an appointment to collect it appears to be another challenge entirely. My agent checks every morning for available slots... and every morning the answer is the same. None available. I am beginning to suspect it may be easier to source gemstones from a mine in the remote backwaters of India than secure an appointment with Spanish bureaucracy. Last week I was telling you about my adventures in Spain and the ongoing residency card saga. If you missed it, you can catch up here . One thing that certainly caught my eye this week was the spectacular Jacaranda trees that are now...
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David's AW News: Heat Bombs, Bureaucracy & Bank Holiday Trading

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Greeting from Sunny Spain Ironically, parts of the UK have actually been hotter than here this week… but don’t get too comfortable — Spain is next in line for the heat bomb… and it’s coming fast. Last week I was telling you about my trip here and why you should stuff cotton wool in your ears.. if you missed it you can catch up here. I’ve spent part of the week with the Spanish team in the new Malaga office and warehouse. Always good fun. The showroom is taking shape nicely, stock is flowing, and there’s a real feeling that Spain is beginning to hit its stride for us now. But alongside warehouse visits and meetings… I also had the pleasure of tangling once again with the famous Spanish bureaucracy. Ah yes… Residency Card Renewal time. I needed to renew my residency card before it expired. In theory, straightforward. Years ago, the system involved turning up at dawn outside a local police station, joining a confused crowd shuffling about on the pavement. Every so often a very i...
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David's AW News: Cotton Wool to TikTok

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Greetings from Spain… Last I was writing to you from T2 Manchester Airport on the way back here… talking about Queen Victoria, Henderson’s Relish and a whirlwind week in Sheffield. If you missed it you can catch up here … Well… I made it home at last. It’s actually been almost three months since I properly stayed in my house here in Spain, and I have to say… it’s good to be back. The jasmine is starting to bloom, the mornings are warm again, and after airports, factories, warehouses, trade shows and far too many hotel breakfasts… even making coffee in your own kitchen feels like luxury. Only problem was… I seemed to have brought something back with me besides supplier samples. A very painful ear. Agony it was literally bringing water to my eyes. I went to our local clinic here expecting antibiotic drops, but the doctor took one look and smiled. “No infection,” she said. Apparently all the flying had pushed wax deep into the inner ear. Well… What followed was slightly traum...
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