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What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in the Costa Brava?
Helen Scott, 35 years old. We live in Begur, we previously lived in Palafrugell. I've lived fully on the Costa Brava for nearly 3 years, I was working s a flight attendant for KLM before the birth of Zara, so my then fiance was here and I spent my days off here!! Zara is my only child and she is 2 1/2, she will be 3 in June.
Do you work, and if so what do you do?
I work as a Virgin Vie Consultant ( I am looking to recruit new consultants, so if you know anyone!) and also teach English!
What nationality are you and your partner?
My husband Nick is from Cardiff and I am from Yorkshire, i.e British!
What was your experience of having a baby in the Costa Brava?
I had Zara in Palamos hospital, which is a state run hospital. I had appointments for scans in Palamos and general appointments at the CAP in Palafrugell. The care I received was second to none. I had complications towards the end of my pregnancy and resulted in me having an emergency cesarean, but the care and treatment I had was incredibly good.
How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
We try to integrate where we can, it is extremely Catalan here, neither my husband and I speak Catalan but we try to join in as much as we can. We do have Catalan friends.
What language do you speak to your children?
We speak to Zara in English.
What has your impression been of childcare and education in the Costa Brava so far?
Zara has been going to La Guardaria since she was 15 months old, she loves it, it is called Santa Teresa, it is in Palafrugell. She only goes in the morning with the occasional full day! I am very happy with it,I can see when I leave her there that she is very happy! Once the children reach P2 they start English classes! Only once a week for 20 minutes or so, but how great is that! Plus she has gym on a Friday too! It is a private nursery therefore it is open throughout the summer which is great, I have friends who have their children in the state nurseries and they have huge difficulties trying to find a place for their kids to go to come the height of the summer (can be a major deal, if working in the tourism sector). The cost is incredible! 180 euros a month! For full time children it is only 200 euros per month, plus lunch or you can provide it yourself! Zara is following a course at nursery, we get to keep it at the end, it covers things like shapes and colours the different seasons, she has of course just been doing about the Three Kings, so although there is lots of play there is a backbone to it too! In P2 the children have the option to go on the colonies/camp in the summer! Not sure how I feel abut this one! Although with the terrible 2's well established I maybe glad of it when the time arises! At this age of course they only go away for one night..ekkk (could you imagine this in the UK!) I will let you know the details as it unfolds! Zara will be going into P3 (regular school though not compulsory) in September, so we will have to go through the paper work for all that shortly, to date I have no idea what we have to do, watch this space!!
How do you rate the amenities available for parents and children in the Costa Brava?
Facilities on the Costa Brava as a whole are good, but one thing that I am sure most people will agree on, is, why is it that, everything is geared for families, yet you rarely ever find a baby changing unit anywhere? I would recommend using a papoose for a little baby in lots of the old town centres, where the pavements are so narrow that it is impossible to push a pram on them, and why are the lampposts bang in the middle of them too!
What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in the Costa Brava?
An advantage for being a parent in the international community, is giving your children the desired ability of speaking 3 languages effortlessly. Sometimes I get very sentimental and think how sad that Zara will never be a Brownie like I had been, but then I remember that life in the UK wouldn't be the same for her now as it had been when I was a lass! But I do worry about the education, there is no room for error here, I do have to let go of my anxiety and trust the system! I worry/get upset that she hasn't got a Catalan Grandad to ask about history and hear about the old days of the 'town'! I do find it sad that Zara is growing up without her relations nearby, we do however try to get back to visit as often as possible and always seem to have a house full! Likewise with the odd night out! Would be great to have a Grandma on hand to enable us to go out as we fancied!
I do feel strongly that the children here should be taught in Castilliano as well as Catalan, without getting into political debate etc, it just seems so silly not to take this fantastic opportunity. (Can I say blinkered?)
Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in the Costa Brava?
I wished I had known how widely the Catalan language is spoken here and maybe studied a bit before coming here, but certainly so it hadn't been such a shock to me, and that it is the first language here. In hindsight I was incredibly ignorant.
What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to the Costa Brava with children?
Advice I would give to anyone 'Just do it'! The Catalans and Spanish in my opinion are very warm and welcoming and will help you if they can, they have a great way of life , and they always remember that life is to be enjoyed which I think we easily forget in the UK!
What couldn´t you live without in the Costa Brava?
The weather is one thing I couldn't leave! I love the climate here.
What could you live without?
I could easily live without the crazy driving that I see every day (please bring speed cameras here!), I was a confident driver before coming here, now I am a nervous wreck, I don't enjoy long car journeys here at all!