Barcelona Mum

Interview with Victoria

What is your name, age and how long have you lived in St Cugat?
My name is Victoria Hunt, I’m 41 and have lived in Sant Cugat for 2 years.

What nationality are you and your partner?
We are both British
 

How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
We have one daughter, Sophie, who will be five in May 2008

What was your experience of having a baby in St Cugat? (if relevant)
Sophie wasn’t born in Sant Cugat but I have many friends who’ve had children here.  All their experiences have been very positive.  The only negative feedback I’ve had is that hospitals here are generally more drug liberal than in the UK.  Natural births are discouraged and epidurals the norm - whether you want one or not.

What was your experience of relocating to St Cugat with children? (if relevant)
Relocating was relatively simple.  We used Barcelona Relocation Services, who helped us find our house and set-up school appointments etc. Once we arrived, help was not so on-hand and we were left to cope on our own but as we’d lived overseas before, we managed ok.  It was actually quite fun and a bit of an adventure.  The hardest thing for me was watching the emotional deterioration of our daughter Sophie who was almost three.  She found the move very traumatic and I think I had underestimated how much she’d miss her old life and friends at home.  She went to a small English speaking nursery for the first few months for two days a week and they were fantastic but I think she cried everyday she went.   Strangely, she adapted and settled into Spanish school a few months later very quickly.

How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
Sophie is totally integrated.  She goes to a Catalan/Spanish school and speaks both languages very well.   When we’re shopping in town, we nearly always bump into someone we know either from school or through other out of school activities.  Our house is located in a community and the whole family has made good friends with our neighbours.    I think for an only child it is a near perfect situation.  I have a wonderful range of friends, some local some international.   The other mums at school have been hugely welcoming and we are always included in class family gatherings ranging from picnics in the country to dinners in Barcelona without kids.  We are the only non-Spanish/Catalan speaking family in the class so it’s been really good for my Spanish too! Doug, my husband, mountain bikes with three Dads from School every Saturday morning and they’re now really good mates.  It’s also lovely to have English speaking friends living close by, so I really do appreciate there being a fairly healthy expat community in Sant Cugat.  My Spanish is still far from fluent!!

What language do you speak to your children?
English

What is your impression of childcare and education in St Cugat so far?
Education is very different to the UK.  The day is very long with few holidays outside of summer.  It’s almost an endurance test for children and appears to be designed around parents’ wellbeing rather than children’s!   I remember when I first arrived here finding it almost spooky that you literally see NO children over the age of one anywhere before 5pm.  The kids are literally institutionalised from 4-months onwards.   Due to this, there are also little or no activities for Mothers with children before 5pm.  Having said all this, Sophie started full-time school at three and absolutely adores it.  Her school is old fashioned and traditional but a very happy place and she appears to be hungry to learn.  She loves her friends and teachers and is terribly happy.  I think I’m far more concerned about the long days than she is!!

What school do your children go to?
Sophie goes to La Vall in Bellaterra which is part of the Institucio Familiar d’Educacio.  It is an independent Roman Catholic school.
 

Why did you choose this school and are you happy with your choice?
I had a number of criteria and La Vall seamed to match what I was looking for.  Firstly, and most importantly it is a very happy place.  The curriculum is also broader than in the other schools I looked at with the day being divided between Castiliano and Catalan with one hour of English a day.  I was very keen for Sophie to fully integrate here and learning the local languages was a very big priority for us.  I have never regretted this decision as she is now totally ‘one of the gang’ at home in our community as well as at school.  I also wanted a school that was local, so that Sophie had local friends living in Sant Cugat.  Expatriates tend to move around and move on, which can be very unsettling for children – at least Sophie’s friends at school are here to stay.  
 

Where you live, how good are the facilities for children (shops, restaurants, activities etc)?
I live in the el Colomer area of Sant Cugat in a community town house.  We have our own garden and a fantastic community garden with playground and swimming pool.  The location is fantastic.  Two minutes from the park and five minutes from Sant Cugat train station.  We have great shops in town and Sant Cugat is so well set-up for children.  I think it has the highest birth rate in Spain! 

What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in St Cugat?
There are loads of children here with fantastic parks and facilities.   Although Sant Cugat is quite a large town it has a village feel and you’re always bumping into people you know.  There is a fairly big international community here too and I’ve even made English friends in the park!  You do though need a minimum level of Spanish to survive here.  I guess like most expatriates here the Catalan language is hard.  Expatriates tend to learn Spanish but Catalan is widely spoken in Sant Cugat and you need to know a little just to be polite or understand a menu. 
Sophie’s school sends all information in both languages.  However, sometimes they forget and my Catalan English dictionary is now well worn!
Another big advantage to Sant Cugat is its location, it’s very easy to get into Barcelona and you really can go into the city just for dinner or to run anerrand.  It’s also next to the AP7 allowing really easy access to everywhere.

Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in St Cugat?
Not really a Sant Cugat wish but a Spanish wish is that they finished school earlier so that after school activities didn’t finish so late!  I would also love restaurants to open earlier in the evening.
 

What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to St Cugat with children?
Great location for children, would highly recommend it but beware if your child is pre-school there is precious little going on before 5pm and your child is expected to be in full-time nursery at a very young age
 

What couldn´t you live without in St Cugat?
I have really nice friends and I also love my job.  I’m a part-time English teacher and it’s great to get out of the house and meet local people.  Through my students I’ve learnt so much about the culture here and they’re always giving me advice and tips on where to go.

What could you live without in St Cugat?!
Rude shops assistants, drivers and dog caca!