Barcelona Mum

Interview with Jemma

What is your name, age and how long have you lived in St Cugat?
Jemma Trobe, I am 39 years old and have lived in Sant Cugat for four and a half 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 two children. Isabella aged five and a half and William aged two.

What was your experience of having a baby in St Cugat? (if relevant)
William was born at the Hospital General Catalunya in St Cugat. I had a great pregnancy and was given a lot of support by my local gynecologist. I also has a great experience at Hospital General and was very well looked after, although I also caused a lot of interest as I was of a very few woman to ever opt for a total natural birth. The after care was great and I stayed in hospital for 2 days.
My only advise to other mothers to be would be make sure you know all your Spanish vocab around pregnancy and birth, and also make sure you understand any differences in the way they do tests during pregnancy here as opposed to your home country. Also most women have an epidural in Spain, so if, like me, you really don't want one do make this known to everyone.

What was your experience of relocating to St Cugat with children? (if relevant)
We came to Spain when our daughter was one and a half, I was lucky to find a place in a nursery for a couple of afternoons a week, so it was easy to settle Isabella in. Of course for me it took time to make friends and find my way around. The biggest only mistake we made was to move to Sant Cugat in August, everything was shut and it was very difficult to get anything done.  We have also rented a very old house which in hindsight has meant a lot more trouble and time spent on upkeep.   

How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
I would say we are very well integrated, we have a broad mix of international and local friends and in addition to going to school in Sant Cugat my children do a number of local after school activities. We all speak enough Spanish to get by. We are very happy in Sant Cugat and it really feels like home.

What language do you speak to your children?
We speak English at home.

What is your impression of childcare and education in St Cugat so far?
I have been very impressed by the childcare and schooling options in St. Cugat and have heard good reports of most school both state and private.

What school do your children go to?
My children both attend a small independent school called Playtime, in Sant Cugat. It currently takes children from 1 year to 6 years old and only has 27 kids in the whole school. The school teaches in English but the pupils come from a mix of nationalities. Unfortuntaley the teacher who runs the school is taking retirement from full time teaching in July and the school will close down.

Why did you choose this school and are you happy with your choice?
We will not be in Spain for ever and our next posting could be anywhere in the world, with that in mind we decided that our children must always maintain a good grounding in English, while hopefully picking up other languages. We chose Playtime because it was English speaking, however we have kept our children there because we have been incredibly impressed by the standard of learning and care given to the children. It is a very creative environment in which our children have flourished and created strong friendships. The only downside is that all the teaching is in English so our children are not fluent in Spanish/ Catalan, however they have many Spanish friends and do out of school activities in Spanish and Catalan so they do understand and speak a bit of the other languages.

Where you live, how good are the facilities for children (shops, restaurants, activities etc)?
We live in Valldoreix an area on the outskirts of Sant Cugat. It is a quiet residential area and the facilities are a little limited (there are a few shops, a sports club, train station, post office, cultural centre etc) but you are only minutes from Sant Cugat which has wonderful facilities. Sant Cugat is full of families and is set up to serve them. Along with great shops Sant Cugat has plenty of children's park, cycle routes, after school activities, play centres and family friendly restaurants. Sant Cugat also has a great number of community activities and most weekends you can find something going on in the main square "Plaza Octavia", whether it be a local festival, art fair or Castellars. Another great advantage is the fact that the nearest hospital, Hospital General de Catalunya, has a dedicated "urgencies" for children, a great facility for out of hours emergencies.  Both Sant Cugat and Valldoreix are partly surround by forest so great for walking and running. Being only twenty minutes from Barcelona is another great advantage.     

What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in St Cugat?
Sant Cugat is a growing town which has a great mix of Spanish and international families, it is great to be part of that mix. It is very friendly place to live and you always bump into people you know when you are out and about. Coming from central London it is a much safer environment for the children and I think they can have a lot more freedom in Sant Cugat. It is great for the whole family to have a wide group of friends from all over the world. I also like the fact that Sant Cugat is still small enough that shopkeepers, people in the market, the post man and even the local policemen recognise you and say hello, it makes you feel very much part of the community.          
For me the only disadvantages are that when you first arrive the mix of Catalan and Spanish is very confusing and I am sure I have missed out on a lot of conversations ! Also I probably haven't spent as much time exploring Barcelona as I should have, although only 20 minutes by car or train , I tend to be very Sant Cugat focused as it has everything I need.  

Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in St Cugat?
Like most Spanish towns the children's activities are very centred around after school hours (after 5pm) which makes for a lot of late bed times. It would be great for mothers with small children not in full time school to have the option of more morning activities.  

What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to St Cugat with children?
Even if you choose to send your children to school in Barcelona join out of school activities in Sant Cugat to make local friends. Spend plenty of time walking around to get to know the town and all the different parks. Also sign up with a good doctor as soon as you arrive.

What couldn´t you live without in St Cugat?
I couldn't live without our friends and, with a accident prone two year old, the children's "urgencies" at Hospital General Catalunya.
 
What could you live without in St Cugat?!
The obsessive number of huge 4x4s.....and the post service is rather hit and miss.