Tag: business close

In New York City, Labor Day weekend symbolizes the end of summer. It’s when the city’s socialites shutter up their grand estates in the Hamptons and board their helicopters to return to the city. When my husband David was still working as a private chef, it signified the return to a somewhat normal life for us when David would no longer have to live away several days a week and no longer have to prepare for the big summer bashes.

In Torrevieja, Spain, the end of Summer comes a bit sooner. On August 31st, tourists board planes, seaside apartments are vacated, the highly coveted parking spaces of July and August are available once more.

When traveling in Spain, it’s not unusual to see crumbling homes. They dot the countryside and leave you wondering who they belong to and how they ended up in such ruins. But don’t assume that they’re abandoned and be weary if you dare to venture into one. We made that very mistake and were startled by what we found.

Riding home from Murcia, a beautiful city an hour south of Torrevieja, we spotted such a house. They’re often way off in the distance, surrounded by empty fields—this one was right by the side of the road, close enough to see a For Sale sign and a number graffitied on the home wall.