BUYING A CAVE . . . WHAT! A CAVE?

I once wrote a blog post about peoples vision of caves - it was titled "Caves, Myth and Reality" in the post was a photograph taken in Orce museum of a waxwork caveman carrying a recently speared stag over his shoulders.

When we announced to family and friends that we were moving to Andalucia to live the reaction was understandably mixed although a move abroad had been coming for a long time. Then we said we were moving to the countryside….the reaction was "oh that will be great but what about schools?" etc etc and then the bombshell came, "we are buying a cave"……THUMP! We grew used to having people look at us like we had three heads, fortunately now for us that is what the relatives have to cope with - we are safely in Spain.

During our viewing trip we recorded everything on video camera, the drive from the airport, the campo, the villages and of course the caves. Special attention was paid to our potential purchase with every detail being captured on tape. Upon our return to England everyone was enthusiastic about seeing the footage so cables were connected and the on went the tape. Reactions were positive until the "cave" part came along. Our running commentary was "well this could be the bathroom, that's a bedroom" etc. Being polite people decided to share our enthusiasm for our unreformed hole in the ground but we knew behind closed doors that they thought we were simply nuts.

Fred Flintstone seems to be the normal way to go as far as jokes are concerned although we have heard some more lively names referred to. The point is that people don't necessarily understand the whole cave concept and there is no doubt that vision is required to take on or manage a "reform job" no matter what methods you choose to use. The most modernised expensive caves don't escape the stereotyping either - it's still a cave. The word itself may indeed be the problem, after all one's vision of a cave is either where cavemen used to live and feast on mammoths and other prehistoric creatures or a place full of water, narrow, cramped and dark where only the most adventurous will go.

Nowadays more and more people have heard of the Spanish cave having seen them on recent TV programmes or read about them in newspapers and magazines. The fact remains though that certain individuals can't get away from the stereotypical "cave" concept. We talked to our friends and relatives for months before we moved but it was not until they saw the cave for themselves that they began to realise that it was actually a fantastic way of living. The pre-conceptions were shattered and I can still see the look of surprise on new visitors faces (was it going to be that bad?)

In summary, get used to Fred and Barny and not everyone will understand caves initially but most will after seeing and being in one.