About and contact
My name is Stephanie de Leng and I am a photographer, writer and lover of old buildings – if they are falling down they appeal to me more! I am now resident in Spain and travel between France, Liverpool and Spain, on personal projects.
I have stopped the day job, but continue to do the odd exhibition. I also am busy scanning my old work and travel photos from 35 years. As ever I am seldom seen without a camera weighing me down, although I increasingly use just a phone. You can view my growing portfolio and even contact me about it here:
If you would like to contact me about anything lovely please do it below:
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Hi Stephanie, we loved the wine!!! hope to catch up with you again soon, Maria & Lee
Surely we will! I feel I helped you buy in this area. You are now on your honeymoon. I can’t wait to share a bottle of this delicate and refined red with you – and I am a wh9te wine person!
Hi, I’ve been gripped by your blog! My partner and I are currently looking to purchase in Catalunya. We live now between Ibiza and Barcelona and want to purchase a masia. We’ve been looking online for a year and are going to spend Feb looking in person. I wonder if you have any tips for the in -person viewings, and any tips about costs for renovations and reality! I would so appreciate it and have loved reading your journey. Especially you making your little casita and slowly continuing the rest. I am terrified we don’t have the money for our dream but he thinks bit by bit we can do it. I am under the impression one should have a million euros for this. We don’t have close to that much. Do you think it is possible and I’ve been recommended Castillon – do you agree!
I agree but much cheaper. Please email me direct
Hi Stephanie
It’s Paul here. You posted a comment to my article about writers in Spain – dead or alive. Unfortunately, the link to your website didn’t work and Mr Google suggested it contained a typo.
But, being the tenacious sort of guy that I am, I think I’ve tracked you down. I’ve read some of your stuff – I like it.
I’d like to add you to the article.
Please get in touch. We may have a lot in common. I worked in Liverpool for some 30 years or so. One of my favourite cities of all the ones I’ve visited over many decades.
My contact details are:
Tel: (+34) 636 52 75 16
email: paulwhitelock@hotmail.com
website: http://www.help-me-ronda.com
Kind regards
Paul Whitelock
Hi Paul,
I replied to you personally AGES ago, but no response
regards
hello Stephanie,
thanks for telling your experiences, others like us could use it in the future. We lived around Alicante and at Cap de Salou, and like the region very much. In case you’re near Vinyols, there is a nice ecological camping there: https://en.ecocampvinyols.cat
While we lived there the Salou mayor decided to close all smaller live music venues, so we had no more income and had to leave our nice sea side apartment. Hopefully things will change, anyway, good luck with everything!
Bas
Dear Stephanie
Thank you so much for sharing your adventures. I have read with relish your integration into El Maestrat. It has painted such a wonderful picture for me but filled with the realities of everyday life. Entertaining on every level.
You are a great writer, artist and have great neighbours and friends. They are very lucky.
Thank you Colin – much appreciated, but I do have a nickname – Bossy Puss. lol
Love it!!!Moved to Andalucia from the Scottish Borders in 74.Spent 18 years there and then moved to S.Africa in 91..I can relate to your blog and will continue reading with interest.Vaya con dios(a little help from them at times never goes amiss !un abrazo.Roger and Pauline
Thank you Roger! And Pauline!
Its so nice to get positive feedback.
Hello Stephanie,
Your determination, passion and generosity in sharing your experiences to help others is inspirational! First class!
I previously lived in Ronda for 10 years. Seeing your beautiful home has brought back some wonderful memories for me, including rescuing a number of dogs like your lovely little Chica! I wish you a rich, wholesome and fullfilling life on your lovely piece of paradise!
Dear Hazel,
Thank you so much for that lovely message. I am just on my way to the airport in Liverpool to fly to Spain and your warm thoughts are a beacon of light in my stress re temp checks, forms and luggage restrictions in these Covid times.
Hello Stephanie
I have only yesterday discovered your blog and have spent today reading through to the end (so far?). My wife and I came to North Costa Blanca in 1985 and had built a villa amongst pine trees. After 10 years as part-timers we became resident and after a year bought a wreck of an old village house and rebuilt it. In retrospect it seems we too were ripped off by the “firm” of Brits who did the work but nonetheless have been here ever since and I have no intention of moving.
I was entranced by your tales of both woe and delight, as originally we had thought of a similar line of action but we were caught out by illness which dramatically changed our plans.
We have over the years visited El Maestrat and found it very much as you described.
Regretably my wife has since died, but life continues. I will be delighted to join your merry band of readers and look forward to further delights.
Kindest regards
Hi Marc,
Thank you so much for your comments although it is not just the Britts who will take you for a jolly ride. I have experience in 4 countries and it is a building pandemic that only and old hand learns to avoid. Thankfully for every rotten apple, there are gems.
I’m really sorry to hear about your wife. In these parts many ex-pats (or as I refer to myself, immigrant) have lost their partners in the last 4 years or so. Mostly men! It can be lonely for them but on the whole they pick themselves up and get on with it. Carpe diem. And I wish you the best.
Dear Stephanie,
how are you doing In Masia Lavanda ?? Many new sculptures, trees, and lovely energy coming from every single stone. This story started with a key, but there was a woman ready to build above my dream.
Beautiful and inspiring .
I send you my admiration and endless hugs.
Alberto.
I just love hearing from you and this wonderful compliment. Thank you!
Good afternoon
I was hoping you could help me.
I am concerned about the lack of bees in our area of Spain Altea so have decided to keep a beehive but I am having difficulty in obtaining a package of bees for my hive.
Can you advise me on where I can obtain a package of bees.
Your advice would be much appreciated.
Kind regards
Andrew MacGeekie
Andrew, thank you for contacting me. I am not a bee expert but I believe the contact details of the bee man was on the blog. I would approach him direct. Do you speak Spanish?
I just posted this in what I now see was an old post of yours. So, por si acaso . . .
Hi, I enjoyed your article in ‘The Local’. And, to some extent, empathised with it. Just over 19 years ago, I stood in the window of a modern town house with spectacular views over the city of Pontevedra and pondered whether I really should buy that place instead of a finca on which I could have built the sort of stone house I really wanted. but couldn’t find. Luckily for me, my 18 year old daughter was by my side and said: “Dad, you’ll be back home in the UK dealing at a distance with builders you don’t know and can’t trust, when not speaking a word of Spanish. You’ll be taken to the cleaners.” Fortunately for me, I listened to her and abandoned my dream, which I’ve never regretted. I bought the town house and moved into it a few months later. Five or six years after that, I set up a business to give legal and practical advice to foreigners looking to buy property in the Spanish jungle. Many years later, in the hands of my then Spanish (business) partner, it’s still going strong. Two of my key bits of advice were never to believe a word a Spanish gent told you – especially one who smiles a lot – and never to accept their recommendations for anything. By the way, I’m not sure there was anything you could have done to avoid the local gossip. Without data, they’d have simply fabricated.it. I hope you enjoy your beautiful home for many years. Best wishes. Colin Davies P. S. I’m from Birkenhead and I’ve been writing my own blog on life in Galician and Spain since 2003.
Hi Colin,
Very interesting. Je ne regrette ríen non plus. Despite being ripped off, I also have been helped by others beyond belief. A commissioned article has its limits. I’ll take a look at your blog x
Have just read your piece in The Local – beautifully written & fascinating, thank you.
Looking forward to reading your blog posts now.
The Local link to this page needs attention though – looks like this atm:
http://%20www.masialavanda.com
Thank you Jan. I think the link has been rectified now! My latest post is on my main page re Sant Antoni
Amazing page by and wonderful lady xxx. Kj
Gee thanks! Blush…