Speaking European – Claudio Casal

CONTINUING our series of Speaking European, this week Euro Weekly News caught up with Claudio Casal from Switzerland.

Claudio, aged 49, has been living in Estepona for the past year, after buying a property here in January 2022. 

This smooth Swiss arrived to meet EWN on his limited edition Harley Davidson, which he tells that he has embarked on many an Andalucian adventure with. 

Claudio explained that his decision to move here came about by a chance reunion with school friends, who he had not been in contact with for 25 years. He recalls that they invited him to the area and he “fell in love with the lifestyle”. 

“I was at a point in my life where I wanted to make a change, I was working hard, and I wanted to slow down but I did not know when. Then I found the Costa Del Sol and I thought, yes, this is it”.

When asked what his favourite thing about living here on the coast was, he replied with “well, apart from the fact that it changed my whole life, I would have to say the food. I love the fish available and I am now a bit of an expert. I really appreciate all the fresh produce like fruits, vegetables and olive oil, too. The culture of ‘tapas’ is also enjoyable to me, to share, to talk, it’s like a mentality…like the coffee culture in Italy”. 

He did however note that food tends to take a while to actually arrive to the table, which is something he was not used to in Switzerland. 

EWN enquired whether there were any other notable differences between living in the two countries. “Well, in Switzerland if you arrange to meet somebody at 1pm then they arrive at 12.55…and you are happy. If you arrange to meet somebody in Spain at 1pm, you are just happy if you manage to see them at all that day”. 

Claudio smiled as he recounted this difference, then added “but the beauty of living somewhere new is acceptance. To understand there will be differences but to accept this new way of life”.  

When Claudio explained to Euro Weekly News that he moved here alone, the obvious question to surface was that of his relationship status. 

“I am single yes, for now, but the girls on the coast are very nice, they seem very lively and active and like the type of people that take risks. That fits my personality”. 

He proudly proclaimed that he can already speak Spanish well. “My vocabulary perhaps needs some work but everyone understands me and I understand everyone”. When asked how he achieved this he said “full immersion”. 

As Euro Weekly News said ciao for now to Claudio Casal, he swiftly mounted his prized motorbike and explained to us that he was about to set off for the mountains. “I ride around them all the time, the landscape here is beautiful, all the colours and the salty sea air, it’s just…wow”. 

What a life!