where to go

[frank]

I have been on here quite a few years, and I would not move to Spain for a lot of the reasons already quoted. The difference is, that several years ago when I said anything that was in the least bit negative about Spain, I came in for a load of stick! I found it all so boring, that I lost interest, and didn't bother with the site for quite a while. (I think all the famous multi ID's saga also bored me to death!) So it's curious for me now to see the "locals" now trotting out a very similar argument, it seems almost to have gone full circle in a few years. Before it was almost unheard of to hear anyone on here complain about Spain, now it is becoming much more common.
I have often said, if I lived in one of the big towns, cities in UK, with all it's problems, I probably would have moved years ago, but there are still huge areas of UK where you can live very peaceably. So much so that I always feel much safer here than in Spain. The down side is the weather, but we spent two and a half months in Spain last year, and certainly at least 6 weeks of that was grim! Remember April! My brother is from Sweden where houses are built for the cold, he said he had never been so cold in his life, in Andalucia in April.

[marchamona]

Is there nobody out there who is still happy in Spain?

I really love it here but as I have only been here for 4 months I don't feel qualified to comment yet, does everyone hate it after a few years???

Bought my house 15 years ago, but just did the odd month or two every year, due to work.

Now permanently retired for three years. Love it and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

[karandjon]

Well, I´ve been reading this post with real interest. Surely we are not the only ones to have been living out here for four and a half years, permanently, and are still absolutely loving it?

We love the culture, area, weather, siestas, people, nature, architecture, etc, etc. Ok, things take longer to do, paperwork wise, but i have used this as an excuse to better my spanish.

We sold up lock,stock and barrel in the UK and it is the best move we ever made. (oroginally we bought our house 2 years before we moved out permanently, but the more we came over for holidays the more we "felt we´d come home" and wanted to be here full time).

Are there others who feel this way or are we really the only ones?

[scarlet]

I may live inland, but I have also lived on the coast and I have a business in marbella, I could easily afford to live on the coast, but I would rather die than live on the coast, little england full of people who really dont have alot of money, but pretend they do, I have never met such unhappy miserable people, many screwed up kids at private schools, pretencious people living in a false bubble, most come from nothing and give it the big I AM, awful place.
as for torremolinos, I love the shopping especially cariheula, but a lot of problems there. I see both worlds Inland is much better, but I still want a change.

[Raquel]

Where abouts in Cartama do you live?

[scarlet]

we can all pretend all the roses in the garden are lovely, but they are not, I used to love it here and felt like many of you do, but from experience I now see it as it really is, not good.

[Heston]

Dido

I feel quite out numbered today but I am still very very happy and it would take a lot for me to ever consider going back to England. I am proud to be English and would never run it down ( as so often I hear other ex pats do daily) its a great Country but for what my husband and i wanted with our lives Spain was the place to be and with hard work and determination it has worked...........not always plain sailing but it has made us appreciate the end results more.

[Paula]

Scarlet, I have to say that overall you sound so miserable that maybe you need to make leaving a top priority

[scarlet]

the truth hurts , and dont tell me what to do, if you dont like it dont read it. everybody is entitled to their opinion, gobby

[Paula]

Slightly over the top I think

[bob]

We have been living in Spain, permanently, since 1975.

[Don]

Karandjon, no you are not the only ones. I think a lot of it has to do with why you choose to be here (wherever here is) and why. I have been in Spain now nearly 11 years but the reason to come was the job. I hope to retire soon and we have been looking and thinking where we would choose to be. We basically have a totally open option of where to be for retirement. Scotland is a great environment but it is a tad windy and cold. As has been said re scandinavia, houses are built for the cold up there whereas down here they are not. A lot of England feels overcrowded whenever we go back but there are some attractive spots. We have discovered the huge variety of Spain as we travel through and the choice just in Spain is enormous from high mountains to coastal beaches to forests and little hideaways. We though it would be nice to move to CdS with all its "attractions" but we have friends down there and we looked around last year at a few properties which has really put us off the CdS but not off Andalucia and not off Spain. Geographically Andalucia will always enjoy a whole different weather pattern to France/UK and if you study the weather drivers on the med coast and the atlantic coast you find that the CdS and the Costa de la Luz will also always have different climates. Where we live we all enjoy our own space and there is not a lot of interaction between neighbours but just the other day I spoke to one neighbour for his advise on recommending a builder and a chat in the street turned into a beer or three on his patio. Over is this part of Andalucia there are quite a few non-Spanish but the ambience is totally different to the CdS. We may not enjoy the midnight sun of Scotland and Scandinavia in the summer but already the days are getting longer and the sun is warm. Basically I believe Spain has so much to offer, I could happily remain knowing that I will have to use my lawyer and gestor to deal with the beaureaucratic issues from time to time. Each to his/her own of course.

[dido72]

the truth hurts , and dont tell me what to do, if you dont like it dont read it. everybody is entitled to their opinion, gobby

Just slightly OTT????

Good to hear some positive comments too, I was getting worried that EVERYONE hates Spain, not that I have ever gone along with the majority anyway .

[Cassandra]

It's not a question of hating Spain, at least not for me, it's just not the right place at the right time for me. Yes, I hate the way officials obstruct instead of helping but there are ways round that if needs be and it's only part of life here. The weather is great, most of the time, and we have got to know some nice people (some horrible, cheating gits as well but that's another story) but life is just infuriatingly slow for me, even the various 'hobby' things that exist here are sedentary and developed to suit retired people

We bought our house a few years ago and always intended to move here 'eventually' but eventually came too soon when my husband had an option of voluntary redundancy with index linked pension and decided to take early retirement. I decided to give it a try but not working isn't working for me and my only hope of getting work is to move to another area of Spain or go back to the UK. Another part of Spain isn't really an option as it would mean trying to sell and buy again somewhere else, scary thing at the moment!

So still looking for a good compromise that will work for both of us. Any suggestions? Divorce? Murder? Lottery win?

[Campo Kenny]

Same dilema as us Cass........keep your foot in both camps until it falls into place for yourself, that's what we're doing now.

We've gone through the euphoric stage of owning there and entered the realistic stage.
As I always maintain we love both places but having the comfort factor of choice keeps us happy in staying as we are for the forseeable future.

If we move to Spain it has to be right, and I'd need to be able to shout its praises fully believing what I'm saying and not just to appease the decision.

Kenny

[pilgrim]

We are in now our 4th year and have and at this time have no intentions of going anywhere and we have an 8 yr old son and 17 yr old daughter in tow both attending Spanish state schools and doing well, there are probably more ex pats here than we know, we are all spead very thinly in the campo and only usually hear about others through our Spanish friends - oh and a few from this forum

[katy]

If I knew where to go I probably wouldn't be here now To me it is just the same ole, same ole. Spain is up its own ar se. I think it is 50% the country and 50% myself Could list a few things but busy just now.

I had a boyfriend who I adored and one day I noticed his fingers/hands were a bit puffy...that was the last time I saw him. Naturally it couldn't have been that simple, I must have been fed-up with him but that was the turning point.

My Son and Daughter and their families are not fond of Spain they only come to see us. They say when the weather is bad there is nothing for the kids to do.

I would like to live in a place where the temperature is around 26C year round and doesn't fall lower than 20C, good hospitals, no visa problems. Have more priorities too

[Don]

Dont know about the hospitals Katy but as I understand the Canary Islands have just about the perfect climate for you.

[katy]

Nah...I hate the Canaries, would rather be in Spain

[Don]

I am told that if you climb Mount Teida and jump hard enough on the crack, when the land slips into the sea, the resultant tidal wave will take out Florida and New York but the UK escapes because the Iberian peninsular protects against the wave. Havent been there (Canaries) myself yet but maybe one day.