Why I chose to live where I Do

[julian]

we were eating fish at a restaurant on the beach in glorious sunshine one day this week, I think it was on wednesday....I´m even worse, even wednesday was a long time ago !

[oliveview01]

Thats why I keep a diary every day now! God knows what I will be like if I get like MIL and start to loose my marbles

[katy]

"I would like to live in one of those places that you can eat outside on the terrace most of the year!".......if it was 20 degrees on your terrace on the 20th january it sounds as if you do live in one of those places!!!

I have only been in Spain for 4 (cold) days this year. According to my pet-sitters (who I think are on the verge of resigning!)the weather has been diabolical. I am reminded of your post whe we were sat on a bar terrace in Marbella on Xmas day, a guy was on the movil saying "we are sitting here in the sunshine" when infact it had been out for a max of 2 minutes and was bloody cold!

I have enough of this to contend with from OH who rang me to say it was 20+ on the terrace, as I said to him....one swallow doesn't make a summer

[Troglodyfae]

Thats why I keep a diary every day now! God knows what I will be like if I get like MIL and start to loose my marbles

You know that used to be a constant worry to me, the thought that I might be losing my marbles, however the thought did occur to me, not so long ago, did I actually have them to start with?

So I worry less now

[frog]

You also forgot the sheer joy of wearing Shetland Wool jumpers in August on a big, empty stretch of Devon beach as the wind thrashes the waves on to the clean, white sand and makes that fantastic sucking sound as the water retreats taking the little pebbles with it

ahh the joys of taking my dogs on woolacombe/saunton sands/croyde beaches,cant do that even in the winter in fuengirola now

good bread/cheese,cheap cider,proper pubs,motorists who are polite and can drive ,good supermarkets,customer service,pubs and restaurants/catering premises that get regular health inspections and are run by people of good standing,water you can drink from the tap(unless you are from camelford),cheap internet,a proper minimum wage that is not exploited by your own countrymen etc..

now spain is not cheap all it has is what it had in the first place,a better climate,the rest you can get in the uk,much better place to live these days if you ask me,i can only speak of devon though,maybe the rest of the uk is *beep* too,especially cornwall(not really part of uk,let them have it)

to sum up,why the hell would anyone want to move or live here now

as usual i am talking about people with only one house that sell up to move here,i am not interested in the people with holiday homes or a detached house in uk and one here(a villa i think they call it)
i am talking about people that live and work here or want to

for these people,at the moment there is nothing better here unless you would have liked to move to here in the 1930's

they have got our money,racially abused us and the rest that are left will have to suffer the consequences as we all get poorer with less expats around to fund the crooked councils needs

i hated councils in england tho but only as they were stupid,not corrupt

[frog]

Been here nearly two years so I don't know if some still class me as "New" And I'm still taken aback by the beautiful breath taking views I see wherever I go, infact i find them so amazing I'm constantly taking photo's and sending them home to scotland for my family to oggle over It's a shame some cannot appreciate what is here!!!!

so scotland has nothing to look at then,i bet your family would be a bit narked at that

may i suggest north devon,the grand canyon,cape town,ayers rock,hanging gardens of babylon,wildebeest sweeping across the plains and of course torquay,bet you family love it when they get another 20 pics of a spanish hill with a bull on it

[Lavanda]

Torquay was wonderful thirty years ago - way before they built Fleet Walk and 'modernized' the town.

[Dixie]

so scotland has nothing to look at then,i bet your family would be a bit narked at that

Judging by many of your previous posts frog, yet again your assumptions are wrong, obviously you have never been to scotland so I won't go into its wonderful beautiful scenery. I have travelled all over the world and took to taking photo's as a hobby and yes, of many many places.

ahh the joys of taking my dogs on woolacombe/saunton sands/croyde beaches,cant do that even in the winter in fuengirola now

to sum up,why the hell would anyone want to move or live here now

It's quite obvious you're not happy living in spain, maybe returning back to the wonderful uk to join all the other bitter, unhappy little men would suit you best?!

I do hope some happiness enters your life very soon frog...Try to smile again and be happy.

[BAS]

Vote for Frog.

[deb]

Well said dixie

[Lavanda]

Indeed Dixie. Perhaps we should start a new forum for people happy in Spain and the rest can push off and lead their unhappy, bitter, miserable lives somewhere else - anywhere else - I don't care - just not here. They have whinged long enough here and they are getting boring.

[IreneD]

Well, I can see good things about both countries and could list 'em. The views, for instance, from our detached residence in the U.K. (a caravan ) is on a beautiful site, my views are lakes, fields and woods and in our townhouse in Spain, awesome mountains, with the sea in the distance.

When I joined Andalucia.com back in (I think) October last year, it was with the intention of moving over to Spain pretty much full time on our retirement later this year. It is reading the forum which has got me to have a re-think and I'm very grateful for that. IMO, everyone is entitled to their views and I am pleased to be here and reading them. Yes, there is a certain amount of bitterness here and if some people would like to come back to the U.K. and don't think they can afford to, I can recommend caravan life! A very cheap way of having a place in the U.K. and hopefully getting the best of both worlds.

Our revised 50/50 plan, which is falling into place, may well change - at the moment, we've never been to our house in Spain for longer than a fortnight, and for the first time, when we were there a couple of weeks ago, I felt my eyes pricking with tears when we were packing to come back to the U.K. - I didn't want to leave. So - I am open-minded, thanks to the members of A.com with their often very differing views, and looking forward to spending more time in Spain and feeling my way forward gradually.

[Devils Advocate]

Irene you've struck a chord with me there...When I'm here in the UK and the time comes around to go to the casa for the 3 weeks I don't want to go..............when we're in the casa and it's time to go back to the UK......I don't want to go.

Proves to me your 50/50 is the ultimate.

[Paula]

Irene, it's great that reading the forum has helped you to decide how to approach your move to Spain. You may well find that after a year or so you don't want to have "homes" in two countries, and the expense that goes with that. But personally for what it's worth, I think you are approaching it the right way by not burning your bridges, It is a big step, and all the planning that you do now, and contingency plans that you put in place are going to be what ensures a successful outcome for you.

I don't think that there are bitter, unhappy people on the forum Lavanda . There are people that seem to be extremely happy with Spain and their lives here, there are others that are not unhappy but do not see Spain as the place they want to move to, lock, stock and barrel. Then there are a few that are moving back to UK or contemplating it for various reasons. That all seems pretty normal to me and makes for interesting, and useful reading to anyone contemplating a move. You need that mixture to get an accurate picture of the place.
I certainly don't think that somebody pointing out some negatives is anymore boring than somebody that's always painting an idylic picture of life in Spain.

[IreneD]

Yes, DA, there are things about both countries that I love.

Paula, I agree, we're all grown up and capable of making our own decisions, and I find the different opinions helpful, even if some are expressed very forcefully.

Incidentally, isn't it funny how we can interpret posts in a different way? I took Frog's reference to Scotland to mean that the views in Scotland are brilliant!

[Jool]

I am trying to imagine sweet and sour frog.......

[IreneD]

Well, I think Frog is sweet, but then, my middle name is Pollyannna!

[katy]

Frogs views may be considered "negative" by some but he has a lot of valid points. Why did people move to Spain...I would say the climate was a large part of the decision. Also they thought it wouldn't be like working 9 to 5 in the UK (worse actually when the hours are until 9pm and you have to travel to work twice!). Spain isn't all fun and fiestas, neither is "growing your own" and trying to live the life of a campesino. Spanish houses aren't warm. My house seems warmer than anyone elses we know, but it's not warm enough. Despite having (inadequate) gas central heating in two thirds of the house, two fireplaces, some heat units,double glazing and huge bills. No damp and mould though (I can smell it on some peoples clothes)

Spain is not the place it was, lost it's charm for me. Don't mind paying through the nose for everything if I am enjoying it but there is no cost/value in it for me. Not sure I would want to move to the UK though (although it is swinging that way) Think on a forum we are all entitled to have an opinion (would be boring if we were all posting to say "well said" all the time). I suggest some members try those estate agents forums where they would meet all like minded people (censored!).

Getting back to views, yes there are fantastic views in all parts of the world...I have seen some people only have a garden view and it knocked your breath away. I will repeat something. On a visit out near Ronda I said to my Grandfather "Wouldn't it be nice to have a place here to spend weekends, the view is awsome" His reply "For weekends...as long as that"

[frog]

Judging by many of your previous posts frog, yet again your assumptions are wrong, obviously you have never been to scotland so I won't go into its wonderful beautiful scenery. I have travelled all over the world and took to taking photo's as a hobby and yes, of many many places

you see,this makes me laugh,how do you assume that purple lady,i saw it on tv and it looked nice,i also went to glasgow once as it was the only way i could get back to devon in an emergency and flew there for one night only just to see 'the sensational alex harvey band' a couple of years ago
i reckon the scenery in scotland and north devon is a bit better than aeg

Vote for Frog.

thanks bas but i think its you and a couple of girls,i aint gonna win a vote here

Indeed Dixie. Perhaps we should start a new forum for people happy in Spain and the rest can push off and lead their unhappy, bitter, miserable lives somewhere else - anywhere else - I don't care - just not here. They have whinged long enough here and they are getting boring

people need to know both sides lav

as paula says,people need to know the negs,otherwise all the info they may get is from 10 yr old channel 4 shows

Incidentally, isn't it funny how we can interpret posts in a different way? I took Frog's reference to Scotland to mean that the views in Scotland are brilliant!

irene thank you,you obviuosly read things

am trying to imagine sweet and sour frog

probably available in your local manky tapas outlet

Well, I think Frog is sweet, but then, my middle name is Pollyannna

well that ruined my joke,i thought you were the chinese girl that fell off her balcony and when asked what happened she said 'irenedover'

kong hee fat choy to all you hippies by the way

last but not least,listen to katys grandad

me im of back to world of warcraft,thats why i post so late,i wanna move there,sad at my age i know

and dont quote that last bit in a reply

[IreneD]

You do make me laugh, Frog. I nearly fell off my chair giggling at your 'irene' joke.