Shopping in UK o Spain

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katy
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby katy » Thu May 30, 2013 10:44 pm

The most expensive supermarket in Spain is El Corte Inglés, though better quality than most.

Lavanda
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby Lavanda » Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:07 pm

I've just had a week in the UK, in Devon, so my 'report' is hot!

Eating out: Much bigger choice of places to eat and types of food to consume. We ate out every lunch time in different country inns.
Average price for three: main course plus pudding, two large glasses of wine plus lemonade = £70.00 All the places were full of retired people eating their heads off. My parents said there was no sense in old people saving money so they go out and enjoy themselves. Main courses started at £9.95 so we could have eaten cheaper. The puddings averaged at £5.00 each as did the glasses of wine.
On a shopping trip to Exeter: one prawn sandwich, one yummy cake and a juice = £9.50. One coffee £2.50.
In Torquay: pot of tea for four = £6.00.
I thought eating out was much more expensive than in Spain. However, the food was beautifully presented and the gravy was better in the UK. The big different was the puddings — they were miles, miles better in the UK.

Shopping: Lidl (I took my parents) was average both in quality and in price. M&S was dreary and clothes seemed less well made than I remember but a cotton blouse was £22.00 which compares in Spain with €28.00 in Punt Roma (and €5.00 in the local market). Thorntons prices were about what they were last time but the chocolates are much more yummy than anything we get in Spain. HMV DVDs and CDs prices compare well with Spain (Carrefour) but the choice in my home language is obviously better in the UK.

In Exeter, the Harlequin Shopping Centre was all but abandoned. It looked terrible. Only four shops were still open. The Princesshay Centre was much better and people were shopping. Cafés were full. High street shops were not busy. Streets were dirty with litter. Big Issue Sellers stood every 75m. The Big Issue has a new 'shop/office' in the city.

Torquay had an air of neglect but the cheap, tat shops were doing well (by volume of people) at the expense of the better shops where there were fewer shoppers. I have no idea how much anyone was spending, though.

People: younger people looked miserable with long unwashed hair, tattoos and fat bodies — and that was just the women. A lots of working age people seems to be wandering around the towns a bit aimlessly. In contrast the retired people eating in the nice country inns looked well-kempt, well-dressed without being showy and were, at least, well scrubbed up. There definitely appeared to be a divide between the poorer part of society and the rest.

Fuel and travel: Petrol seemed more expensive than in Spain with bus and rail travel much more expensive. The state of public transport in the UK is dire, dirty and delayed.

House prices: mixed. Some properties seemed cheap but were small flats in poorer areas, i.e. £65,000, in Exeter. Other properties like a 2-bed mature detached bungalow around the corner from my parents was £225,000. It was impossible to make a comparison with Spain as both countries are big with diverse areas.

Nightlife: Streets are given over to young people. My parents said that no one (older) goes out at night as it's too risky. (Perhaps that explains the lunchtime country inn trade?)

News: fatally depressing.

Soaps: the plots have not moved on since last October and I had no trouble 'catching up'. The female 'stars' explained the propensity for long unwashed hair as seen in the streets.

Weather: mixed but the sun shone quite a bit although we needed jumpers.

Conclusion: depends where you go and what you buy and what you do in either country but I had a great time. It was good. It was also good to come home.

BENIDORM
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby BENIDORM » Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:55 pm

A Good Balanced Report from A.Com's Extremadura Roving Reporter, Well Done Lavanda .. :thumbup:

I actually don't mind reading the A.Com's Price Comparison Website, it makes me feel quite content to be here in Spain.

Seriously though I believe in making the most of what I've got and wherever I happen to be , life is too short to worry too much about the price of a cup of coffee.. :lol:

Just to add a few comparisons of items I received today...
A lettuce....Free
A bag of Onions..Free
A big bunch of Garlic...Free..

I got them off an old man ( yes..older than me ! )..down the road. :wave:

Regards,
Gordon.

katy
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby katy » Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:52 pm

This couple had a cheap meal in Spain....suppose it was their fault :lolno:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... order.html

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peteroldracer
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby peteroldracer » Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:44 pm

An interesting report from lavanda which highlighted yet again the excessive prices people seem prepared to pay in the south of the UK.
Compare these costs to those in the very pleasant Lawnswood Arms in Leeds (and plenty others is the same group) where there are several starters on "2 for £5" deals, tasty grills such as 8oz steak with all the trimmings on "2 for £10", and desserts on...guess what? "2 for £5". A 175ml glass of wine is around £2.89, so 4 can get stuffed for £40 plus drinks - if there are only 3 of you, but with bottomless stomachs, you can share the extra meal amongst you...
Yorkshire 1, Devon 0 I reckon!
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Lavanda
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby Lavanda » Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:57 pm

:thumbup: I think you are right, Peter, and in Devon you pay more for Ye Olde Worlde Tea Shoppe, as well. You have perfectly demonstrated that just comparing different areas in the SAME country is food for thought :wink: without going to all the bother of starting on comparing DIFFERENT countries.

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Julie
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby Julie » Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:25 pm

There are some beautiful places to eat in and around Lancashire, at a third of these prices, I think they must of seen you coming :(
No soporto ver la casa sucia, ahora mismo me levanto y apago la luz.

katy
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby katy » Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:50 pm

Julie wrote:There are some beautiful places to eat in and around Lancashire, at a third of these prices, I think they must of seen you coming :(


In Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex too :silent:

frank
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby frank » Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:29 pm

katy wrote:
Julie wrote:There are some beautiful places to eat in and around Lancashire, at a third of these prices, I think they must of seen you coming :(


In Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex too :silent:
Missed a couple of these posts, but I think I get the drift, Spain cheap, UK expensive????? :D
I think you can eat cheaply or expensively whichever country you are in, there are hundreds of deals in UK, two eat/one pays, half price before 8pm, children eat free etc, saw one today advertising beer £2.50 a pint, or a curry and and a pint £6. We've just come back from a stay in Spain and we've had some great meals, and as it's almadraba season on the Costa de Luz I had to try the fresh red tuna, and one of the best presa iberica I've ever had, but cheap they ain't. Throw in some great Moroccan food in you know where Katy, all in all some very good eating but you have to pay for it, I'll leave the €5 MDD to the expats! :thumbup: Even some decent meals in Mowser's village.
Regards, Frank

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El Cid
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby El Cid » Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:58 pm

As far as MDDs are concerned the best Chinese restaurant I know locally charges €5.50 for an excellent three course meal with a choice of 4 starters and eight main courses plus desserts and a free "chopito".

Hard to get better value than that anywhere.

The best French restaurant in the area does an eight course menu every Thursday for €22 including as much (decent) wine as you can drink. That's in Nerja which is not the cheapest town on the coast.

There is good value in both countries if you shop around.

I will admit that the huge choice in the food shops in the UK is miles ahead of anything in Spain unless perhaps you live in Madrid or Barcelona and that is probably the one thing I miss most about the UK.

Sid

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gerryh
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby gerryh » Tue Jun 11, 2013 8:05 am

El Cid wrote: The best French restaurant in the area does an eight course menu every Thursday for €22 including as much (decent) wine as you can drink. That's in Nerja which is not the cheapest town on the coast.


Sid
Sounds interesting.
What's it's name and address?
Cheers
Gerry
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frank
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby frank » Tue Jun 11, 2013 8:52 am

El Cid wrote:As far as MDDs are concerned the best Chinese restaurant I know locally charges €5.50 for an excellent three course meal with a choice of 4 starters and eight main courses plus desserts and a free "chopito".

Sid
Of the two we used to use in Nerja, one closed, (Post Office street) and the other one in Calle Huertos was OK, but nothing outstanding. Super quick service though.
Regards, Frank

No soy residente, simplemente un turista, ¿qué sé yo?

El Cid
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby El Cid » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:22 am

frank wrote:
Of the two we used to use in Nerja, one closed, (Post Office street) and the other one in Calle Huertos was OK, but nothing outstanding. Super quick service though.
Actually the Chinese I was referring to is Sheng in Almuñecar. The ones in Nerja have never been much good.

I see your quotes are working at last!

Sid

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gerryh
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby gerryh » Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:55 am

gerryh wrote:
El Cid wrote: The best French restaurant in the area does an eight course menu every Thursday for €22 including as much (decent) wine as you can drink. That's in Nerja which is not the cheapest town on the coast.


Sid
Sounds interesting.
What's it's name and address?
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Harris

frank
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby frank » Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:06 am

El Cid wrote:
frank wrote:
Of the two we used to use in Nerja, one closed, (Post Office street) and the other one in Calle Huertos was OK, but nothing outstanding. Super quick service though.
Actually the Chinese I was referring to is Sheng in Almuñecar. The ones in Nerja have never been much good.

I see your quotes are working at last!

Sid
The quotes have had a rest whilst I was in Spain, Sid, don't know if it will last! Had some impressive free tapas in a few bars last week in Almuñecar, we were with friends, they seem to know where to go.
Regards, Frank

No soy residente, simplemente un turista, ¿qué sé yo?

El Cid
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby El Cid » Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:20 am

gerryh wrote:
Sounds interesting.
What's it's name and address?
Cheers
Gerry
[/quote]

Its Restaurante Jacky in Calle Chaparil where it meets Calle Antonio Millon. Next to the vet and Rest Sevilliana.

They were in Cotobro Playa for years. They do a weekly "small" 8 course "gastro" menu every Thursday and Friday night except for the end of the month when they do a "big" Gastro menu for €35 inc wine. That has always been good value but the smaller one is a really good deal.

This is the menu this week.

Sid


Menú Especial Degustación
************************
Muslito de codorniz a la Villeroy, salsa Gribiche
****************************
Crema Andaluza
********
Foie gras envuelto en pistacho, con pan de especias
****************************
Langostinos con endivias a la crema
*********************
Sorbete tropical con espuma de tónica
***********************
Raviolis gratinados, salsa Aurora
*******************
Mignon de ternera “Elder”, patatas “Dollar”
**************************
Delicias de hojaldre, con coulis de frambuesa
***************************
20.- € + 10% I.V.A.

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gerryh
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby gerryh » Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:06 pm

Thanks Sid
I'll have a look next time I'm in Nerja. Not been to that part of Nerja for a while.
Cheers
Gerry
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Devils Advocate
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby Devils Advocate » Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:40 pm

Regarding Nerja. Has anybody been to the Restaurant in Calle Pillar that used to be called "Robertos" until about 8 years ago. It's the place with the indoor garden and very antiquated,situated on the left hand side heading away from the Balcon, opposite that little arcade area. Roberto specialised in Suckiling Pig and asparagus and it was an "occasion" to visit.....fabulous fayre.

Reason I ask is that we walked past the place a few weeks back when we were over there.........the menu looked absolutely stunning once more,albeit a few bob more than most. Bloody shame as we were flying back the next day and did not have time try it. It's on the list for next time though.
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

frank
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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby frank » Tue Jun 11, 2013 2:16 pm

El Cid wrote:
Its Restaurante Jacky in Calle Chaparil where it meets Calle Antonio Millon. N
Gets rave reviews, http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant ... lucia.html
Regards, Frank

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Re: Shopping in UK o Spain

Postby Nimrod » Tue Jun 11, 2013 3:03 pm

I'm going to start making a list of these recommended Spanish restaurants.
On the very odd occasion I've managed to get a decent meal and less than surly service but they've been few and far between.


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