Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Do you have a query on how to get things done in Andalucia, where to find things, who to call? Find out by posting and hear about others experiences.
Lavanda
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Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Lavanda » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:31 am

I only ask because, as you all know, I left Andalucia two years ago. I left for lots of reasons, mainly too many people and too much corruption in the governments and town halls. There were also a whole lot of other reasons; my growing worries regarding most of the problems and negative things (apart from the financial stuff) that have been posted in the last few weeks; unemployment, crime, getting ripped off, unfriendly people, hostile natives, etc. I have never missed leaving Andalucia and now feel I have the life I originally wanted and dreamed of in Spain. Hopefully it will continue that way. For those of you thinking of leaving Spain to relocate in the UK, is it SPAIN you want to leave, or only Andalucia?

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby katy » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:08 am

Not`planning to leave.....yet. We have said this would be our last move in Spain though. All the Costas, and the Islands are suffering from the same downward spiral.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Bongtrees » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:15 am

I doubt many would say that Andalucia is going downhill.

For those that still want sun and Spain I heartily recommend Valencia, we have lived here for 7 years and it has everything anyone could wish for and more.
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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby julian » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:16 pm

considering all the history of andalucia I doubt it has had it´s best and will go downhill just because a few moaning brits don´t know how to appreciate all it has to offer.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby masterob » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:25 pm

For those of you thinking of leaving Spain to relocate in the UK, is it SPAIN you want to leave, or only Andalucia?
Lavanda, a difficult question to answer unless someone has experience of living elsewhere in Spain. I would imagine that living in one of the big cities such as Madrid or Barcelona is very different to living in Andalucia even in Malaga city. Only guessing but I would think that anyone who has made the decision to return to the UK is doing so for financial reasons, age/health or because they have found it difficult to settle. On that basis I don´t think it matters whether it is Andalucia or Spain that they are leaving.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby BAS » Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:54 pm

Going down hill!!! its already way down but not bottomed out yet. (it will get much worse)

The property market is dead in the water and has been for some time, the next stage will be the bars and resturants closing down wholesale, furniture stores are all struggling, watch out for failing buisneses pulling out of La Canada in a few weeks.

This has nothing to do with the global downturn although the exchange rate wont help, its due entireley to the criminals in the town halls, greedy criminal developers, estate agents, lawers, notories,etc. etc. and the idiot so called "investors" who bought or signed up for 3, 4, & more properties with hope of making a quick buck. Not to mention the third world bureaucracy.

The honest, sensible members of this forum know and acknowledge this, for those who live in the campo wearing rose tinted glasses day to day are ok if they can still afford it, they never wanted the highlife anyway.
The wonderful lifestyle that was possible 10 years ago is over unless you never need to count the cost.

I feel sorry for the regular people who have paid huge deposits on properties that will never be completed, with little or no chance of getting their money back.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby katy » Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:21 pm

Imperial Furniture Stores is pulling out of La cañada.
Someone I know who has invested heavily in Spain since the eighties said last week that he has been liquidating what he could over the past two years as he think Spains is finished. He is a very canny businessman too, from the Middle east.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby julian » Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:56 pm

at present everyone everywhere thinks they are in the worst country businesswise ! I guess the best business to be in soon will be international removals as everyone will be withdrawing from their own country to go somewhere where the grass is greener.
if one specific shop in a comercial centre in Spain is closing you can be sure that there is also a shop in almost every comercial in the world that will closing.we should realise that this is worldwide, and not think this is local to to place we live.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Paula » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:02 pm

Yes it is worldwide we know that.
Been shopping today in UK, very quiet, upto 60% off sales. Friends in USA tell me it is much the same there.
Think the difference with the Costas is it is pretty tiny really, doesn't need much in the way of businesses going bust, job losses, lack of tourism to turn into into ghost town. :shock:

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Devils Advocate » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:15 pm

Yep, sales all over the place here as well except on effin' Christmas trees :twisted:, £52 down the swanny this morning for one because OH said it was "full at the top" :? and the man on the rip-off farm said "it will not drop a needle before 6th Jan"......LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You guys in Spain may be having it bad but I'm smarting too at present..........FFS they've got 50" Plasmas cheaper than that in Comet :lol: :lol:

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby patchdog » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:05 pm

Lavanda wrote:I only ask because, as you all know, I left Andalucia two years ago. I left for lots of reasons, mainly too many people and too much corruption in the governments and town halls. There were also a whole lot of other reasons; my growing worries regarding most of the problems and negative things (apart from the financial stuff) that have been posted in the last few weeks; unemployment, crime, getting ripped off, unfriendly people, hostile natives, etc. I have never missed leaving Andalucia and now feel I have the life I originally wanted and dreamed of in Spain. Hopefully it will continue that way. For those of you thinking of leaving Spain to relocate in the UK, is it SPAIN you want to leave, or only Andalucia?
Lavanda please compare and contrast Andalucia and where you are now and where in Extremadura are you

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby hillybilly » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:26 pm

Lavanda wrote:I left Andalucia two years ago. I left for...a whole lot of other reasons; my growing worries regarding most of the problems and negative things...that have been posted in the last few weeks; unemployment...
Is the employment situation a lot better in Extremadura?
Last edited by hillybilly on Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

katy
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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby katy » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:21 pm

Seems as though the olive picking is going well...fancy 4 euro an hour!

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Jool » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:28 pm

It is worldwide and at least we have the stoicism of the spanish to show us the way through, imagine what they have been through, especially those in their 60´s, talk about adaptable.......

Lavanda
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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Lavanda » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:21 am

It's not really fair to compare Extremadura, and certain parts of it, with Andalucia as they are very different. We have no Costas and no large ex-pat communities, no urbanisations of apartments with pools, golf, etc. Everything is very different and whether it would suit a person or not depends on the person. The recession has not hit here yet. My village continues as normal. People are all employed and are rural farmers in the style of 'Country Life' of the UK in the 50s. Everyone has huge houses, cars, tractors, land and, of course, EU subsidies. We have a modest house; 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, study, 40 sq. m. kitchen (I walk miles in a day), 50 sq. m salon, patio, etc. We paid 20,000 euros less for it than what I sold my 2 bedroomed, one bathroomed house in Coín for two years ago. There is no crime. There are so few foreigners that we are welcomed. People are pleased and proud that of all the places we could have gone to, two people like us, actually CHOSE their village. They are proud of us, and, no, I don't imagine that.

Life here is isolated, rural, Spanish, hot in the summer, currently hot in the day (T-shirts at 2.00pm) and freezing at night. Hence my long thread on the estufa pipe problem. Heating a house is essential here. Our 'rates' are 84 euros a year paid in November. People here eat extremely well. Most of the produce in the shops, pork, bacon, jamon, lamb, vegetables, fruit (in season), wine, etc. comes from Extremadura and is top quality and cheap. Our nearest cities, Cáceres, Mérida and Trujillo are old historical cities. People here dress extremely well. There are no aging sun-tanned Brittany Spears look-a-likes here. People are fashionable and wear expensive clothes. We have a one-bedroomed weekend mountain house that was complete and lovely with patio and terrace that was less than 40,000 euros. I don't know what to write without getting lots of stick back. To us, it's the most fantastic place. To C.De Sollers it would be hell, but I did the Marbella single-girl life-style with shopping, parties, bars, marriage proposals from millionaire property idiots, opening parties of restaurants (anyone remember the Da B****'s opening bash - how ridiculous was that and all our photos in the Marbella glossy rag the next month?) etc. I got bored. I think I lack the imagination to live a Costa life.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Bongtrees » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:14 am

Lavanda

How far is it to the nearest hospital which has facilities to say perform open heart surgery, cancer treatment etc?

How far is it to an airport?

How far to a train station?
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Lavanda
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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Lavanda » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:32 am

50kms away from my village is Cáceres hospital for all the 'big stuff'. Badajoz is bigger still and 120kms away. We have a local hospital 10kms away for all routine stuff.

We have no international airport, hence our lack of ex-pats. Madrid and Lisbon are both three hours drive away and Seville is 2.5 hours driive. There is a train from Cáceres to Madrid and extensive coach links. We are supposed to be getting an international airport in Cáceres in 2012, in time for Cáceres to be European City of Culture in 2016 (they hope). There is much debate about whether the people want an airport (they don't) or the government want one (they do). We'll see ...

Cáceres at 50kms has a train station, so does Mérida also at 50kms. We are getting a TGV line in 2010 so it will be two hours to Madrid instead of the usual four at the moment.

PS I've PM'ed you as welll.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Acen » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:55 am

julian wrote:considering all the history of andalucia I doubt it has had it´s best and will go downhill just because a few moaning brits don´t know how to appreciate all it has to offer.
I have never considered myself a moaning brit, and live in a very spanish village, but for all of us that earn our living in Gibraltar and earn sterling its become unbearable for us.

Similarly those living on uk pensions are in the same boat.

Spain does have a lot to offer and essentially we are all here for the climate and lifestyle however it does not make financial sense to stay as Spain is becoming too expensive for us!!! (please no lectures about Spanish people earning less and coping, because I pay Gib tax with no allowances, no 100 relatives to rely on, no extended family what so ever here, no help from the Spanish, Gib, Brit government, no euro income whatsoever)

You only have to look at the hundreds of people living in spain now not bothering with Carreforre and Mercadona and finding it cheaper in Morrissons.

I still love it and have no intentions to move on back I cant say never say never. Once the exchange rate become one to one or worse then we all have to have a long hard think about the situation.

If you work in construction in Gib, then people are talking about Dubai, Morrocco and Turkey as boom places for work.

Personally if I could Id move the family to Sydney!!!!

acen

Lavanda
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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby Lavanda » Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:00 pm

Sydney! Fantastic place. The Museum of Art was an eye-opener; all those English Victorian paintings. The Harbour, Manley Beach, Bondi Beach, the architecture, the shops, parks, climate, language, people. Now you're talking!!! We loved it. Just way too old to emigrate. You have to be under 40.

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Re: Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?

Postby silver » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:03 pm

Has Andalucia had the best and is it downhill from here?
I dont think so..wait till crisis is over and the sales will start.. same as last time crisis boom crisis boom
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