Things that have changed since you lived in Spain

[olive]

We were talking about the things that have changed since we moved here permanently 8 years ago.

Things like:

Very few Motorbikes and scooters anymore.
Armco now erected on country roads blocking off the view!
Improved local hospital facilities
Local town amenities, roads and parks vastly upgraded.

What have you noticed?

[fincalospinos]

Improved rural roads
Nice seating/viewing/picnic areas established
Roundabouts nicely landscaped and kept
More speed humps
Cleaner beaches
Reduced litter, and more litter cleaners
Bars quieter

[quebin]

Less Brits.

[Campo Steve]

Roundabouts nicely landscaped

Now we just need the Spanish to learn how to use them!

[anyroads]

"Bars quieter"

LOL, well yes and no.

My wife and I dropped down to our "local" for a quiet drink in June. There were two couples sitting at the same table, the only other people in the bar.

We could believe the amount of noise they generated, we had to go outside after a few minutes for some peace and quiet !

anyroads

[annfoto]

Roundabouts nicely landscaped and kept

Alhaurin de la Torre have loads of brilliant roundabouts with sculptures, water features etc.
Well worth a drive through the town just to see the roundabouts (lots of them all brilliant)
There used to be 4 houses visible to us on the other side of the valley now there is 44
The road to Marbella is a bit less scarey
The price of butano has more than doubled

[fincalospinos]

Roundabouts nicely landscaped and kept

There used to be 4 houses visible to us on the other side of the valley now there is 44

Have you been to Specsavers

[Nimrod]

The Spanish are grumpier .

[Mowser]

Smoking ban .....

[country boy]

No longer have to go to the coast for a decent Supermarket!

[katy]

Car boot sales and Farmers (sic) markets!

[ValL]

My life style for the better, my enjoyment of the outdoors, much more time spent outside. Some prices risen, more road works, new roundabouts and flaming speed humps, they do my injured neck in. Much less falling apart scoots, more proper motor bikes ( I do miss a run out )

[AdamDavies]

Less Brits.

haha good one. I imagine the Spanish economy going down the gurgler, the next 12 months will bring forward huge, negative changes to Spain.

[mhic]

Wife has put on a lot of weight, eat's less smokes and drinks more watches a lot more rubbish on tv has more headaches backaches and indigestion at bed time. Fewer moaning negative English. On the plus side my wife still calls me Mr Perfect so I can't have changed.

Mhic.

[Julie]

I learned to speak Spanish, now Spain a different place altogether for me , not sure if that is better or
worse

The many new roundabouts are the thing that come to mind as a recent addition, they are really big and everywhere

[katy]

I think the roundabouts were Mayors follies when the Ayuntamientos were awash with money. First one I remember was in Torremolinos and it was a typical sardine fishing boat surrounded by plants. It looked good and very apt. Then came the naff ones. Benalmádena and Fuengirola were the worst. Huge things with half a horse, one like a sail with something like a hundred windmills on it. Spain was better without roundabouts, they don't know how to use them correctly anyway

[Nimrod]

If they can't master indicators, left to go left, right to go right, what chance do they stand with roundabouts.

[anis]

..not so many electric power cuts every time it rains, less water supply failures, no scooter riders without helmets, less British bars as well as customers.

(Anna - there is another new roundabout going up in Alhaurin de la Torre - always fascinated to see what the next one will be -some works of art . These are quite different to some of the usual commercial rubbish roundabouts you see at seaside resorts. Different aspiring local artist and sculptors I believe, maybe wrong, usually am.
I have seen them featured internationally in some geek collecting site, they really are worth a visit.
One of the ones I like is the newer orange tiled pyramid but one of the earliest was the dandelion water clock, which is still my most favourite of all and to my knowledge, they have managed to keep that water feature going for over 12 years on and off, which is a huge achievement for municipal garden workers anywhere in the world.
Our mayor has always done his best to put money back into the town and since I have lived here, he has completely changed the face of the main road , it is very beautiful and a place he can be proud of, rivals anywhere along the coast. Perhaps I am naive....but he still is in office after all these years. )

[country boy]

ADLT is one of the very few authorities in Andalucia that actually owes NO money!! Well done your Mayor!

[Mowser]

Things that have changed since you lived in Spain

The clocks - twice a year.

(I'll get my coat)