flog-it

Hi Dondedonde, yes but we all want easy money don't we and I guess would all do the same if it worked.

Big Vern

Perhaps I'm just lucky but I've been living permanently in Spain for 18 months now and have never been caught speeding or infringing any of the laws that people on this forum and in the English language press here on the Costa Blanca whinge about. I've been stopped in Guardia roadblocks many times but when they see I'm wearing a seat belt and am obviously not an illegal immigrant, I'm waved on courteously.

It's easy to fall into the cynical view that you are being fleeced because the Spanish police are out to get the Brits/create revenue for the town hall (except they don't see any of the money being collected in fines by the Guardia!) or line their own pockets. Have a look at the letter columns of English newspapers and read the moans and groans about the spread of speed cameras in the UK! Cars can park on the streets of our towns and villages up her in the valleys on the north of the Costa Blanca without fear of roving traffic wardens or clamping cowboys....and that means double-parking with impunity, parking on corners, crossings and anywhere else that might cause other road users inconvenience! By the way, I'm not moaning....I just see it as part of the quaint and colourful way of life here.

As for the Spanish not feeling the effects of the recession, that's certainly not the case here. Restaurants are closing and English-run stores are for sale, as Brits hit by the exchange rate and low interest rates are cutting back their spending. most of the locals around here 9the orange farmers in particular) drive 20 year ex-hire company Seat Pandas and Ibizas.

Going home won't help - you can't sell your villa here, you probably won't be able to get any work, so just ride out the storm (the exchange rate is slowly improving) and enjoy the sun, wonderful fresh fruit and veg. and the cheap wine! Viva espana!

TerryC

Here is home. My wife and I burnt our bridges and besides there is no one or anything to return too. If you are going to move here, I think you've got to go for it big time, forget about an escape route back to the UK and throw your all into Spain.

keddyboy

Fully agree with Big Vern and Terry C.

baldilocks

We have only been here six months but are here for good. The advantages here far, far outweigh any disadvantages. The people here are lovely, so warm and friendly but then we live in a village (pop. 5000) up in the mountains. We see no signs of a recession here. OK a couple of shops have closed down but they were things like kiddy clothes and fashion but most of the older women here are not into fashion they just wear black. Carpet slippers are mostly in use just to pop across to the shop (wear them ourselves). Someone has just spent a lot on building and opening a new shoe shop in our road and a new butchers' has opened round the corner

Move back home? Never!

Val

[QUOTE Move back home? Never![/QUOTE]

Ah that is interesting, you see you still call it home yet you say you will never go back. I am Scottish ( not that you would guess hehe) and until I came here I never really thought about it as home, I suppose when you are there it is where you are, I lived over a year in englandshire and did not wish to be back in Scotland ( mind you that may have been my state of mind at time NOT good) This here in Spain is home for now who knows in the future where I might be but I will always want to go back to Scotland and spend time re acquainting myself with it. The highlands draw me far west is best

baldilocks

Sorry Val, I was just responding to the questioner's words. Home, for us, is very definitely here! We noticed it after we had been here only a month that we referred to here as "home".

I have lived in umpteen places in England, Wales, South America and, yes until the back end of last year I was living back only a few miles from where I was born which I suppose was the nearest I had been to anywhere I might have really thought of as "home"

Val

I think I may be right in thinking I am none to well today again. Sorry I got wrong end of stick, yes we come home to Spain after trips away. Not sure how it will be after a few weeks back in Scotland in Aug/Sept though, we will see.

baldilocks

Hope you enjoy your trip back to Scotland. We have still to take my mother-in-law up there. We took my mother a few years back and covered a lot of the west coast. One of my favourite places is Barra in the Outer Hebrides although I believe it has changed since I was there (1968) with resort facilities being built, others are Lochinver, Sheildaig and Diabeg on the west coast.

The mountains here are, in some cases a little higher but with the exception of the S. Nevada and a few near here are less rugged and have a softer feel to them.

baldilocks

Hi Terry, we have burnt our bridges too and thrown our lot into HERE. I still have some family in UK (Mother, sister, nieces) but here is home! Most of those who are whingeing and talking about going back to UK were here for what they could get out of it and now they aren't getting it or not so much of it they want to cry off.

Life is all about what you can put in, not what you can get out. Because we put in, we feel that, after only six months, we belong here and the locals treat us as one of them. Other Brits live in the village and have done so for far longer but still don't belong here!