# Cold Winter



## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

Having spent my first winter here was looking around for somewhere else that was a bit warmer in winter. Looked at temp charts for all of Europe and was thinking about Cyprus. Then I checked this site for Cyprus and read that they were wearing onesies, nightcaps and sleeping on electric blankets !!
Seems that they have the same useless builders as here, single walls, windows, no insulation and doors where you can put your finger between door and jamb.

Don't think I'll be in Europe next winter.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Gareth54 said:


> Having spent my first winter here was looking around for somewhere else that was a bit warmer in winter. Looked at temp charts for all of Europe and was thinking about Cyprus. Then I checked this site for Cyprus and read that they were wearing onesies, nightcaps and sleeping on electric blankets !!
> Seems that they have the same useless builders as here, single walls, windows, no insulation and doors where you can put your finger between door and jamb.
> 
> Don't think I'll be in Europe next winter.


The canaries have good all year temperatures??

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Gareth54 said:


> Having spent my first winter here was looking around for somewhere else that was a bit warmer in winter. Looked at temp charts for all of Europe and was thinking about Cyprus. Then I checked this site for Cyprus and read that they were wearing onesies, nightcaps and sleeping on electric blankets !!
> Seems that they have the same useless builders as here, single walls, windows, no insulation and doors where you can put your finger between door and jamb.
> 
> Don't think I'll be in Europe next winter.


Get yourself a better built house with mod cons like central heating and double glazing.


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## tonymar (Jan 29, 2015)

Yes I think the first winter comes with a shock to most of us here


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Even the Canaries can be a bit cool in the evenings. If you want real warmth as in sat out late into the evening, swimming in the pool, then it has to be the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida, South Africa etc. but then there aren't the benefits as in Europe such as health care, short flight to UK etc.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Gareth54 said:


> Having spent my first winter here was looking around for somewhere else that was a bit warmer in winter. Looked at temp charts for all of Europe and was thinking about Cyprus. Then I checked this site for Cyprus and read that they were wearing onesies, nightcaps and sleeping on electric blankets !!
> *Seems that they have the same useless builders as here, single walls, windows, no insulation and doors where you can put your finger between door and jamb.*
> 
> Don't think I'll be in Europe next winter.


????

Our house is nothing special, believe me, and it has exterior walls filled with insulation, double glazed windows, and doors that close tightly. We don't have central heating, but I know plenty of people in my area who do. You might have to look around to find housing with it but it's there - usually in more modern builds. 

What you can't get around is that fact that we do have a winter season here. You need to go to the Canary Islands if you want year round warm weather.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

Gareth. 
Try Penang. 34C all year round.

3 bed apartment about £600 p.m. for 3 months in Batu Ferringhi.


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## boxergirl (Nov 27, 2010)

We were in tenerife last Feb and we froze most days.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Isobella said:


> Even the Canaries can be a bit cool in the evenings. If you want real warmth as in sat out late into the evening, swimming in the pool, then it has to be the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida, South Africa etc. but then there aren't the benefits as in Europe such as health care, short flight to UK etc.


At least we'd be spared all those circular arguments about can I/can't I use my EHIC card if I´m on holiday for several months, do I/don´t I need to register as a resident ....

Don't most of the countries where hot weather is guaranteed during our winter require visas for longer stays?


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Yes that reminds me to ask Lynn, if I am going to Barbados and am not tax resident in Spain but have spent 183 days there using my EHIC card to register my Rhd car, will I pay CGT on my savings interest when I am over 65 and self employed?????

( think I got most of them in there and added a Caribbean twist!!!)


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Rabbitcat said:


> Yes that reminds me to ask Lynn, if I am going to Barbados and am not tax resident in Spain but have spent 183 days there using my EHIC card to register my Rhd car, will I pay CGT on my savings interest when I am over 65 and self employed?????
> 
> ( think I got most of them in there and added a Caribbean twist!!!)


May I respectfully D) invite you to redirect your query(ies) to the Barbados expat forum? I am never likely to be rich enough to spend several months during the winter there so have had no need to familiarise myself with their rules.

In other words, do one!


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

It's not all that cold really here, at least close to the coast. Sure cold enough to get cold but as far as winter goes it's pretty mild. This year tjough has been pretty miserable with all the wind and clouds. There are countries in the Caribbean that are eu territories and to a varying extent can be subject to free movement, probably not schengen though. .


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Rabbitcat said:


> Yes that reminds me to ask Lynn, if I am going to Barbados and am not tax resident in Spain but have spent 183 days there using my EHIC card to register my Rhd car, will I pay CGT on my savings interest when I am over 65 and self employed?????
> 
> ( think I got most of them in there and added a Caribbean twist!!!)


No, you left out the most important, imo, namely, can I get by with speaking basic Barbadonese (I'm taking evening classes now), are there cheap flights to Solihull, are there places I can walk my two Akitas off lead and can I get Marmite, Benson and Hedges and The Daily Mail....


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## Tigerlillie (Apr 7, 2015)

And not forgetting Fish and Chips with mushy peas, Full English Breakfast and a Sunday Roast all washed down with nice cheap lager.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Tigerlillie said:


> And not forgetting Fish and Chips with mushy peas, Full English Breakfast and a Sunday Roast all washed down with nice cheap lager.


I ate and enjoyed three of those four things when in the UK last week...(no mushy peas though...)


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## tonymar (Jan 29, 2015)

Tigerlillie said:


> And not forgetting Fish and Chips with mushy peas, Full English Breakfast and a Sunday Roast all washed down with nice cheap lager.


I some times miss fish and chips , we have to drive 45 min to get decent chips .

Its about time all villages in Spain had chip shops , after all it is 2015 

we haven't even got KfC or Mc donalds !!!!!

Tony Agost Alicante


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Gareth54 said:


> Having spent my first winter here was looking around for somewhere else that was a bit warmer in winter. Looked at temp charts for all of Europe and was thinking about Cyprus. Then I checked this site for Cyprus and read that they were wearing onesies, nightcaps and sleeping on electric blankets !!
> Seems that they have the same useless builders as here, single walls, windows, no insulation and doors where you can put your finger between door and jamb.
> 
> Don't think I'll be in Europe next winter.


Pretty well _everybody _who moves to Southern Spain is surprised by how cold it is in winter. We try to warn them on the forum, but they see temperature charts that say 17º-20º C when it's around zero in the UK, and think we're exaggerating.

The best thing is to go with the flow - get the thermals and electric blankets, invest in a woodburner and enjoy the sunny afternoons and the fact that it doesn't get dark till 6.30 even in midwinter.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

The Wunderground site is really good for checking out historical temperatures Op.

I have a Cypriot friend and from what he tells me, it's certainly no warmer there than in Spain.


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

larryzx said:


> Gareth.
> Try Penang. 34C all year round.
> 
> 3 bed apartment about £600 p.m. for 3 months in Batu Ferringhi.


Bit too touristy for me and doubt if my labradoodle would enjoy the flight. Got this from Wikipedia

Probably the single most heavily developed stretch of tourist resorts in the entire country, the scenery and the beaches have undeniably suffered under the assault of all that concrete. Still, while the beaches aren't the best in Malaysia, there are still miles of white sand and palm trees left. Fierce competition keeps hotel prices low and there's some great food to be found too. Also a notable fact making the decision to visit Batu Ferringhi an easier one is, that the more you approach to the west, the less the touristisation has infected the beaches. Beaches near the famous night-market are very nice, though with less than perfect water quality because of the extensive powered water sports and infestations of jellyfish.

Might go for a short break.


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Get yourself a better built house with mod cons like central heating and double glazing.


Difficult to get this type of information from a holiday rental site.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Gareth54 said:


> Difficult to get this type of information from a holiday rental site.


But now you're here, aren't you?
If you wanted to stay you could be looking for a decent house, couldn't you?


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> But now you're here, aren't you?
> If you wanted to stay you could be looking for a decent house, couldn't you?


True, and I have, but could not find anything that ticked all the boxes and only want it for the winter months (max 182 days). Leave wednesday for the mobile home near Roquebrune sur Argens in the south of France for a couple of months then back home for the summer.
Having experienced the winter here think that I'll just take 3 or 4 flying breaks to various parts around the world during the winter months, unfortunately without my dog, she was one of the boxes!


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> No, you left out the most important, imo, namely, can I get by with speaking basic Barbadonese (I'm taking evening classes now), are there cheap flights to Solihull, are there places I can walk my two Akitas off lead and can I get Marmite, Benson and Hedges and The Daily Mail....


We love Barbados, for holidays only, been there a few times, and our daughter got married there in the parish of ST.John.
Before our daughter was married, we were on holiday, hired a little Suzuki Jimny to run around in. We had always been curious about The Sandy Lane Hotel, so one day while husband was out diving, daughter and I decided we would go and see Sandy Lane for ourselves.
We drove in, in the 'posh' Jimny, wearing very casual shorts and T shirts (non designer,),we had the vehicle valet parked by the door man, and in we went, lovely place, Michael Winner was on his sun bed on the terrace, and we ordered a sandwich and a drink of orange juice each!!! Tended by a very snotty waiter, what a lovely day!! 
Then we had our hired Jimny returned by the lovely Barbadian doorman, and off we went.:yo:


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Gareth54 said:


> Having spent my first winter here was looking around for somewhere else that was a bit warmer in winter. Looked at temp charts for all of Europe and was thinking about Cyprus. Then I checked this site for Cyprus and read that they were wearing onesies, nightcaps and sleeping on electric blankets !!
> Seems that they have the same useless builders as here, single walls, windows, no insulation and doors where you can put your finger between door and jamb.
> 
> Don't think I'll be in Europe next winter.





Gareth54 said:


> True, and I have, but could not find anything that ticked all the boxes and only want it for the winter months (max 182 days). Leave wednesday for the mobile home near Roquebrune sur Argens in the south of France for a couple of months then back home for the summer.
> Having experienced the winter here think that I'll just take 3 or 4 flying breaks to various parts around the world during the winter months, unfortunately without my dog, she was one of the boxes!


Well, it's a shame that you're leaving having spent an unnecessarily uncomfortable winter here. However, as you're comtemplating spending winters outside of Europe I can surmise that you have enough money to do that and that you're not particularly enamoured with Spain anyway.
If you wanted to stay in Spain you could renovate a property or even build to your expectations, but one thing is sure; there's nowhere in Spain that has guaranteed good weather all year round. Even the Canaries suffer from heavy rainfall and frequent floods. Just Google floods in the Canaries and you'll see what I mean.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Gareth54 said:


> Difficult to get this type of information from a holiday rental site.


Holiday rentals are, in general "summer holiday" villas . So aren't designed for the winter. 

I agree, many Spanish houses are cold in the winter, too many cold tiles, lack of central heating, insulation... winter was a shock to me too. But there are long term rentals that are designed to be warm and winter days can be beautiful. 

Jo xxxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

This winter.... I think it might have been a particularly sh*t one though. My neighbours assure me that they've never seen so many cloudy days. I've been disappointed with it too.

But, putting it into perspective, I don't think I've switched a heater on since a month ago.

And, I am about to head on for a 4 hour walk in the countryside, and it's just about the perfect weather for that sort of pursuit.

That said, if you want sun and heat then the whole of Europe is not the place for you in winter.


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## maxd (Mar 22, 2009)

Coldest winter in Tenerife for 17 years, that was December and January when we were not here. I think it was something similar on the mainland. February was fantastic though, 75% of march was nice and so far April has been really warm apart from the last couple of days but the is more to do with the cloud.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well, it's a shame that you're leaving having spent an unnecessarily uncomfortable winter here. However, as you're comtemplating spending winters outside of Europe I can surmise that you have enough money to do that and that you're not particularly enamoured with Spain anyway.
> If you wanted to stay in Spain you could renovate a property or even build to your expectations, but one thing is sure; there's nowhere in Spain that has guaranteed good weather all year round. Even the Canaries suffer from heavy rainfall and frequent floods. Just Google floods in the Canaries and you'll see what I mean.


Yes, I agree. Yesterday we visited a British couple who bought a house not far away last year, as a holiday home, and wanted to show us around. They bought it from a German guy who had renovated it to his own specifications, and what a good job he did, complete with underfloor heating and heated walls in the shower room. They paid just €80,000 for a totally renovated 2 bedroom house with a patio and roof terrace with nice views over historic buildings to countryside beyond, which included a a house full of good quality, tasteful furniture, even all the crockery and cutlery, so didn't have to lift a finger, just arrive with their luggage and start enjoying themselves. Bargain, and I told them they'd done very well.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

fergie said:


> We love Barbados, for holidays only, been there a few times, and our daughter got married there in the parish of ST.John.
> Before our daughter was married, we were on holiday, hired a little Suzuki Jimny to run around in. We had always been curious about The Sandy Lane Hotel, so one day while husband was out diving, daughter and I decided we would go and see Sandy Lane for ourselves.
> We drove in, in the 'posh' Jimny, wearing very casual shorts and T shirts (non designer,),we had the vehicle valet parked by the door man, and in we went, lovely place, Michael Winner was on his sun bed on the terrace, and we ordered a sandwich and a drink of orange juice each!!! Tended by a very snotty waiter, what a lovely day!!
> Then we had our hired Jimny returned by the lovely Barbadian doorman, and off we went.:yo:


My son and dil love Barbados, rave about it. They have been to that Sandals resort, the one that had to change its policy to admit gay couples. They also like St Lucia, off there in October.
I've never been to the West Indies, don't really fancy it, plus it's a long flight and a bit pricey. I've also heard it's a dangerous place and most visitors are advised not to stay outside the resort. Don't like the idea of that.
The first time we went to North Africa, to Marrakech, we heard a guide tell a group not to venture out after dark... We wandered around whenever and wherever, found some local folk a bit too pressing with their offers of guided tours, souvenirs etc. but found that a polite request in French to allow us to enjoy their beautiful city in peace worked far better than telling them to **** off.
We did have stones and insults thrown at us once when we accidentally wandered into a poor quarter of Tunis. We were called 'Jewish whores' which prompted a friend to remark 'That's odd. You're not Jewish'.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Horlics said:


> This winter.... I think it might have been a particularly sh*t one though. My neighbours assure me that they've never seen so many cloudy days. I've been disappointed with it too.
> 
> But, putting it into perspective, I don't think I've switched a heater on since a month ago.
> 
> ...


I preferred this winter to the couple of really, really wet ones we had a few years ago. Down here it has been the unusually cold temperatures and strong winds that have been the problem, and I haven't found too many days when it has been overcast and gloomy.

The winter weather didn't come as any surprise to me when I moved here, because we'd been on holiday in the same general area in the winter many times and experienced cold days, wet days and cloudy days - along with a good many gloriously sunny ones in December and January, just as we still get (a mixture, in other words). I also knew it is often very cold indoors in Spanish houses/apartments - more than once we were so cold in rented holiday accommodation that we went out and bought a cheap electric fan heater and left it behind at the end of the holiday.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Horlics said:


> This winter.... I think it might have been a particularly sh*t one though. My neighbours assure me that they've never seen so many cloudy days. I've been disappointed with it too.
> 
> But, putting it into perspective, I don't think I've switched a heater on since a month ago.
> 
> ...


We've had a warm, dry winter. We were lunching outside in December. Not much rain either, in fact the arroyos became rios only about a month ago.
But our house is colder inside than out and damp too. We are comfortably warm though as we heat the rooms we are in and wear warm clothes.
A small price to pay for waking up to blue skies in February.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Horlics said:


> This winter.... I think it might have been a particularly sh*t one though. My neighbours assure me that they've never seen so many cloudy days. I've been disappointed with it too.


My rough records show that at this time last year there were at least 70-80 clear days by now. This year I would struggle to say there were 20-30 of them.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

fergie said:


> We love Barbados, for holidays only, been there a few times, and our daughter got married there in the parish of ST.John.
> Before our daughter was married, we were on holiday, hired a little Suzuki Jimny to run around in. We had always been curious about The Sandy Lane Hotel, so one day while husband was out diving, daughter and I decided we would go and see Sandy Lane for ourselves.
> We drove in, in the 'posh' Jimny, wearing very casual shorts and T shirts (non designer,),we had the vehicle valet parked by the door man, and in we went, lovely place, Michael Winner was on his sun bed on the terrace, and we ordered a sandwich and a drink of orange juice each!!! Tended by a very snotty waiter, what a lovely day!!
> Then we had our hired Jimny returned by the lovely Barbadian doorman, and off we went.:yo:


I once read an article by Winner were he was complaining about the amount of people wandering about the Hotel from the cruise ships the beach is public so you can use it. Have a drink at Daphne's his favourite watering hole. Barbados is the most developed Island but not the prettiest, St Lucia takes some beating. I love Caribbean holidays but I don't think I could live there but it's nice to spend two weeks in winter without even a woolie late into the night.

Spanish winters do seem colder now but it maybe my perceptions, plus getting older I remember one year sitting out on the Paseo watching the fireworks and was wearing a light jacket only. Enquired about having CH in our house but the cost was outrageous, would probably do it if living there all the time. This heat/AC units are great in the bedroom but expensive to run and the room goes cold almost immediately when switched off. We have friends who moved out to Mijas on top of a hill, they only lasted one winter.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Isobella said:


> I once read an article by Winner were he was complaining about the amount of people wandering about the Hotel from the cruise ships the beach is public so you can use it. Have a drink at Daphne's his favourite watering hole. Barbados is the most developed Island but not the prettiest, St Lucia takes some beating. I love Caribbean holidays but I don't think I could live there but it's nice to spend two weeks in winter without even a woolie late into the night.
> 
> Spanish winters do seem colder now but it maybe my perceptions, plus getting older I remember one year sitting out on the Paseo watching the fireworks and was wearing a light jacket only. Enquired about having CH in our house but the cost was outrageous, would probably do it if living there all the time. This heat/AC units are great in the bedroom but expensive to run and the room goes cold almost immediately when switched off. We have friends who moved out to Mijas on top of a hill, they only lasted one winter.


I don't think 'the Winner' would have been complaining about us, as we ignored him, well! You can't miss him,( but we didn't offer to peel any grapes there!, and acknowledged his desire for some privacy,and and just had our butty and a juice, and didn't hang about. We wasn't off a cruise ship, we were actually staying in privately rented accommodation on the island at the time, on the golf course,enjoying the island, and getting about in the jimny which was quite sufficient.
Oistins is always a place we like to go, for the atmosphere, and lovely fresh fish every time we go to Barbados.
I think this winter and spring has been unseasonably cold here in Spain, colder than last year, but when you think about the cold and damp our friends and family have had in the UK, I am not complaining.


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well, it's a shame that you're leaving having spent an unnecessarily uncomfortable winter here.
> 
> Was something I had always had on my wish list, so I am not complaining. Far from it, could have my morning cuppa every morning (apart from 2 days) outside on the porch. Was usually warmer outside than in and usually with the morning sun coming up over the hills. The amount of sun and clear skies was more a deciding factor than the temperature to come here.
> 
> ...


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Pazcat said:


> My rough records show that at this time last year there were at least 70-80 clear days by now. This year I would struggle to say there were 20-30 of them.


I think it's the late winter that has disappointed most. March seemed worse to me than this page suggests, as I remember a whole week without a glimpse of the sun:

March Weather for Alicante, #HISTORY.state | Weather Underground

I was in the UK for the early part of winter for the first time in 6 years and I was shocked that I ever found it an acceptable place to live.


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