# Poll: Did Spain meet your expectations?



## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I'm wondering for those of you who have moved to Spain (even if you've left), did Spain meet or surpass your expectations? Or did it not meet your expectations? I'd also like to know what you were expecting by moving to Spain. I think it would be nice to know especially for those who are planning to move to Spain, in case they are looking for the same reasons to move or to give some ideas as to what to look for.

I'll go first...  

Spain has surpassed my expectations. My expectations were:
- To be able to live comfortably on a low budget.
- To live in a robust, modern community.
- To be in an environment that is mostly Spanish, so that I can speak Spanish.
- To like my neighbours.
- To have a lot of social contacts, including clubs.
- To have excellent public transportation for travelling in the city and out of the city.
- To be near the sea.
- To be able to stay in contact with my friends back in Canada - thank you WhatsApp and Skype!
- To have my Spanish family in my life.
- To be close to an airport.
- To be in a place that was very different, so as to give a feel for a new beginning.
- To have good healthcare.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I forgot to say why Spain has surpassed my expectations.... I would have settled for a 7/10 on all those points I listed, but everything is a 10/10.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I knew far more about the kind of Spain I didn't like than the Spain I do like. I knew of Benidorm, and those kind of built up areas where there are large groups of British people. 
I came to Spain to keep my Spanish up (I been in Colombia previously), to be nearer the family and to think about where to go next
I went to a Catalan town where there were approx 6 Brits working in an academy and that was it. That year I went to Barcelona quite a few times, the Costa Brava around Figures and Empuries, Valencia, Tarragona and a few other places. I met my husband and discovered the Basque country. Then I went to Madrid, Toledo, Los Pueblitos Blancos, Asturias, Girona....
And what 28 29 years on (?) I'm still here


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I haven't voted, because I didn't really have any expectations.... We knew we loved visiting Jávea but our plan was really just to see if we liked living here. 

We did, so we stayed.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I knew far more about the kind of Spain I didn't like than the Spain I do like. I knew of Benidorm, and those kind of built up areas where there are large groups of British people.
> I came to Spain to keep my Spanish up (I been in Colombia previously), to be nearer the family and to think about where to go next
> I went to a Catalan town where there were approx 6 Brits working in an academy and that was it. That year I went to Barcelona quite a few times, the Costa Brava around Figures and Empuries, Valencia, Tarragona and a few other places. I met my husband and discovered the Basque country. Then I went to Madrid, Toledo, Los Pueblitos Blancos, Asturias, Girona....
> And what 28 29 years on (?) I'm still here


I didn't know Spain was a stopping point for you to decide where to go next!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> I haven't voted, because I didn't really have any expectations.... We knew we loved visiting Jávea but our plan was really just to see if we liked living here.
> 
> We did, so we stayed.


Sure you can vote. If you were expecting not to like it, you wouldn't have moved in the first place, right? So you were expecting to like it - or at least hoping to like it. So would you say you like it (met your expectations), don't like it (didn't meet your expectations) or you like it a lot (surpassed your expectations)?

Everyone has their own reasons to move. I know some people who have moved for a better climate, others for a new job, others for a better life for their kids, others for a more relaxed lifestyle, others to buy a better-valued house.... There are so many reasons I've heard on the forum over the years - the list is huge! That's one of the reasons I like reading the forum - to find out why people are taking the plunge to move here.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Moving to Spain surpassed my expectations. We arrived here the year after the Jamie Bulger case in the UK (google it if you're interested), with our children, aged 2 & 4. I have always felt far safer here than in the UK. It was a wonderful environment to raise our children, with a climate that meant a healthier, more outdoor lifestyle. 

The cost of living meant that we could afford a better and bigger house here than there, with a higher quality of life. We paid the same amount in private school fees, per child, as my sister-in-law in the UK paid a childminder to look after her child. 

I'm about to complete my 22nd year here. Despite losing my husband to cancer, and our children flying the nest, I intend to stay in Spain.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I voted yes, but I can't really remember what I expected. I tried to be open-minded; I had a lot of pleasant surprises and a few not so pleasant ones. My life changed drastically, but that was as much down to retirement than moving to a new country. We couldn't have had such a good lifestyle on a tight budget if we'd stayed in England.

I do remember thinking that rural Spain would be more devoutly Catholic and I was wary of things like hanging out the washing on a Sunday or taking photos inside churches. But these fears were unfounded. Half the people I know are non-believers and for the other half, their faith is just part of their daily life and there's no big deal about it. It's been particularly noticeable this week, Semana Santa - everyone turns out to see the processions, then go to the bars for tapas. Only a tiny handful are into the heavy penitential stuff.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I knew far more about the kind of Spain I didn't like than the Spain I do like. I knew of Benidorm, and those kind of built up areas where there are large groups of British people.
> I came to Spain to keep my Spanish up (I been in Colombia previously), to be nearer the family and to think about where to go next
> I went to a Catalan town where there were approx 6 Brits working in an academy and that was it. That year I went to Barcelona quite a few times, the Costa Brava around Figures and Empuries, Valencia, Tarragona and a few other places. I met my husband and discovered the Basque country. Then I went to Madrid, Toledo, Los Pueblitos Blancos, Asturias, Girona....
> And what 28 29 years on (?) I'm still here


You really need to update your profile location details, it's said "25 years" for quite a while now!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

For us it has exceeded our expectations.

I did lots of research beforehand so had a pretty good idea as to what to expect. SWMBO and the suegra had spent a long time (30 years and 50 years, respectively) in Colombia so were well acquainted with the Hispanic attitudes and ways of life. My experience was much shorter. Our aim was to find somewhere we could be reasonably content and could afford to live without having to worry about money.

Where we were in UK was way too small (WWIII would have broken out between the suegra and me); SWMBO was working all the hours under the sun; the cost of living (just the basics - council tax, water/sewage, mortgage, gas. electric, etc.) was way too high. So we found a place we liked (mainly because it was well laid out and could easily be adapted to suit our needs), bought it, sold the flat in UK and moved into our own house in Spain. We had some small idea of of what the people were like. I was born in a hamlet near a village in Essex and everybody was warm, loving and caring - we had nobody else so we all looked after each other. Where we live in Spain is very much the same so, to some extent, I have come home to my roots albeit in another country.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

It has met my expectations. I wanted to move to somewhere with a better climate, where I could afford to buy a nicer house than the one I had in the UK, where I could afford to live without working for 10 years to give me a longer retirement, until I started to receive my pension, and where I'd be able to live comfortably on my eventual pension. I also wanted a location with better public transport and public services, a thriving cultural life and friendly people, where the streets felt safe, and there would be an absence of excessive public drinking and yob culture. I got all of it.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> I do remember thinking that rural Spain would be more devoutly Catholic and I was wary of things like hanging out the washing on a Sunday or taking photos inside churches. But these fears were unfounded. Half the people I know are non-believers and for the other half, their faith is just part of their daily life and there's no big deal about it. It's been particularly noticeable this week, Semana Santa - everyone turns out to see the processions, then go to the bars for tapas. Only a tiny handful are into the heavy penitential stuff.


I was surprised too by the lack of hard-core Catholics in Spain. I'm Catholic as of childhood, and was thinking with such a high percentage of Catholics in Spain and with the loads of beautiful churches that I would become stronger in my faith. But I feel the same in Spain as in Canada, which is not religious, just having faith in something bigger than us. I'm comfortable with that. I too like Semana Santa processions and Christmas celebrations, but I'm not into the religious aspect of it either.

You said you had some surprises - good and bad. What were they?


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Madliz said:


> Moving to Spain surpassed my expectations. We arrived here the year after the Jamie Bulger case in the UK (google it if you're interested), with our children, aged 2 & 4. I have always felt far safer here than in the UK. It was a wonderful environment to raise our children, with a climate that meant a healthier, more outdoor lifestyle.
> 
> The cost of living meant that we could afford a better and bigger house here than there, with a higher quality of life. We paid the same amount in private school fees, per child, as my sister-in-law in the UK paid a childminder to look after her child.
> 
> I'm about to complete my 22nd year here. Despite losing my husband to cancer, and our children flying the nest, I intend to stay in Spain.


I just read up on the Jamie Bulger case. That's positively dreadful! My goodness! I too felt unsafe in Canada, especially since there have been some beheadings going on there of late for honour killings, which is being argued as a right of religion under the Constitution of Canada. So some are trying to make Shari Law legal under the Criminal Code of Canada through the Constitution of Canada. They've failed so far, but the fact that they're trying and that they're able to try scares the hell out of me. It's also become more violent in Ontario, especially in the treatment of people like me who have psychotic disorders. I wasn't expecting it to be better here - or even hoping that it was. But it is much better, and that's one of the pleasant surprises for me in Spain.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

AllHeart said:


> I was surprised too by the lack of hard-core Catholics in Spain. I'm Catholic as of childhood, and was thinking with such a high percentage of Catholics in Spain and with the loads of beautiful churches that I would become stronger in my faith. But I feel the same in Spain as in Canada, which is not religious, just having faith in something bigger than us. I'm comfortable with that. I too like Semana Santa processions and Christmas celebrations, but I'm not into the religious aspect of it either.
> 
> You said you had some surprises - good and bad. What were they?


The bad ones:

- the fact that it's freezing cold indoors during winter (I'm used to it now but it was a shock at first);

- the shallowness of local politics, which seems to be more about personalities than values;

- the level of corruption in politics and big business, and the extent to which it was tolerated until comparatively recently (hopefully now a thing of the past);

- the amount of ignorance about how to look after domestic animals.

The good ones mainly relate to my town/village, I don't know how universal they are:

- the generosity, honesty and integrity of ordinary working people, who would die of shame rather than be caught ripping someone off;

- tolerance of difference - people are judged by their actions rather than by their appearance, sexual preferences etc;

- the colour of the meadows in springtime when the wildflowers are in bloom:

- the quality and variety of locally produced foods - I had rather low expectations in that respect! The standard of cooking and presentation in some eating places still has a long way to go though.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

As Alca says the general integrity, honesty and decency of the people.
I was invited to Barcelona some seven or so years ago while on a visit to London. And, I just fell in love. My friend grew up there and speaks catalan, but never necessary, the people were lovely and since we had been wondering (I), where to retire to, Spain seemed like perfect and I have no regrets. Also, with my kids seeking their fortunes in Europe, there seemed less and less reason to live there.
I came from 39 years outside Mexico City and was sick to death of driving, unsafe taxis, robberies, kidnappings, checking my back at a cash point. I wanted normality, ie walk down a street, a simple life. At the moment, I live in a small town and people are friendly and helpful without being intrusive. It is not for ever, but I appreciate the genuine kindness of people and some crazy conversations in the street. Eg. Passed a lady in the street, who stopped me to say, what is this our priest in ordinary clothes. So surprised, I muttered well we live in different times, she nodded in agreement but didn't sound convinced. Not being religous, they could be out in drag, but it is the essential openess of the Spaniards that I appreciate.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I had no expectations whatsoever. It was Sandra who wanted to leave Prague for Spain. I would have stayed there but now I'm glad I didn't.
In the past, from the 1960s unil the late 1990s I'd spent a lot of time in Spain, chiefly in Ibiza. Apart from Barcelona weekends I hadn't visited much for the past twenty years plus.
I expected Spain to be much like any other European country, really, give or take the obvious differences of climate. Nowadays people the world over do much the same things albeit in different ways. Spain is a modern, western middle class country so I wasn't surprised by much I encountered here. Most things good, some not so, some indifferent.
For real difference, visit a rural village in Eastern Poland or Hungary....
Oddly, the country I found most 'foreign' was the U.S of A.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Just for people to know, the poll is still open. It says it's closed only if you're not logged in.



mrypg9 said:


> I had no expectations whatsoever....I expected Spain to be much like any other European country, really, give or take the obvious differences of climate.


So you did have expectations. Did it turn out to be just like any other European country, other than climate?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

To have a more balanced view of things I would be interested to know why the people voted_ No, Spain did not meet my expectations_


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> The bad ones:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree with the rest of your list but not so sure about these two.
Ordinary working people join in corruption but on a smaller scale, obviously. Working on the black, avoiding IVA, all these things occur in all strata of society. Many ordinary working people will point to the fact that the rich and powerful get away with grand scale corruption so why shouldn't they.
I've been ripped off by 'ordinary working Spanish people 'too....

Not so sure about tolerance of differences. We know that gender violence is prevalent and ArcoIris deals with many cases of homophobic assault, bullying and harassment. One of our gay ADANA workers was badly beaten,didn't want to go to the police.

A Spanish friend who lived in a small pueblo once told me that homophobia and racism were rife in such remote communities. Another gay man I met who lied in Gaucin moved away because of actual violence towards him.

I think it depends entirely on individual experience. From my personal experience what you say is true. But others tell me different things.
Same as in the UK.


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## Gazeebo (Jan 23, 2015)

For me yes and no!
Good:
Weather
Feeling safe
Pace of life
Outdoor life
Beaches and swimming pools (I find water relaxing)
Lighter mornings and evenings
Good Spanish butcher!
Markets
Cost of living

Not good:
Cold and damp houses during the winter
Electric fuse box tripping
Hairy spiders (big!)
Pine trees and caterpillars (I miss the British countryside)
Dog poo (I have a dog but clear up)
Animal cruelty
Smoking, especially when I am eating
People stepping onto a zebra crossing without looking

Will we be back? Yes, planning to, but this time taking a visit to the areas surrounding Malaga. Would we live here full time? At the moment, no, but never say never.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Gazeebo said:


> For me yes and no!
> Good:
> Weather
> Feeling safe
> ...


I have to say, you'd be just as likely to find the not good things around Málaga, as well. I knew it was cold in Spanish houses in winter before I came to live here, and also that there was a lot more dog poo around, so in that way my expectations weren't disappointed.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Gazeebo said:


> For me yes and no!
> Good:
> 
> Good Spanish butcher!
> ...



Good Spanish butcher - a rarity
Electric fuse box tripping - if it is the regular c/bs then you have faulty electrics - get them fixed, if it is the system breaker then you are using more than you paid for - upgrade.
In Uk you have oak tree moth caterpillars that do the same thing.
With zebra crossings the law is on the driver to stop if a pedestrian is approaching a crossing
.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Gazeebo said:


> For me yes and no!
> Good:
> Weather
> Feeling safe
> ...


Gazeebo, I really like your list.  But the poll is about your expectations of Spain before you came here - not the good and bad about Spain. So what did you expect before you came to Spain, and did Spain live up those expectations - yes, no, or more than you expected?

I'm guessing that people who did a lot of research before coming to Spain are more likely to have gotten what they expected when they arrived.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

In what way are Spanish butchers lacking do you think? Quality of product? Service?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> In what way are Spanish butchers lacking do you think? Quality of product? Service?


I was wondering that. Ours will mince your chosen meat and make up your burgers or albóndigas while you wait. I'm not sure how you could better that.

The downside of course is that you usually have to wait a long time, as everyone gets personal attention.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> In what way are Spanish butchers lacking do you think? Quality of product? Service?


Their very existence is lacking. There are meat counters in Mas y Mas, Iberplus, Mercadona but no real butchers.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Butchers*



baldilocks said:


> Their very existence is lacking. There are meat counters in Mas y Mas, Iberplus, Mercadona but no real butchers.


It must depend on where one lives cos we have a central market where the butchers all do the same as Alca's.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

More or less met my expectations but I knew the place well before buying.

Small exceptions, the cold houses in bad weather, the price and quality of potatoes they have improved now but most of them used to be greenish.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Isobella said:


> More or less met my expectations but I knew the place well before buying.
> 
> Small exceptions, the cold houses in bad weather, the price and quality of potatoes they have improved now but *most of them used to be greenish*.


That is mostly down to poor storage (if not from poor earthing up while in the ground) and can even occur at home after they have been bought. The secret, at home, is to keep them in a lightproof but breathable bag.

Green potatoes should be avoided because they will contain solanin which, in sufficient quantities can be poisonous and potentially fatal, and even in lesser doses can cause sickness. Cutting them thinly and either boiling or deep frying can result in much of the solanin being drawn out and its being dissolved in the cooking medium.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> Their very existence is lacking. There are meat counters in Mas y Mas, Iberplus, Mercadona but no real butchers.


Our town has several, plus butchers' stalls in the indoor market.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> I was wondering that. Ours will mince your chosen meat and make up your burgers or albóndigas while you wait. I'm not sure how you could better that.
> 
> The downside of course is that you usually have to wait a long time, as everyone gets personal attention.


I think it must be a "depends where you are" thing, not a Spain thing. We are in, or near, meat orientated places (La Sierra de Guadarrama, Segovia in general to name 2) If you want good quality, you can get it and we have at least 3 butchers in the town plus 3 supermarket ones who will give you the same attention as in the butchers shop when preparing the meat.
We are lucky to be able to get meat directly from an organic producer who packs up our meat as we want it ie 500g of steaks in 2 packs 1 k of minced meat in 4 bags of 250g etc
Carnes de vacuno de producci?n ecol?gica


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

5 people who say Spain didn't meet their expectations, but little come back as to how or why. At nearly 20% of the people who have voted so far this would be useful for new comers, and interesting for the rest of us


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## melissaspain (Feb 18, 2016)

I am also very happy of my life here. I quit my job and country to live with my boyfriend in Spain (he is Spanish), and finally I learned a new language, found a job in my sector, met great people and have a quality of life much better (sun, cost of living, beach, outdoor activities, no stress, good food). The expat life is not easy everyday to but it really worth it!


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

My wife and I are very happy with our adventure here in Spain. Although some repairable health issues prevail that stopped me from walking much or participating in any of my lifetime sport activity, the quality of life here is much better than in the US. We have made many new friends and perfected our use of Spanish.


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

Did it meet our expectations.In nutshell,yes.Otherwise we wouldn't still be here over 21years later.But,you can appreciate in that time we have seen a lot of changes.My only one regret,wish we had done it sooner than when we did as honestly don't know where the years have gone.Hope everybody enjoyed Semana Santa.Regards.SB.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Can't vote because we didn't have any expectations of Spain because we didn't know we were going there (let alone spend the next 15 years there) before we stepped onto Spanish soil.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

jimenato said:


> Can't vote because we didn't have any expectations of Spain because we didn't know we were going there (let alone spend the next 15 years there) before we stepped onto Spanish soil.


But you have left and it might help if others knew the reason if it was a problem with Spain although if it was a personal problem external to Spain, that would not be relevant.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> I haven't voted, because I didn't really have any expectations.... We knew we loved visiting Jávea but our plan was really just to see if we liked living here.
> 
> We did, so we stayed.


Same with me when I moved to Madrid, except I wasn't sure I even liked the place before moving here. I guess the poll might be better if it asked "did the part of Spain you live in meet your expectations" since I think Spain is too diverse for anyone to have a set of expectations that consistently applies to each area.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Chopera said:


> I guess the poll might be better if it asked "did the part of Spain you live in meet your expectations" since I think Spain is too diverse for anyone to have a set of expectations that consistently applies to each area.


It goes without saying. I don't know anyone who has lived in every area of Spain - including Spaniards. Of course different areas offer different aspects of Spain, like any country.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Justina said:


> It must depend on where one lives cos we have a central market where the butchers all do the same as Alca's.


Quite. There are four in Alcalá (pop.5500). And two fishmongers.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

AllHeart said:


> Just for people to know, the poll is still open. It says it's closed only if you're not logged in.
> 
> 
> 
> So you did have expectations. Did it turn out to be just like any other European country, other than climate?


I think that nowadays, unless you live in some part of the world that no European foot has trodden, people do the same things but in slightly different ways. Look at people's shopping baskets in Spain, France, the UK, Poland....the contents will be much the same. Technology has made the world a smaller place in a lot of ways.
We knew we would live abroad when we stopped working but didn't think of Spain at all. We bought our place in Canada to retire to but after spending a lot of time there decided it wasn't for us. Then we fixed on Amsterdam, a place we visited frequently and really liked but the area we liked was way out of our price range and we didn't really like other areas for actually making a permanent home.
So the best idea was Prague, a place I knew very well and where we had good Czech friends. We thought that we'd have a few years there, then when we moved to Spain three years or so here then on to France for a while, maybe Italy, ending up in Glasgow.
I have said before I wasn't happy the first few months here but Spain kind of grew on me. As I began to speak the language, make friends, get involved with local charities and political parties, it dawned on me just how much I felt relaxed, happy and at home. Now I'd be unhappy if I had to leave but I don't intend to, Brexit or not.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Glasgow*



mrypg9 said:


> I think that nowadays, unless you live in some part of the world that no European foot has trodden, people do the same things but in slightly different ways. Look at people's shopping baskets in Spain, France, the UK, Poland....the contents will be much the same. Technology has made the world a smaller place in a lot of ways.
> We knew we would live abroad when we stopped working but didn't think of Spain at all. We bought our place in Canada to retire to but after spending a lot of time there decided it wasn't for us. Then we fixed on Amsterdam, a place we visited frequently and really liked but the area we liked was way out of our price range and we didn't really like other areas for actually making a permanent home.
> So the best idea was Prague, a place I knew very well and where we had good Czech friends. We thought that we'd have a few years there, then when we moved to Spain three years or so here then on to France for a while, maybe Italy, ending up in Glasgow.
> I have said before I wasn't happy the first few months here but Spain kind of grew on me. As I began to speak the language, make friends, get involved with local charities and political parties, it dawned on me just how much I felt relaxed, happy and at home. Now I'd be unhappy if I had to leave but I don't intend to, Brexit or not.


Glasgow, how could you think of it?
A friend speculated once that why was it that divorced middle aged couples chose their new abode. The men to Thailand and the ex wives off to Spain.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Justina said:


> Glasgow, how could you think of it?
> A friend speculated once that why was it that divorced middle aged couples chose their new abode. The men to Thailand and the ex wives off to Spain.


It's where Sandra comes from. We planned on renting a loft in the Merchant City, very trendy lovely restored Georgian buildings. It's a great city, good restaurants, arts and music scene..
But then four years ago I went to a Conference there, in April and it was so cold it could have been Siberia. When I got back to Spain I said I could never live there.
But by then I think we both knew we'd never leave Spain.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Justina said:


> Glasgow, how could you think of it?
> A friend speculated once that why was it that divorced middle aged couples chose their new abode. The men to Thailand and the ex wives off to Spain.


I'm curious...why did you go to Mexico?


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Gkasgow*



mrypg9 said:


> It's where Sandra comes from. We planned on renting a loft in the Merchant City, very trendy lovely restored Georgian buildings. It's a great city, good restaurants, arts and music scene..
> But then four years ago I went to a Conference there, in April and it was so cold it could have been Siberia. When I got back to Spain I said I could never live there.
> But by then I think we both knew we'd never leave Spain.


I can understand the loft and I agree it is a city with plenty going for it, but the weather is appalling. I still have two friends there and they phone regularly and never cease to complain about the constant rain and bitter cold. Last summer, one of them never put off his central heating.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Mexico*



mrypg9 said:


> I'm curious...why did you go to Mexico?


Simple answer, I met a Mexican studying in Glasgow.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

For us there are various reasons , financially we could not afford a 3 bedroom house with a hectare of land to use as a smallholding in the UK. We could not afford to not work, although I do now,



Weather - I even enjoy the rain and cold here
Feeling safe - Living in the Campo I have no fears 
Pace of life - Yep Slow 
Outdoor life Love it
Lighter mornings and evenings - what's not to love
Good Spanish butcher! 
Markets
Cost of living
People
Family Values
empty roads
family visits


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

cambio said:


> For us there are various reasons , financially we could not afford a 3 bedroom house with a hectare of land to use as a smallholding in the UK. We could not afford to not work, although I do now,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Summer days are of course longer in the UK - although because of the time difference it is mostly the mornings which are lighter.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I find it strange that family values are often quoted....by people who have moved thousands of miles away from their own


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Isobella said:


> I find it strange that family values are often quoted....by people who have moved thousands of miles away from their own


Mother and father both deceased. Only family in Uk are sister and her daughters, all of whom have their own lives yet are free to visit here if they wish. Wife and suegra (m-i-l for those who haven't yet learnt that dreaded word in Spanish) are closest family and they are here with me.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Isobella said:


> I find it strange that family values are often quoted....by people who have moved thousands of miles away from their own


True, but I can probably travel quicker to my family in the UK than many can within the UK.
The journey to see my family in the UK is more or less the same time we take to visit family (in laws) here in Bilbao.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

7 people who have said that Spain didn't meet their expectations, but as far as I can see no posts. A little more info, Please!??


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Family*



baldilocks said:


> Mother and father both deceased. Only family in Uk are sister and her daughters, all of whom have their own lives yet are free to visit here if they wish. Wife and suegra (m-i-l for those who haven't yet learnt that dreaded word in Spanish) are closest family and they are here with me.


Well I didn't leave any family either and these days it is a bit silly to mention distance considering the number of flights from the UK to Spain.
Like Baldi, my parents are long dead and I only have a brother who decamped to Australia some fifty years ago. However, we keep in touch and just about know what he had for breakfast every morning. We have regular disagreements over Islam and boat people, but kin is kin.
As to the Mexican side of my family there is only a brother and his extended family who my husband disliked and with whom he hadn't been in touch with after their mother died.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Isobella said:


> I find it strange that family values are often quoted....by people who have moved thousands of miles away from their own


Having family values is not about living on each others doorsteps, it is about caring and compassion, it is about connections, understanding.

When and if we are needed we go back to help in the UK immediately, I have had to go back twice this year, both occasions within 8 hours of receiving a phone call. If I lived in Scotland and family in the south it would be the same. 

So Not very strange at all.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jimenato said:


> Summer days are of course longer in the UK - although because of the time difference it is mostly the mornings which are lighter.


Yes, it's light at 5:00 in the blumming morning. I can do without that!


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Me too, dog and cat think it's time to get up


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> True, but I can probably travel quicker to my family in the UK than many can within the UK.
> The journey to see my family in the UK is more or less the same time we take to visit family (in laws) here in Bilbao.


I am not saying people should not go abroad, worked overseas myself but find it difficult to align it when people quote it as a reason for moving to Spain. Perhaps my idea of Spanish family values is different. I imagine those that shop or go to the beach with three generations. A friends family have Saturday lunch together at her parents. she feels quite tied with it as it is absolutely expected they go.

Why do people think the UK doesn't have family values?


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, it's light at 5:00 in the blumming morning. I can do without that!


Well it's a bit better since you left - the clocks have gone forward so the evenings are lighter, mornings darker.

I would be for the UK going to CET like Spain but I think Spain is contemplating moving to UT (UT+1) like the UK which I wouldn't like.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Isobella said:


> I am not saying people should not go abroad, worked overseas myself but find it difficult to align it when people quote it as a reason for moving to Spain. Perhaps my idea of Spanish family values is different. I imagine those that shop or go to the beach with three generations. A friends family have Saturday lunch together at her parents. she feels quite tied with it as it is absolutely expected they go.
> 
> Why do people think the UK doesn't have family values?


That's right. What do people actually mean by 'Spanish family values' if not those things you mention? It's almost as if people who are quoting it as one of the things they like about Spain have moved away from their own families to watch the Spanish do it rather than do it themselves.:confused2:


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jimenato said:


> That's right. What do people actually mean by 'Spanish family values' if not those things you mention? It's almost as if people who are quoting it as one of the things they like about Spain have moved away from their own families to watch the Spanish do it rather than do it themselves.:confused2:


I think Cambio's on the right track in post 54

I think one of the big differences is whether people move away from their hometown or not. In the UK many people do. Of course in Spain too, but not so much. My husband's family for example. Out of more than 40 members (including aunts, uncles, cousins) only 6 people live out of the area (us and one uncle and his wife and one uncle who's a priest and has been destined in another area). Of the other 35 I think they all live within 30 mins of each other. Many of my students who work in the Madrid area go "home" every weekend or at least once a month. What I'm saying is that the extended family is still very much in motion here, for good and bad.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> 7 people who have said that Spain didn't meet their expectations, but as far as I can see no posts. A little more info, Please!??


You would think there would be at least one! Perhaps they can't stand the flack


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Family values is almost always mentioned on TV programmes, one of the many cliches. Was mentioned on one of those life in the sun programmes this week, along with sangria, long siestas, partying etc. Laid back lifestyle. Don't they realise many Spaniards work bloody hard

The fact that many have mentioned flying back for family crisis indicates that British have family values. Similar an American neighbour had to drop everything on Christmas Eve because her Mother in New York took ill.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Isobella said:


> You would think there would be at least one! Perhaps they can't stand the flack


Well, last Sunday afternoon it rained here.
I expected the sun to shine every day

Family values....not sure exactly what they mean by that. If it means keeping your family close, that can be a double -sided thing. Family squabbles are usually a lot worse and hurt more than spats between friends. People often use phrases like 'family values' yet find it hard to explain exactly what they mean by them.
I grew up in an extended family that lived very near to each other. I'm an only child, my mum was widowed young, but I had a vast network of great aunts and uncles, aunts and uncles, cousins and so on. I felt spied on and oppressed. It was like having the Stasi on your back.
Now my family is son, dil and grandchildren and a horrible pair of cousins in Canada with whom I am not in regular contact. I've stopped going to the UK as of this year, my son and dil have a house here and can come to see us whenever they feel so moved, about half a dozen times a year, for weekends, but staying at their house. Both parties like it like that.
Sandra and I are lucky in that we have many good friends. Here in Spain and in the UK we have friends who we know we could call on in an emergency and who would be ready to help at the drop of a hat. Tbh, I'd approach them, even those in the UK, before asking son and dil for help although I know they'd be willing to help too.
All my closest UK friends have been made through the trades union movement. 'Comrades' in the true sense of the word, not as it's often freely and cheaply used at left-wing meetings.
Men and women who practise the things they believe in.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

OH came from a large family. It was very competitive as to who thought the most of their parents. If one didn't turn up for the opening of an envelope the atmosphere was terrible. They are dead now but he became the black sheep


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Both SWMBO and I come from fairly small families and although on her side there are various cousins, they have not been close, in part because their parents fell out for various reasons.

w.r.t. this "Didn't meet expectations" bunch, perhaps they had the wrong expectations and there are many like that as we have seen on "A Place in the Sun" who have a fantasy-world view of life in Spain. Unfortunately the view (good or bad) is bolstered so often by the media with minimal basis in fact.

Personally I have had far more from Spain that I could have ever expected even, quite recently, the most embarrassing moment, so far, in my 75 years.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Isobella said:


> OH came from a large family. It was very competitive as to who thought the most of their parents. If one didn't turn up for the opening of an envelope the atmosphere was terrible. They are dead now but he became the black sheep


I was a bit like that....moved away from home to go to university, got divorced, gay, first in the family to 'break away'......but we didn't talk about those things.. My mum was well aware of my same -sex partners, used to come and stay, absolutely adored Sandra...but never talked about sexuality. 
Imo much better that way.
After I moved away for good, from age eighteen really as I didn't go back home after leaving for Uni, I really didn't have much to do with my family apart from Mum.
But although at the time I moaned about being under surveillance, having strict rules about behaviour, I'm so glad I had such a secure upbringing.
When my son learned he was about to be a father, he said in a moment of inebriation that he would bring up his child as he had been brought up, apart from devoting more time to sport, chiefly football. I was surprised at this as Herod had nothing on me as regards views on childrearing. I practised the strict Victorian habits of my childhood....parental word to be obeyed, dress rules, manners etc. but allowed much more what I suppose you could call 'intellectual freedom', encouragement of thinking for oneself, being open-minded, that kind of thing.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> even, quite recently, the most embarrassing moment, so far, in my 75 years.


Oh come on , Baldy, do tell.....it's not fair to tease 
We should be told......


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Oh come on , Baldy, do tell.....it's not fair to tease
> We should be told......


Palm Sunday. I am walking the dogs and just on our way home. The procession has just approaching the corner into our road so I am trying to get the dogs over to the kerbside (the footpath is only about 12" wide at that point. There is a dead weight on Scruffy's lead. He has decided to cr*p and, unusually for him, it is a messy one (he normally lays bricks!)

So there I am trying to pick up this sloppy cr*p (which, of course, takes longer than a few hard t*rds) with the procession bifurcating to go past me and Mums yanking inquisitive kids away. It's good job the d*mned donkey didn't decide to to what they do!

At least all the village now knows I pick up after our dogs.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> Palm Sunday. I am walking the dogs and just on our way home. The procession has just approaching the corner into our road so I am trying to get the dogs over to the kerbside (the footpath is only about 12" wide at that point. There is a dead weight on Scruffy's lead. He has decided to cr*p and, unusually for him, it is a messy one (he normally lays bricks!)
> 
> So there I am trying to pick up this sloppy cr*p (which, of course, takes longer than a few hard t*rds) with the procession bifurcating to go past me and Mums yanking inquisitive kids away. It's good job the d*mned donkey didn't decide to to what they do!
> 
> At least all the village now knows I pick up after our dogs.


My son, thou art forgiven. Verily I say unto ye, in the sight of the Lord there are greater abominations than dog crap on the road to his Calvary....


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## ploy (Mar 27, 2016)

All Heart I am planning to move to Spain this year as a retiree and all your expectations are what I am hoping for too. Excellent.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Hi Ploy.  I hope you get what you're looking for. What area are you looking at moving to? 

I kept this song in my head for what seemed like forever, as I moved around Canada.


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## Irina Akelyeva (Apr 9, 2016)

I moved to Barcelona in 2014 and so far I enjoy a lot although it is very different from my country.


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