Thread: Spain is the greatest country on earth

Originally Posted by Edmond

https://www.ride-in-tours.com/tours/...os-europa.html

Fok this shiz.



I'm dumping E&E and fokin' off to Spain.

My mates are doing some mountain biking there in January but in the south.

I honestly do think it's the best place to live on earth.

My mum and dad were supposed to retire there but - and I kid you not - my mum gets bored after a week and misses the fucking Arndale and Marks and Spencer.

I'll stick some more photos up soon, but they are just all food and beer. And the odd church along the way.

There's an M&S in Gibraltar.


Spent many glorious years working and living all over Spain in my youth.

Thanks for reminding us how great it is.

Twat!

Originally Posted by Joe 90

There's an M&S in Gibraltar.


Spent many glorious years working and living all over Spain in my youth.

Thanks for reminding us how great it is.

Twat!

I think there's an M and S pretty much everywhere these days, but "it's not the same."

Cheap too.

I conveniently snapped this photo of an old style local bar just as a beautiful woman was walking past.



Two glasses of wine and a beer? EUR4.40.

These places were ten a penny back in the day, but you have to work a bit harder to find them these days.

Originally Posted by hallelujah

I think there's an M and S pretty much everywhere these days, but "it's not the same."

I always found El Corte Ingles to be excellent, and found within any reasonably sized city in Spain. In fact, just looking it up, it's the largest department store chain in Europe, and third largest in the world.

Where I formerly lived in the Valencia region was a major winter training area for some of the top road cycling teams. It always figures in the Vuelta during September.

I agree with you Hal, difficult to see past Spain for an agreeable place to live. I sometimes ponder 'what if' had I chosen to move to another part of Spain when I split from my former wife 16 years ago. In the almost impossible to imagine scenario of my being forced to leave Thailand, Spain would be my only choice to relocate to.

Following an earlier, prolonged association with the Iberian peninsula in a former life I concluded that come retirement I would settle there and do so quite happily in the knowledge that I would probably have no regrets.

And then I visited Thailand.

It’s probably for the best, if I had settled there I would have most likely never given up smoking and would have sailed off into the yonder on a rising swell of Rioja and Carlos III.

Originally Posted by PAG

I agree with you Hal, difficult to see past Spain for an agreeable place to live. I sometimes ponder 'what if' had I chosen to move to another part of Spain when I split from my former wife 16 years ago. In the almost impossible to imagine scenario of my being forced to leave Thailand, Spain would be my only choice to relocate to.

I reckon I would look for a quiet place in.....Portugal

Not too far from the coast. Has this atlantic breeze in the hot summers.

(and I can say "ashtray, thank you" in their language !!!!!)

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Following an earlier, prolonged association with the Iberian peninsula in a former life I concluded that come retirement I would settle there and do so quite happily in the knowledge that I would probably have no regrets.

And then I visited Thailand.

It’s probably for the best, if I had settled there I would have most likely never given up smoking and would have sailed off into the yonder on a rising swell of Rioja and Carlos III.

It is the good life fo shu.

A mate of mine when i was living in Thailand always said he would retire to Spain.

We lost touch, but I sometimes wonder if he eventually made that move or whether he's still finding the allure of easy shagging too difficult to give up.

Originally Posted by helge

I reckon I would look for a quiet place in.....Portugal

What?!?!??!?

I know you are the ultimate contrarian, but come on eh?

Portugal is like City compared to United. A very poor imitation of the real thing.

PAG nailed it in his post above.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Following an earlier, prolonged association with the Iberian peninsula in a former life I concluded that come retirement I would settle there and do so quite happily in the knowledge that I would probably have no regrets.

And then I visited Thailand.

It’s probably for the best, if I had settled there I would have most likely never given up smoking and would have sailed off into the yonder on a rising swell of Rioja and Carlos III.

The last two of my ten years there I spent single in the village house that we'd bought. Only there for a few days each month as still working, however there was something very civilised in going to my local bar circa 8.30/9 a.m., having a couple of cortado coffees and a glass of Magno with some breakfast. I've always preferred the more viscous brandies of Spain (or indeed the French Armagnacs) against the cognacs of France, the top end ones particularly such as Carlos 1, Lepanto, and of course 1866 (this made oddly enough by Larios, purveyors of cheap gin). I always favoured the wines of Ribera del Duero as opposed to Riojo which could be a bit hit or miss with price being no real guarantee of excellence.

I lived in an area of mountain villages as opposed to the coast, with even the odd sprinkling of snow on rare occasions during the winter. Hot summers weren't a problem, as little humidity.

Originally Posted by PAG

The last two of my ten years there I spent single in the village house that we'd bought. Only there for a few days each month as still working, however there was something very civilised in going to my local bar circa 8.30/9 a.m., having a couple of cortado coffees and a glass of Magno with some breakfast. I've always preferred the more viscous brandies of Spain (or indeed the French Armagnacs) against the cognacs of France, the top end ones particularly such as Carlos 1, Lepanto, and of course 1866 (this made oddly enough by Larios, purveyors of cheap gin). I always favoured the wines of Ribera del Duero as opposed to Riojo which could be a bit hit or miss with price being no real guarantee of excellence.

Last morning I was there I nipped to the local bar for a coffee and some brekky. It was right opposite one of the markets in Malaga and a fishmonger came in in his wellies and overalls, ordered a brandy, necked it in one and then fucked off back to work!

The north is a different scene requiring a good knowledge of Spanish if you are to settle. If you, like me, would prefer a city base from which you can tour as fancy might take you then Oviedo, capital of the Asturias, is as good a place as any. The entire coast from Santander down to Baiona is a joy to traverse and the beauty is, there are no hordes of tourists. The Spanish come here in the months of July and August but at other times it’s mostly local inhabitants. The Asturias has the best food in my opinion, their fabada stew with crusty bread and a bottle of Penedes is all a chap needs after a fresh October day hiking up the Picos de Europa.
Many little seaside towns with lovely unspoilt beaches and no crowds are strung out like a necklace along the coastline here.

Just out of interest, I just looked up the village house which I had. For background, we had a hillside villa a couple of km's outside the nearest village, private, great views and a pool etc, but we'd bought a large village house also, ostensibly for retirement. The village house was actually two houses, a large main house which needed to be completely renovated, and what were animal stables behind which had already been converted into a two storey one bedroom house which is where I lived when I split up with the wife. The divorce meant she kept the pool villa, I kept the townhouse. I was lucky selling it in 2007, just before the property crash in Spain. I saw it a few years later for sale, having had a substantial renovation done on the main house, for more than 50,000 less than I'd sold it for.

Anyway, it underwent a further makeover by subsequent owners, and became a small hotel. A side double 'donkey door', led steps down to a small courtyard, which had a large woodburning oven in a corner. This is the link to what it became:

Hotel Casa Rural Lliber | 4 stars Casa Rural | Stylish unique rooms

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

The north is a different scene requiring a good knowledge of Spanish if you are to settle. .

Lots of decent places on the Costa Del Sol too away from the English breakfast crowd. Almunecar is one.

I love a market when I'm abroad.









500g of manchego
500g of jamon serrano y un poco iberico
1.5kg of chorizo

Originally Posted by PAG

The last two of my ten years there I spent single in the village house that we'd bought. Only there for a few days each month as still working, however there was something very civilised in going to my local bar circa 8.30/9 a.m., having a couple of cortado coffees and a glass of Magno with some breakfast. .

I pretty much covered the ground from Catalonia to Galicia over many trips.

But one day was totally lost to pleasant unintended drunkenness when we dropped into a small backstreet cafe in Girona for an early morning coffee and ended up breakfasting on churros and many carajillos which continued into a long boozy lunch.

Those workers kicked off their day with those carajillos. Much respect.

Originally Posted by david44

Would you consider Portugal too?
Wahts teh go for visass for Brits 180 dayss a year I thought or are invesment/biz vidsass type deals on offer?
I thought about a place in Assturias for when its too hot here but even land price have tripled ssince I was last there and having had a detached houe with large sspred cannot imagine life in condos with neighbours.
much as aI love aspects of Sspain it is the only plae I have lived louder than Thailand

Fucks sake, Dave.

How many have you had already?

Originally Posted by david44

Would you consider Portugal too?
Wahts teh go for visass for Brits 180 dayss a year I thought or are invesment/biz vidsass type deals on offer?
I thought about a place in Assturias for when its too hot here but even land price have tripled ssince I was last there and having had a detached houe with large sspred cannot imagine life in condos with neighbours.
much as aI love aspects of Sspain it is the only plae I have lived louder than Thailand

There is a rule of thumb if you’re going to live in a block of flats in Spain-you don’t whinge about noise, you buy the penthouse.

Those Charcuteria pics up above does remind me of why Thailand isn't the perfect place to live

Originally Posted by david44

Would you consider Portugal too?

Oldest ally of the Anglos, if I'm not mistaken

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

There is a rule of thumb if you’re going to live in a block of flats in Spain-you don’t whinge about noise, you buy the penthouse.

And demolishes the lower appartments !

Lunching in a bodega de jamoneria high up in the mountains with the ceiling festooned with hanging hams and ordering a raciones of mixed meats and drinking Rioja with crusty bread - a simple luxury that couldn’t be bettered.

Originally Posted by david44

Would you consider Portugal too?
What is the go for visass for Brits 180 dayss a year I thought or are invesment/biz vidsass type deals on offer?
I thought about a place in Assturias for when its too hot here but even land price have tripled ssince I was last there and having had a detached houe with large sspred cannot imagine life in condos with neighbours.
much as I love aspects of Spain it is the only plae I have lived louder than Thailand

Never really considered Portugal, even for holidays, and not for any particular reason. Same with holidaying in Australia or New Zealand, no interest. The diversity of Spain in geography and climate appeals more. I lived in Spain for 10 years, and had Residencia (complete with NIE registration), and though I still have my ID card, I doubt after 16 years that could be resurrected. In terms of qualification for residence now for Brits, I could possibly squeeze in within the annual income/pension rather than investment route (depending on exchange rate of course). An advantage would be an immediate uplift to my UK government pension.

All hypothetical of course, it's unimaginable my leaving Thailand, just a table top exercise of 'what if'.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Lunching in a bodega de jamoneria high up in the mountains with the ceiling festooned with hanging hams and ordering a raciones of mixed meats and drinking Rioja with crusty bread - a simple luxury that couldn’t be bettered.

Indeed, my sole choice for living environment would be a village house in the mountains, but within 30 minutes of a larger town for some shopping.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

the ceiling festooned with hanging hams

Have the Bodegas gone 'no smoking' like most of the enlightend world with the hams suffering from deficiencia sabor del Fortuna ?