JCSUPERMOTO

You obviously ain't been to spain for a while

renth

No, not for a while, what's the problem with Spain? - too many Gypsies if the docco I watched last week is anything to go by.

hereandthere

I could handle Spain - if I had to live in Europe - only about 45 million people but a serious housing bust and higher unemployment. France has serious civil unrest problems with its 6 million+ muslims - very discontented some of them. Italy totally corrupt. Anywhere north of that is not a good thought for anyone who has lived 40 degrees or less to the equator. Germany and Austria have serious neo-nazi problems. Maybe Greece or Portugal - I don't know anything about them.

Amazulu

I think that away from the main Pommie enclaves, Spain would be a great place to live if you were financially independent.

renth

My dream is to spend the Aussie winters in Mallorca when I'm retired. I do speak fluent Spanish and wouldn't hang out in a pommie enclave.

Swerv-o

Czech Republic or The Netherlands for me if I am to return to Europe. The former may be chilly in winter, but it has a lovely proper winter feel to it, particularly the Christmas Markets. Much nicer than a UK Christmas.


S

hereandthere

WHy did you learn Spanish - or were you brought up with it? I ask because basically I'm dead jealous of anyone who is bilingual. Pommie enclave thing a given - I avoid similar enclaves in Australia like they were the plague. A quiet mountain village in Northern Spain or a beach dominated by obese Mancunian lager louts with union jack speedos, duty free silk cuts hanging from their lips and a dozen chavette kids round their ankles screaming about being bored.

Swerv

I understand the Christmas feel thing. For me UK Christmas is always let down by the weather. Canada does a nice Christmas too, the problem is the 50 days of -25 either side of it! That I can live without...

Amazulu

We like Belgium; Northern Flanders, Bruges area. Great beer and food, very high standard of living, beautiful towns and villages and relatively cheap property. I can also get by pretty well with Flemish.

Agree with better Christmases' than the UK.

renth

Spent 7 years of my childhood in Peru.

renth

So, you've been to Hillarys marina in the summer then?

hereandthere

I have not, but I have a vivid imagination and a good memory for things I see on the TV.... you'll find me in the moutains playing chess with a local and sipping a local rioja. The Chavair brigade and I do not mix.

hereandthere

That's the way to do it. They start teaching languages way too late in UK. Any one of us could have been fluent ina second laguage before we were ten years old. So short sighted.

hereandthere

Sounds great. I could spend October - April in Aus and go to Spain for the four months in between. A few trips over to UK for family would be possible, but still live in a nice climate. The only thing between me and that happening is about a million dollars..........

Three Legs

*coughs*

ozzieeagle

Surely you would have to "burn" at least 50k (AUD) on a move and thats without the surety of a job.

I reckon we would be at least 40 to 50k PA (AUD) down on income in the UK. As I'd only be able to get bitsa jobs at my age. The Wife however should be able to get a job easily as a Psych nurse.

Nope not tempted.... Last thing on top of this you should do is move settled kids. Not for us... Maybe in ten years I would look hard at it. Timing is never right in these financial opportune matters. Got to admit looks like there could be plenty of Dosh to be made for the right people with the right circumstances.

Could knock years of their working lives, and bring retirement closer.