HBG

I’ve dreamed about living on an inland finca, far removed from the madding crowd, ever since I came to Spain. I’ve even viewed quite a few of them with a view to buying one, and when staying with friends who live in one, in the summer, it’s idyllic for a few days.

But when visiting the same friends in the winter, the dream evaporates as soon as the car gets stuck in the snow. And when attending a wedding reception in such an idyllic location, a man collapsed with a heart attack. An ambulance was called, but there wasn’t one available. I watched a man die in agony because he lived in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t get to a hospital.

I’ll stay in town.

jojojojojo

We felt the same last winter. We lived in a lovely villa in the middle of the campo. When it rained we were unable to get out of the house as a river appeared that was impassable. The electricity kept failing so the only heating we had was a portable gas fire, we'd go to bed early simply cos it was dark and cold. The rain last year went on forever, during which my son tore a ligament in his leg, so getting to the hospital was a trial, my dog died cos I couldnt get him to the vets and then finally I broke my leg and couldnt drive - even to get to the rubbish bins!!! It was the winter of hell that almost put off living in Spain. Yes it was beautiful in the summer, but even then, a car is essential! The town (urbanizacion cos we're not actually in the centre of town), for us is much easier and far more relaxing. We can walk to a couple of small shops, the sea, bars, restaurants, the school. The rubbish is picked up from outside of the house everyday and its altogether a more enjoyable way of living


Jo xxx

bil

Well, like I say, it's all about balance. Here we have a few close neighbours, so there's always someone to keep an eye out for you and trade veg with.

Yes, the rain was a pain, and there were days when we couldn't cross the arroyo too, but if you keep a full pantry that's not a problem. As for the car getting stuck in snow? It just doesn't fall here.

As for death, well to be honest, if it's so bad that you die before the ambulance gets there then odds are you might not have made it even if you died in the town.

I'm a lot happier in the country. If I am ever so frail that we can't cope then we might consider moving, but until then I refuse to deny myself the pleasure I have here every day, on the basis that I might just keel over and die at some time in the future.

Living in an urb? Now that I suspect would kill me.

As was said, it's a good job that we don't all want the same thing.

casa del sol

To me living in the country doesn't mean living in an isolated finca in the middle of nowhere....we are in a Spanish community on the outskirts of the village a short walk to 5 bread shops, fishmonger and butcher 2 hardware shops, a small supermarket, 20 bars most of them hidden in residential roads that look like ordinary houses, two chicken takeaways that cook chicken on skewers that goes around very tasty all free range, a hotel, restaurant and two bars that offer healthy home cooked local food three courses and a drink for 7 euros.

The houses are cold in the winter so some of the ladies still have the round tables with the heavy tablecloths with wood fire underneath to keep warm....like going back in time, but things are changing very rapidly...somehow I doubt it will be for the better looking at what so-called progress has done to many western countries. I would say to them, make the most of it while you have still got it.

megmet

By what you’ve said in your previous posts I suspect that you live somewhere not very far away from me!

We too live in el-campo, but in a small hamlet on the edge of a village.
We are surrounded by the lemon orange and olive groves of the beautiful Guadalhorce valley, and we have far reaching views of the valley and surrounding mountains.

We did much research over several years before we moved here three years ago, the criteria was that it had to remain easy to travel about when we get older and when the day comes that we can no longer drive.

We achieved all things on our wish list and more than we could have dreamed of.
We are in the country but only a few kilometres from Alora, we are also just a five minute walk from the small village with its shops and bars, there is even a chemist’s shop there.
We get vans come most days selling fruit fish veg and all manner of things right outside the house, even the man with the gas bottles comes once a week right to our door, if we want him all we have to do is put the empty bottle out at the front and he changes it.
We live in a single story house, so no problems there in later years, and we can park our car off road in front of our garden, we also have a tarmac road runs past at the front and it’s a bus route.
We can if we wish get the bus into Alora where we can get the train into Malaga….from there it’s any place you want to go!

All of our neighbours are Spanish and they have taken us to their hearts, we often get invited to join them in their celibrations, in fact they treat us like family.

We have a brand new health centre in Alora, on the occasions that I’ve needed to see a doctor I’ve mostly got an appointment that same day……unheard of in the UK where I used to live.
At the moment Malaga is the nearest hospital, but all that is about to change, a new hospital is well on the way to being built in Cartama….and that too will be a shorter distance than I had to travel in England.

So for me campo life is good… I can understand the desire of some to live amongst other Brits and have support and infrastructure around them…..but life on an urbanisation would see me end up in a strait jacket!

casa del sol

I know Alora well, I would agree with everything you say we live not that far away and also have a Chemist, school, medical centre and swimming pool. I watched while they built the AVE line, very impressive to look at and the fast train is not a patch on the antiquated and expensive rail service the UK has to offer.....Alora has a lot going for it, good community feel and transport infrastructure without being out in the back and beyond, you can achieve so much more when you get your homework right....but like anything it is the right way of life only for the right kind of people, not everyone's cup on tea I am sure.

Lionda

Minus 7 when I got home from work today .....luckily I was in a nice warm office all day but walking home it was cold but once indoors switch on the central heating and run a nice hot bath and ...... heaven When we lived in a townhouse in Spain we had an open fire...no central heating ... smoke came into the room from the fire so we had to open the door to let out the smoke in fact I remember one evening when my daughter and son in law were with us we were all stood in the street because the smoke got so bad Luckily we saw the funny side

bil

If smokum house you gottum problem. Needum sweepum chimney.

megmet

Wonder why more people don't think of that?

megmet

Yes I too saw the Ave line being built, what a marvelous piece of engineering it is too, we have a perfect view of the second bridge from our roof terrace.
As you say...homework makes all the difference. Personally we wouldn't want to live in Alora itself, though it is a nice enough town we like being being some distance from it.
Our two daughters and their Spanish husbands on the other hand prefer life down on the coast and would find it too quiet here where we are.

I should maybe try that pool next summer.

agoreira

I'm sure what you say is correct about where you lived in UK, but I have to say my experience is completely different. We also have a super surgery, with all the clinics, minor surgery, pharmacy, opticians all in the same building. I have never failed to get a same day appointment, in fact just phoned up this morning at 8am and have an appointment for 10.10am. We also have two smaller satellite surgeries, and as one is a bit closer, I've arranged to go there. And as an Englishman living in Wales, everything including all medicines, is free. There are lots of returning,broke expats that will be glad of such a service. Certainly the NH isn't perfect, but if you are ill and broke they could be in a lot worse places. Despite the plaudits that the Spanish system receives, and with good reason, the vast majority seem to opt for private health insurance. I forget the figures, but the other new scheme starting in Valencia area, for a family of four, is not exactly cheap either.

Lynn R

I venture to suggest that a significant proportion of British people living in Spain don't exactly 'opt' for private health insurance but, if like me they retired out here before reaching pension age and have used up their two years' E10 cover in the Spanish system, they have no choice but to have private insurance cover. I will happily use the Spanish state health system once I become entitled to do so.

bil

Several don't and end up in the morgue as a result. I was being a tad facetious, but it is an important point. You should never tolerate a smoking fire, and a chimney sweep (if he knows his stuff) is the best and cheapest place to start.

Carbon monoxide will kill you if it can.

jdr

And you probably won`t know a thing about it either.

bil

Well, only if you are very, very lucky.

For anyone ever considering killing themselves with monoxide, eg a hosepipe from the exhaust, please consider this. It's not something generally known.

The first thing that monoxide does is to paralyse the voluntary muscles. That means you can't move. It then starts on the involuntary muscles, which means you go into seizures, vomit, and inhale the vomit.

Throughout all this you will be conscious, but unable to move a muscle to save yourself.

Very high levels, ie almost pure monoxide will kill almost as quickly as a bullet.

Low levels will cause eye irritation, flue like symptoms and nasty headaches.

Low levels are also associated with heart disease.