Ex Expats
May 4th 2012, 9:25 pm
#16
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 6,400
Re: Ex Expats
Perhaps if the claim had been made that too much of the Med coast had been covered in concrete blocks, it would have been more believable. But Spain is a huge country, and away from the bigger cities it's still incredibly beautiful. I can understand why people avoid the north and central Spain, if they don't speak the language, or they want the Med climate. And yes, you can search out a nasty quarry or mine, just like most countries. But much of the place is a joy to see.
May 4th 2012, 9:28 pm
#17
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 6,400
Re: Ex Expats
'God loves a trier' (tryer?) is one of my favourite sayings, although I can't even spell it.
Well, I've tried. We've got visitors at the moment, two ladies from Surrey. They went out last night and made their way to a KFC outlet for a meal, passing a dozen Spanish and international restaurants on the way.
Hard as I tried, I couldn't make any sense of it, yet they came back happy and we spent the midnight hours sitting on the terrace, with suitable ammunition, to discuss the finer points of life. It was mainly about Poles in Crawley, and I was educated.
Never mind the stunning scenery in beautiful places around the world, when it comes down to it it's only about fried chicken and those diabolical Poles nicking work from the industrious English.
I've travelled a bit, but I've never been to Poland. I'm going to make amends if I can.
Well, I've tried. We've got visitors at the moment, two ladies from Surrey. They went out last night and made their way to a KFC outlet for a meal, passing a dozen Spanish and international restaurants on the way.
Hard as I tried, I couldn't make any sense of it, yet they came back happy and we spent the midnight hours sitting on the terrace, with suitable ammunition, to discuss the finer points of life. It was mainly about Poles in Crawley, and I was educated.
Never mind the stunning scenery in beautiful places around the world, when it comes down to it it's only about fried chicken and those diabolical Poles nicking work from the industrious English.
I've travelled a bit, but I've never been to Poland. I'm going to make amends if I can.
May 4th 2012, 9:37 pm
#18
Started off with nothing
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,950
Re: Ex Expats
... and I have a Polish friend.
May 4th 2012, 11:40 pm
#19
FreeThinker
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: the moors and levels
Posts: 9,702
Re: Ex Expats
I've been to Poland three times - to Szczecin up near the Baltic (not recommended in December), once to Warsaw and once to Jelenia Gora in the South near the Czech Republic.
Warsaw is a fairly typical eastern European capital - some really nice bits but much of it not so good. Jelenia Gora is a country town and very nice apart from one enormous hotel catering mostly for Germans who seem to think they own that part of Poland.
The Russian prostitutes were spectacularly beautiful.
That was in the mid '90's over a period of two years and it was changing rapidly - I often wonder what it's like there 15 years on.
It is one of my favourite countries in the world because of the people.
Warsaw is a fairly typical eastern European capital - some really nice bits but much of it not so good. Jelenia Gora is a country town and very nice apart from one enormous hotel catering mostly for Germans who seem to think they own that part of Poland.
The Russian prostitutes were spectacularly beautiful.
That was in the mid '90's over a period of two years and it was changing rapidly - I often wonder what it's like there 15 years on.
It is one of my favourite countries in the world because of the people.
May 4th 2012, 11:43 pm
#20
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: Ex Expats
...and I have a Polish housekeeper. 
Quite a tasty young thing,
...... unlike the country and most of it's people who I find a little drab.
The place does have a few redeeming features however and the Poles are generally good grafters.
Maybe I should also mention the drivers who provided me with my most memorable, if not endearing recollections.
Forget the Spanish,French Germans and Italians, they are all ultra-cautious by comparison with the Poles who at times seem positively suicidal.
Having had the dubious experience of sampling life and near death on Polish roads, it surprises me not to hear that they were considered by far the most courageous and fearless pilots of WW2.
Quite a tasty young thing,
...... unlike the country and most of it's people who I find a little drab.
The place does have a few redeeming features however and the Poles are generally good grafters.
Maybe I should also mention the drivers who provided me with my most memorable, if not endearing recollections.
Forget the Spanish,French Germans and Italians, they are all ultra-cautious by comparison with the Poles who at times seem positively suicidal.
Having had the dubious experience of sampling life and near death on Polish roads, it surprises me not to hear that they were considered by far the most courageous and fearless pilots of WW2.
Last edited by Dick Dasterdly; May 5th 2012 at 12:10 am. Reason: ADD ON
May 5th 2012, 1:03 am
#21
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: Ex Expats
Expat -living abroad
ex expat - living home again
pre expat- not abroad yet
pre ex expat - hoping to move back home again
armchair expat - dreaming with no real hope of moving
whinging expat - living abroad and moaning non stop
whinging ex expat - living back home and moaning non stop.
prepared pre expat - making good plans for the move
nonprepared pre expat - hoping to move and wing it
I am an ex expat myself.
May 6th 2012, 4:42 am
#22
Popping in for a chat
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Back home
Posts: 4,573
Re: Ex Expats
May 6th 2012, 10:08 am
#23
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,388
Re: Ex Expats
Well I'm an ex-expat, been back 4 years now.
May 8th 2012, 12:12 am
#24
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Ex Expats
'God loves a trier' (tryer?) is one of my favourite sayings, although I can't even spell it.
Well, I've tried. We've got visitors at the moment, two ladies from Surrey. They went out last night and made their way to a KFC outlet for a meal, passing a dozen Spanish and international restaurants on the way.
Hard as I tried, I couldn't make any sense of it, yet they came back happy and we spent the midnight hours sitting on the terrace, with suitable ammunition, to discuss the finer points of life. It was mainly about Poles in Crawley, and I was educated.
Never mind the stunning scenery in beautiful places around the world, when it comes down to it it's only about fried chicken and those diabolical Poles nicking work from the industrious English.
I've travelled a bit, but I've never been to Poland. I'm going to make amends if I can.
Well, I've tried. We've got visitors at the moment, two ladies from Surrey. They went out last night and made their way to a KFC outlet for a meal, passing a dozen Spanish and international restaurants on the way.
Hard as I tried, I couldn't make any sense of it, yet they came back happy and we spent the midnight hours sitting on the terrace, with suitable ammunition, to discuss the finer points of life. It was mainly about Poles in Crawley, and I was educated.
Never mind the stunning scenery in beautiful places around the world, when it comes down to it it's only about fried chicken and those diabolical Poles nicking work from the industrious English.
I've travelled a bit, but I've never been to Poland. I'm going to make amends if I can.
quite honestly nowhere else for a meal other than a couple of good fish and chip takeaways, everywhere else is Indian, Pakistani, Romanian, Lithuanian and I just wanted a quiet meal with no outrageous spices flying around.
May 8th 2012, 12:18 am
#25
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Ex Expats
I've been to Poland three times - to Szczecin up near the Baltic (not recommended in December), once to Warsaw and once to Jelenia Gora in the South near the Czech Republic.
Warsaw is a fairly typical eastern European capital - some really nice bits but much of it not so good. Jelenia Gora is a country town and very nice apart from one enormous hotel catering mostly for Germans who seem to think they own that part of Poland.
The Russian prostitutes were spectacularly beautiful.
That was in the mid '90's over a period of two years and it was changing rapidly - I often wonder what it's like there 15 years on.
It is one of my favourite countries in the world because of the people.
Warsaw is a fairly typical eastern European capital - some really nice bits but much of it not so good. Jelenia Gora is a country town and very nice apart from one enormous hotel catering mostly for Germans who seem to think they own that part of Poland.
The Russian prostitutes were spectacularly beautiful.
That was in the mid '90's over a period of two years and it was changing rapidly - I often wonder what it's like there 15 years on.
It is one of my favourite countries in the world because of the people.
you will find they arent there anymore - all seemed to have moved to my ex home town, with their own shops, their own vodka (couple of guys blew themselves up making the stuff last year), and when visiting one of the rare laundromats was accosted by a prostitute in the middle of the day as I was getting in my car. She was almost as old as me but looked older.
.
May 9th 2012, 8:49 am
#26
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 985
Re: Ex Expats
1. An expat used to be a pat (specially if he's Irish).
2. It always sounds like an expat won't be participating or joining in with the local people. Understandable perhaps if you are living in a converted pigsty outside some moribund pueblo, but most of Spain is educated, modern, European. Join in - don't be a British expat, be a Spanish expert.
2. It always sounds like an expat won't be participating or joining in with the local people. Understandable perhaps if you are living in a converted pigsty outside some moribund pueblo, but most of Spain is educated, modern, European. Join in - don't be a British expat, be a Spanish expert.
May 9th 2012, 10:08 am
#28
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
May 9th 2012, 5:45 pm
#29
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Alicante province
Posts: 5,753
Re: Ex Expats
1. An expat used to be a pat (specially if he's Irish).
2. It always sounds like an expat won't be participating or joining in with the local people. Understandable perhaps if you are living in a converted pigsty outside some moribund pueblo, but most of Spain is educated, modern, European. Join in - don't be a British expat, be a Spanish expert.
2. It always sounds like an expat won't be participating or joining in with the local people. Understandable perhaps if you are living in a converted pigsty outside some moribund pueblo, but most of Spain is educated, modern, European. Join in - don't be a British expat, be a Spanish expert.
But the bingo players vote in local elections and we now have fish and chips eaters as councillors in Spanish town halls.
I find it a strange divide and absolutely normal for those brave foreigners who come to live in the sun. Good luck to both groups.
May 9th 2012, 7:53 pm
#30
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: Ex Expats
Funnily enough, we've had quite a few discussions on this forum between expats living in converted cattle sheds on the outskirts of some moribund pueblo and others in saturated expat areas. The former always claim to be living in 'real' Spain, while the latter eat fish and chips in the sun and play bingo.
But the bingo players vote in local elections and we now have fish and chips eaters as councillors in Spanish town halls.
I find it a strange divide and absolutely normal for those brave foreigners who come to live in the sun. Good luck to both groups.
But the bingo players vote in local elections and we now have fish and chips eaters as councillors in Spanish town halls.
I find it a strange divide and absolutely normal for those brave foreigners who come to live in the sun. Good luck to both groups.
....and all points in between the cattle sheds and fish and chip shops.
Likewise the Spanish,... some in very peaceful rural areas, ..others in concrete blocks in big cities with their own bingo halls and takeaways close by.
Little doubt they all consider it to be the "real" Spain, so why not the expats ?
Each to his/her own,... live and let live.
Anyway who wants those rowdy townies running around the campo disturbing the peace ?
Fortunately we only see them here at weekends during good weather in this area of mainly Valencian weekend homes, then by late Sunday evening its back to peace and tranquility again.
To be honest, I don't really object to them venturing onto my patch, they're a lovely friendly bunch really and it's nice to see just a little bit of life once in a while out here in the sticks,... as long as they don't overstay their welcome of course.
