I'm still looking at property.... I don't understand what is meant by the word gallery. Is it what I would call a balcony, or something different.

Can anyone tell me about the Elche area. Is it noisy, quiet and most of all, are there lots motorbikes? Is there any area it would be best to avoid?

Many thanks

Cathy

Yes it's a big busy town, lots of traffic and lots of motos, the outskirts are quieter though

Thanks for that The reason for the bike question is that we are just back from Menton and had our sleep disrupted every night for 10 weeks. Good to know about the outskirts.

Cathy

I viewed some houses on the outskirts, some are really luxurious and you can just lie in the garden watching the planes come in, there is a smaller town up the road called almoradi which is nice too , some very quiet parts, I would take a look, not so many motos, but I am talking about houses more, if it's a flat then theay are still available in quieter areas,

Thanks again, I'll check that out.

One of the villages we stay regularly is plagued by noisy motos, (in fact they all have been) usually with the exhaust modified to make them even noisier, so a village won't be a quiet refuge, I'm afraid! Riding up the one way streets the wrong way is "allowed" as well, I pinned some young girl up against the wall, came around a sharp corner, and she was breezing down the wrong way.

What is on your wish list in terms of the property you want to live in and the area you want to be in?

Thanks for asking that question. I don't have a particular area or type of house in mind. The more I research and answer questions, the clearer I'm becoming about what we need rather than want. It's more about conditions.

Outside space. Low access, or a lift. [I've been informed that older apartments don't have lifts]. Quiet area. Not cold in winter. Reasonable distance to all amenities e.g. doctor, pharmacy, shops, bank and the sea. Better half would definitely enjoy a 'Guinness' pub!!!

Don't mind decorating, but no 'projects'. Low cost.

Near Malaga or Alicante airports. We want to be able not to have to drive and just use public transport.

Thanks again

Hi,

Quick question. When you say you don't want cold. What temperatures at various times of the day are the minimum you'd want to be in?

I was close to Alicante in late March and it was cold at night, and plenty of days too.

It really doesn't matter at night because we are back in the house around 5-6 pm.

Rain, cooler weather during the day doesn't matter so much because we can either hap up or stay in, just that it not constant. Where we live at the moment, from Jan to March we have freezing cold, torrential rain, chilling winds, and sometimes a really sunny warm afternoon. Then April and May come along and can be really pleasant. However right now it very cold. Spain has got to be warmer that that surely?

The city of Elche is a large working Spanish town which administers Alicante airport and is famous for its shoe factories. Very few expats live in the city and there is little for foreign visitors of any kind.

It's not a spread-out place like Torrevieja or Orihuela with many expat urbanisations starting at the outskirts of both cities - when you leave Elche's boundaries you will find only fine miles of palm trees and the odd finca, and dozens of country roundabouts before you come to any more built up areas.

I would say it's not a place for foreigners who want to live in Spain.

If you are looking for peace and quiet, Elche is not for you.

Thanks for that. It was an estate agent who suggested it. Now I know not to listen to them!!!