Re: Is it just me?
 

I totally understand the point about more Brits into an area relatively free of them.
I'm starting to think that maybe the original point was made poorly now.

Re: Is it just me?
 

I understand your original point and agree, though I'd probably describe it as more of an intolerance of other people's situation, and a general unwillingness to see other's point of view or motives, or explain truthfully their own.
I think it is only a small minority, of posters that fall into this category, and on the whole you all seem a nice bunch:huh:
Obviously there is the odd "personality clash" but this just reflects life in the real world, and looking in on it (and at times being a "clashee") I find it quite amusing.

Re: Is it just me?
 

Is it just me? Or can you usually pick out some Brit ex-pats from the Brit tourists in a bar along the coast?
It's nothing to do with the way they may dress, or undress in the case of some tourists.:eek:
Some ex-pats just seem to have this smug We live here, therefore we are far better than you aura about them:huh:

Re: Is it just me?
 

Is it somethimg to do with the sandels and white socks of the tourists ? ;-)

Re: Is it just me?
 

Just wanted to add my two penneth worth...my partner and I were visiting Denia last week and had booked into the Marriott Hotel but had (stupidly!) not brought the full address /phone number with us as we assumed (again stupidly!) that it would be easy to find/ well signposted. Anyway, after we had driven around Denia several times and got well and truly lost, a lovely British retired couple took pity on us and insisted on escorting us the 6 km or so to the hotel...dont think that would happen in the SE of England. If by any chance they read this, thanks again!!:thumbup:

Re: Is it just me?
 

Hi Chris

Are you from Brighton as your name suggests, if so, what area do you live in? We lived in Montpelier. How is Brighton these days. We moved to Costa de la Luz from Brighton almost 3 years ago. We lived in Brighton for 14 years and loved it but decided to leave, for various reasons.

JJ:)

Re: Is it just me?
 

Sounds like they were really really bored and this little excursion will be the highlight of their week!!

I find posts like this a little strange - why would this same couple act differently if they were in the UK? they are obviously just nice people. Nice people live everywhere - they are just few and far between.

Re: Is it just me?
 

Hi JJ,
Yes living in Brighton Kemptown just off the seafront. Its still one of the best places to live in the UK (in my humble opinion of course!). Have been toying with the idea of moving to Spain but now probably going to settle for a holiday home there for the time being..looking at the Denia/Oliva/Gandia area.:)

Re: Is it just me?
 

I agree with some of what you say. However, as a full time resident, I find there are various 'ghettos' here on the Costa de la Luz. And I don't mean that in a derogatory way. It's just the areas that the Brits, in this instance, tend to settle. Pago del Humo is one of them and parts of Marquesado are the same.

I don't mind having my fellow countrymen around me as sometimes it's nice to have a conversation in your mother tongue. We are the only foreigners in our Camino and like it like that. We are regarded as the English couple but that doesn't stop them from chatting to us and we are on extremely good terms with our immediate neighbours.

As for meeting ex-pats who look down on others with the 'I live here attitude' I haven't found that at all. Perhaps I'm not mixing with the right people:rofl:

JJ

Re: Is it just me?
 

well I can recommend Gandia :thumbup: been here 4 years now

Re: Is it just me?
 

:D :thumbup:

Re: Is it just me?
 

Well we have a house in Pago, and if we had known what an expat ghetto it was to become then we might well have bought elsewhere. Not that we didn't look...we did comprehensively, but everything just came together in Chiclana. Places we tried to buy included Puerto Serano near Algondonales, and a cortijo in Moron de la Frontera. Part of the reason for these ghettos developing is that the estate agents seize on a particular area. The local builders realise they can get a better price from the expats..voila.
I think the follow on is that some Spanish are being canny and also buying in these areas, realising that they are growing and they can realise a better profit on their investment in the future. There can be wonderful cross fertilisation. Our Spanish friends who live in Seville/Barossa love the openness of our plot, the country feel of Pago (until it gets overdeveloped), and often say they would like somewhere similar, in spite of having a very smart house in a Barossa urbanisation. They are also re jigging their garden having seen what we have been doing with ours. Ditto the Spanish neighbours.
Surely this is what the world is about..sharing and inspiring without imposing.

We were laughing last night about the poster somewhile back who was mourning the lack of a bag of chips to munch while watching the Three Kings parades in January..surely they should have entered into the spirit of it and been scrambling for the sweets instead?? I am not averse to a bag or even a plate of chips, especially by the beach, but please enter into the spirit of the country ? Re acts of kindness and the Brighton couple, I think the crunch is that people have more time..everything in a British city takes longer, and we don't slow down enough. Even Brighton I suspect. I have to force myself to slow down when eating with my Spanish friends and not gobble everything down in case it gets cold!!!!! We had a similar experience in France in the Charente, got lost and a motorist drove out of his way to lead us back to the road we needed.

Re: Is it just me?
 

... and with Mitzyboy in Oliva and me in Denia - you will be able to get all your questions answered on this forum.

Re: Is it just me?
 

thanks guys, I really value the info on this forum....have learned so much from looking at it over the past few moths:thumbup: