Re: Visit to Uk
 

I'm fairly sure that if I eat a cocido in Madrid, a paella in Valencia or a Schnitzel in Vienna, it will have been made in a traditional way. So not "where ever I travel", no, but I take your point about a big metropolis, and yes, London qualifies in that respect

Re: Visit to Uk
 

I think you are mistaking organised fraud, which the perps will always find a way, with the genuine "in needs".
There is help for people, but it get less as time goes on and then stops, there are limits, The fraudsters will always find a way round it to achieve their goal.
But I am not talking about those people, I mean Joe public.

Some will say that is right, but I bet if they do, they dont actually know an ordinary decent person who has lost their job and may be the wrong side of 40, with very limited job prospects.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

oh dear, I was enjoying reading this thread about curry, charity shops, Tesco then it became another slanging match.

Any chance of pm ing each other - many viewers may get the impression that UK expats in Spain thrive on slagging each other off.

My nan use to say if you haven't got anything nice to say keep quiet.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

I'm actually on your side in this respect. It's a nightmare to be out of work in your 40s and coming up against a brick wall - and remember the longer you're without work, the less likely that employment agencies/hirers will give you a break. I was in this position a few years back in the UK - instead of settling for a lifetime on the dole I moved to Madrid for work (which is one reason I will always defend the place). I'm now back working in the UK, but know full well how difficult the market place can be.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

I go back to my home country, the UK, on a regular basis to visit family and friends and cemeteries. When I land at Stanstead, Gatwick or Edinburgh, I’m initially overwhelmed by nostalgia, and even rubbish coffee at £4 a cup doesn’t put me off.

Once I settle down, I study the local newspapers to look at property prices, contemplating a permanent return. Family visits take up most of my time but I’m only there for a week or so.

But when that plane lands at Alicante on my return, I’ve got a smile on my face. When I hear Spanish voices, I’m happy. If I did go back there would be a lot of things I would miss, I could make a list now and it would fill pages.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Tip - if you're in London head to "little Portugal" around Stockwell/Lambeth. Great coffee in their cafe-bars for around £1.30. Their natas (custard pies) are great as well.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Goats... thats the way ahead, its eaten by more people than any other meat... I'm now looking into goats....

Re: Visit to Uk
 

The one thing I notice when we first leave the airport in the UK are the roads. Maybe its cos we tend to land at night, but they are so clear, lost of coloured cats eyes, black roads, white markings and bright signs - its like a computer game by comparison!

Jo xxx

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Up to now the best thing (imo) about British roads was the lack of excessive advertising boards. Too many around Spanish towns. However, it's starting to get that way in London now :thumbdown:

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Have you not see the paellas that are brought in frozen, the ready froxen mis with the prawns mussels and the rest in packs that is sold in the supermarkets and wholsalers.
The lovely "fresh" bread and bolleria that is frozen and the cafe bar or shop just bungs them in the oven?
There are still some traditional places, but even the most popular eating places for workies at lunch time, are using frozen chips, veg, meat and fish.

Less waste, and if the quality is compromised, so be it, just like in the rest of the developed world, the freezer is the most importand piece of equipment in most kitchens
in Spain, and I dont mean just for the Brits eateries either.

If you think that you are getting traditional cooking you are sadly mistaken.
In my line of work I come into contact with all types of establishments and most are l heading the same way.

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All together now.......there once was a horny goatherd....

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I have had some terrible meals in Spain, and I don't just mean bad, I mean gag inducing terrible... but then I have in at least a dozen other countries!

Re: Visit to Uk
 

So have I and most have been made by my lovely wife.:lol:

Re: Visit to Uk
 

:) I can remember over 20 years ago staying in a village and I had to order a paella the day before, so as the owner could buy the ingredients in fresh and prepare it. The last one I had in Sevilla was on the plate less than 10 minutes after ordering, I think that gives a clue as to how freshly prepared it was.;) Tons of "fresh" seafood arrives frozen from Scotland every day, Spain is Scotlands biggest market.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

I'm north of the river, Stevie, Essex way, but thanks.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Hope you just kidding.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Always go the same way these threads:rolleyes: Where is all the coffee at £4 in the UK:confused:

Weather is better in Spain than the UK. except when you live there and it rains (quite a lot in winter) then those 9C temperatures at night feel colder than 1C in a UK house...all relative. Then there is about 2 months when it is unbearable unless spending your time lying around the pool or on the beach in the shade. My friends kids have to play in the basement when it's hot not outside until about 6pm. August 40C in Spain or bucketing it down in the UK....nothings perfect. Unless like some people they have a life that doesn't revolve around the weather!

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If the UK had the same weather as Spain the expat community would be halved over night:)

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Yeah... they all end up getting hijacked eh? Not that you would ever do that eh?

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Of course not:)

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There are still lots of places that offer fresh and traditional cooking in Spain, but you need to know where you are going - and be prepared to pay more.

My OH says you cant expect a good paella for less than 25 euros per head. How many people here would be happy paying that when you can get the cheap frozen one for 5 euros?

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Of course there are places like that, as you say, but I personally know of restaurants with a good reputation, that buy in frozen veggie canelones and lasagne for example, then they put a bit of homemade sauce on top and pass it off as "cooked inhouse in the traditional way"

One of the dead giveaways for this is the huge range of items on the menu, the more traditonal eateries in Galicia do give fresh home made food every day, because they have a limited choice and a lot do a great quantity of the special dishes, the callos for example. These dishes are usually sold with the day of making

A place that has a huge range, will most certainly use some sort of convenience food, which is generally frozen because of storage space , and lack of time to prepare, what could be a dish that sells only now and then.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Yep, absolutely.

When in Asturias sometime we go to a house in a village where they cook food for you at the weekend (you have to book in advance , there are only 4-5 tables). There is a choice of 2 dishes, usually one seafood and one meat. The food is fresh, delicious and a little expensive, but then all the ingredients are fresh and top quality.

I do like that in Spain you spend the money on the food as the alcohol and wine in the restaurants is usually a reasonable price. In the UK, if you drink wine, then the alcohol can end up costing more than the food!

Re: Visit to Uk
 

Why do the smileys disappear when you most need them - thumbs up to both!

I go back maybe twice a year & usually spend half the time driving, because we have family in Somerset, Suffolk & Staines! - and never spend enough time with the family & friends I've attempted to see.

Always but always go hand luggage only come back charity shop suitcase stuffed to the gunn'ls with Tesco cheapies, charity cheapies (no, not the stuff you could buy in Primark cheaper, designer items & the like!!!) and stuff that the cheap & cheerfuls do do here but they never seem quite as cheap.

Notwithstanding not liking living apart, I think I'm really quite lucky that OH comes to & fro cos actually stuff like teabags & puffed wheat are easy peasy hand luggage items, & he tops up 8yo's MEGA expensive school uniform with George at Asda navy blue jumpers for £3, grey trousers for £4, shirts £2, shoes £5, etc!!
-- oh, and when in Suffolk, haddock & chips.

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Strange isn´t it, living here I´ve never been to a car boot sale and never frequent charity shops.:) Must be a woman´s thing, as the other half certainly likes the charity shops, but more often than not, she´s taking stuff to them rather than buying. :D Probably taking back those bargains she bought previously but never wore! I don´t know if she´s ever been to a car boot though, certainly can´t remember any. There´s a huge Sunday market near us, and I bet it´s at least 15 years since I´ve been there. Been to more Spanish markets then UK one's.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

I hate markets and car boots in both countries. Been round the Fuengirola one a couple of times, it's huge. Full of elderly ex-pats selling off their trinkets and tat to live the dreem:rofl: Went once with a Norwegian friend and she couldn't stop laughing at the stuff, she said they throw better stuff than that in the bin in Norway.

I do buy lots of books from charity shops but they go back there too...it's my green recycling contribution;)

If I haven't been in the UK for a while I like wandering around Boots and all the Department stores.

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I love the places that yo dont know what you are going to eat untill it is on the table.
We went to a place in Ponferrada not so long ago last summer, a huge place with no menu, if you know what I mean.

When I was a kid there were tons of places like this, but now very few and far between.
There were not "tables" for each groups of diners, everyone was packed ont long benches with trestle tables.
I did not matter if you did not like some of the food as a different course would arrive within a few minutes, usually embutidos to start, then empanada, etc.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

[QUOTE=jackytoo;9157141]Always go the same way these threads:rolleyes: Where is all the coffee at £4 in the UK:confused:
/QUOTE]

Local cafes here charge no more than £1.25 a cup, so no idea, presumably in the Hilton or Savoy.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

For those curious people worrying about the £4 coffee in the UK – if you come out of arrivals at Stanstead airport and look over to your left you will see a large place called something like Costa Coffee, staffed entirely by foreigners, and coffee is £4 a cup.

When I was last there some four years ago, I had some unpleasant business to attend to in the UK and even bought myself a packet of 20 Embassy No 1 (I haven’t smoked for years) at £6 and the £4 coffee which I then took outside to stand with the other rich addicts, shivering in the cold.

Re: Visit to Uk
 

An airport isn't representative of a whole country though is it. A croissant at málaga airport costs about 4 euro but it doesn't mean that they cost that everywhere. I use Gatwick and heathrow and can't recall having paid that for a coffee, I am sure I would have remembered:rofl:

Re: Visit to Uk
 

So which country is better? UK or Spain?

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:sneaky:

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Prices at Malaga airport are outrageous. I once paid 14 euros for 2 pints of lager...never again!

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I had a similar experience in AGP ,prices were printed in a very small piece of paper , I told to waiter to keep them as his boss was taking the piss and walked ,its difficult to pour beer back into the taps:rofl:

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You dont know what youre missing.


We are taking the bare essentials and lots of spanish spices,bollycao,2 paelleras etcetc for my daughter and then bring back clothing and my bargains from carboot sales etc.

I always have a plan B so if its raining we can go to Hatherleighs carboot which is in a slaughterhouse. Thers a vile death smell at times but I cant be picky.Not much time.:eek:

Im a toy collector. Always looking for that something.

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That's what you really meant to say, now admit it.. :thumbsup:

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You can certainly pay £3 for a coffee in the likes of Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Cafe Nero etc. In a sense you're lucky if you live in a decent sized city as you can then search out a cafeteria run by Italians/Polish or Portuguese etc and get a far better coffee for a lot lower price.

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...5060006AAXPYee

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:sneaky: :lol:

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Why on earth would you want to spend your time in the UK visiting charity shops and car boot sales for goodness sake.

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I think the UK has the biggest stirrers........;)