agoreira

Yes, been to Herradura several times, all around that area. I'm going to sound negative here, sorry, but I don't see the attraction that a lot do. It's a pleasant enough place, but somehow it doesn't have me wanting to rush back there. The "beach" is really just a series of large pebbles, difficult to walk on, but the sea always seems a nice clear colour there, good for snorkelling, underwater stuff etc. Also some nice chiringuitos along the beach. I can understand you owning there, it's a nice relaxed place, there's a guy in another forum that lives there, and he loves it. It's a pleasant beachside town, but not my favourite. And I expect now all that coastal traffic is bypassing you, that must be great. Marina del Este? Impressive in a rich sort of way, but it always seems near deserted down on the harbour when we have been there. We don't go in high summer perhaps it's buzzing then. In contrast, back up the hill, the building work there seems never ending, is it all finally finished yet? The last couple of times we have been there, it's been manic, loads of building work going on. Is it a new hotel there now?

fionamw

Don't know about that comment, but I'd put in a brief word for Torremolinos, which I visit sometimes twice weekly quite a lot of the year because the (mainly) Spanish folk running the chiringuitos we use are pleasant and it's only really in the peak of summer the place has that many more Brits.

jjh

Yes, I don´t mind expanding at all. Of course you´re all excited, and I don´t blame you. Any new venture is wonderful. However, living here is very different to what you can imagine. and Spain, sometimes, is not the Utopia you might assume it is. We´ve lived here very happily but know lots of people who haven´t and they have found out the hard way. What´s good for one is not necessarily good for another. All I´m trying to say, and I probably didn´t say it well in my first post, is keep a level head, it´s not all good.

Best wishes for your move.

Val001

Thanks for that and I do know what you mean. I should perhaps add that I have lived abroad in the past although not in Spain and I do realise that having a holiday is not the same as living there. There will be problems I'm sure but I also think we'll get round them. Believe me living 2 years in India does not come free of problems.

In addition we are extremely fortunate to be buying through a lovely estate agent who is English working for a Spanish agency and totally bilingual. In fact her office is know as the local "drop in centre". If anyone gets something official through the post that they don't understand she translates and makes any necessary phone calls all for no charge. A lovely lady well loved by all.

Thanks for your wishes and we hope to get a completion date soon.

Val

Veleta

Fiona, an absconder is not the same as an abducted child.

A massive part of the Missing Person statistics are made up from teenagers who live in care homes. They have curfews and if the teenager breaks the curfew the foster carer is duty bound to call the police and report them "missing". If they don't they are not fulfulling their responsibilities as a foster carer.

So, when the clock strikes 10 and the curfew is broken the police are contacted and that teenager becomes a statistic. At 11.30 the same evening the teenager rolls in through the door having finished hanging out with their mates like nothing has happened. They will do the same the next night, and the next, and the next. So just one teenager can be responsible for 6 or 7 Missing Person reports in just one week.

My point was that the statistics are misleading due to the way they are recorded. The vast majority of people recorded as Missing Persons never really were missing at all.

chulo

My point is not that the UK is better.

I'm merely pointing out that there are many similarities.

jdr

Be careful when you go shopping in Asda.
Maybe something else for you and ago to google. lol

fionamw

Humble apologies - didn't notice I'd left your quote in place; I was referring to whoever suddenly brought abductions into the mix. I understood your explanation the first time, c*ck up on my part posting.

Rotor

So what do you expect/want to find on the Spanish coast?

Madridboy

Why not point it out chuloogle, do you have any other pointless statistics about a country you have no intentions of living in while you are in one of your troll moods?

paintermujer

GCM

In my opinion, YES.

I think a comment from some friends yesterday sums it up - they said if it wasn't for the sun and their social circle they wouldn't live here due to them being fed up with the corruption and how getting anything done is a major hassle to be overcome.

Yet they are here because you can have a wonderful lifestyle if you put up with the definite downsides. I would always advise anyone to move here and position yourself in a way that you could get out with ease if it didn't work out or you got disillusioned i.e. most importantly rent don't buy and don't invest your life savings in a do or die business here.

Val001

Our problem with the renting thing was we have 2 dogs and so need a house with a garden and finding that owned by someone who would allow pets and in the right area which is not a touristy one would have been near impossible. Bad enough finding the right place to buy within our budget. I guess everyones circumstances are different and if it had been just the two of us and we could have rented an apartment or townhouse somewhere we might have done that. I'm sure we will be fine though. Onwards and upwards. Do agree with the work/business thing though. I wouldn't feel comfortable at all if we had to find a job out in Spain.

chulo

So you risked it for the sake of your dogs, that is dedication.

pgtips

No, with all this land grabbing will you ever know where you stand. Maybe rent there for a while but hold onto your hard earned wealth. I think there are a lot of jealous people in Spain, and when the Brits come and build their big houses in their small villages, they start plotting over the paella