Made In England

I do try in my ramblings to remain unbiased in my comparisons between life here, and our old lives back in the UK, for there are things that we do still like about the UK…………. okay, brakes applied, for I have always said that I will always be honest in these ramblings and tell you how things are, the good and the not so good, so I will re-phrase that last statement and just say, ‘There are things that ‘I’ still like about the UK’ and if, for any reason, we found ourselves having to return to live there again, it certainly would not be too much of a hardship for ‘me’, although Shazza has her own quite different opinions on the matter. So, and whilst staying on that subject of honesty, let me just say, if you hadn’t already picked up on it in any of my previous rambles, but not everything here in Spain is always true perfection, complete harmony and bliss, shock, horror, gasp 🙀 However, it really isn’t my fault if the minor ‘imperfections’ here in Spain just happen to be very much less than they are in the UK 🤭 Wherever possible, I will try to reflect those differences, and although the word ‘Brexshit’ still leaves a bitter taste in our mouths, our lives now are not effected as much as they were, prior to coming to live here on a permanent basis, although the wound of that event in our lives has not, as yet, completely healed 🤷‍♂️ As for the costs associated with living here, well, you know me and my OCD Buddy, and so, just like I have always done, even when living back in the UK, or when we were living ‘On the Road’ in the van, I still keep detailed records of all of our daily, weekly, monthly and annual incomes and expenditures, and so, at the end of what will be our first full Spanish Financial year, at the end of December, I will share those living costs with you, although for those of you living elsewhere, outside of Spain, you will have to do your own cost comparisons, as we have not lived in a house for eleven years, so we do not know what the current comparative costs are, although it would be fair to say that I already know the answer to that, from our own personal monthly financial costs perspective.

The week that started, immediately after I had published my last ramble, was going to be quite interesting, although this time it was not particularly from our own personal perspective, but more because of the assortment of ‘European’ events that were scheduled to take place. So, although none of these events will actually have a direct impact on us, I do always like to try and keep abreast of things that are occurring outside of our own little bubble, for, as we have discovered, what may create a tumultuous storm for other’s living elsewhere, that same storm can also create ripples for other’s, who may be living on the otherwise storm free shores, a bit like a large wake created by a ship that, by the time it has travelled some distance, is just about enough to gently rock another one but without too many drama’s.

First up on the activities Agenda was the little matter of the UK General Election, although in complete honesty the result, I believe, was already much of a foregone conclusion. Now we ‘could’ have actually had a ‘personal input’ into these UK Elections, as all UK Legal Immigrants (Expats) living elsewhere in the world, and provided they are registered to do so with the UK Electoral Body, are eligible to vote by post in these UK Parliamentary Elections, although not the local Council one’s, and yes, both Shazza and myself would have actually exercised our legal ‘Right To Vote’, that is if our Ballot Papers had arrived in time to complete and return them 🤔 Mine did eventually arrive, but far too late to return it on time to be included in the counting of the votes, whereas, Shazza’s Ballot Papers didn’t arrive at all 🤷‍♂️ Surely, in this day and age, where millions upon millions of global transactions can already be conducted securely ‘on-line’, there should, by now, be a secure system to be able to cast your democratic vote electronically 🤔 Anyway, I contacted the Electoral Authority by Email, but they just responded by instructing me to complain to the ‘Electoral Commission’ directly, but not until ‘After’ the Election had taken place, which, and correct me if I am wrong here, but surely that would appear to defeat the whole purpose of me being able to actually cast my vote in this election 🤔 So now, the next UK Parliamentary Election that we can participate in, will not be for another 5 years, so I think I will put in as much effort, and haste, in complaining, as they did in getting my Ballot Papers to me. It does however beg the question, ‘How many other UK ‘Expats’, who were eligible to vote, also had the same issues and, considering that there are very many thousands of ‘Expats’, all over the World, who knows what impact those combined votes may have had on the overall outcome 🤷‍♂️ But that is now a mute point and so we will not lose any sleep over it, well not until 2029 anyway, when they may have reverted to the much more efficient Postal Delivery System, yes the Carrier Pigeon, it isn’t as if their isn’t enough of them available in London itself, never mind around the rest of the country 😂

So the next event to talk about was that crucial second round of Voting in the French Elections, now prior to that second round of voting, the ‘Far Right’, the week previously, won the first round by some margin, and they were in line to record a historic victory and possibly hold a majority and become the majority Party in the Government. Well they may well have succeeded had it not been for a bit of Political skulduggery going on, and so, on the Monday morning it appeared that the French public had achieved their objective of preventing this second round win by the ‘Far Right’, as a result of a tactical voting decision to combine certain groups of ‘other’ parties. It was announced, to huge cheers of relief, that it was this combined group, from the ‘Hard Left’, that had won the majority of seats and had pushed the ‘Hard Right’ into third place, only just below the second placed Political Party of Macron. Now for clearly obvious reasons, we had no input, or influence or control over these particular election results, the words ‘French Elections’ are the clue here 🤭 Anyway, by now, most of you will already be aware of what my personal philosophy is about not having any influence or control over things and so not worrying over them needlessly. However, Shazza and myself do have control and influence on other important decisions in our lives, like ‘Where should we go and eat out on our ‘Treat Weekends’ ? Do we go down to the ‘Beach’ or, stay by our own ‘’Pool’ or, perhaps even split the week up and do both ? What day should we go and do the shopping, or re-fuel and wash the car ? I have to admit, it is a very nice feeling to at least be able to have some influence and control over our own lives 😂

Now, whilst I am on the subject of principles, or sayings, that I often like to use, their is one that perhaps the French Public should have been taking heed of, especially after watching the result and impact on the UK after the ‘Brexshit’ vote eight year’s previously. ‘Be Careful For What You Wish For’ 🤔 For in their successful bid to prevent the ‘Far Right’ from winning the Election, there tactical voting had actually resulted in putting the ‘Hard Left’ into the winning position, which, from the media frenzy that followed, appears that that in itself has also not been a good result. I just have to say here that I am not that clear on what all of these terms, ‘Far Right’, ‘Hard Left’ or even ‘Centrist’ actually means when it comes to Politics, but can I just say in advance, thank you, but please don’t waste your time even considering trying to explain any of it to me, I am more than happy to remain blissfully ignorant.

Now of course, nobody currently knows what the full impact of this result is going to be in the long term for France, and perhaps, even for the Eurozone as a whole, we, just like everybody else will have to wait and see the extent of the fallout. However, one immediate impact for us personally, is a very positive one, for the value of the Euro has already started to drop against other world currencies, including the British Pound. All of our UK Pensions are paid in £Sterling into our UK bank accounts, as normal, we then transfer a proportion of the total amount, although not via our UK Bank with its expensive currency transfer rates, some may say that we have been very ‘WISE’ to do it another way 🤭 But they are transferred from £’s, into Euro’s, which then get paid directly into our Spanish Bank account, with the result that we now receive, for the same amount of money that we usually transfer from the UK each month, even more Euro’s, to spend here in Spain 🤗 So, and I suppose quite ironically, and quite unintentionally, the French have actually done some of us Brits a bit of a favour, without them actually realising it, now that’s not something that you hear too often these days.

Now, as I alluded to earlier in this ramble, as in previous rambles, it has also to be said that even here, in some areas of Spain, it is not all peace and harmony because, albeit seven or eight hours to the North of us, in Barcelona, Tourists, of all Nationalities, are now being attacked !! 😲 I took a leaf out of the Media Publications copy book there, using an ‘alarming’ statement to gain your attention 🤭 but in truth, Tourists were ‘attacked’ only in the sense that they were sprayed with water from water pistols, as opposed to being physically attacked or injured in a reign of actual bullets, and also worthy of note, it was just the same photograph, of the same ‘two’ women armed with water pistols, I repeat, just two of them, in a protest march comprising of hundreds of other ‘unarmed’ people, that was regurgitated in several different media publications around the globe.

However, that does not mean that because it isn’t right in our own backyard that it could not happen here, in fact there have been smaller anti-tourist marches in Malaga, but these Anti-Tourism protests are beginning to gather pace, not just on the Spanish Islands or within mainland Spain, but currently in other countries too, the Netherlands, Italy, and Greece, to name but a few. To be honest, there have been elements of it even in the UK, I am just surprised that it hasn’t taken off in much wider UK areas, I mean with the ‘reported’ numbers of Illegal Immigrants arriving every year, how can there be any accommodations left for Tourists anyway 🤭

I have to be completely honest, all of this Anti-Tourist protest stuff does still seem a little surreal to us, as we only actually see any of this on the National Spanish News, or read about it in the Media, but sometimes it feels as though we are living on a different planet, for this is certainly ‘currently’ not the scene down on this part of the Costa del Sol where ‘International Expats’, who live here permanently, and not just the British, but also the temporary Tourist visitor’s, and the local communities, all still continue to live, work and play, without any sort of hostility or animosity which appears to be going on elsewhere. Although I am in no doubt that that too could change here, we do understand the issues for the local communities, with the shortages of ‘Affordable’ housing, the expensive short-term rental properties, or the costs associated with them purchasing and owning there own properties. We do see examples of this with our own eyes in our own locality. It certainly doesn’t help to quell the anger and frustration of the local communities when they see an area of waste land, not far from us, now having gained approval for the building of a development of several new Luxury Villas, at a starting price of €850,000 (£740,000), at this price, even if I had that sort of silly money, I wouldn’t purchase one as they will not be ‘Front Line’, or have any sea views, you can certainly get better locations and properties much cheaper 🤷‍♂️ But that is not the point here, these sort of constructions are currently going on all along the Spanish ‘Costa’ Resorts and in Major Towns and Cities, but their appears to be no ‘Local Community Housing Projects’ being provided, like all the unused buildings that could be re-developed into local community apartments, or even newly constructed apartments, or houses, specifically for the local Spanish population, so we can understand the anger and frustration which, although being communicated and vocalised at the Tourists, via these Anti-Tourism Groups, the actual message and real focus of their attention, is towards the Government, whose only answer to the problem at the moment appears to be, to now start to restrict the number of ‘licences’ issued for ‘Tourist Let’ properties. However, whilst that may, in theory rather than in practice, reduce the number of tourists who are able to visit, it doesn’t address the actual main problem of the lack of provision of ‘affordable’ accommodations within those local communities for local Spanish residents 🤷‍♂️

It really is a funny old world, not in the 😂😂 sort of way you understand, but when you take the ‘Rose Tinted Glasses’ off, there really is no place that can truly be considered as real ‘Perfection’ anywhere in this world of our’s, what with the huge number of Wars going on in different parts of the world, Political instability, the vast variety of Climate related and Environmental issues, Financial Instabilities of Countries, Poverty and Mass Human displacements, the list goes on and on. But, what can any of us, as individuals, do about any of these things 🤷‍♂️ The honest answer is that at the end of the day, we can’t really do anything, not as Individuals at least, these are large scale global issues that require large scale global solutions, and not just the false promises made at every COP Conference or Pre-Election Campaign Rally. So it may appear selfish of me, but my belief is that all ‘we’ can do, as individuals, is to live ‘our’ lives the best way that we can, with mutual respect for each other, other cultures and beliefs, even if we don’t necessarily personally agree with them, for who are ‘we’ to say that ‘our’ beliefs, our ways of living, our standards, religious, moral or even political beliefs, are the ‘only’ right ways 🤷‍♂️ That sounded like it would have made an excellent Sunday morning sermon, perhaps I missed my true vocation in life 😂

Now I know that you have been waiting for me to mention it, even anticipating it and so, not to disappoint you, here it is 🎶 Sweet Caroline, Olay, Olay, Olay, Olay 🎶 Of course, my dream at the start of this Euro 2024 footbal tournament was for our ‘Home’ Country 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 to somehow miraculously, get through all of the rounds to play, in the final, against our new ‘Adopted’ Country 🇪🇸, it must have been written in our stars to be the perfect way to celebrate our close association with both countries. Sometimes it seems, miracles do happen, and dreams do come true, but, do Shazza and I now find ourselves with a bit of an identity crisis 🤔 No not at all, we always have, and always will, be ‘Made in England’, but dare I even risk dreaming about the result 🙈 You would be right to assume that, at the time of drafting this particular ramble, that final game has not, as yet, taken place.

On the same day of that Final, it is also our daughters birthday and so she, and our Son-in-Law, will both be celebrating in a ‘Biergarten’ in Munich, where they will be remaining to also watch the match, so let’s hope it is a double celebration for her 🙏 However, the following day they will both be departing from their home in Germany and travelling to Spain, if, depending on the result of the game, they let them in of course 😂 Shazza and I are driving to Malaga Airport to collect them and are looking forward to spending a week of quality time with them 🤗 We did of course go and stay with them in Munich over Christmas last year. But then, just two weeks after they return to Germany from this trip, we shall be seeing them again for three days when we attend the big family re-union event being held in the Austrian Alps. It’s funny really, because although we live here, and the rest of our family members are scattered elsewhere around the globe, which appears to be very far away, but with the modern technologies available to us these days we still speak regularly with them on either a daily or weekly basis, either through text messages or video calls. Sharon speaks with her mum every other day, she too is coming out again for her annual visit for a week, or perhaps a little longer, in October 🤔 We also speak on the phone or, more generally, via a video call, once a week with Chris, Sarah and our three Granddaughter’s, who themselves are coming out to stay with us for a fortnight, just two days after we return from Austria, and we speak with Stacey and Dean in Germany several times a week, if not on a daily basis some weeks 🤷‍♂️ We also text, although less frequently, with my brother in the UK and also with my sister in Australia, who we shall also see in Austria, along with my nephews and their two new recent additions to the family.

Being far away from family was one of the ‘Disadvantages’ that we envisaged, when we were considering the permanent move here, although don’t tell them, but that particular disadvantage came in at number two on the list 🤭 In the number one position, as if you really need me to tell you, was of course the consistently poor British climate. However, with their annual visits to us, and the frequent contact we have with them, that ‘disadvantage’ has not, thankfully, materialised, in fact some may consider the distance thing to be much less of a disadvantage than perhaps other’s 🤭 We also have two really good friends in the UK that we keep in touch with, Dougie and Avril up in Scotland, and Paul and Debs who live full time in a Motorhome, although they now also own a ‘Bolt Hole’ here in Spain.

So as you will probably already be anticipating, the next ramble will include some Photographs of what we did during the week with our family visitor’s, and of course, any other ‘ramblings’ that I will obviously be keen to share with you about what is happening in our lives here in Spain, it would of course be very rude of me not to 😂

Until then………………………

Hasta Luego mi Amigos (La Vida Es Buena)