I wouldn’t normally weigh in on a discussion such as this; everyone has their opinion and is entitled to it.
But I find myself in agreement with Sportscar - attitude is everything. We had a friend visit from overseas recently .... the things I found charming, quaint, uniquely Spanish .... he couldn’t handle. The lack of lane discipline or use of indicators on roundabouts, cars just stoppin...
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...g in the middle of the road and the driver nipping into the shops, or just stopping to chat to a friend .... and so on and so forth. He also commented on “the language barrier”
What language barrier? It’s Spain. The language is Spanish, ergo we learn the language!! But I digress. Spain is not for everyone, it is mind-numbingly bureaucratic, and don’t expect things to happen in a hurry ....
But you’ll find “bad” in every country and let’s be honest, UK has its challenges, which is why a good proportion of us are here!! But the good in Spain far far outweighs the bad, with a much less stressful way of life, fabulous weather and very mild winters - well certainly here in Vera (New Years day saw me sitting on the deck in shorts and shirtless ... can’t quite remember the last time I was able to do THAT in UK on NYD!!)
Plus to my mind (AND THIS IS MY OPINION!!!!) the people maketh the country, and I love the Spanish. I love their directness, laissez faire attitude, their sense of fun and joy and the endless fiestas..... for all those that say “BUT BUT BUT THE SPANISH ARE .....” this is what I have found - my interactions have all been overwhelmingly positive, from shops through Ayuntamiento, Correos, Extranjeros and the the customers at the bar I work.
Look, this is rambling a bit (ok, a lot!!) but what I’m trying to say is that it is easy to see the negative, to take everything that happens as “bad” and be disheartened, but to provide balance, if you come here with an open mind, accept Spain as it IS, not as you would want it to be, accept the people as they are and try to integrate, you really will have a fabulous time.
There WILL be rough times - but like I said, the good here far far far outweighs the bad. Spain is our home; we don’t maintain a house anywhere else in the world nor do we intend to. This is where we want to be, permanently.
To Raygil - I am truly sorry that your experience was not a positive one - perhaps in another area, who knows?
To others considering Spain - do not be put off. Atiitude is everything, it’s a beautiful place with beautiful people and if you allow it, you really will enjoy life here
Saludos, Darío
My name's Alex and this is my website all about San Juan De Los Terreros in Spain. Register now for free to talk about General San Juan De Los Terreros discussion and much more!
