notes from an even smaller island

[alantf]

notes from an even smaller island (with apologies to Bill Bryson)

Because you can reach any point on this island with a 100km (62 mile) ride, it seems pretty pointless making a "ride report", so let me introduce you to the area immediately around my home.
My doctor advised me to walk for my health's sake, so every day I have a walk of around 8km (5 miles?)......try to imagine, if you will, a warm breeze, carrying the scent of jasmine, bougainvillae, jacaranda - with the discordant clanging of the church bells in your ears ....This, then, is Sunday morning ......

where all the traffic roundabouts are landscaped, with fountains ......
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9171/31297733.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqCfHsr)

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1042/46230406.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqBL0_9)

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/6167/10206453.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqCh2gi)

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1673/50834405.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvWoDJ)

and everywhere you look are vineyards ......
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6244/91650159.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvztq0)

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8268/97779902.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvzZQS)

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/248/54297001.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvYaT9)

......and even more vineyards.
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5018/56097745.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqBPMji)

Where churches dominate the landscape ......
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6494/43237439.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxgkN69)

......along with thousands of religious grottos.
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5656/98233117.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxgl3z9)

This is where I turn around & go back home .....
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/4992/41574650.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvCcwS)

passing the bougainvillaea covered walls ......

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1305/44650626.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqCoBGA)

......then looking down to the sea......
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7310/69239511.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVw1Wci)

......in an area where you don't go to the supermarket or liquor store for wine ......
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5311/41475249.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVvLIa9)

......and the old mixes with the new ......
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5208/83833427.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqCrMe0)

One of the reasons I took my camera, today, is that it's Corpus Christi. Half of the streets in our village are closed off, while the people make carpets of flowers - to be trampled, later, by the religious procession.

Imagine, now, the scents of pine and cedar, incence and grass - while the loudspeakers in the streets play religious chants, over & over again .....
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5329/71972965.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxgnXEA)

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6123/75777670.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqCA02J)

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/6434/98152052.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxgoAyS)

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3435/78724861.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqC8r_i)

Then home, for a quick shower, & onto the terrace, where my wife's laid out goat's cheese, olives, warm bread (straight out of the oven of the patisserie over the road) & a jug of good red wine.

Finally, into my "office" to download the camera.
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9586/39991337.th.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqCalJ9)

Sounds idyllic? Ya gotta believe it!

[Moedad]

Beautiful, Alan. Looks just like southern California (especially Santa Barbara), except you're without the tourists and freeways! Very nice!

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks very peaceful and relaxing. Thanks for sharing.

[burkbuilds]

Wow, what a beautiful place! Thank you for posting these pictures, I really enjoyed looking at them! It is always very interesting to see great photos of other peoples part of the world partially because of the things familiar in each photo and also because of the uniqueness of each area!

[BusyWeb]

Hello, there.
It's a beautiful place....
And peaceful environments, without noise, dust, and stress.
People live in there might live longer than people who lives in city environments.
Thanks for sharing photos.

[alanmcorcoran]

Looks very nice. What are the rules for ex-pats? Do you own property there? Do you have permanent residency or are you on a really long "vacation"? Or is the UK part of the EU for residency purposes...

Years ago (pre euro) I looked into Tarragona (near Barcelona) as a potential retirement, but there was a lot of legalities involved for U.S. citizens.

[alantf]

What are the rules for ex-pats?

As part of the European Union, the British have a right to settle anywhere in the E.U. My wife's daughter has lived here for over 25 years (she's married to a Tenerifian) so she found us a building under construction (easier than us doing it from England) & we took out a mortgage with a Tenerife bank (around 7 years ago) The only formality was that we had to get an N.I E. number. That's an identity card for foreigners. All the Spanish have identity cards, and your number is used for EVERYTHING, so we're not treated any different than the natives. Our English pensions are converted to euros & paid straight into our Spanish account through the international banking system.I still use my English driving licence, as it's accepted anywhere in the E.U. In fact, we've had no problems whatsoever. We really are treated as just another person in the same organisation. In fact, I think it must be easier for us to move to a different country, than for you to move to a different state.

So, yes, we're classed as resident here. As we're pensioners, England pays for our medical treatment over here (due to us paying social security & national health contributions all our working life) I had an operation on my elbow, last year, & as the local health service hospital was full, they sent me to a private hospital. Over here, if the state hospitals are full, & there's space in a private hospital, they make them take the state cases.

One other good thing, if either of us want to go back to England to visit our familes, the air fare is only the equivalent to around $100

[alanmcorcoran]

Alan,

Although you can use your CA license in any of the states (and in some other countries) if you move to another state, you are supposed to:

1) re register your vehicles (and get new plates)
2) Apply for a new driver's license. I've only moved between three states since I got a license, so maybe some just lt you swap it in. I had to take at least a written test in both cases.
3) Although you can often keep your insurance company (many operate in all states, but not all) you often have to get a new policy or a "re-priced" policy as rates tend to be based on where you live.

Since the driver's license is the de facto national ID card here, it's hard to avoid switching it. There are state ID cards in many states (maybe all, I don't know) you can get if you don't have a driver's license. One way or the other, you have to have something if you want to be able to buy things without cash or get a drink.

When I was in Spain, I got the sense it is like our Florida for the British. Except cheaper. (At least when I was there.) Very popular holiday destination. Wasn't a huge fan of typical Spanish food, but compared to typical English food, well... They do have excellent coffee.

[alantf]

Except cheaper.

Afraid that's out the window now. When we first came here (around 7 years ago) everything was certainly cheaper, & we had a great lifestyle, even on pension. Since then, although our pensions haven't risen much, everything in the shops has risen VERY steeply. Combine this with the poor exchange rate (we used to get 1.46 euros to the £, & now we get around 1.07) & you'll see that our spending power is around half of what it was.

We've got English T.V. (satellite) & we can see that everything in England is getting cheaper. It has to, with the current economic climate there. There are so many good things, associated with the way of life, over here that more than compensate - my happiness is worth more than money to me - that we wouldn't think of moving back to England.

As for the food - we've got used to the Spanish, because imported food costs so much, but we still manage to stock up on such things as English bacon, sausages, pies etc., that no Englishman can do without, when friends come over for a holiday with us.

But, as for the coffee, I still find the Spanish coffee too strong & bitter, so I'm sitting here with a mug of Colombian.

[alanmcorcoran]

Too bad about the inflation. I was able to buy a 5 course lunch in Barcelona for about $2.50 when I was there. A "chinese" dinner in London cost me about $75.00 the same year. People used to say France was the most expensive, but in my traveling days, nothing was as costly as a hotel room in Mayfair. Used to commute all the way across London on the Tube just to find a flop house for 70 pounds.

Haven't done any international travel since I went to France two and a half years a go to top off my frequent flier account. Paris may be nice in April, but it's effing cold in December.

[alantf]

I posted a reply, but I've just noticed that it appears to have vanished into the great, grey, electronic void.

O.K. here goes again .......

I've only been to London once in my life, & I never want to go there again! I've never known rip offs as bad in my life. The only reason they can get away with it is that most foreign tourists think that London is the only place to visit, in England. I come from further up north, around Sheffield, Rotherham & Doncaster (if you've got a map!). The people are renowned for their friendliness, the prices are realistic & there are some really nice places to visit within a couple of hours drive. There are museums, art galleries, theatres, coastal resorts, beautiful scenery etc., but no one seems to promote it.

Around 8 years ago, when I was working in this area & couldn't get home at night, I could get a good, clean room, with a full English breakfast included, for £15.

So ..... If anyone is seriously thinking about holidaying in England, forget London - get in touch with me, & I'll help you out with suggestions.

note :- I remember that when I was in London, my wife & I went in a pub. At that time, a pint of beer for me, & a half pint for my wife, cost around £1.50 locally. When the London bar man asked for over £6.00 I thought he'd got my order confused, but - no - that was the price.
This was when I could buy a house in Yorkshire for £15,000, that would cost £500,000 in London.

[alanmcorcoran]

I'm not an expert in UK geography, but I've been to law firms Bristol, Brighton, Leeds, Banbury and Manchester and probably a few other places I've forgotten. Also, took a tour bus to Bath and the 'Henge. We Americans are always fascinated by England. Everything being so historical and all and people speaking the Queen's English. Always cracks me up when they explain this is the "new" pub, built 900 years ago when the "old" pub was sacked by Hannibal or something.

Years ago I had an office in Hammersmith ? for awhile. On the outskirts of London - a tube ride out to the west.