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#1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tenerife (Spain)
Posts: 3,719
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notes from an even smaller island
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 ...... ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() and everywhere you look are vineyards ...... ![]() ![]() ![]() ......and even more vineyards. ![]() Where churches dominate the landscape ...... ![]() ......along with thousands of religious grottos. ![]() This is where I turn around & go back home ..... ![]() passing the bougainvillaea covered walls ...... ![]() ......then looking down to the sea...... ![]() ......in an area where you don't go to the supermarket or liquor store for wine ...... ![]() ......and the old mixes with the new ...... ![]() 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 ..... ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 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. ![]() Sounds idyllic? Ya gotta believe it!
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#2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 642
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
Beautiful, Alan. Looks just like southern California (especially Santa Barbara), except you're without the tourists and freeways! Very nice!
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#4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Shannon, Georgia
Posts: 1,268
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
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!
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#5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 626
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
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.
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#6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Anaheim, CA
Posts: 2,926
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
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.
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[hr:5yt6ldkq][/hr:5yt6ldkq] http://alanmarkcorcoran.com Motorcycles, Music, Musings and More… |
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#7 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tenerife (Spain)
Posts: 3,719
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
Quote:
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
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#8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Anaheim, CA
Posts: 2,926
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
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.
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#9 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tenerife (Spain)
Posts: 3,719
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
Quote:
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.
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#10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Anaheim, CA
Posts: 2,926
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Re: notes from an even smaller island
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.
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