IKEA Malaga

According to 'Typically Spanish' the date set for the opening of the new Malaga store is 30th October which can only be a good thing.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_12271.shtml

 

Got the new catalogue through the door today - complete with a sticker on the cover advertising the opening date, so they must be pretty confident they'll be open on time. The papers are reporting a predicted stampede on the opening day, followed by a double stampede on the first Saturday. IKEA are working with the local fuzz to make sure there's minmal traffic disruption in the area.

The absolute idea of hell has arrived on the Costa del Sol - its one of the reasons I ran out of the UK!

Its a pleasure to report I have never and will never set foot in the place!

What is Spain coming to!?

Rixxy, how does Ikea = hell?  It's not that bad really...is it??

I have heard stange whisperings in the breeze that passes the rushes near the pool. It say ' no goee to Ikea, noooooooo goeeeeeee to Ikea'

I have heard under the breath of the elders that some who go, never return from the one way system in the branch - people who do return are wide eyed, staring and unable to speak, their muscles turned to jelly from lifting heavy items and afterwards their brains turned to a gooey mass from trying to work out the instructions!!!

Dont be drawn oh fair maidens, dont listen to the singing on the gentle sea breezes

ITS HORRIBLE - HONEST!!!!!!!!! 

Some years ago  when Ikea opened a branch near Leeds my elderly mother ,who was disabled  and practically house bound, decided she would like to go and see what all the fuss was about. Neighbours and family who had been there were enthusing about the new concept in home furnishing and it had sparked her curiosity.

 Once inside the store she became very quiet and seemed to be concentrating on manoeuvring her mobility scooter around the store rather than looking at the various displays. Then she said she was ready for something to eat. We decided on a couple of the snacks on offer and found a table. I settled her in and was about to go for the food when she told me she felt funny and had to get out of there. 

She was having a panic attack and it did not subside until she was again sat in the car. It was all too much for her.

Later when asked about the trip her reply was,

'Don't mention Ikea to me, it's like a big aerodrome full of office furniture. But to make it interesting they've set it out like a maze.'

So that's why she was quiet, she was concentrating on her driving!

 Bless her.

Everytime after that when she could not think of a place to visit I would jokingly say, 'What about Ikea mum?'

The look I got back said it all!!

 

 

Sorry folks but I love Ikea, I have bought lots of things from them, I'm looking forward to visiting it when we are next out.

I must admit, my son's bedroom is furnished from IKEA - bed, drawers, shelves/storage, tv stand, computer desk and chair!  Just about everything!  We furnished our apartment in Spain from IKEA Seville - well, lounge and all kitchenware (we ordered beds, headboards and bedside tables locally).  IKEA has a lot of good quality stuff to offer!

And Rixxy, please, It can't really turn your brain to a gooey mass putting their stuff together, because you don't really have to use your brain to do it!!

Must say though, hate those spanish size pillow cases!!  We get them here too in the duvet sets and they're just a waste of linen space when you use uk size pillows!!

All Im gonna say is try to put up one of their fancy gurtain holder thingies! The nearest experience I had (which made me decide my first ever gut feeling about Ikea was right! - the one that opened on the North Circular snarled up most of London at the time). was a rental owner took a van to Sevilla and bought all this stuff!!

We had to put it together, bookcase things, beds, wardrobes and this stupid wire curtain rail thing!

Never again - sorry!

Come come, Rixxy - the Silly Circular was snarled up long before IKEA added to the mayhem. I remember the Flying Eye reporting every morning that the Hanger Lane Giratory System was NOT gyrating, years before IKEA was even conceived. And if you think the IKEA gyratory system is bad, you have obviously never been to Conforama. They tried to copy the concept, but forgot that you need Scandinavian efficiency and brains to make it work - including a ready supply of little pencils and order pads, and computer terminals that are actually manned. Now there's another pretender to the Flat-pack throne, called FLY. A French outfit (never a good prospect), it's on a much smaller scale, so you would have thought that they could have bothered to translate the catalogue into Spanish?

So, fair maidens, do not fear. It's really not bad at all, and offers a wide range of fairly good quality stuff at sensible prices. And I hear the Swedish meatballs aren't bad either!

Hmmmmm - not tried Swedish meatballs!!!  Prefer hot blooded types!

But you cant sucker me into the devils bowels that easily Don Roberto......! My ears are plugged against the call of the Ikearons.

I'd forgotten about the ikea meatballs...surely reason enough to go even if you don't need furniture

(You can tell I'm on a diet, all I think of is food )

Justin, good news - there's a Friends of IKEA website, complete with the recipe, and mouth wateringly tempting photo of the famous balls!

http://www.ikea-friends.com/corner/recipe-meatball.shtml

 

Roberto - That is TRULY SAD you would know that!

Justin - I understand the food thing, I go miles for ice-cream with maltezers crushed into a tub of dulce de lece Haggen Dags. Oh and creamon top for a special occaision!

Mouth watering now........................................!

Love the meatballs!  But it was the sauce that suckered me in - until I decided that I wanted to buy some, and it was in a packet!!  But have to say the meatballs in Singapore were much better than the meatballs in Spain!  We tried them in Seville and we were not pleased!! (it was a long journey folks!!! and they weren't that impressive!!). 

Rob, I'm going to try that recipe, just to see if it's the same!!  How sad am I???   But then, who obtained the recipe and posted it here!!??????

Good God, has nobody heard of Google? Just enter IKEA meatballs and click on  the first hit. You don't really think I'm a fully signed up member of Friends of IKEA, do you?

Pitby, with all those wonderful hawker centres in Singapore, I can't believe you would go for Swedish meatballs! Mind you, having said that, I remember staying at the "Y" on Orchard Road many (many) years ago as a naive young backpacker, and getting a kick out of being able to phone an order downstairs to McDonalds, and having it delivered to our room!

Sorry, Rob!!  I don't, I don't!  I don't believe you're not a fluffy paid up member of Friends of IKEA!!  Sorry, that should have read "fully"!!

Seriously, we lived just a couple of kms from IKEA in Singapore, and it was so handy, with my son as a baby, to just go, get what I wanted, and feed him in his high chair, and pop back home!!  Plus, I loooooved the mealballs!!!

What we miss about Singapore, when my OH went golfing and I'd take my son out for the morning, the wonderful egg muffins at McDonalds!!!  He loved them!!  And we can't get them here in Dubai!!  Gosh, I miss so much about Singapore!   And  going out in the evenings, the steamboats!!  

Sorry, am going off track!!  But, seriously, IKEA have a lot to offer besides their meatballs, honestly!!!

Did the steamboat thing only once, in Cameron Highlands. Was put off by an eyeball staring at me out of the soup! Loved Singapore first time round, but found out on a subsequent occasion that it's not only chewing gum that's frowned upon - also drunk & disorderly behaviour. Got a Midnight Express story for another time....

Would love to hear about your "Midnight Express" story, Roberto!!  (Although, must say, can't see the singaporean authorities getting quite so harsh  Have a few drunken and disorderly ourselves to report, but not arrested for!!!!

Did you try the Boat Quay or Clarkes Quay (if that's how you spell it - can't remember now and am not going to google!!)  for your steamboat - great stuff!!

Must say, would go back to Singapore tomorrow rather than be here in Dubai!  And trust me, I know the UAE!!

Even IKEA prices here are really aren't that much cheaper than in Europe (just getting back to thread!!!)

A tagine pot in Ikea in England is £39.90 and in the Sevilla store is 44.95€ so thats about £10.00 difference.

 

I even found a video on Youtube about the Ikea meatballs...now I REALLY miss them:

There's even an unofficial Ikea website called Positive Fanatics praising those Swedish meatballs...

http://www.positivefanatics.com/2005/11/ikea_meatballs_.html

 

 

And they called ME sad! The accent, dark wig & bins don't fool me, Rixxy.

Oh bother - Ive been found out!!!!!

Crikey this thread is hilarious - chame Im out all day to miss the fun!

This is mainly for Justin - & Rixxy of course (we won't let your secret out).

From the IKEA catalogue: Albondigas suecas, 1kg bag (frozen, I presume) €5.95; salsa cremosa - mmmmm! 40g pack, €0.95.

If you get the IKEA Family card, you will be entitled to free coffee Monday - Friday in the restaurant. Fantastic!

Oh yes, they sell furniture as well.

woo hoo...free coffee with my meatballs...it's just gets better!

I might even take Rixxy with me as I'm sure she's love to go.

Justin

Now that Ikea has opened in Spain, does that mean that there will be Tea Lights on every available horizontal surface in every apartment?

What about the Ozone Layer and Global Warming?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH JUSTIN - seeing as you describe yourself as a rake, I dont know if my delicate nature could take the heady combination of meatballs, sauce, IKEA AND you!

Its really all too much!

5 days to go until the Great Meatball Fiesta!

Now thats really really sad!

I will have to make some Greek meatballs to compete and show the world how badly put together Ikeas are!