The good thing about the crisis....

Walking along Carihuela beach (Torremolinos) yesterday in glorious sunshine, seeing all the Carnaval costumes parading along the promenade, the families playing on the beach, the dogs enjoying their Sunday strolls, feeling alive, I thought to myself "crisis? what crisis?"

Then we arrived at Benalmadena Marina, and I remembered; all those posh bars on the front (you know, the ones where the kids go at night to get fleeced and maybe stabbed, but which lie empty in the daytime) were all packed with smiling punters. Why? Coffee for €1; small beer for €1; and I thought "that's the good thing about the crisis!"

Of course, the one we chose to sat at had run out of draught beer, and charged me €3 for a bottle, but by then it was too late. And anyway, with the other half ordering a coffee, €4 for two drinks while sitting in a comfy chair watching the yachts and Ferraris go by and feeling like a millionaire seemed pretty reasonable. And the sunshine and the atmosphere on the walk back, now with a cooling sea breeze in our faces, was still free!

Happy days!

Cheap properties at the Banks too.

Hi roberto that sound good to me to i am counting the days till i am there my self bye irene

Loads of Bars now doing 'Happy Hour' that lasts three of four hours were you can get a pint of beer for 1.50€

And if you time it right going from bar to bar you could have a Happy Hour that lasts six hours! (hic)

Hi

I would agree, all the doom mungers are saying Spain will be empty this year what with the euro rate and the credit crunch but the economics of the situation dictate that Spain will be no more expensive than in previous years, and maybe cheaper for strong euro based countries.

 We went to Calahonda in February to complete on the house, here are a few costs.

Flight £50-00 ea return

Car hire 68e for the week

Petrol, can't remeber exactly but about 80 cents per litre

Beer, as reported never paid more than 1.50e

Meal out, 5-6 euros widely avaiable, Famous Fuengiorola 'Full English' down to 3-50e

All shops with special offers and huge discounts, I could go on.

There really are some great offers around. I watched the Siesta show with Colin (TechNoApe) a couple of weeks ago, and Justin was saying that he still thinks the cost of living is no lower in Spain than the UK. A pretty unique viewpoint! He gave an example - jeans for just £10 in Asda! Well, at that time, Carrefour were selling perfectly good jeans here for €10, which even with the current ex-rate is marginally less. I was in Carrefour today - and noticed that they've reduced the jeans to €6!!! And if you fancy popping up to the Sierra Nevada, they have ski jackets reduced from €50 to €15. Plenty to smile about.

Having said that, there's no doubt that electrical goods and cars, to name a couple of examples, are currently much cheaper in the UK.

So when you think about it, whether you're in Spain or the UK, there's always a bright side you can look on!

Roberto

Heard that Justin is a snappy dresser, would not be seen dead in jeans from Carrefour, 6 euros also in Dunns Fuengirola!

Hi All

I havent been on in a while mostly on the post relating to ice cream vans (think i remember you Roberto?)

well the economy is in quiet a state here in Ireland & were still waiting to sell our house taking longer than we thought considering the size location & the interior?? but i think sometimes my fellow Irishmen & women have trouble seeing a bargain lol there seems to be a slight pick up & the UK has said its recession is over, how about Spain??

I have been trawling the web looking for these cheap bank re-possesed properties but I can get a listing anywhere does anyone know of an estate agent or site with bank repos on it?? iv tried CAMs site but theres nothing really on it certainly not of a good standard. were having a mixed bag of summer winds heatwaves rain sun you name it were having it :-(

so I hope your all enjoying your lovely summer

cheers all

Rachel

Is there anybody affected by this lovely heatwave we are having,

When I was in the UK I heard stories of people having to come back from Spain because of the heat and I was rather sceptical. however I can in a way understand. The heat floors me I find I prefer to sit on my bed during the very hot hours and read or do crosswords etc. until it cools off I even find it too hot on the terrace, and if out in it have to wear a hat and have my shoulders and neck covered. No chance of doing household tasks during the day Have to do them morning or evening. Any advice and is anybody else affected?  Tomorrow having discarded the duvets till Atumn?Winter off to buy nice cotton flat sheets for bed and also for leather sofas which we are sticking to daily. One more thing anyone in Costa Del Sol (we are in calahonda) I have heard rumour we are getting a Marks an Spencer and Boots Chemist at La Canada Marbella be great if this is true

Kathy  

Hmm.  Could be rumour control working overtime on the M&S stores.  As far as I remember, M&S sold its Spanish stores in the early 2000's to El Corte Ingles.  The M&S store in Madrid got some pretty poor reviews due to high prices, poor range of goods and not very good quality.  To cut costs, M&S got rid of most of their European stores at about the same time.  Can't really see the need for a Boots in Spain but, hey, this could join the El Mundo Disney rumour and run and run.

Heat?  Mix in with  the real Spanish and use the hot bit for the siesta.  It really does work.  Of course, you can always go down the beach and watch the Brits change from milk bottle white to lobster red.  Great fun, especially the bald ones.

It's the terral, the hot wind blowing down from the high ground inland. If you think it's hot on the coast, try Madrid, or Extremadura, for example! Best place to be is in the swimming pool with an ice cold beer. (try not to splash the laptop!)

What can you buy from M&S or Boots that you can't already buy in Spain?

Thank you all,

Feel much better, Drink at the pool may be the answer, but hey Roberto you have to be a woman to understand about Marks and Boots and I experienced the weather in Granada last week, we have a place there, it was like an oven in the afternoon but magic outside the street bar in the evening until late with all the locals.

 regards kathy

Enlighten me! Don't want to make it sound like I'm a player, but I have a little experience, and to the best of my knowledge, Spanish women are much the same as any others.

Anyway, back to the original theme, the July sales are underway, and some stores such as Carrefour have up to 70% discounts on certain goods. Cheap T-shirts, shorts, sleeveless women's tops for €1.49 - fit Spanish and English women! Happy days.

Oh, and the beach (hot, tanning wind and all) are still free.

Well I gather the M & S rumour is true as they were advertising for staff in The Sur a week or two ago!

As far as Disney.......will that be arriving with Father Christmas and Elvis?!?!?

Thanks for that EPM,

I was beginning to feel rather shot down by Roberto

Regards kathy

Oh come on, all I asked was what you can buy from M&S and Boots that you can't already buy in Spain. Did I complain about your "having to be a woman" remark being patronizing? Lighten up, I'm just trying to have some fun.