Just curious.....

2 very funny posts there, well done!

This has been covered SO many times. Being part of the EU (like it or not), Spain cannot charge "import" duty on string brought from another EU member state, but since all string should be properly registered, naturally if you intend to keep your "imported" string in Spain for more than 183 days a year, you should register it here. And for that there is a "first registration" fee. This used to be based purely on the length of the piece to be registered, but since this was clearly so ambiguous and led to many simply not bothering, the boffins at the Circumlocution office decided to go with the PC flow and now base it on it's biodegradability - although there is no reliable information available on how this is calculated yet. Furthermore, if your string is more than 10 years old, it may need a homologation certificate, and in any case you will need the original sales receipt showing VAT was paid when new.

The rules are forever changing, though, and my advice is and has always been: don't bother bringing any string with you when you move. It will be far less hassle to just buy some Spanish string when you arrive, and trust me, you WILL get used to it and find that it really does do just as good a job as any other string. There's the added bonus that you will be able to impress visiting friends and family with the extent of your integration, and maybe even sometimes take your Spanish string back to the UK, where you are certain to be the centre of attention for a few nano-seconds with your exotic "foreign" string!

Best not to get involved with the authorities on this one, you will only get all tangled up.

The easy way is to thread  your string into the weave of  a heavy weight jumper or manly cardi (big leather buttons on the front and a pipe pocket) and wear it  on the flight over. You should be able to stroll undetected past any customs check--unless they are using those new string detector sniffer dogs ( I think they use stringer  springer spaniels in some places)

Gently Introduce your string to the Spanish lifestyle by going for a stroll at night  as you wear your cardi, DON'T do this during the daytime as the Policia will regard you with suspicion if you are strolling about in 40c whilst wearing a winter weight cardi.

After a few days you can gently unpick your cardigan and release the string to a lifetime of fun in the Spanish sun, but do give it a good coating of factor 15 for the first couple of weeks or it could end up as a length of sisal.

If you insist on going the (semi) legal route-tie your string 'round a bundle of 20 euro notes and present yourself to the correct department at the town hall. Your string will be returned in double quick time--free of all incumbrances.

Hope this helps.

Time for a serious question.  If I want to import my British piece of string into Spain, will I have to register it with the authorities?  How much import duty will I have to pay and how long will I have to queue at the town hall to get the necessary documentation for it?

Thanks in advance.

3? How do you get to 3? Every time I try  I come up with 2 and 7/5's!

No, I see what I'm doing wrong. I'm holding it upside down!

The answer to the original question is 3

I had a beer last night, and another idea for a TV show came into mind: " A Piece of String in The Sun-Home or Away ".

In this show a personable young man with a nice quiff shows a married couple some examples of string in the U.K. that are supposed to meet their eye watering budget of about £475,000.

During their visits the couple don't hold hands, but eventualy plump for a length of damp semi- detached gardening twine situated in a part of the country where it p**s**s down for 6 months of the year, and the locals will set fire to your twine if they think you're a bit different from the rest.

The couple are then jetted off to Spain where they hold hands as they are treated to a whirlwind tour of several bits of old twine, thread and rope that meet their not so eye watering budget of  £ 57,000 (they need to have some cash left over to buy toys for the grand children who will visit their bit of string in the summer).

The personable young lady host with nice hair and good teeth takes them to endless bits of string in the sun-- but has no luck because the couple think that every piece of string is a bit pricey, and besides-the grandchildren would probably trip over the knots  and skin their knees.

They hold hands as they sit 'round a wobbly cafe table with the host and swig Lucozade while listing all that was wrong with the string that they were shown: too long, too short or too pricey- and dangerous for the grandchildren.They announce their intention to make an offer on the semi-detached twine in the U.K. and we see despair on the face of the husband.

Could this show work d'ya think ?

I have to say that if you want to find the real string in Spain you need to go inland.  The string that you find on the costas isn´t Spanish string at all, it is imported string that may look like Spanish string but it´s meant for the tourists and is far more expensive too.  If you look around in places like Torrevieja you may be lucky enough to find the real stuff, but only in Spanish shops. 

More is quite right, I was trying to be humorous but obviously wasn´t punny enough for you to realise.

Sue

PS If you like classical music, there is a concert in Jumilla tonights, with a string quartet playing.

String interchangability is a sore subject. Catalan, Galician, Basque & Valenciano will all be preferred by the locals when faced with a piece of Castellano string although they'll use Castellano when confronted with a foreign string . Sometimes they might even use the foreign string to show their skill @ multi- stringalism.Many are extremely profficient ,far superior to the single -string extrañjeros !

Another string you might get entangled with is ,Mallorcan or 'Mallorqueño' This likes to think it is different but has all the traits of Valencian & Catalan with some subtle differences to confuse the unwary. Remember, ALL strings of whatever type , when used by politicians will leave you tangled ,confused & unable to work out which end is where.

Catalan string is very different from Castellano, has a tendency to be difficult to work with, very hard on the hands & once knotted is very hard to untie. Galician string also prefers to be tied in a different fashion to other strings but is much softer on the hands, whereas Basque string is extremely coarse & is unlikely to be used by even the most hardened Spaniard. That just leaves the Valenciano. This, although very similar to the Catalan,  likes to think it's more of a twine , smoother more refined & palatable.

Is Catalan string very different from Castellano string? Are they more or less interchangeable?

String is a good thing, but bovirl is better!

Take care, Febe

It's YOU who attracts us like flies around a honey pot, darling!

Curiously.....of all the latest threads active in the last few days, only Is living in Spain really that bad now??? has had more replies in total than this one; and only Renewal of Certificate of Ocupacion? and Legal Informtion have received more views today.

It would appear that EOSers are a curious bunch indeed!


 

Anyone highly strung

Blimey, this thread was frivolous but think it's time for Bovril. Febe, come out of that corner & get yourself a mug & join me. Bob, find the fireworks yourself, I'm tired. Check out the ash cloud, not a Spanish string in sight.

Nothing is what I saw too!

Well, I just read between the lines and it looks like this:

Sorry, just thought I'd string you along a bit.        

Slightly disappointed the fireworks going off in the background haven't appeared yet, More.  You're slipping.

I now cosider my-self well and truly told off.  I will sit, facing the corner, untill I and my piece of string, can be far more respectfull to our elders.

Febe, I THINK you may find Sue is JOKING !!

Read between the lines.

But that is the point of this thread.

It's ment to be frivolous.

It's about the length of string in Spain.Sorry 'Spanish string'

Not about whats happening in the UK.

Regards,Febe