Things That I Like And Dislike About Spain

I first came to Spain in the 1960's, I was immediately smitten by it's total difference to the UK. As the years have gone by so have the differences, I'm told to go inland to see the real Spain, however my escape into 'real' Spain when I visit Calahonda, is to  spend my time on the beach. There I find fishermen with their boats, having barbecues with their families, as against second/third line where the Brits spend their time in English/Irish pubs watching Sky TV, eating traditional UK food, only deviating to pizzas and American fast food.

We know the Spanish beach bars where we can get tappas and an ice cold beer, and no one is in a hurry. We then walk into La Cala where the pace of life is similar to that of the 1960's, we often notice the children leaving school and wakling home together, I'm sure that the three armed police officers who are always around at this time help to put off any kiddie fiddlers, as against the UK system where the kids are picked up by their parents and never experience the joys of being free from parental control. On our return walk on the beach we both envy the folk walking their dogs, and am minded of our two in kennels wondering were the hell the wife and I are.

We often walk in the opposite direction and end up in Puerto Cabopino where we have lunch on the beach in a Spanish cafe, it's a shame that all the port side bars and cafes are now doing a poor imitation of Puerto Banus. Our only inland trip will be to Benalmadena Pueblo, where we enjoy the views and eat tappas in the square, but even this once bastion of traditional Spain is gradually falling victim to Sky bars situated just a short walk from the square. It's getting harder to enjoy a Spanish holiday in Spain, but perhaps we appreciate it because of the effort we put in.    

I think that you will find that the majority of brits who holiday in Spain are not looking for the real Spain. They just go for the weather. They prefer their normal food, football on tv and cheap drink. A sort of Margate with sun..........

Today's date is 4 .3.2015 I don't think the Spanish would like to go back to 19 60 when they went to work on a donkey. I think they have a preference to BMW

In the 60s my Gran had an outside loo. My cousins would queue up for the once weekly bath in the tin bath in front of the fire. The only two vehicles in the street were a James motorbike and a delivery van. If you wanted to make a phone call you went to a phone box and queue up in the post office (after booking an appointment) to make an international one as no-one had phones. Kids were being crippled or killed by polio and rickets was rife. The coal fire was cleaned out and lit every morning. If you travelled to Spain later on in the 60s you'd have only been able to bring 50 quid out with you due to currency controls but most people ventured no further than Barry Island, Blackpool or Skegness.

Ah, the good old days, eh?

And people who claim to have been coming to Spain for 50 years or more yet still can't spell tapas need to immerse themselves in the culture a little more.

Ah officer bobaol of the spelling police hath spoken, he/she 'claims' to be British but has made these elementary errors:-

60s sgould be 60's

Gran should be gran

Queue should be queued

50 years should be 50 years,

It helps when you claim to me a smart arse, if you actually are one.

By the way, we had enjoyed the benefits of a bathroom since the 1940's, I bought a brand new mini in 1966, we never had rickets or polio in the family and went to Torquay until our first venture abroad in 1964, are you sure that you aren't getting some eastern block country confused with the UK.

I've not checked my spelling as I don't purport to be a smart arse, and why bother when I've got you to do it for me?  

Hepa- a case of pot, kettle, black I think!

No apostrophe needed in 60 s!

No comma needed after 50 years!

Interesting spelling of "should"

GB45, I'm certain that you are correct, I said quite honestly what I liked and didn't like about Spain. This innocent post brought forth a reply from some semi literate person with a huge chip on their shoulder, who infers that I have never been to Spain because I spelt tapas incorrectly, and another who appears to think that they are Laurie Lee.

Such is life.  

Camposol,

You obviously missed out the last commemt in my terribly spelt and punctuated post, and why don't you attempt to stay on topic?

Pardon me, are you  not the poster who was  going  on about spelling and grammar?

 Can you not check your own spelling?

Comment, by the way!

Pardon me, did I imagine bobaol inferring that I had never visited Spain because I spelt tapas wrong.

Please try to answer the question rather than asking another. 

Well - the thing is Hephaestus, you give a list of 4 mistakes, and apart from one (queued - an obvious typo), the rest are all wrong.   My Gran does have a capital letter (because it is a specific gran).   Camposol is correct in all of the others.   I thought bobaoul's post pretty good, and obviously meant to be amusing.   Don't take it so personally.

As my thread appears to have caused WW111, I am asking admin to delete everything.

Hi all, these comments on spelling mistakes really don't help to add any value to the thread. They are off topic and completely unnecessary. We are not at school. People should be able to post on here without feeling their post is going to be proof read by others and criticised. Please ingnore these mistakes in the future and stay on topic. The thread will  be edited in due course, to avoid distracting new readers.

My point was that everything changes. People who live in the past will stay there and not move on. If Hep requires that the UK become a powerhouse of modernity whilst Spain remains rooted in the donkey riding days gone by then perhaps he should look elsewhere for his holidays and think about the impact on the lives of the Spanish rather than his idyll of everyone being fishermen and tilling the land.

What hasn't changed is that we still have a glut of people who try and tell others how to live their lives. That will never go away except that we now have the internet for them to impart their pearls of wisdom, more's the pity.

.

I refuse to perpetuate posts that have no bearing to my original comments and are bordering on lies.

Don't bother fishing for more bites, as you won't get any from me.

Finito

Do you not realise that forums are for people to air their views and opinions, and the fact that they will differ considerably makes it more interesting!

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Why the ganging up on Hephaestus, probably everyone makes the odd spelling mistake, often the predicted text seems to cause that? 'It aint like it wos a crimee, fink nuffink mor abaht it'

I don't want to be seen as picking on Hephaestus here but the comparisons made between Spain and the UK are very far from accurate. You're talking about a part of Spanish life that just doesn't reflect Spanish life in general and comparing to a part of English life that neither reflects English life.

Here in Spain there are thousands of bars full of people watching football on Canal+ instead of spending time with their families. Likewise, there are parks and promenades all over the UK with people walking their dogs and taking it slow. Kids walking home from school and couples taking a stroll on the beach holding hands whilst Spaniards are running round like headless chickens because they've got a million things to do and no time to do it. Life isn't that much different here.

Another point I'd like to make is that although many British come to Spain for their holidays and sit in English pubs watching Sky Sports, many many more go to other countries, nicer countries with cleaner streets and better cultures to explore, and they explore them, food and all. If you want this, you should try going to another country for your holidays. However, if you insist on returning to Spain for your hols, find out where the Spanish go and go there. It's not getting more difficult to enjoy a  Spanish holiday in Spain, it's a huge country and still has thousands of places to go and not be anywhere near other Brits.

I thought that I had made it crystal clear that we do go where the Spanish go, but practically everyone else has fabricated my thread, why should you be any different?