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Beautiful Britain

September 20, 2010 in Living in Britain, Repatriating to Britain by Paul Allen | 2 comments

If anyone doubts the beauty Britain has to offer take a trip to Salisbury.

Before moving to Spain I was wont to focus on those aspects of life in Britain that were inciting me to leave: the weather, grey and litter-strewn streets, high living costs, crime levels, images of the country’s rundown inner cities, overburdened health and education systems.

Spanish life promised a more gilded existence. Towns of quaint narrow streets and sunshine burnished buildings, café-lined plazas and open-air markets, the turquoise Mediterranean, vast tracts of undeveloped farmland and forest, lower prices and a more relaxed pace of life.

But having now repatriated to the UK after seven years of living abroad I am seeing the beauty of my homeland with fresh eyes. I have a new appreciation of the rolling green landscapes, its woods of oak and elm and beech, those chocolate-box villages, the BBC.

And historic cities such as Salisbury.

I had my first visit there a few weeks ago. Centrepiece is the magnificent medieval Cathedral, completed in 1258 and considered the finest example of its type in the country. Less jaw-droppingly impressive, but equally charming, are the surrounding Cathedral Close and the rest of the medieval city centre.

Sitting amidst the tourist throngs on the lawns beside the Cathedral I saw the city as they must. And it made me realise just how beautiful England – and the rest of the UK – really can be. Not a bad place to live after all.

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Living Abroad and the Joys of Family Support

June 2, 2010 in Living Abroad Pros and Cons by Paul Allen | No comments

It was my wedding anniversary yesterday, which put me in mind of some of the good and bad aspects of living abroad.

Unlike our actual wedding day, when we were fortunate to be bathed in sunshine from dawn to dusk, yesterday saw uninterrupted grey, glowering skies. The sort of poor excuse for summer for which Britain is renowned.

But that is what the English weather holds. One day it can be glorious, when you think summer is finally here to stay; the next it is cold, wet and windy. Temperamental.

It’s not what we had become accustomed to during our years living on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, where a long summer of heat and sunshine were guaranteed, promising endless days in the pool or on the beach. Indeed, it was one of the major reasons for us moving abroad in the first place. Re-acclimatising to what England has to offer will not be easy.

The upside to repatriating to the UK is the contact it gives us with family and friends, and the support network that is now on hand.

Yesterday, for instance, my in-laws offered to babysit, giving my wife and me the chance to head off to a restaurant for the evening. It was the first time we had been able to go out to celebrate our anniversary since our children were born, as living abroad meant there was no extended family around to watch them.

Such constraints don’t affect all expats. But If you’ve been used to having parents or siblings around to lend a hand while you go to the shops or the doctor, or look after the kids while you have a well-earned night out with friends or your partner, then their sudden absence can come as a big shock. Something to consider!

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May Day!

May 5, 2010 in Repatriating to Britain, Working Abroad by Paul Allen | No comments

It had a certain inevitability. The UK’s May Day bank holiday weekend beckoned, but after a surprisingly warm and sunny April what happened? A washout.

The bank holiday was supposed to see us picnicking in the local park, catching up with old friends, many of whom we hadn’t seen for years thanks to our expatriation. A chance for us to meet each other’s kids, reflect on how we’ve all changed in the seven years since we moved to Spain.

But the rain, whipped up by a north-east wind and chilled by 10°C temperatures, put paid to that. Time for Plan B. So we found ourselves splashing through puddles en route to a tenpin bowling alley in a desperate attempt to find some indoor activity to keep the children entertained.

The usual British holiday routine, in other words. Welcome home!

Mind you, it’s no better in the corner of Spain where we used to live. From the Catalan meteorological bureau I see much of the Pyrenean region is being layered in fresh dumps of snow at the moment. And the Costa Bravan coast – normally basking in warm Mediterranean sunshine by now – is stuck with maximum temperatures of just 13°C, while being pummelled by rain and the fierce northerly wind known as the tramuntana.

Seems the cold winter so many parts of the world experienced this year just doesn’t want to let go. What will summer bring, I wonder?

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Global Recession and Its Impact on Your Moving Abroad Plans

January 14, 2009 in Expat Locations by Paul Allen | No comments

For many people Spain epitomizes the moving abroad dream: a country that offers the prospect of year-round sunshine, lower living costs and a more relaxed pace of life.

Not surprising then that year after year Spain has proven to be one of the most popular destinations for expatriates from around the world, with 10% of its 45 million population now made up of foreign nationals.

Yet the beneath the alluring sheen of the Mediterranean sun all is not well.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The Cost of Living Abroad

August 15, 2008 in Dream Lifestyle by Paul Allen | No comments

We had some friends come to visit last Saturday. They were on holiday in France, a couple of hours up the road, and so took the opportunity to drive across the border into our corner of northern Spain to see us for the day.

 

Last time they did the same journey they got held up for hours in traffic and shortly after they arrived we were hit by a massive thunderstorm. This time though the journey was quick and the sky cloudless. After they arrived we all went in our pool for an hour. Their three young children thought it was marvellous – a pool in the back garden!

 

Afterwards we had a long lunch. And then later in the afternoon, when the sun had dipped a little, we strolled along to the beach, where we swam and built sandcastles with the children.

 

Both sets of kids played nicely together all day and had a wonderful time. As did we adults. At the end of the day the parents turned to us and said, “You have a great life here.”

 

They were right. We know it. That’s why we moved here in the first place, for the long sunny summers, to have the Mediterranean on our doorstep.

 

For our friends it was a perfect holiday day: the sun, the warmth, the pool, the beach. By contrast, for us it was a pretty normal Saturday. No doubt we’ll be doing something similar this weekend.

 

And our choice of location has been reaffirmed all week. Each day has dawned bright and clear. It’s been relentless sunshine and baking temperatures.

 

Britain, meanwhile, has been enjoying its traditional August weather: rainy, windy and cold.

 

There is a downside though to this ‘idyllic’ existence, and that shone through the day after our friends were here. At breakfast our three-year old asked: “When can we see them again? I miss them already.”

 

And, of course, we do too. Whenever we get together with them we have fun. If we were in England they would be among our closest friends. But we’re not. Instead we see them once a year at best, more often once every two years.

 

And that’s the pattern of our life. It seems we, and our young daughters, are always saying goodbye to the people we love: my wife’s parents, our siblings, nieces and nephews and friends. And our daughters wonder why.

 

Yes, we do have a great lifestyle here. It’s all the things we wanted. If only our family and friends would move over too! Then it would be complete.

 

But that’s not going to happen. So instead there is a choice: a great lifestyle in one place, or family and dear friends in another.

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Holiday Season

July 4, 2008 in Living in Spain by Paul Allen | No comments

So we’ve hit July, which marks the high summer season on the Spanish costas, and indeed all round the Mediterranean.

 

The beginning of the month sees the start of the school holidays in France, and so we get the French influx as people hop across the border. They are followed by ever growing numbers of Dutch and Belgians and Germans. Then, at the end of July, the Brits start to roll in. And once we get into August it’s the Spaniards, many of whom stick to tradition and have the whole month as vacation.

 

From now through to August 31 the beaches will be packed, the restaurants and bars mobbed, the roads chock full of cars with foreign plates driven by people who haven’t a clue where they’re going.

 

It’s both a boost and a bane.

 

I hate the fact that I can’t even get in the car park at the local supermarket, and that the check-out queues will stretch back to the ends of the aisles. That the idyllic and almost deserted beachside pathway we stroll along most days out of season will become so crowded that there’s now a 50-50 chance of getting run over by a cyclist or out of control roller-blader.

 

But I like the life the summer, and its tourists, bring to the place. Like so many coastal places, our little fishing town can be somewhat ghostly through the winter. But in summer it’s pulsing.

 

And of course we get to enjoy the blessed golden days and balmy nights that attract the tourists in the first place. It’s the price, I suppose, of paradise.

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Spanish School Holidays

June 20, 2008 in Education Abroad by Paul Allen | No comments

My daughter broke up from school for the summer holidays yesterday. That’s twelve weeks of glorious freedom ahead.

 

It’s probably just in time too. After an unusually wet and cool spring in our north-eastern corner of Spain the weather has taken a sudden change. Summer has arrived with a vengeance – cloudless skies, little more than a zephyr of breeze, and soaring temperatures. And the forecast is for more of the same, only getting hotter.

 

The full heat of a Spanish summer therefore makes the long vacation something of a necessity. And of course it’s fantastic for the kids. When I was growing up our six week summer break from school seemed like forever. But three months! And being able to spend it on a Mediterranean beach … it makes me green just thinking about it.

 

Still, it’s not so great for the parents, for two reasons.

 

Firstly, three months is a long time to be out of the school routine, with its timetable and the habit of learning that comes with being in the classroom. So how are you going to keep them from going crazy with boredom and in that learning mindset through the extended break, so they’re not hardened against school and all it represents when they go back in the autumn?

 

And secondly, if both parents go out to work, as is increasingly common, what are you going to do about childcare? Foist your little angels off on the grandparents for three months? Get a nanny? Quit your job?

 

Or maybe do what many of the Spanish parents seem to and enrol the children in summer school for the duration. Makes you wonder then though why the education department bothers having the long summer break!

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10 Reasons To Move To Spain

May 15, 2008 in Living in Spain by Paul Allen | No comments

According to a study by Currencies Direct, Spain continues to top the list of retirement hotspots for Brits who actually want to enjoy some sun in their sunset years. And it’s not hard to see why.

 

But Spain’s allure is not limited to pensioners. Rather, it consistently ranks as the second most popular destination for British émigrés of all stripes. So here are 10 reasons why you might want to consider it too.

 

1)      Sunshine

Let’s face it, a plentiful supply of sunshine is always more appealing than endless days of rain (unless you’re an Australian farmer). And Spain, by and large, receives a bountiful supply of those golden rays throughout the year. Plus you won’t even have to leave home for your summer holidays anymore.

 

2)      Outdoor Activities

Sunshine and warmth – perfect ingredients for enjoying the Great Outdoors, whatever your interests: sailing, cycling, golf, painting, or simply paddling around at the beach. And in the winter there’s decent skiing in the Sierra Nevadas in the south, or the Pyrenees in the north.

 

3)      Natural Beauty

Unfortunately Spain has become synonymous with overdevelopment and tawdry beach resorts. But for those that want them there are still plenty of low-key towns and unspoilt stretches of coast to be found.

 

And once away from the Mediterranean there is a surprising diversity of landscapes: from the wilds of Galicia, to the lush forests of the Basque country, and the majestic Picos de Europa or Aigüestortes national parks.

 

4)      Cost of Living

Spain has become noticeably more expensive, especially since the euro came into effect. Nevertheless, prices for food, alcohol, petrol and property – to name just a few items – are still lower than in the UK.

 

5)      Food and Drink

Spain may not be a gourmet capital like France or Italy, but its cuisine is not restricted to paella and tortilla either. And if you doubt it, take a visit to the Basque region, where the food has a deservedly high reputation. As for the wine …!

 

6)      Pace of Life

While the pace may be picking up in big cities, Spain in general continues to adopt a more relaxed approach to the clock. Siestas remain commonplace too. Great if you have time to go with the flow!

 

7)      Health Care

Spain’s health care system was rated seventh in the world by the World Health Organization when it compiled a report on the subject back in 2000. And in my experience (having had two children here, one with severe allergies) its reputation is deserved: the staff are well-trained, and facilities are modern, well-equipped and clean.

 

8)       Family Life

Spanish families tend to be close knit, with plenty of contact across the generations. They are also children oriented, with kids the centre of attention for doting family members and strangers alike (which is great if you happen to have some yourself).

 

9)      Fiestas

Fiestas are a central feature of Spanish life. Famous ones like the bull-running in Pamplona (San Fermín) or Sevilla’s Semana Santa are well worth a visit if you can get there. But each village, town and city has its own catalogue of saints’ days and feast days too, which can be just as entertaining and intoxicating (in every sense).

 

10)  Cultural Riches

Spain’s glory days as a world force may be long gone, but it carries with it a wealth of history and culture: from the magnificent art galleries of Madrid and Barcelona to architectural jewels such as the Alhambra in Granada, the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and Bilbão’s Guggenheim museum. Or you can simply soak up the atmosphere with a stroll around one of its many beautiful cities: Salamanca, Toledo, León, Girona, Sevilla …

 

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Here Comes The Sun

May 1, 2008 in Living in Spain by Paul Allen | No comments

All is not well here in Catalunya. Around town I see the same long faces, the disconsolate shakes of the head. “What went wrong?” you can see the men asking. Yep, a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford means FC Barcelona are out of the Champions’ League, and with it goes their last hope of winning a trophy this season. Depressing times for the Barca faithful.

 

Still, at least Spring appears to have finally sprung.

 

It’s been a decidedly mixed start to the season here in the north-east of Spain. Short periods of warmth, when you get ready to crack open the summer wardrobe, followed by days of high winds and rain. For much of April it has been colder than it was in January and February. My three-year old daughter even saw her first hailstorm last week.  

 

Yet at last we are bathed in sunshine. The wind has dropped to a light sea breeze, and the mercury is rising into the mid-20s centigrade. My favourite season has (fingers crossed) arrived.

 

It is a wondrous time of year in our little corner of the world. Flowers explode from the hedgerows, the apple trees in the surrounding orchards are covered in pink and white blossoms, and the Mediterranean sparkles a translucent turquoise under the strengthening sun.

 

Unfortunately, it’s not such a joy for everyone. The guy who brings our weekly delivery of organic fruit and vegetables arrived yesterday looking thoroughly miserable. He pointed to the trees. “Pollen allergy,” he told me. And he’ll suffer with it, he said, for the next two months.

 

Ever since moving to Spain five years ago my wife has suffered the same. She never had a problem in England. But the change in climate and environment seems to have been the trigger. Like me, Spring was always her favourite season. Not any more. Now it is purgatory, a torment of continual sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, and sleepless nights. Three months that simply have to be endured, days and weeks wished away.

 

At least there’s the prospect of hot summer days on the beach to look forward to though …  

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