3 Kings

Christmas in Spain

Christmas in Spain differs in many ways from the normal celebrations in England, the US and other western countries. For a start, it is nowhere near as blatantly commercialised. The Spanish treat Christmas very much more as a religious event. It is very rare to see Christmas lights, displays and produce in stores much before December.
Every town and city will have its streets adorned and decorated with lights and nativity displays. These displays have very important religious meaning and are called the Belén.  Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas. Pointsettiers are everywhere, with their red foliage.

Christmas

Christmas Eve is called Nochebuena (goodnight) and is the most important family gathering of the year.
People will often meet in bars early in the evening for a few drinks with friends then return home to the family and have their main celebratory meal. Fish or seafood starters followed by a roast will be a typical meal. Lamb or pork is the usual fare, not turkey as is the normal custom.
A Christmas sweet called turrón often follows. This is a nougat made from sweetened roasted almonds.
Spanish champagne, called Cava, is usually the preferred drink for the Christmas toast but you can be sure that plenty of fine Spanish wines will also be uncorked for the celebrations!
By contrast, Christmas Day will be a much calmer affair with the family getting over the night before.
Perhaps a visit to a local bar or a stroll through the square might be suggested.
There may be small presents for the children but the main present-giving day doesn’t come until January 6th - Three Kings Day.

The New Year

On December 28th we have Santos Innocentes (Holy innocents) day. This is much like April Fools Day and many people, organisations and the media play the usual tricks and spoofs to join in the fun.
New Year’s Eve is called Noche Vieja (old night) and is pretty much the same as anywhere in the world with much partying into the early hours of the morning.
As everything starts so late in Spain, people tend to stay in until midnight and then go out to celebrate after the traditional 12 Grapes ceremony.
Basically everyone has 12 grapes ready for midnight and at the stroke of midnight one grape has to be eaten on each chime of the clock. This is supposed to bring you good luck for the coming year.
New Year’s Day is a day of rest and recuperation - asprin for headaches!

Three Kings Day.

This starts on the evening of January 5th with excitement, processions and floats in every town.
The Three Kings and their helpers throw thousands of sweets (caramelos) from their floats to all the children and anyone else who comes out to watch.
Every town will have its own special way of celebrating this event. In some coastal towns the Three Kings may arrive by boat before the procession. Or in the ski centre of Sierra Nevada they even arrive by skiing down into the village.
The Three Kings Day proper is January 6th. This is the most important day of the year for the children, who will wake up to find that the Three Kings (los Reyes Magos) have visited and left them presents in the night.
That’s if they’ve been good, of course!
Throughout the day the Three Kings will carry on the good work and visit children in hospitals and in other less fortunate circumstances.
On January 7th it’s all over. Kids back to school, mum and dad back to work, situation back to usual
Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad) to you all. Si Si Si

Just an update in case you were wondering.................

Its warm here, tshirt weather, after a cold spell and 3 days of rain with all the buckets and butts full to capacity, it is now warm enough for the beach in the early afternoon with the sun highest in the sky. 

The snow on the mountain horizon  has melted away, replaced by cloudless skies. Ok temperatures plummet at night, and the calor gas heater is on one bar. Spanish homes are not well built, no accounting for rain drainage, insulation, they are just cheap concrete frame constructions, bung it up that will do, in Spanish. Electricity is marginally better than Michael Faraday's system, wood is crap. If they did not have the sun, they would have the country to themselves riding donkeys on dirt tracks.

So odd jobs need to be done, like when electric wall socket arcs out, kitchen drawer fronts need replacing, etc etc.  The Spanish think   ( I use that term loosely)    that when it rains it will go to the sea eventually and what's left will evaporate eventually. None of them like gardens, they are all tiled over, hence the rain runs off into flash floods...dozy Diego's.

I did talk to Huello this morning as I picked up litter left from a parked car. No he was not down at  the school yard, me and Huello were in the street , he lives opposite. He is a rare hombre, he does not gargle when he speaks and he actually cares about outside his window. A rare Spaniard indeed.

Another new thing I have come across is you cannot trust the picture on the packet, it does NOT do what it says on the tin. Now I thought all Europe had the same Brussels legislation. It is that which makes Bird's Eye Unilever state "Gravy with Beef slices" on the pack, swimming in water.  Not here. Of course not I hear you heckle. No, here the Paella in a pack frozen, has NO rice, contrary to the picture. Toasted sandwiches in foil turn out to be cheese slices.  Spanish humour, no probably Spanish intelligence.  You may now think I have the same opinion of the Spanish as I do flies and other pesty insects, you would not be far wrong, but all us Northern Europeans have the same opinion, I am rather more verbose and blunt about them.

Of course there are exceptions, like Huello, even if he is not down by the school yard, nor for that matter is he related to double glazing.  There are helpful senoritas in shops, some actually speak English and again are less fluent in gargling. But I have to say their education system here is poor. For a start the kids have to learn 2 lots of Spanish, local dialect (gargling)  and proper Spanish. So as they are not at school long, there is not much time for anything else. Plus the fact that under Generalismo Franco 1938 to 1975, the women were sent to fields not school. Many cannot read or write. Maybe that is why Huello is not down by the school yard. Indeed on the maybe front, maybe they gargle all the time cos of the garlic, and maybe that's why they shout and holler, cos no one understands what they are gargling about, all the words rolling into one long gargle..................

Come to think of it the supermarket shelves have numerous varieties of Listerine !!!

So on a more positive note, really??  really??  don't hold your breath though. I have been invited to write for Spurs Mad !!! An internet Fanzine news letter, not that I write anything positive of course. Actually I do. I write Player Profiles, of the players I like, the ones that try.  I just slag off the manager big time and the lily livered players in lily white shirts. So much so that one reader thought I was a Daily Mail reporter hahahahahhahahahaha. However it is constructive criticism, not just torpedoes. "Fire 1, Fire 2. Dive Dive Dive."

Talking about rumbles.........We had another earth tremor during the night, its like a train going by on the underground, except the nearest underground is 400 miles away in Madrid. Last one we had was May which was more violent. Apparently, if we are insured, the Government will bail us out for acts of god, floods, earthquakes.

Scruffy has now fully recovered. Not that he caused earthquakes, rather small for that. He is the Toys are Us dog with too short legs. His back ones packed up cos of the high kerbs, he was very bad for weeks, but  now I can throw away the disabled badge after home therapy. Medicine actually for all animals including humans, it not very good here and not cheap.

Which brings me on to Christmas, (tonic, cheer, loose link).  WE are going to the Lemon Tree Restaurant Christmas Day 2pm. There is Tony Francis singing. He is a great act, funny with it. We have become friends, surely not, sure we have. He is also performing New years Eve too at Antonios. 

So Santa Amazon has been ordered to turn up and descend down the chimney for the grand kids.

Susan will be flying to England in January. I will be driving (I think)  for February the 17th to England, which is half term for Emily and Josephine, then Dereham, and going back with supplies  in the boot. There is an Iceland here but it is 50% more expensive  than in England. Carrefour  Hypermarket has an Ingleterre section, but there are some things that the Spanish has never thought of, dreamed of, blankety blank expressions, not even a gargle from them.

I see the Kiwi's are back now having had a good time with the all blacks (Tullis in NZ  for those non comprendez)

Right that will do for now, Hasta Pronto, run out of things to say, unlike you, well all good things have to come to some kind of end, so that was good was it, well not bad, surely...surely not.  Stop calling me surely.!!!!

Adios

It's been 6 months now  since an Englishman set sail and lived abroad.

If you remember, the house is part of a complex of holiday homes  purpose built in the 80's on waste land. Each Complex, and there are many surround a central swimming pool and garden.

Now it's November and for the first time it's not shorts and maybe a tshirt. It is wearing English clothes. 5 degrees centigrade at night with clear star night and 15  during the day, warm enough to sit out in. Sunny breezy.  The weather change was rapid  about  one week into November from hot to cool. Of course the sun is much lower in the sky and it's dark about 6pm. It has rained a couple of times, though not like the cyclone that hit Sardinia in the Med  and flooded them out  killing many.

That cyclone could have hit anywhere. 100 miles south of here roads were washed away by flash floods  last summer.  When it rains the ground is baked hard, and also many Spaniards tile over their gardens, they don't like gardens, or the outside. They should live in caves.

There are no real seasons here though apart from temperature changes.   You can plant flowers and seeds anytime, they will grow. Of course better when warmer, but no need for a leaf rake, there are very few deciduous trees and bushes. Even the English plants I brought over in the truck are still in leaf.

So still sunny and bright, though need a gas fire on in the evening and can only eat lunch outside now, each day.

So what else to report after 6 months.

Well, just more of the same:

1)  The Spanish men are, short, rude, noisy, uneducated, scruffy in general. No I would not fancy any of them anyway, but I have to admit I hate the hombres.

2)  Their other halves shout to get heard or over heard and use repetitive words , I guess for affect. Cannot say yes , Si, it is "Si, si si si". So  not much time for breathing, but they seem not to die, unfortunately, nor does smoking kill them. The Majority of Spanish men and women smoke and drop their fag ends and empty cigarette boxes in the street, alongwith drinks containers.

3) The Spanish don't care about anything or anyone except themselves. Anti social behaviour is here in Spain as well as in England. They have no concerns for the environment, animals, each other. They are too lazy  to do most everyday things. They are litter louts, don't recycle, even though the authorities provide the means. They are awful drivers, Matadors behind the steering wheel. I don't know what on earth they learn in school or for that matter in a driving school  car. The end result  is they do not indicate. On a roundabout for instance, they will hold the inside lane and go all the way round to get to their exit, not indicating and holding that inside lane.  But still they don't kill each other enough, though their are many cars with dents.

4) Noisy  (Ruidoso)  They know where the horn is though, drive with mobile phones, fags, and Spanish bongo drum disco music emanating from their open car windows.  So no consideration there. Same at Zebra Crossings, Spanish  accelerate at those. They too can't send kids walking to school, they have to go by car. Also they cannot park a car, double park, across entrances, on zebra crossings. They would be better off riding a donkey.

5) However find a park sit  in relative peace and quiet see the turquoise sea and the mountains that surround here. See the salt lakes, they are pink, like the Pink Flamingos that inhabit them. Or go to the beach, it's busier, but picturesque. The palm tree lined roads are incredible. Orange, lemons and limes  grow on trees in the main streets. The Northern Europeans all holiday or live here for the sun. The food and drink is cheap too. But some things you cannot get here. Decent medicine, for instance. So driving to England every now and then to see relatives and stock up with the unobtainable  is essential. Most restaurants and bars  have closed for the winter, some only open weekends and lunch times. Weekends  still see Spanish travel here for Friday night Saturday, go back Sunday. But  much quieter and civilised now compared to July and August when the riff raff are here in force and numbers.

So on the whole the English Man is content with the better weather. He can survive day to day, without fluent Spanish, after all when the Spanish talk it is similar to gargling or water going down a sink. There are plenty of English speaking people here, in business too, though the Spanish rarely speak a word of English.
It is a learning curve. Like in England the utility companies Water  Electricity try to make everyone poor. There are insufficient individual solar panel  users, even though the sun shines 360 days a year. When the Northern Europeans get ill they go home. But, I don't miss England. I have the internet, English TV, and one can live like this knowing just a few people, as long as they are not Spanish.

Oh btw  dont forget the pesky flies, who are worse the Spanish or the flies ?? close call that one !!!

When in Spain...look out !!!!

Now, as you can see on the map Spain is in Europe and the European Union. Bottom left corner for those that never did Geography at school.
In fact the banks and the government were bailed out of bankruptcy by Brussels, which means mainly IOU's to Germany. So that does not matter, because the Germans can afford it hahahhahahahahha.

Spain's national dish is not a Seniorita, it is Paella.

In Britain, Birds Eye have to call their beef slices "Gravy with Beef Slices"  and show a replica picture on the packet of what is inside. All logical so far then.  Birds Eye and others  tell the truth on their food packs because they would rather sell us water than solids as it is cheaper and more profit for the greedy bosses. They are made to by regulations from Brussels to all members. After all everyone should play by the same rules, then it is free trade and fair competition.  Again all logical.

However it would seem the Spanish do what they like.

A month ago I saw a packet showing a picture of a ham and cheese toasted sandwich. I naturally thought in the sealed foil was a ham and cheese toasted sandwich, just heat and serve.  When I got home, opened it for lunch it was full of individually wrapped thin cheese slices so thin they stuck to the polythene wrapper.  "Worse thing I ever bought" when I showed my sister who was out here recently and who ironically works for Morrison's Supermarkets.

Now last night, once bitten, not shy, bitten again. This time Paella as depicted. The artist impression is complete make believe, made by Frudesa,  the pack contains no rice, yes NO RICE.  In addition the langostines are crustacea only NO Meat.

So the moral of this tale is dont trust packet food in Spain, they are having a laugh. They clearly ignore European Union Consumer Protection legislation and Standards of honesty and fair trade. These packs were sold in major supermarkets.

It is just another example of how the Spaniards don't care about anything except themselves. Sweeping Generalisation, but by 6 months observation , spot on and true. They hate the English and none of the Northern Europeans have a good word to say about them as a nation, rude, noisy, short and ignorant.  5 adjectives  will do for now, else I need a toilet roll to carry on describing them.

Españoles hacen lo que quieren, no se preocupan por nadie más

More Paella anyone?  Oh have I put you off,  look there is plenty left !!! Go on  have a bit more.....................please.....................No Thanks.

Spain's population shrinks as immigrants flee economic crisis
People queue outside a job centre in Madrid. Photo: April 2013
High unemployment levels force many Spaniards and foreign residents to leave the country
Continue reading the main story

Spanish economic decline worsens

Spain's population fell last year for the first time in decades, as immigrants left the country amid a major economic crisis, officials say.

The National Statistic Institute (NSI) says the number of residents dropped by almost 206,000 to 47.1m - the decline entirely accounted for by foreigners.

Immigrants from Ecuador and Colombia showed the biggest fall.

The figures do not take into account many Spaniards who have left in search of work but are still on the census.

'Less attractive'
The statistics agency recorded Spain's first population drop since the regular census began in the 1990s.

Although the number of native Spaniards grew in 2012 by some 10,000 - it only minimally offset the overall fall of nearly 216,000 among registered foreign residents.

The figures show that the ongoing economic crisis has reversed the country's rapid population growth in the decade before the financial crisis erupted in 2008.

The bursting of the property bubble and high unemployment levels compounded the situation, forcing many economic migrants from South America and Eastern Europe to leave the country.

"Spain is less attractive because there are no jobs," Albert Esteve of the Barcelona Centre for Demographic Studies told Spain's National Radio.

27% unemployment, not even siesta cover. under 25's no job no education !!!!!!

Spain’s education system is not widely considered to be among the strongest in the European Union. Under General Franco for 39 years women were not taught to read  or write.

Spain has one of the lowest rates in Europe for children staying in school beyond the age of 16

Nice People...surely Not !!!

I've had Man flu  for the last few days, and as any female would tell you, it is as close to being a zombie  as possible.  Anyway, this Zombie goes into the Farmacia (and dont ask me how anyone can get flu in hot and sunny Spain). The Zombie has not been to the ATM  because he has been a zombie for a few days and the ATMs  charge 5% commission for using a machine instead of a human being who earns wages (presumeably)  if you use a Spanish Bank card. If you use English, no charge. Yes you read it right. In Spain they charge for Spanish cards not English, such is the logic when the sun clearly affects the mentality.

Anyway I digress, and keep saying anyway, so anyway... I did not have enough money for 2 bottles DOS  of cough medicine which I badly needed and had run out of 1 bottle una  in 24 hours  48 hours earlier, and guess what, the cough came back.  No, not an echo,  I started coughing  again. So plan B was to buy 2 bottles, not one, hope you are still with me, and have not nodded off yet. Really we are coming to a conclusion soon, when?? soon !!

Anyway (there is that word again)  I did not have enough money, the Spanish Hombre sales assistant  was not helpful, what Spanish Hombre is polite and helpfull, I have not met Una or Uno  yet.

BUT, wait for it, an English man tourist came up behind me and said         "what you short of mate, 2 euros, here" and handed me the coin.  Startled by this stranger's generousity and pleasantly surprised I was able to hand him a one euro  (una) coin back, and thanked him unreservedly.

So, (instead of anyway)  The whole point of this short story that I have made long, is that, there are nice people out there, and sometimes they even creep up behind you, when you are not looking, but fumbling with a handfull of chocolate button money at a Chemist Counter.

How am I now, did I here you ask, well even if you did not ask, I'll tell you anyway (this word should be banned)  as long as you are still reading mind you. I am well,  almost cured. Overdosed on the said acquired medicine, sparked out in the sun for 4 hours, and the kill or cure approach to Doctoring   seems to have paid off, cured not dead. Though AFTER READING THIS  YOU MAY BE WISHING OTHERWISE, HO HO HO,  !!!

Thats all for now folks, stay tuned to this channel.......  else you might miss something like a hole in the head!!!!!  Adios Amigo Amiga, Hasta Pronto

November 1st

A Bank Holiday here for Halloween. Well any excuse the Spanish need not to work. They have lots of holidays.  Sunny  24 Centigrade in the shade  at lunch time. Sunbathing.  It does get cool at night and need a sweatshirt on, but during the day shorts only still.

The  plants are still in flower, even the English imports  brought over in the back of a van.  No autumn leaves here, all evergreen. Can't say I miss the dead leaves on the pavement, pretty for 2 weeks, on the trees but a signal of death and winter looming, no thanks, prefer blue skies and palm trees.  

The clocks went  forward last week, so it's lighter in the morning, dark by 7pm.  I wish they would leave the clocks alone, it's only shifting darkness from one end of the day to another, pointless. I dont like dark, its boring.

Thankfully most of the Spanish  have gone to their winter quarters. In the summer it's so hot they only emerge from their cave like dwellings at dusk, like Dwarfs living underground. Soon the locals will be wrapped up in coat duvets like Michelin X men .

Today would have been a glorious English Summer's day.

Spanish Tourism incentives (not)

I am going to try to post this on a Spanish Tourism website.

My sister and niece came over for 3 days.  They thought my assessment of the Spanish was exaggerated, until they tried to to put their hand luggage in the Ryan Air overhead lockers, only to be barged out of the way by 2 Spanish cursing men. My sister is aged 72, my niece 50.

Within hours of landing, they come to my garden only to witness a drunken Spanish hombre  have a fierce argument with me at my locked gate , as this hombre hated the English and was one of those that did not keep the complex locked and secure and PRIVADO, by closing the gate after him. By the Way he started the aggression and it was the 3rd time I had street aggression from him in 2 weeks.

Then they witnessed me calling 112 Emergency to get help against this crazy  El Loco hombre. Only for the police to call back twice and put the phone down on me, twice. When I called emergency again they said they could not tell the police what to do, only ask them, and it would be better to go to the Police Station.  Well Crime prevention and resolving a breach of the peace there then on the spot, I think NOT.

That was Sunday afternoon. The following day on a show around walk about, my sister, who has had 2 heart attacks last year,  is not as fast a walker anymore, and when we try to cross a clear road, another El Loco , this time behind a steering wheel appears from round the bend accelerates sounding his horn continuously for 100 metres and zooms past .  The next day they go on a bus to town with a local English woman acquaintance (75 yrs) and are jostled as they get on the bus by a Spanish girl.

Now I am used to this exhibition of Spanish culture, Spanish Manners, Spanish Rudeness.  However what with stories of a first day first time holiday maker family from England in a hire car getting stopped by police taken to the Bank ATM, to withdraw on 2 cards 450 Euros in on the spot fines for so called driving offences, these are not the sort of stories you read in the glossy magazines and brochures.

What with the litter, the dog fouling and the foul mouthed Spaniards, it displays a lack of education and consideration.  In fact you could liken Spain to a 3rd World Country and it's population.

Of course there are exceptions, They are smiles and pleasant to you when they want your money for a coffee or food etc..The educated ones are in the real world. However in the street these obnoxious members of their race  are NOT a minority, far from it. Their acts of rudeness  are significantly noticeable every day. The educated are a clear and obvious minority.Yes there is a language barrier. Listening to Spanish is not easy to understand  for most non Spaniards. However actions speaks volumes and louder than words.

IF the sun did not shine in Spain, the economy would have collapsed decades ago. It is only tourism and foreign investment  that keeps this country going. However the locals  do nothing to encourage holiday makers and investors back again.  Many are left with a bad impression of the Spanish, not of Spain, but the Spanish..

The Spanish in general would not  care, because they appear not to care about anything.

Its a Kinda Magic Magic ....Magic..............

Do you ever have a magic moment?  One of those times when you kind of  step out of yourself have a good look around and say, stop the watch, stop the time, this is nice, I don't want it to end.

I have had those moments, had one this afternoon about 2pm. I had been gardening all morning. Out here people throw away a lot of things including plants, small trees. No reason to throw them away except they are "Gandual Spanish"  Lazy Spanish.  So I pick these things up if they are any good. Even a brand new teflon frying pan.  Anyway I got this variegated leaf small tree from the skip last night, left it in water overnight, planted it this morning, meant rearranging few things.

Then I sat in the swimming pool. Only one there...bliss. No riff raff, no nobody, excellent. Then as I sat immersed in the pool 20 House Martins decided to swoop and dive bomb me. I think they had seen Torra Torra Torra and thought the pool was Pearl Harbour. They fly along the surface of the water to dip their beaks in for a flying drink. Well I was on my Jack Jones  but more like Davy Jones without the locker, and it was complete  harmony, tranquility, watching these wonderful colourful birds fly and swoop and circle all around  me as I cooled off. Magic.

To be at one in that setting, made you realise that life can be good sometimes, worth living for. No money spent, just a gratis reward. Simple Pleasure, true pleasure.

Sunny Beach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X0FjlybCqs

Todays photos are courtesy of Allan Sharpe walkabout dot com (Spanish Division)

I have sunbathed in England as early as February once about 15 years ago and as late as October once about 10 years ago.

Wednesday Sept 25th 2013,  the beaches here still busy. 31 degrees centigrade at high noon.

Also , on the old translation front ruidoso means noisy. Estra en silencio means be quiet.

Phrases and words often used by the Northern Europeans, but NOT the Spanish. In fact when they talk to each other, it  is quite easy to mistake that you think you left the tap running and the water is gurgling down the plug hole.

Shame a dutch coffee shop near here is closing down, through lack of trade. She made a good job of the place looking clean and pleasant, spent   thousands, now giving up. The place is barren and forlorn. Sad.

When in Spain don't do as the Spaniards do

Perspective

I have traveled quite a lot in the world on business and pleasure in my years. Now I am domiciled in Spain. Like all Northern Europeans here, we are here for the sun, no  other reason. Away from gale force winds, never ending winters, wet summers. The Spanish might not like it, but tough, their country would be in an even worse economic plight if it was not for tourism and Northern European money.

There are many parts of the world I would still like to see. Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the cities of Eastern Europe, China.

So those that I have seen how do they compare with Spain. Well Spain is poor. Bailed out by Brussels, it's economy is still in the toilet. It's people are poor, except for the bankers, they are the highest paid in Europe and no doubt the main reason why Spanish Economy is in ruins. Property Prices have slumped. It enabled me a passage though 6 months ago and many others. Lots of places to buy or rent. Holiday homes sitting empty.

Its people are poor and poorly educated. For almost 40 years they lived in fear under the dictator General Franco. In fact when I first visited Spain in the late 60's you could not drink tap water and the police were feared. Franco died in 1975 and democracy and monarchy were restored to Madrid, but that legacy must have impacted on almost 2 generations, where if you spoke out of turn you were at best locked up, at worse shot. The old folk now  lived under that tyranny. They brought up their kids under that tyranny.

There is 25% unemployment in Spain. When you look at them, you can see why. It is the same in England, there are unempoloyables, people who will never get a job, wasters. Same here, they wander the streets, they look like gypsies.  They are not many but significant enough to be objectionable and an irritant, and tarnish the rest of them.

I was born into poverty, by a single parent, in a poor neighbourhood. I somehow escaped, found a better life, mainly through education. I was the only child for miles around to go to the Grammar school. I was left alone, home alone,  so I read encyclopaedias.  I played games left hand against right hand, left foot against right foot. I found a way out, like my name means in welsh Allan = Exit.

I find certain Spanish men intolerable, even though I do have compassion for the under privileged, I don't suffer fools gladly, I make fools suffer. Why?  because Hombres here have no respect for others and their environment. They are not much better than gutter snipes. The lowest of the low that you get in England, the anti social behaviour mob, that I used to deal with .  Same here. Would be Matadors, rude, bad manners, scruffy, litter louts. It starts from an early age. Spanish girls get pregnant early. Worse rate in Europe for young pregnancies. Roman Catholic country, steeped in religious history, blasphemy, spanish inquisition, the church is all powerful, hence no birth control. These kids then wander the streets  up to 2 am alone or in groups. Not a parent in sight, it is quite bizarre.  No wonder they have few principles about living in a world and sharing it with other humans and animals. Taking care of their surroundings.

The girls start of life pretty, shapely they end up squat rotund ugly. They talk a lot and loudly.

Some it, is true clean up outside their houses. Some are paid to clean up. Yet their recycling rate is abysmal, even though recycling bins and litter bins are frequent and numerous, emptied daily by the local authorities. Spanish are lazy, noisy, they cannot whisper, they sound their horns, play music loud, keep their noisy engines running, they have no regard for others at all. They have a high accident rate on the roads, because they drive without due care and attention, maniacs behind a wheel, El Loco.

I don't know any Northern European who has a good word to say about Spaniards as a population. Of course there are exceptions, but very few. My solicitor Isabel and her sister Rosa are wonderful human beings. But even the Spanish don't have good words to say about the Spanish.

Living in Spain is cheap. Eating drinking is cheap. restaurants are numerous and cheap.  Spain has a natural beauty, perfect weather if you are a Leo and a sun worshipper. Impressive varied landscape, rivers, lakes, mountains, coastline.  No more grey days, doom and gloom of Britain with it's expensive overheads, where you work just to pay bills and big business profits out of  keeping poor people poor..

However, here  the Spanish spoil the streets and countryside with garbage that they drop. A high proportion smoke and cigarette buts and packets litter the streets. Drinks cans will litter parks and waste grounds especially. Yet there is a bin at least every 400 metres. Laziness and lack of respect are the reasons, uneducated to the point of being thick.

They don't say please or thank you, they are impatient behind a steering wheel.  They obstruct pavements. They have no common values. They talk other each other resulting in loud continuous noise, not words, noise. They don't listen to each other, just talk. They only move on when the Who or AC DC are played at large decibels levels and they cannot compete with Keith Moon on the drums.

I have been to Italy several times. Beautiful country, even the council estates are prettified with an  abundance of foliage. Greece likewise, again a poor country but a proud people. Service with a smile. A pride in their surroundings. Canada and America likewise though obviously much richer. Germany, Austria, the grass looks like its been ironed. France , Holland, Belgium , Norway, in all these countries they display a care about  where they live.  it might not always be much but the people there display a care. In Spain the local authorities care, the people do not.

That is the fundamental problem here in Spain. I don't think a lot of them care too hoots about where they live. Many gardens are tiled over, no plants, so the rain  water floods and is not absorbed by earth. They build and build hoping someone will buy and yet the majority are vacant. Their Prime Minister and members  of his cabinet stand accused of hands in the till.  Their businesses would collapse if it was not for the foreigners keeping their sales tills filled.

Thank Goodness for the weather, the blue skies and palm trees without that this place would be a big gypsy camp, tramps and thieves.

Hombres

My first holiday abroad  was late 60s  in Magalluf Majorca. Then you could not drink the tap water. Megascruff was quiet in those days.  Full of English and Scandinavians.Glorious Sunshine and Blue Sea.

I dont like men generally. Most men feel intimidated by me. Their choice.

I came here for blue skies and palm trees. Unfortunately the Spanish too are here, and living in their country is a steep learning curve, because the male species (Hombres ) are    inconsiderate irritants ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Bit like the flies, but I can buy and electric blue fluorescent light  to snap crackle and pop them !!!!!

Greasy Diegos

Where I live is a seaside resort purpose built in the 1980's, holiday homes, where each complex is built around a central swimming pool. It is pretty, sunny, and can be relaxing apart from the indigenous population.

I dont like the Spanish as a race. They are rude, short, noisy. They have little respect for anything, the environment , sea life, animal life. They hate the English , so the feeling is mutual.

I swear that soon I will hit one of these hombres, such an appropriate translation for man. They are pig ignorant. They cannot keep the gates to this complex closed as the Privado signs tell them too. Why, laziness, irresponsibility, lack of respect for security and others.. No wonder Franco shot a lot of them.

 They litter the place. They kill wild life for the sake of it, inhumanely.  Their kids are out of control out of parental sight. They are utterly objectionable, lowest  of the low. They leave their noisy engines running for ages in the street, inconsideration is their middle name. Of course there are the odd exception, if  I  sucked the end of my  pencil for a couple of weeks I am sure I could think of a name.

One grey haired pigmy today clambered over my balustrades to get out of  the complex as the gate was locked, miracle or miracles. I went ballistic!!!!. He told me to go back to Ingleterre rapido. He understood what "F***king piss off , you stupid ignorant b***rd" meant. 

I have now erected 55 Euros worth of trellis to stop a repeat. I really could not believe my eyes at this vagabond. They are numerous these gypsy types, tramps, riff raff, low life. "what's the problem" "You, Your are the problem" I have had many a slanging match in the street with these would be Matadors (failed).

My philosophy was  always hit them so hard its all over in one punch........... 

it is coming  arriva arriva 

Sir Francis Drake, Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Morning Glory when the sunrises to the sun goes down

Some of these plants NOW flower two  or three times a year, and, for longer periods !!!!

Gardener's World

Well The Garden in the World, my Garden