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.