I agree.
Andalucia is a place not to be confused with Spain though.
Each region within Spain has its own unique quality and quirkiness.
As in any country really, but many regions within Spain whilst good or bad, tend to be far different from what most Expats experience and write on Spanish forums.
I had an discussion on another site about the violence in Benalmadena, that person was constantly stating its not violent and has never witnessed any.
Even after I posted quotes from the internet from news reports in Spanish (which he couldn`t understand as didn`t speak Spanish), a link to the Costa Del Sol Street Crime programmes etc etc.
His defence is its media hype, so no all the stabbings etc on a Saturday night is due to the media stabbing people, so as to get headlines.
Some expats cannot admit that they made a huge mistake and are to proud to either return to there homeland or integrate with Spanish people.
Had a laugh though, this numpty was critical of all the English walking around in there guiri cloths, I pointed out on his photos on the site he`d posted showing his grand kids using St George towels and wearing English football shirts.
He didn`t appreciate that.
Many Expats moved to Spain under the pretense that Spanish culture was far different than UK culture, in many ways it can be, but in many ways English culture doesn`t mix into Spanish culture unless your mentally able to set aside your National pride and accept the culture you`ve entered is many years behind the culture you left.
And Knife and gun crime is far worse in Spain than the UK has ever been.
Spanish govt does not do accurate surveys of anything bad, the UK is always publishing facts and figures on crime, finance etc etc.
The Spanish govt nope, until recently the Spanish govt was calling the Recession it was in, “a deceleration of the acceleration”.
The Spanish economy always has been behind the rest of Europe, it is well aware that surveys telling people how bad any situation is would be bad for the country.
Many expats spend a few holidays there, assume its a nice place to live, then they move, which has resulted in many moving back.
We returned before the crisis, I got chatting with the guys moving us, about living in Spain, they told me then, that they move just as many back to the UK as they move to Spain.
