Tag Archives: Andalucía

One Trip EVERY Month Challenge: February

Posted on by under Axarquía, Challenges, Further Afield, Places


Vejer de la Frontera, Spain

I’ve a couple of trips to tell you about this month.   My February began in the delightful Andalucían town of Vejer de la Frontera, on the Costa de la Luz, where I was a guest at Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen.  Annie not only showed me around her home-town, where we feasted on delicious tapas, but she also took me to the fish market at the nearby town of Barbate, where we bought the delicious fresh ingredients we would use for our cooking weekend.

 I’ll be telling you all about Annie B’s fabulous Spanish kitchen in a separate post, later.

Border crossing from Spain to Gibraltar

My second trip was somewhere that many British expats take regular visits to.

Gibraltar.

Just three hours along the coast, it’s a popular outing to stock up on British goods and groceries we can’t always get hold of in Spain.  You know how we English love our cups of tea, so a trip to British supermarket, Morrison’s, can be a bit of a treat.

I’ve been to Gibraltar many times before, but I’ve always driven through the border on previous occasions.  This time, I was on a coach rather than in a private car, and as there was a bit of a queue of vehicles, some of us decided to hop-off the coach and walk across into Gibraltar.

No sooner have you crossed into the British Overseas Territory, you are faced with the following sign:

Airfield crossing sign, Gibraltar

Because  Gibraltar is so small (just over 6.5 square kilometres), and within that area is the famous 426m high Rock, space is at a premium.  This means that the peninsula’s runway is bisected by its busiest road, Winston Churchill Avenue.  Each time an aircraft wants to land or depart, barriers come down to prevent motor vehicles from crossing the airfield.  

As you can imagine,  it causes quite a spectacle …. and a queue!

Walking across the runway in Gibraltar

So there you have it – my contribution to the One Trip EVERY Month Challenge this month is two for the price of one!

One Trip EVERY Month Logo

If you’d like to join me, here’s how:

  • Each month, visit somewhere and then write about your trip or describe it using photographs – whichever suits you best.
  • Don´t forget to title and tag your entry ’One Trip EVERY Month Challenge’, and link back to this page.
  • Display the Challenge logo on your post or in your sidebar.
  • HAVE FUN!

Are you ready to join me by taking ONE TRIP EVERY MONTH?  What are you waiting for?  

GO!

Cost of Living in Spain: February 2014

Posted on by under Axarquía, Cost of Living

Cost of Living in Spain

EDITED TO ADD: My most up-to date COST OF LIVING report for JULY 2015 can be found HERE.

Every day, around one hundred people find themselves visiting my blog after typing the search term “Cost of Living in Spain” into Google.  It’s a popular subject, and for that reason each year I publish a list of the current prices of a number of items here in southern Spain.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the following information is relevant to the kind of lifestyle and area where I live, east of Málaga.  We choose to live like locals, eating fresh, seasonal produce and frequenting bars full of Spaniards rather than tourists.  Similarly, if your choice would be to only buy internationally branded foods and eat in tourist areas then you will find costs are considerably higher.

So …. whether you are fed up of the wet weather in the UK, have been dreaming of living in southern Europe for many years or you’re just curious – here’s my updated list of standard grocery items for your perusal.

For the sake of comparison,  I have once again used the largest Spanish supermarket – Mercadona.

Mercadona supermarket, Spain

STANDARD GROCERY LIST

This is the up-to-date Standard Grocery List I have published previously.  The first price shown is as it was in August 2013, with this month’s prices in RED alongside.


Milk (semi–skimmed UHT, own brand), 1 litre   0.59 €      0.60 €

Loaf  (white, baguette 250g)   0.45 €      0.45 €

Loaf (white, Bimbo brand, 460g 100% natural)  1.49€    1.49 €

Butter (250g, own brand)   1.05 €        1.25 €

Sugar (1kg, white)   0.93 €    0.93 €

Coffee (ground, 250g, Santa Cristina)   1.89 €       1.89 €

Eggs (12, own brand caged, medium)  1.35 €      1.35  €

Olive oil (1 litre, extra virgin, own brand)  3.35€   (5 litres 15.50€)    3 €   (5 litres 14.50 €)  **

Rice  (1kg, long grain, own brand)   0.71€    0.71 €

Pasta  (1kg, own brand)   0.79€      0.75 €

Pasta  (500g, wholewheat)   0.99€      0.99 €

Tinned tuna  (6 x 80g, own brand)  3.39€      3.35 €

Chicken breasts (1kg, boneless, skinless, packaged))  5.80 €       5.80 €

Pork chops (1kg)  4.60€     4.75 €

Beef mince (Store brand, pre-packed, 700g)   3.80 €       3.80 € 

Fish  (1kg Salmon steaks)  10.75 €      10.75 €

Fish  (1kg Dorada, Gilt-head bream)  6.95€       6.95 €

Apples (1kg, green, Golden Delicious)  2.00 €       1.85 €  **

Oranges (1kg)  1.19 €     0.79 €   **

Bananas (1kg)  1.29 €     1.39 €

Potatoes (1kg)  1.25 €     0.89 €    **

Lettuce (1 head, Iceberg)  0.85 €      0.87 €

Red Peppers (1kg, loose)  1.95 €    1.89 €

Green pointed “Italian” Peppers (1kg, loose)  1.35 €      1.99 €   **

Tomatoes  (1kg, loose)   0.99 €       1.29 €   **

Coca-Cola (1.5 litre bottle)  1.09 €     1.09 € 

Water (2 litre bottle)  0.42 €       0.42 € 

Domestic Beer (1 litre bottle, Cruzcampo)  1.25 €       1.25 €

Imported beer (6 x 25cl bottles Heineken)  3.05€       3.65 €

Bottle wine (medium priced)  3.00 – 3.50€      3.00 – 3.50 €

Colgate toothpaste (100 ml)   1.75€       1.75 €

Pantene shampoo  (300 ml)   3.00€       3.00€

Toilet rolls (pack of 6, own brand)   1.95 €      1.98 €

Washing powder (Box, 35 washes, Elena brand)   4.87 €       4.87 €

** Seasonal changes

For the costs of accommodation, utilities, motoring, public transport and entertainment – prices are largely unchanged since last time.  Please see HERE.

Village houses in Cómpeta, Axarquía, Spain

Many people dream of moving to southern Spain with the promise of better weather coupled with a healthier, outdoor Mediterranean lifestyle.  There are many other considerations to bear in mind when trying to compare living costs, and the following may be some of them:

  1. Unemployment in Spain is currently running at record levels with 25% of the adult population out of work.  If you are considering moving to Spain, you would need to be confident that your finances are secure or you might end up having to return to your home country after failing to find employment.
  2. Tied in with the issue of employment, comes health cover.   Unless you are employed, self-employed or retired, (thus qualifying for cover under the Spanish health system), you will be required to take out private health cover.
  3. The cost of living is really only half of the equation.  Salaries and wages may be very different in Spain from what you are used to elsewhere.  What is important is what is left each month after you have paid for your essentials.
  4. Fluctuation in currency exchange rates can make a huge difference to you if your source of income comes from outside of Spain.  For example, when we first came to live in Spain ONE BRITISH POUND bought us ONE EURO AND FIFTY CENTIMOS.  Very handy when we were purchasing our house.  However, a couple of years ago, and completely outside of our control,  we only received just ONE EURO AND EIGHT CENTIMOS for each BRITISH POUND – a staggering drop in income of almost one third.
  5. Spanish houses in this area are built to keep out the sun in summer rather than to retain heat in winter.  With tiled floors, small windows and inadequate heating systems, houses can be surprisingly chilly during the winter months, making them expensive to heat.
  6. Whilst some costs are much more favourable in Spain (for example our cost of IBI is about one quarter of the cost of a similar property in the UK for Council Tax), other costs are significantly more (i.e. when purchasing a property, costs amount to approx 11% of the purchase price).
  7. You might have to factor in the cost of flights back home to the UK (or your home country) to visit friends and relatives.  Often these can be bought through budget airlines for reasonable prices – but what if you need to return quickly for a family emergency?
  8. Then there is the question of taxes – not only of the personal variety, but also related to any property purchase.  There are many factors at play, depending on personal circumstances, and whilst I often receive messages from visitors to my blog regarding such matters, I am not a tax expert and would always recommend you seeking professional advice given your own personal financial situation.

MY ADVICE:  There are many more things to bear in mind when considering the cost of living in Spain, than the price of bread and milk.  DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!

How does the cost of living compare where you live?  Have you ever considered moving abroad?

You might also enjoy reading this article:

Cost of Living in Spain Series: Watching The Currency Market When Buying And Selling Spanish Property

Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle …. I want to ride my bicycle

Posted on by under Axarquía

Vuelta de Andalucia cycle race, Spain

With hardly a fat-bottomed girl in sight, the bicycle races came east of Málaga yesterday, for the Vuelta Ciclista a Andalucía – one of Spain’s biggest cycling events of the year.  

The 60th Ruta del Sol takes place between February 19th and 23rd, with the peloton travelling through eight Andalucían provinces, covering 733.7 kilometres across five stages. 

Think of it as a mini-version of the better-known Tour de France or the Vuelta a España.

After the Prologue in Almeria further east along the coast on the 19th, the first stage started yesterday in Vélez-Málaga at 11am.  The day’s racing (the second longest at 187km) culminated in Jaén at the Castillo de Santa Catalina, passing through Zafarraya and Alhama de Granada along the way.

You’ll remember I wrote about the old railway line at Zafarraya recently, and this area seemed like a good place to view the race as there is a steep climb for the riders within the first hour of the race.

We positioned ourselves at about 700m elevation with a splendid view of the spectacular U-shaped Zafarraya Pass, as well as a great view of the series of bends below, along which the peleton would travel.

The weather was glorious, with hardly a cloud to interrupt the blue sky.  The sun shone and you can see the almond trees in blossom nearby and the surrounding mountains to complete a perfect picture.

There was plenty of activity with the passing of Guardia Civil vans and motor-cyclists, as well as lots of pleasure cyclists (if you can call it a pleasure, cycling so far uphill!) vying for the best position to see their heroes.

We didn’t have long to wait before the leading group of riders came into view.

Click on any of the images to get a better view.

There were nineteen teams, each with seven riders taking part, including Team Sky led by Sir Bradley Wiggins, former Tour de France winner, who sadly I never spotted.

AH, WELL.

All was not lost though, with all that testosterone wafting by in the form of young men wearing tight lycra!

So, within a couple of minutes of first spotting them in the distance, the peleton of La Vuelta Cyclista a Andalucía had passed by.

 They were barely out of breath.  No huffing and puffing for these guys.  OH NO!

Bringing up the rear came the various support vehicles carrying spare parts and bicycles with the customary ambulance in case of medical support.

If you’d like more information about the race and route, please visit:http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/

On your marks, get set, GO!!!!!!!

 

 

….. and then a Dung Beetle rolled by!

Posted on by under Axarquía

Dung beetle, Spain

I’ve only ever seen a dung beetle on TV in a wildlife documentary programme.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this little chap, rolling his ball of poop in my garden, last Sunday afternoon!

The moral of this tale?  If you’re having a bad day, just remember – you are not this dung beetle with sh** all over your head!

If you’ve never seen a dung beetle doing what dung beetles do – here’s a YouTube video for you.

ENJOY!

What’s the most curious thing you’ve seen recently?