I know what your saying Michael and largely agree. My daughter has lived in Spain for 9 years and we’ve made many visits. One big difference I would say it that the people in Spain don’t get in a car and drive to town like we do they tend to live in flats above rows of shops. So in that way their everyday life revolves around these seemingly bustling streets. They have lovely supermarkets but they only sell food and drink. Consequently lots of independent traders have small shops on the high street. The average Spanish person can come out of their front door and everything they want pretty much is within 10-15 minutes walk. No need to get in a car no need to look for a parking space or pay exorbitant fees with a clock ticking and a traffic warden round every corner.
Yes that is correct and 'how it is' apart from the 'exhorbitant parking fees' as actually it is cheap to park here anyway. For example our airport 'Las Palmas' has a huge area to drop off passengers free of charge, and if you park there in the short stay while picking friends or family up, its €0.80 for 30 mins and €1.40 an hour. Parking in most locations is either cheap or free. Another thing to mention. We don't have any fly tipping here. That is because there is always an area with skips and a compactor where you can take your waste within a few hundred metres of your home, it is free to take anything you like (apart from rubble) they are not manned and have no barriers so are open 24/7 every day of the year. They get emptied by the council daily or even multiple times a day and they will hose them down if they are getting messy. Such a simple answer to fly tipping, give everyone somewhere close and convenienty to take all their crap for free and you don't even have a problem to police. And as a bonus if people take something they may think somebody else might make use of, they put it by the side of the skips instead of throwing it in, and you are free to take it if you want it. Such a simple solution highlighting more UK stupidity. Can't they even figure that one out? It works perfectly, proof of that is here.
I moved from UK to Spain 20 years ago, enjoying the EU Freedom of Movement and when the hard Brexit loomed I took Spanish citizenship. I feel very, very lucky.
@@sc3pt1c4L Your reply really shows your ignorance. One of the requirements to gain Spanish citizenship is to have good oral and written spanish, you have to sit an exam on this and also on Spanish culture too as part of the application process. So obviously @marcusjenkins has a good level of spoken Spanish or he couldn't have gotten citizenship
We have lived in Spain for 6 years now, we also work full-time. Yesterday we went to our nearest large city, Murcia. It was packed with people in bars and restaurants, narrow streets were lined with little independent shops and businesses... there was such a buzz about the place, the sunny weather helps no doubt. In contrast, at the beginning of December we were in Plymouth seeing family, what a difference! City centre was rundown and boarded up, people looked down-at-heel and fed-up and our relatives moaned about everything from the NHS to the government. I have to say we couldn't wait to get back to Spain. I really hope the UK can turn things around, something just isn't working IMHO.
I was in Birmingham over Christmas time and the pubs and shops were literally rammed. The amount of building work going on is phenomenal. London is the same. I can’t speak for Plymouth, I haven’t been there for years.
Lovely report from sunny Spain, thank you, Michael. It brings back happy memories - I wish I was right back there now, instead of stuck here, in gloomy, crumbling, Brexit Britain. I first visited Spain at the end of the Franco era, and there was a lot of visible poverty in those days, but when Spain became a Democracy, and joined the EU, it was transformed into a modern, prosperous European country.
@ As President Elect, Donald Trump, has already stated, on ‘X’, ‘I will never allow the BRICS nations to challenge the mighty US🇺🇸Dollar’, and it is to be noted, that the key players in BRICS, Russia and China, are not doing economically well, and that there is zero chance that BRICS will be able to introduce a successful international currency to challenge the power of the US🇺🇸Dollar.
I've been a French citizen for 21 years. I went back to the UK before Xmas for two weeks, the only phrase which adequately sums up my reaction and impressions would be..... "Christ Mate, You've Let Yourself Go" I could write more, a lot more but I'll leave it there.
@@brianferguson7840 Because people like the way Turkish barbers cut their hair? Fashionable. Also it would be helpful if you did actually elaborate on what you saw that bothered you when you came back to the UK? If it's some tiresome for you to come back to the UK even for Christmas, don't. Why bother complaining from another country about what people who you don't even have any interaction with outside of social media and maybe some personal connections, are doing?
I've been living in France for many years. Where I live, a big city but not Paris, is really good. . I haven't been back to the UK for many years but plan to this year. What will I find?
@@daydays12 Serious economic decline. Racist bigotry masquerading as "englishness". Dirt decay and litter everywhere. People's lack of self respect or pride in their appearance. A country on a downward spiral into complete insignificance.
@@ecaeas4439 What puzzles me is why run down towns with little commerce apart from charity shops and fast food can sustain two or three Turkish "barbers" with no customers using them at any of the times I passed.
Been living in Spain since 2019, I already spoke fluent Spanish from A-level and extra-curricular communications with natives. I had no commitments in the UK so decided to get out before the drawbridge went up. Spent the first few years in Barcelona then moved to a rural village. Really love it here, it's not a paradise of course you have crime and poverty but my QOL is much higher than it was in the UK. Definitely won't be moving back.
Apart from a few London neighborhoods and some southeastern counties, the UK is, unfortunately, one of the poorest and most deprived countries in Europe. Many of the poorest people voted for Brexit, and they are now suffering even more as a result. It’s pure madness.
@@edmaximum This is just nonsense and all based on Remoaner wishfull thinking. In reality, after Germany the UK is the 2nd richest country in Europe and the 5th richest in the world. If the EU is so good how come only one country is richer than Brexit Britain ? Yet even they are heading down the pan fast. VW one of Germany's largest companies is closing 3 factories and laying off thousands of workers and that's just one of them. Therefore how much longer will Germany be ahead of the UK ?
@@johnbrereton5229 I think you are confusing national GDP with GDP per capita. The latter is the more meaningful metric when assessing the average economic well-being of individuals in a country (unless you believe the average Indian is richer than the average Swiss). GDP (PPP) per capita is an even better measure, as it accounts for the cost of living differences between countries, providing a more accurate comparison. When looking at the UK, its performance compared to EU peers is concerning. If you include the whole country, the UK isn't doing particularly well. Excluding London and the Southeast, the situation becomes dire. Recent figures show countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland performing significantly better. The UK's GDP (PPP) per capita is now comparable to Italy's - though without the weather or the food! And keep in mind, again, this is including London and the SE. You can find the data here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita
@@johnbrereton5229 Funny how Brexiters are obsessed with Germany and swapping it synonymously with the EU. There is one big reason why German is in such big trouble: Russian gas! Germany industry was massively reliant (their own stupidity) on cheap Russian gas. That, and German's subsequent crash, has absolutely zero to do with EU membership. In fact, a lot of the eastern European EU countries, such as Poland and Estonia, are having something of an economic boom. You could say the axis of economic power is shifting eastwards in Europe. That is fine and the EU allows them to grow. The point about the UK being 5th biggest economy. Yes, the UK also used to be the world's 1st economy in the 19th century. Your point is?? In the 60s and early 70s Britain had dropped below Italy and France in GDP and was the 'sick man of Europe'. You could even thank Thatcher's brainchild the single market for accelerating Britain in the 80s. Only stagnation beckons now for the UK. Germany will overcome its gas/energy problems; the UK will not overcome Brexit (geography, distance, lack of investment, poverty, etc). It is baked in. Forever.
I am Portuguese, I spent 38 years in the UK ........I moved back in 2023 I love Spain and adore my Portugal ....we have a right balance of what is important in life .I will never set foot in the UK again after experiencing brexit
The weather obviously helps but the design of the cities plays a big part. Apartment complexes and higher density populations living above plazas and shops gives a greater sense of community. Older people outside socialising. Looks like there is greater care and investment in the urban fabric
I’m so grateful that I live in Spain . The life is wonderful here, and I am not mega rich. It’s safe, clean and healthy and all my Spanish friends/ family are happy, and very good people. It’s very social and the only downside are too many tourists who don’t respect the country when they visit.
Yes the tourists drag it down. I noticed much less litter and fewer boarded up shops and charity shops. Charity shops blight the high street. I have seen as many as four in one small shopping street. Other businesses subsidise them as they only pay 20% of business rates and they get a huge reduction on rent too. They get most of the stock for free and the staff other than the manager for free.
Unfortunately it would not help. Until that portion of UK voter realise we are not the super race in the world, the UK is up the creek without paddles.
When I first travelled in Spain, I was surprised to find how often the accommodation was far more spacious and fitted to higher standards than you typically get in the UK.
Spaniard living in Orange County, California with Californian wife. California it is about to surpass Germany's GDP but although the salaries and opportunities in the USA are five times better than in Spain, every time that friends and family come to my region in the North (Asturias) They all talk about how safe they feel, the low cost of living, the modern infrastructure and internet connections, the quality of the food and wines, the incredible outdoor ambiance with people always in terraces, the great life balance work/leisure, and the great sense of community that still rules the social life. I don't think that in my country none cares about GDPs. I also have something to say about the UK that it is a country close to my heart. The UK has to go back to basis (My modest opinion), the pub culture, the incredible theatre tradition (I totally fell in love with it), the artistry, the incredible mind blowing music that has made so many people happy around the world, the beautiful fairs, the EPL, traditions and kindness of the British people. In Spain like in the UK we are governed by mediocre politicians that don't really represent us and they are the speakers of special interests groups. Spain does have a lot to offer but so does The UK and don't allow anybody to tell you otherwise. My respect and admiration. Great video Mr. Lambert!
Michael thanks for your european city videos. I think it is important to compare the UK to europe to dispel the lies told by brexiteers about how badly the EU is doing compared to the UK. The fact is that brexit has made the UK much poorer and less secure in many ways.
Thank you Michael. You have shown that in the UK only class and money matters, in other European countries, communal environment for the whole population is what is important.
@@jacoboderegoyossainz3104 sorry that's simply not true. Spain is the Next most unequal after the US and UK. I like Spain as a country, don't get me wrong but it's very unequal too.Look Up the stats if you don't believe me.
After living in UK for over 45 years I'm now back in my native Spain. There are other things just as important as the economy. No stranger would look you up and down if you open up for a chat in any street or plaza. It may sound as a little thing, but such a great treasure, no loneliness is such a blessing. Listen to the chatter in the video, the sound of social cohesion.
Intersting that you picked two towns that are considered very poor examples of Spain. I have lived here for more than 25 years and would never dream of moving back to Britain. Life here is so much better, the quality of life is superb. Malaga was recently named the best place to live in the world.
Y este año Valencia nombrada la mejor ciudad del mundo para vivir. Lo que tienen estos países es mucha envidia de España. ¡¡¡Una nación increiblemente hermosa y con unas gentes nobles, educadas y buenas!!!
We moved to Cyprus from London way back in 2006 . We have since retired and decided to stay here permanently , we have sunshine all year round , very low crime rates , no traffic jams , and no homeless people on the streets . As you get older quality of life becomes much more important and by the looks of things back home it's the best decision we've ever made .
Thanks Michael, for reminding me how great Europe is. I love London, but I really miss my life as a European in Europe. A life that was stolen from me by the UK government.
@Saturntabbytype2 That is so sad. What you did was utterly selfish. Why? Because Brexit took rights away from many people who were not Brexiters. There is an inherent problem with allowing a "supposed majority" to remove the rights of a "supposed minority". It is the simple fact that the rights of minorities must be considered and must be protected. Brexit was, and is a "criminal act" - simply because it disenfranchised many people. That is not what government is allowed to do. If a referendum is used to "disenfranchise" any part of the population, then, by the definition of our basic rights not to be "excluded", Brexit is a crime!
I live in a smallish seaside town in Andalucia these days, I made the move whilst it was still possible to do so; post Brexit the financial requirements would be quite beyond me as a retired person. I am learning the language though I still have a long way to go to comprehend the local accent..! The attention paid to pubic spaces is incredible, the flower arrangements are glorious, the well crafted and designed pedestrianised areas, the street life, the number of shops still trading etc.. and endless bars and restaurants make it the most appealing place imaginable. One noticeable difference between the UK and Spain for me is the level of policing, much higher in Spain. I spent twenty five years living in Lewisham before coming here, and policing there was reactive with mass sirens in the middle of the night attending some emergency or violent incident or other. It is refreshing, then, to see a permanent visible police presence here in this Spanish town. Of course Spain has its social problems; high levels of youth unemployment, poverty, food bank demand, housing crisis etc.. Also, one forgets just how hard the country was hit by the financial crisis 2008 and the consequent Great Recession. It has barely recovered from this.
Weve moved to Germany. Not quite as warm but very clean, perfect roads, great restaurants, much cheaper cost of living and housing costs to die for compared to UK. Superb scenery and of course really friendly welcoming people
All the millions of adults 28 and younger have NEVER had a vote on EU Membership. How long can this be sustained? 5 more years? 10 years, 25 years till they get the vote?
What a nice town. Most towns in the UK are so run-down you really don't want to spend any time there. Unless of course you want to score drugs, fight and/or get stabbed. Thanks for your continuing crusade Michael, I really don't think it will change the ignorance that pervades many in this country, however it's good to know there are other like minded people around :)
Happy New Year, Michael. La Linea looks very well, and sunshine in January is a lift for everyone. It looks like a well planned streetscape, and somehow I sense that the businesses have grown around the visitor economic profile and the proximity to Gibraltar. If there are no vape shops, its perhaps because people use harder drugs there, I don't know. How many have solar panels on roofs there, compared to UK ?
I live in the French Pyrenees and as I am only 10 kms from the Spanish border, I am spoilt for choice when it's time to go shopping! I would not dream of ever returning to the UK (the slum of Europe!)
I grew up in Spain from 1947 to 1961 , when my father decided to move to OZ, now, 64 years ago, parents long gone.. Even then in Premia de Mar, north of Barcelona. life was heaven, my bedroom window faced the Mediterranean Sea, my life was idyllic, people worked, women worked as did my mum, my dad was a bricklayer, my school was so good, never wanting for nothing, in those years, there was no government high rises. I lived in a house, bedroom up stairs and a small patio with a lemon tree. Loving family, all was left behind, life in OZ a different story for another day... have been back so many times, my foundations were strong thanks to my infancy. Now.. old and ready to meet my parents and hubby again.
A touching post, but tinged with sadness. You grew-up in Spain under Franco - do you recall any of that? Spain's economy improved rapidly post his demise. I lived in Oz for a number of years, but outside the cities found it somewhat like America; a cultural desert. And the Aborigines were (and still are) treated appallingly.
@@robsucher9419 lived under Franco's regime. But from 1947 to 1961 I never noticed. My father worked as a bricklayer. My mum, in textile. My mother was an only child . Her dad died of typhus when she was 18. So, when she married they lived with my Yaya. It was her own house. I went to school at Assis. My brother at DE LA SALLE . My life was happy, great and full of love. We never wanted for any thing. The streets were safe and we felt free. No politics in my family. Life in OZ. Another story at age 14. My 1st 2 years. I spent them crying. All in the past. Life changed when at age 17 I met my beautiful late hubby RIP. That's life. Only memories. Good luck. Good life Enjoy the youth. I miss mine
We visit our son who works in Barcelona frequently and although prices are comparable with the UK the quality and standards of goods and services is way ahead of us, public transport is particularly good value. I could happily live there.
Great video Michael. Lived in Spain for over 12 years now, (retired) bought our house 23 years ago and haven't moved. Best thing we ever did was to become residents just before Brexshite. So we still get all the benefits of when we were part of Europe. I feel so so sad for people who would love to getaway from Britain now. Anyway thanks again and Feliz Ano Nuevo. 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺
@kerryburns-k8i im fully aware of Spanish accents, but also aware of,a certain type of person like yourself and any other armchair twerps. I think I know your brother vic.
@@ISO21DIN You need the ñ if you want to avoid insult. An English keyboard might not afford the distinction. Speaking to your Spanish girlfriend´s mother might clarify ...
Clean. No graffiti, a calling police presence. I can't remember when the uk was like this. 20 odd years ago? It's a slow decline in the UK but we have to wake up and notice it.
@@koolerking440 pff there's loads of graffiti in Spain. You can't just use Michael's videos as an accurate guide. His Channel is basically GB news for Remainers
The Spanish dream - a quiet civilised evening stroll downtown - The English dream - be in the local bowls club in which "they, quote, really dont like forriners and automated checkouts" unquote
I’m from the U.S. and currently learning Spanish to visit Spain. The one European country I haven’t been to yet. I’m still nervous that my Spanish won’t be very good to fully communicate properly. I don’t think the Spanish are too concerned about Gibraltar. The English will have to return it as part of their ‘application’ process for acceptance back into the E.U. It’s probably still 10 - 20 years away after the island learns how to cope with being humble instead of being obsessed with alcohol.
I really enjoy these videos Michael, as you say, not a tourist travel video but a look at life in a different place. And both of those towns looked good in the middle. The edges are probably different, but the centres good. The pretty road surfaces with no broken pavements really struck me. Here if we laid a pretty road a utilities company would be along a week later and hacking bits of it up and badly patching it with tarmac. The lack of litter is noticeable. And general lack of grime. At night the centre is vibrant with laughter and families out together. Young, middle aged and older people all mingling together. Shops open. Places to sit and pretty Christmas decorations. I think our climate does depress us somewhat. But it's more than that. The lack of hope and the lack of ambition (realistic ambition) has driven the UK into a hole it's incapable of getting out of. Thank you for taking the trouble. I appreciate it. Now to find a way to "bung you a couple of quid". I'm broke, my post Brexit business is dead on it's feet and I've not had a proper salary since December 2022. But I can manage to share a bit to things I feel are worthwhile.
Thank you Michael, we own a property in Southern Spain. My bills are much cheaper than the UK. Cheaper council tax, cheaper water and electricity. Food prices are cheaper, vegetables and fruit. Yes lots of street cleaners. I do remember my first trip to Spain, in the 1960’s, a very different country to now. We choose to live in the UK, but love Spain, they are thriving compared to the UK.
For several years around the turn of the century I lived and worked in Spain, principally in Malaga and, later, Bilbao. Visitors from UK always seemed to want to visit Gibraltar so I’d park in la Linea and walk across. I could never wait to get back, if only for a decent cup of coffee at a sensible price, apart from all the points you raise concerning cleanliness, tidiness etc. These days I find many English towns rather intimidating, a sensation I never felt in Spain (nor any of the other European cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.)
To be fair, life was much better in Spain pre Brexit. Been on a trip to Spain 2 years ago, Madrid, Seville, Granada and Cordoba and the difference is just night and day. You cant really see it in the raw numbers because the UK supposedly has a higher GDP per Capita than Spain. However you have to be blind to not see that the quality of living is much higher in Spain. The streets and buildings all look much better maintained. The cities have very large pedestrian zones with all sorts of shops, bars, restaurants that seem to do very well. There is a massive bullit train system that gets you across the country in a jiff for a fraction of the price of UK traintickets. Hardly any homeless in sight at all. Kind of hard to explain a "feeling" but it just feels like a much better managed and safe country in general.
@@andres-qo4he Yeah, whats the point of having a high GDP when all that money ends up in hands of international companies and investors, who often dont even live in the country. Instead of that money going in to the local economy, towns and people. Great if you are a London city investment banker, for the rest not so great...
The English are Europeans ,not race but culture. I love Music, I have seen girls in a choir singing St. John's Passion. Islamic girls, African Girls, Chinese girls all European because they contribute to the culture.
Thanks once again. I find your videos inspirational. Great to see beyond our shores. I have a feeling of sadness realising the truth about the UK and having little hope of any positive changes. I'm not proud to be British/English and if I had the ability to move to another country I would be gone in a heartbeat. Love you Michael, keep up the good work.
Hi . I have recently started listening to your podcasts on Brexit . I am Irish , but lived in London for a few years in the 90's . The differences in the people in the UK and Irish people has always intrigued me . But an observation re Brexit is that the people in the UK and the media in the UK always spoke about the EU as " Other " or " The EU " thinks this or wants that . Whereas in Ireland we always talked about it as more of a collective of ourselves and other equal members . I know thats just anecdotal , but it may be part of the cause of Brexit
I lived and worked in Spain from 2009-2021. Having moved to Birmingham in desperation, through the cvid amber zone, my life has since fallen apart. The UK sucks.
According to Hunt on LBC, Brexit has caused no problems. Talking from a multi millionaire prospective this is probably correct. But it does show how out of touch these people are. Prices have sky rocketed and to do business with the EU is proving to be expensive and difficult if not impossible. It’s strange how the likes of the very rich claim that Brexit is working: Mogg, Johnson, Hunt etc. Unless these politicians realise what ordinary people are facing every day, nothing will alter. People are really struggling with higher energy bills, higher food prices etc. Politicians have no idea I’m afraid.
I am a Brit living in France and I now find even buying presents for my niece and nephew in UK is difficult now 😞 and I can no longer buy from smaller UK outlets - it is too complicated and expensive for them now..some have gone out of business 😞😞
Another great video, Michael. I love to see you on your travels around other European countries. As I've mentioned before, the places you visit always look so spotless and much more inviting than most places in the UK. And I love the music too. Thanks for sharing. Happy new year.
Imagine being a brexiter and hating on all the EU levelling up of member states economic miracles like those of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Poland, etc..
@@davidmiles9016Well like it or not it’s true , all those countries were levelled up as indeed the Uk was, I don’t suppose the phrase the sick man of Europe means anything to you, because that’s what we were before joining the EU and it looks like that is what we’re returning to.
Oh Michael that plate of jamon Serrano had me salivating. Having worked several years in the construction industry and later in the newspaper industry, your visit took me back down memory lane. Spain seems not to have changed much at all compared to the fall of the UK. Looking at Algesiras port and comparing with the UK ports of say Hull, Grimsby ,Dover and all their prob;ems and threatening atmosphere etc. there is really no comparison. Blue sky does help, but there is normally optimism which appears dead in the UK.
Hola and happy New Year Mr Lambert I used to live in Barcelona and I really miss Spain now, however I think all of Europe has declined, the worse shock to my system was to see the state of Paris , the idea of progression and moving forward in life is coming at all the wrong costs to people, animals, and nature regression is a more appropriate asessment, having also spent 8years of my life living in London to see the violence there is so upsetting, I used to walk home from the theatre or club in the early hours now would not even think of it.I wish to thank you for all your efforts and sensible approaches to all the dreadful happenings in the sad old world today, and your bringing clarity to the bogus treatments dished out at randem by the people "In power today".Thank-you.😊.
I'm in sw France, been 32 years, in Europe since Brexit, every aspect is not so good economically, but honestly a lot better than UK, sorry but true..... 🤔🇫🇷🇫🇷❤️🇬🇧
Mr Lambert, come and stay with us in Spain, Italy,wherever you prefer. bring your family as well. We have genuine affection and true love for our English brothers and sisters. Remember will always help and back you up. If Britain is too gloomy come and stay with us. All the love and good 💙❤️🌍 see you , and lots of love to Britain and all our British brothers and sisters.
@taoikonomika - Thank you very much indeed. Maybe one day that will be possible. I had often thought of retiring to Italy but thanks to Brexit that is no longer possible. 😊
More than welcome here in Ireland Michael. We've welcomed almost 300,000 British nationals over the past few years, second only to Spain. Split between those that moved as companies re-located post Brexit (mostly to Dublin) and retiree's many who've settled in the south and west. No visa or residency permit needed!
@@robsucher9419 Here’s the thing , child. I am long a retired comfortably off pensioner who enjoys his long liquid lunches, walks, golf and fishing. The people who complain in the UK are the bone idle wasters who would be failures in whatever country they lived. Good luck to Spain I enjoy visiting and they are an ideal golfing holiday country.
@@martee4297 Our free health service has saved my life on occasion and gave me a new knee recently, it’s not all bad news. It could be better if we all pay more, but people don’t like taxes. That is the same the world over. Our big problem is our benefit system encourages people to sit in their arses doing nothing. Labour aren’t going to sort that out anytime soon.
@@martee4297 56% of UK salary, 12.2% unemployment, 0.72 birth rate (2.1 is replacement level, the UK is 40% better at 1.2 but still not great, which is why we need young immigrants), it's a great place if you don't need to earn a living or have a Northern salary/pension.
despite issues, spaniards live better life than average brit, not everything is money, thats early school and life basics and the videocomentator expresses it so well here, just look the vivid streets
It is the WEATHER!! We live in a cold, wet, depressing land. They don't. Imagine waking to sunny, blue skies virtually every day. Then remember waking up here in grey gloom and soggy fields.. it ain't hard..
The north of Spain tends to be also cold, wet and rainy. So no, just the weather is not the reason behind such a decline in the UK. Too simple reasoning and argument that of yours.
Very pleasant to sit here in the mountains above Lanjarón and view cities I much prefer to see from afar, the smaller towns are more relaxed and have more gentle architecture. I think it makes people even friendlier once you try a few words of Spanish.
My wife and I bought our property in Spain in the late 1990's .. A 200 yr. old water mill situated in the Eastern desert region of Almeria. We'd previously spent time in Benalmádena; just too many tourists, especially Brits. Our home is a beautiful, peaceful place. The local towns are fantastic, as are the people. The Spanish are simply not entitled like the average Brit .. Hence, not innately greedy either, as the British invariably are. At one point we had a large campsite in France … Every time we got trouble it was ALWAYS the British. SMH
@@lestrem11 … Coming back? 🤣We wouldn't even fly over the UK! We are not coming back, foolish person. We live in three differing European nations, as our work/businesses dictate Brexit has screwed up the ability for many Brits to stay in various ways, because they hold a UK passport 🤮 Some of us took other nationalities _YEARS ago_, way before Brexit lifted it stupid, repulsive head We have not lived in the UK for decades. An appalling country which as it's economy tanks, the ignorance of the masses grows exponentially.
Spain is a good place to live. There are ups and downs, as there are anywhere. However the plus side far outweighs the negative. In addition, as a British person living here with full residency, (yes, an immigrant), I can move freely around the EU without restriction. I wish that others could still do the same.
As another British (and German) immigrant living and working in Spain, it's nice to know I can go wherever I want in the EU… but then I'm quite happy where I am. I still have a bucket list of all the places I'd like to see (most of them in Spain - such a huge and varied country!) for when I'm feeling adventurous, and thankfuilly also a good public transport network of trains and buses to take me there.
I share your opinion about Spain . My experience is more with Portugal but one huge difference between Iberia and the UK is that people of different backgrounds live in the same building. In Portugal my dentist friend lives in the same block as his postman, albeit in a larger appartment. There would be no Grenfell Tower there. Uncle Michael, thank you for your video. I hope 2025 brings you health and prosperity.
I live in Catalonia but your remarks are true of all of Spain. It is a great advantage that people live close to one another in the towns within walking distance of most shops and services as opposed to towns in Britain and Ireland where out of town shopping has destroyed many towns.
Britain's biggest problem is its huge social inequality. It is the most unequal country in Europe, far above the next most unequal countries, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The most worrying thing is that while inequality is decreasing in the Mediterranean countries, the trend is the opposite in Britain. Britain was the Trojan horse for the Reagan-Thatcher conservative revolution, which had and still has the goal of transferring the American model to Europe, once the Soviet bloc had collapsed and the "showcase" effect of the so-called welfare state was no longer necessary.
It's not an easy or simplistic cause I'm afraid. Britain attract many of the Ultra High Net Worth of the world and it only takes a few billionaires to skew that average. Now Labour is busy destroying Britain those wealthy people are leaving at a rate second highest in the world only to China - despite the population disparity we aren't so far behind, so you will soon find tha averages returning to more normal.
Glad I tuned in today! My wife and I are just off to Spain for a month. Just had to get a few holiday things from Brighton and drove along the A27 with its litter strewn verges and graffiti all over the road signs on the overhead gantries. West Sussex Highways have just finished cuttings the verges on the other roads and the big pieces of litter have now been shredded into thousands of little pieces along with the weeds which they couldn’t be bothered to cut back in the summer. We all call it scruffy Sussex.
Michael thank you for taking us around the lovely EU. It shows something that we are missing out on. The whole idea of brexit is to take us back to a time where the wealthy were super rich and where the rest had to just grin and bare it. We continue our journey backwards until the person who initiated brexit has left politics. All countries have poverty but it's how the government can reduce its effect on the population
Great video, despite its problems, Spain is objectively a cleaner, happier, nicer place than the UK. You hit the nail on the head with your comment about civic pride, which you will encounter in every region of Spain. Of course the weather helps because culture (cuisine, fiestas, music etc.) flows from that but Spanish society is generally much more cohesive - and Spaniards from all walks of life are more cultured as a result.
In Spain if you have studies you earn more money than in the UK, I know because when I was young I was in the UK and the truth is that it is impossible to live there and the salaries are not so high for qualified people
Catalonia has a GDP per capita 15% higher than England and the cost of living is lower. In the Basque Country, people are richer than 70% of English people. By choosing the region you want to live in, you can change your income. A foreigner has nothing to lose by moving from one province to another.
One comment left me speechless: 'how much did Brussels pay for his video?'. The simple answer is nothing! It is now abundantly clear that the EU can do without the UK. If anything the question seems to me to be: can the UK equally do without the EU ?
@@gobnait7855 Thats' not all by far. I am British ...I live in a city in the North West of France - climate much the same as southern England but here the city centre is clean, bustling shops, plenty of amenities, excellent public transport ( free on weekends) , really walkable and attractive. It is not the climate that makes it that. Mature trees and pedestrian walks right in the centre - lots of greenery and lots of cafés, bars restaurants etc Priority of the city council is to make the centre liveable ( and people live in centre which is good for the shops) and a good place to visit with a slogan, also, of 'Nature in the City'. People like a pleasant place to visit...and they visit which is good for the shops. Excellent, very cheap public transport makes it easier for people to come to the centre. It is free at weekends which also encourages people to come into the town centre. The City Council has also encouraged what they call locomotive shops to set up in the centre. They provided the former stock exchange building to a very large electronics outlet. That has encouraged footfall and other businesses to set up round about. The city continuously renovates and improves its old buildings...and has turned what was once a rather shabby de-industrialised city into a tourist destination. The old dis used shipyards have been greened and what are now tourist attractions established there... very near the centre, including (night) clubs well served by all night buses - and away from the residents of the centre. There are major institutions in the centre too like the University Hospital etc which helps and the University Hospital will shortly be moved to the old disused shipyards with excellent access. All this takes thought and planning and prioritizing people...Not to do with the climate It is wet and cold here most of the year!
@@daydays12 I don’t disagree. I was thinking more about outdoor café tables in winter. I live in France, like you, north of the Loire. In France now, to avoid energy waste, it is no longer allowed to heat outdoor areas. Enclosed terrasses may heat but that’s not the case in this video in Southern Spain because it’s, yes, in Southern Spain... So it’s warmer than Clacton, or even most French towns. 😉
I know what your saying Michael and largely agree. My daughter has lived in Spain for 9 years and we’ve made many visits. One big difference I would say it that the people in Spain don’t get in a car and drive to town like we do they tend to live in flats above rows of shops. So in that way their everyday life revolves around these seemingly bustling streets. They have lovely supermarkets but they only sell food and drink. Consequently lots of independent traders have small shops on the high street. The average Spanish person can come out of their front door and everything they want pretty much is within 10-15 minutes walk. No need to get in a car no need to look for a parking space or pay exorbitant fees with a clock ticking and a traffic warden round every corner.
Yes that is correct and 'how it is' apart from the 'exhorbitant parking fees' as actually it is cheap to park here anyway. For example our airport 'Las Palmas' has a huge area to drop off passengers free of charge, and if you park there in the short stay while picking friends or family up, its €0.80 for 30 mins and €1.40 an hour. Parking in most locations is either cheap or free.
Another thing to mention. We don't have any fly tipping here. That is because there is always an area with skips and a compactor where you can take your waste within a few hundred metres of your home, it is free to take anything you like (apart from rubble) they are not manned and have no barriers so are open 24/7 every day of the year.
They get emptied by the council daily or even multiple times a day and they will hose them down if they are getting messy.
Such a simple answer to fly tipping, give everyone somewhere close and convenienty to take all their crap for free and you don't even have a problem to police. And as a bonus if people take something they may think somebody else might make use of, they put it by the side of the skips instead of throwing it in, and you are free to take it if you want it. Such a simple solution highlighting more UK stupidity. Can't they even figure that one out? It works perfectly, proof of that is here.
I moved from UK to Spain 20 years ago, enjoying the EU Freedom of Movement and when the hard Brexit loomed I took Spanish citizenship. I feel very, very lucky.
I did the same, except it was Germany and German citizenship after around 25 years.
@@sc3pt1c4L Your reply really shows your ignorance. One of the requirements to gain Spanish citizenship is to have good oral and written spanish, you have to sit an exam on this and also on Spanish culture too as part of the application process. So obviously @marcusjenkins has a good level of spoken Spanish or he couldn't have gotten citizenship
@@sc3pt1c4Lto be fair, evidence suggests that you'd miss most things
@@sc3pt1c4L don't worry sceptical, you'll notice it this year, if you can urgently get help with your observation skills.
@@sc3pt1c4L Do your neighbours feel 'very very lucky' having you as a neighbour?
We have lived in Spain for 6 years now, we also work full-time. Yesterday we went to our nearest large city, Murcia. It was packed with people in bars and restaurants, narrow streets were lined with little independent shops and businesses... there was such a buzz about the place, the sunny weather helps no doubt. In contrast, at the beginning of December we were in Plymouth seeing family, what a difference! City centre was rundown and boarded up, people looked down-at-heel and fed-up and our relatives moaned about everything from the NHS to the government. I have to say we couldn't wait to get back to Spain. I really hope the UK can turn things around, something just isn't working IMHO.
I was in Birmingham over Christmas time and the pubs and shops were literally rammed. The amount of building work going on is phenomenal. London is the same.
I can’t speak for Plymouth, I haven’t been there for years.
@@lestrem11literally rammed? More like ram-raided
@@lestrem11 Plymouth has always been a run down violent naval port
Lovely report from sunny Spain, thank you, Michael. It brings back happy memories - I wish I was right back there now, instead of stuck here, in gloomy, crumbling, Brexit Britain. I first visited Spain at the end of the Franco era, and there was a lot of visible poverty in those days, but when Spain became a Democracy, and joined the EU, it was transformed into a modern, prosperous European country.
If Spain joins BRICS I think things will get even better.
Better trade, better allies, and less American hegemony.
Absolute Twaddle! Spain has flourished in the EU and has no need for Russian depravity.
@ As President Elect, Donald Trump, has already stated, on ‘X’, ‘I will never allow the BRICS nations to challenge the mighty US🇺🇸Dollar’, and it is to be noted, that the key players in BRICS, Russia and China, are not doing economically well, and that there is zero chance that BRICS will be able to introduce a successful international currency to challenge the power of the US🇺🇸Dollar.
Spain is loyal to the EU treaty and commonwealth goals of prosperity and brotherhood I'm spaniard
@@garyfilmer382 Why don’t you live there then?
I've been a French citizen for 21 years. I went back to the UK before Xmas for two weeks, the only phrase which adequately sums up my reaction and impressions would be.....
"Christ Mate, You've Let Yourself Go"
I could write more, a lot more but I'll leave it there.
I do have a question however ! Why/How does everywhere have multiple "Turkish Barbers"???🤔🤔
@@brianferguson7840 Because people like the way Turkish barbers cut their hair? Fashionable.
Also it would be helpful if you did actually elaborate on what you saw that bothered you when you came back to the UK? If it's some tiresome for you to come back to the UK even for Christmas, don't. Why bother complaining from another country about what people who you don't even have any interaction with outside of social media and maybe some personal connections, are doing?
I've been living in France for many years. Where I live, a big city but not Paris, is really good.
. I haven't been back to the UK for many years but plan to this year. What will I find?
@@daydays12
Serious economic decline. Racist bigotry masquerading as "englishness". Dirt decay and litter everywhere. People's lack of self respect or pride in their appearance. A country on a downward spiral into complete insignificance.
@@ecaeas4439
What puzzles me is why run down towns with little commerce apart from charity shops and fast food can sustain two or three Turkish "barbers" with no customers using them at any of the times I passed.
Been living in Spain since 2019, I already spoke fluent Spanish from A-level and extra-curricular communications with natives. I had no commitments in the UK so decided to get out before the drawbridge went up.
Spent the first few years in Barcelona then moved to a rural village. Really love it here, it's not a paradise of course you have crime and poverty but my QOL is much higher than it was in the UK. Definitely won't be moving back.
Did the same. I understand what you're talking about. So much better for your mental health.
@@Alephu5 smart guy
Apart from a few London neighborhoods and some southeastern counties, the UK is, unfortunately, one of the poorest and most deprived countries in Europe. Many of the poorest people voted for Brexit, and they are now suffering even more as a result. It’s pure madness.
@@edmaximum
This is just nonsense and all based on Remoaner wishfull thinking.
In reality, after Germany the UK is the 2nd richest country in Europe and the 5th richest in the world. If the EU is so good how come only one country is richer than Brexit Britain ? Yet even they are heading down the pan fast. VW one of Germany's largest companies is closing 3 factories and laying off thousands of workers and that's just one of them. Therefore how much longer will Germany be ahead of the UK ?
@@johnbrereton5229 I think you are confusing national GDP with GDP per capita. The latter is the more meaningful metric when assessing the average economic well-being of individuals in a country (unless you believe the average Indian is richer than the average Swiss). GDP (PPP) per capita is an even better measure, as it accounts for the cost of living differences between countries, providing a more accurate comparison.
When looking at the UK, its performance compared to EU peers is concerning. If you include the whole country, the UK isn't doing particularly well. Excluding London and the Southeast, the situation becomes dire. Recent figures show countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland performing significantly better. The UK's GDP (PPP) per capita is now comparable to Italy's - though without the weather or the food! And keep in mind, again, this is including London and the SE.
You can find the data here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita
@@johnbrereton5229 Right and every bit of graffiti is actually a priceless Banksy lol
You Brexiters crease me up
@@TheDotBot
Facts are unknown and unwelcomed by EU fanatics because they reveal how stupid their blind obsession really is.
@@johnbrereton5229 Funny how Brexiters are obsessed with Germany and swapping it synonymously with the EU. There is one big reason why German is in such big trouble: Russian gas! Germany industry was massively reliant (their own stupidity) on cheap Russian gas. That, and German's subsequent crash, has absolutely zero to do with EU membership. In fact, a lot of the eastern European EU countries, such as Poland and Estonia, are having something of an economic boom. You could say the axis of economic power is shifting eastwards in Europe. That is fine and the EU allows them to grow. The point about the UK being 5th biggest economy. Yes, the UK also used to be the world's 1st economy in the 19th century. Your point is?? In the 60s and early 70s Britain had dropped below Italy and France in GDP and was the 'sick man of Europe'.
You could even thank Thatcher's brainchild the single market for accelerating Britain in the 80s. Only stagnation beckons now for the UK. Germany will overcome its gas/energy problems; the UK will not overcome Brexit (geography, distance, lack of investment, poverty, etc). It is baked in. Forever.
I am Portuguese, I spent 38 years in the UK ........I moved back in 2023 I love Spain and adore my Portugal ....we have a right balance of what is important in life .I will never set foot in the UK again after experiencing brexit
I don't blame you!
bye
@@thomasrobinson4247 Have you ever lived in another country than the UK? Maybe you have but If not I don't see how you can meaningfully comment 🙄
@@GranCanariaUncoveredrather a silly response. What other countries have had a Brexit?
@@robsucher9419 😵💫
The weather obviously helps but the design of the cities plays a big part. Apartment complexes and higher density populations living above plazas and shops gives a greater sense of community. Older people outside socialising. Looks like there is greater care and investment in the urban fabric
@@Merc-ve4ue i retired to the Philippines it doesn’t smell like many places in spain
Enjoyed the video micheal, and happy new year to you and family
Thank you and best wishes to you too 😊
@@MichaelLambert1yes! Feliz Año Nuevo, Michael, from Madrid🖐🖐
I’m so grateful that I live in Spain .
The life is wonderful here, and I am not mega rich. It’s safe, clean and healthy and all my Spanish friends/ family are happy, and very good people. It’s very social and the only downside are too many tourists who don’t respect the country when they visit.
Yes the tourists drag it down. I noticed much less litter and fewer boarded up shops and charity shops. Charity shops blight the high street. I have seen as many as four in one small shopping street. Other businesses subsidise them as they only pay 20% of business rates and they get a huge reduction on rent too. They get most of the stock for free and the staff other than the manager for free.
Next week Michael goes to a gypsy village in the Carpathian Mountains with no running water and it's still better than post-Brexit Britain.
That reminds me of Jaywick
Ha Ha Ha
@@russellhunter8378 😂😂😂
@@russellhunter8378 Maybe that village in the movie Borat? 😏
He wouldn’t know where he was without his carer , anyway.
I think this video should be shown to all Reform supporters .
Unfortunately it would not help. Until that portion of UK voter realise we are not the super race in the world, the UK is up the creek without paddles.
They can't see what's in front of them I'm afraid. They are totally blinded by propaganda and stupidity.
When I first travelled in Spain, I was surprised to find how often the accommodation was far more spacious and fitted to higher standards than you typically get in the UK.
Spaniard living in Orange County, California with Californian wife. California it is about to surpass Germany's GDP but although the salaries and opportunities in the USA are five times better than in Spain, every time that friends and family come to my region in the North (Asturias) They all talk about how safe they feel, the low cost of living, the modern infrastructure and internet connections, the quality of the food and wines, the incredible outdoor ambiance with people always in terraces, the great life balance work/leisure, and the great sense of community that still rules the social life. I don't think that in my country none cares about GDPs. I also have something to say about the UK that it is a country close to my heart. The UK has to go back to basis (My modest opinion), the pub culture, the incredible theatre tradition (I totally fell in love with it), the artistry, the incredible mind blowing music that has made so many people happy around the world, the beautiful fairs, the EPL, traditions and kindness of the British people. In Spain like in the UK we are governed by mediocre politicians that don't really represent us and they are the speakers of special interests groups. Spain does have a lot to offer but so does The UK and don't allow anybody to tell you otherwise. My respect and admiration. Great video Mr. Lambert!
@louaceveu1925 - Thank you 😊
✋✌
I think most of the western world has crap politicians Australia is no better unfortunately.
Thats a fact
@@dianacasey6002ok, maybe you are right. Do you mean that Eastern politicians are better, or is just a way of talking?
Happy New Year Michael.
Thank you for all the interesting videos. Keep up the good work.
🐞👍🍀
Thanks, you too! 😊
Michael thanks for your european city videos. I think it is important to compare the UK to europe to dispel the lies told by brexiteers about how badly the EU is doing compared to the UK. The fact is that brexit has made the UK much poorer and less secure in many ways.
Happy new year Michael!! Here's a small token of appreciation from me for all the great work you have done in 2024.
@lloydbelle3406 - Thank you very much Lloyd. That is much appreciated 😊
Thank you Michael. You have shown that in the UK only class and money matters, in other European countries, communal environment for the whole population is what is important.
Spain is a very unequal society
@@Commonsense-u1h no, it sn’t. There is. Free health care and a sense of comunity that helps you in the day by day life. All social classes together.
@@jacoboderegoyossainz3104 sorry that's simply not true. Spain is the Next most unequal after the US and UK.
I like Spain as a country, don't get me wrong but it's very unequal too.Look Up the stats if you don't believe me.
After living in UK for over 45 years I'm now back in my native Spain. There are other things just as important as the economy. No stranger would look you up and down if you open up for a chat in any street or plaza. It may sound as a little thing, but such a great treasure, no loneliness is such a blessing. Listen to the chatter in the video, the sound of social cohesion.
Happy new Year!
Smart to go to a warm place for your interviews this time of year ,-)
My local northern england town.....
Board up shops - check.
People sleeping rough - check.
Litter - check.
Graffiti - check
Betting shops - check
Pound shops - check
Charity shops - check
Yep, all Labour run councils, child.
@@lestrem11 Who had their funding cut by 50% by the 2010 Conservative Government.
@@anpj2006 Well, that’s okay, Kier can double their funding. But he will cut it won’t he….
He is full of shit, child. Like you.👍
@@lestrem11another dumb comment from the infant.
@@anpj2006 💯
How clean everywhere is
It really shows doesn't it? In comparison to what we see daily.
Intersting that you picked two towns that are considered very poor examples of Spain. I have lived here for more than 25 years and would never dream of moving back to Britain. Life here is so much better, the quality of life is superb. Malaga was recently named the best place to live in the world.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍I think the same than Stephen!!
Y este año Valencia nombrada la mejor ciudad del mundo para vivir. Lo que tienen estos países es mucha envidia de España. ¡¡¡Una nación increiblemente hermosa y con unas gentes nobles, educadas y buenas!!!
Pretty little towns.
Reminds me of my two years in Spain many years ago ( I am British). I loved it.
We moved to Cyprus from London way back in 2006 .
We have since retired and decided to stay here permanently , we have sunshine all year round , very low crime rates , no traffic jams , and no homeless people on the streets .
As you get older quality of life becomes much more important and by the looks of things back home it's the best decision we've ever made .
The uk has demoted itself to the subs bench, enjoyed your video Michael, they look happier people 👍
Thanks
Thank you very much John 😊
My son moved to Spain, he is so happy there and things are.much better than in Britain where young people have little chance of getting on in life.
I love the European way of life Michael whether in Spain or Italy.The UK of course wants to talk down Europe .THE WORD JEALOUSY COMES TO MIND.😊
Happy New Year Michael.
Thank you for another outlook on Europe. Much appreciate.
Thank you Alma and best wishes to you too 😊
Thanks Michael, for reminding me how great Europe is. I love London, but I really miss my life as a European in Europe. A life that was stolen from me by the UK government.
I was a brexit goer but loved europe it was the politics I didn’t agree with,i miss it very much .
@Saturntabbytype2 You voted FOR Brexit???!! Yikes!!
@Saturntabbytype2 That is so sad. What you did was utterly selfish. Why? Because Brexit took rights away from many people who were not Brexiters. There is an inherent problem with allowing a "supposed majority" to remove the rights of a "supposed minority". It is the simple fact that the rights of minorities must be considered and must be protected. Brexit was, and is a "criminal act" - simply because it disenfranchised many people. That is not what government is allowed to do. If a referendum is used to "disenfranchise" any part of the population, then, by the definition of our basic rights not to be "excluded", Brexit is a crime!
Happy New Year!
I'm looking forward to the 2025 videos from you.
Thanks Michael 😊
Thanks, great content as always
@01merger - Thank you very much 😊
I live in a smallish seaside town in Andalucia these days, I made the move whilst it was still possible to do so; post Brexit the financial requirements would be quite beyond me as a retired person. I am learning the language though I still have a long way to go to comprehend the local accent..! The attention paid to pubic spaces is incredible, the flower arrangements are glorious, the well crafted and designed pedestrianised areas, the street life, the number of shops still trading etc.. and endless bars and restaurants make it the most appealing place imaginable. One noticeable difference between the UK and Spain for me is the level of policing, much higher in Spain. I spent twenty five years living in Lewisham before coming here, and policing there was reactive with mass sirens in the middle of the night attending some emergency or violent incident or other. It is refreshing, then, to see a permanent visible police presence here in this Spanish town. Of course Spain has its social problems; high levels of youth unemployment, poverty, food bank demand, housing crisis etc.. Also, one forgets just how hard the country was hit by the financial crisis 2008 and the consequent Great Recession. It has barely recovered from this.
Very good video Michael, nice to see other places
Whilst Brits travelling in Europe a considerable number are poorly behaved I've never witnessed them throwing litter as they do in UK.
Weve moved to Germany. Not quite as warm but very clean, perfect roads, great restaurants, much cheaper cost of living and housing costs to die for compared to UK. Superb scenery and of course really friendly welcoming people
All the millions of adults 28 and younger have NEVER had a vote on EU Membership. How long can this be sustained? 5 more years? 10 years, 25 years till they get the vote?
What a nice town. Most towns in the UK are so run-down you really don't want to spend any time there. Unless of course you want to score drugs, fight and/or get stabbed. Thanks for your continuing crusade Michael, I really don't think it will change the ignorance that pervades many in this country, however it's good to know there are other like minded people around :)
Thanks Michael, excellent video.
Thank you Michael 😊
Happy New Year, Michael. La Linea looks very well, and sunshine in January is a lift for everyone.
It looks like a well planned streetscape, and somehow I sense that the businesses have grown around the visitor economic profile and the proximity to Gibraltar. If there are no vape shops, its perhaps because people use harder drugs there, I don't know.
How many have solar panels on roofs there, compared to UK ?
I live in the French Pyrenees and as I am only 10 kms from the Spanish border, I am spoilt for choice when it's time to go shopping! I would not dream of ever returning to the UK (the slum of Europe!)
French citizen for 21 years here and I couldn't agree more.
I grew up in Spain from 1947 to 1961 , when my father decided to move to OZ, now,
64 years ago, parents long gone.. Even then in Premia de Mar, north of Barcelona.
life was heaven, my bedroom window faced the Mediterranean Sea, my life was
idyllic, people worked, women worked as did my mum, my dad was a bricklayer, my
school was so good, never wanting for nothing, in those years, there was no
government high rises. I lived in a house, bedroom up stairs and a small patio with a
lemon tree. Loving family, all was left behind, life in OZ a different story for another
day... have been back so many times, my foundations were strong thanks to my
infancy. Now.. old and ready to meet my parents and hubby again.
A touching post, but tinged with sadness. You grew-up in Spain under Franco - do you recall any of that? Spain's economy improved rapidly post his demise. I lived in Oz for a number of years, but outside the cities found it somewhat like America; a cultural desert. And the Aborigines were (and still are) treated appallingly.
@@robsucher9419 lived under Franco's regime. But from 1947 to 1961
I never noticed. My father worked as a bricklayer. My mum, in textile. My mother was an only child . Her dad died of typhus when she was 18. So, when she married they lived with my Yaya. It was her own house. I went to school at Assis. My brother at DE LA SALLE . My life was happy, great and full of love. We never wanted for any thing. The streets were safe and we felt free. No politics in my family. Life in OZ. Another story at age 14. My 1st 2 years. I spent them crying. All in the past. Life changed when at age 17 I met my beautiful late hubby RIP. That's life. Only memories. Good luck. Good life
Enjoy the youth. I miss mine
@@carmenFreixas47 Gracias por compartir tus recuerdos. Espero que tengas un feliz 2025.
@@robsucher9419 Gracias, los mismos deseos para ti , Buena vida.
We visit our son who works in Barcelona frequently and although prices are comparable with the UK the quality and standards of goods and services is way ahead of us, public transport is particularly good value. I could happily live there.
Thanks. It's not much, but it's what Brexit reduced me too. I appreciate your videos every week.
That is very kind of you Sue. Thanks you very much 😊
Nobody has noticed Brexit. Get a job, child.
@@lestrem11 How dare you be so stupid and unempathetic of others! How dare you!
Great video Michael. Lived in Spain for over 12 years now, (retired) bought our house 23 years ago and haven't moved. Best thing we ever did was to become residents just before Brexshite. So we still get all the benefits of when we were part of Europe. I feel so so sad for people who would love to getaway from Britain now. Anyway thanks again and Feliz Ano Nuevo. 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺
Oh dear !
Año is year.
Without the ñ
You just wished him a happy new arse ...
Ano nuevo..🤤
@kerryburns-k8i im fully aware of Spanish accents, but also aware of,a certain type of person like yourself and any other armchair twerps. I think I know your brother vic.
@johngamble967 - Thanks John 😊
@@ISO21DIN You need the ñ if you want to avoid insult. An English keyboard might not afford the distinction. Speaking to your Spanish girlfriend´s mother might clarify ...
Been to Algeciras in July 2022, was an all around nice experience
Thanks!
@laurenceabney - Thank you very much Laurence 😊
Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Thank you. That is very much appreciated 😊
Happy new year Michael!!
And to you Gabriel 😊
happy new year, michael - i hope you had a great holiday season! love from canada! 😊
Thanks and best wishes to you too 😊
Clean. No graffiti, a calling police presence. I can't remember when the uk was like this. 20 odd years ago? It's a slow decline in the UK but we have to wake up and notice it.
@@koolerking440 pff there's loads of graffiti in Spain. You can't just use Michael's videos as an accurate guide. His Channel is basically GB news for Remainers
The Spanish dream - a quiet civilised evening stroll downtown - The English dream - be in the local bowls club in which "they, quote, really dont like forriners and automated checkouts" unquote
😁
Greetings from Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain is so nice! Love the society and how they organise their country.
It just makes me very sad.
Where is the beautiful Britain I once remembered ?
We have become the New Delhi of Europe.
In reality in the new American colony. They gave it back to you on a cold plate.
I’m from the U.S. and currently learning Spanish to visit Spain. The one European country I haven’t been to yet. I’m still nervous that my Spanish won’t be very good to fully communicate properly. I don’t think the Spanish are too concerned about Gibraltar. The English will have to return it as part of their ‘application’ process for acceptance back into the E.U. It’s probably still 10 - 20 years away after the island learns how to cope with being humble instead of being obsessed with alcohol.
I stayed in la linea last year. Very friendly place and would go back
I really enjoy these videos Michael, as you say, not a tourist travel video but a look at life in a different place. And both of those towns looked good in the middle. The edges are probably different, but the centres good. The pretty road surfaces with no broken pavements really struck me. Here if we laid a pretty road a utilities company would be along a week later and hacking bits of it up and badly patching it with tarmac. The lack of litter is noticeable. And general lack of grime. At night the centre is vibrant with laughter and families out together. Young, middle aged and older people all mingling together. Shops open. Places to sit and pretty Christmas decorations.
I think our climate does depress us somewhat. But it's more than that. The lack of hope and the lack of ambition (realistic ambition) has driven the UK into a hole it's incapable of getting out of. Thank you for taking the trouble. I appreciate it. Now to find a way to "bung you a couple of quid". I'm broke, my post Brexit business is dead on it's feet and I've not had a proper salary since December 2022. But I can manage to share a bit to things I feel are worthwhile.
@suewilkinson910 Thank you Sue. Please don't worry about the 'bung'. I fully understand what Brexit has done to so many businesses. Best wishes 😊
I’m packing my bags, looks magnificent
Thank you Michael, we own a property in Southern Spain. My bills are much cheaper than the UK. Cheaper council tax, cheaper water and electricity. Food prices are cheaper, vegetables and fruit. Yes lots of street cleaners. I do remember my first trip to Spain, in the 1960’s, a very different country to now. We choose to live in the UK, but love Spain, they are thriving compared to the UK.
For several years around the turn of the century I lived and worked in Spain, principally in Malaga and, later, Bilbao. Visitors from UK always seemed to want to visit Gibraltar so I’d park in la Linea and walk across. I could never wait to get back, if only for a decent cup of coffee at a sensible price, apart from all the points you raise concerning cleanliness, tidiness etc. These days I find many English towns rather intimidating, a sensation I never felt in Spain (nor any of the other European cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.)
To be fair, life was much better in Spain pre Brexit. Been on a trip to Spain 2 years ago, Madrid, Seville, Granada and Cordoba and the difference is just night and day. You cant really see it in the raw numbers because the UK supposedly has a higher GDP per Capita than Spain. However you have to be blind to not see that the quality of living is much higher in Spain. The streets and buildings all look much better maintained. The cities have very large pedestrian zones with all sorts of shops, bars, restaurants that seem to do very well. There is a massive bullit train system that gets you across the country in a jiff for a fraction of the price of UK traintickets. Hardly any homeless in sight at all. Kind of hard to explain a "feeling" but it just feels like a much better managed and safe country in general.
As a spaniard when i go to london one of the things that catches my eye is the amount of homeless people that you see around.
@@andres-qo4he Yeah, whats the point of having a high GDP when all that money ends up in hands of international companies and investors, who often dont even live in the country. Instead of that money going in to the local economy, towns and people. Great if you are a London city investment banker, for the rest not so great...
WHO has that GDP in that Ing-lent?
The English are Europeans ,not race but culture. I love Music, I have seen girls in a choir singing St. John's Passion. Islamic girls, African Girls, Chinese girls all European because they contribute to the culture.
What does UK leaving EU have to do with making life in Spain worse after brexit.
Thanks once again. I find your videos inspirational. Great to see beyond our shores. I have a feeling of sadness realising the truth about the UK and having little hope of any positive changes. I'm not proud to be British/English and if I had the ability to move to another country I would be gone in a heartbeat. Love you Michael, keep up the good work.
Thanks again Edward and I would too! 😊
Hi . I have recently started listening to your podcasts on Brexit . I am Irish , but lived in London for a few years in the 90's . The differences in the people in the UK and Irish people has always intrigued me . But an observation re Brexit is that the people in the UK and the media in the UK always spoke about the EU as " Other " or " The EU " thinks this or wants that . Whereas in Ireland we always talked about it as more of a collective of ourselves and other equal members . I know thats just anecdotal , but it may be part of the cause of Brexit
Absolutely......not only other but that other always tinged with negativity
I lived and worked in Spain from 2009-2021. Having moved to Birmingham in desperation, through the cvid amber zone, my life has since fallen apart. The UK sucks.
The door is open , child but our benefits suit you I suppose.👍
@@lestrem11 Tommy Robinson level IQ confirmed.
@@lestrem11still commenting about things you know nothing about. Especially other people's lives.
We retired to the Canary Islands 22 years ago. We love everything about it, just a lovely place & lovely people.
Happy new years..from a cool and wet Crete!
Same to you 😊
According to Hunt on LBC, Brexit has caused no problems. Talking from a multi millionaire prospective this is probably correct. But it does show how out of touch these people are. Prices have sky rocketed and to do business with the EU is proving to be expensive and difficult if not impossible. It’s strange how the likes of the very rich claim that Brexit is working: Mogg, Johnson, Hunt etc. Unless these politicians realise what ordinary people are facing every day, nothing will alter. People are really struggling with higher energy bills, higher food prices etc. Politicians have no idea I’m afraid.
I am a Brit living in France and I now find even buying presents for my niece and nephew in UK is difficult now 😞 and I can no longer buy from smaller UK outlets - it is too complicated and expensive for them now..some have gone out of business 😞😞
Good to see what life is like elsewhere. Looks a lot better than most UK town centres.
@PaulGodfrey - Much appreciated Paul - Thank you 😊
Another great video, Michael. I love to see you on your travels around other European countries. As I've mentioned before, the places you visit always look so spotless and much more inviting than most places in the UK. And I love the music too. Thanks for sharing. Happy new year.
Thank you Ant 😊
Having just been to a Greek Island I so appreciateSpain with their little well kept towns and villages. Always a pleasure to walk around.
Imagine being a brexiter and hating on all the EU levelling up of member states economic miracles like those of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Poland, etc..
Best you carry on imagining, because that is complete nonsense
@@davidmiles9016Well like it or not it’s true , all those countries were levelled up as indeed the Uk was, I don’t suppose the phrase the sick man of Europe means anything to you, because that’s what we were before joining the EU and it looks like that is what we’re returning to.
@@raymondelliott2280and I remember it well.
@ I think you should get down to spec savers
Oh Michael that plate of jamon Serrano had me salivating. Having worked several years in the construction industry and later in the newspaper industry, your visit took me back down memory lane. Spain seems not to have changed much at all compared to the fall of the UK. Looking at Algesiras port and comparing with the UK ports of say Hull, Grimsby ,Dover and all their prob;ems and threatening atmosphere etc. there is really no comparison. Blue sky does help, but there is normally optimism which appears dead in the UK.
Thank you Michael.That was very enjoyable.Have a relaxing Sunday.
Thanks, you too! 😊
Hola and happy New Year Mr Lambert I used to live in Barcelona and I really miss Spain now, however I think all of Europe has declined, the worse shock to my system was to see the state of Paris , the idea of progression and moving forward in life is coming at all the wrong costs to people, animals, and nature regression is a more appropriate asessment, having also spent 8years of my life living in London to see the violence there is so upsetting, I used to walk home from the theatre or club in the early hours now would not even think of it.I wish to thank you for all your efforts and sensible approaches to all the dreadful happenings in the sad old world today, and your bringing clarity to the bogus treatments dished out at randem by the people "In power today".Thank-you.😊.
@sarahjones-jf4pr - Thank you very much Sarah 😊
@@MichaelLambert1 As usual you are very welcome!
No one born this century has had a vote on brexit!
I'm in sw France, been 32 years, in Europe since Brexit, every aspect is not so good economically, but honestly a lot better than UK, sorry but true..... 🤔🇫🇷🇫🇷❤️🇬🇧
So, one of the poorest towns is Spain is MUCH better than MOST towns in England. It makes you think.
So much better. Visit Castella near Alicante if you get the chance. Up on the mountains it is just lovely and so are the people!
Mr Lambert, come and stay with us in Spain, Italy,wherever you prefer. bring your family as well. We have genuine affection and true love for our English brothers and sisters. Remember will always help and back you up. If Britain is too gloomy come and stay with us.
All the love and good 💙❤️🌍 see you , and lots of love to Britain and all our British brothers and sisters.
@taoikonomika - Thank you very much indeed. Maybe one day that will be possible. I had often thought of retiring to Italy but thanks to Brexit that is no longer possible. 😊
More than welcome here in Ireland Michael. We've welcomed almost 300,000 British nationals over the past few years, second only to Spain. Split between those that moved as companies re-located post Brexit (mostly to Dublin) and retiree's many who've settled in the south and west. No visa or residency permit needed!
I live in Nerja Spain.....it completely pisses on Brexit Britain. They even have a working health service.
That was another issue that Brits warned saying it was both good and bad depending where you were.
Spain is forging ahead...whereas UK is moving back to Victorian UK.
@@robsucher9419 Here’s the thing , child. I am long a retired comfortably off pensioner who enjoys his long liquid lunches, walks, golf and fishing. The people who complain in the UK are the bone idle wasters who would be failures in whatever country they lived. Good luck to Spain I enjoy visiting and they are an ideal golfing holiday country.
@@martee4297 Our free health service has saved my life on occasion and gave me a new knee recently, it’s not all bad news. It could be better if we all pay more, but people don’t like taxes. That is the same the world over. Our big problem is our benefit system encourages people to sit in their arses doing nothing.
Labour aren’t going to sort that out anytime soon.
@@martee4297 56% of UK salary, 12.2% unemployment, 0.72 birth rate (2.1 is replacement level, the UK is 40% better at 1.2 but still not great, which is why we need young immigrants), it's a great place if you don't need to earn a living or have a Northern salary/pension.
despite issues, spaniards live better life than average brit, not everything is money, thats early school and life basics and the videocomentator expresses it so well here, just look the vivid streets
It is the WEATHER!! We live in a cold, wet, depressing land. They don't. Imagine waking to sunny, blue skies virtually every day. Then remember waking up here in grey gloom and soggy fields.. it ain't hard..
Oh , the sun explains the absense of boarded up shops.... try better!
The north of Spain tends to be also cold, wet and rainy. So no, just the weather is not the reason behind such a decline in the UK. Too simple reasoning and argument that of yours.
Very pleasant to sit here in the mountains above Lanjarón and view cities I much prefer to see from afar, the smaller towns are more relaxed and have more gentle architecture. I think it makes people even friendlier once you try a few words of Spanish.
Thanks for your lovely informative videos
@jpb6722 - Thank you - that is very kind of you 😊
My wife and I bought our property in Spain in the late 1990's .. A 200 yr. old water mill situated in the Eastern desert region of Almeria.
We'd previously spent time in Benalmádena; just too many tourists, especially Brits.
Our home is a beautiful, peaceful place. The local towns are fantastic, as are the people.
The Spanish are simply not entitled like the average Brit .. Hence, not innately greedy either, as the British invariably are.
At one point we had a large campsite in France … Every time we got trouble it was ALWAYS the British. SMH
Then why are you guys all coming back?
@@lestrem11 … Coming back? 🤣We wouldn't even fly over the UK!
We are not coming back, foolish person. We live in three differing European nations, as our work/businesses dictate
Brexit has screwed up the ability for many Brits to stay in various ways, because they hold a UK passport 🤮
Some of us took other nationalities _YEARS ago_, way before Brexit lifted it stupid, repulsive head
We have not lived in the UK for decades. An appalling country which as it's economy tanks, the ignorance of the masses grows exponentially.
Spain is a good place to live. There are ups and downs, as there are anywhere. However the plus side far outweighs the negative. In addition, as a British person living here with full residency, (yes, an immigrant), I can move freely around the EU without restriction. I wish that others could still do the same.
Illegal immigration is the problem, regulated immigration does not cause problems because it allows you to filter out problematic people.
As another British (and German) immigrant living and working in Spain, it's nice to know I can go wherever I want in the EU… but then I'm quite happy where I am. I still have a bucket list of all the places I'd like to see (most of them in Spain - such a huge and varied country!) for when I'm feeling adventurous, and thankfuilly also a good public transport network of trains and buses to take me there.
Michael, keep up the great work 👍
Thanks 😊
I share your opinion about Spain . My experience is more with Portugal but one huge difference between Iberia and the UK is that people of different backgrounds live in the same building. In Portugal my dentist friend lives in the same block as his postman, albeit in a larger appartment. There would be no Grenfell Tower there. Uncle Michael, thank you for your video. I hope 2025 brings you health and prosperity.
Thank you Chris 😊
I live in Catalonia but your remarks are true of all of Spain. It is a great advantage that people live close to one another in the towns within walking distance of most shops and services as opposed to towns in Britain and Ireland where out of town shopping has destroyed many towns.
Britain's biggest problem is its huge social inequality. It is the most unequal country in Europe, far above the next most unequal countries, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The most worrying thing is that while inequality is decreasing in the Mediterranean countries, the trend is the opposite in Britain. Britain was the Trojan horse for the Reagan-Thatcher conservative revolution, which had and still has the goal of transferring the American model to Europe, once the Soviet bloc had collapsed and the "showcase" effect of the so-called welfare state was no longer necessary.
It's not an easy or simplistic cause I'm afraid. Britain attract many of the Ultra High Net Worth of the world and it only takes a few billionaires to skew that average. Now Labour is busy destroying Britain those wealthy people are leaving at a rate second highest in the world only to China - despite the population disparity we aren't so far behind, so you will soon find tha averages returning to more normal.
Tak!
@Gert-DK - Thank you very much Gert - much appreciated 😊
@@MichaelLambert1 You are welcome.
Glad I tuned in today! My wife and I are just off to Spain for a month. Just had to get a few holiday things from Brighton and drove along the A27 with its litter strewn verges and graffiti all over the road signs on the overhead gantries. West Sussex Highways have just finished cuttings the verges on the other roads and the big pieces of litter have now been shredded into thousands of little pieces along with the weeds which they couldn’t be bothered to cut back in the summer. We all call it scruffy Sussex.
Michael thank you for taking us around the lovely EU. It shows something that we are missing out on. The whole idea of brexit is to take us back to a time where the wealthy were super rich and where the rest had to just grin and bare it. We continue our journey backwards until the person who initiated brexit has left politics. All countries have poverty but it's how the government can reduce its effect on the population
What a lovely video Michael. You can almost smell the atmosphere and ambience. Just like Luton.
Thank you Frank 😊
It is no coincidence that Luton and Latrine begin with the same letter.
Great video, despite its problems, Spain is objectively a cleaner, happier, nicer place than the UK. You hit the nail on the head with your comment about civic pride, which you will encounter in every region of Spain. Of course the weather helps because culture (cuisine, fiestas, music etc.) flows from that but Spanish society is generally much more cohesive - and Spaniards from all walks of life are more cultured as a result.
I live here and can confirm life is better here.
In Spain if you have studies you earn more money than in the UK, I know because when I was young I was in the UK and the truth is that it is impossible to live there and the salaries are not so high for qualified people
Catalonia has a GDP per capita 15% higher than England and the cost of living is lower.
In the Basque Country, people are richer than 70% of English people.
By choosing the region you want to live in, you can change your income. A foreigner has nothing to lose by moving from one province to another.
One comment left me speechless: 'how much did Brussels pay for his video?'. The simple answer is nothing! It is now abundantly clear that the EU can do without the UK. If anything the question seems to me to be: can the UK equally do without the EU ?
No.
It certainly looks nicer than Clacton ! 😂😂😂😂
Oh dear,that wudn't be hard now,would it,🤷♂️🤦,
Farage would disagree, especially now Clacton is thriving in the post Brexit boom.
To be fair, a Mediterranean climate helps. 🇪🇺
@@gobnait7855 Thats' not all by far.
I am British ...I live in a city in the North West of France - climate much the same as southern England but here the city centre is clean, bustling shops, plenty of amenities, excellent public transport ( free on weekends) , really walkable and attractive.
It is not the climate that makes it that.
Mature trees and pedestrian walks right in the centre -
lots of greenery and lots of cafés, bars restaurants etc
Priority of the city council is to make the centre liveable ( and people live in centre which is good for the shops) and a good place to visit with a
slogan, also, of 'Nature in the City'.
People like a pleasant place to visit...and they visit which is good for the shops.
Excellent, very cheap public transport makes it easier for people to come to the centre.
It is free at weekends which also encourages people to come into the town centre.
The City Council has also encouraged what they call locomotive shops to set up in the centre.
They provided the former stock exchange building to a very large electronics outlet.
That has encouraged footfall and other businesses to set up round about.
The city continuously renovates and improves its old buildings...and has turned what
was once a rather shabby de-industrialised city into a tourist destination.
The old dis used shipyards have been greened and what are now tourist attractions established there... very near the centre, including (night) clubs well served by all night buses - and away from the residents of the centre.
There are major institutions in the centre too like the University Hospital etc
which helps and the University Hospital will shortly be moved to the old
disused shipyards with excellent access.
All this takes thought and planning and prioritizing people...Not to do with the climate
It is wet and cold here most of the year!
@@daydays12 I don’t disagree. I was thinking more about outdoor café tables in winter.
I live in France, like you, north of the Loire. In France now, to avoid energy waste, it is no longer allowed to heat outdoor areas. Enclosed terrasses may heat but that’s not the case in this video in Southern Spain because it’s, yes, in Southern Spain... So it’s warmer than Clacton, or even most French towns. 😉