I've only been here (almost) a year. I didn't do the tourist first year as I was a bit busy. Truth is, we have been out more in the first few days of 2025 than we have in all of 2024. I have absolutely no regrets. We used to look after 2 granskids 3 days a week, me working from home and Jan doing the leg work with them. It was miserable, stuck indoors looking at the rain or cold grey if they didn’t go to some indoor activity. The kids and grandkids came down to us for a week in summer and we did more in that week and had more quality time with their faces absolutley lit up than we could in a year back in the UK. None of them wanted to go back. Like you Jan, my missus goes back regularly for events while I stay and look after the dog. But I think she would agree, the best times are when they are here in the sun with all Spain has to offer. I fib when I say absolutely no regrets, I do actually have one regret... that I didnt move here earlier in life.
Many thanks for your comment Kev and glad to hear that you both love living here in Spain. We must do a one to one chat on your move to Spain later on in the year - Happy 2025 to you both
Great video and listening to Jan’s views was very interesting. Watching Bonny too is great, she’s a star. I was really cold on 1st when it was raining and puerto de Mazarrón was looking very miserable in the wet.
I am Spanish, I have lived here all my life, I was born 400 metres from the sea and I love the beaches, I have recently travelled a bit around Spain, it took me more than 50 years to see the Mediterranean, great plains, extensive vineyards, and endless fields of olive trees... and you see that not all of Spain is green. It happens if you have always lived in the north, which looks like France.😂
Many thanks Jesus for your comment and like you it's nice to explore other parts, such a vast country. I don't like green, reminds me of too much rain :) Many thanks for watching.
@@retiringtospain But Jan wanted a little bit of France... and she can have it sometime, without leaving the country. Gijon, January 6th, crossing the street I looked at one of those street thermometers, 20º, what the TV says is one thing but the reality here is always another...
You can buy everything you might possibly want here in Spain (re crafting), either in physical shops or online. Haberdashers are amazing and you will still find them in every small town.
Interesting video. Husband desperately trying to put words in his wife’s mouth. I wasn’t convinced that she didn’t regret moving to Spain. In the depths of the UK winter there’s clearly an attraction but I wasn’t persuaded that having more sunshine outweighed what she’d left behind.
Hi Shaun, nice honest video...of course you'll have regrets, how can you not have regrets 😅 I locked up Torrevieja over christmas and spent the holidays in sunny Bournemouth on the Costa del Parkstone bantering with family, spent yesterday in Christchurch and Hengistbury Head. dreading the return to cold Costa Blanca next week
Nice video Shaun, thanks for the (almost mention) on your interview with upsticks. I hope you did mean us two, and I'm not being presumptious lol. Have a drive up to Quesada and have a chat with us if you like... or we could come down to you easy enough before we go back to work in the UK at the end of Feb. Mick and Cath.
Many thanks Mick and Cath for your comment - can't remember when chatting to Chris Would love to meet up with you both before you return to the UK for a chat, are we on Messenger? or WhatsApp? so we can arrange a meet up - I will come to you
The grass is always greener is the old saying.We couldn't leave our grandchildren that is a step to far.My brother who lives in the Netherlands always kept going on about living in Spain.He used to go on holiday a lot to Spain.He never did still lives over there a nice little place now called Teugen in Holland..My sister never left Rotterdam and never went to Spain either.The heat would be to much for me in Spain.But our long wet dark winters in the UK is not something to enjoy either.
I heard that because of the weather in England the Beatles left England for the USA and not just USA but CA. Look now how happy Ringo Star is gosh...........................he even have his own statue in Los Angeles. I saw him playing once in Lake Tahoe Nevada wow, did he look happy. I don't know if he or the Beatles would have stayed happy ending up living in England where that weather is so crazy cold and rainy with mucho fog etc etc. Wow, you guys did do good for yourselfs by leaving your childhood family life country England. Amen to both of you. But remember now, I did write a greeting earlier about change your life while you still can talk and walk and somewhat have your brains in order. I know of some even a family member who waited to long to change things and wow, what a mess that wife had after her husband died. He died, he did not feel anything since he died but the wife wow, did she get a lot of stress dealing with everything after the husband died. And they did not have any kids or even good friends who wanted to help her out...................SHE WAS ON HER OWN gosh, how crazy and sad.
Thank you for this interesting video. Very interesting that Jan wanted to go to France originally. We’re the opposite. I wanted to go to Spain originally but we came to France. However hubby has now come round to my way of thinking and we’re hopefully making the move to Spain later this year. Can I ask please, how is your Spanish after 9 years? I’m learning Spanish now but I’m wondering if the Spanish are more forgiving than the French when it comes to the language 🤔
Many thanks for your comment - we are both still learning Spanish but it's better to learn it here as each region of Spain speaks slightly different but they do love you giving it a go, sometimes we are both laughing when we get it wrong and help each other out. Many thanks for watching
Perdona, pero te voy a contestar yo...porque él dijo que no le gusta que le pregunten de como lleva su español. Mira, efectivamente en Francia son muy de ellos y les molesta mucho que no hables francés, además ni te contestan aunque entiendan el inglés, es más para darte la residencia tienes que hablar francés....pero en España no es así, aquí es bienvenido todo el mundo, la diferencia es que somos más abiertos e intentamos entender a las personas que no hablan español, lo que no puede ser es que lleves 9 años en un país y no hables el idioma, eso es una falta de respeto y ese es el problema que tienen muchos extranjeros que vienen por el clima,( porque hay países con mejor clima que España)...en España no te aburres nunca tengas la edad que tengas, porque hay mucho de todo para entretenerse, pero tienes que hablar español para poder integrarte, yo te aseguro que el día que un extranjero se integre pondrá el clima a un lado, puedes tener 90 años pero hay que venir con la mente abierta. Yo viví en Londres y yo hablo inglés pero no tengo acento inglés y aún así para preguntar cualquier cosa en la calle los ingleses ni te escuchan, ni se esfuerzan por entenderte...pero luego ellos quieren que les entiendan en otros países. Bueno espero que te haya ayudado y bienvenidos a España.
@@oscarsantas6528 Lo siento, debo haberme perdido la parte donde dijo que no le gustaba que le preguntaran sobre hablar español. No hablo francés con fluidez, pero después de casi 4 años siento que hablo lo suficiente para manejar las interacciones diarias con la gente y tratar con profesionales. Ya estoy aprendiendo español para tener un conocimiento básico cuando me mude. No soy una de esas personas que esperan que todos hablen inglés ni soy el tipo de persona que no ayudaría a alguien que no pudiera hablar inglés si viviera en el Reino Unido.
@@aurevoirpet-ourfrenchlife6772 Si miras al final del vídeo dice que si le preguntan como lleva el español le dirá ADIÓS...tú no tendrás ningún problema aquí en España porque eres una persona educada y respetuosa y te irá bien, seguro.
What happens when you get too old. Who will look after to you ? It’s not cheap for private care abroad or in the uk ( especially if you own your own home ) That’s my concern about moving abroad .
I understand what you're saying and I know a few people already live on their own but there is a more community spirit here in the built up areas than where I used to live in the UK. Live your life for today, you can get day care nurses and we have Age Concern here in Spain.
That's not true. You're allowed, it's just that Brexit makes it more difficult, but not impossible. Anyway this couple moved to my country before Brexit.
Thank you Gary, you just need a visa now and plenty of videos out there explaining all about moving abroad from outside the EU. Many thanks for watching
I thought I better ask my wife if she has regretted moving to Spain - enjoy the video
Thank you so much for the real facts and experiences of your move to Spain
Very best wishes
Thank you John for your kind comment and thanks for watching.
I've only been here (almost) a year. I didn't do the tourist first year as I was a bit busy. Truth is, we have been out more in the first few days of 2025 than we have in all of 2024.
I have absolutely no regrets. We used to look after 2 granskids 3 days a week, me working from home and Jan doing the leg work with them. It was miserable, stuck indoors looking at the rain or cold grey if they didn’t go to some indoor activity.
The kids and grandkids came down to us for a week in summer and we did more in that week and had more quality time with their faces absolutley lit up than we could in a year back in the UK. None of them wanted to go back.
Like you Jan, my missus goes back regularly for events while I stay and look after the dog. But I think she would agree, the best times are when they are here in the sun with all Spain has to offer.
I fib when I say absolutely no regrets, I do actually have one regret... that I didnt move here earlier in life.
Many thanks for your comment Kev and glad to hear that you both love living here in Spain. We must do a one to one chat on your move to Spain later on in the year - Happy 2025 to you both
@retiringtospain Sure mate, any time you want.
Nice honest video Shaun and Mrs Shaun x
Great video and listening to Jan’s views was very interesting. Watching Bonny too is great, she’s a star. I was really cold on 1st when it was raining and puerto de Mazarrón was looking very miserable in the wet.
Thank you, many thanks for watching
Fascinating chat, really enjoyed hearing this, many thanks Shaun.
Thank you, plenty more of these chats on us moving to Spain. Many thanks for watching.
I am Spanish, I have lived here all my life, I was born 400 metres from the sea and I love the beaches, I have recently travelled a bit around Spain, it took me more than 50 years to see the Mediterranean, great plains, extensive vineyards, and endless fields of olive trees... and you see that not all of Spain is green. It happens if you have always lived in the north, which looks like France.😂
Many thanks Jesus for your comment and like you it's nice to explore other parts, such a vast country. I don't like green, reminds me of too much rain :) Many thanks for watching.
@@retiringtospain But Jan wanted a little bit of France... and she can have it sometime, without leaving the country. Gijon, January 6th, crossing the street I looked at one of those street thermometers, 20º, what the TV says is one thing but the reality here is always another...
I absolutely love your little dog. How fabulous what you’ve done.
Thank you Pauline, Bonnie loves it here. Many thanks for watching.
You can buy everything you might possibly want here in Spain (re crafting), either in physical shops or online. Haberdashers are amazing and you will still find them in every small town.
Thank you Caroline, Jan goes to the local towns to buy her stuff and they are very helpful. Many thanks for watching.
Winter blues Jan ,awful ..I need the sun too , but this time oof year I tend to go into a sort of hibernation 😊
Thank you Brian, she's outside in the garden - working Many thanks for watching
@ thanks ,and happy new year,you take care now
@@brianwallington9744 Happy 2025
Lovely video. Thanks for sharing
Thank you and thanks for watching
Interesting video. Husband desperately trying to put words in his wife’s mouth. I wasn’t convinced that she didn’t regret moving to Spain. In the depths of the UK winter there’s clearly an attraction but I wasn’t persuaded that having more sunshine outweighed what she’d left behind.
Thank you Neil for your comment, thankfully my wife can say what she likes. Many thanks for watching.
Nice 1 Shaun good interesting vid mate , nice to c the missis
Thank you Glen, glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching
Great insight into moving to Spain. Thanks for sharing the video Shaun. I’m sure you both will have a lot of fun in 2025 🎉
Thank you Adrian for your comment and many thanks for watching and happy 2025
But the dog is Happy !!! Dont move !! ❤ Greetings from Spain ❤
Thank you, yes Bonnie dog loves it here, at the moment in her bed sleeping :)
It's snowing here in kent shaun so you're in the right place 😊
Good to know John, I don't miss the snow
Love your channel ♥
Thank you for your kind comment and thanks for watching
Lovely video, nice chatty couple. Down to earth!
Thank you for watching 👍
Hi Shaun, nice honest video...of course you'll have regrets, how can you not have regrets 😅 I locked up Torrevieja over christmas and spent the holidays in sunny Bournemouth on the Costa del Parkstone bantering with family, spent yesterday in Christchurch and Hengistbury Head. dreading the return to cold Costa Blanca next week
Glad your having a lovely time in sunny South, hope you went on the big wheel in Bournemouth
@@retiringtospain 😄 no Ferris wheel for me, rather spend the £10 on a portion of Harry Redknapps fish and chips
It does get cold in Malaga!!!
Thank you Chris, I can remember my mum saying that when she lived there :)
Happy New Year to you all
Thank you Bert and Happy New year to you and your family
Nice video Shaun, thanks for the (almost mention) on your interview with upsticks. I hope you did mean us two, and I'm not being presumptious lol.
Have a drive up to Quesada and have a chat with us if you like... or we could come down to you easy enough before we go back to work in the UK at the end of Feb.
Mick and Cath.
Many thanks Mick and Cath for your comment - can't remember when chatting to Chris Would love to meet up with you both before you return to the UK for a chat, are we on Messenger? or WhatsApp? so we can arrange a meet up - I will come to you
@@retiringtospain I'll send you a message mate.
@@ourturnnow cheers
The grass is always greener is the old saying.We couldn't leave our grandchildren that is a step to far.My brother who lives in the Netherlands always kept going on about living in Spain.He used to go on holiday a lot to Spain.He never did still lives over there a nice little place now called Teugen in Holland..My sister never left Rotterdam and never went to Spain either.The heat would be to much for me in Spain.But our long wet dark winters in the UK is not something to enjoy either.
Many thanks for your comment and thanks for watching
I heard that because of the weather in England the Beatles left England for the USA and not just USA but CA. Look now how happy Ringo Star is gosh...........................he even have his own statue in Los Angeles. I saw him playing once in Lake Tahoe Nevada wow, did he look happy. I don't know if he or the Beatles would have stayed happy ending up living in England where that weather is so crazy cold and rainy with mucho fog etc etc. Wow, you guys did do good for yourselfs by leaving your childhood family life country England. Amen to both of you. But remember now, I did write a greeting earlier about change your life while you still can talk and walk and somewhat have your brains in order. I know of some even a family member who waited to long to change things and wow, what a mess that wife had after her husband died. He died, he did not feel anything since he died but the wife wow, did she get a lot of stress dealing with everything after the husband died. And they did not have any kids or even good friends who wanted to help her out...................SHE WAS ON HER OWN gosh, how crazy and sad.
Many thanks for your comment and watching
you could have it super green in Galicia,Asturias ..etc,etc but if you want sun lots of it it is got to be the south.
Many thanks for your comment
Who wants to grow veg in Spain when the multitude of markets have lovely fresh food
That's what I keep saying but she enjoys trying. Many thanks for watching.
Could you do a video of the outside views, they look magnificent!
Thank you, there will be other videos of us outside, thanks for asking 👍
Thank you for this interesting video. Very interesting that Jan wanted to go to France originally. We’re the opposite. I wanted to go to Spain originally but we came to France. However hubby has now come round to my way of thinking and we’re hopefully making the move to Spain later this year. Can I ask please, how is your Spanish after 9 years? I’m learning Spanish now but I’m wondering if the Spanish are more forgiving than the French when it comes to the language 🤔
Many thanks for your comment - we are both still learning Spanish but it's better to learn it here as each region of Spain speaks slightly different but they do love you giving it a go, sometimes we are both laughing when we get it wrong and help each other out. Many thanks for watching
Perdona, pero te voy a contestar yo...porque él dijo que no le gusta que le pregunten de como lleva su español.
Mira, efectivamente en Francia son muy de ellos y les molesta mucho que no hables francés, además ni te contestan aunque entiendan el inglés, es más para darte la residencia tienes que hablar francés....pero en España no es así, aquí es bienvenido todo el mundo, la diferencia es que somos más abiertos e intentamos entender a las personas que no hablan español, lo que no puede ser es que lleves 9 años en un país y no hables el idioma, eso es una falta de respeto y ese es el problema que tienen muchos extranjeros que vienen por el clima,( porque hay países con mejor clima que España)...en España no te aburres nunca tengas la edad que tengas, porque hay mucho de todo para entretenerse, pero tienes que hablar español para poder integrarte, yo te aseguro que el día que un extranjero se integre pondrá el clima a un lado, puedes tener 90 años pero hay que venir con la mente abierta. Yo viví en Londres y yo hablo inglés pero no tengo acento inglés y aún así para preguntar cualquier cosa en la calle los ingleses ni te escuchan, ni se esfuerzan por entenderte...pero luego ellos quieren que les entiendan en otros países.
Bueno espero que te haya ayudado y bienvenidos a España.
@@oscarsantas6528 Muchas gracias por tu comentario
@@oscarsantas6528 Lo siento, debo haberme perdido la parte donde dijo que no le gustaba que le preguntaran sobre hablar español. No hablo francés con fluidez, pero después de casi 4 años siento que hablo lo suficiente para manejar las interacciones diarias con la gente y tratar con profesionales. Ya estoy aprendiendo español para tener un conocimiento básico cuando me mude. No soy una de esas personas que esperan que todos hablen inglés ni soy el tipo de persona que no ayudaría a alguien que no pudiera hablar inglés si viviera en el Reino Unido.
@@aurevoirpet-ourfrenchlife6772 Si miras al final del vídeo dice que si le preguntan como lleva el español le dirá ADIÓS...tú no tendrás ningún problema aquí en España porque eres una persona educada y respetuosa y te irá bien, seguro.
I like the wife shes not agreeable for the sake of it ,Snow at the min in uk roll on 21st going canaries for a month Happy New Year
Many thanks for your comment and roll on the 21st for your trip in the sun
Jan is lovely
Thank you and she is - many thanks for watching.
Its about the sun for me its 2c in the West Midlands😮
Very true Susan, keep warm
What happens when you get too old. Who will look after to you ? It’s not cheap for private care abroad or in the uk ( especially if you own your own home ) That’s my concern about moving abroad .
I understand what you're saying and I know a few people already live on their own but there is a more community spirit here in the built up areas than where I used to live in the UK. Live your life for today, you can get day care nurses and we have Age Concern here in Spain.
@ great . That’s good to know. You are both inspiring and Thank you for taking the time to respond. All the best . 😊
I thought "Brexit" meant us Brits weren't allowed to live in a EU country?
That's not true. You're allowed, it's just that Brexit makes it more difficult, but not impossible. Anyway this couple moved to my country before Brexit.
Thank you Gary, you just need a visa now and plenty of videos out there explaining all about moving abroad from outside the EU. Many thanks for watching
No mention about the cultural and language aspects of living in Spain . Do you engage with the locals ?
Good question Paul, try watching my other videos
But don’t you miss these dark grey gloomy cold weeks on end?
Like a hole in my head Neil 😂😂😂
I'd retire to Penang if it wasn't for family commitments.
Many thanks for your comment Anthony, never give up on your dream.
Habla por los codos mucho?
Yes Rob, always talk out of my mouth