As an expat and a dog lover, the way that dogs and other animals are treated in Spain often distresses me. As far as dogs are concerned, with the help from expats from other countries, much has been learned about animal welfare, and although the number of dogs abandoned each year remains at appalling high …more

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, if you had asked me a year ago what we would do when we retired, the reply would have been – travel. We have a history in this area. We’re Brits and have lived abroad in the USA, New Zealand, Australia, traveled throughout Europe, visited …more

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Why is STARTING important? If you don’t start, you’ll never finish. Thinking, analyzing, and planning are good, but lead nowhere without accompanying action. To get things done, you need to do, move, engage. How many times have you had a great idea that you never followed up on? The idea, without the follow-up, has no …more

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It all started when I fell in love with Spain while spending my junior year in college in Madrid. I had talked so much about Spain over the years that at one point my husband asked me “When are you taking me there?” So we saved a bunch of money and in May, 2010 my …more

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I’m a sixty two year old ex-pat Englishman living in an old house (which I am restoring) on an estuary in western France, I am also in the process of renovating an old 1960’s classic sailing boat. My life and my boat restoration activities are the subjects of two blogs which I try to keep …more

My friend sat before us like a sentinel guarding an important event. He was like I had always remembered him, regal, majestic, exuding an air of superiority as if he really knew that he belonged in this time and in this place. In fact, he truly did. March was his time to shine. It had …more

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As I write this article, Balinese are frantically preparing for the “Nyepi” holiday, often referred to as “Bali’s Day of Silence”. On that day from 6 a.m to 6 a.m. the following day, everyone must remain in their house or hotel, for the whole day. The airport even closes down for the whole day. Lights …more

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The whole concept of ‘Brits in Europe’ is a controversial area that I know many expats living in Spain get very heated about. Indeed, it is one subject that is a hot topic of conversation in many Brit bars and gatherings. However, it is also fair to say that many expats really don’t care at …more