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The soft and delicious water (in some parts of Spain you cannot drink the water and it´s "hard". Though being close to the Sierra Nevada we can drink the tap water
The familiarity of hearing and speaking English, my native language and I miss hearing it. Where I live there aren´t many ex pats in my village
The humour, always miss the British/Scottish humour and jokes, it is not the same in Spain
TV channels - let´s face it TV in Spain its b*******! We have freesat HD
Surroundings, I still miss my village and county, the traditional cobbled streets, homes, the pubs - Scottish feel
The food, I do miss my HP sauce, sausages, fish and chips, tea, cheddar cheese
Decent driving and parking
Snow at Christmas
The greenery
What I don´t miss
The neds/chavs
The people who drink to get drunk and cause trouble
Anti social behaviour
The weather
The tories
Taxes
High cost of living
Royal family
Nanny state
I've always found the water pressure to be considerably lower here in the US, hence the weaker flushing and not so intense showers. I don't know why this is?
The weaker flush is the 1.2 gallon toilets we ended up with from gummint fiat, although my terlit is of a newer design and flushes with authority. And with being on a septic system I appreciate the low water use. The water pressure is interesting-the wife told me that there is a tank in the attic of the house where we stayed in Botley, her childhood home, that stores a quantity of water much like the water tank in a US city. This gives the house a nice even water pressure.
Jezer, I wasn't worried so much about which plumbing system was "better" as to the different pipe sizes and threads. Plumbing here is enough of a kludge without a totally different system involved and I just didn't have the time to investigate it. I do know it was amazing. Our shower goes from glacier to magma in a quarter turn of the dial. A power shower would solve that and take care of the perpetual dripping tap.
As an American Anglophile, headed for your beautiful country in a couple of months, I am really enjoying this thread.
CARRY ON!
Great! I hope you enjoy your time in our beautiful country. It's not perfect by any means, but I certainly miss it.
I'm sure you will add to the diversity of our country and will be very welcome. In the meantime, check the UK Yankee forum as it's worth interacting with other American expats living in the UK to give you more of an American perspective.
Great! I hope you enjoy your time in our beautiful country. It's not perfect by any means, but I certainly miss it.
I'm sure you will add to the diversity of our country and will be very welcome. In the meantime, check the UK Yankee forum as it's worth interacting with other American expats living in the UK to give you more of an American perspective.
I'm new here, so sorry for my ignorance, but how do I get to that forum?
I thought the tax rate in Spain was higher than the UK? Not sure if they have a NI equivalent though so it might balance out lower - I'm certainly not a Spanish tax expert. But I do know they have a Royal Family
Definitely miss a toilet that doesn't block so easily. How could I have missed that. Mine has blocked like 6 times easily in 5 months. Don't think my loo blocked once in the last 30 odd years when I lived in the UK :-)
Really?
We have a septic tank and no problems.
Also - our own private well water which has no chlorine etc. Whole house filter takes out small amount of sediment. Best water I've ever tasted, and free too.
We use UKiVPN via computer attached to TV to watch UK TV. $10 per month.
Just ditched cable TV- have indoor antennae for local channels.
Don't miss virtually all the things you don't miss plus the NHS - I worked for them for 25yrs.
Especially miss
Public footpaths/bridleways
Indian food
My car (Seat Leon TDI)
Shopping in a downtown area.
Vacations to the less touristy areas of Spain and Turkey.
I thought the tax rate in Spain was higher than the UK? Not sure if they have a NI equivalent though so it might balance out lower - I'm certainly not a Spanish tax expert. But I do know they have a Royal Family
The Impuestos de Valor Anadida (VAT) in Spain is 18% in comparison to 20% in the UK.
Heres a breakdown
Quote:
IVA is charged at 18% on most goods and services in Spain, but not everything gets hit with the full 18%, and the situation is different for property.
Reduced rate ( 8% )
Passenger transport
Toll road
Hotels accomodation
Restaurants
Tickets for cultural performances and entertainment
Sporting events of an amateur nature
Exhibitions and fairs
Animal medicine
Health products and equipment
Flowers, plants, seeds, bulbs and cuttings
Non basic food products and water
Rubbish collection and treatment
Pest control
Wastewater treatment
Super-reduced rate (4%)
Books, newspapers and magazines (Electronic equivalents taxed at full rate).
Scores, maps, sketch pads and other items that may only be used as teaching materials, except electronics.
Re your well Whatsthenews, do you have it checked now & again for possible mercury & nitrogen pollution?
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We have freesat HD
