Category Archives: Expatriate Life

I’ve been to Germany more than once. I found the people there charming and friendly, from lorry drivers and waitresses to teachers and business people. Even here on the Costa Blanca German women are often a delight. So why do … Continue reading →

When I wrote a whimsical piece on this topic on the 26th of August I had no idea that, in October, rains would bring devastation to the Costa Blanca—or the part of it where I live. Storms and floods destroyed … Continue reading →

In 2001, when I first came to live in my present house in Calpe, the hill across the valley to the east was a sandy brown. A desert hill, which made you wonder what had ever been grown on its … Continue reading →

Just yesterday, in a supermarket, I witnessed something I’ve seen dozens of times, but which never fails to astonish me. A man, of about my own age, needed to pass through a queue. “Excuse me,” he said. If I’d been … Continue reading →

The girls who make the cold calls are always certain there will be no problems. The engineers who turn up always say it’s impossible. The Internet has redefined “the countryside”. It is no longer a place where farmers grow crops, … Continue reading →

I am alluding here to a famous remark made by the Duke of Wellington. He was born in Ireland, to English parents. He hated people calling him Irish. Sometimes they would say, “But you were born in Ireland.” He would … Continue reading →

A couple of months ago, I was chatting to a taxi driver when he told me that some recent ‘fares’—I think that’s what you call a taxi driver’s customers—had told him off for speaking Spanish, and for not knowing their … Continue reading →

I know, I know. The most predictable and boring thing you can do in a blog is to slag off Microsoft—and people often slag them off from a hidden envy. The company is so successful. Bill Gates is so rich. … Continue reading →