# Spain, Is It All Over ?



## LJD (Sep 18, 2011)

Judging by whats going on in Benidorm it is ! Businesses walking away from their restaurants and clubs etc . very little open at night. Hotels closing . Bars empty etc

How long before it spreads to other resorts ?


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## handlehall (Aug 7, 2009)

Oh yes, I'm so glad we managed to offload our apartment in Mojacar 18 months ago and managed to break even after 9 years, the estate agent said if that sale had fallen through we would have to wait around 6 years before we could sell without making a loss - the way things have gone they were being optimistic.

In that part of Spain a lot of the older established businesses shut up shop over the time we had our place on the market, I feel sorry for the people who took their places.


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

I heard one of the local Spanish journalists on the beeb today trying to talk up Benidorm! He deserved a medal!

Mike


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Strangely one of the boys at work is just back from a week in Benidorm, never stopped talking about it, said the place was heaving and he was out all night every night in the many pubs and clubs. had the time of his life and is trying to sort out a boys long weekend


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## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

BondandBigM said:


> Strangely one of the boys at work is just back from a week in Benidorm, never stopped talking about it, said the place was heaving and he was out all night every night in the many pubs and clubs. had the time of his life and is trying to sort out a boys long weekend


Count me in!

I was just thinking about a jolly somwhere warm!

Used to be a cracking little bar called John & Joes. I think it was next to a brothel.

A pizza was a couple of quid and you got change out of a quid for a pint. Mind you, these were pre-Euro days....


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

kevkojak said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> > Strangely one of the boys at work is just back from a week in Benidorm, never stopped talking about it, said the place was heaving and he was out all night every night in the many pubs and clubs. had the time of his life and is trying to sort out a boys long weekend
> ...


Yep it might be worth a fact finding recce rather than believe everything you read in the Sunday Red Tops and we could pick up Mark F's bike on the way


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

BondandBigM said:


> Yep it might be worth a fact finding recce rather than believe everything you read in the Sunday Red Tops and we could pick up Mark F's bike on the way


Sounds good to me. I loved that bike.

North coast (Cantabria - Asturias) = Functioning normally

South coast = Functioning normally

75 miles inland from North coast right across Castille and Leon to as far south as Salamnca = Total desperation, closed towns never mind closed businesses. Retail parks empty, industrial estates weed infested, new builds abandoned, town after town after town, roads deserted, couples, even couples with childrem roaming all over the place looking for work...................on foot...........saw it with my own eyes........ everywhere, thought they were pilgrims at first.

Spain is bankrupt, end of story, mostly through property speculation rather than misdoing so a bit different to elsewhere. I used to see billbords saying saying.things like "Move in, 99 Euros down" now they say "Move in, no money required" feck knows how that works! 

PS. anybody want to drive a LHD Jeep Wrangler back from Barcelona........with my bike in the back?


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## LJD (Sep 18, 2011)

Also Nerja looks in a bad way


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

"John and Joseph's" you're thinking of, maybe three bars along from Morgans - aka Neptunes Bar in the TV series, opposite the Ambassador Hotel, in Calle Gerona I think the street is. There are now TWO John and Joseph's run by rival guys two doors apart. The original is the one nearest Morgans. Personally I find it a bit "iffy", the food is cheap but uses cheap materials, the beer is likewise (local weak stuff) and the spirits are the cheaper local brands. If you're tanked up on good stuff and half - arsed, you prolly won't notish Shquire, hic! :wine:

The bars that are closing tend to be the ones that decided

"I'll give up plumbing/driving/sh*te-shifting and run a bar in Benidorm"

even though experience was zero, knowledge and customer skills and cooking the same.

"Bert and Flo from Streatham/Barnsley/Auchenshuggle Welcome you - - Big Screen Sports all day" :rofl2:

A well run bar can still easily make 1000 euros a day *profit*, but you need to know what to do, the hours to put in, and expect to be shafted by staff out of another 200 euros a day profit when you're not there. You can't be there all of the 18 hours a day seven day week you need to open to do that kind of money. But that's Benidorm.

Outside of the main resorts, it's tough, with a capital *"T"* - - I'm not too "bovvered" about going out to Torrevieja in October, although there's a ton of unsold spec builds there, it's also a real city with other functions than tourism, and may well survive on those other functions, only time will tell. If I had spare money and time, I'd consider buying, it's pretty well at the bottom now looks like, might even take that LHD Wrangler Mark as a runabout! :lol:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Nha... Spain is over... you guys should come to the Algarve and spend your pounds over here  :lol:


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

MarkF said:


> PS. anybody want to drive a LHD Jeep Wrangler back from Barcelona........with my bike in the back?


I'm not even going to ask how you got a Jeep and your bike. !!!

:lol: :lol:


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## gaz64 (May 5, 2009)

Kutusov said:


> Nha... Spain is over... you guys should come to the Algarve and spend your pounds over here  :lol:


I do .... Tavira, then up to Lisbon..... Never been to Porto though is on my must visit list.


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## gaz64 (May 5, 2009)

Spain Portugal Eire ..... If we think we are immune in the uk we are deluded.....

I think the only answer is to reset the debt.... Call it day zero and move on... After all it's only figures in. Computer


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

gaz64 said:


> I think the only answer is to reset the debt.... Call it day zero and move on... After all it's only figures in. Computer


In Spain, hit a tricky patch and 6 months later your social payments stop, dead, you are on your own. This year I've seen profesionals, in suits that I coudl never afford, begging for food in the best areas of Barcelona and I've seen disposessed families roaming the land without money, food or shelter, yet, the money markets (the rich) want to screw them down even more? Western europe today, what a joke! .

The debt (fake value of assets) is underpinning the banks, and nations, balance sheets, it can't be written off. This game will last for decades, the "return/recovery" to what it was, will *never* happen because the best years were funded by money that didn't really exist. Our kids (generally) will have get used to the idea of a lower standard of living than their parents (and they) have enjoyed, lower (proportionally) wages for definite and IMO shared jobs too will become normal, they'll be needed to provide people with a "purpose" and stave off social unrest. the rich will get richer, nowt will change there..

The stuff we oldies were told at school about future increased leisure time in the new millenium, will come true, but not in the way we were told it would. 

If I was a young Brit without work but a bit of cash, I'd head to Cambo, maybe Sihanoukville ,room with fan.......... Â£60.....................a month.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

BondandBigM said:


> MarkF said:
> 
> 
> > PS. anybody want to drive a LHD Jeep Wrangler back from Barcelona........with my bike in the back?
> ...


It's not mine but it's available, a black Jeep Wrangler, how coolio that? Needs to be driven from Barcelona to Leeds, before September, that is a nice road trip.


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## LJD (Sep 18, 2011)

MarkF said:


> gaz64 said:
> 
> 
> > I think the only answer is to reset the debt.... Call it day zero and move on... After all it's only figures in. Computer
> ...


And we all know what goes on there....


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Black Jeep Wrangler, BARCELONA TO LEEDS :lol:

Let's see, out of Barca on the coast road, turn left around Lloret, head up to Banyoles for lunch overlooking the Lago, have a swim, turn left again and head to Vic, turn right and head for Andorra, stay the night - - or two. Round the cheapo Duty Free shops and look at watches and Ham Radio stuff, look at the water driven clock in the shopping centre, head off early the next day through the Tunnel into France on the other side of the Pyrenees. That's four days away anyway! :lol:

Haven't seen the Millau bridge in full operation, so turn right and then left up to there, stay the night.Meander up through the Massif Centrale - - and so it goes on 

IF you can cover the expenses Mark, I'll have that bike back to you by Easter :yes: :rofl2:


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

My sat nav shows it at 1159 miles and not withstanding catching a ferry about 20hrs so a straight run with a few stops for go go juice and tins of red bull is doable on a weekend


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

mel said:


> IF you can cover the expenses Mark, I'll have that bike back to you by Easter :yes: :rofl2:


Can cover expenses, no problem, but on B's timescale which is around what I budgeted for, shared driving, good times and 3 days.....maximum. Is 2.5L (pansy) petrol model if anybody wants to know.

PS Don't open the glovebox.


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## Daveinspain (Feb 28, 2004)

MarkF said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> > Yep it might be worth a fact finding recce rather than believe everything you read in the Sunday Red Tops and we could pick up Mark F's bike on the way
> ...


If your paying the fuel I'm game 

I live in a tourist town where the beach area is invaded by good people of Madrid every year.This year seems a little quieter but it's hard to tell.As for the crisis the government have brought in Copago a system where pensionistas have to pay 10% of their monthly prescription bills (up to an 8 euro max) It was sad to see little old dears saying that they should do their bit to get the country back on it's feet.Seems the media brainwashing has worked.and the banks have slipped out of the picture


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Actually I would be tempted to head for Belgium and catch the Zeebrugge - Hull overnighter, bit of a session on the boat and then a quick run along the road in the morning, maybe not the quickest or cheapest but saves that sole destroying drive up from Dover and the M25 mayhem


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## Daveinspain (Feb 28, 2004)

MarkF said:


> mel said:
> 
> 
> > IF you can cover the expenses Mark, I'll have that bike back to you by Easter :yes: :rofl2:
> ...


I can do it next couple of weeks but your inbox is full


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Daveinspain said:


> MarkF said:
> 
> 
> > mel said:
> ...


Pm sent.


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## remb1000 (Jan 17, 2012)

That journey up from Barcelona is a bit of a spin alright.

Would really test your driving endurance.

Not unless you take it handy like you guys suggested.

I got from Carmarthen in Wales to the south of France is less than 24hours!

1000miles one way it was.

Carmarthen to Dover then from Calais straight on down to just north of the Spanish border..

I only used to stop for a quick piss, tea, sandwich.

And to shake off that Lord all merciful cramp Id have in my wrist from holding the wheel.

( I f***in hate mopin about! )

Should of taken a lot longer.

But then again I didn't hang around, was averaging about 170kph on most stretches of motorway through out the night.

If your friend Marky is sending someone down to collect this motor and bike, I would estimate about 1000pounds total cost for it's return.

Your looking at about 500 knicker between fuel, motorway toll fee's,

Not to mention the cost of the ferry, hotels along the way, also food.

I assume your friend is obviously going to pay this driver something as well.

Bit of a mission alright.

Anyway best of luck with it and let us know how it goes


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## 1878 (Oct 27, 2009)

Jump on the back of a well known Irish haulage lorry and youll be there in no time Ireland - Fishguard/Pembroke/Holyhead and anywhere you can name in europe plus the drivers speak every language.


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