10 Things I Miss About The UK!

In Spain, you can't buy the large jars of Marmite, or in Darrell's case Vegemite. So far, I have only found  small jars of the black stuff; at 3.30€, it isn't cheap either.  I did find some larger pots of Bovril, at Alcampo on Monday, but once again, the price was extortionate, at 4.99€.  If anyone goes back to Britain, regularly, and wants to stick a large jar in their case for me, I am more than willing to pay for it.  The question is however.... Why can you only get 125g jars of Marmite?
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From Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local, to the smaller convenience store chains, you can always guarantee, an open shop, to buy those every day essentials.  Spain does not really have the same culture, where shopping is concerned.  They do have stores that open longer, but the range of products on offer, are limited.  I miss walking to Tesco express on a Sunday morning!
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No such concept in Spain.  Main stream shops  do open longer, due to the three hour siesta each day, but 24 hour shopping is unheard of. As someone who worked full time in Britain, I was glad of being able to buy groceries in Tesco, at whatever hour I chose. Shopping after 10pm, was quieter and an altogether better, less stressful experience. I do also love the vibrancy of 24 hour shopping; an urban dweller at heart, I enjoy 'a city that never sleeps!'
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Smaller shops can open their doors on a Sunday; once again the number of outlets are limited. The larger establishments, such as Lidl are allowed to open on a limited number of Sunday's each year and tend to save the opportunity, for the more lucrative summer months! Without knowing the answers, I would assume, that as a Catholic country, the Church does have some influence, over shop opening hours on a Sunday. Unlike Britain, Spain is very  family centric;  Sunday is normally a time for families to get together, rather than working or shopping in a supermarket. 
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I miss my friends and family, from the UK every day.  Of course, with social media, I am able to keep in touch, as often as I can, but it isn't the same as seeing people face to face. I have made many friends in Gran Alacant, but they have a different way of approaching friendships.

In the UK, people would come to my home, every singe day; I had an open door policy. I did actually enjoy having people over to my house in Southampton; in Spain, it is the complete opposite. Don't get me wrong, I have been to other peoples homes, but really as a one off.  Most socialising takes place in the bars and restaurants; it isn't something I am used to. I prefer the British way of doing things.  As Brits, we do tend to spend far more time, in our homes, than the Spanish, which does explain my preference to home entertaining! I am a bit of a homebody anyway; that tends to contradict the Spanish way of life, at times.
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I miss the space, my British home offered.  My Spanish  Casa just does not live up to the same standards.  The Casa, I live in, is relatively small, called a quad, it really is like a traditional back to back terrace property in the UK, but with a small court yard, adjoining three others, from neighbouring homes.  Of course I do have a solarium on top on the house, which is fantastic, but it isn't a garden. There isn't a lot of grass in our urbanization, consequently, not a lot of greenery, which is a downside. It does surprise me, that I do miss the greenery in Britain, especially when I was never an outdoor person. You never realise, what you have, until it is gone!
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Spanish cheese just isn't the same. I am a bit of a cheese monster and love strong, extra mature Cheddar.  You just can't get decent English cheese in Spain, no matter how hard you look.  Most supermarkets do sell at least one variety, but it's all quite standard stuff, nothing fantastic. There is a very good English supermarket, 'Quick Save' in Gran Alacant, which also stock other English products; it is a godsend, for an Anglophile like me!
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Since moving to Spain, I haven't had the one thing, I had bags of, in the UK, security! Coming to any strange country, you are confronted by a system you are not used too.  I could have quite happily remained in Britain and got another job, but I would have been haunted by the ghosts of Oxfam for the rest of my life.  In the end that wasn't an option. 

We took legal advice and left the country, a huge wrench for both of us; walking into uncharted territory, with little or no money and no guarantees for the future. These were  scary times. This was something we had to do, we didn't have an option and were left with little security for the future.  The employment opportunities for Expats in Spain are pretty limited, access to benefits restrictive and life currently remains difficult. Nothing is forever!
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A major stumbling block for me, living in Gran Alacant, is the lack of access, to entertainment, that I used to take for granted.  What do I mean by entertainment? Things like the theatre and cinema. Of course I am not saying Alicante, doesn't have such facilities, but they don't cater for the English language.  In the UK, I loved going to the theatre and have seen many shows; in Spain life is very different, with a reliance on British television, streamed from the internet, or satellite. The local Expat community, puts on various plays from time to time, especially during the holiday season; local theatres do have English speaking events occasionally, but nothing compared to what was on offer, right on my doorstep, living in a large city, on the South coast of England. 
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It is an absolute tragedy; you can't find a decent takeaway anywhere. When I have been out drinking or clubbing to the early hours, I used to love popping into 'Sals Kebab Shop', in St Mary's, Southampton and ordering a shed load of food.  In Gran Alacant, nothing opens past 10pm, slightly later in the summer; even then, there are no takeaway places, akin to those in Britain. 

There are plenty of restaurants in Gran Alacant, all serving great value for money food, but there isn't a takeaway or pizza delivery service in sight.  If I was to hazard a guess, judging on my own experience, the Spanish Government, probably have too many rules and regulations, to comply with, culminating in a massive amount of paperwork, for potential business owners.  The hassle involved, just wouldn't be worth it; this is my best guess or assumption, stated by a bit of a cynic, used to Spanish bureaucracy; of course  I could be completely wrong!
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Coming soon:
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