TWO Brits living in Spain have revealed the best and worst things about residing and working in the country.
Sarah and Johnny Robinson left the UK 20 years ago, and have been living in Spain since May 2003.
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The couple moved from London to the Jalón Valley in Alicante with their three children who were six, three, and one at the time.
After they purchased their new home in the Spanish countryside, they converted it into a hotel called Caserío del Mirador.
For the last two decades, Sarah and Johnny have been welcoming young British families to their retreat in the Spanish hills.
As they’ve greeted their guests, the pair have also navigated the highs and the lows of life under the Spanish sun.
Sarah told Sun Online Travel: “The issues in Spain are completely different to those in the UK, but that’s part of the charm.”
When the husband and wife duo were converting their boutique hotel, they had to hire builders, plumbers, and decorators to carry out the work.
Johnny explained: “They just turn up when they turn up, which is much more disorganised compared to the UK.”
At times, Sarah and Johnny didn’t know when builders would arrive at their home.
They also found navigating “red tape” and filling out paperwork frustrating too.
Johnny added: “At the beginning of the day, you’ll be five steps into filling out the correct paperwork.
“Then, you go down the road with the completed documents to be told you didn’t need to do that or spend hours queueing.
“You’ll ask: ‘Why didn’t you say that’ and someone will reply ‘You didn’t ask’.
“There’s a lack of initiative, so people need to have patience when visiting offices and completing paperwork.”
Despite the chaos, Johnny and Sarah found Spanish locals to be helpful and generally laidback.
The relaxed approach to life is one of the many reasons that Sarah and Johnny have stayed in Spain for twenty years.
Sarah explained: “The Spaniards that we’ve met have realised that there’s more to life than going to work and they prioritse their family and their social life. ”
She explained that one popular restaurant will often close on a Saturday night because the owner/chef wants to enjoy their Saturday night too.
This means holidaymakers who want to eat at the best restaurants are better off venturing out mid-week.
But this is no problem for the bank balance because the couple finds life in Spain to be “affordable”.
She said: “Being able to go out and buy a round of drinks for €10 is unbeatable, and definitely much cheaper than eating out in London.”
Sarah, who hasn’t returned to the UK since 2019, added: “There’s also the weather – we get 300 days of sunshine a year.”
Meanwhile, another British expat who lives in Cadiz in Andalusia has revealed the three big mistakes tourists make while they’re on holiday.
This includes eating at restaurants with laminated menus containing pictures and being too reliant on taxis and private transfers.
And soon there will be a new European train that will take you to Spain without needing to fly.
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