Is anyone planning anything? We are going to Gibraltar for 3 weeks in July - arriving just in time to see the Euro final. We need to finish sorting our flat out over there - we have some furniture arriving on 7th and we also have an engineer coming to install the TV and Broadband. Our friends are flying over to join us from 8th July for a week which will be nice so hopefully everything will be sorted in time for their arrival. There is a Sports pub called the Trafalgar over there. It's mainly a Leeds pub, but there are scarves, shirts and pennants from different football teams hanging on the walls/ceilings. I noticed with horror that both Cardiff and Bristol Rovers are represented there but NOT Bristol City, so fixing that is one of my first priorities!!! We will probably go into Spain at some point whilst we are there, depending on the rules around travel at that time. Anyone else got anything booked/planned?
Supposed to be going to Edinburgh for 4 nights in early October. Other than that it's the odd night or two away elsewhere and then hopefully going on our twice postponed cruise in May of 2022. It would be good to get something from Bristol City to adorn the walls of the Trafalgar pub !
Have you got a place there mate? 3 weeks seems a long time in tiny old Gib otherwise. I had 4 days there a few years back with work and loved the place.
Bought a 3-bed flat there - completed in January. By an amazing fluke of luck, totally unforeseen, Gibraltar has negotiated becoming part of the Schengen agreement, so once we've retired over there (it takes 3 years to become an 'official' resident) we will also be able to have our place in Spain with no 90 day Brexit restrictions on visiting it - and unlimited access to the UK too - Brexit beaten!
I have booked flights to Spain in July for a 10 day break. Not bothered if I have to quarantine on return although hopefully by then Spain will be on the green list. They are vaccinating roughly 3% of the population per week so by the time I go they will be up to 50- 60% vaccinated. There will need to be another lockdown to stop me. Then later in the year will go down for 2-3 months.
Whereabouts in Spain do you go Raver? We always stay in Arroyo de la Miel (Benalmadena) - an old school friend owns a flat there which she lets us use at 'mate's rates' - when it's 'normal' we will go there at least 4 times a year and she even lets us have our own cupboard there where we keep some of our clothes and suntan creams etc!
I have a modest place in Rojales, in the southern Costa Blanca. On a golf course about 10 mins inland from Guardamar del Segura. I packed up work a month ago and would be there for an extended stay now if it wasn't for the challenges over travel. I managed to get out there in July and October last year and the intention was once retired we would do 3 months at a time. You are dead lucky over the Gib situation, bet you can't wait
I'm double jabbed and have explored all covid regulations with regard traveling to the Algarve. Even with TUI, supposedly cheapest tests, we'd have to travel up to Cribbs to get sorted. We're not that desperate. Will go later when restrictions are easier.
Absolutely. The Schengen thing was a complete surprise. We were originally buying in Gib because our son had been trying to join the police over there and we spotted that you can get a nice rental return there. It started off as an investment only. We had more or less accepted that we would need to either abide by the 90 day rule or get a Non-Lucrative Visa in order to retire in Spain. However, when the Schengen deal was mooted we felt like we'd hit the jackpot! Oh, and as a nice little bonus we also found out that Gib citizens don't pay any tax on their pensions either! I'm unable to retire just yet - and sadly my firm ridiculously won't let me work from home from an off-shore location, so we will use the flat for holidays this year and then rent it out from November onwards for some extra income, whilst I wait for either retirement, or the 'golden bullet', whichever happens first! As soon as it happens, our main Swindon house is going on the market and we are buying in southern Spain - preferably somewhere either between Gib and Cadiz or between Gib and Malaga. We intend to check out the train line between Algeciras and Bobadilla when we are over there to see if any of the towns along that line take our fancy. Not bothered about being near the sea (although it would be nice), but a swimming pool, some land with a bar for entertaining and a room for family/guests - and to house my musical equipment is a must! You're right; I absolutely can't bloody wait!!!!
Sadly our chance of going back to Fuerteventura again are fast disappearing down the toilet due to Canadian travel restrictions. It looks as if Ann and I will have to stay on Vancouver Island and take a short break in Tofino/Ucluelet on the Pacific side which is about a 2 hour drive from home across the island. Has anyone been to that part of paradise?
We’re flying off to Crickhowell in a weeks time in an all inclusive cottage. ps my name is on 2 properties in Spain. One in Dequesa and the other in Sotogrande. They are in mine and my step brothers name as it was cheaper to get a mortgage due to our age than my parents. Plus my mum says easier on inheritance etc. I’ve been on a day visit to Sotogrande but mum says it’s not my sort of place as it’s the horsey polo place. When ever I go to Spain to sort stuff out it’s to Dequesa, which I love. It’s on the edge of a golf course (where isn’t in the Costa del Sol) overlooking the sea.
We are off to Gib on Tuesday for 3 weeks. May go over into Spain, Covid rules permitting. We'll see Bought this pennant to donate to the Trafalgar pub - ready to go!!!!! I noticed that there were loads of pennants, flags, scarves and shirts from different clubs in there around the walls - including a Bristol Rovers shirt, so I felt I had to fix that........
Now we are open to inter-provincial travel Ann and I have booked a house for rent in Sicamous BC for a week and our family will be joining us. This will be the longest time without actually seeing our grandaughters for over 2 years, and I can't wait until the hugs begin. Aug 12th is circled on the calendar and I don't even want to see a grouse. Bring it on please.
And despite all the criticism that Knickerless Virgin has levelled at Boris over the past 15 months or so, (some of it justified I'll grant you) they allowed thousands of Scots to come to London for the England v Scotland game and now they've got more cases of Covid, pro rata, than we have. She's also backtracked on the travel ban for Scots wishing to visit the north west of England. What a total hypocrite.
