Hey Arthur,

I didn't realise you were in Spain.  Whereabouts?  We looked at moving there as well, but we are very comfortably catered for - healthwise, in the much derided French Social Security system, and now as an OAP it is far more secure to stay here.

We are Central East France - close to the Swiss border (nearest town Lons-le Saunier - where the French National Anthem was created by Rouget de Lisle). As such we are close to the Jura Mountains - more hills really, and where the Jurassic bit comes from - but you would probably know that anyway. Mind you - you should see some of our neighbours!

Our house is one of those old stone farmhouses with walls about three feet thick, and about 300 years old.  This has 2 effects -it is cool in the Summer and b----y cold in the Winter!  So all our heating costs hit us between November and say March - and when I say 'hit' - I MEAN 'hit'!  It costs about 25 euros a week to heat the place including  the big woodburning fire during this time. I think 25 euros is about 30 US dollars.

On my pension this is a major consideration, and fortunately we own the place outright and have no debts of any description, so is our only serious  financial consideration.

We have just had the place valued and have been pleasantly surprised to find that it has increased in value by two-thirds over the past two years, se we are plotting on selling up and moving back the the South West - direction Toulouse-Biarritz, where it is warmer.   Mind you it is a very pleasant 30 degrees at the moment, with the sun on the Jura, so it is all very enjoyable - even with the cows farting!

Incidentally, the TGV have a magazine similar to an airline inflight one, and the Boss has just returned from a week in Paris and regaled me with the printed knowledge that the average cow farts 37 times a day!  If you think how much methane this is creating it's a wonder we can all breathe isn't it?

I am rambling again - must be that red stuff in glasses.

Cheers (hic!)

Norm

Hi, Norm,

A bit off topic, I suppose, but I live about 35 kms inland on the Costa del Sol in Coín, midway between Málaga and Marbella.

Like yourself, I find the health service here a fantastic improvement on what I was getting from the YUK - that, combined with the weather means that this Old Coot isn't thinking of moving anywhere else.

The only thing that seems to be a threat here is earthquakes - we seem to have a great many tremors so I sometimes wonder if I should not start a  whole new panic about the south coast of Spain slipping into the Med!

Your house sounds charming - if you sell it - do it in summer - then find yourself a third floor apartment in a four floor block and save €25 a week!

Did you hear about the French farmer who sealed the top of his cow bier so that he could collect and compress the farts and run his old Landrover on them? I believe the Landrover didn't run but he now gets all his heating free! Save money and the environment at the same time - that's the way the French do it.

The Old Coot

Oops - incompatiblility - Coin

and                              25 euros