The Good, the Bizarre and the Beautiful
First the bizarre… Apparently it’s not all tea and scones in opulent drawing rooms for members of the British Foreign Service. An entertainingly enlightening news release from the British Embassy in Madrid recently revealed the “top 10 bizarre requests from Brits abroad”.
Heading the list was a call from a man planning to move to Spain “who was worried he would encounter nudists walking through the streets”. Others included a mother asking for the contact details of a young British YouTuber, as her son was a fan of his Minecraft videos; and, no great surprise here (although it is widely available on the Costa del Sol in selected outlets), a homesick expat asking where he could buy English bacon. The list was released as a reminder to Britons living overseas that they should only use consular services for genuine emergencies.
Now the good news… Property specialists quoted in a report by online property news bulletin OPP Today said Spain and Portugal were set to benefit from rising real estate investment by older Britons, thanks to their increasing equity and consequent capacity to spend, and the fact that 80 per cent of the UK’s wealth is held by over-50s (according to Silver Travel Adviser).
Commenting on the figures (Brits Abroad also noted that 13.8 per cent of Britons residing overseas are in Spain), Martin Dell, director of Spanish property portal Kyero, considerable number look no further than Spain when it comes to where they want to live during their golden years. When you consider Spain’s advantages, it’s easy to see why.
“There’s the great weather, healthy cuisine, delicious wine, pristine golf courses and beautiful beaches, for a start. Spain also has a rich history, with plenty of cultural attractions and inspiring architecture for those who move there with discovery in mind. The cost of living is also a factor, as well as the cost of property. Those on a fixed income can get more for their money in Spain.”
Meanwhile, the latest “Top of the Props” report by international property portal The MoveCannel.com places Spain in second spot as the most popular global destination, after the United States. “Britain may be debating a Brexit,” said TheMoveChannel.com director Dan Johnson, “but buyers are still in love with European property. Despite the pound weakening against the euro in recent months, demand remains strong for the continent’s familiar holiday home hotspots.”
Okay, not really “new” news, but further confirmation that living on the Costa del Sol, and embracing the lifestyle, can have major benefits. According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, people with heart disease who eat more food associated with the Mediterranean diet (olive oil, fish, whole grains, nuts, etc.) have fewer major heart problems than those who eat fewer of those foods.
And the beautiful… Some light springtime news straight out of Spain’s “pink” (or gossip) press: according to Hola, Spanish actor and model Andrés Velencoso and currently suspended Russian tennis star and model Maria Sharapova have been spotted together “affectionately” in Paris during the French Open in what the magazine gushes could be the “love affair of summer”.
[caption id="attachment_4380" align="alignright" width="300"]
Maria Sharapova in happier professional times as a Porsche ambassador[/caption]
Finally, not bizarre but certainly out of the ordinary, beautifully high-tech and on offer for a good price – a very good one (€980,000) – this apartment in Puerto Banús would make the perfect idyll if Velencoso and Sharapova want to continue their “relationship” in one of the world’s most sumptuous summer resorts.
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