IMAGES OF SPAIN. Mike Walsh

Spanish system better than NHS

I AM candid about my reasons for preferring Spain to the UK; one is the superior Spanish health service. Whenever expatriates take a hit because of the exchange rate or falling house prices Britain’s bitter and twisted stay-at-homes chortle. “Don’t come crawling back when you need the NHS.”

It appears that Britain’s hospitals are now clearing houses for the nation’s undertakers. Over 1,500 on slabs because of NHS blunders. They are only the ones we know about. Quite frankly I would prefer to crawl straight to the morgue and cut out the NHS middleman.

Language blunders make me smile

MY Spanish is not conversational and may never be so. After hearing the blunders committed by those learning the English language I have no wish to leave myself open to mirth.

A throwaway remark of mine, when taking my leave of a lady is “Stay pure for me.” My Ukrainian lady emailed back: “With you I am guaranteed to stay poor (pure) all my life.”

On waving her off at the airport she sent me an SMS: “I went through security. I was screwed by a security man.” I presume she meant screened.

No surprise in El Pais woes

SPAIN’S flagship daily newspaper El Pais is in meltdown. It is revealed that 129 journalists have been told to clear their desks; the two-third survivors took a 15 per cent salary haircut. Four of its local editions have closed.  Are we surprised; virtually its entire English language edition is devoted to exposé of Spanish corruption. We want that over our breakfast tables?  No thank you.