Why I like living in Spain.

Is it? There isn't a lot of land/ room for people and they now have the opportunity to move elsewhere.

Patricia Lougheed

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Japan's population may be declining because they do not encourage immigration where their culture would be destroyed. You have to live in the country for 20 years you still have to take a test written and oral in Japanese to get citizenship.

Try getting a work permit in Japan if you are foreign national.

"Sharing knowledge is the way to immortality"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

I had been thinking of finding some work by Joel Kotkin on this subject when I stumbled on this new article of his:


It covers several topics, but of relevance here is his concern that pushing European-style development will depress American birthrates.

That's a laugh. With the boomer wave getting older, the birth rate is going to decline anyway.

Stanier, Galicia and the Basque region are highly recommended for their very unique cusines. Octopus on potato slices with olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper is popular all over Spain. Velencia for Med seafood, paella Velenciana and be sure to try the spaghetti noodles with safron cream sauce. Andalucia for ham, rabbit, wild boar, lamb plus lots and lots of many kinds of fresh seafood. Check out the seafood market in Cadiz. Cod is a national favourite. Fillets stuffed in red bell peppers. Malaga salad is cod, orange, oinion and green olives. What I call tuna & onion stew is really good. Tuna and potato stew. Flash grilled tuna (only the outside 5mm on each side is actually cooked) fillet with mustard sauce. Spit roasted fresh larage sardines, squid, cuttlefish, paellas, crayfish, a cross species somewhat like a crayfish-prawn and a lobster-prawn, shellfish, white clams, razor clams, cockles, mussels, paellas of about 20 combinations, one including a mountain variety with rabbit + escargo. I think the two best places in the world for roast lamb would be Scotland and Spain. Fired abergine slices drizzled with molasses. Leg of lamb roasted on the fire with garlic and rosemary is a favourite in the mountian ranches. Don't look for too many vegetables outside of potatos, tomatos, onions, young leaf lettuce and garlic, lots and lots of garlic, but you will find some good melon with ham slices on top, wild asperagos in the spring, artichokes and others when in season. Go to Argentina if you like beef, otherwise I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. Wine... of course there are the Riojas, Navarras, excellent Rebera del Dueros, or for a change you might find the Malaguena sierras sweet stickey red (almost black) served ice cold can be an interesting after dinner wine, but not available very far away from Malaga. Jerez is the place for something stronger. Most over that way won't start out their morning without a shot or two of brandy in their coffee. A word of caution, absinthe (the real one) can be purchased in most stores, but cut it 50-50 with water and do take it easy, or the those little green LEDs will start lighting up the dark corners of the night. Buenprovecho! Enjoy!

There are lots of beautiful places to see, but please don't miss the southern route to Sevilla, via Toledo and Cordoba, then Granada, if you have any chance to make it to those cities. No trip to Spain could be complete without a stop in Sevilla. Barcelona is nice, but ... too much like France.

We are more connected to everyone in the world than we've ever been before, except to the person sitting next to us. Lisa Gansky

Cheers BigInch,

Perhaps you should be a tourist operator. A lot less stress than engineering apart from dealing with the public.

"Sharing knowledge is the way to immortality"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

I was hoping you'd say "TV Chef".

We are more connected to everyone in the world than we've ever been before, except to the person sitting next to us. Lisa Gansky

I had that in mind until you mentioned the grog. I had visions of Kurt & Manuel from Fawlty Towers sloshed in the kitchen. Not a good look for TV.

"Sharing knowledge is the way to immortality"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.