Exotic places and long haul flights. Names that evoke romance and adventure. The lure of something different. Or let's put it another way, riots, poverty, delays, lack of choice, an alien culture, misunderstandings, restrictions, revolutions.

Spain has had a lot of publicity recently about the #SpanishRevolution with people camping out on the streets complaining bitterly about the political classes and the banks, but everything has been done in an orderly and civilised way. Other countries have not been so lucky. Greece has had riots, Egypt a revolution, most North African countries are going through the same process and as fuel prices rise the cost of getting to long haul destinations like Thailand, the Caribbean and the States (Not even mentioning the ridiculous checks at airports in The States due to the Homeland security laws) mean that suddenly the old favourites are making a comeback big time when people look for overseas property and places to get away to.

Again I am not going to paint a picture of paradise, see my "Spain Is" article here. But Spain, France, and to a certain extent Portugal are being the beneficiaries of a renewed and growing interest in buying property abroad according to stats coming out of all of the main property portals, while places such as Egypt, Dubai and others are suffering due to uncertainty and costs. When you come to Spain for example you can get a wide variety of property, ranging from the standard two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in a complex in Expatshire, none of that on the Valencia Property website, to bargain hotel sales in the interior part of provinces where you will be lucky to find a foreign voice in a week. You have the security of familiarity around you and the ability to get back to northern Europe, or even the UK ;-), within a couple of hours. With great internal communication systems, recognisable brands on the streets, a decent level of people able to make themselves understood in English, the stunning culture (More World Heritage sites than any other country), the food, and the ability to keep in touch with home through the myriad of video conference calling facilities and internet news sites moving to and living in Spain offers the familiarity of a country everybody knows with the certainty that most people crave when moving abroad. However if you want a job or to work in Spain you need to read this book first!