I was surprised to read this today

[scaryteacher]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8015743/British-Isles-worst-place-to-live-in-Europe.html.

I live in Belgium and find it shockingly expensive. The UK is much cheaper for food, books, clothes, electronics and car tax, so I think the authors of this have never done a weekly shop here.

Worker´s rights in Spain are horrendous, unless you are one of the lucky ones who gets a job in the public sector. Unemployment is much higher there, and they have a terrible system of using temping agencies for most private positions. This means they can lay people off at the drop of a hat. Most people have to work long hours, and are afraid to take time off if genuinely sick because they will get the sack. IME life is better here than in Spain as far as work goes.

We lived in Brussels for 10 years (about 10 years ago) and even then it was extortionate. My SIL still lives there and stocks up on basic toiletries here because it's so much cheaper.

scaryteacher - I suspect my father and FIL used to work at your large well known HQ, and we lived between Kraainem and Teveuren - your post has brought back happy memories - I still only ever have mayo on chips!