"second most depressed" sounds even sadder, it isn't even an actual record!

I could say something here that will get me into a lot of trouble next time I'm in Cardiff so I'll leave now...........

Yes it is a real bundle of fun here right now, with worse to come in 2012.

and there is me trying to persuade other half to move abroad,Cyprus is too expensive, she said there are not enough winter flights from Greece, so i have been working on Portugal [somewhere within an hour of Porto to get flights back to our local airport]

They might cheer up if you get there, Wiz. It always helps to meet someone who's worse off than yourself !!

I dont think it's a problem for those holidaymakers that go for a weeks sunshine Wizard, more a problem for those that are living there with VAT at 23% (we are used to it here), expensive fuel, 90 billion in hock to the EU & a downturn in tourism due to the general economic crisis in the rest of Europe.

You might brighten the place up if you go there.

Doe

Holidaymakers are going to have a big problem from January when they find that prices have shot up by around 10%. Everything that is currently subject to 13% IVA (VAT) is going to be taxed at 23%. That includes restaurant meals and beer.

Electricity is set to rise by about 30%, domestic water charges went up last year by 500%, council tax, car tax, tobacco tax all going up etc etc.

The unions are planning a general strike for 24th November. The situation won't get as bad as Greece they say. Rioting in the streets and people being killed are not expected, but it does look like being a fairly bad few months.

I guess this means that the Hungarians must be getting happier!

SM

And the Finns maybe?