Zeppo595

You mean for you? You are considering moving there?

Helen1964

I’m not ruling anything out. I’ll be 60 next year and retirement is beckoning.
We’re planning to do a Grand Tour of the UK to check out a few places and decide whether we want to move back. York and Norwich are currently top contenders.

I do really enjoy the friendliness and humour of people in the UK and Ireland and find them infinitely more pleasant to be around than the French.
The question is, is that enough to make up for the weather, poor access to healthcare and being on an island rather than a huge land mass?
France is going to be a hard act to follow but - if we decide not to move to the UK - I would certainly consider other options.

I used to travel through Poland on the train from Moscow back in the 80s and our favourite money changer in Moscow was a Pole. Husband is Russian so I don’t suppose he’d be too welcome in Poland right now. He’d probably find it easier to wrap his tongue round the language, though. He learnt his French from reruns of ‘Allo ‘Allo and sounds like a cross between René and Sergei Lavrov.

What’s the bureaucracy/administration like?

Zeppo595

Bureaucracy is SLOW

Takes about 1 year to get residence card sorted with months of waiting and not allowed to leave Poland during that time (though can return home).

Lots of red tape. Poles seem very finicky.

But there are also ways around most things. Feel less like you have hands of regulators around your neck than the UK.

The UK seems to be really going down the toilet now. One of the other advantages of Poland is it's really on the UP (war aside). It has one of the fastest growing economies in Europe with lots of foreign investments and also one of the lowest employment rates. I just feel like the future is bright for Poland but I don't feel that way in the UK.

Government is conservative and less woke culture rainbow flag/mass immigration/ men bashing than the UK and I'm sure France too. People are allowed to be patriotic and it's the most Catholic country in Europe. When I was back in the UK, I was disturbed by the general state of the cities I was in. They are just unkempt. Rubbish on the floor, chewing gum stuck to all the pavements. Drunks and homeless people and troglodyte looking families waddling around outside Gregg's. I haven't seen this type of stuff in Poland. It's cleaner and calmer and the cities are in better condition. It's not like in London where I sit on the underground and read a sign like 'staring can be constituted as harassment' and I'm reminded I am in a literal dystopia.

Having said all that, the winters are pretty rough and it can be pretty lonely and hard to make friends but I'm sure you're familiar with the expat blues by now.

Helen1964

OK, good to know. Thanks.
I’ve a feeling we’re going to be staying in France.

Helen1964

« It's not like in London where I sit on the underground and read a sign like 'staring can be constituted as harassment' and I'm reminded I am in a literal dystopia. »

That’s disgraceful.
Surely it should be « construed »?

spouse of scouse

tdrinker

I saw this poster on the underground. It goes on to say you should call the transport police if being looked at makes you fearful for your life. The next poster said to give up your seat for people with disabilities, etc., noting that not all disabilities are visible.

Wait a minute. One poster tells you to scrutinise your fellow travellers for invisible disabilities, and the next poster tells them to report you to the police for doing so. Over the tannoy "see it, say it, sorted" is playing on a loop and when you get off the train there could be another message telling you it's slippery if wet, to carry water if it's hot, and so on.

Whatever happened to common sense, individual responsibility, and travelling in peace and quiet? Most people know when to give up a seat, not to stare at people, etc., and those that don't won't be persuaded by a poster. I feel nostalgic for the days before the nanny state. And before woke.

philat98

That restriction would cause a lot of trouble in Italy.

Helen1964

Enjoy the staring while it lasts. One day it stops.

Lion in Winter

Most of us still have it. And don't get upset by posters and signs.

Just be considerate and get on with your life. A sign won't bite you.

Moses2013

I find the discussion about Poland interesting and you'll always have mixed views when it comes to a country. No doubt there are also lovely parts of Poland and the main city centres might seem clean for some, it's still a country with problems. The UK is far from perfect and while there are plenty of dirty towns with poverty, you'll also find some stunning coastal villages and towns.

The difference in Poland is that the real poverty is outside the main centres and there's a reason why so many left the country. You will find empty villages where someone managed to build a nice villa from money they made abroad and a lot of criminals make their money across the border, so it feels safe and less diversity:-).

Of course there are German pensioners who go to Poland because their money goes further and you'll probably find some excellent German speaking nursing homes. Unfortunately some also get ripped off and the language barrier only appears when you want your money back. The bigger problems are probably more environmental in Poland, air pollution is maybe a bit better now but more nuclear power plants being built. Illegal garbage dumps (see video) are still everywhere and the countryside is uncontrolled. I have a friend who moved back to Poland and he says Poland is great if you make your money elsewhere and speak Polish, but he would still prefer to retire elsewhere or move further up to the coast. The Baltic Sea is very popular, property prices increasing though.

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/polit...alden-100.html

tdrinker

But constant patronising tannoy messages are annoying, e.g. if you're travelling by train and want a peaceful, relaxing journey.

One of the (the only?) good thing Grant Shapps has done, although unnecessary messages seem to be creeping back in some instances.

Zeppo595

Yes, I agree Poland isn't perfect and being an expat you are usually a bit unaware (comparatively speaking) of all the internal problems facing your adopted country.

I am in Warsaw as well which is a bit of a bubble.

No desire to return to UK to be honest but maybe for 1 year I will to save money a bit and try to gain a bit more experience. But at this point I an contemplating changing careers entirely as schools in the UK are very intense right now.

Zeppo595

Is funny also reading this thread back cos a few years later I find myself in almost the exact same position...

Stay in (this time) Poland doing online ESL for a low wage OR go into mainstream education for money/'career' etc...feels like doing a deal with the devil.

I am considering trying to get a masters or DELTA to help me get better jobs teaching adults.