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-   -   New house, new country, new life? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/portugal-89/new-house-new-country-new-life-905270/)

Pilou Oct 30th 2017 6:14 pm

New house, new country, new life?
 
Tomorrow we are off towards the Algarve.
It is very exciting. We will start our house-hunt.

We lived the last 20 years in the south of France and Spain. Now we would like to live in the Algarve. We made the most beautiful walks along the coast in the Algarve. To go down to the beach, there are often stairs. So better go now when we are both fit rather than wait until we are 70+.

We rented a house at walking distance from Praia Marinha:nod:. Our 55 kilo doggie has a fenced garden of 3000m² with a covered terrace. Just perfect!

The house we rent now is in a dream location. We cannot afford that, but we hope we'll find something we like.

Loafing Along Oct 30th 2017 7:23 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Pilou (Post 12371232)
Tomorrow we are off towards the Algarve.
It is very exciting. We will start our house-hunt.

We lived the last 20 years in the south of France and Spain. Now we would like to live in the Algarve. We made the most beautiful walks along the coast in the Algarve. To go down to the beach, there are often stairs. So better go now when we are both fit rather than wait until we are 70+.

We rented a house at walking distance from Praia Marinha:nod:. Our 55 kilo doggie has a fenced garden of 3000m² with a covered terrace. Just perfect!

The house we rent now is in a dream location. We cannot afford that, but we hope we'll find something we like.

Good luck with your venture . We arrived in the Algarve from Spain and have not regretted our decision one bit . Good idea too renting when you first arrive, you can explore and maybe find a town, village or rural area you like even more.

Annetje Oct 30th 2017 7:49 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Pilou (Post 12371232)
Tomorrow we are off towards the Algarve.
It is very exciting. We will start our house-hunt.

We lived the last 20 years in the south of France and Spain. Now we would like to live in the Algarve. We made the most beautiful walks along the coast in the Algarve. To go down to the beach, there are often stairs. So better go now when we are both fit rather than wait until we are 70+.

We rented a house at walking distance from Praia Marinha:nod:. Our 55 kilo doggie has a fenced garden of 3000m² with a covered terrace. Just perfect!

The house we rent now is in a dream location. We cannot afford that, but we hope we'll find something we like.

I'm not jealous at all !!!!!!!!! :zzz:Where about in France were you ?

Keep us posted how it is going please ? Hope to follow you next year :nod:
Just for a laugh ... one of my golfing buddies told me to forget about Portugal because : the food is really bad there ???? His dream is Spain though ;) Then he told me to get a really BIGGGG house so they can all come ...

Good luck et surtout : Enjoy !

Pilou Oct 30th 2017 7:55 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Annetje (Post 12371299)
I'm not jealous at all !!!!!!!!! :zzz:Where about in France were you ?

Keep us posted how it is going please ? Hope to follow you next year :nod:
Just for a laugh ... one of my golfing buddies told me to forget about Portugal because : the food is really bad there ???? His dream is Spain though ;) Then he told me to get a really BIGGGG house so they can all come ...

Good luck et surtout : Enjoy !

Thanks, Annetje! Twenty years ago we left the Netherlands for the SW of France, between Biarritz and Pau.

Annetje Oct 30th 2017 8:16 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Pilou (Post 12371302)
Thanks, Annetje! Twenty years ago we left the Netherlands for the SW of France, between Biarritz and Pau.

Hey, we once lived in the Netherlands and, with a few distractions on our way, finally arrived in Provence 20 years ago ... High time to get out ;)

ouriquejan Oct 30th 2017 8:21 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 
Boa sorte.

We moved to Fuzeta 12 years ago, 10 years later, got fed up, so moved to the Alentejo. Love it. Best thing we ever did. We're part of the local community, family, in fact.

Pilou Oct 30th 2017 8:35 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Annetje (Post 12371312)
Hey, we once lived in the Netherlands and, with a few distractions on our way, finally arrived in Provence 20 years ago ... High time to get out ;)

I like the Provence!
We arrived at the same time in France then:lol:. Where do you want to live in Portugal?

Annetje Oct 30th 2017 9:04 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Pilou (Post 12371325)
I like the Provence!
We arrived at the same time in France then:lol:. Where do you want to live in Portugal?

Good question ... Depending on the season of arrival, I want to travel either north to south or visa versa. Think might end up in the south though. Used to love Ayamonte (Spain) so maybe just over the border there. Or West, oh well, don't know :rofl:.

You have any idea where you want to be ?

Pilou Oct 30th 2017 9:16 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 
Somewhere between Lagos and the westside of Albufeira (we don't want to live in Albufeira). We love to make long walks on the cliffs.
The coastline of the eastern part of the Algarve is for us less exciting.

The advantage of living close to Ayamonte is that you can enjoy the advantages of 2 countries.

Strange enough, but I have the feeling that we will sign a contract within 2 or 3 weeks.

Annetje Oct 30th 2017 10:11 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 
:fingerscrossed::fingerscrossed::thumbsup:

Jonny22 Oct 30th 2017 11:25 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Annetje (Post 12371299)
I'm not jealous at all !!!!!!!!! :zzz:Where about in France were you ?

Keep us posted how it is going please ? Hope to follow you next year :nod:
Just for a laugh ... one of my golfing buddies told me to forget about Portugal because : the food is really bad there ???? His dream is Spain though ;) Then he told me to get a really BIGGGG house so they can all come ...

Good luck et surtout : Enjoy !

He’s probably right about the food, I wouldn’t say bad, just a bit boring sometimes. It’s improving certainly and less salty than some years ago but still mainly boiled veggies etc and grilled fish and meat. Oh how I dream about some sauce. We often hop over to Ayamonte just to get the tapas etc, and some sauce
I’m a lusophile but gotta agree on this one.

EMR Oct 31st 2017 7:31 am

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Jonny22 (Post 12371423)
He’s probably right about the food, I wouldn’t say bad, just a bit boring sometimes. It’s improving certainly and less salty than some years ago but still mainly boiled veggies etc and grilled fish and meat. Oh how I dream about some sauce. We often hop over to Ayamonte just to get the tapas etc, and some sauce
I’m a lusophile but gotta agree on this one.

Obviously you have not eaten a good Catalaplana, seafood rice, fish stew, wild boar,shellfish , Portuguese lamb or many of the meals you will find in a non tourist restaurant.
Lisbon is now one of the culinary capitals of Europe.

GeniB Oct 31st 2017 8:22 am

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Pilou (Post 12371232)
Tomorrow we are off towards the Algarve.
It is very exciting. We will start our house-hunt.

We lived the last 20 years in the south of France and Spain. Now we would like to live in the Algarve. We made the most beautiful walks along the coast in the Algarve. To go down to the beach, there are often stairs. So better go now when we are both fit rather than wait until we are 70+.

We rented a house at walking distance from Praia Marinha:nod:. Our 55 kilo doggie has a fenced garden of 3000m² with a covered terrace. Just perfect!

The house we rent now is in a dream location. We cannot afford that, but we hope we'll find something we like.

Hi Pilou Welcome to paradise. I hope you find your dream home soon.but sounds like you are in a fantastic place while you look..55kilo's yikes.. my Golden is 36kilo's and that's enough for me when hoiking her into the car..:starsmile:

macliam Oct 31st 2017 10:55 am

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 

Originally Posted by Jonny22 (Post 12371423)
He’s probably right about the food, I wouldn’t say bad, just a bit boring sometimes. It’s improving certainly and less salty than some years ago but still mainly boiled veggies etc and grilled fish and meat. Oh how I dream about some sauce. We often hop over to Ayamonte just to get the tapas etc, and some sauce
I’m a lusophile but gotta agree on this one.

Well, that'll be your opinion. I like a good sauce, but I also know they developed to mask/enhance the use of less-than-perfect ingredients - like chantilly was developed to overcome the sour taste of French cream. Nothing wrong there and it doesn't mean that the ingredients today aren't of good quality, but it's why the cuisine exists.

On the other hand, Portuguese food (not unlike British food) was based on the idea of using good, fresh ingredients and not using sauces and/or spices to disguise them. This is great when it's well done - but when it's not, it can be bland, tasteless, stodgy, etc. Luckily (and unlike British food) this is rarely the case - wonderful bread, beautiful superfresh fish, good meat, vegetables and fruit picked ripe are prepared by people who don't see working in a kitchen as a chore for people who see eating as a pleasure, not just fuel.

Chocos fritos, Polvo, Mirandes beef, Porco preto, seafood, Algarve-grown mango - I will never tire of good Portuguese food.:thumbup:

- Oh - and how come tapas are so great, but petiscos go unloved? Rissóis de Camarão, Peixinhos da Horta, Rissóis de Carne, Pataniscas or Pastéis de Bacalhau ........ rounded off by those great Portuguese treats, Pastéis de Belém. :thumbsup:

Jonny22 Oct 31st 2017 7:39 pm

Re: New house, new country, new life?
 
Yes I have eaten all of the above and can’t question the quality sometimes and fully agree with macliam and EMR. BUT, the standard ‘fodder’ in most Portuguese restaurants ( in the east ) tends towards grilled fish or meat and boiled vegetables. Yes more variety is available but you have to look for, and pay, for it. My point was that you don’t come to Portugal for the food. The average village restaurants in France and Italy have a far better choice. Plus you don’t need to sit down to dinner with the TV on all the time which is the norm here.


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