New life
Dec 31st 2020, 3:17 pm
#16
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Joined: Dec 2020
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Re: New life
I'm not really qualified to offer advice having stayed in Lagos for only three months but I liked it enough while I was there to buy a property and I very much hope to be back there in a couple of weeks. I arrived in August and the tourist traffic was not a problem, although that's probably because of the pox. Maybe a "normal" year would be different. I did not see any of the beer-swilling tourists while I was there - most seemed to be families or boaty types who came to enjoy sailing and other water sports available. I made full use of the magnificent public swimming pool three times a week, and although I hired a car I was able to walk almost everywhere as the place is so compact. There was a wide variety of shops and plenty of supermarkets and then on Saturday's when the municipal pool was closed the spacious car park was used as a farmer's market. There was a wide variety of restaurants in/around the old town serving everything from Indian to Chinese to Nepalese food and also a very good Italian restaurant just a few minutes walk from my rental flat that sold extremely good pizzas. In addition to the old town there is a concentration of restaurants that overlook the marina. Walking around the marina and on to the promenade was a very pleasant experience and I would do so most days, and sometimes include a loop of Meia Praya beach, which itself has to be around 3kms in length. As far as golf is concerned there must be around a dozen clubs within a 25-minute drive of Lagos but I joined a golf society that has special arrangements with a wide variety of clubs in the west of the Algarve and for which we pay on average 50 euro per round, and that includes the price of a golf cart! I'm looking forward to getting back to Lagos soon. Good luck, Richard
Dec 31st 2020, 5:11 pm
#17
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Posts: 348
Re: New life
Hoping myself that Silves is going to provide something like that balance of Portuguese and international. I do get the vibe that it has a distinct town life, albeit a small one. Maybe I'm being over-optimistic?
Bit late if it doesn't, of course, as I bought already
Bit late if it doesn't, of course, as I bought already
Dec 31st 2020, 5:49 pm
#18
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Re: New life
Dec 31st 2020, 6:47 pm
#19
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Re: New life
Dec 31st 2020, 10:17 pm
#20
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Re: New life
Jan 4th 2021, 8:04 am
#25
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Re: New life
Good test for anyone that thinks they can understand Portuguese, is to turn on the news in Portuguese on the radio and translate what is being said.
If using TV turn your back to the screen so you dont get any clues about what is being said.
If using TV turn your back to the screen so you dont get any clues about what is being said.
Jan 4th 2021, 9:10 am
#28
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Re: New life
I think its relatively easy to talk a few sentences and words, because of course you are always talking about something that you want to talk about, and have time to choose the words you use (whether they are understood depends on the listener) and understanding the reply, is also easier because the answer is in response to the question you posed in the first place, so you have a head start. Rather than for example ear wigging a conversation in a bar about something you have no idea about is much more difficult.
I know less than a handful of Brits that I know can speak PT fluently, (well as far as I am concerned) and they have lived and worked in Portugal with Portuguese or married to a Portuguese person for decades. I think the same applies to all languages though not just Portuguese. Much easier when you are 12 than 70.
I know less than a handful of Brits that I know can speak PT fluently, (well as far as I am concerned) and they have lived and worked in Portugal with Portuguese or married to a Portuguese person for decades. I think the same applies to all languages though not just Portuguese. Much easier when you are 12 than 70.
Jan 4th 2021, 11:42 am
#29
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Joined: Nov 2017
Location: Porches, Algarve
Posts: 348
Re: New life
Been here 3 years now, know enough to read a menu, signs etc, can speak enough to order almost anything in a restaurant/bar, understand enough to react sensibly in a shop, bar, restaurant etc when asked a question. Further learning not helped by the otherwise lovely Portuguese natives here in the Algarve who insist on speaking English rather than allowing me the time to have a stab. I think this would probably not be the case further north but very reassuring for the OP.
Jan 8th 2021, 7:45 pm
#30
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 12
Re: New life
Been here 3 years now, know enough to read a menu, signs etc, can speak enough to order almost anything in a restaurant/bar, understand enough to react sensibly in a shop, bar, restaurant etc when asked a question. Further learning not helped by the otherwise lovely Portuguese natives here in the Algarve who insist on speaking English rather than allowing me the time to have a stab. I think this would probably not be the case further north but very reassuring for the OP.