Not so Newbie

Hi Wayne,

I would really be interested in reading your blog.  Please do put a link.

My husband and I have beers planning a move to Portugal for years - Covid put a stop to it and I am now waiting for a hip transplant operation before we pack up.

I was born and lived in Africa until I was 18 when I moved to England, which supposed to be temporary - I’m 70 now!  Anyway, the dry heat was the initial attraction, but having holidayed in Portugal, we now consider it to be one of the most wonderful countries ever and are determined to move as soon as possible.

In what part of Portugal are you both living?

Hello Wayne,

My wife and I have travelled throughout Europe. My wife is originally from Ukraine and she lived in Italy for 9 years. I was born and raised in the USA. During our travels in Europe, I truly fell in love with the life style there and decided to spend the remainder of my life there. Soooo the question then became where? After doing a lot of research and making many trips, we decided to relocate to Portugal. Next question: where in Portugal? We spent January and February of 2022 exploring the country looking for that "perfect place" for us.  We finally decided on the Sunshine Coast and specially Caldas da Rainha. So you ask why? It is

1) the most friendly people in all of Europe ;

2) the incredible weather;

3)  beautiful beaches 12 minutes away;

4) a wonderful farmers market open 7 days a week;

5) an excellent Seafood market open 6 days a week; 

6) extremely walkable city of 52K people . . . we walk to the farmers market, to our bank, to our layer's office, to many cafes and restaurants, to everywhere;

7) very good hospital 5 minute walk from our home;

8) COST OF LIVING;

9) SAFETY . . . next to NO crime!! Ranked 3rd safest country in THE WORLD. The USA doesn't even make the top 100 safest countries (out of a list of 190 countries).

WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR??

We purchased a new 4 bedroom/3 bath apartment with a private garage there in January of 2023.

Portugal vs. Australia! Have somebody this experience or suitable Information?

Regards.

9) SAFETY . . . next to NO crime!! Ranked 3rd safest country in THE WORLD. The USA doesn't even make the top 100 safest countries (out of a list of 190 countries).

-@maxwmitchell1997

The top 10 safest countries in the world, ranked by GPI, are :

1. Iceland – 1.11

2. New Zealand – 1.27

3. Ireland – 1.29

4. Austria – 1.30

5. Denmark – 1.30

6. Portugal – 1.30

7. Czech Republic – 1.32

8. Slovenia – 1.32

9. Singapore – 1.33

10. Japan – 1.34

Of course, America is nothing like Europe. There is a mass shooting pretty much every other day there.

@JuneMalone here is the Blog address ***

I look forward to your comments and thoughts.

Our friends ask us "Is it hard to retire abroad?"

We found a great answer,

Retiring abroad can be both challenging and exciting. Adapting to a new culture, language, and lifestyle can be difficult, and there may be bureaucratic and legal requirements to navigate. This includes obtaining residency permits and healthcare coverage. Additionally, being away from family and familiar surroundings can be emotionally tough. However, with proper planning, research, and a willingness to embrace new experiences, retiring abroad can be fulfilling and enriching. It is important to consider factors like financial stability, healthcare accessibility, and support networks when deciding to retire abroad.

We found Portugal ticks off all the boxes on our check list.

@Mr Wayne Hello and welcome !

Feel free to register your blog in the Blogs from expats in Portugal. There are also other blogs in the same section you might want to have a look at.

All the best

Bhavna

@chrisschubert21 Yes, I do.

@maxwmitchell1997 Having lived in a few countries around the world, I would say that most of your points you listed could be said in slight variations about many places I lived in. It's great that you like the Silver Coast and even better that you are convinced you made the right choice.

9) SAFETY . . . next to NO crime!! Ranked 3rd safest country in THE WORLD. The USA doesn't even make the top 100 safest countries (out of a list of 190 countries).

-@maxwmitchell1997

The top 10 safest countries in the world, ranked by GPI, are :

1. Iceland – 1.11
2. New Zealand – 1.27
3. Ireland – 1.29
4. Austria – 1.30
5. Denmark – 1.30
6. Portugal – 1.30
7. Czech Republic – 1.32
8. Slovenia – 1.32
9. Singapore – 1.33
10. Japan – 1.34

Of course, America is nothing like Europe. There is a mass shooting pretty much every other day there.
-@SimCityAT

I always wonder about these lists, because they very rarely list countries like Oman or UAE or Saudi Arabia, which are extremely safe countries. To me this looks like there is a special definition of "safe" used or only countries in a bubble are looked at.

I always wonder about these lists, because they very rarely list countries like Oman or UAE or Saudi Arabia, which are extremely safe countries. To me this looks like there is a special definition of "safe" used or only countries in a bubble are looked at.

-@TGCampo

I often read what some people may call "lies" which make up The Guardian and wonder if they may have been based on real events?

https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve … ims-report

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ … bin-salman

I'll not mention the Gulf war which seemed to be taking place when I was in Saudi nor how females and/or LGBTQ+ treatment.

@Strontium Well, looks like I experienced a different reality when I was living there. But, so be it.