Algarve, for those who don't know it ...

As long as its only the cowboys, you dont want the other lot

 

Sorry Victoria.

 

Ditto. I enjoyed the pictures!

 

Pete, you and Clare are excluded from my anger .. and I don't care if anyone comes here or not. I enjoy it and that's what counts.

Portugal is so NOT third world ... as when the Millenium approached they were and had to go top of the line .. which the rest of Europe did not do .. and I can assure you of the quality here which does not exist in the UK nor other European countries.

End of my thread here.

Perhaps a Mod could change the title to 'where I do or do not want to live ...'

 

We have wandered, in spite of Ziggys warning, and for that I apologise.

 

am seriously considering going back ... we own a large house (7 bedrooms) on the coast in a place called jeffreys bay ... there is no mortgage and the house is rented to tenants .... my pension is tied up in south africa and will be available in 4 yrs time ... exchane rate sucks, so even if I sell the house and cash the pension, the money in the UK will be 'peanuts'

there is hardly any work in my field here in the UK (mechanical design engineer) ... there are a few contracts, but they are short term and I would need to travel ... you work for 3 months, then are unemployed for 3 months

train fare plus car parking at the station costs over £60 per day from Cambridge to London

however, my son has completed 2yrs college in IT, and from sept will be working/trainining as a helicopter pilot/technician ... my daughter starts college in sept and will be studying for 3 yrs as a hairdresser

so, we will have to stay put here for 3 yrs, and will struggle to make ends meet

as for the UK, it is a great place, relatively crime free, clean, friendly people, lots of choice ... however, if you do not earn much and are poor, you will be unhappy in any country you live

If I had to come into a large sum of money (such as winning a lotto etc), I would have no hesitation in settling permanently in the UK