Bought today

My wife came home with this little specimen today

 

That's rather nice! Like it very much, Pip - are you going to plant it outside, or keep it as an indoors plant?

 

I will be putting it outside during the summer and overwintering it indoors as I have been advised to by several people,one of which was lady of leisure.

 

Well, she knows her bougainvilleas!! Definitely take her advice! :D

 

She certainly does and I will take her advice.

 

That's a lovely colour, pip! Good luck with it!

I have a beautiful white tinged pink and green one which is just starting to get it's leaves. Has looked dead as a dodo all winter.

 

Thanks Lady of leisure I`ll keep you posted on its development. Yours sounds gorgeous, some picis please.

 

Will do, pip, when they get that far along.

I have a lovely orange one on my kitchen patio which, yet again, just has started leaves.

If I have this much difficulty getting them going, my love, how do you think you will cope?

Sorry, I have to say this again, it's a struggle here for a few years for I'm really keeping my fingers/toes/arms/legs crossed for you!

I'll keep my pictures posted either here or in My Algarve Garden.

 

It have no doubt it will be hard but it will be worth it. You are a very fortunate Lady in that you live what I would call an idylic lifestyle and I do envy you. One day I will retire to a land of warmth,sunshine and oranges.

 

Pip, my pippet,I don't know how old you are but I think you are young ... start planning your retirement when you are about 35 or 40.

If you need any advice, feel free to contact.

 

Although I lived in Australia for a while I came home a few years ago. My dream is an old house with a vineyard or olive grove and terraces of fruit trees and lavender. Not to mention my cats and dogs!
It used to be Italy then the South of France and now I'm back to Italy - nice to dream.

TO

 

Hi, t&o and don't think I've welcomed you to GC, so welcome my friends.

I live in an old farm worker's cottage in the middle of the orange orchards which was a dream for me many years ago. T'other half now wants to live in the middle of the vines in Alentejo (next province up from Algarve where we are) and we're sort of looking!

Don't know your age either, like pip, but assume you are younger and all I can advise is PLAN NOW FOR THE FUTURE .. DON'T WAIT! We started when we were 35-ish.

Good wishes with whatever you do in life.

 

Hi LoL,

I'm 32 and single but I do have my four legged family to support. I'm lucky enough to own my home here (well, me and the bank)but the value has risen quite nicely.
When I lived in Aus I was so homesick and whilst I love Scotland I like the idea of living in a Med country close to Scotland. Aus was so far away from everything I missed.
Can't retire though so I have to figure out what I would do. I'm currently revising my French quite well but I strugle with Italian.

TO

 

Hi t&g. I had been coming to Portugal since 1983 and first bought here in 1988 but only spoke the basics. The problem was being in England all the time, nobody spoke Portuguese. Well, I had one Brazilian friend and we had a Portuguese restaurant in Aylesbury and were friends with the owner ... but they all spoke English!

I didn't really start to speak the language till we moved here in 2001 ... and if you live in a community of five houses like us and they are all Portuguese, you HAVE to learn quickly!

 

Hi Lady of Leisure . You are right I am still reasonably young at 39. I to have sat back and watched the value of my house rise a great deal over the past four years. I often compare house prices in other med countries against the price of my house and gasp :eek: at what you can sometimes for the same value. With this in mind I am currently learning spanish,early stages yet :confused: , and going to learn a new skill which I can use to find work in spain. My wife and I don`t want to wait until we are retired to enjoy the mediterranean lifestyle and we have no problem working.