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Author Topic: My retirement blog.  (Read 400811 times)

Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #60 on: June 15, 2014, 08:08:02 pm »
Thanks for the info gcr. We eventually got sorted with Bidvest and got cash in Euros to last 2 months.
The lady at FNB that does emigration has to handle our banking affairs via our blocked account. We have to email her to open it and send money to our Portuguese bank as and when required.
FNB were very clued up compared to the other banks here.
Off tomorrow so will be posting again from Portugal when we are settled.

Right now we are sitting in an empty flat with no TV, radio or fridge drinking warm beer. Nothing to do but use up my data bundle until bedtime.
Wife having some wine and whining about the absence of ice. This is a serious predicament but as it is freezing, I think I will crack open the Old Brown Sherry that has been collecting cobwebs in the cupboard. That should warm us up and destress us as we are so stressed out with this move.
The unknown is becoming very frightening. No going back now.

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Nios

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #61 on: June 16, 2014, 09:49:13 pm »
Safe travels Orca.
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Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #62 on: June 19, 2014, 11:01:50 pm »
Finally arrived. Got to Dubai at midnight and tried to sleep in a chair till 06.00 for our next flight with no success.
Reached Lisbon 8 hours later still no sleep. Booked into the hotel and had a restless night due to stress about where and what platform our train to Porto would be.
This was made more difficult with the heavy luggage we had to manhandle about.
Lisbon is a really cool city. Everyone speaks perfect English and is multi cultured. The most visited city in Europe.
Late now and the sun has just set at 9.30 so will keep updating as I get time.
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Moneypenny

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #63 on: June 20, 2014, 09:06:40 am »
Happy you made it, the fun starts now. :TU:
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Patrick

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #64 on: June 20, 2014, 09:43:16 am »
Congrats ORCA, where's the next stop?

Interestingly my girlfriend holds a Portuguese passport she got via a grandparent I think. I wonder if I'd get one should we marry one day???
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yozzi

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #65 on: June 20, 2014, 10:11:30 am »
Quote from: Patrick on June 20, 2014, 09:43:16 am
Congrats ORCA, where's the next stop?

Interestingly my girlfriend holds a Portuguese passport she got via a grandparent I think. I wonder if I'd get one should we marry one day???

Make it a condition in the contract!!!! :))
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Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #66 on: June 22, 2014, 11:03:01 pm »
No P. You will have to do the same procedures as I did to get my non EU wife here in Portugal.
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Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #67 on: June 25, 2014, 08:06:27 pm »
Still looking for long term rent after all the hotels. There are many here but but no replies to my emails. Must be that my emails are going to their Spam folders being in English.
We are now in an expensive holiday apartment on the beach 6km outside of Viana do Castelo. There are rows upon rows of apartments and no tenants. We are all alone in our block. Not much to do here except tan.
Tomorrow we are catching the bus to Viana to have a look at a 2 bedroom apartment for sale. Fully furnished with all the mod cons like dishwasher, washing machine, Esspreso machine etc. Newly painted and all. Cost is €50,000.
Just love Viana with those narrow cobbled streets with a cafe/pub and outside seating. Too many to chose from as there are around 6 to a block. Love the vibe too. Very busy.
Must add that pedestrians have the right of way here. As you approach the road to cross, the cars stop as if there are mystical switches in the roads that automatically activate the brakes. You can cross the streets without looking. The cars here seem to have no hooters.
Another thing that shocked my wife and daughter is the dress of the chicks. Most wear the teeniest micro shorts as if they are competing with their compatriots in Rio.
No burglar bars on windows and people leave their shopping openly at the entrances of supermarkets when entering.
No graffiti and no rubbish anywhere to be seen. The teenagers are very respectful to their elders and go out their way to help us. If they don't speak English, they will find someone who can. Those that can, will not let you go easily as they practice their English.
Just love it here.


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Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #68 on: July 08, 2014, 10:09:52 pm »
A disastrous start. The apartment we were going to buy is too small so we signed a 1 year lease in a new apartment block just outside the old city center. A beautifuly furnished and totally equipped with all the mod cons.
Feels more like a hotel with marble steps, brand new stove, washing machine, extraction fans in the kitchen and toilet for farts and all. This for €375 pm.
Problem is that the owner does not live here and he took a week to come sign the contract so we had no electricity for a week and had to drink warm wine and stare out the window. No TV, water, or gas. Even our cell phones were dead.

Sucks to have to wash with wet wipes for a week. I then found a water tap in the next block of flats that was not disabled. The outside taps here have the handles removed.
Took the 15 ltr bucket and went to fill up. All went well until I heard a commotion and some big mammas came out with broom sticks shouting something about Policia and I had to drop the bucket and run.
It is not my bucket but cannot retrieve it and don't think it is there anymore. I am now a criminal for stealing water.
Where do we pee now?
Apart from that episode, most people here are very helpful and friendly. Somehow, they can see that we are English and will approach us just to experiment their knowledge of English. Perhaps it is my blue eyes as my head is shaved.

Will give prices of food and other stuff soon.

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jaDEB

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #69 on: July 09, 2014, 09:35:06 am »
Quote from: Orca on July 08, 2014, 10:09:52 pm
Took the 15 ltr bucket and went to fill up. All went well until I heard a commotion and some big mammas came out with broom sticks shouting something about Policia and I had to drop the bucket and run.
It is not my bucket but cannot retrieve it and don't think it is there anymore. I am now a criminal for stealing water.
Where do we pee now?

Are you sure you did not just move to cape flats?
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jaDEB

If it scares you, it's a sign you need to do it

Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #70 on: July 09, 2014, 09:16:54 pm »
Ha ha. No, I would be getting cold and would know it. Good weather here at around 24° with a slight breeze.
Got tired of waiting for the water guy so went walkabouts around the apartment block and lo and behold, I found a big box that had pipes and valves in with numbers on. Our valve was closed so I opened it and we had water. Now I'm waiting for the flying squad to come arrest me.

About prices here. Where do I start? VAT is 23% except on some foods like meat, milk, bread etc. Fish is about R20 cheaper per kilo than in SA and frozen crayfish tails are R10 each. There is a such a large variety of fresh fish in all the supermarkets and minimarkets. Mostly strange to me. Live crabs, octopus and crustations I have never seen before. There are fish mongers on every street corner selling cod, bream, sea trout, sea bass, makeral etc from mobile trolleys at low prices. Portuguese sardines are R20 per kilo and are 12" long.
Pork and chicken is about R20 per kilo cheaper but most beef is imported from Spain and is around R100 per kilo. Rabbit is popular here and goes for around R90 per kilo.
Household items are sooo expensive due to VAT. A normal frying pan is R200 so are plain pressed aluminium oven pans. The cheapest kettle we could find was R230. A big box of washing powder cost us R220.
Internet is cheap at R250 uncapped and unlimited. We have no English channels here so will have to use internet TV with an android tv stick and watch free to air TV.


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Patrick

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #71 on: July 12, 2014, 07:40:04 am »
Pirate bay - all the TV shows and movies you want  >:D
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Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #72 on: July 21, 2014, 10:37:38 pm »
Actually, there are so many channels for free on the net. I have over 400 and can get more from porn to kiddie programs. Not that I do kiddie channels.
Had I had cheap internet in SA, I would not have bought a DSTV package. I would have gone for internet tv.
Here I pay R250 pm for uncapped unlimited internet. Watch TV and all 3 of us can surf the net at the same time.
No buffering of the video. Super speeds here.
You guys are being ripped off with internet cost.
We paid R290 odd for DSTV for the small bouquet plus R300 for my tablet internet plus another R250 for my wife's internet in SA. That is R840 pm that we paid in SA and we have a plus of more channels.




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Patrick

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #73 on: July 22, 2014, 08:51:58 am »
Can you recommend any good channels. I have a 10MB link at home, but no DSTV either.
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Orca

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Re: My retirement blog.
« Reply #74 on: July 22, 2014, 01:15:53 pm »
I have only started testing the 250 apps on PlayStore never mind the hordes without apps. Netflix is the most Popular but sadly, it is not yet available here. There are ways to change your IP Address to a US one and pick it up anywhere.
So far I use LiveNow TV app as I can preset the programmes I want to watch. Much like DSTV. Camposat TV is great as well as it automatically shows what program is on and the next 3 for every channel.
We can choose between 10, 20, 50 and 100Mbps. I have the 20 and there is no buffering. Some people in rural areas here watch internet TV at 2Mbps but complain of some buffering.
BTW, most are SD at 720 but some are HD at 1080P.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2014, 02:40:38 pm by Orca »
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