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Thanks MP. Yes we are but cannot adjust to the foods here. Seems that they do not sell much spices but use fresh herbs instead. All we can find is curry, salt and pepper. I am a tea drinker and all the tea here are flavored with fruits. No plain tea. All the coffees are strong and mostly perculted stuff served in thimbal size cups as in kiddies play stuff.
This is also strange to me. The cheapest meats are Chicken drumsticks at R35 pk. Locals don't like the dark chicken  meat and export it. Same as USA does. SA exports the wings as we don't like them and import the drumsticks as we love them and they don't.
Pork is also cheap but beef is far too expensive as it is imported from Spain. Not much cows here due to the small farms.Portugal is small.
The most amazing is that the banks have no bullet proof windows. The tellers mearly take and give money over an open counter.
No burgler bars on any buildings or houses.
You can leave your shopping at the entrance of a shopping mall and it will still be there when you exit. No security needed to watch it.
Strange that I have not seen a black person here since we arrived. Perhaps they don't like Portugal.

Been here for 3 months now and enjoying it. No burglar bars to be seen anyware. No aliens whatsoever if you get my drift. Have not seen one beggar or drunk. 
My first thoughts were before coming here was chicks with moustaches and underarm hair and overweight. Not so at all. Most are refined and seem to have genes that developed good muscular bodies and so far have not seen any large chicks. Perhaps it is the fish diet.
Many men have left for foreign employment as there are not many jobs available here. This is why there are so many more females here than men.
If only I was younger.
This part is only for the single guys here.

I'm curious Orca, will you get your dividends withholding tax back now that you're not a resident?

Been here for 4 months now. Red tape continues to wrap around our legs. The South African marriage certificate is not good enough now and I must register the marriage in Finland. This means a further translation from English to Finnish then back to Portuguese . I just did one from English to Portuguese.
The immigration and border control came here today to see if we actually lived here and to see our living conditions.
To top it all, FNB in SA wanted to know why the amount declaration of my stock holding differs from what I stated in June. 
Don't.they know that markets have had a correction?
They have now taken control my assets and blocked my account and I cannot use my card anymore.
How the F do we live here now? FNB. stuffed up big time with our documentation.
Donations accepted.

Forgot to add this. Portugal wants to see funds coming in to our Portuguese bank account for self sustainability before we can get residence. FNB needs a residence certificate before they can send my own money here. A catch 22 situation.

sigh - and here we thought that the banks will have emigration under control by now.
hope they manage to remove some of the red tape... cant be that difficult

Quote"Twelve years ago, Portugal eliminated criminal penalties for drug users. Since then, those caught with small amounts of marijuana, cocaine or heroin go unindicted and possession is a misdemeanor on par with illegal parking. Experts are pleased with the results".End Quote.

I have not seen drug usage here at all. Nor have I seen any beggars or homeless people. No drunks or any unsavory people at all since my move.

I was under the impression that Portugal was a third world country. Not so by far. They have the most sophisticated banking system compared to the US . and most EU countries. They have the most ATM's per capita than any other country. Almost one ATM per block. Even in suburbs. None get broken into ever.

I must say that this was the best move I have ever made.

I am way up North in Viana do Castelo near the Spanish border on the West coast. This is not a tourist area like the Algarve in the South where the Brits and Germans are in abundance.
A little geography on Portugal.
The Portuguese coast is divided into 3 areas. The Gold Coast in the South that is the most popular area for sun and fun. A rather hot, dry and flat area with beautiful beaches.
The middle area is called the Silver Coast and includes Lisbon (Lisboa), the capital. A more hilly area and somewhat greener. Lisboa is the most popular tourist destination in Europe.
Then you get the Green Coast in the North and includes Porto that was once the capital city. The city that Port wine was named after. It is called the Green Coast due to the luscious vegetation. This is the colder area of Portugal with snow in the inland mountains in winter. It rains on average in winter for 18 days a month hence the greenery.

It has now rained every day for almost 2 weeks and no reprieve for the next week at least. This does nor deter the locals though as they are used to this weather and mearly do what they normally do under a brolly.